Unified English Braille

Unified English Braille (UEB) is a braille code designed by the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) to provide a single code that can be used for literary and technical materials throughout the English-speaking world. UEB is used in these countries:

UEB Proficiency Examination in Australia and New Zealand

The ABA administers the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille in conjunction with the Braille Authority of New Zealand Aotearoa Trust (BANZAT). This Certificate is the only form of accreditation currently available to braille specialists in Australia. The Australian Braille Authority strongly encourages all those who transcribe, teach and produce braille to strive to attain this certificate. The examination is held in Australia in the first two weeks of October each year. All candidates have one full week period in which to sit the test and can elect their preferred week as either the first or second week of October.
Please refer to the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille page for further details, including sample papers and the registration form.

UEB references and training materials

The Rules of Unified English Braille – second edition (2013)

The Rules of Unified English Braille (commonly known as the “UEB Rulebook”) was first published by the Round Table, in collaboration with the International Council on English Braille, in June 2010. It is the key reference text containing all of the rules of Unified English Braille with examples and further references. The second edition (2013) of the Rulebook is now available, providing new rules and appendices.

Please note that two new words have been added to the shortforms list in Appendix 1 of the Rulebook: unsaid and unrepaid. The shortforms for said and paid may now be used in these longer words.

UEB Australian Training Manual (revised 2022)

The Unified English Braille Training Manual is a series of lessons and practice exercises by which teachers, transcribers and parents can learn UEB.

UEB Online

The UEB Online website, administered by the NextSense Institute, offers accessible online literary and mathematics training programs and competency exams in Unified English Braille (UEB). The free UEB literacy training programs are suitable for anyone who wants to learn and teach braille, and can be completed using a computer and internet connection in visual access, non-visual access, or high contrast (low vision) modes. The UEB competency exams are offered for persons who seek braille certification for employment, qualifications, or simply to test their braille knowledge.

Guidelines for Technical Material (2014)

The Guidelines for Technical Materials (2014) were produced by the ICEB’s Maths Focus Group to provide information and examples on how to transcribe maths, science and computing materials in UEB.

UEB Braille Chart

The UEB Braille Chart from Duxbury Systems provides a quick reference of the UEB braille letters, numbers, contractions, punctuation and composition signs. It is designed to be printed on A3 paper at the smallest.

Ozzie Dots

Ozzie Dots is a systematic approach to assist students, their teachers and aides with learning to read and write the the contractions of Unified English Braille in the early years of schooling. The program is provided as a CD with print and braille files. The first set, comprising of 15 books, is available as a free download.

International Council on English Braille

Australia is a member of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). The purpose of ICEB is to coordinate and improve braille standards for the benefit of all English-speaking users of braille. Its most significant work to date has been the development of UEB.
The members of ICEB are countries where English-language braille is widely used and which have a Braille Authority. ICEB has eight members: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America. The ICEB President is Judy Dixon and Australia’s Jordie Howell serves on the Executive as a member-at-large and Chair of the ICEB Braille Music Committee. The most active committee of the ICEB is the UEB Codes Maintenance Committee (CMC), which monitors the use of UEB and updates it as appropriate. Australia is represented on the CMC by Jodie Doolan. Other ICEB Committees cover topics including braille technologies, braille signage and labelling, UEB training materials and UEB accreditation.

History of UEB

Refer to our UEB History page for information on Australia’s involvement in ICEB and the development of UEB; our reasons for adoption; and UEB implementation in Australia.

link to Round Table websiteThe Australian Braille Authority is a subcommittee of the Round Table on Information Access for People with a Print Disability Inc.
Last updated: February 5, 2024 at 8:07 am