Wyo4News staff, [email protected] [PRESS RELEASE]
January 2, 2023 — The Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution’s (WMCI) Braille Department is a part of WY Brand Industries. This program began serving the visually impaired community in August 2010. The WMCI Braille Department is certified through the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled through the Library of Congress. Individuals who work within this program have various certifications in literary graphics, proofreading, music transcriptions, and other written transcriptions, and they have ample opportunities to obtain other advanced certifications. This program has experience with many different types of text and graphic translations.
What is braille? How can someone learn to be a braille transcriptionist?
Braille is a form of written language for the visually impaired that utilizes raised characters and patterns that are felt with the fingertips rather than read with sight. Braille is a learned skill, like with any language.
This typically means transcribers learn to read braille by sight, and transcribers are generally not proficient in reading braille by touch. Braille transcription is a skill that can be learned via a course that is offered by the National Federation of the Blind. This course requires the individual to be diligent, intellectually curious, and patient, as the learning is self-paced. Individuals who are enrolled in this course must be willing to commit to the course as it takes time for them to learn a completely new language that will allow them to convert print works into braille. This course is designed to teach students who want to learn braille transcription rather than being a course designed to learn braille as a personal reading and writing skill.
Students who complete this course receive a Library of Congress certificate in literary braille transcribing. This certificate qualifies the recipient to transcribe general literary materials and is a prerequisite for other transcribing and proofreading courses. Once an individual achieves six months of experience in braille transcription, the transcriber may enroll in a course in mathematics or music braille transcribing or proofreading.
WMCI Braille Department – Information and Participants
The WMCI Braille Department started with two inmates who had become certified braille translators. These inmates were involved in the promotional phase of the program by writing and engaging with individuals from the WDOC, Wyoming State Legislation, and Wyoming State Senators. The goal of these conversations was to ask for the opportunity to show how braille could become an asset to the
Correctional Industries Program and how the braille program would be able to provide quality products at an affordable price. These two inmates also explained how the inmates chosen to participate in this program would learn valuable skills and expertise necessary to provide these products. They also explained how this program would positively impact the individuals involved in the program because the inmates would learn and demonstrate the dedication it takes to learn braille and participate in a program this intricate and diverse.
To date, the WMCI Braille Department has had thirty-one (31) individuals participate in the program. Twenty-one (21) individuals have achieved the literary braille certification. There are two (2) more who are currently in the process of obtaining their certification. Currently, six (6) individuals have certifications that fall under the term advanced studies. Four (4) individuals have obtained advanced certifications in literary braille proofreading; there is one actively working towards obtaining this certification. Seven (7) individuals have been certified in music braille transcribing, and three (3) individuals are currently working on this certification. There are two (2) individuals who are working towards their certification in mathematics braille transcribing.
There are some participants who have transitioned out of the program. The individuals who no longer are a part of the program leave with an incredible set of skills, and a valuable set of applicable traits that are pertinent in a work environment outside of an institution. One past program participant had been able to achieve five advanced certifications on top of the original literary braille certification; this in itself shows the dedication these individuals involved in this program have.
What does the WMCI Braille Department offer? How have the services they offer evolved?
The WMCI Braille Department offers a wide variety of braille services, including custom menus with text and graphics, business cards, bus schedules, calendars, forms, reports, and brochures. They also offer Perkins’s braille machine repairs, certified braille music transcriptions, and braille textbook formatting.
Tactile Graphics: The Braille Department also does tactile graphic work with The American Printing House (APH) for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. Tactile graphics are a large part of transcribing book orders for the printing house. Previously, the Braille Department has translated simple graphics using different materials like string and cardboard to create them. Now, the Braille Department utilizes Corel Draw, which allows individuals to create the graphics electronically when the requests allow. The individual in charge of tactile graphics has produced several graphics that have been selected to appear in the APH for the Blind’s Tactile Graphics Image Library.
Machine Repair: Prior to working in our braille department, one of the inmates had worked on general maintenance and repair of braillers in another state institution. These skills have been welcomed and have impacted the Department’s ability to offer repair services on braille machines. The Department has also established a strong working relationship with the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, which has allowed the Department to clean and repair braillers on an annual contract basis.
What organizations does the WMCI Braille Department work with?
The Braille Department at WMCI has become extremely involved with various braille organizations. They have been requested to participate in national braille transcription education, which includes the proofreading of an updated transcription course, the Braille Enthusiast’s Dictionary, and articles for transcriber’s publications. The Braille Department has also assisted with updating the Formats manual and the evaluation of beta software for format testing. Lastly, they have helped in the production of resources for braille reading and writing by working with APH utilizing braille blaster software and the APH embosser.
WMCI has an inmate who has served on the National Braille Association Music Committee (NBAMC) since November 2019. He was requested to provide an article for their quarterly bulletin in the Fall of 2022. As of October 2023, this inmate was requested to rejoin the NBAMC for an additional four (4) years.
WMCI Braille Department Accomplishments
The WMCI Braille Department has been able to produce dozens of textbook and musical transcriptions. These together equate to thousands of pages translated. The Braille Department was also able to translate the University of Wyoming campus map, bus routes for various Wyoming and Colorado cities, different organizational newsletters and calendars, holiday cards, braille overlays for business cards, several graphics for the APH Tactile Graphic Image Library, and maintenance and repair of dozens of braillers.
The WMCI Braille Department is always ready and excited to be of service to those requesting or in need of resources for the visually impaired and the Braille community.
