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ANNEXURE IV UNESCO/MC/Conf. 5/23.
Paris, the 25th January 1950.
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC AND
CULTURAL ORGANISATION. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON BRAILLE PROBLEMS.
Unesco House, 15-21 December 1949.
WORLD BRAILLE UNIFORMITY. Arising out of the approach by the Government of India to the Director General, the Fourth Session of the General Conference of Unesco, in September 1949, approved the following resolution :
"The Director-General is instructed to study the world Braille situation and, with the advice of a competent Committee, to organise an. International Conference with a view to agreeing on certain principles which would allow the greatest degree of uniformity in Braille and would improve its rationalisation and develop its extension. Such regional discussions as may later prove necessary should subsequently be organized by the Secretariat." (Res. 7. 212).
Accordingly, the Advisory Committee on Braille Problems met at Unesco Douse, Paris, from 15 to 21 December 1949. Its members, who attended, not as delegates of countries but as individuals experienced in the field of Braille usage, Braille publication, linguistics and education, were:-
Mr. John Jarvis, Assistant Secretary, National Institute for the Blind. London. the leading British Braille printing and publishing house and the ,chief body coordinating British blind welfare. Mr. Jarvis was elected Chairman of the Committee.
Professor Suniti Kumar Chatterji, M.A. (Calcutta), D.Litt. (London), F.R-A.S.B., Khaira, Professor of Indian Linguistics and Phonetics and Head of the Department of Comparative Philology, University of Calcutta., Member of Indian Uniform Braille Committee Elected Vice-Chairman.
Captain Shahri Bekhradnia, Persia. Member of a small Committee at present modifying Persian Braille.
Professor Nikela Bassili, Egypt. Member of Egyptian Arabic Braille Committee and Master at the Government School for the Blind, Zeitoun.
Professor Pierre Henri. France. Professor of Mathematics at the lnstitution Nationale Des Jeunes Aveugles de Paris where Louis Braille as Professor of Mathematics invented his system a century and a quarter ago.
Miss Marjorie Hooper, Braille Secretary, American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky, the Largest Braille publishers in the U.S.A. Secretariat in attendance. Sir Clutha Mackenzie; Unesco. Consultant on Braille and rapporteur to the Committee. Mr. R.M.P. Hawkin.
Five of these seven experts are themselves blind.
In his message of welcome, the Director-General, Senor Jaime Terres Bodet said "I am convinced that you. will succeed in one of the noblest tasks that could be given to man. For your efforts transcend the merely practical goal
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you have assigned yourselves. In wishing you success in your work, I cannot help regarding it as symbolic. You want to give to the blind a universal system of writing, and at no time have men more passionately desired unity. May this writing help us, then, to find the path we are all seeking-the path of Universal Brotherhood and Peace
The Committee had before it the "Report on the World Braille Situation", prepared by Sir Clutha Mackenzie at the request of UNESCO for the Fourth Session of the General Conference. Twenty-one working documents dealing with various problems and particular linguistic areas were submitted, as well as memoranda by organizations and individuals.
Also prepared by UNESCO for the Committee's ready reference was a series of five charts. setting out in distinguishing colours the existing Braille adaptations for 45 languages. Nos. 1 and 2 charts giving the Brailles of the 20 chief European languages. No. 3 covers the area from Greece and Turkey to East Africa and from North Africa to Persia and Northern India. No. 4 illustrates the two types of Indian Braille in their application to many Indian languages and Sinhalese. No. 5 gives the Brailles for the four languages of Malaya as well as Siamese, Annamite and Viet-Namien.
This memorandum is being circulated to all member governments, to technical journals on blindness and to many societies and individuals known to be interested. Commands on the present resolutions of the Advisory Committee, and suggestions for the Agenda to be placed before the larger international meeting in March 1950 will be welcomed.
RESOLUTIONS. 1. The Committee first wishes to express its sincere appreciation to UNESCO for the opportunity for such a harmonious interchange of views on Braille uniformity. A tribute must also be paid to the initiative of the Government of India in raising this subject. The Committee feels that the, policy on Braille is sound. and that the ground is now well prepared for the International Braille Conference to be held during 1950. The function of the Committee has been to deal primarily with broad principles and therefore has not covered in detail all the many aspects of the world Braille situation, and the application of Braille to the varying requirements of every language. The position has been greatly clarified and the Committee has ventured to present the following resolutions as the basis for detailed discussion at the International Braille Conference. In addition, suggestions as to the regional composition and agenda for this Conference have been formulated which have met with unanimous agreement.
2. The Committee has studied the history of Braille, has heard the views of expert linguists and has also reviewed alternative methods for the adaptation of Braille to the major languages, of the world. The various points of view submitted to the Committee, as well as experience of current tendencies in the education of the blind have also been taken into account. The Committee recommends for presentation to the International Braille Conference that the best and most lasting interests of the blind, will be served by continuing the policy laid down by the International Conference of Workers for the Blind in 1878, reaffirmed by subsequent international conferences, and established by long practice throughout the greater part of the world. This policy in the main and as far as circumstances permit provides that each sign shall be used for the same or nearly the same sound as in the original Braille, shall represent the same letter or shall fulfil the same or a similar function.
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In reaching the foregoing decision, the Committee has taken into consideration the particular problems of such important linguistic areas as China, India and the Arabie speaking countries. The Committee has studied the principles on which they have based their adaptations of Braille, and is of the opinion that endeavours should be made through consultation to reconcile them with the principles of a World Braille without any loss of national characteristics of individual visual scripts.
In order to avoid conflicting. systems of international Braille, it is the opinion of this Committee that a single system embracing the adaptations of Braille to all the languages of the world is both desirable and practicable.
3. The Committee considers that a truly phonetic World Braille is impracticable for general purposes, but recommends that the International Braille Conference should set up a panel of experts:-
(a) To examine the existing Braille notation of the International Phonetic Association (IPA) Alphabet, and
(b) to make suggestions on its suitability for any purposes of particular phonetic study for which it does not yet provide.
4. The Committee recommends, except where the complexities of ideographic scripts make it impossible, that a Braille symbol should be provided for each visual letter, it being understood that the sound value of this-symbol is identical with that of the visual letter of the alphabet of the particular language which it represents.
5. The Committee has noted the present lack of international uniformity in the practice of allocating Braille signs to the sounds or visual letters of particular languages outside the Roman orbit. It therefore recommends to the International Braille Conference the constitution of a panel of competent Braillists and expert linguists and phoneticians to devise a classification of these sounds and visual letters in accordance with a concerted plan for allocating the most appropriate Braille sign to each of them.
6. The fact that much of the lack of uniformity which has grown up in Asia, Africa and elsewhere has been due to the absence of any coordinated plan or authoritiative guidance. the Committee recommends that a small World Braille Council, associated with the appropriate organ of the United Nations, be established to carry out the policy as determined by the forthcoming International Braille Conference (and as modified from time to time by succeeding conference)
(a) To act in an advisory capacity on the interpretation and application of Braille principles;
(b) to correlate future Braille developments;
(c) to advise on such Braille problems as might be referred to it from time to time, and
(d) to act as a centre for the collection and exchange of information on Braille.
It should be stressed that this Council is not intended to be a policy Making body.
The Committee further recommends the establishment as soon as possible of small Braille committees (where they do not already exist) for each linguistic area, under the auspices of the government or governments concerned, or
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other competent bodies. These committees would carry out the same functions on a regional basis as the World Braille Council. and in close liaison with it, so that changes in Braille usage would not be put into effect before their relationship to the Brailles of other languages had been taken into consideration. In addition, such regional committees should ensure the rational and economic publication of Braille literature. and should keep Braille printing and library services in their areas under review.
7. The Committee recommends consultation between Braillists of different parts of the world who use the same language, with the aim of formulating and adopting a uniform system of contracted Braille for each language, and a wider interchange of views for a similar objective between Braillists using languages of the same group. The Committee recommends that any future systems of contracted Braille should take into account the needs of both Braillists of a comparatively limited education and of those who lose their sight in adult life, by keeping the number of contractions within reasonable limits.
8. The Committee has considered the present position with regard to punctuation, numerical, mathematical and chemical symbol and musical notations, and expresses the view that as far as possible all these special codes of Braille should reach the greatest degree of uniformity. The Committee also notes the position in regard to classical languages, such as Latin and Greek, expressing the hope that this question should be dealt with by the proposed World Braille Council. All these questions should also be the subject of an interchange of views between specialists in these fields under the auspices of the World Braille Council, mentioned above.
