| Dutch eight-dot Braille | |
|---|---|
| Script type | (non-linear) |
| Creator | Braille-Autoriteit |
Period | 28 October 2020 – present (2020-10-28 – present) |
Print basis | Dutch alphabet |
| Languages | Dutch |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Braille
|
| Unicode | |
| U+2800 to U+283F | |
Dutch eight-dot Braille is theBraille alphabet of theDutch language. It is very close toDutch six-dot Braille, but useseight-dot cells, with the extra pair of dots at the bottom of each cell to indicate capitalization and accent marks.[1]
Eight-dot Braille was introduced by manufacturers ofBraille displays, extending the traditional six-dot system. For the Dutch language, no official eight-dot Braille table existed until 28 October 2020, when the Braille-Autoriteit published the first version of a Dutch eight-dot Braille standard under its initiative.[1] This 2020 version was published on 28 October 2020 and came into effect on 31 December 2020.[2] The second version of the standard, was published on 8 February 2023 and came into effect on 1 April 2023.[3]
| Majuscule | Miniscule | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Braille | Letter | Image | Braille | Letter |
 | ⡁ | A |  | ⠁ | a |
 | ⡃ | B |  | ⠃ | b |
 | ⡉ | C |  | ⠉ | c |
 | ⡙ | D |  | ⠙ | d |
 | ⡑ | E |  | ⠑ | e |
 | ⡋ | F |  | ⠋ | f |
 | ⡛ | G |  | ⠛ | g |
 | ⡓ | H |  | ⠓ | h |
 | ⡊ | I |  | ⠊ | i |
 | ⡚ | J |  | ⠚ | j |
 | ⡅ | K |  | ⠅ | k |
 | ⡇ | L |  | ⠇ | l |
 | ⡍ | M |  | ⠍ | m |
 | ⡝ | N |  | ⠝ | n |
 | ⡕ | O |  | ⠕ | o |
 | ⡏ | P |  | ⠏ | p |
 | ⡟ | Q |  | ⠟ | q |
 | ⡗ | R |  | ⠗ | r |
 | ⡎ | S |  | ⠎ | s |
 | ⡞ | T |  | ⠞ | t |
 | ⡥ | U |  | ⠥ | u |
 | ⡧ | V |  | ⠧ | v |
 | ⡺ | W |  | ⠺ | w |
 | ⡭ | X |  | ⠭ | x |
 | ⡽ | Y |  | ⠽ | y |
 | ⡵ | Z |  | ⠵ | z |
The digits 1–9 are formed by adding Braille dot 6 to the letters A–I. The number 0 is an exception, as J with dot 6 is already used for the letter W.[3]
| Image |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braille | ⠬ | ⠡ | ⠣ | ⠩ | ⠹ | ⠱ | ⠫ | ⠻ | ⠳ | ⠪ |
| Number | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
InDutch six-dot Braille, there are overlapping assignments betweenpunctuation marks andmathematical symbols. The most notable examples are theplus sign and theexclamation mark, as well as thequotation mark and theequals sign. In eight-dot Braille, the punctuation marks are retained, while dot 8 is added to distinguish the mathematical symbols.[3]
| Image |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braille | ⠖ | ⠶ | ⠯ | ⠄ | ⠦ | ⠴ | ⠔ | ⠂ | ⠤ | ⠲ | ⠌ | ⠒ | ⠆ | ⠢ |
| Punctuation | ! | " | & | ' | ( | ) | * | , | - | . | / | : | ; | ? |
Because the eight-dot Braille system allows for 256 possible dot combinations, it cannot represent all graphical mathematical symbols. In practice, Flemish and Dutch users rely on linearmathematical notation systems, such as those developed by Dedicon or the Flemish Mathematical Code (VWC), which replace graphical symbols with keyboard-friendly characters. These conventions are supported by the eight-dot Braille standard.[3]