My Access IT magazine contained a sheet with the changes in the March edition
and another sheet in the April edition, which was produced in UEB. It’s
perfectly readable but I did have to keep referring back to the sheet to see
what certain symbols represented, i.e. bold face. I can’t recall the recise
example but I really resented having to read over 4 cells before reaching the
text which had been capitalised and written in bold face.
I think it is important that when creating text for braille magazines that
thought is given as to whether there is any benefit to the braille reader in
bold-facing or italicing text. In print such methods catch the reader’s eye, in
braille they are just clutter.
I strongly resent the way UEB has been foisted upon us but can see why some
changes were necessary – I just don’t think that a bunch of academics should be
allowed to impose such significant changes without true consultation.
Alison
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Iain Lackie
Sent: 09 April 2015 17:05
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Possibly off-topic - U E B Braille Magazines
There are some magazines which have yet to appear in UEB. There was an
explanatory leaflet which contained a list of changes sent out independently of
magazines.
Iain
From: Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2015 4:40 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Possibly off-topic - U E B Braille Magazines
Hi Iain,
Perhaps I could have one of yours then (smile).
But seriously, perhaps it all depends which mags you get – say sheets in
Progress but not in Upbeat, as a random ex\ample.
Best,
Clive
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Iain Lackie
Sent: 09 April 2015 16:27
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Possibly off-topic - U E B Braille Magazines
I have had two of these sheets. One came with a magazine and one arrived last
month. You must have been unlucky.
Iain
From: Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2015 3:04 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Possibly off-topic - U E B Braille Magazines
Hello all,
For information, I’ve just put in a complaint and a request for action to RNIB,
because last week, they started sending out magazines in Unified English
Braille. I have no problem with that, except that the notice (in U E B) at the
front of the magazines stated that a guide sheet was sent out along with the
magazine, showing the most commonly encountered changes to the code, but the
magazines I was reading had no such guide. I would also have thought that the
time to send out the guide sheet was when the magazines in “old skool Braille”
were heralding the imminent arrival of magazines in the Unified Code.
To go back to the code itself, from what I’ve now seen of it, I don’t think
I’ll have too much difficulty getting used to the effects of the loss of
certain contractions, and fully understand the logic of removing ambiguities,
such as dot six being used in contractions like ation and ally, and as
punctuations. However, it will be helpful to see how it is representing other
types of print, such as block capitals versus initial caps. Are wew on a hiding
to nothing trying to slavishly follow or represent pring though, so that we
have to surround a word with so many extra symbols to show that it’s initial
capitals, underscored and bold, for example? I’m noticing increasingly that
documents I’m receiving are conveying information by colour coding. Will we one
day need a supercode, in which say, dot five followed by dot 2 followed by dots
5-6 followed by a slash means that the following word is in blue, with another
set to indicate red, so that we’ll know which is which when the text says:
“Training courses in redhave no discount, courses in blue have a 50% earlybird
discount, and courses shown in green are free”? And on the subject of
disappearing contractions, I’ve never seen the point of the grade 2
representations of receiving, perceiving, deceiving, Declaring? I know it’s
because the I N G sign wouldn’t work, but why not just get rid and write c e v
ing instead of cvg?
Best,
Clive
Clive Lever
Diversity and Equality Officer
Kent County Council
Office: 03000 416388
Email: clive.lever@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:clive.lever@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Kent County Council
Room G37
Sessions House
Maidstone, Kent.
ME14 1XQ