9. Whereas a number of visual scripts are written in different directions, the Committee recommends to the International Braille Conference the consideration of the desirability that Braille should everywhere be read from left to right for the sake of uniformity and in accordance with established Braille tradition.
10. The Committee expresses its pleasure at having the views of the Indian Uniform Braille Committee so ably presented by Professor S. K. Chatterji and statements on this subject are included in the Committee's special memorandum (1). The Committee has studied in detail the reconciliation of the very just desire of the Indian Uniform Braille Committee to maintain all the traditions and characteristics of the Indian scripts and at the same time, the value of world uniformity.
11. The Committee, emphasizes the desirability of uniformity in Braille within the Arab World in accordance with international practice, and recommends that leading Braillists and linguists of Arabic speaking countries should be consulted. The particular aspects of this problem are the subject of a statement in the Committee's special memorandum.
12. In the absence of direct representation of languages using ideographic scripts, the Committee does not feel itself justified in arriving at any conclusions on this special problem. The question depends upon the adoption of some kind of phonetic writing for these languages, but the Committee recommends this problem as one of priority for the International Braille Conference, when qualified representatives will be present.
Note:-(1) Consisting of three separate parts, (2) Memorandum on Indian Brailles and the report of the Indian Braille Uniform Committee.
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13. The Committee recommends that any authorities intending to produce Braille for tribal languages which do not as yet have any Braille systems
(a) If expressed in a Roman script should consult the World Braille Council on the extra provisions which they will have to make over and above the normal Roman letters; and
(b) where it is expressed in a non-Roman script, or where there is no written form, they should consult the World Braille Council on the whole Braille adaptation.
14. Finally, the Committee wishes to record its deepest appreciation for the work and the arrangements of the Secretariat. The interest that UNESCO is showing on the subject of Braille uniformity can only be measured by the wider educational facilities and a more complete cultural life for the blind in the years to come.
SPECIAL MEMORANDUM ON INDIA BRAILLE (RESOLUTION 19). Submitted by the Committee for the information of the Government of India after special study of the views of the Indian Uniform Braille Committee.
1. We have already paid a tribute to the farsightedness of the Government of India in bringing the question of a World Braile script before UNESCO, and to the valuable contribution-indeed. the striking development that this represents in the evolution of education and culture among blind people. but it is proper that we should give it particular emphasis in this study.
2. The movement for uniformity between the Brailles of the three great linguistic groups in India began nearly fifty years ago. The problem is one which appears to differ little from that of world uniformity. Technically it presents no insuperable difficulty, but is confused by differences of opinion over the method to be followed and the languages to be embraced.
3. We are indebted to Professor Chatterji for his clear and masterly presentation of the views of the Indian Uniform Braille Committee, of which he himself has been a member since its inception eight years ago. He has traced for us in detail the historical. sentimental, philological and educational aspects of the Indian Braille problem; and this authoritative information before us we have gone to work to discover bow world uniformity can be achieved while at the same time preserving in toto the essential character of the Indian scripts and languages.
4. After full discussion we believe we have found a course which will command itself to all concerned. We feel it right and proper that the Indian Committee should receive our categorical assurance on the following fundamental point:-
(a) The unfication of Indian with World Braille will in no way disturb the normal sequences of the Devnagari syllabary and other Indian syllabaries and alphabets.
(b) Under World Braille the sound value of each Indian Braille symbol would be that and only that of the visual character of which it is the embossed counterpart. The relationship of its sound value, to the same Braille symbol in Roman, Persian, Cyrillic, Chinese or other Braille. whether that relationship be exact, close or distant, would be a subsidiary, although valuable quality,
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but in no way at any time would the pronunciation of the Indian symbol be influenced by its association with the same Braille sign in other language;. It would always remain essentially Indian.
(c) Under the World Braille, as, in the present Uniform Indian Braille every Indian visual character and mark would have its Braille counterpart and Braille usage, would be in strict conformity with the linguistic principles already laid down by the Indian Committee.
(d) The extension of World Braille policy on the lines we have in mind will, we believe. remove one of the difficulties which has hampered, the work of the Indian Committee. We refer to Resolution 5 which provides for the logical extension of International uniformity far beyond the scope which could be envisaged by the 1878 Conference. This extension must, we believe, make World Braille much more workable and valuable, and clearly introduces fields of uniformity not covered earlier. International Braille is particularly applicable to the Additional sounds employed in the cultural areas so closely associated with Indian, the Persi-Arabic countries and those which share the Devanagari script Burma, Siam, Cambodia, java etc.
5. With these points clearly stated and the wider work ability of World Braille provided for, we can more easily study the one point the modification of which would clear the way for the complete merging of the two objectives. This point hinges on such value as Louis Braille's symmetrical arrangement might bold for teaching purposes. Is this in fact, more valuable than world uniformity in sound and functional values ?
6. We shall answer this question, first, historically and then from its educational angle.
7. Appendix C to the Report on the World Braille situation shows that 75 languages, including those using the Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Sinhalese and Malayan scripts and several of the past Indian Brailles built their systems on approximate sound values without reference to the original Braille sequence. We, on this Committee, have never heard of any teaching difficulties resulting therefrom. English belongs to this list, for-preference was given to the retention of the French X, Y and Z rather than to the insertion of the English W in place of the French X and the consequent changes in the Braille signs for the last three letters of the English alphabet.
8. By virtue of their different principles, too, most of the divergent Brailles paid no attention to the original symmetry-the German, the two American, Knowles and Garthwaite's and several other divergences. The International Conferences of 1878, 1902 and 1911 all laid down `sound' letter and functional relationship as the framework of uniformity, not adherence to the original sequence.
9. If we turn to the educational aspect, we find that Louis Braille's seven-line arrangement was for very many years accepted as convenient for teaching purposes in those languages with alphabets parallel to the French; and the fact that he originated it gave it some degree of sanctity. It was consistent, too, with the current teaching method for seeing children. As Braillists, however, we would say that the seven-line symmetry has very little, if any value beyond this early convenience for teaching purposes, and
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even this convenience has been superseded by the development of more, modern and apparently more effective educational methods. The pupil at a very early stage indentifies form, perceived by touch, with a sound of a word. He does not concern himself with the number or angle of the dots-he just knows that the shape as whole represents such-an- such a sound. When reading facility it attained, many readers have to think before answering a question as to the relationship of a letter to the seven-line framework.
10. From the evidence given by our own members at our meetings it would appear that modern teaching method is based on this readiness of the blind child to associate a shape with a sound or word.
11. Members of the Committee made the following statements in reference to developments in their countries.
12. Hiss Hooper, U.S.A. said the trend was steadily moving towards teaching in the modern way by recognition of shapes. The approach was not through the old alphabetical method but by beginning directly on simple sentences, and Grade 11 signs were introduced from the outset. The American Printing House was engaged on the reprinting of school reading printers to meet the Dew method.
13. Professor Meza, Mexico, stated that the trend in Latin American was towards the modern method. He was responsible for teaching Braille in the Teachers' Training College in Mexico City where he taught the new method.
14. Mr. Jarvis, Great Britain, said that the trend in Britain was definitely towards teaching in the new way, and he quoted the following statement by one of the leading British authorities, "The line by line method is fatal".
15. Professor Henry, France. said that the new -method was now being used increasingly in France.
16. Professor Bassili, Egypt, explained that the trend in both seeing and blind schools in Egypt was in the same direction.
17. Professor Chatterji, India, stated that the new method had begun in schools for the seeing in India and might be expected to develop.
18. It was also generally agreed that over a long period it had been quite usual for individual teachers to plan their own methods of teaching, grouping letters as they found best.
19. The Committee is concerned with one particular aspect of the consequences which arise-and, indeed, have already arisen-from the placing of excessive value on the seven-line symmetry, namely, that to adhere to it makes any Braille uniformity in the true sense impossible.
20. The Committee's views, therefore, are:-
(a) The historical evidence is that major Braille policy has disregarded the symmetrical framework in the wider application of Braille and has regarded sound relationship as the predominant factor in International uniformity.
(b) Teachers of the blind, in common with teachers of the seeing make use of newer and more effective methods which disregard the old sequence.
(c) Adherence to the principle of concurrent sequences makes world and even regional uniformity impossible.
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21. The Committee believes therefore that the Uniform Indian Committee would be fully justified in disregarding what is no longer a valid factor and therefore in framing its adaptation on what we think will prove a considerably more flexible system, It would, too, remove the complications of dual Braille forms for those Indians who have settled or may settle in large numbers in other linguistic areas.
