NEW INTERNATIONAL BRAILLE ORGANIZATION
                        by Fred Schroeder

     From the Associate Editor: Fred Schroeder is a member of the
Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. Ever
since he concluded in high school that Braille was an essential
tool for him if he was to succeed in life, he has been a passionate
proponent of the code. In recent years he has served on countless
committees and as a representative of the NFB at numerous national
and international meetings concerning the use and proliferation of
Braille. Here is his report on one of his most recent efforts:

     It is not surprising that in recent years the National
Federation of the Blind has focused significant attention on the
issue of Braille literacy. The reason for this emphasis is
uncomplicated and easy to understand. For blind children Braille
represents the only efficient method by which to read and write,
and hence, for blind children to be literate, they must be able to
read and write Braille. 
     In the process of promoting Braille literacy, a number of
important issues arise. Children and newly blind adults must have
adequate opportunity to learn Braille, and Braille must be produced
in sufficient quantity for it to be readily available for use. A
recently emerging problem has been a move to restructure the code
in a number of radical ways. While proponents of Braille
restructuring argue that Braille can be greatly improved, blind
people remain skeptical about the need for altering it. During the
1980's some minor alteration of Braille took place, enabling it to
be more readily produced by computer translation. On the one hand,
the more readily Braille can be produced by computer, the more
available it will be. On the other hand, purists would argue that
Braille should meet the needs of blind readers, not satisfy the
peculiarities of computers. More recently, discussion has taken
place concerning whether Braille should be altered to consolidate
separate codes (such as the Literary, Math, and Computer Science
Codes) into a single code. 
     The problem of preserving Braille is further complicated by
trends in other English speaking countries which use either the
North American code, the code used in the United Kingdom, or a
combination of the two. International trends are important to the
degree that they affect the greatest possible availability of
readable material. If the North American code and the code used in
the United Kingdom drift too far apart, it is possible that
materials produced in one country could be illegible or at least
difficult to use by Braille readers in other countries.
Additionally, if the North American and British codes drift further
apart, other English speaking countries will necessarily end up
choosing one code or the other, thereby limiting their ability to
use the greatest number of available materials. 
    In 1982 an International Conference on English Literary Braille
Grade 2 was held in Washington, D.C. A primary goal of the
conference was to work toward international cooperation among
countries which produce English Language Braille. While it is
unlikely that all differences between the North American and
British codes will ever be completely worked out, it is entirely
reasonable to hope that an international effort will at least
result in the codes not drifting further apart. In fact, the
Washington conference showed an international willingness to find
areas in which the codes could be modified to be more compatible.
As a result, a number of study groups were established to examine
areas of international concern until such time as a second
international conference could be convened. 
     In 1988 a second conference was held in London, England, with
ten English-speaking nations in attendance. They were Australia,
Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the
United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Zambia. During
the London conference it was determined that a permanent
international organization should be founded to continue the work
of the Washington and London conferences.
     On May 30 to June 1, 1991, an International Conference on
English Language Braille was held in Ontario, Canada. The
conference was organized by a group known as the International
Coordinating Committee on English Literary Braille. The Canadian
National Institute for the Blind hosted the conference at its Lake
Joseph Holiday Center.
     During the Toronto conference a new organization, the
International Council on English Braille (ICEB) was founded. The
purpose of ICEB is to provide a medium for international
cooperation among national standard-setting bodies on English
Language Braille. ICEB will not function as a super Braille
authority, mandating code changes to its members. Instead it will
serve as a vehicle for studying the international impact of changes
proposed by various national Braille authorities. ICEB will be
headquartered at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in
Toronto, Canada.
     During the founding meeting officers were elected from among
delegates present at the conference. They are President, Fred
Schroeder, United States; Vice President, Connie Aucamp, South
Africa; Secretary, Darleen Bogart, Canada; and Treasurer, Isobel
Yule, United Kingdom. Additionally two Board Members At-Large were
elected. They are Joan Ledermann from Australia and Raeleen Smith
from New Zealand. Officers, Board Members At-Large, and the
organization's Immediate Past President constitute the Executive
Committee. Since the organization was newly established, it had no
Immediate Past President. However, Bill Poole of the United Kingdom
has served as the Chairman of the International Coordinating
Committee and is recognized as a driving force in the establishment
of the new organization. For this reason he was asked to serve as
Immediate Past President, thereby completing the Executive
Committee.
     ICEB has established a number of study groups, which will
address wide-ranging issues. Their titles and chairs are as
follows: Committee A - Constitution, Fred Schroeder, United States;
Committee B - Linear Braille, Conchita Gilbertson, United States;
Committee C - Advanced Contracted Braille, Martin Milligan, United
Kingdom; Committee D - Grade One Braille, Marjorie Troughton,
Canada; Committee E - Code Comparison, Norma Schecter, United
States; Committee F - Rule Simplification, David McCann, United
Kingdom; Committee G - Composition Signs, Connie Aucamp, South
Africa; Committee H - Education Impact of Contraction Changes,
Hilda Caton, United States; Committee I - Interface with
Mathematics Braille, Stephen Phippen, United Kingdom; Committee J -
 Print Symbols, Stephen Phippen, United Kingdom; Committee K - 
Dissemination of Information, Fred Schroeder, United States;
Committee L - Fund Raising, Chris Gray, United States; and
Committee M - Interface Between English Braille and Foreign
Language Codes, Bill Poole, United Kingdom.
     The new organization appears to be off to a productive start.
It is anticipated that ICEB will meet once every four years with
its Executive Committee conducting business between meetings of the
General Assembly. The spirit of international cooperation is high,
and the commitment to promoting Braille literacy is stronger than
ever. With this foundation ICEB will doubtless quickly assume a
productive role in coordinating the work of national Braille
authorities throughout the English-speaking world.

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