How to Become a Braille Transcriber
Braille is a writing system that uses raised dots to form its characters. Louis Braille invented this system in 1821. Soon after, it became the primary method for the blind and others with limited sight to read books, magazines and other written works, such as music scores, according to the National Library Service. Although specialized companies use machines to mass produce some braille materials, charitable organizations rely on sighted volunteers to transcribe written words into braille. You can learn to transcribe braille independently or participate in volunteer training programs that lead to certification.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- High school diploma of G.E.D.
- U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
- Braille slate or computer software
Instructions
-
-
1
Complete the application on the National Federation for the Blind website to take the NFB Literary Transcription course. In addition to your name, address and phone contact information, the application requires that you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and that you have a high school diploma or equivalent.
-
2
Provide the name and contact information for your local Braille group or a local instructor if you plan to participate in a Braille class or seek personal assistance from a certified Braille transcriber.
-
-
3
Use the check boxes on the application to request hard copies of course drills and exercises that are available in Braille, if desired.
-
4
Print the application and mail it to the NFB national office, using the address provided on the organization's website or submit your information online.
-
5
Download the free course materials from the website after submitting your application and review them before you get equipment or software. You will complete the certification lessons by using the American Braille textbook, the manual for Braille Transcribers and Braille practice drills. The Braille Literary Transcription course provides instruction and drills for learning the Braille alphabet and punctuation, along with the rules for writing in Braille. The NFB course has lessons that you complete on your own or while attending classes in your area for volunteer transcribers.
-
6
Contact a NFB chapter in your state. They might provide you with the special heavyweight paper that you need for writing Braille and practicing. Some chapters have braillewriters or slates that you use to create the dots that form each Braille character. You can also ask about personalized assistance or local training sessions. This can speed up your progress considerably. The self-study course takes 12 to 18 months.
-
7
Purchase a 40-cell Braille slate required for your course if your local NFB chapter does not have one to lend. The slate will cost you about $30, when purchased from national adaptive products suppliers.
-
8
Complete the exam and the end of each lesson of the course and send it to the NFB if you are completing the course independently. If you participate in local classes, submit each section exam to the local chapter's instructor for grading.
-
9
Submit your trial document to NFB after you complete all of the transcription lessons and exercises. For the final certification exercise, you must transcribe a 35-page written document into Braille. If you score 80 points or more, NFB submits your records to the National Library Service for your transcriber's certification.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Completion of the NFB Literary Transcription course is required for certification by the NLS. It is also a prerequisite to additional Braille transcription training courses offered by the NFB.
The NFB sends you any course training material in Braille because the downloadable PDFs do not have raised characters that a hard copy has.
Volunteer transcription experience might be helpful for obtaining employment with companies in the machine transcription business.
The National Federation for the Blind requires that you return hard copy Braille training materials if you do not complete the course.
References
- National Library of Congress; About Braille; September 2010
- National Federation of the Blind: Braille Certification Training Program
- National Federation of the Blind: Literary Braille Transcribing Course Information
- National Braille Association: Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions
- National Federation of the Blind: Application for Literary Braille Transcribing Course
- Perkins School for the Blind: Brailling Slates
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
