News

December 2013

INBAF Statement UEB

The Irish National Braille and Alternative Format Authority (INBAF) is delighted to announce the adoption of Unified English Braille (UEB) in Ireland. This follows a unanimous vote in favour of UEB at the most recent INBAF committee meeting and has been fully acknowledged by the Department of Education and Skills (DES). The founding members of INBAF include National Braille Production Childvision, NCBI and Arbour Hill.

Ireland is the last country from the International Council of European Braille (ICEB) to adopt UEB. This will bring Ireland in line with other members of ICEB, namely; the UK, New Zealand, Australia, the USA, South Africa, Canada and Nigeria.

“The adoption of UEB means that blind children in Ireland will now learn the new global, unified English braille code.
Exchanging books and files with other English speaking countries will be much easier and the internet and social media will also be at their fingertips, as all modern braille devices now support UEB.” says Ilka Staeglin, manager of National Braille Production, ChildVision and INBAF’s current chairperson.

UEB is fully based on the existing English braille code (Standard English Braille or SEB), with some significant changes. These changes will take away ambiguity from many difficult braille signs.

In practical terms, UEB will be introduced via the primary and secondary schools, as well as the Library Service at NCBI. DES and INBAF have set up a steering group to oversee the schedule of the implementation and to ensure that the transition will be very smooth for all.

For more information please contact INBAF www.inbaf.ie www.inbaf.ie

May 2012

Press Release re. INBAF Launch on 3rd May 2012

National Braille Production at ChildVision, the Media Centre at the NCBI and the Braille Unit at Arbour Hill prison announce the launch of INBAF, the Irish National Braille and Alternative Format Association on May 3rd 2012.

INBAF is the first Irish organisation to advise about rules, layout and best practice for the Irish and English braille codes used in Ireland. INBAF will also be available to help anyone with large print rules and rules for other alternative formats, i.e. audio files, more complex mp3 files and emerging new formats.

"INBAF can provide help and advice to producers of alternative formats, educational establishments providing alternative formats and readers of alternative formats in Ireland. For the first time, Irish interests in this area will also be directly represented by INBAF internationally", says the out-going chairperson of INBAF, Ilka Stäglin.

INBAF will now offer advice on the implementation of the Unified English Braille (UEB) code. The UEB was developed by a working group of The International Council on English Braille over the past 15 years. The aim of UEB is to have one English Braille code worldwide. This implies that there will be changes to the current English Braille code that is taught and produced in Ireland.

INBAF will be looking at when and how UEB might be introduced in Ireland and to ensure that any transition will be well prepared. Braille is also used worldwide in connection with handheld electronic devices that can connect to an Ipad and the technology subgroup of INBAF will be able to advise.

The work of INBAF will start straight after the launch with the formation of a working group on Irish braille who will review and update the Irish braille code in line with new developments in the world of braille.

INBAF would like to thank the CEOs of the NCBI, Desmond Kenny, of ChildVision, Brian Allen, and the governor of Arbour Hill Prison, Liam Dowling, for encouraging the development of the authority, which will work for and on behalf of users of alternative formats nationwide.

INBAF has full support of the International Council on English Braille, as well as UKAAF, the UK Association for Alternative Formats, who have both been very helpful to their new Irish counterpart.

Contact: www.inbaf.ie.

November 2011

Fourth Annual Fun Braille Reading Day

NCBI Library and Media Centre and St Josephs Centre for the Visually Impaired are holding the annual Fun Braille Reading Day, on Monday the 21st of November from 9.30am to 3.30pm at St Josephs Centre.

Our guests of honour his year will be actor and children's author Karl O'Neill and Theia Regan, a proficient Braille reader who recently graduated with a Masters in Theology from TCD.

Now in its fourth year the Braille Fun Reading day again promises to be an enjoyable experience for all. Each participant will read a selected article in Braille, with some also reading their own pieces. Those taking part will be given a small gift, with children receiving goody bags and young adults receiving a gift voucher.

A podcast of Roddy Doyle speaking at last year's event is available at http://www.ncbi.ie/files/audiofiles/roddydoyle.wma.

For further information or to get involved contact library@ncbi.ie.

September 2011

NBPC exceeds 3,000

In the school year 2010/2011, the NBPC produced exactly 3089 full transcriptions of books and fulfilled 98% of all its guaranteed orders in Braille, large print and text files! Many thanks to everyone who made this achievement possible - everywhere in the production chain from placing the orders to sending out the finished transcriptions!

