SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Read and write Grade 1 (Uncontracted) Braille

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
117087	Read and write Grade 1 (Uncontracted) Braille
ORIGINATOR
SGB Inclusive Education
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development			Adult Learning
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 4	NQF Level 04	12
REGISTRATION STATUS		REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE	SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		2008-01-22	2009-07-29	SAQA 0160/05
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2010-07-29		2013-07-29

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This unit standard is replaced by:

US ID	Unit Standard Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Credits	Replacement Status
264937	Demonstrate understanding of communication methods for blind or partially sighted persons	Level 5	NQF Level 04	15

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD

The purpose of this Unit Standard is to enable qualified learners to read and write Grade 1 Braille competently. The application of this competence will primarily be to facilitate communication with, or between, persons who are blind or partially sighted in a professional, ethical manner.

Credited learners are capable of:

Sourcing Braille equipment best suited to the purpose of communication

Reading Grade 1 Braille

Writing Grade 1 Braille

Editing written Grade 1 Braille text
Range: Editing means correcting and adapting to specific contexts

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The credits and level assigned to this unit standard are based on the assumption that learners can communicate verbally in one language at NQF Level 4 and at NQF Level 3 in another language.

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

Range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where relevant.
Uncontracted Braille is sign-by-sign Braille where each print letter has a counterpart in Braille, that is, sign-by-sign correspondence between Braille and ink print.
Where the person experiencing visual barriers to learning is a minor, legal guardian/parental consent is required at all relevant times.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Source Braille equipment best suited to the purpose.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Various options for equipment are identified and assessed for suitability

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Equipment is selected according to the purpose for which it is intended

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Equipment is requisitioned in accordance with standard operating procedures

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Integrity and functionality of equipment is verified accurately

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Read Grade 1 Braille.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Combination of dots within cells are identified as described in the code

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Braille letters, signs and symbols are interpreted as described in the code

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Decoding of Braille text is done meaningfully within a specific context

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

Reflection and self correction occur when required

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Write Grade 1 Braille.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Various Braille signs contained in Grade 1 code are accurately identified

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Braille is written using a combination of dots within cells to produce letters, signs and symbols as prescribed in the code

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Texts are produced meaningfully within specific contexts

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

Reflection and self correction occur when required

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Edit written Grade 1 Braille text.

OUTCOME RANGE

Editing means correcting and adapting to specific contexts

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Braille text is read and the meaning interpreted as prescribed in the code and within specific contexts

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Inaccuracies in the Grade 1 (Uncontracted) Braille texts are identified based on requirements specified in the code

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Inaccuracies in the Grade 1 (Uncontracted) Braille texts are rectified based on requirements specified in the code to optimise readability of text

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Braille texts are edited to enhance overall readability within specific contexts

UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS

Assessment of learner achievements takes place at providers accredited by a relevant ETQA (RSA, 1998b) for the provision of programmes that result in the outcomes specified for this unit standard.

Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with a relevant ETQA.

Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider with a relevant ETQA.

The relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures will oversee moderation of assessment and is responsible for moderation of learner achievements of learners who meet the requirements of this unit standard.

UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE

Credited learners understand and can explain:

Methodologies and techniques for reading and writing Braille, including the concepts of dots and cells

Grade 1 Braille codes/rules, letters, signs and symbols

Equipment options, integrity, functionality and purposes

Factors impacting on readability of text

Standard operating procedures for requisitioning

Inclusion within the SA context
Range: historical developments, and key legislation, policies, concepts and terminology

UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME

N/A

UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES

N/A

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve editing problems where responses to problems show that such critical and creative thinking has been used to make responsible decisions regarding inaccuracies and readability of Braille text.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community to source Braille equipment in accordance with standard operating procedures.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING

Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively to reflect and self correct reading and writing Braille.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information regarding written Braille text to interpret text, identify inaccuracies, rectify inaccuracies, and enhance overall readability.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively using visual, mathematic and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentation to read and write Grade 1 Braille.

UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA

Assessors should keep the following principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:

Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.

Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the learner is able to perform in the real situation.

Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.

The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.

The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the learner can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.

All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent

UNIT STANDARD NOTES

This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 264937, which is "Demonstrate understanding of communication methods for blind and partially sighted persons", Level 4, 12 credits.

Uncontracted Braille is sign-by-sign Braille where each letter has a counterpart in Braille, that is, sign-by-sign correspondence between Braille and ink print.

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Core	49087	National Diploma: Orientation and Mobility Practice for Blind and Partially Sighted Persons	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"	2009-07-29	Was ETDP SETA until Last Date for Achievement
Elective	67373	National Diploma: Orientation and Mobility Practice	Level 5	NQF Level 05	Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"	2023-06-30	ETDP SETA

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

1.	South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind