Newsletter - February 2026

In This Issue

1. President's Message (Daphne Hitchcock, BLC President)
2. Updated version of the Braille International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
3. Save the date! Sixth Annual Braille Literacy Canada virtual Symposium! Six Dots, No Limits - Six points sans limites
4. À vos agendas! Sixième symposium virtuel annuel de Littératie braille Canada!
5. Plan to attend our AGM - June 6, 2026
6. Participez à notre assemblée générale annuelle - 6 juin 2026
7. BANA Celebrates 50 Years!
8. A Note From Your ICEB Rep (Jen Goulden)
9. Braille Access Workshop - March 28, 2026
10. BRF to eBraille Converter Now Available
11. Edie Mourre Scholarship accepting applications until March 31, 2026
12. La bourse d'études Edie Mourre accepte les candidatures jusqu'au 31 mars 2026
13. Braille Art Corner: Guitar
14. Social Media Links

President's Message

By Daphne Hitchcock, BLC President

Hello Everyone,

What I love about braille is that there is always an opportunity to learn more. More braille = more learning. As we all know, braille is so much for than just a code, it is literacy and a means for expanding horizons.

For those of you who always wanted to learn a braille music but were too afraid to try, there is an online course that might just be your ticket! UEBonline.org released an introductory braille music course in January. I can highly recommend it for those who want to stretch their music and braille brain. It is free and accessible. Another braille code that caught my interest this past month is Braille IPA. This code has been around for a while, but it isn't widely known. Read on to learn a bit more about the 2025 updates to the IPA braille code. If you have not heard of IPA, it stands for the International Phonetic Alphabet - it is a standardized, symbol-based system for representing the sounds for the spoken languages; it is used in dictionaries, language learning and linguistics.

Coming up in 2026, BLC has created opportunities for learning right here at home.

• The Edie Mourre Scholarship application period is now open and we welcome applications from those interested in furthering their braille knowledge through certification courses.

• On March 28 we will be hosting a hands-on / active participation workshop on the new Braille Access App, new in iOS26. To register write us at info@blc-lbc, subject line: Braille Access

• And on May 22 we hope you'll join us for the 6th Annual Braille Symposium: Six Dots, No Limits / Six points sans limites. Just think of it, 6 dots, 6th annual... it has a nice ring to it. Registration is coming soon.

Whether you are just beginning to read braille or you are a seasoned braille reader, BLC aspires to provide programming to meet your needs and support for all of our members. Do you have suggestions for future workshops, do you want to share an important braille related tip or if you have questions about braille...we would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line at info@blc-blc.ca. Braille Literacy Canada draws its strength from our members - we welcome you to share your ideas.

Thank you for your continued support of BLC.

Kind regards, Daphne Hitchcock
President, Braille Literacy Canada

Updated version of the Braille International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

Editor's Note: The text in this article was written by Dr. Robert Englebretson and was taken from content he provided for the ICEB web site.

IPA Braille is a braille code for the transcription of the International Phonetic Alphabet (as revised to 2005). It is based on the 1934 braille code for IPA devised by W. Percy Merrick and W. Pothoff, brought up to date in 2008 by Robert Englebretson, Ph.D., under the auspices of ICEB's Unified English Braille Linguistics Committee, chaired by Jean Obi. IPA Braille was launched as an ICEB recommended code at the 4th ICEB General Assembly in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in April 2008. Although IPA Braille is not part of UEB and employs a different prefix-root symbol pattern, it can be used in conjunction with UEB and other codes, and ICEB recommends its use generally for the transcription of IPA, even within non-IPA text.

ICEB launched the 2nd edition of the IPA Braille publication (Englebretson, 2025) in January 2026. The most notable improvements undertaken for the 2nd edition were to condense the publication into a single volume and to integrate tactile graphics for each IPA symbol directly into the text. Crucially, there have been no changes to the IPA Braille code itself. All of the IPA Braille symbols defined in the 2008 edition remain unchanged, and no new symbols have been added. The 2025 edition will not prove disruptive to anyone who already knows IPA Braille, and existing braille tables for Liblouis, the Duxbury Braille Translator, and other software likewise remain unchanged from those developed for the 2008 edition.