4th Braille Fun Reading Day - Save the Date!

This year's Braille Fun Reading Day, a co-operation between St. Joseph's library and the NCBI's media centre, will take place on Monday, 21st November 2011 at St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired.

November 2010

Roddy Doyle to Visit Braille Reading Fun Day

NCBI Library and Media Centre in partnership with St Josephs Centre for the Visually Impaired are holding their annual Braille Reading Braille Day, on Monday the 22nd of November from 9am to 3pm at St Josephs Centre. Our guests of honour his year will be the well known Irish author Roddy Doyle and Braille reader Theia Regan who will both give feedback to all participants.

Now in its third year the Braille Fun Reading day promises to be an enjoyable experience for all. Each participant will read a selected article through Braille, with some also reading their own pieces. Those taking part will be given a small gift, with children receiving goody bags and young adults receiving a gift voucher.

For further information or to get involved contact: library@stjosephs.ie

May 2009

New Braille Course

Open Day for new braille course and enrolments on 16.05.09, 10.30 - 12.30, St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired, Training Suite on 3rd floor, entrance through middle gate and then follow signposts.

To read the full brochure, click here

November 2008

Fun Braille Readathon

Friday November the 21st sees our inaugural annual Vispa Fun Braille Readathon. It is being run in association with the NCBI and the event will be held at the conference centre of our campus (St. Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired).

The Readathon is for having fun while reading Braille and for promoting it. All ages from Junior to Adult readers will have a chance to participate. We also cater for readers of Grade 1 and Grade 2 Braille. We have compiled a booklist from which you make your selection from. On the day you will be asked to read a selected passage from that text. We will also have a celebrity guest appearance!

(For further information and application forms please contact Patricia in the library on 01-8373635)

August 2008

NBPC Doubles Production In Only One Academic Year!

The NBPC has more than doubled its production output in 2007/2008, in comparison to the year before. In 2006/2007 a total of 951 orders were fulfilled – for 2007/2008 this figure is up to a staggering 2119 orders that have been fulfilled! Consequently the numbers of book volumes sent out by the NBPC is reaching 10,000 for 2007/2008.

A Course in Braille Music – Now Available!

This is the first book of its kind in Ireland and is suitable for everyone interested in studying Braille music.

Written by one of Ireland’s most experienced music and Braille music teachers, Maeve Smith, this course will equip you with knowledge and understanding of Braille music. Keys, Chords, Melody and Harmony, as required by the State Examinations Commission, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and similar bodies are also covered. Just follow the thorough but easily understandable step-by-step approach.

Now available for purchase exclusively at St. Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired, at a price of €10.00.
“A Course in Braille Music” by Maeve Smith, ISBN 978-0-9559348-0-3. Also available in Braille.

Please contact the centre on 01 - 8373635.

NBPC exceeds Numbers of Guaranteed Braille Volumes

22.08.08
All staff at the NBPC have been extremely busy over the last year and have exceeded themselves in providing more Braille volumes than guaranteed.

Results for all orders received by the 15th November 2007:

100% of Braille guarantees (minimum of 3 volumes) have been met, with 85% delivered in all volumes and more than 3 vols. delivered for 12 %.

Large Print: 91% of all guarantees met, with 88% of these delivered in all volumes. 7% will be slightly delayed, and 1% of original books for transcriptions not yet published.

Text files: 93% of all guarantees met AND full text-file already delivered, with 7% delays.

Results for all orders received by the 15Th January 2008:

100% of Braille guarantees have been fully met and exceeded, with 79% delivered in all volumes, and 21% delivered in at least 3 volumes.

LP: 95% of all guarantees met (with 92% fully delivered, and 3% delivered with a minimum of 1 volume). 5% are delayed.

Text files: 98% of all guarantees delivered and exceeded due to 98% delivered with full text.

Please note that overall highly increased production figures for the academic year 2007/2008 (including figures for all orders) will be available shortly and will be posted here.

July 2008

Statement on “Seeing Ahead” report

St. Joseph’s / NBPC acknowledge mention of the NBPC’s services in the recently published report “Seeing Ahead”, as launched by AHEAD on 19.06.08.

