What is the difference between Nemeth and UEB braille for maths?

They are two braille codes for the same maths. The Nemeth Code is the maths code used in the United States, set by the Braille Authority of North America. UEB technical is the maths part of Unified English Braille, used in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, following the ICEB guidelines for technical material. They write numbers, fractions, roots and scripts with different signs, so pick the one your reader uses: the Nemeth and UEB buttons switch between them.

How do I convert LaTeX to Nemeth braille?

Select everything in the LaTeX box, or press Clear, and paste the LaTeX in its place (without the $ signs around it); then choose Nemeth on the Accessibility tab, and the braille appears there. Copy braille gives Unicode braille cells; Copy as BRF gives the same braille in ASCII braille. Your own \newcommand definitions can go in My macros under the box, as in a LaTeX preamble.

What is BRF, and can I emboss the braille?

BRF is North American ASCII braille: each braille cell is written as one keyboard character, which is what embossers, notetakers and braille software read. Copy as BRF (ASCII braille) puts it on the clipboard, to paste into your braille software or into a plain text file saved with the .brf extension. Long equations are not split into braille lines, so let your braille software set the line length. A Nemeth matrix or table has no BRF form here, as its row mark uses dots 7 and 8, which ASCII braille cannot hold; copy it as Unicode braille instead.

How accurate is the braille?

MathCAT follows the BANA Nemeth Code and the ICEB guidelines, and the examples above, rulebook examples as transcribed in MathCAT's test suite, come out exactly as transcribed there. Some things are left to you: a matrix, cases or other table comes out in MathCAT's one-line form rather than set out row by row, equation numbers are left out, and chemistry typed with \ce is declined (write it with \mathrm, as in the chemistry example). Where MathCAT has no braille for a symbol, the page says so instead of showing a wrong one. As with any automatic braille, have it checked before it goes to a student.

How do I add alt text to an equation on a web page or in a document?

Copy alt text on the Accessibility tab copies a spoken description such as "x equals the fraction with numerator negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4 a c and denominator 2 a"; paste it into the alt text field of the picture in Word, PowerPoint, your learning platform or your web editor. A .svg saved here already carries it, and the Web page or email copy in the menu beside the Copy button makes an image tag with it as the alt text. Chemistry is read out less naturally than maths.

Can I turn an equation from a Word document into braille?

Yes, one at a time. Click the equation in Word, select it all and copy it; then press Clear here and paste into the LaTeX box: it arrives as LaTeX, and its braille is on the Accessibility tab. To list every equation in a .docx, open it on the From a Word file tab and click one to bring it into the editor. Old Equation Editor 3.0 and MathType equations can be read the same way.

Can it braille a whole worksheet or document?

No. It brailles one equation (or one set of aligned lines) at a time, to copy into your document or braille software. Text, page layout and diagrams around the maths are for your braille transcription software.

Is a student's worksheet uploaded to make the braille?

No. MathCAT runs in this browser tab, and so do MathJax and the speech rules, so nothing you type or paste is sent anywhere. The braille engine, about 2 MB, is downloaded from this site the first time it is needed.

Stays on your computer The maths library and the braille engine load from this siteHow this works

Free math to braille converter: Nemeth and UEB

Type LaTeX or paste an equation from Word and get it in Nemeth or UEB technical braille, with alt text and MathML for the same equation, in your browser with nothing uploaded

The braille, the spoken description and the MathML are on the Accessibility tab under the editor.

Type \ for a list of commands. Tab jumps to the next blank.Display mode

My macros

Define a command once and use it in every equation, as in a LaTeX preamble. Copy LaTeX gives the equation as you typed it, so add these lines to your document's preamble too.

Your equation appears here.

FontColourPNG backgroundPNG size

The Copy button remembers where you paste: next time it offers Word & PowerPoint first. Ctrl+Enter copies from anywhere in the editor.

SVG stays sharp at any size; PNG is the safer choice for slides and chat. Alt text describes the equation in words for screen readers, and is built into the .svg. Your equation, settings, Recent list, Favourites and the Copy destination you used last are kept in this browser, so a reload does not lose them.

