pr january2007

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by  Warren

PRESS RELEASE
January2007
CONTACT: JudyDixon,Chairperson
BrailleAuthorityof NorthAmerica
PHONE: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
BANA Holds Meeting, Elects New Officers
TheBrailleAuthorityof NorthAmerica(BANA) met October20-22,2006,inWashingtonDC.The
meetingwas hostedbytheNational LibraryServiceforthe BlindandPhysicallyHandicappedofthe
LibraryofCongress,amemberorganizationofBANA.
Members reviewed reports from thenumerous BANAtechnical committees, includingthe Literary
Committee,whichis currentlyworkingon anew editionof English Braille,AmericanEdition; the
TactileGraphics Committeefinalizingguidelines fortheproductionoftactilegraphics; andtheBraille
Formats Committee,whichis workingon arevisededitionofBrailleFormats:Principles of Print to
BrailleTranscription.Thesethreeprojects are all verylargeprojects that theexpert committees have
beenworkingonforseveral years. BANAalso establisheda committeeto developtranscription
guidelines fortheproductionofcraft andhobbymaterials suchas knittingandcrochet patterns, chess
materials, latchhookruginstructions, andothertypes ofinstructional items wherenospecific code
exists toguidetranscribers. This committeewill bechairedbyMarcyPonziooftheBraille Instituteof
America.Kim Charlson, whohas servedas chair ofBANAforthepast three years will concludeher
term ofofficeat theend of2006,but will continuerepresentingtheAmericanCouncil ofthe Blindon
theBANABoard.
Newlyelectedofficers are:
Judith (Judy)Dixon,Chairperson
JudithDixonis theConsumerRelations Officerat theNational LibraryServiceforthe Blind
andPhysicallyHandicappedofthe LibraryofCongress.Shehas written andspoken
extensivelyinthe areaof braille; is thecreatorand manager forNLS’s Web-Brailleservice;
andhas been alifelongreaderofbraille andatireless advocate forbrailleliteracy.
Eileen Curran,Vice-Chairperson
EileenCurranisVicePresident forEducationServices at National BraillePress,whereshehas
workedsince1985.Sheservedas thechairofBANAfrom 2000to2003,andis currently
treasurerofthe International Council onEnglish Braille.Passionateabout braille,Eileenhas
beenaninstructorofteachers oftheblindat BostonCollege,andpreviouslytaught brailleat
Perkins School fortheBlindandinpublicschool classes. Ms.Curranis the authorofabraille
primerforparents entitled Just EnoughtoKnow Better,nowinits tenthedition.
JenniferDunnam,Secretary
JenniferDunnam (Minneapolis, MN)is theManagerof BraillePrograms fortheNational
Federationofthe Blind's Jernigan Institute,administeringthe courses forpersons seeking
certification inbrailletranscribingandproofreadingfrom theNational LibraryServiceforthe
BlindandPhysicallyHandicapped.Previously,shewas theManagerofAccess Programs in
DisabilityServices at the UniversityofMinnesota,overseeingbrailleproductionat the
University.Sheis theauthorof TheSlateBook:A GuidetotheSlateandStylus andserves on
theboardofthe National AssociationtoPromotetheUseof Braille.
MaryArcher,Treasurer
MaryArcheris theSupervisor oftheBrailleSectionat MinnesotaStateServices fortheBlind,
managingthebrailleproductionfacilityfortheStateofMinnesota.TheBrailleSection
provides materials tostudents inkindergartenthroughtwelfthgrade.Sheis also thecurrent
president oftheNational BrailleAssociation, Inc. In addition,shehas previouslyservedBANA
as secretaryandvice-chair.Sheis acertifiedliteraryandNemethCodebrailletranscriber.
Themissionandpurpose oftheBrailleAuthorityofNorthAmericaareto assureliteracyfortactile
readers throughthestandardizationofbrailleand/ortactile graphics. BANApromotes andfacilitates
theuse,teachingandproductionofbraille. It publishes rules, interprets and renders opinions pertaining
tobrailleinall existingcodes. It deals withcodes nowinexistenceortobe developedinthefuture, in
collaborationwithother countries usingEnglish braille. Inexercisingits functionandauthority,
BANA considers the effects ofits decisions onotherexistingbraillecodes andformats; theeaseof
productionbyvarious methods; andacceptabilitytoreaders.
