Grade 2 Braille translator.
Type your sign text and get Unified English Braille with every dot placed to the 2010 ADA Standards, California 11B or Canadian CSA B651 dimensions. Copy it, or download the dots as SVG or DXF for your router, laser or raster process. Free for sign makers.
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Dot numbers for proofreading
Proof before you produce. This tool follows Unified English Braille (UEB) Grade 2 and the 2010 ADA Standards dot dimensions, and it is designed to ADA guidelines. Translation software can still differ from a person's reading, so have the braille proofread, and check local codes. Final compliance depends on how the sign is made and installed. Nothing you type is sent to our server.
How many signs from one sheet?
Enter your sign size and pick a sheet or roll. The calculator tries both directions and keeps the one that fits more signs.
Braille dimensions in the 2010 ADA Standards
The 2010 ADA Standards (still the federal rule, unchanged for signs) give ranges in 703.3.1, and ICC A117.1 matches them. California’s CBC 11B fixes the spacing at single values. The tool keeps your numbers inside the rule set you choose.
| Measurement (inches) | 2010 ADA / A117.1 | California 11B |
|---|---|---|
| Dot base diameter | 0.059 – 0.063 | 0.059 – 0.063 |
| Dot to dot in the same cell (center to center) | 0.090 – 0.100 | 0.100 |
| Matching dots in neighbouring cells | 0.241 – 0.300 | 0.300 |
| Dot height | 0.025 – 0.037 | 0.025 – 0.037 |
| Matching dots, one cell to the cell below | 0.395 – 0.400 | 0.395 – 0.400 |
| Braille below the raised text | 3/8 min | 3/8 min, 1/2 max |
Placement reminders
- Braille goes directly below the matching raised text (below the whole text block on multi-line signs).
- Mounting: raised text 48–60 in above the floor to the baseline. Codes based on ICC A117.1 also keep the braille baseline between 48 and 60 in; California measures 48 in to the lowest braille.
- Keep at least 3/8 inch between the braille and the raised text, other tactile items and raised borders.
- Use Grade 2 (contracted) braille, as the 2010 Standards require for signs.
- Capital letters are used only for the first word, proper names, single letters, initials and acronyms.
- Dots must be domed or rounded – set your drill or bead size to the dot diameter you choose here.
- Contrast is changing: ICC A117.1-2026, referenced by the 2027 building codes, asks for 65% contrast using the colors’ LRV values. It applies once your state adopts it (expected 2027 onwards).
Want the whole sign laid out – raised text, braille, pictogram, mounting height and a customer proof? Try the ADA sign maker – free to design.
Need the whole job drawn? Our Sign Desk prepares production-ready ADA-style sign drawings with raised text and Grade 2 braille, white-labelled for your shop.
Questions
Which braille code does this use?
Unified English Braille (UEB), the code adopted in the United States in 2016. Grade 2 uses the standard contractions, for example "the" and "st" become one cell each.
What changes for California and Canada?
California’s CBC 11B uses fixed braille spacing (0.100 in within a cell, 0.300 in cell to cell) and keeps braille 3/8 to 1/2 in below the raised text. Canada’s CSA B651:23 uses Unified English Braille and means uncontracted (Grade 1) braille unless stated otherwise. Pick the rule set at the top of the tool.
How is the contrast check worked out?
It uses the LRV formula from ICC A117.1-2026: (lighter LRV − darker LRV) ÷ lighter LRV × 100, with 65% as the target. The LRVs here come from on-screen colors, so they are estimates. For a real job, use the LRV values on your material supplier’s data sheet and put them on the shop drawing.
Why did my capitals change?
With "ADA capitals" on, words typed in all capitals are written in lower case, because the 2010 Standards use capitals only for the first word, names, single letters, initials and acronyms. For an acronym such as ATM, turn the option off.
What is inside the SVG and DXF files?
One circle for every dot, at true size in inches or millimetres, on a layer called BRAILLE. There is no text in the files, so you can place the braille under your own raised lettering.
Is the result guaranteed to pass an inspection?
No tool can promise that. Use the result as a carefully made starting point, have it proofread, and follow your local code and your fabrication method.
Braille translation by liblouis (LGPL), the open-source braille library used by screen readers worldwide.
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