So you want to be a Braille Transcriber . . .

The Library of Congress course in literary Braille transcribing is intended to teach students to transcribe print materials into Braille. Helping Hands Braille Ministries can help you to get started, and will grade your lessons. We will not issue the final Certificate. Upon successful completion of the lessons, the student may apply for a Certificate in Literary Braille Transcribing from the Library of Congress.

Eligibility Requirements:
1. United States citizenship or residency
2. High school diploma or equivalent
3. Interest in transcribing print materials into Braille

What you will need:
1. Lesson materials.

The Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing
English Braille, American Edition 1994
Drills Reproduced in Braille

These materials are free of charge and available from National Federation of the Blind. They will be sent to you upon your request. Contact Jennifer Dunnam, Manager of Braille Programs, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute; Phone: (612) 767-5658; E-mail: transcribers@nfb.org

2. Registration with Library of Congress. This form will be included in the materials sent to you; it may be sent in any time before your final examination.

 3. "Perky Duck" computer program; this is a Braille input program, which is what we use for the lessons. It is a free download from www.duxburysystems.com (click on Products, scroll down to Perky Duck, then the free download).

4. A keyboard which will take 6-key input. Some of the newer keyboards will not allow you to input more than one key at a time. The older ones will work, and it may be that you will have to find one that will. You need to be able to press the keys sdfjkl all at once to produce a six-dot braille cell. This will make more sense to you as you work with Perky Duck.

What is included in the Lessons:

There are 19 lessons, including instruction covering the braille alphabet, braille contractions, and the rules for writing braille. Students work at their own pace, and may complete the course in approximately 12 to 18 months. As the final exercise in the course, you will transcribe 35 braille pages of a book of your choice, which will be submitted to NFB for approval for the Certificate.

For more information, contact Helping Hands Braille Ministries.