Unified English Braille (UEB) is based on Standard English Braille (SEB), with some significant changes. These changes are designed to take away ambiguity and provide a braille code for the entire English-speaking world.
The braille authorities of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, UK, Ireland and the US have adopted UEB as their primary braille code.
Letters
Character | Braille | Braille dots |
---|---|---|
a | ⠁ | 1 |
b | ⠃ | 12 |
c | ⠉ | 14 |
d | ⠙ | 145 |
e | ⠑ | 15 |
f | ⠋ | 124 |
g | ⠛ | 1245 |
h | ⠓ | 125 |
i | ⠊ | 24 |
j | ⠚ | 245 |
k | ⠅ | 13 |
l | ⠇ | 123 |
m | ⠍ | 134 |
n | ⠝ | 1345 |
o | ⠕ | 135 |
p | ⠏ | 1234 |
q | ⠟ | 12345 |
r | ⠗ | 1235 |
s | ⠎ | 234 |
t | ⠞ | 2345 |
u | ⠥ | 136 |
v | ⠧ | 1236 |
w | ⠺ | 2456 |
x | ⠭ | 1346 |
y | ⠽ | 13456 |
z | ⠵ | 1356 |
Numbers
Character | Braille | Braille dots |
---|---|---|
number indicator | ⠼ | 3456 |
1 | ⠼⠁ | 3456 1 |
2 | ⠼⠃ | 3456 12 |
3 | ⠼⠉ | 3456 14 |
4 | ⠼⠙ | 3456 145 |
5 | ⠼⠑ | 3456 15 |
6 | ⠼⠋ | 3456 124 |
7 | ⠼⠛ | 3456 1245 |
8 | ⠼⠓ | 3456 125 |
9 | ⠼⠊ | 3456 24 |
0 | ⠼⠚ | 3456 245 |
The number indicator is placed before the first digit in a group.
Example:
100 | ⠼⠁⠚⠚ |
Punctuation
Character | Braille | Braille dots |
---|---|---|
, | ⠂ | 2 |
; | ⠆ | 23 |
: | ⠒ | 25 |
. | ⠲ | 256 |
? | ⠦ | 236 |
! | ⠖ | 235 |
apostrophe | ⠄ | 3 |
open quote | ⠦ | 236 |
close quote | ⠴ | 356 |
( | ⠐⠣ | 5 126 |
) | ⠐⠜ | 5 345 |
/ | ⠸⠌ | 456 34 |
dash/hyphen | ⠤ | 36 |
long dash or hyphen | ⠠⠤ | 6 36 |
General Symbols and Indicators
Character | Braille | Braille dots |
---|---|---|
& | ⠈⠯ | 4 12346 |
* | ⠐⠔ | 5 35 |
@ | ⠈⠁ | 4 1 |
© | ⠘⠉ | 45 14 |
® | ⠘⠗ | 45 1235 |
™ | ⠘⠞ | 45 2345 |
° | ⠘⠚ | 45 245 |
% | ⠨⠴ | 46 356 |
+ | ⠐⠖ | 5 235 |
− (minus) | ⠐⠤ | 5 36 |
= | ⠐⠶ | 5 2356 |
× | ⠐⠦ | 5 236 |
÷ | ⠐⠌ | 5 34 |
grade 1 symbol indicator | ⠰ | 56 |
capital letter indicator | ⠠ | 6 |
Notes and Guidance on UEB for Pharmaceutical Braille
Use of grade 1 indicators in pharmaceutical braille
It is recommended that pharmaceutical packaging braille is presented entirely in grade 1 braille (that is, using no contractions). Therefore, the grade 1 indicator is only required when a letter a-j immediately follows a digit.
Example:
221b | ⠼⠃⠃⠁⠰⠃ |
Capitalisation
Pharmaceutical packaging braille does not require capitalised indicators but may be used if absolutely necessary.
Example:
Nurofen® 200mg tablets |
⠠⠝⠥⠗⠕⠋⠑⠝⠘⠗ ⠼⠃⠚⠚ ⠍⠛ ⠞⠁⠃⠇⠑⠞⠎ |
Spacing of common signs
UEB is designed so that all the signs are capable of being spaced or unspaced in any combination without ambiguity, so arbitrary strings of letters and other signs can be brailled directly as shown in print.
Example:
(−15%) | ⠐⠣⠐⠤⠼⠁⠑⠨⠴⠐⠜ |
The arithmetic signs plus, minus, times, divide are not normally spaced; equals is normally spaced on both sides.
Unit abbreviations
A space is recommended between numbers and the unit abbreviation (except percent, degrees and prime).
Examples:
100 cm | ⠼⠁⠚⠚ ⠉⠍ |
50% | ⠼⠑⠚⠨⠴ |
Fractions
Simple numeric fractions use upper numbers for both numerator and denominator, separated by a fraction line sign (dots 34).
Examples:
½ | ⠼⠁⠌⠃ |
2¾ | ⠼⠃⠼⠉⠌⠙ |
The notes above refer to the use of UEB on the outer packaging of medicines. Please refer to the references below for further information on UEB.
References
- Rules of Unified English Braille 2013
- Unified English Braille (UEB): Summary of changes for ordinary braille
- Unified English Braille Guidelines for Technical Material 2014
Last date updated: November 2015