Specific standards

In general

From the very beginning, braille users have tried to apply the system not only to ordinary texts, but also to the recording of more complex symbolic writing, firstly music, then science and others.

However, while musical notation remains to this day the only braille standard that is truly international — with only one standard for different national regions (see below for details), this is no longer the case for other disciplinary standards. For example, mathematics is coded differently even across neighbouring regions (although one system has prevailed for certain areas — e. g. Nemeth Code for Mathematics & Science Notation), and the same is true of standards for other disciplines (chemistry, physics, phonetics, etc.).

Therefore, when typesetting Braille texts, attention must always be paid to ensure that we use the correct national standard and, where appropriate, a complementary disciplinary standard. A continuously updated overview of the standards used is given in the UNESCO publication World Braille Usage.

Music notation

As mentioned, Braille music notation has international validity and began to take shape during the lifetime of Louis Braille, who compiled it himself. However, this does not mean that it was immediately accepted at the time of its creation (around 1834). In 1885, a committee was formed, composed to establish some degree of uniformity of signs and rules of application.

Since then, the standard has been continually revised and expanded, among other things because preferences in the choice of musical instruments and printing techniques have changed, and more braille reading population is using music scores. Currently, the Braille standard for music notation is more than ten times more extensive than when it was created.

The principle of the standard is based on the consistent linearisation of music notation — this makes it distinctly different from visual form. Every piece of information that can normally be read from a musical score has its own specific braille representation and position in braille notation. For example, information about tempo, key, octave, length and value of notes, etc. (see examples).

In the age of computer technology, tactile prints are not the only way a blind person can access music scores. There are tools that allow reliable typesetting of music scores on a computer, or importing and converting already completed records. See separate document for more details.

Useful guidelines for an English-speaking or English standards-based regions