Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This letter is in response to Aaron Preece's December 2018 article, The Insignia Smart TV, Fire TV Edition: an Exploration and Review.

Thanks so much for including the mention of magnification and the list of TV models, sizes, and prices.

If AccessWorld is still doing its series on TV and entertainment, please consider reviewing the Fire TV Recast, our over-the-air DVR that ties into Fire TV (though you can also use your Echo Show or iOS/Android device to set it up and use it) and will record scores of hours of broadcast TV (including, of course, audio described broadcast TV). It comes in two models — one with 500GB of storage and two tuners, and another with 1 TB of storage and four tuners, so you can record 2 or 4 shows simultaneously! You can connect it to your network via Ethernet or WIFI, and then stream recorded shows over your internal network or over the Internet (to watch something you recorded when you aren't at home). Prices start at $229.99 (though currently on sale starting at $189.99).

Moving to the kitchen, Amazon recently released the AmazonBasics Microwave oven, expressly designed to work with Alexa. While it doesn't include a microphone or speaker, this $59.99 microwave has a dedicated, raised Alexa button on the front panel. Pair it with an Echo in your home, and you can then use Alexa to cook. Amazon staff has really enjoyed reading the customer reviews from our blind customers. I think AccessWorld readers would love to learn about this product.

Regards,

Peter Korn, Director, Accessibility, Amazon Lab126

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This letter is in response to Bill Holton's December 2018 article, A New Way to Obtain JAWS and ZoomText.

Looks like Narrator from Windows X works. If the new Narrator was considered […] a joke by Freedom Scientific, the prices would not come down so drastically. From more than $1,000 to less than $100 for three licenses… I have not used the new Narrator yet, but this approach for Freedom Scientific says a lot.

Regards,

José Antonio

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This letter is in response to Deborah Kendrick's December 2018 article, How ABLE Accounts Can Benefit Eligible People with Visual Impairments.

It sounds like a great program, and it seems the author did a superb job at implementing advice and suggestions for individuals to subscribe to this program.

I have a few questions regarding the program that maybe the author or anyone in the AccessWorld community can answer. Does anyone considering joining the program have to be a US Citizen to subscribe? Does a person who is wanting to be eligible for the program have to have a doctor certifying the person with the disability? Can a school, or through an I.E.P., [certify a person to enter the program]? How can I get information on whether the state I reside in will implement this program in the future?

Thank you so very much, and I look forward to seeing more information about the ABLE program.

Sincerely,

Avila Humberto

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

Thank you for Deborah Kendrick's December 2018 article, How ABLE Accounts Can Benefit Eligible People with Visual Impairments.

The article referred to this type of account as a "tax-advantaged" account, but never really defined what that meant. This may lead the reader to think that, like an IRA, one can deduct the money they put into this account from their Federal taxes, which is as far as I know not the case. The tax advantage comes from the fact that no taxes are paid on money earned from the investments the money goes into. Some states also allow you to deduct a certain amount of what you put into the account, but this is not always the case.

It would be great if this information is verified and further explained to the reader for the sake of clarity.

Happy holidays and keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Zuhair Mahmoud

Announcing the 2019 AFB Leadership Conference

February 28–March 1, Crystal Gateway Marriott

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is pleased to present the 2019 AFB Leadership Conference, which will cover the most pressing and relevant topics in the field of blindness and offer many opportunities to learn from the best and brightest minds in our field, make new connections, and reunite with old friends.

Held annually, AFBLC attracts established and emerging leaders in the blindness field. Conference attendees include technology experts, corporate representatives, university professors, and researchers. They come from diverse organizations and institutions spanning the public and private sectors.

The conference will have five primary areas of focus, including leadership, aging and visual impairment, education, technology, and employment. We are pleased that the National Rehabilitation and Training Center on blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University will hold its State-of-the-Science conference during AFBLC, presenting research findings on important aspects of employment and visual impairment. An exciting program is being finalized and will be released soon, so please check the AFBLC page for updates. The 2018 AFBLC attracted approximately 400 attendees from 40 states and four countries.

Attendees will receive a special group rate of $195/night at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. Reserve online through our dedicated reservations page. If you prefer to speak with a reservations specialist, please call 888-236-2427 and reference our conference to get the group rate.

If you are interested in sponsorship, advertising, or exhibiting opportunities, please contact Amanda Kolling directly.

Vispero (formerly VFO) Announces ZoomText and Fusion 2019 updates

Vispero recently announced the December updates for ZoomText 2019 and Fusion 2019. The December updates deliver new "ClearSharp" smoothing and improved support for Microsoft Edge, Cortana, Office 2016 and 365, alongside other improvements.

These free updates for users of ZoomText 2019 and Fusion 2019 can be downloaded and installed over top of previous ZoomText 2019 and Fusion 2019 installations. The downloads are available from these webpages:

• ZoomText 2019 Downloads
• Fusion 2019 Downloads

You can also use the ZoomText or Fusion update wizard to get the December update by following these instructions:

On the ZoomText 2019 toolbar, choose ZoomText > Manage License > Check for Updates.

On the Fusion 2019 toolbar, choose Fusion > Manage License > Check for Updates.

Checking for updates will launch the update wizard and walk you through the update process.

To learn about all of the changes in the ZoomText 2019 and Fusion 2019 December Update, see the What's New in ZoomText and Fusion 2019 webpage.

