Navajo Braille facts for kids

Navajo Braille is a special way for people who are blind or have low vision to read and write the Navajo language. It's like a secret code made of raised dots that you can feel with your fingertips. This system is based on the braille alphabet used for English, but it has some unique parts just for Navajo words.

It uses many of the same letters, punctuation, and formatting rules as Unified English Braille. However, it does not use any "contractions." Contractions are like shortcuts in braille where one braille symbol stands for a whole word or a common group of letters. Navajo Braille keeps it simple, with each symbol usually representing just one letter.

What Makes Navajo Braille Special?

Navajo Braille includes extra letters that are not found in regular English Braille. These special symbols are needed to write sounds unique to the Navajo language.

Unique Navajo Letters

Some of the special letters in Navajo Braille include:

• The symbol ⠹ is used for the letter ł. This letter makes a sound that is not in English.
• The symbol ⠄ stands for an apostrophe (). In Navajo, this apostrophe is used for a special sound called a "glottal stop." It's like the little pause in the middle of "uh-oh!" It also marks "ejective consonants," which are sounds made with a burst of air.
• Navajo has vowels with a high tone, which are marked with an acute accent (like á, é, í, ó). In Navajo Braille, these are shown using symbols that look like French vowels with grave accents. For example, is used for á.
• The symbol ⠨ is used to show that the next vowel is "nasal." This means the sound comes partly through your nose, like the "ng" sound in "sing." For example, ⠨⠁ is used for ą, and ⠨⠷ is used for ą́.
• Interestingly, the braille symbol for 'f' (⠋) is only used for the number 6 in Navajo Braille. This is because the letter 'f' does not exist in the Navajo alphabet.

Learning the Letters

Here is a table showing some of the letters and numbers in Navajo Braille. Each symbol is made up of a pattern of raised dots.

a, 1	b, 2	c, 3	d, 4	e, 5	6	g, 7	h, 8	i, 9	j, 0
k	l	m	n	o	s	t	x	y	z
á	é	ł	w	í	ó	'	ogonek

Who Created Navajo Braille?

The Navajo Braille alphabet was created by a person named Carol Begay Green. Her hard work made it possible for blind Navajo speakers to read and write in their own language. The Navajo Nation officially adopted this new braille system in 2015. This was a big step forward for the Navajo community.