22. The Indian Committee during the eight years of its existence has done an in-valuable work in investigating various proposals which have come before it. Our Committee subscribes to all its conclusions and accepts its tables and decisions on Indian linguistic matters. We would recommend that the Braille column be modified in accordance with the views in paragraphs 3, 4, 20 and 21 above. Thus we believe that the historic traditions both of Indian and of Braille would be wholly maintained to the benefit of all blind people.
23. We would suggest that the modified Braille column might be given some such name as International Indian Uniform Braille or Indian Braille.
Note:-- A footnote to Resolution 10 stated that several documents would be included with the foregoing special memorandum. These are in considerable detail and it has not been possible to circulate them at present time. They are available. however, to those who are particularly interested.
ANNEXURE V Proceedings of the Expert Braille Committee Meeting held on
the 25th and 26th February, 1950.
An Emergent meeting of the Expert Braille Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education was held in Committee Room `B', North Block, Central Secretariat New Delhi, on Saturday and Sunday, the 25th and 26th February, 1950. The following were present:-
1. Prof. Humayun Kabir, M.A. (Oxon).
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education. (Chairman
2. Mr. P. M. Advani, B.Sc., M.A.
3. Mr. R. M. Alpaiwalla, Bar-at-Law.
4. Dr. S. K. Chatterji, M.A., D.Litt.
5. Dr. Abid Hussain, M.A.. Ph.D.
6. Rev. M. C. Langton, M. A.
*7. Miss Mee Moortri
*8. Prof. N. N. Sen Gupta, M.A.
9. Mr. P.N. Venketa Rau (by special invitation).
*Blind members.
Dr. R. M. Halder, M.Ed., Ph.D.. Assistant Educational Adviser to the Government of India, Ministry of Education, acted as the Secretary to the Committee.
The Chairman welcomed the members and thanked them for having come to attend the meeting at a short notice. He also gave a brief outline of the Government of India's initiative towards the evolution of a unified World Braille and mentioned that UNESCO welcomed this move. He also explained the purpose of the present meeting.
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After the Chairman's introductory speech, Dr. S. K. Chatterji, who had been invited by UNESCO to attend the Unesco Advisory Committee on Braille problems held in Paris from the 15th to 21st December, 1949, gave a brief account of the deliberations of the Paris Committee. a detailed report of which he had given in Writing. This written report had been circulated to the members in advance.
Item No. I of the Agenda.
(To consider the conclusions reached by Unesco's Advisory Committee on Braille problems in Paris in December, 1949, and to advise the Government of India as to what attitude they should take towards them when they come for consideration at the International Braille Conference, in March, 1950.)
After some discussions. it was decided that our delegation to the International Braille Conference to be held at Paris in March, 1950, should go with an open mind and their approach to the problems should be objective and unbiassed. The various resolutions passed by the Unesco Advisory Committee were then taken up one by one and considered. The following comments were made seriatum on the resolutions contained in the document UNESCO/MC/ Conf.5/22, dated Paris, 29 December 1949.
Resolution 1.
The Expert Braille Committee appreciates the sentiments expressed by the Advisory Committee on the initiative taken by the Government of India regarding the Braille problems.
Resolution 2.
(Part 1). As far as this Committee is aware, the International Conference of Workers for the Blind in 1878 did not consider linguistic problems of Asia and Africa. The forthcoming Conference will have a wider scope, as it will have in its purview Asian and African languages in addition to the European languages. Since the 1878 Conference dealt with the Braille problems in the, European countries. it appears that the question of signs (tactile representa- tion) in relation to sounds did not engage its attention and it considered tactile representation with reference to the visual symbols of the Roman alphabets only.
(Para 2). The Expert Committee agrees provided it is recognised that there is nothing like a World Braille as yet. and World Braille mentioned herein is yet to be formulated by consent of the nations.
(Para 3). The Expert Braille Committee is of the opinion that there is no International Braille as yet, and the only international factor in Braille is the six point Braille cell.
Resolution 3.
The Expert Braille Committee agrees in principle.
Resolution 4.
The Expert Braille Committee is of opinion that the words "or values" should be added after "value" in line No. 3.
Resolution 5.
The Expert Braille Committee feels that the present situation would be best described by omitting the words "outside the Roman orbit" in the first sentence
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Resolution 6.
(Para 1). The Expert Braille Committee agrees in principle to the ultimate setting up of a World Braille Council with the objectives enumerated in a, b, c and d of this Resolution but it suggests that the forthcoming International Braille Conference can be exploratory in nature.
(Para 2). This Committee agrees that the setting up of regional Committees--as, for example. has been done in India-would be in the interest of Education of the Blind.
Resolution 7.
This Committee agrees in principle.
Resolution 8.
This Committee agrees in principle.
Resolution 9.
No comments.
Resolution 10.
The opinion of the Expert Braille Committee on this resolution is expressed separately with reference to each paragraph of Memorandum UNESCO/MC/Conf. 5/22, Annex. A, dated Paris, 12 January, 1950.
Resolution 11.
No comments,
Resolution 12.
No comments.
Resolution 13.
No comments on sub-paragraph (a).
Paragraph (b) might better be read as follows:-
"Where it is expressed in a non-Roman script or where there is no written form, they should refer to the Regional Braille Committee, which in. consultation with the World Braille Council will advise the Government of the area concerned."
COMMENTS ON THE SPECIAL MEMORANDUM ON INDIAN BRAILLE Annex A.
Dated Paris, 12 Jan. 1950. Para 1.
The Expert Braille Committee has already recorded its appreciation of the sentiments expressed by the Advisory Committee.
Para 2.
No comments.
Para 3.
No comments.
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Para 4.
The Expert Braille Committee is glad to find that the Advisory Committee supports the principles it has laid down in the formulation of Uniform Indian Braille and has no comments to make on sub- paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), but would like to point out that sub- paragraph (d) needs more clarification, It is understood. that the phrase "International Braille" mentioned therein means Braille used for the Roman Script. (Please see comments on Resolution 2 (para 3) in document UNESCO/MC/Conf. 5/22 of 29-12-49).
Para 6.
No comments.
Para 7.
It appears to the Expert Braille Committee that the matter referred to in this paragraph is still inconclusive. it has learnt with interest that Unesco's Advisory Committee on Braille problems has not heard of any teaching difficulties resulting from the use of codes which have disturbed Louis Braille's order of signs. It would draw the attention of the Advisory Committee to the fact that it has not heard of any difficulties resulting from the use of a code like the Uniform Indian Braille which adheres to Louis Braille's order of signs. The matter therefore seems to require further investigation.
Para 8.
With reference to the first sentence of this paragraph, it does not seem quite, correct to say that most of the divergent Brailles, especially Indianised codes, paid no attention to symmetry. The Committee in making this statement does not overlook the fact that original symmetry was modified in some cases, for example, Chatterjee Code, Knowels and Garthwaite Code. Shah Code. Sindhi Code. (Refer also to Resolution 2 (para. 1) of Unesco/MC/Conf. 5/22. 29 December, 1949.)
Para 9.
The Expert Braille Committee is of opinion that there is room for further exploration oil this point and it is difficult to give a definite opinion at this stage.
Para 10.
The Expert Braille Committee is aware of the modern methods of teaching used in different parts of the world, but is of opinion that results are still inconclusive. The Committee would point out that tactile perception is narrower in range. both in intensity and extension, than visual perception. This fact has to be taken into consideration in deciding which method of training (synthetic, analytic. or a combination of the two) will be of greater advantage in teaching the Blind.
Part 11 to 18
The Expert Braille Committee of the Government of India read with interest the statements of the members of the UNESCO Advisory Committee with reference to the development in their respective countries.
Para 19.
No comments.
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Para 20
The Expert Braille Committee has given its views about this paragraph in its comments on the preceding paragraphs.
Para 21.
With reference to the first sentence of the resolution, the Expert Committee feels that this needs further examination. The second sentence refers to a situation which must, in the nature of, the case, apply only to individuals and cannot be a decisive factor in framing a national policy.
Para 22.
The Expert Braille Committee appreciates and reciprocates the sentiments expressed in the first two sentences of this paragraph. With reference to the recommendation in the last portion of this para, the Expert Committee feels that any change that may be undertaken must be in conformity with the opinions already expressed by this Committee.
Para 23.
The Committee accepts the suggestion and recommends to the Government of India to change the name of Uniform Indian Braille to Indian Braille.
