Resources

Resources for educators

Books

Books for Parents

  • Fun with Braille (APH)
    This book, available through the American Printing House for the Blind, contains many fun and entertaining practise activities for both children and adults who are learning contracted braille.
  • Perkins Brailler Store
    The official store for the Perkins Brailler and its accessories.

Braille Technology

  • Braille into the Next Millennium (NLS, 2000)
    A 600-page anthology of articles by more than two dozen international braille experts, in three sections: braille in the past, the present, and the future. Available to read online or download from the Internet Archive.
  • Perkins Brailler Store
    The official store for the Perkins Brailler and its accessories.

Downloadable Publications

  • World Braille Usage, Third Edition
    Developed with support from Perkins, the International Council on English Braille, and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, this third edition of World Braille Usage attempts to document the current state of braille around the world.

French-language resources

Resources

  • Braille Activities for Children
    The Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness compiled a page filled with tons of activities for teaching braille to the very young child, from tactile awareness (pre-braille) to contracted braille symbols. Included in this comprehensive resource are games, activities, books and other creative ideas for teaching a number of braille related skills.
  • Braille is Beautiful
    A curriculum from the National Federation of the Blind for introducing braille and its importance to general education classrooms.
  • Canadian Braille Authority Tactile Graphics Report (2003)
    Recommendations from the Canadian Braille Authority’s Tactile Graphics Subcommittee on production methods for tactile graphics (PDF).
  • CNIB Braille Creative Writing Contest
    An annual contest for primary and secondary students in Canada. Students can submit a story or poem in any level of braille for a chance to win prizes.
  • Exceptional Teaching – Braille Products
    Raised line coloring books and related accessories (such as anti-role crayons that can be labeled with braille) for children with visual impairments:
  • Future Aids - The Braille Superstore
    Thousands of braille books for children, teens, and adults, as well as toys, games, kitchen aids, software, and other products.
  • Tack-Tiles® Braille Systems
    These Braille blocks provide a unique bridge, a smoother, shorter, more interesting path to Braille literacy. Now in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian literary Braille Code as well as Nemeth Braille Code for mathematics, Braille code for music notation, and computer Braille code.
  • Tactile Vision Graphics – Braille Greeting Cards
    A producer of tactile/braille greeting cards for many occasions. Cards are 5” by 7” and include a raised-line graphic with a greeting in both print and braille. They also have a line of products which include colouring books, children’s books, educational tools, maps, calendars and much more.
  • The Braille Rap Song
    A catchy song created by two teachers as a fun way to teach braille, with the recording and lyrics, from Paths to Literacy.

Sources of Braille Books and Resources

  • Beulah Reimer Legacy (BRL)
    Offers print/braille children's picture books at an affordable cost. These books are brailled with clear plastic strips which are placed on top of the printed text.
  • Bookshare
    Bookshare is an online digital library with over 110,000 books available to download in accessible formats (such as DAISY, braille, or audio) to Canadians who have print disabilities. Users must register and provide proof of disability before being able to access this service.
  • Braille It
    This family-run, Canadian business offers a variety of services including braille transcription, training in assistive technology, and other blindness-related services.
  • CELA Library (Centre for Equitable Library Access)
    CELA provides accessible library services to Canadians with print disabilities, including audio, e-text, and braille books (digital and embossed), through their public libraries.
  • CNIB SmartLife
    CNIB SmartLife offers a wide variety of products for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, including many braille-related products such as calendars and tools for reading and writing braille.
  • Future Aids - The Braille Superstore
    Thousands of braille books for children, teens, and adults, as well as toys, games, kitchen aids, software, and other products.
  • L'Institut Nazareth et Louis Braille - Comptoir des ventes
  • National Braille Press
    A producer of braille books for children and adults (including print/braille board books for very young children). They also run several programs, including a children's braille book club and a ReadBooks! book bag for preschool-aged children designed to foster early literacy.
  • National Federation of the Blind Independence Market
    A resource for blindness-related products, including an extensive collection of NFB literature of interest to individuals who are blind and their families.
  • Perkins School for the Blind Shop
    The Perkins School for the Blind online shop sells a wide variety of blindness-related products, including many products related to braille and literacy.
  • RNIB Online Shop
    The RNIB online shop carries a variety of products for people who are blind and visually impaired, including many braille- and literacy-related products.
  • Seedlings Braille Books for Children
    Seedlings has over 1200 low-cost books for children in braille, including print/braille books for younger children. They also run several programs, including the "Book Angel Program" where registered children can receive two free braille books per year, and an "Adopt-A-Reader" program that provides sponsored children with funding to purchase braille books of their own.
  • Tactile Vision Graphics – Braille Greeting Cards
    A producer of tactile/braille greeting cards for many occasions. Cards are 5” by 7” and include a raised-line graphic with a greeting in both print and braille. They also have a line of products which include colouring books, children’s books, educational tools, maps, calendars and much more.

Websites

  • Adding More Spice to a Braille Literacy Program
    Tips for introducing new contractions through games/activities.
  • Allyant (formerly T-Base Communications)
    Producer of braille and alternate formats for bill statements, health documents and educational texts among other things.
  • APH Press (formerly AFB Press)
    Books from APH Press (formerly AFB Press) on blindness and visual impairment, including many braille and literacy titles of interest to parents, teachers, and braille readers.
  • Braille Activities for Children
    The Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness compiled a page filled with tons of activities for teaching braille to the very young child, from tactile awareness (pre-braille) to contracted braille symbols. Included in this comprehensive resource are games, activities, books and other creative ideas for teaching a number of braille related skills.
  • Braille Bibles International
  • Braille Calendars – American Action Fund
    Free braille calendars from the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults.
  • BrailleBug
    This is an excellent resource for parents and teachers. It includes activities and games for educating sighted classmates about braille, resources for teaching and learning braille, and information about where to obtain braille books for children and other materials related to braille learning:
  • CNIB Braille Creative Writing Contest
    An annual contest for primary and secondary students in Canada. Students can submit a story or poem in any level of braille for a chance to win prizes.
  • Crawford Technologies – AccessibilityNow Services
    Producer of braille and alternate formats for bill statements, documents, policies and more.
  • Demo Video: Loading paper into a Perkins Brailler
    This video gives a detailed description of loading a Perkins brailler with paper, while describing the parts of the brailler. It also reviews in detail how to remove paper from the Perkins brailler.
  • Exceptional Teaching – Braille Products
    Raised line coloring books and related accessories (such as anti-role crayons that can be labeled with braille) for children with visual impairments:
  • Feelin’ Groovy: Functional Tactual Skills
    An article that discusses how parents and teachers of students with visual impairments could develop their functional tactual skills.
  • Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics, 2022 (BANA)
    BANA’s guidelines and standards for producing tactile graphics.
  • Hadley – Braille for Everyday Use
    Free online braille workshops from Hadley for adults with vision loss, their families, and professionals.
  • National Braille Press
    A producer of braille books for children and adults (including print/braille board books for very young children). They also run several programs, including a children's braille book club and a ReadBooks! book bag for preschool-aged children designed to foster early literacy.
  • Ozzie Dots
    A tool to help kids and teachers learn UEB.
  • Paths To Literacy
    This website is a joint project between the Perkins School for the Blind and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. It provides a wealth of information and resources related to literacy for students who are blind or visually impaired, including those who have additional disabilities. It is an excellent resource for both parents and teachers, and contains both original content and links to other relevant websites and articles.
  • Perkins Webinars
    Recorded webinars from Perkins School for the Blind, including sessions on braille and literacy.
  • PRCVI Resources (including Braille Bites)
    Resources for teaching braille, including Braille Bites, UEB, and tactile graphics, from the BC Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired.
  • Resources for Learning and Refreshing Literary Braille Skills (AFB)
    Resources compiled by the American Foundation for the Blind for learning or refreshing literary braille skills, including resources suitable for adults.
  • Statewide Vision Resource Centre – About Braille
    Braille resources from the Statewide Vision Resource Centre (Victoria, Australia), including resources for teaching braille and Unified English Braille.
  • Supporting General Education Classroom Teachers of Braille-Reading Students
    A resource from SET-BC for classroom teachers working with a braille-using student.
  • Tack-Tiles® Braille Systems
    These Braille blocks provide a unique bridge, a smoother, shorter, more interesting path to Braille literacy. Now in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian literary Braille Code as well as Nemeth Braille Code for mathematics, Braille code for music notation, and computer Braille code.
  • Tactile Vision Graphics – Braille Greeting Cards
    A producer of tactile/braille greeting cards for many occasions. Cards are 5” by 7” and include a raised-line graphic with a greeting in both print and braille. They also have a line of products which include colouring books, children’s books, educational tools, maps, calendars and much more.
  • The Jewish Braille International (JBI) Library
    Provides Jewish relevant material in alternate formats, including braille material in Hebrew.
  • The World Braille Foundation