Diane P. Wormsley

Chapter Five - Unified English Braille in the United States: A Research Agenda for Transition and Instruction

Abstract The authors examined research on Unified English Braille (UEB) in the United States and other countries to provide researchers in the field of blindness and visual impairment with a research agenda for the transition to UEB in the United States. The search revealed 25 research articles, peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed, on UEB and 7 reports on UEB implementation in other countries. Overall, the research covered (a) physical attributes of UEB, (b) perceptions of UEB, and (c) readability of UEB. Although studies were few and varied and direct comparisons difficult, valuable information was revealed about implications for code change in the United States. A great deal of the literature examined opinions and attitudes toward the adoption of UEB and suggested that implementation in most countries was accomplished sooner than projected and that the transition was not as disruptive as anticipated. Although the United States can use resources, research, and experiences from other countries that have already made the transition to UEB, we should consider differences between the United States and other countries, including the implications of being the only International Council on English Braille member country to maintain a separate code for mathematics.The authors examined research on Unified English Braille (UEB) in the United States and other countries to provide researchers in the field of blindness and visual impairment with a research agenda for the transition to UEB in the United States. The search revealed 25 research articles, peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed, on UEB and 7 reports on UEB implementation in other countries. Overall, the research covered (a) physical attributes of UEB, (b) perceptions of UEB, and (c) readability of UEB. Although studies were few and varied and direct comparisons difficult, valuable information was revealed about implications for code change in the United States. A great deal of the literature examined opinions and attitudes toward the adoption of UEB and suggested that implementation in most countries was accomplished sooner than projected and that the transition was not as disruptive as anticipated. Although the United States can use resources, research, and experiences from other countries that have already made the transition to UEB, we should consider differences between the United States and other countries, including the implications of being the only International Council on English Braille member country to maintain a separate code for mathematics.