Ghanaian braille

SeveralbrailleAlpha bets are used in Ghana. For English,Unified English Braillehas been adopted. Four other languages have been written in braille:Akan(Twi),Ga,Ewe,andDagaare.All three Alpha bets are based on thebasic brailleletter values of basic Latin Alpha bet:

Basic braille Alpha bet

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

y

z

The braille equivalents of print letters beyond these are described below. English Braille punctuation is used in both Ghana and (according to UNESCO 2013) Togo.

Braille is not in active use in Ghana for any language but English. However, there are some older publications in these braille Alpha bets.

Akan (Twi) Braille

Twi Braille Akan Braille
Script type	Alpha bet
Languages	Twi
Related scripts
Parent systems	Braille English Braille Twi Braille

Akan has one extra vowel letters.⠪ɔcould be expected frominternational/African norms;⠻ɛis specific to Ghana.

ɔ

ɛ

Ga and Dagaare Braille

Ga Braille Dagaare Braille
Script type	Alpha bet
Languages	Ga,Dagaare
Related scripts
Parent systems	Braille English Braille Ga Braille

Ga and Dagaare add a third extra letter,⠬ŋ.

ɔ

ɛ

ŋ

Ewe Braille

Ewe Braille
Script type	Alpha bet
Languages	Ewe
Related scripts
Parent systems	Braille English Braille Ewe Braille

Ewe adds several additional consonants:⠫ɖ,⠹ƒ,⠣ɣ,⠮ʋ.

ɔ

ɛ

ŋ

ɖ

ƒ

ɣ

ʋ

Theɖandɣare theinternational/African norm(see alsoNigerian braille);ƒandʋare from the Englishthsounds, the closest approximation in that language afterfandv.

Braille for Togolese languages

Ewe is the primary language ofTogo,and is evidently used in Togo with the same braille assignments as in Ghana. UNESCO (2013 [1990]) reports several additional Togolese Alpha bets it was unable to confirm, but which were designed in conjunction with the Ghanaian languages; they evidently use the Ghanaian Ewe assignments:

• BassarandKonkombaare written inbasic brailleplus Eweŋ, ɔ.
• Kabiyehasɖ ɛ ɣ ɩ ŋ ɔ ʊ.The lettersɩandʊfollows international norms, and are equivalent to⠔ịand⠳ụinIgbo Braille.(Unesco reportsu/ʊbraille values are exchanged from the norm, a likely copy error.) The other letters are as in Ewe.
• Mobahasɛ ɩ ŋ ɔ,with⠔ɩas in Kabiye.
• Temhasɖ ɛ ɩ ŋ ɔ υ,as in Kabiye.

In addition, UNESCO reports that various Togolese languages have⠡fornasal vowels,⠸for high tone,⠘for mid tone, and⠰for low tone.

All five of these languages are spoken in Ghana as well as Togo, but Unesco does not report on them being reduced to braille there.

References

• UNESCO (2013)World Braille Usage,3rd edition.