Braille BOOK Shoppe

18/05/2016

Braille Paper.

Cut sheet means single sheets of Braille Paper that are used with embossers accepting this format. The standard finished sizes are 8.5×11”, 11×11.5”, and A4. We offer all sizes in Plain, 3 Hole and 19 Hole pre-punched formats. The binding holes are punched on the left side and are to be used with standard binding rings.
Cut sheet Braille Paper offers convenience for smaller print jobs.

Should you need special sizing (index cards, calendars, European, etc), or binding options, in most instances we are able to produce it in-house with extremely fast turn-around times.

15/05/2015

Tilly Aston
Matilda Ann Aston (11 December 1873 – 1 November 1947), better known as Tilly Aston, was a blind Australian writer and teacher, who founded the Victorian Association of Braille Writers, and later went on to establish the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, with herself as secretary. She is remembered for her achievements in promoting the rights of vision impaired people.
Life
Tilly was born in the town of Carisbrook, Victoria in 1873, the youngest of eight children born to Edward Aston, bootmaker, and his wife, Ann. Vision impaired from birth, she was totally blind by the age of 7.[1] Her father died in 1881. Six months later, through a chance meeting, she met Thomas James, a miner who had lost his sight in an industrial accident and who had become an itinerant bllind missionary.[2] He taught her to read braille and soon after, the Rev. W. Moss, who visited Carisbrook with the choir of the Victorian Asylum and School for the Blind, persuaded her to attend the school in St. Kilda, Melbourne, to further her education. She enrolled as a boarder on 29 June 1882.[1] After successfully matriculating at the age of 16, Tilly became the first blind Australian to go to a university, enrolling for an Arts Degree from University of Melbourne. However, due to the lack of braille text books and "nervous prostration", she was forced to discontinue her studies in the middle of her second year.[1] While convalescent, she tried to earn her living as a music-teacher, and realised the plight of blind people.[1]
After leaving school, she lived with her mother and a brother in Melbourne until about 1913, when her mother died and her brother married. She then moved to a house of her own in Windsor, where she had a house-keeper-companion.[1] She died there of cancer on 1 November 1947.
The Federal electorate Division of Aston in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and a street in the Canberra suburb Cook are named in her honour.[3] A cairn was erected in her honour, a year after her death, by Carisbrook Primary School and the Midlands Historical Society, and there is a sculpture in her honour in King's Domain, Melbourne.
Career
With the assistance of friends and the Australian Natives' Association, Aston established the Victorian Association of Braille Writers in 1894. This organisation would eventually become the Victorian Braille Library. In 1895 a meeting called by Tilly Aston founded the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (now Vision Australia) to fight for greater independence, social change and new laws for blind people. They quickly won voting rights for blind people; free postage for Braille material in 1899 (a world first for Australia); and transport concessions for the blind.[4]
In 1913 Tilly Aston did teaching training and become head of the Victorian Education Department's School for the Blind, the first blind woman to do so. Her appointment was not without criticism from staff and officials of the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind because of her disability and she was required to "sever her connexion with the blind societies she had helped to found".[1] She proved a competent educator and administrator,[4] but her school years were not happy ones.[1] She retired in 1925, after suffering a slight stroke, and received a small allowance in lieu of superannuation.[1]
Writing career
Aston was also a prolific writer, particularly of poetry and prose sketches, though her writing was often interrupted by her teaching and other activities.[2] In 1904, she won the Prahran City Council's competition for an original story.[2] The Woolinappers, or Some Tales from the By-ways of Methodism was published in 1905, and several books followed after that. Her writings were also serialised in Victorian newspapers and, for 12 years, she edited and contributed to a braille magazine for Chinese mission schools, A Book of Opals.
She had 8 volumes of verse published in Melbourne between 1901 and 1940, corresponded around the world using the Esperanto language, and wrote her memoirs which were published in 1946. She believed her book of verse, The Inner Garden, contained her best work.[1]
Awards
• 1935: Commonwealth grant
• King's Medal for distinguished citizen service (received twice)
Bibliography
Poetry
• Maiden Verses (1901)
• The Austral Year (191-?)
• Singable Songs (1924)
• Songs of Light (1935)
• The Inner Garden (1940)
Fiction
• The Woolinappers, or Some Tales from the By-ways of Methodism (1905)
• The Straight Goer (in Spectator, serialised from Sept 1908)
• Gold from Old Diggings (in Bendigo Advertiser, serialised from Aug 1937)
• Old Timers: Sketches and Word Pictures of the Old Pioneers (1938)
Non-fiction
• The Memoirs of Tilly Aston: Australia's Blind Poet, Author and Philanthropist (1935)