In conclusion, the Expert Braille Committee wishes to place on record its appreciation of the services rendered to the cause of the Indian Blind by those who have contributed to the evolution of Indian Braille by their constructive suggestions. like Prof. Firth, Miss. Evans, Mr. Jervis. Sir Clutha Mackenzie and others. The Committee is of opinion that differences among such experts point to the need of further consideration before a final decision is taken and welcomes the opportunity of consultations offered by the next Unesco International Conference on Braille Problems and hopes That as a a result of its deliberations there would be greater uniformity in the World use of Braille.
The Committee also wishes to place on record its deep appreciation of the interest taken by Unesco find the active endeavour of the Director-General in advancing the cause of the education of the Blind.
The meeting then terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chair.
ANNEXURE VI UNESCO/MG/C.nf. 7/10,
Paris, 27th April 1950.
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND
CULTURAL ORGANIZATION International Meeting on Braille Uniformity Unesco House, Paris,
20-29 March 1950.
Recommendations. 1. The International Meeting on Braille Uniformity desires, as a first resolution, to place on record its gratitute and appreciation to Unesco for its interest and for the work which has been carried out on Barille. The ultimate. result will be greater educational facilities and vocational opportunities
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as well as awider cultural life, for the blind all over the world. Unesco and the Government of India, which made the first approach on this subject, have thus been responsible for considerable progress towards Braille uniformity, which this Conference -considered to be an important milestone in the history of Barille. The following resolutions underline this statement, but in addition to cordial exchange of views and the contacts made at both the present meeting and that of the Advisory Committee in December 1,949 have in themselves proved of enormous value. The development of this work must continue and the Conference has spent some time discussing sug- gestions as to future lines of action. As a result of these international meetings on Braille sponsored by Unesco, not only has a clear picture emerged of the Barille situation in the world today, which was not proeviusly available, but practical and concrete measures can now be undertaken to establish the greatest degree of uniformity in the Barille,system.
2.Rationalization and Expansion of Orthographic Braille. (a) The Practicability of World Braille.
The Conference had made a close study of the Unesco Report on the World Braille situation, the conclusions of the Advisory Committee on Braille Problems in December 1949, and the mass of data submitted to the Conference. During discussions on the Advisory Committee's resolutions delegates have freely expressed their individual views in the light of their various scripts and languages. The Conference is satisfied that the intensive survey of the past nine months, coupled with the great knowledge gained of Braille practice in the world since the Conference in 1911, has permitted the formulation of basic principles of considerable weight Which, in the words of the Fourth Session of the ..General Conference of Unesco, " would improve the rationalization of Braille and develop its extension ". The work carried out on Braille has placed the Conference in a position to give a positive reply to the problem which the Government of India asked Unesco to investigate, that of the possibility of a World-Braille system. The Conference is of the opinion that such a system is both desirable and practicable.
(b) Expansion of Existing Uniformity.
The Conference confirms the finding of the advisory Committee that unquestionably the best means to this end lie in expanding the "generalized" Braille Trolley laid down by the International Congress in Paris of 1878 in the following terms. " The Congress is overwhelmingly in favour of the extension of the Braille system without modification". This was reaffirmed by the succeeding congresses of 1902 and 1911. Neither the experience of the intervening years nor -the date now available give the Conference cause to find fault with the soundness of these earlier decisions. They form a firm and broad foundation on which to build.
(c) Definition of World Braille.
The Conference wishes to provide some definition of the phrase "World Araille" wbieb appears elsewhere in its recommendations. During and ounce 184-8. the words "generalized" , "Standard" and "international" have been used somewhat indiscriminately to describe Braille system which in orthography, punctuation, numerals, mathematical, chemical symbols and musical notation generally follow the principle of broadly representing the same letters, sounds, figures or marks by what are steadily becoming traditional Braille signs. It is evident, however, from what has
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been said by members of the Conference, that the time has arrived to define what in future should be termed " World Braille", a phrase coined in correspondence from the Government of India and which seems most suitable.
The following definition is recommended.
(a) The policy in the main, and as far as circumstances permit, provides that each sign shall. be- used for the same or nearly the same sound as in the original Braille, shall represent the same letter and. mark or shall fulfil the same or similar function.
(b) Except where the complexities of idographic scripts make it impossible, a Braille symbol should be provided for each visual letter, it being understand that the sound value of this symbol is identical with that of the visual letter and mark of the alphabet of the particular language which it represent.
(c) World Braille therefore should aim, primarily, at being a complete tactile representation of the visual script of the language concerned ; secondly, at maintaining the closest uniformity between that language and other languages of the same group linguistically or by virtue of using the same script ; thirdly, at. achieving the maximum degree of, consistency with Braille systems of the other language groups.
(d) Classification of Letter Sounds.
The Conference proposes that an international classification of sounds of letters and tone marks should be made, and concurs with the recommendation of the Advisory Committee that a special panel of competent Braillists, expert linguists and phoneticians should be set up to devise such a classification of these sounds of letters in accordance with a concerted plan for allocating the most appropriate Braille sign to each of them. It is recommended that this panel should take into consideration the conclusions of the present Conference and its. Sub-Committees. A note on two main types of divergencies in Braille is given at page 208.
3. World Braille Council. The Conference wishes to repeat with greater emphasis and in greater detail the resolution on the subject of a World-Braille Council passed by the. Advisory Committee in December 1949. It concurs with the view that much of the lack of uniformity in many parts of the world is due to the absence of a co-ordinated play or authoritative guidance. The Conference therefore recommends the establishment of a slash World Braille Council, associated with the appropriate organ of the United Nations. It is not intended that this Council should be a policy-making body. The Conference wishes to stress that if this development takes place it is still of paramount importance that Unesco should continue to play a vital role in the Braille problem in view of its educational and cultural commitments. A liaison should be maintained permanently with Unesco. The World Braille Council, it is thought, should be closely linked with already existing uniform Braille committees such as those in Great Britain, France and India. Where linguistic areas lack such committees the Conference recommended that they should be established as soon as possible. The organization of the Council should be built up gradually and it is not proposed that it should met at regular intervals
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The activities of the Council, based upon the resolution of the Advisory Committee should be :
(a) " To act in an advisory capacity on the interpretation and application of Braille principles."-While lines of general policy have been laid down, they will need to be applied in individual cases. Confusion over interpretation has, in fact, been one of the major causes which made the present Conference so essential. At present no competent body exists and authoritative interpretatins are required from time to time.
(b) To coordinate future Braille developments" .- The Conference believes that simultaneous development in a number of areas is necessary, and also that there should be some link between each linguistic region. (Although the Conference in 1878 achieved good results it only succeeded in developing uniformity for the European languages. This was a great step forward and is one of the main dates in Braille history, but the maximum co- ordination throughout the world was not achieved).
(c) To advise, on such Braille problems as might be referred to it from time to time."-(The Conference wishes here to underline the problems facing people whose language has no authentic Braille Code. As an example, Braille alphabet for the Bemba language of Central Africa is now being considered and the existence of a World Braille Council would greatly facilitate this task.)
(d) "To act as a centre for Gm collection and exchange of information on Braille."-The Conference has noted the three excellent centres of information on Barailles : the Musee Valantin Hauy in Paris, the Information Department of the National Institute for the Blind in London and the American Foundation for the Blind in New York. It is not intended to duplicate the thorough work carried out by these libraries. No international catalogue of publications, however, is yet avail- able nor any index of documents on Braille questions. This work would be a later and logical development.
The aim is to create a body which, while carrying out the forgoing activities, would not involve a large amount of financial support. So essential is the World Braille Council that its creation immediately even on a small scale is more vital than attempts to give it at once the importance it may assume in the future. The membership of the Council should be limited to maximum figure, but providing for at least one representative of each major linguistic area. Members should be either linguists or blind Braillists. An excellent nucleus for its membership has been established by the delegates to the present Conference and to the Advisory Committee in December.
Where linguistic areas lack such committees, the Conference recommends that should be established as soon as possible under the auspices of the government or governments concerned, or other competent bodies. These committees would carry out the same functions on a regional basis as The World Braille Council, and in close liaison with it, so that changes in Braille usage would not be put into effect before their relationship to the Brailles of other languages had been taken into consideration. In addition, such
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regional committees should, ensure the rational and economical publication of Braille literature, and should keep Braille, printing and library services in their areas under review.
4. International Phonetic Alphabet. The Conference considers that a truly phonetic World Braille b impracticable for general purposes, but recommends that a panel of experts should be set up through the World Braille Council :
(a) To examine the existing Braille notation of the International Phonetic Association (IPA) Alphabet, and
(b) to make suggestions on its suitability for any purposes of particular phonetic study for which it does not yet provide.
