Braille: What Is It? What Does It Mean to the Blind? ( back )( contents ) BRAILLE--WHAT IS IT? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THE BLIND? Braille is a system of reading and writing by touch used by the blind. It consists of arrangements of dots which make up letters of the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation marks. The basic Braille symbol, called the Braille cell, consists of six dots arranged in the formation of a rectangle, three dots high and two across. Other symbols consist of only some of these six dots. The six dots are commonly referred to by number according to their position in the cell: There are no different symbols for capital letters in Braille. Capitalization is accomplished by placing a dot 6 in the cell just before the letter that is capitalized. The first ten letters of the alphabet are used to make numbers. These are preceded by a number sign which is dots 3-4-5-6: Thus, 1 is number sign a; 2 is number sign b; 10 is number sign a-j and 193 is number sign a-i-c: Some abbreviations are used in standard American Braille in order to reduce its bulk.

These must be memorized, but most Braille readers and writers find them convenient, rather than a problem. Braille is written on heavy paper, and the raised dots prevent the pages from lying smoothly together as they would in a print book. Therefore, Braille books are quite bulky. Today there are three methods of writing Braille, just as there are two methods of writing print. A Braille writing machine (comparable to a typewriter) has a keyboard of only six keys and a space bar, instead of one key for each letter of the alphabet. These keys can be pushed separately or altogether. If they are all pushed at the same time, they will cause six dots to be raised on the paper in the formation of a Braille cell. Pushing various combinations of the keys on the Braille writer produces different letters of the alphabet and other Braille symbols. Writing Braille with a slate and stylus compares to writing print with a pen or pencil. The stylus is used to push dots down through the paper, while the slate serves as a guide. The Braille slate can be made of metal or plastic and is hinged so that there is a guide under the paper as well as on top of it.

A person writing Braille with the slate and stylus begins at the right side of the paper and ends the line on the left, since the dots are being produced on the underside of the paper. Of course, the Braille reader reads from left to right, for the dots are then on the top side of the paper. Although this may seem a bit confusing, it need not be at all troublesome, since both reading and writing progress through words and sentences from beginning to end in the same manner. The speed of writing Braille with the slate and stylus is about the same as the speed of writing print with pen or pencil. Just as the personal computer has revolutionized writing in print today, it is also possible to produce Braille more easily and quickly than ever before. Assuming that the proper equipment is available, a computer user can now send a document to a standard printer to produce a paper copy in print or to a Braille embosser to produce the document in Braille. And one need not even know Braille to create this miracle. Braille was first developed in the late 1820's by a young Frenchman named Louis Braille. He created Braille by modifying a system of night writing which was intended for military use.

He did this work as a very young man and had it complete by the time he was about eighteen. He and his friends at the school for the blind found that reading and writing dots was much faster than reading raised print letters, which could not be written by hand at all. The development of this system by young Louis Braille is now recognized as the most important single development in making it possible for the blind to get a good education. It took more than a century, however, before people would accept Braille as an excellent way for the blind to read and write. Even today many people underestimate the effectiveness of Braille. While tapes and records are enjoyable, Braille is essential for note-taking and helpful for studying such things as math, spelling, and foreign languages. It is a matter of great concern to members of the National Federation of the Blind that fewer blind people now have the opportunity to become good Braille users than did twenty-five years ago. Why is this? Many professionals in work with the blind stress recorded media with blind children. Many people who become blind do so in old age and are not encouraged to spend the time and make the effort needed to develop the new reading and writing skills that depend on feeling rather than seeing.

There are even Braille teachers who do not expect speed and accuracy of their blind students. As a result, the students learn Braille as a chore and a drudgery. Experienced Braille readers, however, read Braille at speeds comparable to print readers-200 to 400 words a minute. Such Braille readers say that the only limitation of Braille is that there isn't enough material available. They want more books produced by Braille presses, more books produced by volunteer Braillists in their homes, and wider availability of computerized Braille production. One of the goals of the National Federation of the Blind is to help people appreciate Braille for the efficient system it is. The main difference between print and Braille is simply that print is meant to be read with the eyes, while Braille is meant to be read with the fingertips. Fingers feel dots quickly and accurately; eyes see loops and lines of ink. In both cases it is the brain that processes and reacts to the raw data sent to it by the fingers or the eyes. This article was first written in Braille and transcribed into print to answer the questions of sighted people who cannot read Braille.

If you have further questions about Braille or blindness, write to the National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. ...Braille: Deciphering the Code... ...Braille: Deciphering the Code... People often think that braille is a language. Actually there is a braille code for every foreign language you can imagine including French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, and Hebrew. There are also braille codes for mathematics , music , and computers. The Braille Cell The braille characters make up the letters of the alphabet, punctuation marks, numbers, and everything else you can write in print. The letter "a" is written with only dot 1. The letter "d" has dots 1, 4, and 5. The letter "y" has dots 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. When all six dots are used, the character is called a "full cell." And when no dots are used it's an "empty cell!" The picture below shows you how the dots are arranged in the braille cell for each letter of the alphabet. Do you see a pattern between the lines of the alphabet?

Why do you think the "w" is not part of the pattern? Click here to find out if you're right . a y z See if you can find the letters in your name and tell the dot numbers for each one. Capitalizing in Braille Braille does not have a separate alphabet of capital letters as there is in print. Capital letters are indicated by placing a dot 6 in front of the letter to be capitalized. Two capital signs mean the whole word is capitalized. One Letter Capitalized A Braille Punctuation A "period" is written with dots 2, 5, and 6. (Do you see how it is the same shape as the letter "d," only lower in the cell?) There are other characters for each mark of punctuation such as dots 2, 3, and 5 for an exclamation point. (Do you see that it is the same shape as the letter "f," only lower in the cell? Like the previous example, which is called a "dropped d," this is called a "dropped f").