Due to advances in embossing technology during the years since IPA Braille was first published, the 2025 edition is now compatible with a range of modern embossers that support mixing tactile graphics and text on the same page. A print edition (Word and PDF) is also available, as well as 40-cell and 32-cell BRF versions without the tactile graphics.

To learn more, or to download the files, visit the ICEB web site at the following link: https://iceb.org/publications/ipabraille/

Save the date! Sixth Annual Braille Literacy Canada virtual Symposium! Six Dots, No Limits - Six points sans limites

Braille Literacy Canada (BLC) will be holding its sixth annual virtual braille symposium ("Six Dots, No Limits / Six points sans limites") on Friday, May 22, 2026 from 1 - 5 PM EDT. This event will be of interest to braille readers, educators, transcribers, parents and anyone else who is passionate about braille literacy!

Wherever you are located, the international braille community is strong. As we look ahead into the bright future of braille literacy, there is much to celebrate and share.

More details on registration and schedule coming soon - Mark the date in your calendars! This will be an event you will not want to miss.

À vos agendas! Sixième symposium virtuel annuel de Littératie braille Canada!

Littératie braille Canada (LBC) tiendra son sixième symposium virtuel annuel sur le braille ("Six points sans limites / Six Dots, No Limits") le vendredi 22 mai 2026, de 13 h à 17 h HAE. Cet événement s'adresse aux lecteurs de braille, aux éducateurs, aux transcripteurs, aux parents et à tous ceux qui se passionnent pour la littératie en braille!

Où que vous soyez, la communauté internationale du braille est vivante. Alors que nous nous tournons vers l'avenir prometteur de la littératie en braille, beaucoup de choses doivent être célébrées et partagées.

De plus amples détails sur l'inscription et l'horaire seront annoncés prochainement - Inscrivez la date à vos agendas! Vous ne voudrez pas manquer cet événement.

Plan to attend our AGM - June 6, 2026

Calling all BLC members! On Saturday, June 6, 2026, 1:00 pm eastern, you are invited to attend the BLC Annual General Meeting. This is your opportunity to hear about the accomplishments and plans of your organization. ((Save the date!**

Participez à notre assemblée générale annuelle - 6 juin 2026

Avis à tous les membres de LBC! Le Samedi 6 juin 2026, à 13 h heure de l'Est, vous êtes conviés à l'assemblée générale annuelle de LBC. Ce sera l'occasion pour vous d'en apprendre plus sur nos réalisations et nos plans. À vos agendas!

BANA Celebrates 50 Years!

Editor's Note: This text was taken from a press release that was issued by BANA earlier this month.

The Braille Authority of North America, familiarly known as BANA, celebrates a golden milestone in 2026! For half a century, BANA has worked to promote and facilitate the uses, teaching, and production of braille across the United States and Canada.

Although BANA officially came into existence in 1976, its origins lie in the early work of dedicated individuals and organizations who joined together to develop codes and standards for braille materials in the United States and Canada. BANA was established in its current form from these foundational efforts. As we celebrate BANA's 50th anniversary, we honor not only 50 years of formal existence, but a much longer legacy of commitment to literacy for tactile readers and standardization of braille and/or tactile graphics.

Throughout this year, we will honor the people, progress, and partnerships that have defined our journey. We invite those who use and love braille to join us in celebrating this milestone anniversary by sharing your stories about braille and why it's important to you. We'll be using the hashtag #BANA50th.

You can follow the work of BANA through Facebook and X and BANA's website at https://www.brailleauthority.org/

A Note From Your ICEB Rep

By Jen Goulden

Committee Highlight

On February 4th the ICEB committee responsible for updating the Guidelines for Technical Material (GTM) met via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting was to prioritize tasks and consider the addition of new symbols that are not covered by current rules and guidelines. Not surprisingly, the discussion was lively and very detailed, as well as being productive. If you have experience with technical materal and would like to join the listserv, please write to info@blc-lbc.ca. We are always happy to welcome new observers.