5. A Single Contracted Braille for Each Language. It is strongly recommended that consultation between Braillists of different parts of the world who use the same language should be established to formulate and adopt a uniform system of contracted Braille for each language, and a wider interchange of views for a similar objective between Braillists using languages of the same group. In this context the Conference notes in particular the problem created by the conflicting systems of contractions in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking areas, and strongly recommends that steps be taken to eliminate these divergencies in order to achieve a greater economy of production and a wider inter-change of literature. The Conference recommends that any future systems of contracted Braille should take into account the needs of both Braillists of a comparatively limited education, and those who lose their sight in adult life, by keeping the number of contractions within reasonable limits. At the same time due regard should be paid to economy of space.
6. Consistency in Punctuation, Musical Notation, Mathematical
Symbols etc. The Conference considers that every effort should be made to restore and maintain international uniformity in punctuation signs. In the representation of cardinal numbers absolute uniformity appears to have been achieved. This the Conference regards as the standard to be aimed at in other Braille fields. The Conference likewise advocates greater consistency in mathematical and chemical symbols and in the representation of classical Greek and Latin.
Because music holds such immense cultural and vocational value for the blind, the excellent degree of uniformity in its notation should be both preserved and extended by agreement to express the music of every part of the world.
The Conference regards the foregoing recommendations as being of particular importance and suggests that they should be dealt with by the World Braille Council in consultation with experts.
7. World Braille vis-a-vis Major Groups. The Conference appointed 4 sub-committees, to consider the application of World Braille to particular language areas concerned, anal their reports have been accepted unanimously
(a) Indian Languages.
The Conference has taken full note of the views put forward by the Indian members regarding the retention in their Uniform Indian Brailla of Louis Braille's original sequence, for pedagogical and other reasons, concurrently with the order of the letters in the Indian alphabets; but in view
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relative value of the, original Braille, Sequence and also, in view of the Very great need for World Braille Uniformity, it recommends that the Government of India be requested to reconsider their position, through its Braille Committee, and to see if it is possible to solve the problem in the interests of international uniformity.
(b) Languages using Arabic Script
The Conference welcomes the, complete agreement on this subject which is the result of considerable sacrifices on all sides in. the interests of uniformity, and endorses the. work of the sub-committee which has, drafted a provisional code. It is recommended that the proposals should, be circulated to all concerned, including governments and that a regional conference should be convened in the early future to facilitate this process of agreement
(c) Languages using ideographic characters.
(i) The Conference considers it both desirable and practicable, in areas using Chinese characters. to formulate a uniform Braille based on Mandarin which would serve as the basic Braille System throughout such areas, and which would at the same time retain a substantial degree of sound relationship with the traditional Braille system.
(ii) The Conference recognizes that the special characteristics of the japanese syllabary, and the ingenious adaptation of Braille to it, create a special position and that therefore there is no justification for any departure from the present system.
(iii) The Conference recommends that consultations with Korean, workers for the blind should be pursued to discover how far it is possible to associate the Korean code with World Braille.
(d) Tribal Languages.
The Conference recommends that any authority intending to produce Braille in a tribal language should apply the following principles and, where any special problem arises or where the application of those principles is not exact, should consult a regional committee and if necessary the World Braille Council:
(i) tribal languages using the Roman or Arabic alphabet should employ the internationally accepted Braille equivalent for each letter of that alphabet :
(ii) tribal languages with ideographic scripts should build their Braille codes on the principle of phonetic association with World Braille :
(iii) tribal languages which employ an Indian syllabary should follow the systems of Braille used for that syllabary even though it may lead to divergence from World Braille.
8. Consistency in the Direction of Reading. Whereas visual scripts are written in various directions, the Conference recommends that Braille should be read universally from left to right for the sake of uniformity and in accordance with establishment Braille tradition.
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9. Exemption from Duty of Special Apparatus. The Conference expresses its deep appreciation of Unesco's action in including with other articles, educational, educational, scientific and cultural books and apparatus for the blind in a draft agreement proposing their exemption from customs duties and currency restrictions, endorses this Draft Agreement, and recommends it to the Fifth Session of the Unesco General Conference. It is unanimously agreed that individual members should approach the appropriate ministry of their various governments to draw their attention and enlist their support for this agreement which is of such vital importance to the blind of the world.
10. Honouring Lows Braille. The Conference recommends that all organizations engaged in work for the blind should honour the memory of Louis Braille by annually observing his birthday, the 4th January, and by commemorating in 1952 the centenary of his death in gratitude for his contribution to the intellectual emancipation of the blind in every land.
11. Future Lines of Action and Regional Conferences A number of principles on Braille have been laid down and various suggestions have been made as to their implementation, but in order that the work so constructively begun by Unesco should reach its full and positive conclusion, the Conference emphatically recommends that during that current financial year the Director-General of Unesco should make provision from extraordinary funds :
1. (i) for the continuance of the services of the Braille Consultant within the structure of Unesco ;
(ii) for the compilation of a World Baraille chart-(Resolution 2) :
(iii) for the establishment of the World Braille Council- (Resolution 3)
(iv) for the preparation of a reference book from material accumulated in connection with Unesco Conferences ;
(v) for the preparation of two of the three regional conferences, namely in areas using an Arabic script (Resolution 7b) and in areas using the Spanish and Portuguese languages (Resolution 5);
2. That provision to made by the Director-General of Unesco from the 1951 budget to allow for ;
(i) the continuance of the services of the Braille Consultant within the structure of Unesco ;
(ii) the convening of the two regional conferences mentioned above, and exploring in greater detail the preparation of the third regional conference in the Far East.
All members of the Conference undertake to mobilize interest for these proposals in their individual countries before the Fifth Session of the General Conference of Unesco, in the conviction that the action proposed above is essential for the satisfactory conclusion of the work which at the instance of the Government of India, Unesco has so effectively begun in the best traditions of international understanding.
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Divergencies in Braille. The Conference notes that although in the past most of the Brailles in the world have been built on the principle of sound, letter and functional relationship with one another, divergencies have occasionally been made aud preference given to the principle of concurrent sequence between the original Braille order and that of the alphabet concerned. In most cases, for practical reasons, this principle has not endured as a dominant factor. The Conference has studied this question with great care. It is considered that Louis Braille's original symmetrical arrangement did hold some pedagogical value in the early stages. But that, even in those European languages where for historical reasons the principle still. applies, its use for teaching purposes has been generally superseded by two other methods. The first of these varies with the ingenuity of individual teachers, who have found by associating groups, such as "A", "B", "K" and " L", and "C" , "G" and "X", that their pupils learn more quickly. The second is the parallel, in the teaching of the blind to the method now followed in many schools for the sighted, under which Alphabetical sequence is disregarded until, at a later stage, it is required for the consultation of dictionaries and other works of reference. Nevertheless the alphabet of each language can maintain without any difficulty its traditional visual order and Can be so taught if that is the wish of the teacher or of the educational authorities.
To summarize, the Conference notes that throughout Braille history sound or letter relationship has almost invariably been preferred to concurrent sequences and that earlier adaptations based on the letter principle were mostly abandoned in favour of systems deriving from the former. The Conference is therefore generally agreed that. the assistance the old sequence gave to elementary teaching has been superseded by more recent methods ; in addition, it is clear that only limited uniformity, even within the same linguistic group, can be attained under this principle, the Conference considers it to be outmoded and a barrier to the full development of wise and valuable uniformity.
The other main form of divergence had behind it the desire to ease as far as possible the task of both reading and writing Braille. It was the principle of giving signs with the fewest dots to the letters which occurred most frequently in the writing of the language concerned. It was found, however, that the frequency factor varied considerably from language to language and that this necessarily resulted in a lack of uniformity in sound or letter relationship. The history of Braille has shown that, as with the principle of concurrent sequences, uniformity based on sound or letter relationship was found to be more valuable than the economy of effort yielded by the principle of frequency. Consequently this form, and several other minor forms, of divergence have been given up.
REPORT
ON INTERNATIONAL UNIFORMITY IN BRAILLE USAGE AS CONSIDERED BY A
MEETING OF EXPERTS CALLED BY THE U.N.E.S.C. AT PARIS, 20-29 MARCH
1950. 1. The Indian delegation to this meeting of experts consisted of Dr. S. K Chatterji, Mr. P. M. Advani and Mr. Lal Advani. They were invited to the meeting by the UNESCO in their individual capacity as experts and while they did not represent the Government of India, they were conscious of the International character of the meeting and generally represented the opinion of the expert Indian Committee on Braille problems.
