The American Printing House for the Blind publishes a podcast called Changemakers. On one of its most recent episodes, they explored the National Prison Braille Network. We thought this would be of interest to our readers.
Author: Matthew Horspool
Getting to Know RNIB Reading Services, This Tuesday at 7:30 PM
Welcome to a new term of Braillists events! We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer.
We kick off our Masterclasses this Tuesday, 6 September, with a review of RNIB Reading Services. Connor Scott-Gardner is an avid reader, and he will demonstrate how to download books, transfer them to your braille display and read them. He will also explain how Reading Services differs from other offerings from RNIB and elsewhere.
To join by telephone, please use these details:
- Phone number: 0131 460 1196
- Meeting ID: 824 7645 2710
- Passcode: 123456
Braille Refresher Questions from APH
The American Printing House for the Blind have launched Braille Refresher Questions, a weekly email inviting you to answer a multiple choice question on a particular aspect of the braille code. They are topical and designed to keep you knowledge of braille sharp.
These no-stakes Braille Refreshers are for fun; they are in no way a “test.”
To subscribe to these emails at any time, please send your name and braille-related title to [email protected].
Summer Holiday
The Braillists will be taking a break over the summer:
- Tuesday sessions for this term have now ended and will restart on 6 September
- The Book Club will continue until 28 July and will restart on 8 September
- The Help address will continue to be monitored, but response times may be slower than usual
Pia Recruiting a Braille Transcriber
Full-time (37.5 hours per week), £24,000 per annum
Pia is the UK’s leading independent accessible format provider, and they are looking for a talented person to join their team. They offer a competitive salary and great benefits such as flexible working, tea, coffee and biscuits to keep you going and 39 days’ annual leave per year (including bank holidays).
In return they are looking for an individual with outstanding attention to detail who can work at pace on a wide variety of accessible media products (but predominantly Braille) to a high standard. You will be an excellent team player and keen to work for a business that prides itself on strong values of quality, integrity and care. Day to day you’ll be responsible for transcribing a range of documents into Braille with your strong knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office and other software packages. If you have experience of adapting education materials for pupils with visual impairment, then this is a bonus.
For more information, please visit the job page on the Pia website.
Reminder: TAVIP Tech Chat Live and Braillists Braille and Beer after Sight Village on Tuesday
You are warmly invited to join TAVIP (the Technology Association of Visually Impaired People) and the Braillists Foundation for a lively discussion about the latest braille, technology and accessibility solutions. Everyone is welcome.
Tuesday 28 June 2022
4:15pm-7:00pm
Inn at The Farm
Farmhouse Way, Solihull, B90 4EH
The Farm is a 12 minute bus ride on the no. 5, leaving directly outside the conference centre on Cranmore Avenue and arriving about 200 yards from The Farm on Farmhouse Way/Shelly Crescent.
Contact details on the evening:
- Mike Townsend (TAVIP): 07967 658028
- Ed Rogers (Braillists Foundation): 07908 569214
What Happened at ICEB? Tuesday at 7:30 PM
The International Council on English Braille held its Mid-Term Executive Committee Meeting earlier this month. As well as transacting various items of business, there were lively discussions around the history of braille, braille music, braille technology and the braille code itself.
On Tuesday 21 June at 7:30 PM, we will be joined by ICEB President Judy Dixon. We will discuss the highlights of the Mid-Term and look ahead to how the discussions that took place will influence the future of braille around the world.
To join by telephone, please use these details:
- Phone number: 0131 460 1196
- Meeting ID: 824 7645 2710
- Passcode: 123456
New College Worcester Seeking Teacher of Braille from September 2022
0.6fte (AC218/0722)
Grade: UQT 1-6 (depending on experience) £18,419-£28,735
Pro rata salary (0.6/3days equivalent) £11,051-£17,241
Are you passionate about Braille – both for yourself and teaching it to people who are both vision-impaired and fully sighted? Are you able to talk about the importance of Braille to parents and professionals? Do you have ideas for promoting Braille both internally and to the wider community? Can you rise to challenges and think on your feet and out of the box? If your answer to these questions is “Yes”, you might be the person New College Worcester is looking for.
We are looking for a Braille instructor to assist the Head of Braille in teaching and promoting Braille and the development of new resources. A thorough knowledge of the Literary Unified English Braille code is essential; knowledge of other codes would be advantageous.
CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 09.00 on Monday 4 July 2022.
INTERVIEWS WILL TAKE PLACE: Thursday 7 July 2022.
Further details can be found on the NCW website.
NLS Launches Braille-on-Demand Pilot Project
Readers may be interested in the below announcement from the US:
As part of its braille modernization initiative, NLS is launching the Braille-on-Demand pilot project on Monday, June 20, 2022. This project will allow active NLS patrons to request and receive one hard-copy braille title per month, which they can retain for their personal use. If an individual who is not registered as a patron submits an order, NLS will refer the individual to their local network library to begin the process of becoming a patron.
Braille titles will be limited to books that are currently available on BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download service. At this time, requests are limited to one book per patron per month. Only complete titles will be distributed. Requests for partial titles (for example, volume one of a three-volume book) will result in receiving the entire book.
The form to request a braille-on-demand book can be found linked from https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLSbrailleondemand. Patrons may complete the form themselves or contact their network library for assistance. They may also contact NLS Reference at [email protected] for assistance in completing the form.
Braille Improvers on Tuesday
Our Braille Improvers session returns on Tuesday at 7:30 PM, ideal if you have learnt grade 1 braille and want to know where to go next, or are learning grade 2 braille but need some help.
It is not a braille lesson, but we will share useful resources, tips and tricks, learning strategies and answer your questions.
Anyone is welcome, but it is particularly designed for people who have completed our recent Braille for Beginners course.
We ask that questions remain relevant to an audience that is not especially familiar with braille. Complex coding or technology questions are better suited to our regular Braille Bar, which will continue after the Easter break.
Or, to join by phone, use these details:
- Phone number: 0131 460 1196
- Meeting ID: 813 5792 4044
- Passcode: 123456