The National Federation of the Blind teaches a free correspondence course in mathematics (Nemeth Code) braille transcribing under contract with the National Library Service, Library of Congress. You need Library of Congress literary braille certification held for at least six months to enroll. After completing the 2026 lesson manual, you request the final certification test; scoring eighty points or above earns a Library of Congress certificate in Mathematics (Nemeth) transcribing.
What this credential is
A Library of Congress certificate in Mathematics (Nemeth) transcribing, earned through an NFB-run course and final test.
Under a contract with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress, the National Federation of the Blind offers a course in mathematics (Nemeth Code) braille transcribing. It teaches you to transcribe print mathematics and science materials into braille. There is no tuition charge, and the instruction materials are free to download.
The Librarian of Congress and the NLS director authorize and issue certifications for braille transcribers and proofreaders, so the certificate you earn carries Library of Congress authority even though the NFB administers the training and grading.
This guide covers the current course: the 2026 lesson manual, aligned with UEB with Nemeth and based on The Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Science Notation 2022 from the Braille Authority of North America. If you studied from an earlier provisional edition, expect differences, because the code and the manual were revised.
Official sources: Mathematics Braille Transcribing | National Federation of the Blind — Program page: eligibility, prerequisite, course operation, certification test, enrollment, and 2026 manual; Braille Education - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress — NLS contract with NFB and certification issuance
Eligibility and prerequisites
You need US citizenship or residency, a high school diploma or equivalent, familiarity with Braille Formats 2016, and literary certification held for at least six months.
The program page lists three eligibility conditions and one prerequisite. Check each one before applying, because the prerequisite involves a credential you must already hold.
- United States citizenship or residency.
- A high school diploma or equivalent.
- Knowledge of the recommended braille formats prescribed in Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to-Braille Transcription, 2016.
- Prerequisite: Library of Congress certification in literary braille transcribing held for a minimum of six months.
- If your literary certificate is dated earlier than January 1, 2016, you must also have achieved a Letter of Proficiency in Unified English Braille.
How the correspondence course works
You work through downloadable lessons by correspondence, submitting one lesson at a time on a 40-cell line at least monthly.
The course runs by correspondence with the NFB, though you may also study with a local teacher. Either way, you must submit the application form before the course begins. Enrollment in the 2026 course currently proceeds from a waiting list, and the NFB contacts you when you can begin.
All lessons are downloadable in printable PDF, linked PDF, and braille-ready format. Your exercises must use a line length of forty cells, regardless of how you produce them. You may submit only one lesson at a time, and the NFB encourages regular submissions of at least once a month.
You can produce your work on a computer using direct input or translation software, or on a Perkins braillewriter. The program page lists the NFB Independence Market, the American Printing House for the Blind, Howe Press, and American Thermoform as sources for braillewriters, paper, and supplies.
The pacing rules let you estimate the fastest possible schedule. Work through the exercise below to see what the full lesson sequence implies for your calendar.
Worked exercise
Assumptions: you are enrolled and start immediately; you submit one lesson document per month, which is the fastest pace the one-lesson-at-a-time rule and the monthly-submission guidance allow; the graded sequence runs from the Preliminary Lesson through Lessons 1 to 18 plus the Final Lesson; and the waiting time before enrollment and the final certification test are excluded. What is the minimum elapsed time to finish the lesson sequence?
Show answer
About twenty months, just under two years.
The 2026 manual lists a Preliminary Lesson, Lessons 1 through 18, and a Final Lesson: twenty lesson documents in total. Because you may submit only one lesson at a time and the NFB encourages submissions of at least once a month, one lesson per month is the fastest consistent pace. Twenty documents at one per month gives twenty months. Slower pacing, waiting-list time, and grading turnaround only extend this; the final certification test comes after the sequence and is not included.
What the 2026 lessons cover
Nineteen numbered lessons plus front matter, addenda, and a final lesson, moving from code switching through fractions, spatial formats, and tables.