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Mr. P. M. Advani left India on the 14th March, and went first to London, where he met Miss Eileen M. Evans (Professor Firth being unwell and in hospital) of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the London University, and reached Paris in the evening of the 18th March. Dr. Chatterji and Mr. Lal Advani left India on the 17th March, and were due to arrive in Paris at the same time, but as their plane developed engine trouble near Cairo, they actually arrived in Paris on the morning, of the 19th March. In the afternoon of that day Mr. P. M` and Mr. Lal Advani got in touch with Sir Clutha Mackenzie on the telephone and were invited to tea at his residence where they met a large number of delegates to the Braille meeting.
3. The International Conference began on the morning of the 20th March at 9-30 a.m. and one hour was given over for members to make personal contacts among themselves and with the secretariat of the, Unesco, concerned with the Conference. At 10-30 a.m. the meeting was addressed by the Director General of the UNESCO, M. Torres Bodet, who emphasised the ideals for which the Unesco stood and what it expected the meeting to achieve for the blind through this meeting.
After the Director General had left, Sir Clutha Mackenzie gave in outline the story of the education of the blind since 1350, when an Arab scholar from Bagdad invented a method by which the blind could read what was specially written for them.
Mr. John Jarvis who represented the National Institute for the Blind in London, was elected Chairman of the Conference, Dr. S. K. Chatterjee of India and Mr. S. T. Dajani of Hashamite Jordan were elected Vice Chairman and Sir Clutha Mackenzie as Rapporteur. Each one accepted the position to which he was elected with a short speech.
The formal sessions in the morning ended with the acceptance by the meeting of the agenda and the time-table of the meeting and, proposal by Mr. John Wilson of the British Empire Society for the Blind that arrangements should be made for the delegates to the meeting to visit Coupvray, where Louis Braille was born, and buried and where a statue of him stood to remind all of the great invention he made for the blind of the world.
4. In the afternoon session of the 20th March, the items 5 and 6 of the agenda were discussed. The form in which they came before the meeting at this stage was very indefinite, and the discussion could not therefore be definite. The meeting, however, expressed a general agreement on the attainment of utmost uniformity possible in the world use of Braille. Dr. Chatterji pointed out that in the matter of orthographies, the only, correct attitude was to have the same sign for the same letter of the alphabet and thus uniformity would be limited to languages using a common alphabet. Mr. P. N. Advani pointed out that the uniformity adopted in Europe was strictly limited to the use of the same sign for the same, letter of the Roman alphabet for the 26 letters of the alphabet, and that, there was no question of uniformity in the use of the remaining 37 Braille signs. As the European languages assigned different sound values to the letters of the Roman alphabet there was no uniformity or near uniformity of the nature, of " same sign, same sound" in languages using the Roman alphabet. He pointed Out that Uniformity in the linguistic field would therefore have to be regional, while in the matter of punctuations. Arithmatic and Scientific symbols where the sighted all over the world used common symbols, world uniformity was possible and should be attained. He pointed out that Braille was a French gift to the world and had come to most people of the world, like himself,
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through English, and therefore the blind of the world waited for French and English to develop uniformity in these matters when they would know where to follow.
Efforts were made to minimise the pedagogical value of the Braille order of signs, arranged in seven lines, to bring in the idea of uniformity on the " same sign, same sound " principle, and the majority of the delegates seemed to favour this attitude. The discussion was inconclusive and it was promised that the drafting committee would give definite shape to resolutions oil these two items when they could again be discussed.
5. After these two controversial items had been disposed of, progress with the rest of the agenda was more rapid and items 7-14 were all disposed of on the 21st March. The members of the Indian delegation had much to. say on item 12 regarding uniformity in punctuations, mathematical and chemical symbols and musical notation.
On the subject of difference in the English use of two of the 10 signs of line five used for punctuations in French, the Chairman, Mr. Jarvis, speaking for the English explained that they accepted non- uniformity in this respect as the lesser of two evils-the greater one being the giving up of the advantage of using these two signs for the contractions en and in.
On the subject of uniformity in mathematical notation, the Chairman explained that there were as many as seven different systems of mathematical notation in use in Europe, and that efforts had been made to arrive at a common system. by international agreement, and an international committee had recommended the adoption of the Marburg scheme, but France could not be brought round to agree to anything which originated in Germany. With regard to music we were informed that an International Braille Musical Notation had been agreed upon in 1929 and that it was found to have certain defects and efforts were being made in England to improve upon it, but it covered only the Western musical notation. When Mr. Lal Advani pointed out that music was the most cultured and most lucrative occupation for the blind and efforts must be made to evolve a scheme which would include both Eastern and Western Music and would thus bring the blind in the world together in this most important profession available to them. all that lie could get was that an opportunity would be found during his stay in Paris to discuss this matter with expert blind musicians in Paris and later in London, when lie would be there after the conference. His suggestion to appoint a sub committee of the Conference to make suitable recommendations on the evolution of a unified Braille Music Notation for eastern and western music was not accepted on the ground that no member of the conference was sufficiently familiar with western music.
6. When the Sub-Committee were nominated, that on the Indian Braille situation included besides the three Indian delegates, Mr. Mohamed Ramzan Ali of Pakistan, Mr. Dassanayake of Ceylon Major Bridges of Malaya , Dr. Meillon, the linguist from France, and Mr. Jarvis, the Chairman. Of the Indian delegation only Dr. Chatterji served on Sub-Committee on tribal languages and was a member of the Drafting Committee as Vice-Chairman of the Conference.
The Sub-committee on the Indian Braille situation met on Wednesday, the 22nd March. both morning and afternoon, Mr. Jarvis was elected Chairman of the Committee. It was agreed that the Braille Code for Indian languages should follow the Indian order of alphabets, and the difference between the members of the Indian delegation and others centred round the
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comparative importance of what wag called "Concurrent Sequence" namely adjustment of the order of the Indian alphabet to the order of the, seven line sequence of the Braille sighs on the one band and the so- called " International Braille " based upon the " same sign, same sound principle on the other.
Mr. P. M. Advani and Mr. Lal Advani pointed out that the Braille order of the signs was pedagogically as important for the blind all over the world as was the order of the alphabet for any given language, that the order of the 10 signs in the first line was fixed when the 10 numerical figures were assigned to them, and that the vertical symmetry of the first five lines was essential for every scheme of musical notation for the presentation of the relation between the different octaves of musical notes. Besides its impor- tance was recognised in the new English Braille primer issued under the guidance of British experts in 1948.
Mr. Jarvis explained that he himself was of that opinion when he discussed the Indian Braille situation with Professor Firth but since then he had come to know that experienced teachers of Braille were giving up the old method of teaching on the seven line scheme and were instead adopting a new method, such as the Sequence of a,b,k, I and e.g.x. Mr. P. N. Advani pointed out that this method of teaching substituted a more convenient scheme of symmetry for the very first lessons, given to the blind child, but as soon as he began to learn figures he had to turn back to the Braille order.
Dr. Chatterji and Mr. Advani were agreed that what was a fact in respect to European languages was that there was a uniformity in terms of " same sign, same letter " of the Roman alphabet and that phonetically it was impossible to establish uniformity on the "same sign, same sound " principle. Mr. Jarvis admitted that when we mentioned the sign in Braille represented by dots 1, 4. 5, (08) it represented the letter d with all its phonetic implications in English, French and Spanish but continued to support Sir Clutha Mae- Kenzie's thesis that an International Braille could be established on the same sign, same sound " principle.
Sir Clutha presented his Braille Code for Indian language., but could not convince Mr. P. M. Advani and Mr. Lal Advani that it either suited India or even followed the principle of. " same sign, same sound " which was supposed to be the reason for giving up the Braille order of signs. An effort to reach the agreement by a personal talk between Dr. Chatterji and Sir Clutha also failed to produce any agreement. At the end of the day Mr. Dassanayake proposed that a resolution be passed directing India to follow the International Scheme, and the Chairman pointed out that he had no option but to accept the resolution and take votes on it. There was no doubt that the resolution would be passed by majority even if the Indian delegation were unanimously against it, but the situation was saved by Mr. Lal Advani proposing that the meeting adjourn till after the results of discussion on other sub-committees were known. This was accepted.
6a. The matter was at this stage reported to, the Director- General suggesting that he should through the Indian Ambassador in Paris get an order from the Government of India to the Indian delegates to give up their in transigeance which might wreck the whole conference. Dr. Chatterji was consulted and he pointed out that as the delegates were all told that they were invited to the Conference as experts and not as representatives of their Governments, the procedure suggested would not work, and that the Indian delegation were unanimous in their desire to make the conference succeed, but were not prepared to give up the point of view being right, and that in
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a spirit of give and take a compromise resolution could be passed unanimously, The Director-General M. Torres Bodet thereupon invited the Chairman,. the two vice-Chairman and Mr. P. M. Advani on behalf of the Indian delegation to meet him the next morning to see what could be done to bring the, Conference to a success. As a result of this arrangement a compromise forMula was accepted by Sir Clutha Mackenzde which appears as Resolution 7(a) of the conference.