The New Website is here!

The ICEB Executive recently launched an updated version of our web site. We invite you to check it out and provide feedback: https://iceb.org/.

Braille IPA

On January 26th ICEB hosted a webinar to introduce the 2026 edition of the Braille IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). For more information on this exciting new document, please refer to the article that appears earlier in this newsletter.

Save the Date: Midterm Executive Committee Meeting

The Midterm Executive Committee Meeting of the International Council on English Braille will take place from August 10-13, 2026. It is being hosted by the United States and will be held at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Observers are welcome. More information will be available throughout the coming months.

ICEB brings together English-speaking countries from around the world and is the body responsible for Unified English Braille (UEB). The General Assembly is held once every four years, with a midterm face-to-face meeting of the ICEB Executive Committee taking place two years into each term.

If you'd like to learn more about braille on the international stage, visit https://www.iceb.org or write to info@blc-lbc.ca.

ICEB newsletter

ICEB produces a newsletter under the direction of its Public Relations Committee, which is chaired by Stuart Lawler of Ireland. The newsletter is jam-packed with all sorts of braille-related events and information from around the world. We welcome suggestions, so if you would like to contribute to the newsletter or if you have ideas for items that could be included in future issues, please write to info@iceb.org.

If you'd like to receive the newsletter, UEB updates and other announcements directly into your inbox, we invite you to subscribe to our one-way announce list by writing to iceb-announce+subscribe@groups.io.

You can also follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter and Mastodon at @ICEBbraille.

Braille Access Workshop - March 28, 2026

Date/Time: March 28, 2026 from 1pm - 2:30pm Eastern time (10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, 12pm Saskatchewan/Central, 2pm Atlantic, 2:30pm Newfoundland/Labrador)

In iOS, iPad OS and Mac OS 26, Apple presented us with many new braille features in a package called Braille Access. In an earlier workshop, many excellent presenters walked us through these features and gave us a taste of how they work. However, our members have been asking for a slower step by step walk through of the main features of braille access.

In this hands-on workshop, we will go very slowly through the main features and how to set things up. We will give everyone a chance to move along with us through the features and set things up as they wish.

One of us will go through this using a Mantis display with a QWERTY keyboard. Another will go through the process using a braille display with Perkins/6-key input so everyone (no matter their display) can follow along.

Topics will include:

• Braille access menu
• Opening apps using braille access
• Creating braille notes
• Loading and reading brf files.
• Pasting text from braille notes into other applications

These are exciting new features which bring more power to our Mac and iOS devices.

This workshop is open to all BLC members and those who are part of BLC corporate member organizations. To register please email info@blc-lbc.ca with the subject line: Braille Access

BRF to eBraille Converter Now Available

Editor's Note: Much of this text is taken from the web site of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), and the link to the blog is included below.

If you have ever wished that your BRF files could be easily navigated or resized, then you'll want to learn more about eBraille. These are just some of the benefits that this new file type will be able to offer.

From the APH Blog: We are excited to introduce the BRF to eBraille Converter, a new tool that helps bridge familiar braille workflows with the future of digital braille. eBraille is a digital format designed specifically for braille. It combines the precision of traditional braille formats with the flexibility of modern ebooks, making it possible to support dynamic multiline braille, richer navigation, embedded metadata, and bundled tactile graphics. For readers who want a deeper overview of what eBraille is and why it matters, we encourage you to explore the eBraille specification and background materials.

You can read the rest of the blog post here: https://www.aph.org/blog/introducing-the-brf-to-ebraille-converter/

If you'd like to read the specification and background materials mentioned in the APH blog post, check out the following link: https://www.aph.org/meet-ebraille/.

Finally, the BRF to eBraille converter is available for download here: https://github.com/aphtech/Convert2EBRL/releases/latest/download/convert2ebrl.exe.

Edie Mourre Scholarship accepting applications until March 31, 2026

The 2025 competition for the Edie Mourre Scholarship is now open and will be accepting applications until March 31, 2026.

