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. After a five-year transition period, the change is now complete and a successful transition to UEB has occurred.
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 (zip 46 kb in brl & doc) were Adopted August 2011 and amended November 2012. In addition these Model Operational Guidelines for Regional Braille Forums (zip 47 kb in brl & doc) were made under Clause 32 of the Australian Braille Authority's Terms of Reference (adopted August 2011) and were approved by the ABA Executive at its meeting of 10 August 2011.
ICEB General Assembly May 2012
ICEB Australian Delegation Report 2012 in brf & doc (zip 4.7 MB)
A full program, recordings, papers, reports and associated documents from the ICEB Assembly (in print or braille) are available on the ICEB 2012 website. However for your quick reference (and because some of the business items were moved around) the sessions were as follows:
- Sessions 1 & 2: Welcome and business including reports on the World Braille Council, Braille 21, and implementation of ICEB's resolutions of 2008
- Session 3: Country reports from Australia, Canada & New Zealand
- Session 4: Country reports from Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom & United States
- Sessions 5: Keynote address from Dr Joe Phaahla, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture; adoption of a new Constitution;
- Session 6: Treasurer's Report; Braille Music report; Guidelines for small braille production units
- Session 7: Papers "Braille: a key to literacy" & "The impact of UEB on African Languages in South Africa"
- Session 8: "Teaching braille to adult beginners" (SA)
- Session 9: Papers "National certification in literary braille" (USA) & "Plan for international certification in UEB proficiency"
- Session 10: "The Trans-Tasman UEB proficiency certificate" & discussion of the role of ICEB in UEB certification
- Session 11: UEB training and implementation meeting (not recorded)
- Session 12: Papers "UEB in New Zealand" & "Implementing UEB in the NSW education sector"
- Session 13: Refreshable braille committee report & "The future of refreshable braille"
- Session 14: "Braille implementation on iOS devices" & "Rapid Braille - DAISY to UEB" (Aus)
- Session 15: Codes Maintenance Committee report
- Session 16: "The individualized meaning-centered approach to braille literacy education"
- Session 17: Resolutions
- Session 18: Meeting close
More information
For more information about the Australian Braille Authority and related matters contact the ABA Chairperson, Christine Simpson on (03) 5795 2307 or cms.infoalt@bigpond.com.
