Write an article based on this "Get a braillewriter. Learn the keys. Go high tech."
A Perkins braillewriter is a device much like a standard typewriter, except for it has only six keys. Purchase heavy paper to feed into the top of the device. Braillewriters start at approximately $700 and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are designed to be used with a single hand or only require a soft touch. There are also a variety of high tech braillewriters, to be discussed shortly. The large key in the center of the braillewriter is the space bar. Three keys to each side of the space bar represent the six dots alignments in braille. To type a cell, you will need to hold down the keys for all of the necessary dots at the same time. The slightly raised key to the far left is the line down key and the key parallel to it on the far right is the back space key. There will also be a large curved piece of plastic on the top of the machine that serves as a cartage return as well as grey nobs on the side that are used to roll the paper into the machine. In braille the dots are sometimes signified with numbers, where the upper left hand dot is 1, the middle left dot is 2 and the bottom left hand dot is 3. The right column similarly descends from 4-6. If we represent the dots this way, the braillewriter keyboard is arranged: 321 (space) 456. Typewriters, of course, are fairly cumbersome by modern standards. Luckily, there are now electric braillewriters that work on similar principles. Devices like the Mountbatten Brailler and the Perkins Smart Brailler allow you to store documents electronically. They also have audio support and training exercises. Recent Macintosh computers allow you to program a keyboard or even the touch screen of your iPad to serve as a braille typewriter. In this case keys on a typical QWERTY keyboard can be reprogrammed to have the same functions they would on a brailler.