PLEASE READ ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS BOX CAREFULLY!
There are NO INSTRUCTORS AT THIS TIME for any of the courses. Materials are available for your use, but ignore all instructions to submit your work for evaluation by an instructor. ALL SUBMITTED WORK WILL BE DELETED. VERY LIMITED technical or other support is available via email. If you know of a civic-minded corporation that might be interested in sponsoring this course, please pass that information on to the course developers!
Effective February 19,2001! We have added password access to all three courses! There is no charge for this password. Please REGISTER FOR A BRL COURSE if you wish to receive the password to any of the three courses. This applies to students who registered prior to February 19, 2001 and all new students.
Registration is free of charge. To register, you simply need to fill out a registration form online. After you submit your form, a new web page with your password will be displayed on your monitor.
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Important notice: read this page regarding the use of simulated braille on these Web pages
Important notice: New free braille software for Windows computers.
What is the BRL program?
BRL -- Braille through Remote Learning -- is an online instructional program that provides teachers, parents, social workers, and current/future braille transcribers with a series of three integrated online courses in braille and
braille transcribing. The program is designed to offer the braille student the RIGHT INSTRUCTION (almost all aspects of braille) at the RIGHT TIME
(self-paced) in the RIGHT PLACE (home or workplace). By combining electronic technologies, quality materials, and expert instructors, the program has as its
goal the provision of a complete braille instructional program to all types of consumers nationwide who have an interest in some or all aspects of braille codes.
The BRL program was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Braille Literacy Program.
The program consists of three integrated courses:
- Introduction to Braille: a 12-session basic course in braille literacy, designed for beginning students of braille or for those who need a braille refresher. In addition to "beginner's basics", this course includes all Grade 2 contractions and rules.
- Braille Transcribers: this course focuses on the production of braille materials, with an emphasis on the brailling of textbooks (using the new "Formats" braille code). Discussions of computers in braille production and tactile graphics is also included in this course. Prerequisite for this course is a solid foundation in Grade 2 braille.
- Specialized Codes: this course provides a basic introduction to specialized codes, such as Nemeth mathematics braille, music braille, computer braille, and chemistry braille. Prerequisite for this course is a solid foundation in Grade 2 braille.
How do I sign up for this program?
You must register for each course to receive a login name and a password. Registration is free and only requires a few minutes to fill out the registration form. When you register, you will immediately receive a page that gives you the password information for the course. You should print this page out for your records.
IMPORTANT! Currently the materials and the exercises are available for free. However, the courses themselves are unsupported, meaning that there is no instructor who will provide feedback, grade your assignments, or answer questions. We are currently (April 2000) seeking external funding to allow us to provide online expert instuctors to help you with your studies. Until such time as we are able to secure funding, the materials and exercises are available to you, but we will only be able to provide limited online help to you.
What do I get for completing a course?
Many prospective students ask about becoming a certified transcriber. The only agency that certifies transcribers is the Library of Congress. Once you have completed any instucational program, whether it be this one or another course, you must submit a 35-page trail manuscript to the Library for the evaluation. It is our goal that we prepare you well enough so that you will have the competence and confidence to submit a trial manuscript.
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