For parents and caregivers interested in learning some basic braille in order to support their student, please consider checking out this fabulous and free digital learning platform that was created by the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, the Renwick Center for Research and Professional Education, and Macquarie University.
UEB Online is a great place for families interested in learning braille along with their student. They offer fully self-paced courses on grade 1 and grade 2 literary braille as well as a mathematics option. Parents, you can log in whenever you wish and work on one module at a time at your convenience and your personal schedule. You can gain familiarity with what it is like to type in 6 dot entry mode while learning braille symbols, then use your new understanding to encourage and assist your child in the challenging but wonderful challenge of learning to read with their fingers.
You can register for the courses you are interested in, including uncontracted and/or contracted literary braille as well as Unified English Braille Mathematics. Then you simply complete the lessons and exercises at your own pace with a desktop keyboard simulating a braille writer. There are no deadlines and no grades. But you may earn a certificate of completion at the end of each course and will gain an understanding of basic braille concepts.
The best part is the website is fully screen reader accessible and the lessons offer a choice between visual and non-visual access modes. Completing the exercises with JAWS OR NVDA screen readers is a breeze with easy navigation and helpful built-in command keys to aid in braille editing. If you ever forget a command, all you have to do is type a the question mark and the full list of commands will be read out to you. Braille displays may also be used with the exercises. See the System Requirements page for more details.
Check Out UEB Online and Start Brailling Today!