The Plan:
Originally, The Braille Dictionary was just for me to learn Braille Level 2. It was a way of trying to systematically learn what is essentially a new language. I had done it in the Army when I was stationed in various places, so I set about doing it again. This time it was tactile instead of visual.
I found out that other people who wanted or showed interest in it would ask for a copy. That started me on the path to what has become the project. Like any project, goals and progress markers are essential to knowing where you are and what progress you have already made.
Here are the milestones thus far and the near term goals yet to be made:
Milestone 1: Making this an actual “Project”
- ✅ Refine the ad‑hoc notes – cleaned up the raw notes into a coherent draft.
- ✅ Enable collaborative review – set up a temporary GitHub repository for others to comment and suggest edits.
- ✅ Central project hub – published the draft at brailledictionary.org.
All of the tasks to kick start the project have been accomplished.
What the first Milestone accomplished:
- A Visual-Only Draft of the Braille Dictionary
- A website to feature further developments
- Email Addresses that are professional and project focused
- A GitHub Repository for Project and repository of time-stamped bug-fixes and suggestions.
Milestone 2: Project Development
- Standardize the PDF – Use a consistent 0.5‑in margin, uniform header/footer, and a large heading style.
- Make & Verify it is screen-reader accessible.
- Braille overlay to make it tactile Braille accessible.
- Begin outreach to Blind & Veteran communities:
- VIST coordinators
- VA BRCs
- VA Library Network Coordinators at each facility
- Begin Outreach to Veteran organizations:
- Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
- National Association of Blind Veterans (NABV)
- Blinded American Veterans Foundation (BAVF)
- National Blinded Veterans Organization (NBVA)
- Begin Outreach to Civilian Blind Organizations:
- American Council of the Blind (ACB)
- Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB)
- Lighthouse Guild
- National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
We have a long way to go, but a worthy objective. Once we have a tactile Braille Dictionary, with the practical every-day help and tips it will be a highly usable guide for Veterans and others who have vision loss to have and to use. We plan on seeking grants to make this a freely available resource for all to use.