Braille Solutions
Below you will find information on refreshable braille displays, braille embossers and translation software, portable note-taking devices and more.
Navigational Aid: Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a network of 24 satellites used to pinpoint a position on earth. A receiver about the size of a cell phone is plugged into various computing platforms, such as braille note-takers, stand-alone computing platforms, or personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, so you can receive announcements about your position or other points of interest.
Ease of Use
A GPS is simple to use and anyone can learn the various features included in a device within a few hours.
Pricing Information
Price range from around $200 - $1,600 depending on the features included.
Some Vendors and Products
- VisuAide: Trekker for PAC Mate
- Pulse Data HumanWare: BrailleNote GPS
Portable Note-Taking Devices
Portable note-taking devices are small, lightweight devices equipped with a braille or typewriter-style keyboard for input and synthetic voice. Some note-takers also contain a braille display (between 18 and 40 characters) for output.
Note-takers are excellent tools for recording notes in school, at home or at work. They often have additional features such as a calculator and a calendar function. Newer models have a built-in modem, which allows the user to access e-mail as well as surf the Web.
When connected to a PC, files can be exchanged, or information can be sent from the note-taker to a braille embosser or to an ink printer.
When linked to a PC using a screen reader, note-takers equipped with a braille display can act as a braille output device.
Ease of Use
Experienced braillists or typists can learn the basic functions of a portable note-taker with about 12 hours of training.
Pricing Information
Note-takers with speech range in price from $1,300-$2,200. Those equipped with braille display range from $3,500-$5,900, depending on the size of the display.
Some Vendors and Products
- Artic Technologies: Ergo Braille, Braille Pad, Braille Desk, Trans Type
- Freedom Scientific: Braille Lite series, Braille N' Speak, Type N' Speak, Type Lite, and PACmate
- Pulse Data HumanWare: BrailleNote series, VoiceNote series
- Robotron Group: Aria
- Sighted Electronics: ELba
Braille Embossers and Translation Software
A Braille Embosser is a device used for "printing" text documents in Braille. Embossers can be noisy; covers, also called "quietizers", are available to reduce noise. Braille translation software is required to translate computer text into several grades of Braille. This software is compatible with Windows, MS-DOS, Microsoft Word, and WordPerfect. Some embossers such as the Index series and the Tiger line allow for the embossing of text and graphics on the same page.
Ease of Use
Anyone, including people who do not have Braille skills, can learn to use a Braille embosser and associated translation software within a few hours.
Pricing Information
There are many Braille embossers on the market and the price generally depends on printing speed. Prices start at about $1,800. Translation software starts at about $500.
Some Vendors and Products
Braille Embossers:
- ViewPlus Technologies: Tiger Embossers (Pro, Max, Cub, Cub, Jr.)
- Enabling Technologies: Romeo series, Juliet series, Thomas, ET, BookMaker, Marathon, BraillePlace, PrestoBraille signmaker, KGS BrailleLabeler
- Freedom Scientific: VersaPoint Duo, Braille Blazer
- Sighted Electronics: Porta-Thiel, Index series, Everest, Impacto
Braille Translation Software:
- Duxbury Systems, Inc: Duxbury Braille Translation Software, Duxbury Braille Board
Refreshable Braille Displays
Refreshable Braille Displays are electronic devices that are used to read text that a computer sends to the monitor. The device is connected to the computer through a USB or serial port and produces Braille output on the Braille display. Refreshable Braille displays only read one line of text at a time. These displays generally include directional keys, which allow the user to navigate through a document. Larger displays (80 cells or more) also include a cursor routing function. Each cell contains eight small pins, allowing eight-dot computer Braille rather than the traditional six-dot Braille.
Ease of Use
These devices require hours of training to use and should only be used by experienced Braille readers.
Pricing Information
Prices of refreshable Braille devices start at about $2,000 for a 20-character display, $4,000 for a 40-character display, $8,000 for a 65-character display (corresponding to one full line of print on the computer screen), and go as high as $12,000 for an 80-character display.
Some Vendors and Products
- Advanced Access Devices: SuperBraille
- ALVA Access Group, Inc: ALVA Satellite series, ALVA Delphi MultiMedia series, ALVA ABT3 series
- Freedom of Speech, Inc: Braille Windows Display
- Freedom Scientific: PowerBraille series, Focus, PAC Mate Portable Braille Display
- Pulse Data HumanWare, Inc: Braille Star
- Sighted Electronics: BRAILLEX series