There is no substitute for the ability to read—and visually impaired students need braille to succeed in learning. To allow for an equitable education, high-quality, hardcopy braille and tactile graphics are essential.
Pearson Braille Services, our new in-house offering for assessments in braille, will allow us to provide access to more braille readers throughout their K-12 education, across the US. Following the appropriate guidelines and methods approved by the Braille Authority of North America, Pearson Braille Services produces braille assessments with the experienced personnel previously overseeing operations at Region 4 Braille Solutions, known for its outstanding tactile graphics used in STEM materials.
Since Region 4 Braille Solutions, one of the primary developers and providers of high-volume quality braille materials in the US, ceased production, we recognized an opportunity to continue their work in creating fair and equitable assessments for braille readers. We aim to continue building this service to support the development of exceptional braille materials so that blind and low-vision students can achieve their educational goals.
Thousands of students rely on braille for their education. In the US, assessments are used as benchmarks to help states, districts, and schools make informed decisions and help students reach their potential. As a trusted partner for over 60 years, we are committed to ensuring that our test development and delivery services are innovative, accessible, and effective. By developing and delivering these assessments in braille, we’re able to help ensure that blind and low-vision students can continue to progress through their learning—without interruption or limitations.
In 2020, as blind students were disproportionately affected by COVID-19, we expanded our collaboration and formalized our work with the National Federation of the Blind in order to focus on enhancing the accessibility of educational products and courses, deepening our culture of accessibility, and accelerating the effectiveness of our accessibility efforts. Through this collaboration, we share the goal to identify and remove accessibility barriers that prevent blind students from receiving a full learning experience.
“Braille is the key to education, literacy, and success for blind people, and the National Federation of the Blind has long advocated and fought for the incorporation of hardcopy braille and tactile graphics into high-stakes assessments,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Many blind test takers simply cannot interact with and interpret drawings, equations, graphs, and other technical content without hardcopy braille and tactile materials. Pearson’s decision to create a braille production group as part of its assessments division is therefore a welcome development and is proof of the company’s expanding commitment to equal opportunity for blind people.”
Today, we are also proud to recognize the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to provide all people with disabilities with the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Our commitments to providing access, equity, inclusion, and representation through our content, products, services, and solutions remain our highest priority.
As we continue striving for all learning experiences to be vibrant and enriching through representation and access, we believe that—by bringing braille development and production in-house—Pearson Braille Services is positioned to bridge the gap, giving braille readers across the US increased, and better, opportunities throughout their lifetime of learning.
Whitney Gregory is the Director of Pearson Braille Services.