Electronic Refreshable Braille Display
January is Braille Awareness Month in honor of Louis Braille’s Birthday, January 4, 1809.
Bonnie Gouzie, former Director of the Access Technology and Employment Services, at The Iris Network in Portland, Maine demonstrates a Focus 80, 80 cell braille display. This display is connected to a Windows 10 computer running JAWS (Job Access With Speech) screen reader. A refreshable braille display converts the text appearing on the computer screen into braille. In addition, users may use the braille input keys to type. Even though braille is input, it is converted on the screen into text. Braille input is as fast, 90 words per minute, as keyboard entry.
With the adoption of braille e-readers, the National Library Service Talking Books program has made it possible for patrons to receive, at no cost, and electronic 20-cell braille display on which books can be downloaded and read in braille. This is a game changer for braille readers.
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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