22/04/2015

Audio CDs with book contents for listening …

18/04/2015

The slate and stylus are tools used by blind persons to write text that they can read without assistance.[1][2] Invented by Charles Barbier as the tool for writing night writing,[3] the slate and stylus allow for a quick, easy, convenient and constant method of making embossed printing for Braille character encoding. Prior methods of making raised printing for the blind required a movable type printing press.
Design

The basic design of the slate consists of two pieces of metal, plastic or wood fastened together with a hinge at one side.[1][4]

The back of the slate is solid with slight depressions spaced in braille cells of six raised dots arranged in a grid of two dots horizontally by three dots vertically. In the shape of an inverted braille dot of approximately 1.5 mm (0.059 in) diameter; .75 mm (0.030 in) depth or height; the horizontal and vertical spacing between dot centers within a braille cell is approximately 2.5 mm (0.098 in) cell to cell (dot 1 center to dot 1 center horizontally) 6.5 mm (0.26 in).[4][5][6]

The front of the slate has a corresponding rectangular cells with indentations in the side of the cell, over the depressions in the back so the blind user can properly position the stylus and press to form a dot.[4]

There are pins or posts in the back of the slate positioned in non-cell areas to hold the paper in place and keep the top properly positioned over the back. The pins align with matching depressions on the opposite side of the slate. A slate as designed for a normal 8.5 inch piece of paper has 28 cells. It can have any number of rows, usually at least four.[4]

The stylus is a short blunted awl with a handle to comfortably fit the hand of the user.
Writing

Writing is accomplished by placing a piece of heavy paper in the slate, aligning it correctly and closing the slate. The pins in the back of the slate puncture or pinch the paper securely between the two halves of the slate.[1][4]

The person writing begins in the upper right, each combination of dots in the cell has to be completed backward. The awl is positioned and pressed to form a depression in the paper. The writer moves to one of the other dots in the cell or to the next cell as appropriate.[7]

The slate is repositioned as needed to continue writing on the paper. When completed the writer removes the slate and turns the paper over to read the braille by feeling the dots that were pushed up from the back.[4]
History
Six Principal Systems of Embossed Type;Haüy, Gall, Howe, Moon, Braille, Wait

Prior to the system devised by Louis Braille, a number of other methods for blind people to read and/or write on paper were used. One of the most popular was the English system of Dr. William Moon invented in 1845.[4][8] The English/Moon system or Moon type is easy to learn for the newly blind as it has a strong resemblance to the familiar written alphabet, but Braille has such great advantages over the Moon system for regular usage that it quickly eclipsed the Moon system.[8][9] Braille with its slate and stylus was unique in that it was the first and, until computers with screen readers, the only method a blind person could write and read themselves what had been written.[10]

The earliest systematic attempt to provide a method to "teach the blind to read and to write, and give them books printed by themselves" was by Valentin Haüy who used a system of embossed roman characters. In June 1784, Haüy sought his first pupil at the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. On 5 December 1786, Haüy's pupils had embossed from movable letterpress type his "Essai sur l'éducation des aveugles" (Essay on the Education of Blind Children) the first book ever published for the blind.[10][11] Prior to 1786 tools for the blind to read or write were the results of individuals personal approaches to solutions. One of the more notable approach was that of Nicholas Saunderson (Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge) blind nearly from birth, devised an Arithmetical slate.[10]

