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 Braillers. A
Brailler is small two-handed keyboard used for typing text that
can then be printed in standard print or on a Braille embosser.
Each strike of several keys together (specified
by a fixed code) creates a produces a single
Braille “cell” (standard
2x3 pattern of dots) standing for a letter or word. Paper
can be inserted directly into a Brailler for embossing. Newer
designs
also include an output port to a computer so that standard text
can be displayed on a screen and as synthesized speech.
Braillers
are available from:
Portable
note-taking devices. These are small, lightweight
devices equipped with a Braille
or typewriter-style keyboard for input and
synthetic voice. Some note-takers also contain a Braille display
(between 18 and 40 characters of electronically
controlled raised Braille cells) for output. Note-takers are excellent tools for
recording notes in school, at home or at work. They often have
additional features
such as a calculator and a calendar function. Newer models have
a built-in modem, which allows the user to access e-mail as
well as
surf the Web.
When a note-taker
is connected as an input to a PC, files can be exchanged, or
information can be sent from the
note-taker
to a Braille embosser or to an ink printer. When used as the
output from a computer running a screen-reading program, note-takers
equipped
with a Braille display can act as a Braille output device.
Portable note takers are available from Independent Living Aids,
Inc.
(1-800-537-2118, http://www.independentliving.com/home.asp),
MaxiAids (1-8000-522-6294,
http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp)
and other vendors that carry technology for vision impairments.
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