About this math to braille converter

For teachers of students who are blind or have low vision, braille transcribers, and staff making course material accessible. Type an equation in LaTeX, build it from the symbol buttons, write it as AsciiMath, or paste one copied from Word or a web page, and the Accessibility tab under the editor gives it three ways that work without the printed page: braille, a spoken description to use as alt text, and MathML.

The braille is made by MathCAT, the DAISY Consortium's open-source maths braille engine, in Nemeth, the maths code used in the United States, or in Unified English Braille (UEB) technical, used in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. MathJax draws the equation, writes its MathML and, with its speech rules, the spoken description. It is free to use, with no account and no upload limit, and it runs entirely in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and while the page stays open, a feature you have already used keeps working offline.

What you can do

Turn an equation into Nemeth braille or UEB technical braille
Copy the braille as Unicode braille cells, which keep their dots in documents and emails
Copy it as BRF, the North American ASCII braille that embossers, notetakers and braille software read
Type LaTeX or AsciiMath, click symbols, or paste an equation copied from Word or MathML from a web page
Copy a spoken description of the equation to use as alt text
Copy the equation as MathML, which screen readers can read out and step through
Lines of aligned equations come out one braille line each
A symbol MathCAT has no braille for is named on the page rather than guessed at
Copy the equation into Word as an equation Word can edit, or save it as an SVG picture with its description built in

How to turn an equation into braille

Press Clear above the LaTeX box, then type the equation (or switch to Visual or AsciiMath), or paste one copied from Word or LaTeX from elsewhere.
Under the editor, on the Accessibility tab, choose Nemeth or UEB.
Check the braille, then press Copy braille for Unicode braille, or Copy as BRF (ASCII braille) to paste into braille software or a .brf file for an embosser.
From the same tab, copy the alt text or the MathML for a web page or a document.

Examples checked against the rulebooks

Each line below is an example from the rulebook named beside it, with its braille as transcribed in MathCAT's own test suite, and this converter's tests check that it gives the same braille for the equation as typed. Open one to see it in the editor above.

Equation	LaTeX	Code	Braille	Source
Quadratic formula	`x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}`	UEB	⠰⠭⠀⠐⠶⠀⠰⠰⠷⠐⠤⠃⠸⠖⠩⠃⠔⠼⠃⠐⠤⠼⠙⠰⠁⠉⠬⠨⠌⠼⠃⠰⠁⠾	ICEB Guidelines for Technical Material §8.1
Fraction	`\frac{a+b}{c}`	Nemeth	⠹⠁⠬⠃⠌⠉⠼	Nemeth Code §62a(3)
Mixed number	`4\frac{3}{8}`	Nemeth	⠼⠲⠸⠹⠒⠌⠦⠸⠼	Nemeth Code §63a(1)
Square root	`\sqrt{x^2+y^2}`	Nemeth	⠜⠭⠘⠆⠐⠬⠽⠘⠆⠐⠻	Nemeth Code §103a(4)
Sum with limits	`\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{2^n} = 1`	Nemeth	⠐⠨⠠⠎⠩⠝⠀⠨⠅⠀⠼⠂⠣⠠⠿⠻⠹⠂⠌⠆⠘⠝⠐⠼⠀⠨⠅⠀⠼⠂	Nemeth Code §88(2)
Integral	`V=\int \pi y^2 dx`	UEB	⠰⠠⠧⠀⠐⠶⠀⠰⠰⠮⠨⠏⠽⠔⠼⠃⠰⠙⠭	ICEB Guidelines for Technical Material §1.7.9
Chemistry	`\mathrm{NaCl}+\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O}`	UEB	⠠⠝⠁⠠⠉⠇⠐⠖⠠⠓⠰⠢⠼⠃⠠⠕	BANA guidance on math and science in UEB (2026), example 5-3

Making maths accessible in documents and on the web

A picture of an equation with no description says nothing to a screen reader. Where you can, keep equations as maths rather than pictures. On a web page, that means MathML, which browsers draw and which screen readers that support maths can read out and let the reader move through part by part. In Word, it means Word's own equations (Insert › Equation) rather than pasted pictures. In desktop Word, Copy for Word under the preview (Word & PowerPoint in the menu beside it) pastes the equation as one; for Word on the web, Word linear format in the same menu gives the equation as UnicodeMath: insert an equation in Word, paste it, and choose Convert, Professional.