The course manual has been updated to align with the use of UEB with Nemeth, and the Nemeth Code itself is the authoritative source for all mathematics transcriptions. The table below maps the published lesson titles to broad preparation areas so you can see where each skill is introduced. Treat it as a study map, not a substitute for the manual: the rules for spacing, fractions, and switch indicators live in the lessons and the codebook.
| Preparation area | Lessons in the 2026 manual |
|---|---|
| Code switching, words, and letters | Lesson 1 Introduction to Code Switching; Lesson 2 More About Punctuation; Lesson 3 Words; Lesson 4 More About Letters |
| Operations and basic format | Lesson 5 Signs of Operation, Cont.; Lesson 6 Format; Lesson 7 Displayed Formats |
| Fractions | Lesson 8 Introduction to Fractions; Lesson 16 Spatial Arrangements of Fractions |
| Spatial arrangements and layout | Lesson 10 Review of Format for Spatial Arrangements; Lesson 15 Mathematical Expressions Requiring Runovers; Lesson 17 System of Equations; Lesson 18 Tables |
| Specialized notation | Lesson 9 Arrows; Lesson 11 Signs of Shape; Lesson 12 Modifiers and Modified Expressions; Lesson 13 Miscellaneous Symbols; Lesson 14 Function Names and Their Abbreviated Forms |
| Wrap-up and supplements | Final Lesson; Addenda 1 to 3; Errata (June 2026) |
Official sources: Mathematics Braille Transcribing | National Federation of the Blind — Program page: eligibility, prerequisite, course operation, certification test, enrollment, and 2026 manual; An Introduction to Braille Mathematics Using UEB and the Nemeth Code, Provisional Online Edition 2017 — Foreword, prerequisites, and study tips front matter
The certification test
Final tests are sent on request from the NFB and evaluated by the NFB; eighty points or above earns the Library of Congress certificate.
Once you have completed the course, a letter from your mathematics braille instructor must be sent to the NFB attesting that you have successfully completed it. The final certification test is then sent upon request from the NFB and evaluated by the NFB.
Candidates scoring eighty points or above receive a Library of Congress certificate in Mathematics (Nemeth) transcribing.
The program page does not publish the number of test items, the time allowed, or retake terms. Ask the NFB braille certification training program directly for those details before you request the test, so you can plan accordingly.
Study habits the manual recommends
The lesson manual's front matter urges deliberate reading, six-key entry, self-proofreading, and back-translation rather than racing through lessons.
The provisional 2017 edition of the lesson manual includes a set of study tips from the program's own authors. Its advice still describes how this kind of course is meant to be studied, but check it against the 2026 manual you receive, since the current edition supersedes it.
The tips emphasize slowing down. Read the compact, exact narrative deliberately, braille the examples to reinforce each rule, and do the practice drills before checking answers. Use six-key entry rather than a translator while learning, so you understand the braille from the reader's point of view.
Proofreading gets its own section in the manual. Accuracy is described as crucially important in technical work. The suggestions include proofreading from an embossed or simulated braille copy without looking at the print, using a straightedge when levels are in question, varying your reading medium, and comparing your braille line by line against the answer keys to catch misalignments.
After each graded exercise, the manual advises analyzing your errors and reviewing the applicable rule before moving on, then back-translating earlier practices by hand as a review strategy. These are study recommendations from the manual's authors, not requirements imposed by the test.
Official sources: An Introduction to Braille Mathematics Using UEB and the Nemeth Code, Provisional Online Edition 2017 — Foreword, prerequisites, and study tips front matter
Where this fits among NLS braille certifications
The Nemeth certificate is one of several NLS braille certifications for transcribers and proofreaders, with the UEB rulebook as shared background.
NLS braille certification programs cover literary, mathematics, and music transcribing and proofreading. All are conducted by the NFB under the NLS contract, and inquiries go to the NFB's Director of Braille Advancement in Baltimore. If mathematics is not your target, the literary and music tracks, and the proofreading courses, follow a similar certification structure.
Because this course works within UEB context, the Rules of Unified English Braille, published by the International Council on English Braille, is the definitive UEB reference. The 2024 third edition is downloadable free of charge, and the ICEB site also maintains revised guidance for technical material.
Official sources: Braille Education - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress — NLS contract with NFB and certification issuance; Unified English Braille (UEB) - International Council on English Braille (ICEB) — Rules of Unified English Braille, Third Edition 2024
How to enroll
Submit the NFB application form online or by mail before the course begins, then wait for contact from the waiting list.
Applicants can enroll in two ways. Submit the online application before the course begins, or mail the print application to: National Federation of the Blind, Braille Certification Training Program, 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230.
This applies whether you plan to take the course with a local teacher or through correspondence. Because the 2026 course enrolls from a waiting list, submitting the application is your concrete first step; the NFB will contact you when you can begin.
For questions at any stage, email transcribers@nfb.org or call 410-659-9314, extension 2510.
Official sources
Key facts checked:
- Mathematics Braille Transcribing | National Federation of the Blind
- Braille Education - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress
- An Introduction to Braille Mathematics Using UEB and the Nemeth Code, Provisional Online Edition 2017
- Unified English Braille (UEB) - International Council on English Braille (ICEB)