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Braille Authority of North America
January2007
Representative Organization
Kim Charlson AmericanCouncil ofthe Blind
Frances MaryD'Andrea American Foundationfor theBlind
BetsyBurnham AmericanPrintingHouse fortheBlind
MayDavis AssociatedServices fortheBlind
DianeWormsley AssociationforEducationandRehabilitationoftheBlindandVisuallyImpaired
BonnieGrimm Braille InstituteofAmerica
SueReilly CaliforniaTranscribers andEducators ofthe VisuallyHandicapped
Darleen Bogart CNIB(TheCanadian National Instituteforthe Blind)
Pam Boss TheClovernookCenter fortheBlindand VisuallyImpaired
EileenCurran National BraillePress
JudyDixon National LibraryService fortheBlindandPhysicallyHandicapped
MaryArcher National BrailleAssociation
JenniferDunnam National FederationoftheBlind
MariaStevens Royal New ZealandFoundationoftheBlind,AssociateMember
BANA Technical Committees
Ad HocCommitteeon BrailleResearch BrailleFormats Technical Committee
Frances MaryD'Andrea, Co-chair Lynette Taylor,Chairperson
DianeWormsley,Co-chair Kim Charlson,Board Liaison
Darleen Bogart Deborah Brown
EileenCurran SusanChristensen
JudyDixon DebbieGillespie
CayHolbrook SandySmith
RobWall-Emerson AnnKelt
RobinWetzel MaryCzepyha,Consultant
DenaGarrett,Consultant
Ad HocCommitteeon EarlyLiteracy
Materials Production ComputerBrailleTechnical Committee
BetsyBurnham,Chairperson MelissaHirshson,Chairperson
DianeWormsley,Board Liaison MayDavis,Board Liaison
SusanChristensen JohnJackson
WarrenFigueiredo SandraRuconich
AnnKelt JosephSullivan
AnnMacCuspie BettyTeachman
EdieMourre
Crafts and Hobbies Technical Committee
Ad HocCommitteeon Foreign Language MarcyPonzio,Chairperson
Materials EileenCurran,Board Liaison
AnnKelt,Chairperson Lorraine Banks
EileenCurran,Board Liaison Gilbert Busch
Marilyn Breedlove MelissaHirshson
Jill Cooter Gail Snider
LisaMcClure YvettePourciau,Consultant
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LiteraryBrailleTechnical Committee
MarthaPamperin,Chairperson
Darleen Bogart,Board Liaison
NancyBarker
Anna Lee Braunstein
JosephSullivan
JohnWilkinson
JuliaMoyer
Tom Keith,Consultant
Mathematics BrailleTechnical Committee
DorothyWorthington,Chairperson
MaryArcher,Board Liaison
HelenMcMillan
Allison O'Day
SusanOsterhaus
JeanSimpson
JoanneBaldwin,Consultant
MaryDenault,Consultant
MusicBrailleTechnical Committee
LawrenceSmith,Chairperson
JenniferDunnam,Board Liaison
KarinAuckenthaler
BeverlyMcKenney
HarveyMiller
Tom Ridgeway
Karen Gearreald,Consultant
Publications Committee
SusanChristensen,Chairperson
JudyDixon,Board Liaison
BobBrasher
WarrenFigueiredo
SandySmith
JoannaE.Venneri
RefreshableBrailleTechnical Committee
Caryn Navy,Chairperson
JudyDixon,Board Liaison
EricGuillory
MaryBethMetzger
SharonMonthei
Graham Stoodley
TactileGraphics Technical Committee
LuciaHasty,Chairperson
JenniferDunnam,Board Liaison
ConstanceCraig
JohnMcConnell
Allison O'Day
DianeSpence
SusanOsterhaus,Consultant
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