Where an equation has to be a picture, as in many slides, learning platforms and PDFs, give it alt text that says the maths in words. The spoken description on the Accessibility tab is written for that, and it is built into every .svg saved here and used as the alt text of a copied HTML image. For a PDF, add alt text to the equation pictures in the document before you export it, then check the PDF with an accessibility checker.

For a braille reader, give them the code they were taught: Nemeth in most of the United States, UEB technical in most other English-speaking countries, and in some US programmes too. Automatic braille is a starting point; a qualified transcriber should check it before it reaches a student, and lay out long equations, matrices and whole worksheets in braille software.

In the US, the Justice Department's 2024 rule under Title II of the ADA sets WCAG 2.1 level AA as the standard for the web content and mobile apps of state and local governments, public schools and public colleges and universities among them; WCAG asks for a text alternative for non-text content such as a picture of an equation. This page is a tool, not legal advice.

Questions

What is the difference between Nemeth and UEB braille for maths?: They are two braille codes for the same maths. The Nemeth Code is the maths code used in the United States, set by the Braille Authority of North America. UEB technical is the maths part of Unified English Braille, used in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, following the ICEB guidelines for technical material. They write numbers, fractions, roots and scripts with different signs, so pick the one your reader uses: the Nemeth and UEB buttons switch between them.
How do I convert LaTeX to Nemeth braille?: Select everything in the LaTeX box, or press Clear, and paste the LaTeX in its place (without the $ signs around it); then choose Nemeth on the Accessibility tab, and the braille appears there. Copy braille gives Unicode braille cells; Copy as BRF gives the same braille in ASCII braille. Your own \newcommand definitions can go in My macros under the box, as in a LaTeX preamble.
What is BRF, and can I emboss the braille?: BRF is North American ASCII braille: each braille cell is written as one keyboard character, which is what embossers, notetakers and braille software read. Copy as BRF (ASCII braille) puts it on the clipboard, to paste into your braille software or into a plain text file saved with the .brf extension. Long equations are not split into braille lines, so let your braille software set the line length. A Nemeth matrix or table has no BRF form here, as its row mark uses dots 7 and 8, which ASCII braille cannot hold; copy it as Unicode braille instead.
How accurate is the braille?: MathCAT follows the BANA Nemeth Code and the ICEB guidelines, and the examples above, rulebook examples as transcribed in MathCAT's test suite, come out exactly as transcribed there. Some things are left to you: a matrix, cases or other table comes out in MathCAT's one-line form rather than set out row by row, equation numbers are left out, and chemistry typed with \ce is declined (write it with \mathrm, as in the chemistry example). Where MathCAT has no braille for a symbol, the page says so instead of showing a wrong one. As with any automatic braille, have it checked before it goes to a student.
How do I add alt text to an equation on a web page or in a document?: Copy alt text on the Accessibility tab copies a spoken description such as "x equals the fraction with numerator negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4 a c and denominator 2 a"; paste it into the alt text field of the picture in Word, PowerPoint, your learning platform or your web editor. A .svg saved here already carries it, and the Web page or email copy in the menu beside the Copy button makes an image tag with it as the alt text. Chemistry is read out less naturally than maths.
Can I turn an equation from a Word document into braille?: Yes, one at a time. Click the equation in Word, select it all and copy it; then press Clear here and paste into the LaTeX box: it arrives as LaTeX, and its braille is on the Accessibility tab. To list every equation in a .docx, open it on the From a Word file tab and click one to bring it into the editor. Old Equation Editor 3.0 and MathType equations can be read the same way.
Can it braille a whole worksheet or document?: No. It brailles one equation (or one set of aligned lines) at a time, to copy into your document or braille software. Text, page layout and diagrams around the maths are for your braille transcription software.
Is a student's worksheet uploaded to make the braille?: No. MathCAT runs in this browser tab, and so do MathJax and the speech rules, so nothing you type or paste is sent anywhere. The braille engine, about 2 MB, is downloaded from this site the first time it is needed.

To solve, graph or check the working of the same equation, or to save it as a picture, PDF or Word file, open the full Equation Editor. To turn a ChatGPT answer full of maths into a Word document, use ChatGPT Math to Word.

Free math to braille converter: Nemeth and UEB

Equations from a Word file

Paste from Word or a web page

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