the Braille Authority of Slovakia

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the Braille Authority of Slovakia – Slovenská autorita pre Braillovo písmo (SABP) was established and approved by the government of Slovakia in december 2020. Since february 2021 Matej Hrebenda Slovak Library for the Blind in Levoča (SLB) overtook an establishing of this institute, which will operate from now on under the SLB and Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

The main goal of SABP is, first of all, creating an unified Slovak Braille code guideline. The educational system in Slovakia as well as all the blind people in Slovakia are in need of unified Braille code, adapted for Slovak alphabet and implementation and unification of Braille code in all the areas of its usage, mostly in uncontracted 6-dots code, 8-dots code, code for braille displays, Braille code for literature (non-science texts) and science text usage, Braille for transcription, Braille for musical notes, chess and other possible areas which may arise. Along with the development and implementation of Braille code SABP will be also responsible for developing and implementing necessary rules for the tactile graphics.

One of the equally important goals of SABP is the promotion of braille In Slovakia. The great importance of braille was recognized in the world and recently is strongly accented. Using braille was for some years shadowed by new technologies development, spread of audio books, accessible formats of various information such as digital books, magasines, all quickly accessible on the internet and easyly read by text to speech services and synthesizers. Even if the technologies have progressed in the braille field as well, its usage in the education was often omitted. This situation is not only problem of Slovak republic, in every country in the world the new calls for teaching, developing and promoting braille are arising. Many researches have shown that the braille dots are still very important for the blind people's literacy. It still has its unique place in the peoples’ vocation, education and daily life.

It is important to bring braille back to educational system, for all the blind children, whether they are educated in one of special schools or in schools with majority of intact population. It is strongly recommended in the results of researches in this field that continuing in teaching braille and accenting its reading efficiency and speed is inevitable for any blind person to keep up with labour market demands. Therefore SABP has to stress the importance of bringing braille back to whole educational system, mostly within the educational system of integrated education, support its reading efficiency by numerous contests, presentations and promotional events.

Not only children are the focus of SABP. Most of all, any blind person in Slovakia should recognize its importance and find out, that braille still has a huge potential to be a helpful tool for them. At work, at school, at home, in the public space, public transport, - anywhere in their daily lives. SABP has to communicate the importance of Braille usage not only to the blind people of Slovakia, but also, and equally, to the all people who hold in hands possibility of making information and environment accessible for blind or visually impaired Slovaks. Therefore SABP will continually accent the Braille importance and call upon the public authorities and companies to make the environment more accessible place.

SABP is the institution responsible for developing and promoting Braille in Slovakia and its main advisory committee is the Council of SABP. This council have brought together blind or visually impaired related organisations, from whome one member for the council was nominated. Therefore these 7 people elected for each organisation will work together on bringing the relevant information to the head of SABP for responsible and right decisions about braille code development and promotion.

For anyone, who might be interested in discussion about braille code in Slovakia, there is a mailing list on groups.io – braillovo-pismo-na-slovensku. The discussion is so far held in Slovak only. May we welcome some interested people from abroad, we will consider then posible exchange of information in english as well.

On the website of ICEVI you can find our ICEVI Slovak national page, where you can find the most important contact information about organisations focused on blind or visually impaired people in Slovakia. Contact information are available also on the webpage of the SABP Council.

Rules of Writing and Using braille code in Slovak Republic

Writing signs and symbols in Braille in Slovak Basic texts in six-dots uncontracted notation

Slovak Braille Translator

For translation of slovak alphabet into the braille code, use this Braille translator.

Please, do not hesitate to contact us with any questions concerning braille code in Slovakia or with any suggestion for cooperation in this field. We will gladly join ideas and effords to raise up the importance of braille in the world.

• phone number: +421 915 937 069
• e-mail address: sabp@skn.sk .