English (UEB) - BANA Format

This DBT template is designed to produce material written in the English language. It uses UEB (Unified English Braille) translation rules and BANA formatting standards.

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Click here for more help on the DBT translator used by English (UEB) - BANA.

Multiple Templates for English

The English language has multiple DBT templates.

Unified English Braille (UEB) is the standard in all English speaking countries. Accordingly, all the "English (UEB)" templates employ the same UEB braille translator. They may differ with respect to math translation and especially with respect to formatting. Therefore, different UEB templates may contain different DBT styles, and the effects of those styles may differ. The UEB templates use UEB math translation unless the template name specifies Nemeth.

The acronym, BANA, stands for the Braille Authority of North America. The DBT BANA templates are helpful if you are in the United States or Canada and trying to meet exacting standards for textbook production. The template English (UEB) - BANA uses UEB text translation and UEB math translation. The template English (UEB) - BANA with Nemeth uses UEB text translation but uses the Nemeth Code for math and technical notation.

Meeting Exacting Standards

For users in the United States and Canada, the BANA DBT templates are used to meet exacting formatting standards. Quite often, braille transcribers prepare the text in Microsoft Word. Usually, those files use a BANA Word Template. Click here to learn more about the Word template.

Math Issues in English

As of 2016, UEB has been adopted throughout the English-speaking world. In the United States (only), BANA has allowed the widespread continued use of Nemeth Code for technical notation.The tools in the Duxbury Braille Translator for producing UEB according to BANA standards allow you to choose Nemeth Code or UEB math for technical notation. Your concerns as a transcriber differ depending on which math code you are using. When mixing Nemeth code with UEB text you need to attend to the transitions between passages of UEB and Nemeth. There are DBT styles designed to manage these transitions: math, math-TextInMath, and OneWordBridge. You will find these styles, defined appropriately, in many DBT templates, but they are particularly important in the "English (UEB) - BANA with Nemeth" template where they produce the required transitions.

The rules of UEB math allow some flexibility with respect to spacing around signs of comparison, like the equals sign, and signs of operation, like the plus or minus signs. Most users of UEB use spaces around signs of comparison. Signs of operation are usually not spaced, though some braille jurisdictions choose otherwise, as the case requires, to meet the educational needs of their readers, etc. The UEB translator does not automatically add spaces for either situation. However, in Global Settings - Import Options, there is a checkbox for adding spaces around signs of comparison when importing files with math. This option applies both for importing Word documents with MathType and for importing LaTeX files.

Contracted Braille

This language is usually produced in contracted braille. This means that words are not produced in braille on a one-for-one basis: there are abbreviations (contractions) in the text. If you have questions about producing correct braille, please contact a member of your local braille authority.

Producing this language in uncontracted braille is also quite easy in DBT. Before translation into braille, place the cursor at the top of the document and use the Grade 1 command (Alt+1). When the document is translated, the braille will be uncontracted.

Sample Microsoft Word File

Click here for a sample Word file in this language.

Click here for instructions and the complete list of language sample files in Word format.

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