Braille Numbers Braille numbers are made using the first ten letters of the alphabet, "a" through "j", and a special number sign, dots 3, 4, 5, and 6. # 9 0 Larger numbers only need one number sign. The comma in braille is dot 2, and is used in numbers and with words, too. 3 8 7 The braille code is used for words and for numbers in sentences or page numbers, but when students take math class they learn a different code called the Nemeth code. Expanding the Code Now that you understand how dots are arranged in the braille cell to make the letters of the alphabet and numbers, you're ready to learn more about the code. Braille uses special characters called contractions to make words shorter. We use contractions like "don't" as a short way of writing two words, such as "do" and "not." In braille there are many additional contractions, 189 in all! Using these contractions saves space, which is very important because braille books are much larger and longer than print books. Some contractions stand for a whole word.

For example, when the full cell is used as a contraction, it means "for." Dots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 make up the word "and" and dots 2, 3, 4, and 6 make up the word "the." for = and = the = Other contractions stand for a group of letters within a word. In the example below, you see the contraction "ing" (dots 3, 4, 6) in the word "sing" and as an ending in the word "playing." Likewise, you see the contraction "ed" (dots 1, 2, 4, 6) in the word "edge" and as an ending in the word "played." ing d If you guessed "could," "above," "quick," and "said," you're right! You might think that because short-form words are so easy to spell that children who write braille get a break on their spelling tests. Actually, braille readers also learn regular spelling for typing on a computer. Let's see what kind of difference contractions make in braille.

Look at the same phrase, you like him, in uncontracted braille (sometimes called "grade 1 braille") and contracted braille (sometimes called "grade 2 braille"). What do you notice about the length of the two phrases? Uncontracted Braille: Contracted Braille: Did you notice that the length of the contracted braille phrase is shorter than the uncontracted braille phrase? If you thought there were three contractions, you're right! The word "you" is written with the letter "y" standing alone. The word "like" is written with the letter "l" standing alone, and the word "him" is one of those short-form words written "hm." Other Braille Codes The braille code used for writing regular text in books, magazines, school reports, and letters is known as "literary braille." There are other codes, though, that let people who are blind write just about anything, from math problems to music notes to computer notation! One More Comment About Braille People sometimes ask if it would be easier to use raised print alphabet letters, rather than dots.

When you read about Louis Braille , you'll learn that raised print letters were tried in the early 1800s before he invented braille. However, these letters were very difficult to read by touch, and writing them was even more of a problem. If you ever see an experienced reader's fingers gliding rapidly across a page of braille, you will appreciate the genius of the simple six-dot system. Braille can be read and written with ease by both children and adults. It is truly an invention that is here to stay. Braille Fact Sheet Braille Fact Sheet reset. Reset font size to default. smaller. Decrease font size. Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired 1100 West 45th St., Austin, TX 78756 - (512) 454-8631 Main menu Braille Fact Sheet The history of braille: Braille was developed around 1829 by Louis Braille. At the time of the development of the Braille code, there were several methods of reading for people who were blind, but none were very efficient.

One of the codes that was used employed a system of tying knots in a string to represent different letters. Louis Braille based his system on an existing system of raised dots for reading. About the braille codes: Braille is a system for reading and writing English. It is a code, not a language. A unit in print is a letter, in braille the unit is called a cell. A cell consists of six dots. The dots are numbered making it easy during instruction to communicate about the formation of a particular cell. Since writing a braille cell on a page takes more space than writing a print letter the braille system also uses cells to present a combination of letters. These combinations of letters are called contractions. There are 189 contractions including contractions that represent whole words, parts of words, and shorter forms of words. Learning to read with Braille It is important to remember that learning to read braille includes many different skills. Surely a student who learns to read braille must develop efficient tactual skills but just as important to remember that young children who are beginning to learn to read braille need basic reading skills (reading from left to right, turning pages, phonics, sight words, etc.).

They are learning READING through braille. Older students, on the other hand, who already have reading skills are learning braille as a code. Braille Notetakers—Determining Your Perfect Fit Braille Notetakers—Determining Your Perfect Fit by Amy Mason From the Editor: Amy Mason is an access technology specialist in the Jernigan Institute’s International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. As readers know, Amy does thorough product evaluations, and, given the changes in technology, this article couldn’t be more timely. Here is what she has to say: So many options, so many features, so much money…. When choosing any piece of technology, we have a lot of options to weigh and a lot of information to consider, and with notetaker prices ranging from slightly less than $1,000 to nearly $7,500, a lot of factors must be considered.

Do I want Braille, or just voice; QWERTY, or Perkins-style keyboard; what file formats will I need to open; do I care about accessing the Internet on the device; do I want to get my email on the device; will I want to play music, books, podcasts, and even FM radio; what about reading documents written using PDF; how many cells do I need under my fingertips: eighteen, twenty, thirty-two, or forty cells of Braille? How portable does the notetaker have to be? Can I connect it to my iPhone? How much storage does it have, and how does that storage translate to the number of documents, songs, and lectures I can get on the unit? It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin and long for the simpler days of the Braille ’n Speak, or perhaps even the slate and stylus. Before we get started describing specific models and options, let’s take a minute to look at what a notetaker is and what it is not--at what it can and should do for you and where you are likely to have to find another computing option.

Dedicated Braille notetakers are intended to be the equivalent of the PDA (personal data assistant) or perhaps the smart phone (without the phone capabilities). All current models allow the user to read and write files in a number of formats, keep track of contacts and appointments, do calculations, listen to media files, handle email, create voice memos, and do extremely basic Web browsing. Some offer database creation capabilities, FM radio, games, GPS functionality (usually at an additional cost), and access to social networks. Notetakers cannot take the place of computers in most users’ lives, though they can be fantastic supplements. Computers are far more powerful and flexible than any notetaker can ever be. For instance, notetakers may allow users to open several different file types, but they do not allow a user to format text with different fonts, bold, italics, or bullets, or engage in any other advanced word processing. Computers are upgradeable and can be used for tasks that require too much power to be handled by notetakers—such as audio editing, scanning and recognizing print documents, and storing large quantities of data.

