High Tech Devices
As students progress in their braille reading and writing skills, they will likely be introduced to more high tech devices, similar to having a student graduate from a typewriter to a computer. You will likely be unfamiliar with much of these high-tech braille writing devices. Don’t worry. Your teacher of the visually impaired will help you learn about these devices and will explain how they will be used in your classroom. The following are list of high tech devices that your braille-reading student may use in your classroom.
Electric Perkins Brailler
The Electric Perkins Brailler is a high-tech option of the regular Perkins Brailler. It’s electric feature allows the braille user to press down on the keys with minimal force. This machine is a good option for users with weak finger strength.
MountBatten Brailler
Like the electric Perkins Brailler, the MountBatten Brailler is an electronic brailler writing device that allows the writer to use minimal force to emboss the braille. However, its capabilities go beyond just an electronic writing tool. Like a computer, the MountBatten brailler can edit, save and read written work. This technology can connect to computer to access web pages and saved files. Finally, the MountBatten Brailler can be connected to a regular computer keyboard so that classroom teachers can type out assignments without needing to know the braille code. In addition, work completed by the student can be translated into print and printed out on a regular printer.
Refreshable Braille Notetakers (Braille Note and PacMate)
Notetakers, such as the BrailleNote or PacMate are much like a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Like a small computer, these notetakers can be used for word processing, accessing the internet, computer games, calculator, spread sheet, address book and schedule and recording voice messages. Recently, braille notetakers have started to be used as GPS devices for travel by the blind and visually impaired user.
Individuals can read materials through a refreshable one or two line braille display which changes (refreshes) as the document is being read or use the speech output option to listen to the text. This refreshable braille display can be connected to a computer to access print documents from a regular computer.
Students who have a good understanding of the braille code and are cable of navigating through different computer operating systems are good candidates for using refreshable braille notetakers, such as the Braille Note and PacMate.
Computer with speech output
JAWS, (which stands for Job Access for Windows and Speech) is a user- friendly screen reading program that can be used with regular computers or refreshable braille notetakers. JAWS can allow the user to operate a regular computer without the use of a mouse. It allows the user to access different types of software on a computer, including word processing, internet and spread sheets.
Kurzweil 1000: This software allows the visually impaired user to read, write and listen to materials. Kurzweil 1000 can be used braille transcribing software, such as Duxbury (DBT) to convert print to braille for embossing.
Duxbury Braille Translator: This braille-transcribing software allows electronic print materials to be turned into an electronic braille file. Files can be saved as DBT file or embossed into braille hard copy.
Dragon Naturally Speaking is a speech to text software. With this tool, the user can dictate materials into a microphone. The dictation is translated into print on a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Kurzweil. The higher versions of DNS allow the user to listen to their dictation in their own voices.
Scanners
Scanners are an important part of the lives of many braille-reading students. Student materials, such as textbooks, are often scanned into the computer and later accessed through the JAWS or Kurzweil 3000 programs. Your student’s braillist may also use scanners to scan textbooks which are later embossed into braille.
Embossers
Braille embossers are essential tools for any braille-reading student. These machines turn print materials into braille materials. There are many types of embosser. The most sophisticated ones can produce braille on both sides of a page (interlined). New embossers are able to produce print on a line on top of the braille. Braille embossers are valuable pieces of technology when placed in the classroom, but can be very noisy when in use.