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Lindy - all messages by user

10/5/2011 8:59:49 AM
Punctuation after fill-in blank line Omission rules are covered in Rule X of the Nemeth Code. Section 57 states that a question mark with a dash beneath it is to be transcribed as a general omission symbol (dots 123456). The answer to your punctuation question can be found in Rule VI, Sec.37.iv. In your example, it is clear that the context is mathematical, therefore a punctuation indicator is required before the ending period.
--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/5/2011 3:04:37 PM
Omission represented by a square box Yes, according to GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR TACTILE GRAPHICS Section 11.2.4 (copied below), a tactile graphic is required when a square box (or other shape) is shown as a sign of omission in an equation in K-3 materials.

Section 11.2.4 states: "For readers in kindergarten through grade 3, do not use the shape indicator (i.e., edc for circle) to represent objects. Shapes should be shown as tactile graphics."

Note: It is not appropriate to replace the shape with the Nemeth general omission symbol. Not only does this practice break Nemeth Rule X, Sec.57, but in K-3 materials print will often show different shapes as hints to the meaning of the omitted item. For example, a square shape may indicate that a numeral is required, a circle shape may represent a missing comparison sign, etc.

You can determine the number of blank lines to allow for the amount of vertical space needed by using an embossed page as a measuring template.

Also note Section 11.2.1: "Graphics for young readers should be produced using uncomplicated area textures and clean strong lines. Solid shapes are more easily recognized than are outline shapes."

And Section 11.2.5 "In materials for readers in grade 4 and above, a tactile graphic is preferred, but braille dot graphics may be used, including ... shape indicators."

Read GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR TACTILE GRAPHICS UNIT 11 "Graphics for Early Grades" for more information.

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
edited by Lindy on 10/5/2011
10/5/2011 3:06:36 PM
Square used as a sign of ommission This question is answered in the Mathematics forum.
10/5/2011 3:36:20 PM
How to handle tricky cancellation The radical (dots 345) is a unique Nemeth braille symbol. I see no problem enclosing it, as well as the superscripted numeral 2, in cancellation indicators. Because the cancelled step is preceded by the original problem, the reader should have no trouble differentiating the termination indicator of the radical from the two closing cancellation indicators, but you could offer an explanation in a transcriber's note to clarify. See attached.

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/6/2011 8:40:40 AM
Omission represented by a square box It is difficult to offer advice without a print copy. Can you attach an example?
10/6/2011 2:08:31 PM
Linked Expression Regarding your first question, in the body of text there is no confusion when applying boldface since the literary boldface indicator is not used in a Nemeth transcription--the Nemeth boldface type-form indicator would be used. If italics are retained for the two examples you cite, "Cos" is an abbreviated function name (mathematical) and so the Nemeth italic type-form indicators should be used. "Parallel" is a word and so the literary emphasis indicator should be used.

Next you ask about linked expressions. A linked expression is defined in the Nemeth Code in Section 189a, portions of which are copied below (in quotes) with comments added by me (in brackets).

"A linked expression must contain at least one sign of comparison."
[Note that the equal sign is not the only sign of comparison.]
"The component which precedes the first sign of comparison is called the anchor."
[So, yes, in order to be a linked expression there must be an anchor.]

A linked expression is not necessarily vertically arranged. IF it is vertically arranged, and IF it follows the other print criteria stated in NC Sec.189b, then the special braille format is applied. The example you provide has anchor so, by definition, it is not a linked expression. The text "The hypotenuse equals:" is simply the last phrase in the itemized paragraph. The layout of the five displayed expressions will be 5-7 (displayed material to 1-3) although runovers are not indicated in this example.

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/6/2011 2:15:33 PM
calculator key You could devise symbols for the icons, following NC Rule XVI Sec.107.
For example, edho for "home". This calculator key would then be brailled as follows: $K$HO ON]
A transcriber's note is required to explain the transcriber-devised shape symbols. It also must be listed on the Special Symbols page.

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/6/2011 2:35:36 PM
Omission represented by a square box The example you provide shows a page of spatially arranged addition problems, with missing digits appearing as squares. Section 58 of the Nemeth Code prohibits the use of shape symbols in work arranged spatially for computation. Only the general omission symbol may be used (dots 123456). As far as I know, Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics does not prohibit the use of the general omission symbol in K-3 materials. Note also that the number of general omission symbols to be used must be the same as the number of omission signs which occur in print. In your example, item 5 will show two general omission symbols in the missing answer.

--Lindy
10/6/2011 3:30:23 PM
Compound Inequalities Thank you for providing images of the print pages. My comments appear in the attached file. If you are not seeing a braille font, let me know please.

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/9/2011 7:57:49 PM
apostrophe in expression with words No punctuation indicator is used for the apostrophe in "Lila's" because Lila is a word.

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/9/2011 8:23:57 PM
Omission represented by a square box Although the "Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics" is dated 2010, I believe it was not released in its final form until July of 2011, and only as a web version. As far as I know, the hardcopy supplement with tactile examples is not yet available. My previous post did not refer you to any examples, just to the written guidelines in the web version of the guidelines, so I am wondering if we are looking at different resources?