In contrast, notetakers are generally closed platforms, so what you see is what you get; there is little if any possibility for the expansion of the software and capabilities of the device. In the same vein, notetaker hardware is generally behind mainstream hardware in connectivity and interoperability with other devices. Internet browsing is limited to the type found in cell phones and is not nearly as robust as even the browser in the iPhone or Android handsets. Because of these limitations and the extremely high cost of this specialized hardware, some blind people are abandoning notetakers in favor of laptops and even iOS devices, with or without a portable Braille display. Notetakers most certainly have a place since they have some unique advantages over other solutions. First of all, they are built to be convenient. Unlike a Braille display and iOS device or laptop, they are one single, portable unit. Their battery life is generally far superior to those of laptops or iOS devices. They are simple to use and allow for an instant-on experience. Second, they are the primary option available for people who want to read and write electronically in Braille.

Notetakers generally have better Perkins keyboards than do Braille displays that allow users to write in six- or eight-dot Braille; and most back-translation-via-screen-access software, including what is available on iOS devices, introduces some level of added complexity to the process of typing Braille. Having outlined some of the major advantages and disadvantages of notetakers over mainstream solutions, let’s compare and contrast the four families of notetakers available now. Notetaker Family Comparison Note: Some characteristics vary widely from one notetaker to another in the same family. Please see comparison charts within each section for more complete details. Physical and Hardware Comparison $6,379 Product Overview The BrailleNote and VoiceNote Apex are the latest models of the long-standing BrailleNote line of notetakers. They are based on a system of applications known as “KeySoft,” which have their own rich history in the market and are very popular and well-known devices. The BrailleNote line is a fairly long-standing and regularly updated product line, which gives it both advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other products in the market. First let’s look at the good points.

KeySoft and the BrailleNote have been around for a while, so they are well known and widely used in the community. If you have a problem, it is a distinct possibility that you can find another user who can help you, before you ever have to go to tech support. In the same way the onboard help system and other documentation is well written and logical. It has had a lot of time to mature, so there aren’t many surprises in the way the system is laid out. Another advantage of this device is that in the world of notetakers it is the simplest to learn and use for many consumers because of the very comprehensive context-sensitive help available at any point in this suite of programs. Furthermore, its functions are extremely consistent. Things work the same way from one program to the next with quite reliable functionality, which cannot always be said for the competition. It’s very popular in schools for a number of reasons, but one of the greatest is this consistency in its layout and functionality as well as its sheer longevity in the marketplace. One of the BrailleNote’s standout features, which may not be recognized for its brilliance at first, is the book reader application.

It allows a user to open a file for review and know that he or she won’t damage it. It almost always remembers the user’s place, and it allows a user to set options for reading the file that will stay with that file whenever it is opened in that application. It is that simple, which may not sound like much, but for serious readers or those who are often interrupted in their reading, it’s very convenient, and it’s pleasant to know that you will not come back to see surprises in your file because of unintentional key presses. The book reader is also the application used for reading DAISY books, and it allows a user to bookmark and even leave text notes in the book for later perusal. These features are useful for anyone, but students or others who are studying material for later examination will find it extremely useful. The hardware is fairly competitive since it offers much of what users would expect in a modern mobile device. Wireless, Bluetooth, and compatibility with a fairly large number of third-party peripherals (keyboards, monitors for visual use, and storage cards) make it a fairly flexible device in spite of the fact that this class of devices is limited by its hardware and software.

Another feature which may be of interest to some users is that the BrailleNote offers a game application that allows users to play text-adventure games. It’s not strictly necessary, but games are certainly a nice touch, especially since notetakers are often used as much for entertainment as for educational or vocational pursuits. Having looked at the advantages of the BrailleNote family of devices, it is time to turn our attention to some of the less positive aspects of the device. First, though the consistency of the brand is mostly positive, in one area it is less so. The BrailleNote devices are all the same shape and size. Therefore, if all you have is a BrailleNote 18, or even a VoiceNote, it will weigh nearly as much and be just as large as a 32-cell notetaker. A number of people are interested in the pocket-sized notetaker, but HumanWare does not offer anything to suit such a user. Another area where consistency can work against a BrailleNote user is that occasionally the global exit and help commands can override commands intended for the host device when the BrailleNote is being used as a Braille display. This is especially apparent in iOS devices.

Next, the BrailleNote is not able to open .DOCX files. Since programs that create these files have been around for five years now, this is becoming an increasing problem for BrailleNote users. Finally, an important point to consider when purchasing a BrailleNote is the fact that as of now HumanWare is the only company still charging for software upgrades for its notetakers. This may change as the landscape shifts, but for now it is an important factor to consider. Having said this, students who need access to NIMAS files, those who wish to take notes on DAISY material, or those who have been using a BrailleNote product for a long time and who are happy with the features and functionality provided by the device will find the BrailleNote Apex a strong competitor for consideration as a new notetaker. Final Thoughts The BrailleNote line of devices can be loaded with a few specialty applications which will add some fairly powerful additional functionality to the device. These include the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus, a Sendero GPS solution called BrailleNote GPS, and, most uniquely, a Nemeth Braille tutorial.

If you are interested in learning more about the BrailleNote line of notetakers, contact: HumanWare USA, Inc. 1 UPS Way, P.O. Box 800 Champlain, NY 12919 $5,995 Product Overview The Braille Sense line of notetakers has only begun to gain real traction in the United States in the last few years. They are manufactured in South Korea and were originally seen as devices with above-average hardware in comparison with the competition but somewhat clunky interfaces and poor documentation. As time has passed, however, the interfaces have largely improved, the hardware continues to improve, and the Braille Sense now offers some unique features which make it a legitimate competitor in the U.S. market. The Braille Sense line includes a number of hardware configurations in order to meet different users’ needs. Therefore the hardware in this family of devices should be carefully compared to find the best fit, since it varies widely. The Voice Sense is an extremely small and light device. The Braille Sense PLUS and U2 lines are still quite portable (but somewhat larger because of the thirty-two-cell Braille display), while the OnHand is a smaller, eighteen-cell machine.

