Placement of tactile

[Angela B]

Hello, we have a healthy discussion going on concerning the placment of tactile.) We have gotten several educated opinions ranging from 'All tactile go to the margin' to 'place within the margin in effect'. I prefer the later, however, 2.7 does lead us to believe the tactiles do go to the margin UNLESS they fit on the line with the identifier.

I have included a couple of very 'simple' examples that seem to give us more fits than calculus).  Retaining the rectangles in our 1st example from a 3rd grade UEB/Nemeth book, (none of which fall on the same line as the identifier), where would you place the tactile?

In the second example, where would you place the numbered squares? At the margin, or displayed to the margin in effect?

Thank you!

Angela

 

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[Melissa Klepper]

Angela, thank you so much for this excellent and thought-provoking question. The committee will review the example and get an answer back to you soon.

[Melissa Klepper]

Thank you very much for your patience. This is an excellent question, and our committee is currently reviewing it together to ensure we provide the most accurate and thorough response.

We expect to have an answer posted for you by Monday, March 2nd. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to sharing a thoughtful response soon.

[Melissa Klepper]

Angela, Thank you for your patience as we put our heads together and attempted to solve this puzzle. We certainly understand that GSTG 2.7 can generate thoughtful discussion, confusion, and differing interpretations regarding the placement of boxes indicating spaces for answers. Our committee also considered a variety of possible formats for these answer blanks and graphics.

For those familiar with the 2011 version of GSTG, you may recall the earlier wording, “…indented according to the braille code in use.” This language was removed in the 2022 version, leaving less specific guidance for interpretation. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the removal was intended to allow for more restrictive or more flexible placement options. As a result, we are left to rely on professional judgment and interpretation.

Based on our discussion, the committee reached the following conclusions and opinions:

Unanimous Opinion

The committee unanimously agreed on the following points:

• The selected format should be applied consistently throughout the volume(s), textbook, or project.
• Text formatting should follow the applicable code or guidelines, such as BF16 10.4.2 for exercise material and/or NBC Rule 26 for mathematics formatting.

Majority Opinion

The majority of the committee agreed on the following interpretations:

• If a graphic stands alone or appears between lines of text, the graphic may be placed at the left margin.

Examples:

• Item 9: “Fill in the blanks…” In this situation, placing the graphic of the four boxed numbers at the left margin, preceded and followed by a blank line, may be an acceptable format if used consistently throughout the transcription.
• Item 2: “Diego’s Blocks” In this example, the committee viewed the blocks as tactile graphics rather than simple answer blanks. Therefore, placing the counting blocks (1s, 10s, and 100s) at the left margin was considered acceptable and appropriate.
• When a tactile answer box appears embedded within text, the committee’s opinion is that the standard indentation pattern for the format should be followed.

Example:

• Activity 1: “Make Hundreds,” Items 2, 3, and 4. If the question is formatted 1-3 and the answer section is formatted 5-7, the committee’s opinion is that the blank should begin in cell 5, just as an underscore answer blank would begin in cell 5.

Another topic discussed by the Tactile Graphic Committee was whether answer boxes should be drawn at all. Several committee members expressed a preference for using underscores rather than drawn boxes. One reason given was that underscores may better preserve alignment in displayed material and paragraph formats. A suggested transcriber’s note for this approach is:
“Print boxes for write-in answers are transcribed as underscores in braille.”

In summary, the committee recognizes that GSTG 2.7 allows for multiple reasonable interpretations and that professional judgment is often necessary when determining the most appropriate format. Regardless of the approach selected, the format should follow applicable guidelines and codes while also remaining consistent throughout the entire project, textbook, or volume(s).

It is also important to note that agency-specific specifications and requirements should always be followed, regardless of the opinions or interpretations expressed above.

 

 

• This reply was modified 5 days, 21 hours ago by Melissa Klepper.

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