Braille evolved from the night writing of Charles Barbier. "Ecriture Nocturne" (night writing) was invented in response to Napoleon's demand for a code that soldiers could use to communicate silently and without light at night. Because it used a cell with 2 columns of six dots each a total of 12 dots could be required for a single symbol, the cell was too large for a single touch and was hard to read and learn, it was not successful.[12]

15/04/2015

The Braille Alphabet

The basic grid of a braille alphabet character consists of six dots, positioned like the figure six on a die, in two parallel vertical lines of three dots each. From the six dots that make up the basic grid, 64 different signs can be created. Reading direction of braille is the same as for regular type and the rules for hyphenation that apply for regular fonts also apply in braille. The guidelines on braille requirements for pharmaceutical labelling and packaging recommend that an un-contracted braille alphabet system, conforming to the Marburg Medium format, should be used. In un-contracted braille, each individual letter of the alphabet, punctuation mark etc. is represented by its own braille character(s).
Braille Character Codes

Braille character codes consist of letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols and special characters. Some parts of character sets are common between countries whereas other parts differ, e.g. Latin versus other alphabets and accented letters.
Braille Alphabet Letters—Internationally Standardised

The letters a-z are common and standard for most braille country tables.

Braille Alphabet Letters

Note: It is recommended that braille text is not capitalised on pharmaceutical cartons.
Braille Numbers—Internationally Standardised

Numbers use the same braille characters as the letter symbols A to J – with the exception of France.

Braille numbers

Note:When indicating numbers the number sign should be placed before braille numbers to differentiate them from the letter symbols A to J. In Europe the number is always terminated with a space. See example below.

Note:French Antoine Braille number symbols are unique characters and do not conform to the international numbers standard.
Symbol to indicate braille numbers

Number symbol to indicate braille numbers

Note: A letter sign is required to be inserted between numbers and letters when numbers are immediately followed by letters. See example below.
Braille letter symbol

Braille letter symbol
Braille Punctuation Marks
Braille punctuation marks

Braille punctuation marks

Great Britain and the United States are two of the few places in the world that use a period to indicate the decimal place. Many other countries use a comma instead. The decimal separator is also called the radix character. Likewise, while the U.K. and U.S. use a comma to separate groups of thousands, many other countries use a period instead, and some countries separate thousands groups with a space. In ink print, thousand separators and decimal places may be either “.” or “,” depending on the country, but in Braille they are usually as shown above. However, please confirm with the relevant country Braille authority that the correct braille character is being used.
Nationally Different Special Braille Alphabet Characters in Europe

It must be stressed that punctuation, abbreviated characters and accented characters vary from country to country.

International braille symbols

In the artwork creation process, the Braille character set to be used should be verified as appropriate for the country in which the medicinal product is sold. The Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) and packaging supplier must check all braille artwork for current accuracy and relevance. The European Braille Guidance area of this website, supported by RNIB and EBU, contains information on European Braille and the braille code pages contain many country specific braille codes. The International Blindness Agencies Directory can help to identify braille organisations for each country.

If multi-market, multilingual packs are being produced with braille text, the correct character sets should be identified and included in the artwork.

Note:While every care has been taken to check the accuracy of the symbols used in each language, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information. Please confirm braille character sets with the relevant local braille authority. The International Blindness Agencies Directory can help to identify braille organisations for each country.

11/04/2015

11/04/2015

"Blindness equipment"
The following 25 pages are in this category, out of 25 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).
A

Ambling Audio Books
Audiobook

B

Braille watch
Brainport

D

Dolphin Computer Access

G

GPS for the visually impaired

H

Hoople (mobility aid)

K

K-NFB Reader
Kurzweil Educational Systems

M

Marrakesh VIP Treaty

N

Noctograph

O

Optacon
Optophone
OrCam device

P

Photovoltaic retinal prosthesis

R

Reading machine
Remote infrared audible signage (RIAS)

S

Skilcraft

T

Talking tactile tablet
Tangible symbol systems
Telesensory Systems

U

US State Laws and Policies for ICT Accessibility

V

Vinux

W

White cane
White Cane Safety Day

11/04/2015

Braille Watches
Braille watches for the blind come in a variety of styles, including men’s braille watches, ladies braille watches and unisex braille watches in gold or chrome with leather or expansion bands. Our Braille sports watches are great for active lifestyles and classic braille pocket watches tuck into a pocket, while handy combination braille and talking watches have tactile markings and also announce the time.