Keep in mind some important differences when considering the options if you are interested in a Braille or Voice Sense. For example, the Voice Sense with the Perkins keyboard lacks internal storage in comparison to the other models, and only certain models offer the LCD display, which may be important to deaf-blind users or those in a training or teaching environment with a sighted instructor. Another unique hardware feature in the U2 and the upcoming U2 QWERTY which may be of interest to users is the ability to have system sounds muted in favor of a vibration feature. This is likely to make the device far more discreet, especially for those who already run the device with Braille only and will be a boon when a user is unable to listen to the device for whatever reason. The U2 and OnHand include embedded GPS, but all other models will require adding a Bluetooth peripheral if the user wants to use GPS. Most models make it simple to attach USB or Bluetooth keyboards if the user needs to use a QWERTY keyboard with the Perkins model devices, and they have a fairly wide level of support for NTFS- and FAT-formatted storage devices.

Software is a somewhat difficult topic to discuss at this time because in conjunction with the hardware refresh which is currently occurring, HIMS is preparing to launch version 7.0 of the firmware for the Sense line of devices. This changes the landscape in a number of ways, but, since the new firmware has not been available for testing and comparison, these features cannot be discussed in detail. They are expected to include IMAP mail, file encryption (per file), a Bookshare search-and-download application, and, most interestingly Google Maps integration. It is going to be very exciting to see how these features, particularly IMAP and Google Maps, will be integrated, because no other notetaker offers anything like them. Several commercial GPS solutions are presently available, but this will be the first time that a notetaker is pre-loaded with access to map information (though it will likely require an Internet connection for turn-by-turn and is very likely to require one to access the mapping feature). If the implementation is solid, it may well be a very powerful feature in the U2 line because a user could connect it to a 3G dongle and have both Internet and GPS anywhere without the added cost of a GPS application.

It is not expected to be quite as full-featured as a solution like Sendero, but it may be all many people want or need. Now that we’ve looked at what the future may hold, it is important to talk briefly about what the Braille Sense offers at present. One unique feature of the device is the ability to use it as a mass storage device. For those who aren’t worrying about syncing contacts or calendar information, it is not necessary to install ActiveSync or Mobile Device Center. Instead users can simply plug in and treat the device like a big thumb drive. Furthermore, it also supports file sharing with other computers connected to the local network. Any device has downsides, and the Braille Sense line is not exempt from this truth. First, these devices are unable to read Learning Ally files, which would make them less ideal for some students. Language support is a good bit weaker at present than with other models, although this may be remedied in part by the upcoming firmware enhancement. Second, the settings in the word processor are not persistent unless the user sets them to apply to all files.

In other words, if users set up an NLS Braille file for reading—setting the reading mode to compressed and the file to read-only—and then closed the file, the next time they opened it they would have to do the same thing again. The ability to keep a persistent set of settings on a per-file basis is something that other notetakers are capable of and would be a real boon for users of the Braille Sense as well. Finally, the manual and other documentation materials are not as clear and well written as are those of some of the competition. Although these documents have improved significantly over time, users will still have to work with a few rough patches to get a complete picture of what’s happening on the device. Finally, although it has worked with previous versions, it is important to add that the Sense devices, due to changes on Apple’s side, do not work with the most current iOS firmware (5.1). This problem should be remedied in future iterations of iOS. Despite these flaws, all in all the Braille Sense family of products is pretty easy to recommend.

With the ability to use the Braille display of the device with PC and Mac screen-access software, updates to both hardware and software coming fairly regularly, and enough options to meet most users’ needs, the Braille Sense family of products is comprised of sound machines that are likely to continue to improve. Final Notes HIMS offers some additional software packages for the Braille Sense line. They include the Sendero SenseNav GPS solution, which may or may not (depending on your model) require a separate Bluetooth GPS receiver to function fully. They also offer a single language or bilingual dictionary. Right now English and Spanish are supported, but with the upcoming 7.0 firmware French and Italian will also be available. Finally, HIMS offers a free program called SenseBible, which includes several versions of the Bible that allow the user to search or browse at his or her convenience. For more information about the Braille Sense family of products or accessories for these devices, contact: HIMS, Inc. $2,695 Product Overview The PAC Mate is unique among notetakers in the United States for a number of reasons. First, as mentioned above, it is based on the concept of modularity, so it is the closest to being an expandable platform.

It uses Windows Mobile 6 as its base operating system, so any program that the user can find which is available for this platform and accessible with Pocket JAWS is available to install on the device. Users can also install drivers for certain hardware components if they wish to add them. Furthermore, it is loaded with mainstream Windows Mobile software, specifically Pocket Word, Excel, PowerPoint (read-only support), and Outlook, as well as specialty software created by Freedom Scientific. These features are unique. No other notetaker offers Excel or PowerPoint compatibility. The hardware was also built to be expandable. The basic unit can be purchased from Freedom Scientific, and, if desired, the Braille display can be purchased separately and physically connected to the device at a later time. This allows the display to be removed to lighten the load or to be used as an external USB Braille display with a computer. The display or the PAC Mate itself could even be sent in for repairs while leaving the remaining device in user hands. They could use their display with a laptop while the notetaker was in for repair or use the notetaker set to speech-only if the display were unavailable.

