Braille for Independent Living:
Last Updated September 13th, 2026. Included in this website page are the following sections. Braille for Independent Living. Braille Resources for Independent Living. Online Stores with Braille Products. Online Braille Resources. The English Alphabet in Braille. Numbers in Braille. Capital Letters in Braille. Basic Symbols in Braille. Braille Contractions. Most Useful Braille for Independent Living. Spanish Braille. End of list.
Braille for Independent Living:
Braille is a system of raised dots created for the visually impaired that can be read with one’s fingertips. Specific arrangements of dots represent a letter, multiple letters, a word, a number, or a symbol. These specific arrangements of dots within a six dot Braille Cell can be one dot or up to six dots and can be made up of one or more Braille Cells. The Braille Cell is made up of six dots with two columns of three dots. On the left side from top to bottom is dot one, dot two, and dot three. On the right side from top to bottom is dot four, dot five, and dot six. It is important to have the Braille Cell memorized before beginning to learn the Braille Alphabet.
Braille can be used for personal needs, work, and secondary education. Individuals can use braille to read and write, for labeling, for technology, for money management, for medication management, in the kitchen, and for recreation. Individuals can use braille signage in public spaces and braille labels in elevators. Individuals can request information in braille when available.
Braille Resources for Independent Living:
Online Stores with Braille Products:
Online Braille Resources:
Apple Apps: the Braille Learner app, the Braille Academy app, the Bump Bump Braille app, and the Braille Decoded app.
Android Apps for Learning and Practicing Braille: the Braille Academy: Play & Learn app and the Braille Decoded app.
Pop-A-Cells from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) website page link.
Braille Memory Board from maxiaids.com product code 404004 link.
International Council on English Braille (ICEB) website link.
World Braille Usage website page from Perkins School for the Blind link.
UEB Braille Reference Chart PDF from Teaching Visually Impaired link.
Music Braille Code website page from the Royal National Institute of Blind People link.
The English Alphabet in Braille:
A is dot 1.
B is dots 1 2.
C is dots 1 4.
D is dots 1 4 5.
E is dots 1 5.
F is dots 1 2 4.
G is dots 1 2 4 5.
H is dots 1 2 5.
I is dots 2 4.
J is dots 2 4 5.
K is dots 1 3.
L is dots 1 2 3.
M is dots 1 3 4.
N is dots 1 3 4 5.
O is dots 1 3 5.
P is dots 1 2 3 4.
Q is dots 1 2 3 4 5.
R is dots 1 2 3 5.
S is dots 2 3 4.
T is dots 2 3 4 5.
U is dots 1 3 6.
V is dots 1 2 3 6.
W is dots 2 4 5 6.
X is dots 1 3 4 6.
Y is dots 1 3 4 5 6.
Z is dots 1 3 5 6.
Learn the letters A through J first. The letters A through J don’t use dots three or six.
Learn the letters K through T second. The letters K through T don’t use dot six.
Learn the letters U through Z third.
Numbers in Braille:
A number sign is put before the number or numbers so that the reader knows it is a number. A number sign is dots three four five six.
Everything that is after a number sign is a number until it is broken up by a space or something else that breaks up a number such as a hyphen.
For example, a line reads left-to-right as follows: dots three four five six then dot one. This reads as number one.
The letters A through J are used for numbers.
Number 1 is dot 1.
Number 2 is dots 1 2
Number 3 is dots 1 4
Number 4 is dots 1 4 5.
Number 5 is dots 1 5.
Number 6 is dots 1 2 4.
Number 7 is dots 1 2 4 5.
Number 8 is dots 1 2 5.
Number 9 is dots 2 4.
Number 0 is dots 2 4 5.
Number Indicator is dots 3 4 5 6.
Comma is dot 2.
Decimal Point is dots 2 5 6.
Fraction Line (/) is dots 3 4.
Capital Letters in Braille:
A capital sign, which is dot six, is placed before a letter so that the reader knows that that letter is capital. For example, a line reads left-to-right as follows: dot six then dot one. This reads as A.
Two dot sixes are placed before a word such as THE so that the reader knows that each letter of the word is capitalized.
Basic Symbols in Braille:
A symbol is used in Braille similarly to how it’s used in print. A period in Braille is placed after the last character of a sentence.
Number Indicator (#) is dots 3 4 5 6.
Uncontracted, Grade 1 Indicator is dots 5 6.
Capital Letter Indicator is dot 6.
Period or Decimal Point is dots 2 5 6.
Comma is dot 2.
Apostrophe (‘) is dot 3.
Hyphen (-) is dots 3 6.
Colon (:) is dots 2 5.
Braille Contractions:
A Braille Contraction is a specific arrangement of dots using one or more Braille Cells that represent multiple letters or a word.
For example, one contraction is en which is dots two six. This contraction can be used in a word such as women. The line reads left-to-right as follows: w - o - m - dot two - dot six.
Most Useful Braille for Independent Living:
Alphabet.
Numbers.
Number Indicator (#) is dots 3 4 5 6.
Uncontracted, Grade 1 Indicator is dots 5 6.
Capital Letter Indicator is dot 6.
Period or Decimal Point is dots 2 5 6.
Comma is dot 2.
Apostrophe (‘) is dot 3.
Hyphen (-) is dots 3 6.
Colon (:) is dots 2 5.
At Sign (@) is dot 4 then dot 1.
Simple Forward Slash or Fraction Line (/) is dots 3 4.
Dollar Sign ($) is dot 4 then dots 2 3 4.
Cent Sign (￠) is dot 4 then dots 1 4.
The contraction “en” is dots 2 6.
The contraction “in” is dots 3 5.
The contraction “st” is dots 3 4.
The contraction “sh” is dots 1 4 6.
Spanish Braille:
El braille en español se escribe habitualmente sin contracciones, que son la forma abreviada de escribir palabras y grupos de letras. Cada letra se escribe en braille exactamente igual que en la escritura impresa. Existen caracteres braille para cada una de las letras que llevan acento en español.
La letra a con acento (á) es puntos 1 2 3 5 6.
La letra e con acento (é) es puntos 2 3 4 6.
La letra i con acento (í) es puntos 3 4.
La letra o con acento (ó) es puntos 3 4 6.
La letra u con acento (ú) es puntos 2 3 4 5 6.
La letra u con diéresis (ü) son los puntos 1 2 5 6.
La letra n con tilde (ñ) es los puntos 1 2 4 5 6.
Un signo de interrogación al revés (¿) son los puntos 1 2 luego los puntos 5 6 y después los puntos 2 3 6.
Un signo de exclamación al revés (¡) son los puntos 1 2 luego los puntos 5 6 y después los puntos 2 3 5.