Our services strongly promote and support Braille literacy and the NBPC is the only National Irish Agency to provide transcriptions of textbooks in Braille and other alternative formats accessible by children with a visual impairment.

The NBPC was set up in 2000, producing 32 transcriptions for 17 clients. Between 2006 and 2008 the centre has experienced an unprecedented increase in client numbers, now providing services to 354 clients and producing 951 transcriptions in 06/07 and so far 1333 in 07/08.

Unfortunately, the authors of the report did not revisit the NBPC after an initial short visit on 18.09.06 and did not verify, double-check or update any information given to them on that only occasion by NBPC. There was also no attempt made to clarify statements other sources related to them.

This leads to wrong and misleading statements within the report, as follows:
• The wrong assumption that the NBPC would only deliver a quarter or a half of a book to a student (in total). This is untrue.
• All deductions made in the report which are based on this wrong assumption.
• A “coordinated or systematic approach” is repeatedly called for in the report, unfortunately without any indication what this approach might look like. The NBPC has a good working relationship with colleagues from other service providers, and understands that competencies are spread in such a way that services are not being duplicated and that service users can receive the best spread of products across agencies.
• Large print is mentioned only once in the report and there is also no consideration given to the actual role text files / e-files / Daisy can play in conjunction with Braille. Seeing that of the currently 354 clients of the NBPC, about 300 are large print users and 30 braille users, this is astonishing, as the report’s title suggests that it would report on the situation of Blind AND Vision Impaired Students.

While we fully appreciate and support scientific and verifiable research in the area of Braille literacy, we have to regrettably observe that the high standards we follow in our day-to-day work have not been applied to the study, which wrongly reports on our work.

Posted July 2008

Braille Awareness Day

The NBPC’s Braille Awareness Day on 27.05.08 attracted a lot of attention and fun was had by all. Congratulations to our Braille quiz winners in the different categories. If you want to know more about the day, please listen to the NBPC’s manager being interviewed on Insight Radio here.

June 2008

Braille Essay Competition Announced

Today, 30th May 2008, NCBI and St Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired announced they are promoting the European Braille Essay Contest run by the European Blind Union on behalf of Onkyo Co. Ltd. and Tenji Mainichi. The aim of the contest is to promote the use of braille as a key to blind people’s access to information and to their social inclusion.

The contest theme will be “Braille literacy changes my way of life”. Through personal experience, candidates will explain how braille improves their daily lives. Authors are invited to give the theme their own imaginative interpretation. The essay should not exceed
1000 words.

Candidates should send their works to NCBI’s Head Office, Whitworth Road, Drumcondra Dublin 9 or the National Braille Production Centre at St Joseph’s Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, Ireland by 9th June.

The competition is open to all ages and 5 essays will be selected by NCBI and St Joseph’s to represent Ireland in the contest. The winners will then go into the hat for final consideration by the EBU. The winners will be announced in September.

The prize for each category will be:

• The best Otsuki prize (First Prize) : 2,000 US dollars

• Excellent Works prize (senior category) : 1,000 US dollars

• Excellent Works prize (junior category) : 1,000 US dollars

• Two Fine Works prizes (senior category) : 500 US dollars each

• Two Fine Works prizes (junior category) : 500 US dollars each

Ends

For further information, please contact Lina Kouzi on 01 864 2266 or Lina.kouzi@ncbi.ie or Ilka Staglin on 01 837 3635 or istaglin@braille.ie

May 2008

NBPC & Library

Are hosting a Braille Awareness Day on Tuesday, 27.05.08:
Hands-on Braille, Braille games, Info on Braille, Quiz & lots of fun to be had!
This is an event within Dublin Volunteering Week.

At Library: Open doors for all from 10.30 – 3.30 – have a look at the new refurbished library!
At NBPC: Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast for all of St. Joseph’s volunteers from 10.30 – 12.30.
Open doors for all after that

November 2006

DAISY at the NBPC now:

The NBPC can now offer textbooks in DAISY format in addition to Braille, large print and electronic files. Orders should specify whether the book will be used for audio only or audio-visual. Please contact the NBPC prior to placing your order. Also check the FAQ Page for further details. What is a DAISY book?

July/August 2006

Main production time for NBPC:

As usual, all staff at the NBPC are currently working hard in order to provide as many clients as possible with their textbooks by the beginning of the school year 2006/2007. The 2 summer months are the centre's main production time and about a third of all volumes are produced during these months. If you have any queries, please contact us at normal office hours.

