ADA braille translator
Type the sign text as it should read in braille: lowercase for ordinary words, capitals only for names, single letters, initials and acronyms (703.3.1). You get Grade 2 Unified English Braille and a to-scale SVG of the dots, spaced within Table 703.3.1. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Type the text the way it should read in braille. Signs are usually printed in capitals, but ADA braille capitalizes only the first word of a sentence, proper nouns and names, single letters, initials and acronyms. So "RESTROOM" on the sign is typed "restroom" here, and "ROOM 204B" is typed "room 204B" because the B is a single letter.
- Put each braille line on its own line. On the sign, the braille goes below the whole block of raised text, at least 3/8 inch from it and from any raised border (703.3.2).
- Download the SVG. It holds only the dots, at actual size in inches, with the spacing shown. Place it in your layout, then check the dot size your process produces after finishing.
- Have it proofed. A braille reader should check every sign before it is made; translation software can be tripped up by abbreviations, codes like "B-204" and names.
What it produces
Translation is done by liblouis 3.39.0, the open-source braille translator used by screen readers and braille production software, with its Unified English Braille Grade 2 tables. The Braille Authority of North America made UEB the U.S. braille code in 2016, and the Access Board accepts UEB as the Grade 2 braille that 703.3 requires. Before publishing this page we translated 120 typical sign phrases with this in-browser build and with the official liblouis release, and every result was identical.
The dots are drawn from the braille cells liblouis returns: dots 1, 2 and 3 down the left of each cell and 4, 5 and 6 down the right, at the spacing you set. A space between words is one empty cell.
Keep a proofed file for every word you make often (restroom, women, men, exit, stair, the room numbers of a job) and reuse it rather than re-translating. And check dot height after finishing: raster spheres and photopolymer both land in the 0.025 to 0.037 inch range when the process is set up right, but a heavy clear coat can flatten them.
Questions
What kind of braille do ADA signs need?
Contracted braille, called Grade 2 (703.3). In the U.S. that means Unified English Braille (UEB), which the Access Board accepts as Grade 2. This translator produces UEB Grade 2.
Does the translator follow the ADA capitalization rule?
It brailles capitals exactly where you type them. The ADA allows capital indicators only before the first word of a sentence, proper nouns and names, single letters, initials and acronyms (703.3.1), so type ordinary sign words in lowercase: "restroom", not "RESTROOM". The page warns you when it sees capitals.
How accurate is the translation?
It uses liblouis 3.39.0, the open-source braille engine behind many screen readers and braille embossers. We checked it against the official liblouis release on 120 typical sign phrases and every one matched. Have a braille reader proof it anyway before fabrication.
Can I import the braille into my sign software?
Yes. The download is an SVG of the dots at actual size, set in inches, which most design and sign software imports. Check the size after import, and keep the braille 3/8 inch below the raised text.
- liblouis, the open-source braille translator (LGPL 2.1)
- Access Board guide, Chapter 7: Signs (UEB accepted as Grade 2)
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (U.S. Access Board)
Last checked against the source text 2026-09-25. Section numbers refer to the 2010 ADA Standards unless marked otherwise.