Braille for Sighted Classmates and Family Members
Submitted by Charlotte Cushman on Dec 30, 2021
There are a number of resources available to teach people who are sighted the basics of the braille alphabet. These include websites, activities, braille cards, and lesson suggestions for general education classrooms. They are not intended to teach the full braille code, but rather to raise awareness at an introductory level.
We invite you to explore the following:
Braille Basics
Braille Basics, BANA
This single-page document provides information about the braille cell, the braille alphabet, common punctuation marks, and braille numbers.
Braille Lessons for People Who Are Sighted
These short videos present the alphabet, numbers, punctuation and more in sequential lessons.
Music
We love this catchy tune to introduce the braille alphabet and we think you'll love it too! Includes the lyrics.
Activities for Sighted School Children to Learn About Braille
Braille Bug
This website from American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is designed to introduce sighted children to the world of braille. It includes the following sections: What is Braille?; Braille Literacy; Braille Resources; Games and Secret Messages; Louis Braille; AFB's Helen Keller Kids Museum Online.
Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) has a number of resources fthat can be used in schools to help teach children about what braille is, the history of braille and how it is used.
These pages from the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB) include braille activities, braille coloring pages, braille dot coloring, braille games to make, and more.
Young children can use this color-coded chart to write their names.
This 28-page booklet includes basic information about braille, as well as activities.
This free downloadable booklet shows the dot configurations for each letter of the alphabet with simple rhymes.
This powerpoint presentation by TVI Merry-Noel Chamberlain shows dot configurations superimposed on images of items beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
Just Enough to Know Better (National Braille Press)
This book is designed for parents or any sighted person who is looking for a quick introduction to braille. It includes exercises to identify the braille alphabet, numbers, and contractions.
Braille Alphabet Charts
Braille Alphabet Cards (National Braille Press)
This visual representation of the braille alphabet without contractions can be downloaded as a PDF file.
This two-page document from PRCVI (Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired) shows two views of the braille alphabet: dots in each braille cell, as well as the view on a
braillewriter.
Additional Resources
Another handy resource is this online tool to look up a braille contraction for a given word.
BrailleTranslator.org is a simple way to convert text to visual braille notation.
