Australian Braille Authority
What we do
The Australian Braille Authority oversees the development and maintenance of Braille codes and specifications used in Australia. In May 2005, we adopted Unified English Braille for use throughout Australia. We have begun the transition to UEB, which should be complete within 5 years.
ICEB General Assembly
The Fourth General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB-GA) is being held in Melbourne, 6-10 April 2008. The ICEB-GA brings together delegates from ICEB member countries - Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States. Observers are welcome to attend.
Australia's delegation was appointed by the Australian Braille Authority - Bruce Maguire, Josie Howse, Bill Jolley and Christine Simpson.
Please peruse the following documentation for further information:
- ICEB Assembly Advance Program (doc 80 kb)
- ICEB Assembly Information for Australian Participants (doc 42 kb)
- ICEB Assembly Registration Form Australian Observers (doc 40 kb)
Braille Primer
This document is now publically available and can be downloaded in Word, PDF and Braille formats from the Australian Braille Authority publications section.
Our structure and objectives
The Australian Braille Authority (ABA) is a sub-committee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc.
The ABA is managed by an executive committee, and has state and territory branches.
The ABA Executive Committee meets regularly by teleconference, and usually once per year in person for detailed consideration of priority issues.
The ABA was established in 1982 and operates with these objectives. The ABA's terms of reference were last revised in 1992.
ABA news
Check this space for news of ABA projects and priorities.
- The ABA Annual General Meeting for 2005 was held in Sydney on 14 May 2005. An important resolution was approved for the adoption of Unified English Braille as Australia's official braille code: AGM Minutes 2005 (doc 124 kb)
- Australia's two major resolutions concerning UEB were adopted in May 2004 and May 2005. These followed a resolution adopted by the International Council on English Braille in April 2004.
- The ABA Annual General Meeting for 2004 was held in Sydney on May 15 2004. A new executive committee was elected: AGM Minutes 2004 (doc 126 kb)
- Recent changes to British Braille are summarised and a new edition of British Braille is now available from RNIB and Vision Australia Equipment Solutions.
- Download the Chairperson's report for 2005 (doc 36 kb) and Chairperson's Report 2004 (doc 40 kb) - Presented at the Round Table Conference
- 2004 was an important year in Australia for discussing the future of Braille codes. The decisions made at the Third ICEB General Assembly in March, regarding UEBC are pivotal. There is background information given in Bill Jolley's February 2004 paper Braille Codes in Australia which is an update of his April 2003 paper Braille Codes at the Cross Roads.
- The International Council on English Braille has given the green light to Unified English Braille. On 2 April 2004 the ICEB General Assembly decided that the code is sufficiently complete for recognition as an international standard for English-language Braille that may now be considered by member countries for possible adoption as their national Braille code.
- An article published in the Journal of Vision Impairment and Blindness (doc 32 kb) by the ABA's Bill Jolley described Australia's implementation of UEB as of September 2005.
More information
For more information about the Australian Braille Authority and related matters contact the ABA Chairperson, Bruce Maguire, (02) 9686 3665 or bruce@brucemaguire.com.