Another major feature that makes the PAC Mate an interesting choice is the option to have twenty- or forty-cell Braille displays as well as fairly rich embosser support. Since most Braille production is still done on pages that support forty characters across a line, it may be of benefit to transcribers who want to work on formatting of documents on the go and in fact could allow embossing simple jobs directly from the device. The PAC Mate is the only notetaker sporting this pair of features in the market at this time. The final uniquely positive feature of the PAC Mate is the price. It is by far the least expensive notetaker on the market. The price of the hardware is directly affected by some of the limitations of the device, so it is important to look at the issues carefully before making any decision. Speaking of limitations, the expandable nature of the PAC Mate is no longer such a benefit as it once was. The device itself has not had a hardware upgrade in years, and it is reliant upon extraordinarily outdated hardware, software, and peripherals. Ethernet, WIFI, and Bluetooth are all provided by expensive (and increasingly difficult to find) Compact Flash adaptor cards. The software is equally outdated.

As previously mentioned, the PAC Mate is based on Windows Mobile 6, an operating system that is no longer supported by Microsoft and, more important, less and less supported by application developers. Several of the software packages that once made the PAC Mate more flexible than other notetakers are not being sold any longer, and even Freedom Scientific seems to have largely abandoned the device, since no new firmware has been developed since 2010 nor any sort of hardware refresh since the Omni was released in 2007. The PAC Mate is also far larger and heavier than any of its competition, and that includes mainstream devices like iPads and many notebook computers. If, despite these limitations, you wish to consider the PAC Mate, it is useful to know that the learning curve is a bit steeper than with most other notetakers because it was built modularly, so you are dealing with software and hardware from multiple vendors to get a complete solution. That said, the manual and other help documentation are quite complete and well written. All in all, the PAC Mate was extremely powerful in its heyday and still has some unique features that are unmatched in the marketplace; but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to support as software and hardware peripherals are becoming scarcer.

Sad as it may be, it may be time to retire this venerable device. Final Notes Freedom Scientific offers a pair of programs at an additional cost for the PAC Mate line. The first is a GPS package called StreetTalk VIP for the PAC Mate, which works with an external GPS receiver and a number of maps placed on a Compact Flash card. The second is a deaf-blind communications system that allows a deaf-blind user to communicate with another person using a computer called Face-to-Face. For more information about the PAC Mate line of products or accessories for these devices, contact: Freedom Scientific, Blind/Low Vision Group 11800 31st Court North $7,495 Product Overview Last but not least, we will look at the Pronto! family of notetakers. These devices are still fairly obscure in the United States, but they are sold here and have a few uniquely compelling features. Part of the reason for their obscurity is that they are built by the German company BAUM Retec and sold through a fairly small distributor in the U.S., Bay Area Digital. A large part of what makes the Pronto! unique is its hardware.

The line consists of three devices: the QWERTY voice-only model; Pronto! eighteen, which is a compact and light notetaker; and the highly unique Pronto! Forty, which includes a forty-cell Braille display as well as an interchangeable keyboard interface so that users can change between QWERTY and Perkins on the fly. The Pronto line has unique hardware features such as the interchangeable keyboard on the 40 and the integrated compass, thermometer, and other sensor devices. The sensors, with the exception of the compass, seem like rather unusual choices, but they may be useful to some. Furthermore, the Pronto! 18 is a physical near-match to the HumanWare BrailleNote PK, since the PK was actually a device whose hardware was built by BAUM and whose software was created by HumanWare. So those who are familiar with and particularly fond of the PK hardware would feel at home physically with the device. The other great advantage of the Pronto! line is the extensive language support. It includes several languages not offered by any other notetaker on the market, so, if you need unique language support and are set on a notetaker, it may be worth considering a Pronto!

The software in the Pronto! is somewhat unpolished and under-localized. For the most part functions work as they should, and some rather interesting features should be noted, such as the ability to place audio tags on storage media or the option to type more quickly by striking the space bar with the last character of a word, but these are balanced by some strange quirks in the software. One notable example is the need to enter configuration files to change the default length of recordings instead of finding this option in the Settings panel with other settings. A final software concern is that it is not created especially for this market, so some features like support for Audible, NLS, Learning Ally, and other U.S.-centric content are unlikely to be present any time in the near future. Although the Pronto! is interesting, it is not a notetaker for the faint of heart. Users are likely to have a steep learning curve because the documentation is poorly translated in places and very limited instructional information is available on the Internet. Another point that works against this line is the fact that tech support is fairly limited here, and much of the assistance available for new users comes from mailing lists, since the redistributor is quite small.

They work hard to provide assistance, but they have limited resources, which will affect both training opportunities and tech support or repairs that are needed. It is entirely possible that the Pronto! line will continue to mature as a product for the United States market, and it may one day become a full-fledged competitor here; but, unless the user has very specific requirements, it may be worth holding off on this interesting but somewhat impractical line. Final Notes If you are interested in learning more about the Pronto! line contact: Bay Area Digital Website: < Conclusion This article contains a lot of densely packed information, but it’s important to add some final pieces of advice specific to making a decision on a notetaker. As with buying most other pieces of technology, first—if at all possible—do your best to touch and explore the device you are considering. You may discover that, even though the feature set sounds promising, a device’s keyboard may be too cramped, or perhaps it weighs too much or won’t be easy to carry with your other devices. It is imperative to know whether the physical aspects of a device will suit you as well as the less tangible features. If it is uncomfortable, your device won’t get the kind of use it otherwise might.

Second, it is important to look at the features offered by the hardware you are considering, since it must meet your needs not only today, but for many years to come. You don’t want to get stuck with something you can’t use in a year or two because you can’t get peripherals or tech support or can’t open files that you need to use. Remember that notetakers will be around for a while yet, and none of these options are likely to disappear from the market any time soon. Take your time and consider the choices available. You’ll make a better decision, and in the end you will be far happier with your choice. Third, consider the possibility that a notetaker may no longer be the right answer for you. With the advent of smart Braille displays such as the Perkins Mini, the Braille Edge, ALVA BC640, and others, you are no longer limited to having to choose a full-fledged notetaker if all you want to do is read and write simple text documents and interact with other devices. Finally, if you do choose to purchase a notetaker, take the opportunity to future-proof your investment if at all possible.