Are you interested in pursuing a certification in braille transcription? Or maybe you have always wanted to study music braille? Perhaps you have been contemplating pursuing braille studies but the cost has held you back? Your time could be now!

The Edie Mourre Scholarship fund is intended to assist those who are pursuing employment as a braille transcriber or proofreader, or as an educator. Eligible codes include: Unified English Braille, Code braille français uniformisé, music braille, or other braille systems.

More information on the program and an application form (in English and in French) may be found online at https://www.brailleliteracycanada.ca/en/programs/ediemourre.

Good luck, and we invite you to share this announcement with others!

La bourse d'études Edie Mourre accepte les candidatures jusqu'au 31 mars 2026

Le concours 2026 pour la bourse d'études Edie Mourre est désormais ouvert et les candidatures seront acceptées jusqu'au 31 mars 2026.

Vous désirez obtenir un certificat en transcription braille ? Vous souhaitez depuis toujours étudier la notation musicale en braille ? Vous avez peut-être envisagé d'étudier le braille, mais vous n'aviez pas les moyens financiers de le faire ? Voici une bonne nouvelle !

Le fonds de la bourse d'études Edie-Mourre a été mis sur pied pour aider les personnes désireuses de travailler comme transcripteur, correcteur d'épreuves ou professeur de braille. Codes admissibles : Unified English Braille, Code braille français uniformisé, notation musicale en braille autres codes de braille.

De plus amples informations sur le programme et un formulaire de candidature (en anglais et en français) sont joints à cet e-mail, et peuvent également être consultés en ligne à l'adresse suivante : https://www.brailleliteracycanada.ca/fr/programs/ediemourre.

Bonne chance, et nous vous invitons à partager cette annonce avec d'autres !

Braille Art Corner: Guitar

Whether around a campfire or at a concert, the guitar is a versatile instrument suitable for various occasions. This little guitar is standing up right; it consists of a headstock, neck, and body. The strings run from the headstock into the body of the guitar, which is symmetrical shape, reminiscent of a pear sliced lengthwise.

• Line 1: 2 spaces, dots 4-6, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell), dots 1-3 (letter k)
• Line 2: 3 spaces, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell)
• Line 3: 3 spaces, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell)
• Line 4: 3 spaces, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell)
• Line 5: 3 spaces, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell)
• Line 6: space, dots 3-5, dots 1-4 (letter c), dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell) , dots 1-4 (letter c), dots 2-6
• Line 7: space, dots 1-5-6, space, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell) , space, dots 2-3-4 (letter s)
• Line 8: space, dots 3-4-5, space, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell) , space, dots 1-2-6
• Line 9: dots 2-3-4 (letter s), 2 spaces, dots 1-2-3-4-5-6 (full cell) , 2 spaces, dots 1-5-6,
• Line 10: dots 1-2-3 (letter l), space, dot 4, dots 1-4 (letter c), dot 1 (letter a), space, dots 4-5-6
• Line 11: dot 4, dots 2-6, dots 3-6, dots 3-6, dots 3-6, dots 3-5, dot 1

This pattern guitar pattern is thanks to: https://einfachmachbar.de/projedots-braillebilder

Social Media Links

Here are a few of the items we have posted on our social media platforms in recent weeks.

• Introducing the BRF to eBraille Converter: https://www.aph.org/blog/introducing-the-brf-to-ebraille-converter/
• You can find the BRF to eBraille converter here: https://github.com/aphtech/Convert2EBRL/releases/latest/download/convert2ebrl.exe
• BANA Celebrates 50 Years! https://www.brailleauthority.org/february-2026-bana-celebrates-50-years
• Last year, the BLC symposium brought together braille enthusiasts from around the world, and a lineup of exceptional speakers: check out the recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5JTJJ2GP7k
• Check out this year's Braille Boost activities, as well as events taking place throughout World Braille Month! Braille Boost 2026: https://nnels.ca/world-braille-days-wbd-2026