Unified English Braille

ICEB UEB Publications

The International Council on English Braille, Unified English Braille page is the comprehensive and authoritative source for information about standards and guidelines for UEB. The documents listed on the UEB web site provide the most up-to-date information about UEB and in particular the Rulebook should be considered definitive. UKAAF both contributes to and endorses the ICEB UEB standards and guidelines and for convenience some of the key standards are referenced below.

The Rules of Unified English Braille, Second Edition (2013)

The comprehensive and authoritative reference for UEB. Print and braille copies are available from the RNIB or can be downloaded using the following links: pdf, brf volume 1, volume 2, volume 3, volume 4, volume 5 and volume 6.

Guidelines for Technical Material (2014)

Guidance for transcribers producing Mathematics, Science and Computer notation in Unified English Braille. Print and braille copies are available from the RNIB or can be downloaded using the following links: pdf, docx, brf.

UKAAF UEB Publications

UKAAF actively participates in the development of the authoritative ICEB guidance. In addition UKAAF provides additional guidance and reference materials outside of the scope of its ICEB activities, as follows.

UEB Quick Reference Guide

Summarises the major UEB changes on one sheet of A4 braille paper for inclusion with books and magazines. A paper braille copy of the this document is available free of charge from the RNIB or can be downloaded using the following links: pdf, doc, brf uncontracted, brf contracted.

UEB Summary of Changes for Ordinary Braille

Summarises the differences between Standard English Braille and Unified English Braille. A paper braille copy of this document is available free of charge from the RNIB or can be downloaded with the following links: available in uncontracted pdf, brf, doc and contracted pdf, brf, doc.

UEB Samples

The following sample material shows various aspects of UEB and are provided as text PDF, viewable braille PDF and in embossable braille brf (38 cells by 25 lines).

Transcribing Foreign Language Guidelines

Comprehensive advice on approaches to use when transcribing foreign languages into UEB including an agreed approach for school text books and state exams: pdf, doc, brf.

UK Home Nation Languages as a Second Language in Braille

This guidance from the UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF) clarifies what to do for English, Welsh and Irish Gaelic when used as second languages in the UK. Other languages, such as Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Cornish do not have an official braille code, so use UEB: pdf, docx, brf.

Additional Guidance on UEB Mathematics

Supplements the ICEB rules and guidance set, and provides additional clarification for school text books and state exams: pdf, doc, brf.

Table of Braille Mathematical Signs with Unicode References

A summary of mathematical signs in UEB with Unicode numbers, descriptions are given where available: pdf, doc, brf.

UEB Maths Practice Exercises (2014/2015)

Adapted from the RNIB’s Technical UEB Course: pdf, doc, brf

UKAAF UEB Update Course

Designed for transcribers and teachers already familiar with standard English braille:pdf, brf.

RNIB UEB Publications and Resources

The following publications are available in print, braille, and online from RNIB by quoting the reference numbers given below. They can be ordered from the RNIB shop or 0303 123 9999.

The Rules of Unified English Braille, Second Edition (2013)

Quote TC21419P for the print version, TC21419B for the braille version.

Guidelines for Technical Material (2014)

Quote TC21425P for the print version, TC21425B for the braille version.

UEB Quick Reference Guide

Quote TC 21428 for the uncontracted version and TC 21427 for the contracted version.

UEB Summary of Changes for Ordinary Braille

A paper braille copy of this document is available free of charge from RNIB customer services. Quote 25258802 for the contracted version, and 25258803 for the uncontracted version.

Unified English Braille Primer

Quote TC21423LP for the large print version, TC21423B for the braille version, and TC21423P for the standard print version.

UEB Samples

A paper braille version is available free of charge from RNIB customer services by quoting 25187402.

UEB Podcast Series

Produced by the RNIB, this short series of 6 podcasts, each less than 10 minutes long, covers different aspects of UEB:

  • Episode 1: Why UEB explores some of the challenges facing braille in the UK and introduces some of the main benefits of UEB.
  • Episode 2: Contractions, covers the 9 Standard English Braille contractions which have been retired to reduce ambiguity and improve flexibility. Plus, we explain how spaces in print are now always shown in braille.
  • Episode 3: Punctuation introduces new single and double quote signs, brackets and dash. It contains a demonstration of how to write email and web addresses without needing a special computer code.
  • Episode 4: Numbers and Maths explains how braille is being made more consistent with print and how you can now use a regular commas or colons as separators for long numbers, time of day and in telephone numbers. This episode also covers small changes to math signs and writing fractions.
  • Episode 5: Money and Measuring covers the pound, Euro and dollar currency signs as well as the new percent and degrees sign.
  • Episode 6: Style and Other Characteristics cover bold, underline and italics and their extent. This episode also covers bullets and asterisks as well as some commonly used accents.

International Resources

Please note that all training resources in this section take their starting point as the braille code used previous to UEB which may not have been Standard English Braille.