It is in the consumer’s best interest to consider maintenance agreements and other such insurance on these pricy devices. Although some general recommendations have been made in this article, it is impossible for someone to make a decision about the right piece of technology for anyone else. I hope that this article has helped you to determine what features are most important to you in a notetaker, and that the information provided is of assistance to you as you make a decision about whether or not a notetaker, or a Braille display and a computer, or iOS device, or something completely different is the right choice for you. NLS Factsheet: About Braille About Braille Reading by Touch Braille is a system of touch reading and writing in which raised dots represent the letters of the alphabet and numbers, as well as music notes and symbols. Braille contains symbols for punctuation marks and provides a system of contractions and short‑form words to save space, making it an efficient method of tactile reading. Braille is read by moving one or more fingers along each line. Both hands are usually involved in the reading process, and reading is generally done with the index fingers. Usually, one hand reads the majority of one line while the other hand locates the beginning of the next.

Average reading speed is approximately 125 words per minute, but greater speeds of up to 200 words per minute are possible. By using braille, blind people can review and study the written word. They may become aware of conventions such as spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, and footnotes. Most important, braille provides blind individuals access to a wide range of reading materials—educational and recreational reading as well as informational manuals. Blind people also are able to pursue hobbies and cultural enrichment with such braille materials as music scores, hymnals, playing cards, and board games. The History of Braille The system of embossed writing invented by Louis Braille in 1821 gradually came to be accepted throughout the world as the fundamental form of written communication for blind individuals. Various methods—many of them raised versions of print letters—had been attempted over the years to enable blind people to read. The braille system has succeeded because it is based on a rational sequence of signs devised for the fingertips, rather than imitating signs devised for the eyes. In addition, braille can be written by blind people and used for any notation that follows an accepted sequence, such as numerals, musical notes, or chemical tables.

Braille has undergone many modifications, particularly the addition of contractions representing groups of letters or whole words that appear frequently in a language. The use of contractions permits faster reading and helps reduce the size of braille books, making them less cumbersome. Several groups have been established over the past century to modify and standardize the braille code. The major goal is to develop easily understood contractions without making the code too complex. The official braille code, English Braille, American Edition, was first published in 1932 by what is now the Braille Authority of North America (BANA). This organization represents many agencies and consumer groups and has been responsible for updating and interpreting the basic literary braille code and the specialized codes for music, mathematics, computer braille, and other uses in the United States and Canada. Other countries have similar authorities. Louis Braille: A Remarkable Inventor In 1821 a blind twelve-year-old boy took a secret code devised for the military and recognized in it the basis for written communication for blind individuals. Louis Braille, enrolled at the National Institute of the Blind in Paris, spent many years developing and refining the system of raised dots that has come to be known by his name.

The original military code was called night writing and was used by soldiers to communicate after dark. It was based on a twelve-dot cell, two-dots wide by six-dots high. Each dot or combination of dots within the cell stood for a phonetic sound. The problem with the military code was that a single fingertip could not feel all the dots with one touch. Braille created a reading method based on a cell of six dots. This crucial improvement meant that a fingertip could encompass the entire cell unit with one impression and move rapidly from one cell to the next. Early Life Braille himself was blind from the age of three. He was born in the village of Coupvray near Paris on January 4, 1809. One day he was playing with a sharp tool belonging to his father, a harness maker. The child accidently injured one eye with the tool and developed an infection that later caused total blindness. Until 1819, Braille attended the local village school, where his superior mental abilities put him at the head of his class. He received a scholarship to the National Institute of the Blind, where he was the youngest student. Soon afterward, he began the development of the embossed code.

In 1829 he published the code in Procédé pour Ecrire les Paroles, la Musique et la Plain-Chant au Moyen de Points, which also contained a braille music code based on the same six-dot cell. After he developed his system for reading and writing, Braille remained at the institute as an instructor. Eventually an incessant cough made it impossible for him to lecture. He died at the age of forty-three, and was buried in the family plot in the village cemetery in Coupvray. In 1952, on the centennial of his death, his body was ceremoniously transferred to the Pantheon in Paris. A monument to Louis Braille stands in the main square of Coupvray. The Braille Alphabet The braille cell, an arrangement of six dots, is the basic unit for reading and writing braille. Sixty-three different patterns are possible from these six dots.

For purposes of identification and description, these dots are numbered downward 1-2-3 on the left and 4-5-6 on the right: 1 ● ● 4 2 ● ● 5 3 ● ● 6 (Note: As shown here, the “●” symbol represents a raised braille dot in the six-dot configuration. The “○” symbol represents a position in the cell where no braille dot occurs.) The first ten letters of the alphabet (a–j) use only the dots in the upper two rows of the cell. a ● ● ○ ● The letter “w” is an exception because the French alphabet did not contain a “w” when the code was created; the symbol for “w” was added later. Braille and Advances in Technology Access to information in braille has evolved considerably in recent years. Braille can now be translated and formatted with a computer. Braille characters can be entered directly into a computer with six keys on the computer’s keyboard. In addition, text that is entered into a computer via scanning or typing can be put into braille by using special software programs.

Braille embossers can take output from a computer and produce single- or double-sided braille materials in a fraction of the time it took to create braille by hand. While this process represents a major advance in braille production, computer-assisted braille translation is not perfect and materials must always be checked by a qualified braille proofreader. Blind individuals use devices with refreshable braille displays to take notes, read braille materials, prepare school assignments, and perform many other tasks in braille that were not possible even twenty years ago. These advances in braille technology have had a profound impact on educational and professional opportunities available to blind braille readers. Braille Transcribers and Proofreaders Throughout the United States, dedicated braille transcribers and proofreaders work, often on a volunteer basis, to produce braille materials. These materials supplement the books and magazines produced in quantity by NLS and other organizations. Sighted and blind individuals may become certified after completing a lengthy, detailed course of braille transcribing, culminating in the award by the Library of Congress of a certificate of proficiency in the appropriate braille code.

