Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Make Braille Signs

Do you need to make Braille signs for your business, school or for some other purpose? Most individuals who cannot read or use Braille don't know write it either. This can make creating Braille signs difficult. However, there are three ways you can make Braille signs even if you don't know Braille.


Instructions


1. Borrow or purchase a Braille labeler. If you plan on making a lot of Braille signs in the future, it might be wise to purchase a Braille labeler. If you only need to make a Braille sign one or a few times, it might be best to borrow one from someone you know.


2. Make the label. The Braille labeler's wheel contains Braille and print letters and numbers on it so that both people who can and cannot read Braille can use it. Spin the wheel so the first letter of the word you're trying to make is centered on the label tape. Squeeze the handle of the labeler in order to put the letter onto the tape. Follow these instructions for each letter until you've made the word you want to make with the labeler.


3. Tear the finished label off from the Braille labeler and place it on the print sign or other surface you want the Braille sign to appear, such as a restroom sign, a room number sign or a mailbox.


4. For signs that are more than a few words, find someone who owns a Braille writer and knows write on it. If you live in a major city, you may want to post an ad on Craigslist offering to pay someone with a Braille writer to make a sign for you.


5. Make your sign. You will need Braille paper or a piece of thin posterboard on which to write the Braille sign. Dictate to the individual who knows Braille what you want the sign to say. He or she can use the Braille writer to type it for you.


6. Put the sign up where you want it to appear. Remember to put it where a person can reach the sign with his or her fingers so that he or she can read the Braille on the page.


7. Alternatively, make a sign on your computer using a word processor. Remember, images and visual details do not translate into Braille and do not really matter to people who read it.


8. Locate a Braille embosser. Check your local library to see if it happens to have one for public use. Major cities are most likely to have Braille embossers in their facilities. Alternatively, post an ad on Craigslist asking people if they have a Braille embosser, and if so, if they wouldn't mind printing out a sign you made on your computer in Braille for you.


9. Braille the sign using the Braille embosser. If you located a Braille embosser at your local library, ask the librarian use it. If someone from Craigslist offered to Braille the sign for you with the embosser, he or she will know use it and will probably do it for you.


10. Put the sign up in your desired location, remembering to put it where it can be reached and read by visually impaired and blind individuals.