Africa and Middle East Braille Systems
Overview
This category includes Braille systems from Africa and the Middle East. Many African Braille systems are based on French Braille, adapted for local languages and scripts.
Major Africa and Middle East Braille Codes
- Languages Supported: Hebrew, Yiddish
- Key Characteristics: Adapted for Hebrew alphabet with distinct vowel markings (niqqud); used primarily in Israel. Uses same cell patterns as English but mapped to Hebrew letters
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Swahili (East Africa)
- Key Characteristics: Based on Latin alphabet. Based on English or French Braille depending on region
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Hausa
- Key Characteristics: Adapted for Hausa alphabet
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Amharic and other Ethiopian Semitic languages
- Key Characteristics: Adapted for Amharic and other Ethiopian Semitic languages using the Ge’ez syllabary. Adapted for Ge’ez script
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Yoruba
- Key Characteristics: Includes tone markers
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Zulu
- Key Characteristics: Adapted for Zulu alphabet
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Xhosa
- Key Characteristics: Adapted for Xhosa alphabet
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Ghanaian languages (Akan/Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagaare)
- Key Characteristics: Based on French-ordered Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Akan (Twi)
- Key Characteristics: Part of Ghanaian Braille system. Based on French-ordered Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Ewe
- Key Characteristics: Part of Ghanaian Braille system. Based on French-ordered Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Ga, Dagaare
- Key Characteristics: Part of Ghanaian Braille system. Based on French-ordered Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Nigerian languages (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba)
- Key Characteristics: Based on French-ordered Braille. Includes Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba Braille alphabets
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Igbo
- Key Characteristics: Part of Nigerian Braille system. Based on English Braille with extensions for Igbo-specific letters
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: South African languages (Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sesotho, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu)
- Key Characteristics: Based on English Braille. Includes Afrikaans, Sesotho, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu Braille alphabets
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Afrikaans
- Key Characteristics: Part of South African Braille system. Based on English Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Sesotho, Tswana
- Key Characteristics: Part of South African Braille system. Based on English Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Venda
- Key Characteristics: Part of South African Braille system. Based on English Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Zambian languages
- Key Characteristics: Based on French-ordered Braille
- Status: Active
- Languages Supported: Algerian Arabic (obsolete)
- Key Characteristics: Reordered system (obsolete)
- Status: Obsolete
- Languages Supported: Arabic, Persian (Farsi), Urdu (Pakistan)
- Key Characteristics: Uses French sorting order; adapted for right-to-left reading; avoids reordering chaos (unlike obsolete Algerian Braille); used across Middle East and North Africa
- Status: Active
Regional Notes
- Many West African languages use adaptations of French Braille
- South African languages often use adaptations of English Braille
- Arabic Braille is used in North African countries