Refreshable Braille and National Library Service (NLS)
January is Braille Awareness’ Month in honor of Louis Braille’s birthday on January 4.
Six years ago, a pilot program was announced with Perkins Library and National Library Services (NLS) to test the new Orbit Reader 20 with a group of 100 patrons. With a refreshable braille display, files can be downloaded to a computer, phone or a device like the Orbit Reader 20 that supports refreshable braille. Just like a digital book, a reader then reads the book for an electronic, paperless version. The Orbit was replaced with both the Humanware and Zoomax 20-cell braille displays and NLS patrons may now request, at no charge, one of these braille e readers to download books and read them on the refreshable braille display.
This is even more significant for a braille reader, because paper braille often requires more volumes of a larger size for a comparable print book. For example, one of the Harry Potter books might be11 volumes of braille in a book measuring 11″ by 10.5.” Try carrying that around in your backpack!
Up until the Orbit Reader 20, it has been the cost of refreshable braille displays that has limited the migration of braille from paper to refreshable braille displays. Paper braille, like paper print, may be waning, but the relevance of braille, like print for that matter, is only increasing in the digital age!
Learn braille yourself: Hadley has several ways to learn braille—the Braille by Touch workshop series, and the Braille by Sight series. Registration is free. Call Hadley Help Desk at 800-323-4238 for more info.
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