Braille Transcriber

Braille is a system of writing that lets the blind read. It uses raised dots that represent different letters to form words. These words can be read by moving ones fingertips across the page. As a Braille Transcriber, you take written works and translate them into Braille, and vice versa.

Since any written work can be turned into Braille, the transcribing you do serves many purposes. You might work on medical pamphlets, textbooks, official forms, written reports, greeting cards, or sheet music. Most Braille Transcribers choose to focus on one area, be it literary, mathematics, or music. Although technically, you can do all three, each area requires a different skill set and level of experience.

Just like any Translator, you need to be fluent in two languages. But obviously, in this case, your second language is Braille. You need to know the Braille alphabet perfectly, as well as understand the specific ways Braille is formatted. When transcribing, you have a little bit of freedom of expression. But at the same time, you want to stay as true to the original information as possible so nothing gets lost in translation. Your freedom comes in when you’re recreating things like pictures, graphs, or charts. You need to take these images and turn them into words, which you can do with descriptions of color, shapes, and actions.

This is a difficult job to make a consistent wage in, and many people in this field do it on a volunteer basis or as an additional job. A lot of paid Braille Transcribers work with school systems or companies.