Their activities include transcribing print material into braille, duplicating/embossing copies, binding braille books, preparing materials for use with electronic refreshable braille displays, and proofreading. Many braille transcribers and proofreaders work as volunteers for NLS and its national network of cooperating libraries that distributes books and magazines to blind and physically handicapped readers, state departments of special education, and local school systems. Many individuals work as volunteers to gain the experience necessary to be hired by braille production agencies and school systems. The National Braille Association (NBA), a professional organization for transcribers, provides transcribers with guidance and professional development opportunities. Brailling is a skill that requires training, intellectual curiosity, patience, meticulousness, and the abilities to work under pressure and to understand and follow directions. Braille transcribers report a great sense of accomplishment in learning a completely new system of reading and writing, and in empowering blind people to independently access the reading materials they need for education, work, and other life activities. BR002 About Braille: Cells, Codes, Indicators, Contractions Cells versus Codes: Braille Basics What is braille?

The word braille has two different meanings; it can refer either to a braille alphabet or to one of the many braille codes . Cells What is a braille alphabet? A braille alphabet is a set of characters or cells designed for reading by touch. The standard or six-dot braille alphabet--which is the one described on this site--is the one usually intended unless explicitly indicated otherwise. (There are also extended character sets .) Standard cells have one to six dots. The dot positions in a cell are arranged in two parallel columns of three positions each. The alphabet is composed of all 63 possible braille dot patterns that can be created from the different arrangements of one to six filled positions. The adjacent picture shows the cells arranged in rows according to the number of filled positions. There are six different cells with one dot and six with five dots, fifteen each with two dots and four dots, and twenty cells with three dots--which are displayed in two rows. There is, of course, only one cell with six dots. In contrast to other alphabets, including the Roman alphabet, the cells have no conventional meanings.

The meaning of a particular braille cell is determined by the particular braille code being used and usually also depends on local context. Further discussion of the context-sensitive meanings of braille cells is discussed in the section on braille codes and also in the page on DotlessBraille™. A braille cell or sequence of braille cells that has a single meaning, such as two cells that create an uppercase letter, is generally called a braille symbol; the print character or sequence of characters that are transcribed by a braille symbol is called a sign. Although this useage is standard in braille, it is somewhat at odds with the terminology of semiotics and can be confusing to the novice. What is a dot pattern? A dot pattern is the arrangement of dots that make up a particular braille cell. The most widely-used method of specifying a dot pattern is to list the position numbers of the dots. The standard numbering system for dot positions numbers the positions for the left-hand column from 1-3 starting at the top of the column and from 4-6 for the right-hand column, again starting at the top of the column.

For example, the cell with all six positions filled is called dot pattern 1-2-3-4-5-6. The ALT parameters displayed when hovering over the dots in the logo at the top of our main page use this standard system. Further discussion of methods for specifying dot patterns is discussed in the section on braille analogs . What is a lower-cell dot pattern? A lower-cell dot pattern is one in which all the filled dot positions are in the lower two-thirds of a cell; there are no dots at the top of either column. This designation is usually applied only to the ten dot patterns created by shifting the ten upper-cell dot patterns for the letters a-j and not to the other five dot patterns in the lower two-thirds of the cell. What is an upper-cell dot pattern? A upper-cell dot pattern is one in which all the filled dot positions are in the upper two-thirds of a cell; there are no dots at the bottom of either column. This designation usually refers to the ten dot patterns for the letters a-j and not to the other five dot patterns in the upper two-thirds of a cell. What is an extended braille character set? There are several types of extended braille characters sets.

The most common one simply uses cells that have eight, rather than six, dots. A single eight-dot cell can be used to replace a standard two-cell symbol. For example, an upper case letter can be indicated by an extra dot in position 7 at the bottom of the left column, rather than being preceded by a separate capitalization indicator. Another type of extended braille character set, called DotsPlus , has either six or eight dots and includes other tactile symbols besides dots. (The eight-dot characters have only begun to gain in popularity with the use of refreshable braille displays . DotsPlus requires a special printer.) Codes What are braille codes? Braille codes are systems--elegant, concise and very human systems--for transcribing printed material using a braille alphabet. (Note that the use of the word code is similar in meaning to its use in the phrase computer code, that is, "a system of symbols given certain arbitrary meanings and used for transmitting messages requiring brevity.") The three main codes used by Braille readers in the United States are the English literary code , the Nemeth code for mathematics and science, and the Music Code.

Other codes used in the United States include the Computer Braille Code--a one-for-one transcription used for programming languages and literal expressions like web addresses--and specialized codes for sciences like chemistry. There are also codes based on the use of extended braille alphabets. This proliferation of codes has led to a call for a Unified Braille Code. The advantage would be that a braille reader would only have to learn one code; the difficulty is that a general code would be less efficient for any particular application than a specialized code. There are also many braille codes used for transcribing material printed in non-English languages--including languages that don't use the Roman alphabet. The two most unique aspects of the literary and math codes are the use of embedded markup characters and of contractions . Because of the limited number of cells in the standard braille alphabet, braille codes allow the cells to have multiple meanings. That is, they treat each dot pattern as a set of what I call semantic cells or s-cells . (A braille symbol can be either a single s-cell or a sequence of s-cells.) The meaning of a dot pattern depends on both the particular braille code in use and on local context.

This is why braille equivalents that use one print character for one dot pattern aren't much help to people who don't know braille. The context-sensitivity of braille is very different from that of print. Context often enriches the meaning of a print symbol and sometimes it takes several print characters to create a symbol: a single character intended to be subscript, for example, wouldn't be recognized as such in isolation. However, English text doesn't have the analogous situation to braille where the relative placement of a character can so completely determine semantics. For example, the dot pattern 2-5-6 has three meanings in literary braille: (1) at the start of a word it is the symbol for "dis", (2) in the middle of the word it is the symbol for "dd", and (3) following a word, it is the period punctuation mark. In the Nemeth code, it is also means the numeral four when it follows the Numeric Indicator which, of course, requires that Nemeth use a different dot pattern for the decimal point than a period.