At the meeting held with the Director General of the Unesco, Dr. Chatterji introduced each one of the invitees. The Chairman explained the position so far reached and suggested a compromise resolution asking the Indian Government to reconsider its position, in consultation with its experts. Mr. Dajani explained how far the Arab people were prepared to go in the matter of securing world uniformity. Mr. Advani in his speech said that he realised the responsibility of the Indian delegation for the success of the Conference as the matter was brought to the Unesco by the Indian Government and that he had come to the Conference with an open mind, to learn and to co-operate. He was convinced that Braille must reproduce all the uniformities and non-uniformities in the symbologies used for reading and writing throughout the sighted world, and therefore in the matter of punctua- tions, mathematics and scientific symbology where we had common symbols used by the sighted througout the world immediate world uniformity could be achieved and the world waited for the French and the English to compound their differences and give it a lead. In Music and the Arts too most of the symbology used could be made uniform throughout the world. But in the matter of language orthographies differences existed which made it necessary to recognise the fact that uniformity can only be regional, and efforts should be made to extend these regions as, much, as possible. He was convinced that the Braille arrangement, is seven lines was pedagogically very important and was of the feature of Braille universally accepted, and he could not advise his Government and the Indian people to give it up for the suggested " same sign, same sound " principle which neither did nor could apply to linguistic orthographies.
M. Torres Bodet who began the meeting with an appeal to the members to make the conference a success closed this meeting, with the remark that the two points of view represented unionism and federalism, and that he was happy that a spirit of compromise was at work.
The Indian Committee which met again the same evening accepted the compromise resolution unanimously.
7. The Arabic Committee accepted what was presented to it as a plan for world, uniformity including among other things a further difference in the use of three punctuations as the lesser evil. Mr. Eric Voulter who had especially requested to be present at this Committee's meeting as an observer on behalf of the American Foundation for the Overseas Blind, and whom Mr. P. M. Advani and Mr. Lal Advani saw after the Conference, felt sorry that this further item of disuniformity was introduced at the Conference, in a field where absolute uniformity, was possible and desirable. He was interested in this matter because his Foundation is putting up a Braille Press somewhere in the Middle East for printing Braille literature for the Arabic speaking people. Professor P. Henri. of . France also felt uncertain whether the Arabic peoples of the French Africa would accept the arrangements decided upon at the Conference.
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8. Resolution 6 (c) indicates the weakness of the attitude take up by the Conference. The Japanese were allowed to go their own way. The Resolution on languages using the Ideographic characters is a pious hope. Professor G. Meillon, the only other linguist, besides Dr. Chatterji, who bad been invited to the Conference, distributed to the Conference a small pamphlet showing the difficulties of the presentation of the Vietnamian alphabet, with its 12 vowels and 17 consonants, the vowels being each pronounced in six different tones, thus making up an alphabet of 89 sounds, on the "Same sign, same sound." principle.
9. In spite of the difficulties mentioned above, that the Conference passed unanimous resolutions showed the spirit of co- operation and international good-will which pervaded throughout the proceedings of the Conference. In our personal conversations with other delegates we received considerable sympathy for the bold manner in which we presented our differences which few others were prepared to do. The desire to make the Conference a success and the spirit of international courtesy were the most important features of the Conference. The Unesco seemed to inspire every one with the desire to stand united at least while we met under its auspices.
This feeling was hightened by the courtesy and helpfulness of the entire Unesco secretariat. It was also helped by Social items like the Cocktail party given to the members of the Conference on the evening of the first clay and the lunch on the last day after the Conference had completed its work. The blind members of the Conference were each of them supplied a guide to help them go about in Paris, and Dr. Balbir who took care of Mr. Lal Advani was very helpful to all three of us.
9a. Two items in the conference programme were memorable for the entire gathering. The first of these was the happy coincidence of a visit to Paris by Dr. Helen. Keller during the sessions of the Conference. She kindly agreed to visit the Conference on Friday, the 24th March, and was for an entire hour with us. In a short speech she expressed her hope that the work of the conference would produce important results for the. good of the blind all over the world, and then she met personally most of the members of "the Conference, and particularly to those who came from the East she expressed her regret that she was not able to visit them in their own countries two years before. It was wonderful to see how quickly her secretary Miss Polly Thomson was able to communicate to her what others said.
The second item was the visit to Coupvray on the 29th March after the Conference was over. The Major and people of Coupvray treated the delegates to champagne and light refreshments and the whole of the small town turned out to welcome them, and an officer of the Republic was also there to welcome them on be-half of the French Government. A wreath was placed on the tomb of Louis Braille on behalf of the delegates by the Chairman of the Conference.
10. Arrangements were made for a visit by the delegates to the Association Valentin Hauy on the morning of the 30th after the. Conference was formally over on the 29th Mr. Advani and Mr. Lal Advani took advantage of this and examined the Braille Press of the Association and collected from there literature French Mathematical notation and French Braille Contractions. which were further explained to Mr. P. M. Advani by Professor Henri.
In the afternoon of the same day Mr. P. M. Advani and Mr. Lal Advani visited the American Foundation for the Overseas Blind which has its headquarters in Paris. Here they learnt that while the Foundation was willing
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to offer help of various kinds unconditionally to all overseas institutions for the blind, the only one in India which had taken advantage of the facilities offered was Mr. Amal Shah's Calcutta Blind School. They felt that help so freely offered by the Foundation should be availed of through an all India body and distributed to all needy centres.
10a. The efforts which Mr. Lal Advani made to pursuade the Conference to look into the Problem of providing a Musical notation for the East and the West on a uniform basis produced only one result, and that was that Professor Henri made arrangements for him to meet the President of the Blind Musicians Association in Paris Hauy in the Valentin School for the Blind in Paris and discuss music problems with him. Mr. Lal Advani went to London for 3 days after the Conference, and there too he saw all the work which was being done at the National Institute for the Blind, and also met blind musicians and discussed the problems of Braille Musical notation with them.
11. The Conference meant for us many international contracts and there was much to learn. But we are not convinced that the work which began when the Indian Government referred the subject of Braille Uniformity to the Unesco has been well done. A very limited outlook on the problems of Uniformity limits its work in many respects, as was evidenced. by the failure to make the conference take serious note of the necessity of secure uniformity in punctuations mathematical and scientific symbols, and musical notation whereas a very large measure of uniformity already exists among the sighted. The emphasis laid (in the " same sound, same sign " principle on the basis of the Roman script in place of the " same sign, same orthographic symbol " on the basis of the Procrustean Braille codes based on no principle at all for language not using Roman Scripts or not accepting what is virtually Romanisation through the Braille alphabet, codes which do not appear to show much appreciation of the traditions of non-Roman Scripts in the matter of phonology and orthography.
12. General Conclusion. This meeting of experts from different parts of the world was called to explore the possibilities of a World Braille. The greatest amount of emphasis was given by the organisers upon all languages accepting the original French or Roman values (whether as sounds or symbols) for the first 25 letters as in Louis Brailles original sequence. The Conference felt itself helpless in the face of a wide- spread divergence even among European languages in certain important matters. -e.g., Mathematical Braille, Braille Music, and Contractions in Braille. Yet, outside of the sound or symbol agreement for the first 25 letters which was insisted upon, these are matter where the sighted may and do generally agree, and unification through Braille should be easy. Then, again, while pressing-upon India to accept Braille on a Roman basis (or " international " basis), the Conference accepted Japanese Braille which had no reference to the Roman alphabet, but was an adaptation of the Braille script to the Kana syllabary. Virtually, the Conference accepted the principle of Federalism in Braille, leading to three distinct adaptations, of the Braille script in the matter of representation of alphabets-(i) the Roman (or Original French) with modifications. (ii) the Indian (embracing all the languages of India, including Urdu as a form of Hindi) with possible falling in line with it in the future of languages using the Indian scripts like Sinnhalese, Tibetan, Burmese, Mon, Siamese and Cambodian), and (iii) the Japanese. On behalf of the Arabic using
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peoples, Messrs. Dajani from Hashemite Jordan and Bassili from Egypt agreed to adapt (i) to the needs of Arabic : We have to, watch the reaction of the entire Arab world, particularly of North African Arabs in Tunis, Algeria and Morocco to this proposal. Chinese Braille will depend upon Romanisation of Chinese-the matter is complicated by the need to combine the Representation of tones in Braille transcription of Chinese words.
