The development of a new test of children's braille-reading ability

Abstract

This article outlines a project (School of Education, University of Birmingham) which aims to develop a new comprehensive test of children's braille-reading skills. The Project Management Group has decided to adapt the new print Neale Analysis of Reading Ability (1989) for braille users. This diagnostic test of prose-reading ability yields measures of reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. When adapting narratives for use by braillists, several key areas require careful consideration including assessing comparative difficulties, capitalization and the replacement of pictures. These areas are addressed, as well as other matters concerned with the standardization sample and the rationale behind the decision to opt for the Neale test.