The basic way that DotlessBraille™ would simplify sighted understanding of braille is to use a different print representation for each unique meaning of each braille cell as used in a given code. What is the literary braille code? The literary or English braille code , sometimes called Braille 2 or contracted braille, is the most widely-used code in the United States for transcribing printed material using the standard, six-dot braille alphabet and is the one assumed here unless otherwise specified. (There is also an uncontracted form of English braille that is sometimes called Braille 1.) The literary code uses single cells as symbols for letters, part-words such as 'th' and 'ing', whole words such as 'and', punctuation marks, and indicators . Most of the single cells have additional context-dependent semantics including use as full-word and part-word contractions . The literary code also makes use of multiple-cell sequences for contractions. The Nemeth code, Figure. Nemeth numerals. originally developed by Dr. Abraham Nemeth around 1950, is used for transcribing mathematical expressions. Nemeth is used in the United States for elementary math textbooks as well as highly technical material.

(There are other braille mathematics codes in use in other countries.) Nemeth is essentially a superset of a slightly modified literary braille. The most notable modification to literary braille is for numerals, which use the corresponding lower-cell dot patterns rather than the upper-cell ones. Since the lower-cell dot patterns are the same as the punctuation marks, Nemeth requires the use of a Punctuation Indicator for changing back to that symbol set as well as a Numeric Indicator. The Nemeth code is intended to reflect the appearance, presentation, or syntax of mathematics more than its semantics. This allows a braille transcriber to transcribe mathematical texts with little knowledge of the underlying mathematics. Further discussion of the relationship between this characteristic of the Nemeth code and transcribing issues is on the page on transcribing. Lots of additional information about the Nemeth code has just (February 2002) been posted. Start here to learn more about Nemeth. This page was last changed March 2, 2002.

Review of Esys Braille displays | AppleVis Review of Esys Braille displays Submitted by Maya Pureseva on 19 January, 2014 - 10:30 Review: Hello Applevis community! It’s my first review, so I apologize if there are any formatting issues or other inconsistencies. I’ve been browsing the Applevis website but didn’t find much information related to these Braille displays here or on the web, so maybe my experience will be somehow helpful for those who are picking a Braille display for their I-OS devices and would like to use their display as a standalone notetaker. Introduction Http:// There are several models ranging from 12 to 80 cell displays, (available options are a 12, 24, 40, 64 and 80 cell display). I personally have a 12-cell model and it’s perfect for using with the IPhone or any other I-device.

Features and basic functions The best thing about Esys is that it includes basic note taking functions and can work as a Braille display paired with your PC, Mac via USB or Bluetooth or IOS device as well as a standalone notetaker which makes it similar to the Braille Edge 40 and Perkins Mini. The set of internal programs is not as rich as it is on other Braille notetakers, but it’s a great solution for storing your notes and reading books. There is a notepad, a very basic file manager that allows you to create files and folders, rename and delete them, an agenda, an alarm-clock and a calculator. Your data is stored on micro Sd-cards. When you buy Esys a two-gb card is attached to it, but you can use micro sd cards up to 32 gb in size. I wish there were more supported file formats though, currently TXT, BRL and BRF are supported. Nevertheless, it saves me a lot of trouble when I need to read a book or report or take notes, I can easily put it in my purse or pocket.

At the top of the unit there is an eight-dot Braille keyboard which is quite easy to use, routing cursor keys and two joysticks are below it, there is a Braille display with two thumbkeys under it serving as the spacebar and backspace keys. on the front of the unit there are two navigation wheels. Battery life is quite durable, of course it all depends on how you use the device or whether you’re using Bluetooth, but you’re guaranteed a 15 to 20 hours performance and of course you can always use it on AC. Esys has a socket adaptor or you can charge it via USB. Pros and contras •Portability The display is really light and compact, easy to carry around, it would be great to get a strapped carrying case for it but I don’t know if these accessories are available. •Excellent battery life Battery life is not bad for a Bluetooth display, I can use it for four or five days without charging. •Easy navigation The two joysticks allow switching between grade I and II on the fly, and you can quickly flick through the items and rotor settings on your IDevice and scroll pages. •Reasonable price-tag It’s cheaper than more advanced notetakers.

Here where I am its price is nearly the same as that of Focus14. The sources I found sell it for $1495. However, there are a few things I don’t like about Esys, but it’s all the matter of personal preference, after all I don’t think there is something called a perfect Braille display and minor inconveniences are always present: •Typing on a Braille keyboard takes some getting used to The keyboard is producing a bit of clicking noise, whereas in Focus it is more quiet, not a serious flaw but still. I’m generally satisfied with the layout but the Braille keyboard could be more flexible to the touch. •The battery is not detachable, so replacing it may be problematic. •You can choose a 24-cell model and invest some more money into it but as I have only 12 cells, I wish it could be just a tiny bit bigger, 16 cells at least. Scrolling constantly may be annoying.

But if you want a portable and not very costly Braille display and you don’t read large quantities of text but enjoy reading, texting and writing on the go, Esys12 is a perfect solution for you and especially handy and productive with your IPhone. Conclusion My overall impression of Esys series is generally positive. I’ve been using my Esys for about 6 months, and it didn’t disappoint me so far. I wish I could have a chance to explore Focus14 and other mini-Braille displays more, so I can compare their speed and efficiency. If there is something that I forgot to cover in this review or if you have any questions, feel free to post your comments or write privately. Take care, happy brailling and thanks for reading! Devices Accessory Was Used With: iPhone

Question: What is the basic unit of Braille called?
Answer: Cell