As things stand, a single World Braille is far from being achieved at present, although India suggested to UNESCO that this question might be discussed on an international level. The main thing in World Unity in the matter of a common system of writing for the Blind all over the world is the 63 tactile symbols as invented and arranged by Louis Braille. The organisers appear to have held the view that the Blind in the whole world formed a sort of a single community, cut off or separated from the sighted and hence their anxiety to seek uniformity in certain matters in the use of Braille where uniformity is difficult if not impossible. The net result of the Conference has been rather negative than positive : it has brought into prominence the point, of divergence, and has formulated them for resolution on an international plane, or, failing that, on one or more regional planes.
Sd/- Suniti Kumar Chatterji.
Sd/- P. M. Advani.
Sd/- Lal Advani.
ANNEXURE VII
Proceedings of the Expert Braille Committee Meeting held on the
17th and 18th June, 1950. A meeting of the Expert Braille Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education was held-in Committee Room `B' North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi, oil Saturday and Sunday, the 17th and 18th of June 1950. The following were present
1. Prof. Humayun Kabir, M.A. (Oxon), Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education (Chairman).
2. Mr. P. M. Advani, B. Se., M.A.
*3. Mr. R. M. Alpaiwalla, Bar-at-Law.
4. Dr. S. K. Chatterji, M.A., D.Litt.
*5. Miss Mee Moortri.
*6. Prof. N. N. Sen Gupta, M. A.
7. Mr. P. N. Venkata Rao. (By special invitation) *Blind members.
Dr. R. M. Halder, M.Ed., Ph.D., Assistant Educational Adviser acted as Secretary to the Committee.
The Chairman welcomed the members and reviewed the Braille situation in the light of the recommendations of the International Braille Meeting held in Paris in March this year. He said that the Government of India's suggestions to explore the possibility of evolving a single Braille script for the world wag considered at the Meeting, which was attended by representatives
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from many countries., lie added that although the Meeting could not arrive at a complete agreement on the feasibility of having a world braille, it was extremely useful, for it had helped in narrowing down the differences.
The Chairman also drew the attention of the Committee to basic issues which had to be considered, firstly, whether or not Louis Braille's original sequence of signs was sacrosanct ; and secondly, whether it was possible to achieve worldwide consistency in certain symbols such as punctuations, mathematical and chemical signs and musical notations.
The Chairman requested Dr. S. K. Chatterji, one. of the Indian delegates to the International Braille Meeting, to give an . account of the Meeting Dr. Chatterji gave a resume of the observations at the Meeting, a written. report on which was submitted jointly by the Indian delegates. This had already been circulated to the members
Mr. P. M. Advani, another delegate, pointed out that certain modifications had been introduced in the recommendations of the International Braille Meeting. He said that headings to various recommendations which appeared in the copy sent to him by the Government of India did not appear in the copy he bad received from Unesco's Secretariat two days after the meeting. He was of the opinion that in certain cases those headings materially, changed the spirit of the recommendations. Dr. Chatterji agreed with. him.
The items on the agenda were then taken up for consideration seriatim.
Item No. 1.-(To consider the recommendations of the International. Braille Meeting held in Paris in March 1950 with special reference to the resolution on Indian languages and to consider particularly in this connection the latest memorandum on the Indian Braille situation prepared by Unesco's Secretariat".
(i) The Expert Braille Committee carefully considered the, recommendations of the International Braille Meeting and expressed general agreement with them. The consensus of opinion of the members was that the, original sequence of Braille signs was not sacrosanct, although it had some pedagogical value. The following resolutions were adopted
A. "This meeting of the Expert Braille Committee considered the recommendations made by the Unesco International Braille Meeting on the question, of evolving a Uniform World Braille for all languages. The Unesco International Braille Meeting had resolved that a World Braille was feasible, provided the original sequence followed by Louis Braille was modified, This International Braille Meeting had further held that modern experience tends to show that the original Braille sequence has now special significance for purposes of teaching Braille learners. In view of these recommendations of the International Braille Meeting, with which this Committee is in general agreement, It has re-examined the. principle on which the Uniform Indian Braille was based, and would. advise the Government of India to ascertain from all schools for the blind in India that have been using Indian Braille or other systems to answer the following two questions:-
(a) Does their experience show that the original order of Louis Braille has any essential value for teaching ? Is this order so valuable that any change in the order would lead to difficulties in teaching ?
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(b) If the answer to (a) is in the negative, would the schools desire the Government of India to undertake a revision of Indian Braille on the basis of the same Braille sign for similar sounds for languages Indian or otherwise, and also for the same mathematical and musical notations
B. The Expert Braille Committee further resolved that pending the finalization of a suitable Braille Code for Indian languages, all institutions for the Blind in the country should be permitted to continue to use the Braille Code they are using at present.
C. The Expert Braille Committee carefully considered the Memorandum on Indian Braille situation, prepared by UNESCO Secretariat, and forwarded by the Directorate-General, and thought that it was a document containing interesting and useful suggestions.
D. The Committee also resolved that the Government of India should advise all the institutions for the Blind in the country to give effect to recommendation 10 of the Unesco International Braille Meeting which is as follows
The Conference recommends that all organizations engaged in the work for the blind should honour the memory of Louis Braille by annually observing his birthday, the 4th January, and by commemorating in 1952 the centenary of his death, in gratitude for his contribution to the intellectual emancipation of the blind in every land
Item No. 2.-(To consider the preparation of a booklet explaining rules for reading and writing in Indian Braille.)
In view of the decision on item I, consideration of this item was postponed.
Item No. 3.-(To consider further the dropping of the short vowel
" a " in the light of difficulties pointed out by certain school for the blind.)
Consideration of this item was postponed to a latter date.
Item No. 4.-(To consider what steps should be taken to frame, a suitable standard music notation in Braille for the country).
The following resolution was adopted
" This Committee recommends that the Government of India appoint a small sub-committee of experts in music, who know both the Indian and European notations, to examine this question. The. Committee also felt that this problem should subsequently be referred to UNESCO Is so that it may be solved on an international level ".
Item No. 5.-(Any other item that may be raised with the permission of the chair.)
(i)On the motion of Mr. Alpaiwalla, the following resolutions were passed :-
(a) " The Expert Committee urges the Government of India to join the States in the agreement for exemption from customs duty of certain articles for the blind and requests that its exemptions from customs duty which at present limit to
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tangible educational materials and to certain recognized educational institutions for the Blind, be extended to scientific and cultural apparatus and materials for the blind, and to recognize welfare -and other institutions for the Blind as envisaged by the resolution of the Unesco International Meeting"
(b) That the Expert Committee further earnestly urges the Government of India that the benefit of these exemptions be extended to blind individuals, not being inmates or members of recognized educational institutions for the Blind, as is given in most, if not all, the other countries, by either permitting bonafide private blind individuals to import such materials for the blind for their personal use, or permitting the recognized institutions for the blind to supply such materials for the, blind to any blind individual at cost price, or if the institution so wishes, even at a discount or by the Government itself starting or chartering an institution for the blind, like the, National Institution for the Blind in England or the American Foundation for the Blind in the U.S.A., which would order out, stock and manufacture such materials and apparatus for the blind and supply to the blind in general either at cost price or even at discount.
Finally the Committee adopted the following resolution
" This Committee wishes to place on record its sincere appreciation of UNESCO's efforts to promote international uniformity in Braille usage leading to the convening of the International Braille Meeting held in Paris in March 1950. It considers that recommendations of the International Braille Meeting will go a long way in achieving the greatest possible degree of uniformity in Braille throughout the world. It requests the UNESCO to pay special attention to the immediate solution of the question of international agreement in the matter of punctuations. mathematical sign and musical notation. as on these there is already agreement among the sighted all over the world."
The meeting then adjourned with a vote of thanks to the Chair.
Addendum--to proceedings of the meeting of the Expert Braille Committee held in June 17th and 18th 1950. After the chairman's welcome address Mr. P. N. V. Vankata Rao pointed out that the. Expert Committee at its meeting held on February 25th-26th 1950 suggested a panel of five names which the Government of India might keep in view if and when they nominate delegates to the International Braille Meeting to be convened by UNESCO. They are named below
(1) Dr. S. K. Chatterji.
(2) Mr. P. M. Advani.
(3) Mr. R. M. Alpaiwalla.
(4) Mr. P. N. Vankata Rao.
(5) Mr. Lal Advani.
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