Library at St. Joseph's!

The library at St. Joseph's consists of a children's library and a reference library. It is open to both the public and professionals. For the NBPC clients the library is of interest for leisure reading - a lot of books are available in a range of formats. For parents and professionals, the reference library provides information on many aspects of visual impairment. Please contact the library co-ordinator, Joan Kelly, on 01-8373635 for further information. Please note that the library will be closed from 03.08.06 - 24.08.06.

June 2006

Seeing Better Ireland

The NBPC was represented at St. Joseph's 3 information stands at this year's successful "Seeing Better Ireland" (www.seeingbetterireland.org) Exhibition. This exhibition was jointly organised by St. Joseph's and the Blind Centre Belfast.

May 2006

Moon

Have you ever heard of MOON? Moon is a tactile reading and writing system which was first introduced in England in the mid-nineteenth century and was used before Braille became the prevalent method from 1870 onwards. The NBPC has set up a working group to explore the possibilities and limitations of this medium for our clients. If you are interested in learning more about Moon, please refer to the UK's Moon Forum's website on www.moonliteracy.org.uk

January/February 2006

January/February Update

The National Braille Production Centre was represented at the AGM of VICS, the Visually Impaired Computer Users' Society in October 2005. During the day, our IT co-ordinator Aisling Lowe was interviewed on the subject of assistive technology that we use.

This is also a reminder to everyone placing orders with the NBPC to please submit all orders for September 2006 as soon as possible, if you have not already done so.

Please also consult our current book catalogue prior to placing orders to check on the availability of titles.

Visit the book catalogue section.

Please note that if a book is available in a format different to the one you require, your order does not constitute a reprint. As the main editing and formatting work will need to be applied to transfer the title to the format you require, your order will be treated as a new order.

October/November 2005

Re. Book Orders

The NBPC has received an exceptional amount of late book orders for the current school year. We would like to kindly remind everyone who is placing orders to please keep timeframes for transcriptions in mind. If you have any questions relating to that, please contact the centre.

September 2005

Statistics:

In the academic year 2004/2005 the NBPC fulfilled 266 book orders, that's nearly 100 more than in the previous academic year (269). The overall output of volumes of books was a staggering 2400!

July / August 2005

New Braille Code implemented

The National Braille Production Centre has implemented the rules of the new braille code (British Braille 2004) in all transcriptions that have been started from May 2005 onwards. Clients will find a note on the title page advising them about this in each single volume.

This means that our clients have the advantage of familiarising themselves with the changes in textbooks that are used every day and well on time to co-incide with the official introduction of the code at the end of August 2005.

Books which were already part-transcribed in May 2005 will be completed following the older rules, so that each transcription is consistent throughout all the volumes.

June 2005

NBPC website well received.

www.braille.ie was officially launched on St. Joseph’s Open day on 30.05.05 by Ilka Stäglin, the manager of the NBPC.

Feedback on the new site has been very positive so far, especially in terms of accessibility. The centre is currently in the process of setting up a system to issue clients with passwords and user names to access all pages of this new site. Many thanks to everyone for comments, hints and tips!
The NBPC was also favourably mentioned by other speakers on the open day, including An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Kent Lundkvist, Sweden, (on behalf of the Comenius I project).

May 2005

Changes to the Braille Code!

A new edition of the "British Braille" rule manual for braille has been published by the Braille Authority of the United Kingdom. British Braille 2004 has been available since May 2005 and all the changes are incorporated. The main changes are the introduction of a new sign for the oblique stroke (dots 456, 34, now a two-cell sign), the confirmation of a few signs that were widely used already (i.e. Euro dots 4, 15) and the application of braille computer code to web addresses and e-mail addresses. Some changes affect the use of signs (no apostrophe needed in "1930s" for example) and the use of contractions (the contraction "one" can now be used in the ending "-oney"). Generally speaking, the changes respond to the use of capitalised braille and bring in line former exceptions to rules. All details can be obtained from either the Braille Authority's website (www.bauk.org.uk) or indeed from the new "British Braille" edition, for sale by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

St Joseph's School for the Visually Impaired Open Day

St Joseph's School for the Visually Impaired held an Open day on Monday 30th May 2005.