If I am understanding the new guidelines correctly, the example you recently posted (Squares-1) should be brailled using tactile squares. Perhaps the materials you received from another agency were prepared before the Guidelines were released. When braille rules change in the middle of a project we are advised to complete the project using the old rules.

The BANA Tactile Graphics Committee invites your questions -- you can write to them by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page found here: http://www.brailleauthority.org/tg/index.html

--Lindy
10/10/2011 12:07:09 PM
algebra tiles I had to do some internet research to see just what these algebra tiles are all about.

Because this is an activity using manipulatives, it makes sense to reproduce the examples as tactile graphics, keeping the shapes and the layout exactly as shown in print, perhaps moving the location of the black arrows so as not to clutter the diagram. Including the letter and numeral labels creates problems with sizing. A nice solution is to make a key showing the three shapes and what they represent. Two textures will differentiate the two same-sized squares. For example:

[rectangle] ;X (GRE5)
[smooth square] #1 (YELL[)
[rough square] -#1 (R$)

Then proceed with the tactile.

I support ignoring the outline of the tan mat but the white mat borders are necessary to delineate the different tile groupings. (Section 3.7.2 of Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics says: "Frames or borders found around many print diagrams should be eliminated unless it provides a frame of reference.")

I would align the equal sign with the top row.

I would use the normal recommended space (1/8"-1/4") between tiles and around the circled tiles in "algebra tiles 2."

--Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/10/2011 1:58:28 PM
Omission represented by a square box Aha! Now I see the braille example by clicking on the link at the end of the COUNTING SYMBOLS Section (6.8).
Note that the second bulleted comment says that the open squares should be big enough to include a possible braille answer. Alignment and spacing in a double-spaced context is shown in the example.
Has your question been answered?
10/12/2011 11:41:59 AM
Do you have an unanswered question? Hello. I am monitoring this subject for a while and am not sure I have discovered everyone's unanswered postings.
If you have not received a reply to a post that no longer appears on this first page, please re-send your question.
Thank you.

Lindy Walton
10/17/2011 9:58:05 AM
typeform indicator to be used in x-axis Your first decision is whether or not the italics need to be retained in the braille copy. Is "x-axis" always italicized? If so, you can ignore the typeface according to Section 34a.
If it is determined that the italic typeface has mathematical significance and must be retained, then the last sentence of Section 32d applies. The type-form indicator is effective for the entire compound expression.
.;X-AXIS

Section 33b applies to phrases, so does not apply here. Reminder: The BANA Update includes some format changes to the examples in Section 33, as well as changed text for Section 33b, with five additional examples.

Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/17/2011 10:04:03 AM
graphing equasions, and embossing I am not familiar with the software you are using. We have always made our own Cartesian graphs and used various types of reusable tactile items for our students to use such as tacks on a corkboard with rubber bands or wiki-stix. I have copied your question to the Computer-Assisted Transcription forum -- check there for answers, as well as here for ideas from other readers.

Lindy Walton
10/17/2011 10:06:15 AM
Graphic equations and embossing Hello. I am copying a question posted on the Mathematics forum, from John Farina. Can you help?
--Lindy Walton

"Hi folks,

I am new to this forum. I am an assistive technology specialist working with a middle school student and her TVI. We are trying to figure out if there is software to allow us to emboss an x y graph that the student could then fill in.

We have Duxbury and scientific notebook but that doesn't seem to work for this portion of 7th grade math. We are working without a textbook so that's the major problem here. Thanks."
10/17/2011 10:24:03 AM
Carried Numbers The Code does not address varying print styles regarding carried number placement. I would not alter the braille format. Oftentimes, print descriptions do not follow braille formats; if you feel it will confuse the student, a transcriber's note can be inserted telling the student that standard braille layout is used.
If, on the other hand, you are brailling a single copy for an individual student, and the student's teacher feels it is important for the student to follow this nonstandard format, working out an alternate layout is acceptable. For a student working such a problem on a braillewriter, putting the carried number line below the final addend certainly is a nice alternative. These are decisions to be made by the teacher.

Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
10/17/2011 3:26:27 PM
Sybols for Grouping The rules for counting groups have changed. You can find them in the new "Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics" posted on the web at http://www.brailleauthority.org/tg/web-manual/index.html

6.8.2 covers this topic. Rules are different for K-3 materials (6.8.2.1) vs. grades 4 and up (6.8.2.2)

Examples that illustrate the rules can be viewed by clicking on the underlined links in the narrative on the web page.

A similar question appears in the Tactile Graphics forum, titled "Counting blocks in 2nd grade," which you may find helpful to read.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
edited by Lindy on 10/17/2011
10/19/2011 10:09:16 AM
Special Symbols Thank you for your question. Your concern about readability of a third grade math book is appreciated, however there are currently no guidelines incorporated into the Promising Practices document regarding a book following Nemeth code. The Nemeth Code does not address the topic of a Special Symbols page but it is common practice to list only transcriber-devised symbols. However, since you are following the guidelines in Promising Practices, I see no reason not to list the type-form indicators (both literary and Nemeth) used in each volume. Note that, with judicious application of NC Sec.34b, much of the non-regular type found in the print book may be arbitrary.

Lindy Walton (Committee Member)
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