09/04/2015

The History of the White Cane
By: Philip Strong

The following short history of the white cane was written by Philip Strong. Phil was an advocate at the ACB office for pedestrian safety.

The white cane is not just a tool that can be used to achieve independence; it is also a symbol of the blind citizens in our society. To honor the many achievements of blind and visually impaired Americans and to recognize the white cane's significance in advancing independence, we observe October 15th of each year as "White Cane Safety Day." Today, the white cane works both, as a tool for the blind as well as a symbol, but this has not always been the case.

Throughout history, the cane, staff, and stick have existed as traveling aids for the blind and visually impaired. Dating back to biblical times records show that a shepherd's staff was used as a tool for solitary travel. The blind used such tools to alert them to obstacles in their path. For centuries, the "cane" was used merely as a tool for travel and it was not until the twentieth century that the cane, as we know it today, was promoted for use by the blind as a symbol to alert others to the fact that an individual was blind.

This new role for the white cane had its origins in the decades between the two World Wars, beginning in Europe and then spreading to North America. James Biggs of Bristol claimed to have invented the white cane in 1921. After an accident claimed his sight, the artist had to readjust to his environment. Feeling threatened by increased motor vehicle traffic around his home, Biggs decided to paint his walking stick white to make himself more visible to motorists. It was not until ten years later that the white cane established its presence in society. In February, 1931, Guilly d'Herbemont launched a scheme for a national white stick movement for blind people in France. The campaign was reported in British newspapers leading to a similar scheme being sponsored by rotary clubs throughout the United Kingdom. In May 1931 the BBC suggested in its radio broadcasts that blind individuals might be provided with a white stick, which would become universally recognized as a symbol indicating that somebody was blind or visually impaired.

In North America the introduction of the white cane has been attributed to the Lion's Clubs International. In 1930, a Lion's Club member watched as a blind man attempted to make his way across a busy street using a black cane. With the realization that the black cane was barely visible to motorists, the Lion's Club decided to paint the cane white to increase its visibility to oncoming motorists. In 1931, the Lion's Club International began a national program promoting the use of white canes for persons who are blind Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, blind persons had walked with their canes held diagonally in a fixed position, and the role of the white cane took on a symbolic role as an identifier.

But when the blind veterans of World War II returned to America, the form and the use of the white cane was further altered in an attempt to help return veterans to participatory lifestyles at home. Doctor Richard Hoover developed the "long cane" or "Hoover" method of cane travel. These white canes are designed to be used as mobility devices and returned the cane to its original role as a tool for mobility, but maintained the symbolic role as an identifier of blind independence. During this period, the white cane began to make its way into government policy as a symbol for the blind.

The first special White Cane Ordinance was passed in December 1930 in Peoria, Illinois. It granted blind pedestrians protections and the right-of-way while carrying a white cane. In 1935, Michigan began promoting the white cane as a visible symbol for the blind. On February 25, 1936, an ordinance was passed by the City of Detroit recognizing the white cane. To promote the new ordinance, a demonstration was held at City Hall where the blind and visually impaired people were presented with white canes. The following year, Donald Schuur wrote the provision of a bill and had it proposed in the Michigan State Legislature. The proposal gave the carrier of the White Cane protection while traveling on the streets of Michigan. Governor Frank Murphy signed the bill into law in March, 1937.

