Free Training Courses for Braille Transcribers Working with NIMAS Files

In the first half of 2022, the NIMAC was pleased to offer two free online courses to support braille transcribers who work with NIMAS files. These courses are archived below and will also be posted in the future on the APH Hive for those who wish to receive ACVREP credit for the courses. 

Braille 2000: Textbook Transcription from Start to Finish

Producing high-quality digital and embossed braille using Braille 2000 and NIMAS files has never been easier. This series of 6 webinars will teach you how to use Braille 2000 to create a fully formatted braille textbook from NIMAS, including how to use BrailleBlaster as the initial conversion step.

This course was developed and presented by Rosemary Baggott, an independent transcriber. Her transcription company is Rhyomai, Inc.

For detailed information about what is covered in each session, just click the individual session title. 

Session 1

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Learn how to:

  • Access and download a file from NIMAC site, including the basics of a NIMAS file set structure
  • Convert the NIMAS file and perform initial formatting using BrailleBlaster or Braille 2000

Session 2

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Learn how to:

  • Set up your text and format transcriber-generated pages
  • Quickly navigate within your transcription project

Session 3

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Learn how to:

  • Utilize the features in Braille 2000 to edit and format Pagination, Tables of Contents, and Typeforms

Session 4

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Learn how to:

  • Utilize the features in Braille 2000 to edit and format Headings, Lists and Tables, and Alphabetic References

Session 5

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Learn how to:

  • Explore some other features you may find in NIMAS-generated files, including: sidebars, line numbered text/poetry, footnotes, Math/MathML, and pronunciation keys

Session 6

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Question and answer session

Duxbury/NimPro: Textbook Transcription from Start to Finish

This 6-part webinar series for braille transcribers walks the participant through how to use Duxbury and NimPro to create a fully formatted braille textbook using a NIMAS file. 

This course was developed and presented by Deborah Krise, an instructor at the Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction (TRICOR). 

For detailed information about what is covered in each session, just click the individual session title. 

Session 1

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Download training slides (English or Spanish)

Learn how to:

  • Access a file from NIMAC site as an Accessible Media Producer (AMP)
  • Download, Save, & Convert NIMAS file to braille file using NimPro/Duxbury
  • Explore NimPro features that help with initial formatting of the downloaded file–e.g., typeforms
  • Identify types of files in NIMAS file set (PDF, XML, images) and how they can be used for transcription

Session 2

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Learn how to:

  • Identify NIMAS and Duxbury tools for setting up initial formatting of a text, including transcriber-generated pages.
  • Identify common issues when working with Duxbury conversions.
  • Save multiple files/transcriptions.

Session 3

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Learn how to:

  • Edit and format key features: Pagination, Table of Contents, and Typeforms.
  • Set and edit print page numbers in a text generated from a NIMAS file using Duxbury.
  • Set up and edit Table of Contents from a NIMAS file using Duxbury.

Session 4

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Learn how to:

  • Edit and format key features: Headings, List and Tables, Alphabetic References

Session 5

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Learn how to:

  • Describe editing features for Nested Lists, including glossary and index

Session 6

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Download Braille and NIMAS Resources document (English or Spanish)

Download Tactile Graphics and Duxbury document (English or Spanish)

Question and answer session