Using Braille Contractions in Deafblind Manual
Graham Hicks writes:
Deafblind manual can be slow and tiring both to receive and deliver.
Click here to see a video demonstrating the manual alphabet.
Using short cuts can really speed things up for all involved. In the grade two braille code there are many letter based contractions or short forms - a full list of these are included on this page.
Using these letter based contractions is one very good way to speeding up deafblind manual communication. Deafblind people who read braille will often find this a real advantage but may not always suggest this on the basis that most sighted-hearing people don't know the braille code. You could help to change this by learning a few of the most useful braille contractions and try using them. If you find they work for both parties then you could build on that by learning more. For those working with deafblind children who use manual it would be an advantage to introduce and encourage them to use these contractions as it will certainly enable them to receive more information in the same amount of time.
The same could be true for some deafblind people who use manual but not braille - they could benefit from learning some of these contractions and using them with those who communicate with them regularly. Below I have selected what I believe to be the most useful contractions. I have also taken the liberty of including a short form of my own invention "Yd" - yesterday, and the commonly used abbreviations "Dr" - doctor as two useful short forms not actually from the braille code.
List of selected short forms:
Try learning just a small number of these and see how you get on
Afn - afternoon
Td - today
Tm - tomorrow
Tn - tonight
Yd - yesterday
P - people
Af - after
Ag - again
Alr - already
Alw - always
Bl - blind
Brl - braille
Cd - could
Gd - good
Wd - would
Dr - doctor
Fr - friend
Frs - friends
Lr - letter
Lrs - letters
Pd - paid
Qk - quick
Qkly - quickly
Rcv - receive
Rcvd - received
Sd - said
Grt - great
Nec - necessary
Tgr - together.
Full list of letter based contraction
B - But
C - Can
D - Do
E - Every
F - From
G - Go
H - Have
J - Just
K - Knowledge
L - Like
M - More
N - Not
P - People
Q - Quite
R - Rather
S - So
T - That
U - Us
V - Very
W - Will
X - IT
Y - You
Z - AS
____________________________________________________________
AB - About
ABV - Above
AC - According
ACLY - Accordingly
ACR - Across
AF - After
AFN - Afternoon
AFWS - Afterwards
AG - Again
AL - Also
ALM - Almost
ALR - Already
ALT - Altogether
ALTH - Although
ALW - Always
BL - Blind
BRL - Braille
CD - Could
DCV - Deceive
DCVG - Deceiving
DCL - Declare
DCLG - Declaring
EI - Either
FR - Friend
FRLY - friendly
FRS - friends
GD - Good
GRT - Great
HM - Him
HIMF - Himself
XS - Its
XF - Itself
IMM - Immediate
IMMY - immediately
LL - Little
LR - Letter
LRS - letters
MYF - Myself
NEC - Necessary
NECLY- necessarily
NEI - Neither
O'C - O'clock
PD - Paid
QK - Quick
QKLY - quickly
RCV - Receive
RCVG - Receiving
RCVR - receiver
RJC - Rejoice
RJCG - Rejoicing
SD - Said
TD - Today
TM - Tomorrow
TGR - Together
TN - Tonight
WD - Would
YR - Your
YRS - Yours
YRF - Yourself
YRVS - Yourselves