What is the difference between contracted and uncontracted braille?
• Grade 1 or uncontracted braille is used simply to produce a letter-by-letter copy of print. It is seldom used for long documents, as it takes up a lot of space and is comparatively slow to read. However, it is used for signage and labelling because it makes braille more accessible for less fluent braille readers and can even be read by someone who has a braille alphabet card to refer to. • Grade 2 or contracted braille was developed to reduce the size of books and make reading quicker – because there are fewer braille symbols. This is why contracted braille has been allowed on pharmaceutical packaging for small volumes (up to 10ml). • Braille Code sheets have been developed showing A-Z, numbers, some symbols and some abbreviations for the UK and the proposed code for across Europe.