During the early 1960's, several state organizations and rehabilitation agencies serving the blind and visually impaired citizens of the United States urged Congress to proclaim October 15th of each year to be White Cane Safety Day in all fifty states. This event marked a climatic moment in the long campaign of the organized blind movement to gain state as well as national recognition for the white cane. On October 6, 1964, a joint resolution of the Congress, HR 753, was signed into law authorizing the President of The United States of America to proclaim October 15th of each year as "White Cane Safety Day." The resolution read, "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives that the President is hereby authorized to issue annually a proclamation designating October 15th as White Cane Safety Day and calling upon the people of the United States of America to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and activities." Within hours of passage of the congressional resolution, President Lyndon B. Johnson went down in history as the first to proclaim October 15th as White Cane Safety Day.

The Presidential proclamation emphasized the significance of the use of the white cane as both a tool and as a visible symbol. In the first White Cane Proclamation President Johnson commended blind people for the growing spirit of independence and the increased determination to be self-reliant and dignified. He said in part: "A white cane in our society has become one of the symbols of a blind person's ability to come and go on his own. Its use has promoted courtesy and opportunity for mobility of the blind on our streets and highways."

During most years since 1964, the President has proclaimed October 15th as White Cane Safety Day. On October 15, 2000, President Bill Clinton again reminded us of the history of the white cane as a tool, and its purpose as a symbol of blindness: "With proper training, people using the white cane can enjoy greater mobility and safety by determining the location of curbs, steps, uneven pavement, and other physical obstacles in their path. The white cane has given them the freedom to travel independently to their schools and workplaces and to participate more fully in the life of their communities. It reminds us that the only barriers against people with disabilities are discriminatory attitudes and practices that our society has too often placed in their way. As we observe White Cane Safety Day, 2001, let us recall the history of the white cane, its emergence as a tool and a symbol through history; a staff of independence. Let us also recall the events that have permitted us to celebrate October 15th as White Cane Safety Day.

09/04/2015

A variety of cane tips. A = Pencil Tip, B = Bundu Basher Tip, C = Ball Race Overfit Tip, D = Rubber Support Cane Tip, E = Pear Tip, F = Rural Tip, G = Jumbo Roller Tip

09/04/2015

History white cane
A variety of cane tips. A = Pencil Tip, B = Bundu Basher Tip, C = Ball Race Overfit Tip, D = Rubber Support Cane Tip, E = Pear Tip, F = Rural Tip, G = Jumbo Roller Tip

Blind people have used canes as mobility tools for centuries,[3] but it was not until after World War I that the white cane was introduced.

In 1921 James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol who became blind after an accident and was uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home, painted his walking stick white to be more easily visible.[citation needed]

In 1931 in France, Guilly d'Herbemont launched a national white stick movement for blind people. On February 7, 1931, Guilly d'Herbemont symbolically gave the first two white canes to blind people, in the presence of several French ministers. 5,000 more white canes were later sent to blind French veterans from World War I and blind civilians.[4]

In the United States, the introduction of the white cane is attributed to George A. Bonham of the Lions Clubs International.[5] In 1930, a Lions Club member watched as a man who was blind attempted to cross the street with a black cane that was barely visible to motorists against the dark pavement. The Lions decided to paint the cane white to make it more visible. In 1931, Lions Clubs International began a program promoting the use of white canes for people who are blind.

The first special white cane ordinance was passed in December 1930 in Peoria, Illinois granting blind pedestrians protections and the right-of-way while carrying a white cane.[citation needed]

The long cane was improved upon by World War II veterans rehabilitation specialist, Richard E. Hoover, at Valley Forge Army Hospital.[6] In 1944, he took the Lions Club white cane (originally made of wood) and went around the hospital blindfolded for a week. During this time he developed what is now the standard method of "long cane" training or the Hoover Method. He is now called the "Father of the Lightweight Long Cane Technique." The basic technique is to swing the cane from the center of the body back and forth before the feet. The cane should be swept before the rear foot as the person steps. Before he taught other rehabilitators, or "orientors," his new technique he had a special commission to have light weight, long white canes made for the veterans of the European fronts.[7]

On October 6, 1964, a joint resolution of the Congress, HR 753, was signed into law authorizing the President of the United States to proclaim October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day". President Lyndon Johnson was the first to make this proclamation.[citation needed]