Darren Paskell has written another blog for National Braille Week. This one is all about the latest, exciting innovations in braille technology for blind and partially sighted people.
BRAILLE CONTINUES TO BE THE TACTILE READING AND WRITING SYSTEM OF CHOICE FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
Original post on TPT by Darren Paskell, Tech Info Champion at TPT
It remains fresh, relevant and revolutionary today, nearly two hundred years after Louis Braille first demonstrated its practical potential.
THE EMERGENCE OF ELECTRONIC BRAILLE
When thinking of braille, you may conjure up mental images of permanent dots embossed on a solid surface like those dots present on such physical items as medicine packaging, signage or perhaps vast collections of braille books – my school copy of the Oxford Children’s Encyclopaedia comprised 59 braille volumes, each twice the length and breadth of the 10 print volumes in the set! Thankfully, electronic braille devices are much more manageable and beginning to offer affordable braille access to a wealth of materials which might have otherwise remained beyond the reach of braille readers.
BRAILLE ON THE GO
So-called braille note-takers have existed for decades, usually coming equipped with a line of refreshable braille dots capable of displaying a single line of text and an electronic braille keyboard based on the design pioneered by Perkins brailler machines for half a century. So, what’s new? A new generation of braille note-takers including the Orbit Reader 20 and Braille Me, are being sold for a fraction of the price such devices once commanded. These innovations have even inspired the creation of smaller refreshable braille devices such as the Dot Watch Braille smart watch. Braille note-takers and displays are also becoming increasingly interoperable with mainstream tech, enabling seamless braille support for virtually any modern smartphone, tablet or computer.
BRAILLE IN SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES AND UNIVERSITIES
Innovations in single-line braille note-takers and displays have also accelerated development of larger, multi-line electronic braille devices, such as the Canute 360 Braille e-reader developed by Bristol Braille Technology. This device displays braille by page and can provide access to a whole library of material, a breakthrough which could transform the braille production process by significantly reducing braille translation and distribution costs.
A SNAPSHOT
These examples offer a small snapshot of recent exciting developments in modern braille technology. The Vital Tech website has information on the latest Refreshable Braille Displays.
Check out our other blog on where to find braille in everyday life. Also look out for a brief video demonstration of the Orbit Reader 20 and Canute 360 coming this week.
Original post on TPT by Darren Paskell, Tech Info Champion at TPT