National Braille Press Announces Opening of Submissions for Touch of Genius Prize

The National Braille Press's Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is now accepting entries. The Touch of Genius Prize was developed to inspire entrepreneurs, educators, or inventors to continue the promotion of braille and tactile literacy for blind and deafblind people worldwide. This prize can be granted for innovative and accessible computer software, Android applications, iOS applications, or tactile hardware that promotes braille and/or tactile literacy. NBP encourages all applicants to think outside the box as to what can be used to help improve the lives of blind people.

The winner of this prize will receive up to $20,000 to help them continue to innovate in the fields of technology and education for blind people. Frank Gibney and the Gibney Family Foundation helped fund and establish this award in 2007, inspiring people to go beyond what was thought possible.

The deadline to apply is January 11, 2019. Full application details and more information can be found at the National Braille Press website.

William L. Hudson BVI Workforce Innovation Center Secures Contract for SatPaq Satellite Messaging Accessory

Representatives Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired to Provide Customer Service For Product that Delivers Satellite Communication to Mobile Devices Outside Coverage Areas

Envision recently announced the William L. Hudson BVI Workforce Innovation Center has received a contract to provide customer service for SatPaq, a lightweight pay-as-you-go satellite messaging accessory sold by Higher Ground LLC, based in Palo Alto, California. The product delivers connectivity to smartphones in areas outside of cellular coverage. This is the first contract to be awarded to the BVI Workforce Innovation Center, which was launched earlier this year by Envision and Durham-based LC Industries, two of the largest employers of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country. The center's objectives are to train individuals with visual impairments, place them into skilled positions and provide accessibility inclusion expertise to businesses around the United States.

As part of the agreement, a team of representatives with visual impairments who are fully versed on SatPaq and its customer service protocols will offer first-level interface and support from within the BVI Workforce Innovation Center, housed on the fifth floor of Envision's Wichita headquarters. Customer inquiries will be received by email and phone and typically responded to within 24 hours.

The innovative SatPaq technology has been in use since last December by National Park rangers, county search and rescue teams, Homeland Security agents, US Army Special Operations Forces, and power hikers. In addition to inexpensive two-way text messaging, the device provides access to location-based precision weather services, on-demand AI-guided first aid advice, roadside assistance, tracking, social media posting and 24/7 emergency assistance. Late last month, Higher Ground made SatPaq available for purchase by outdoor enthusiasts, those caught in the midst of natural disasters and others who find themselves with no other means of communication.

"This is a very exciting partnership for us," said Mike May, executive director of the BVI Workforce Innovation Center. "As an organization that employs staff with visual impairments, we have great appreciation for technologies that break down barriers to connectivity and communication. Our team has been trained to handle a wide range of issues and respond quickly and professionally. This will be a great opportunity to show how simple ? and effective ? it can be to put willing and able employees who are blind or visually impaired to work in technology jobs."

The 70 percent unemployment rate within the visually impaired segment of the population has remained disproportionately high compared to individuals without disabilities. Lack of inclusion, accessibility, and accommodation in the workplace create significant barriers to the generation and availability of jobs. Higher Ground and the BVI Workforce Innovation Center hope their partnership will be an example to businesses everywhere about the need for workplace inclusivity for people of all abilities.

"We are very pleased to be working with the BVI Workforce Innovation Center and be part of groundbreaking efforts to expand employment opportunities for adults who are blind or visually impaired in professional positions," said Rob Reis, president of Higher Ground LLC. "We were impressed by the skills and capabilities of the team in Wichita who were very eager to learn and even more eager to help. I'm very confident they will form a very efficient, effective interface with our customers."

For additional information about the BVI Workforce Innovation Center can be found on the BVI Workforce website.

About Envision: Envision promotes advocacy and independence for those who are blind or low vision. Founded in 1933, Envision is one of the largest employers of individuals with vision loss in the nation. Headquartered in Wichita, Kan., Envision's mission is to improve the quality of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education and research. For more information, visit the Envision website.

About LC Industries: Founded in 1936, LCI's mission is to provide meaningful employment for people who are blind. Since its founding, the company has grown to manufacture more than 2,500 different products and supply more than 4,500 products to military bases from its 36 Base Supply Stores and two distribution centers in Durham, N.C., and Las Vegas, Nev. For more information, visit the LC Industries website.

About Higher Ground: Higher Ground LLC, a Silicon Valley technology company, is the fourth successful start-up from serial entrepreneur, Rob Reis. Investment capital for Higher Ground provided by KFI, BergVC, Global Real Estate and Intelsat Corporation. For more information about SatPaq, visit the website.

The American Foundation for the Blind Now Accepting Applications for its 2019 Scholarship Program

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) administers 4 post-secondary education scholarships for up to 8 deserving students who are legally blind. The available scholarships for 2019 are detailed below.

The Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship: Four scholarships of $2,500

Requirements:

Full-time Undergraduate or Graduate student

Studying rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind and/or visually impaired

The Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship: Two scholarships of $2,000

Requirements:

Full time Undergraduate or Graduate student

Studying engineering or computer, physical, or life sciences

The R.L. Gillette, Gladys C. Anderson, and Karen D. Carsel Memorial Scholarship: One scholarship of $3,500

Requirements:

Female undergraduate student

Studying music

The Delta Gamma Foundation Florence Margaret Harvey Memorial Scholarship: One scholarship of $1,000

Requirements:

Undergraduate or graduate student

Studying rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind or visually impaired.

Visit the AFB scholarships website for further information and to complete an application.

Please direct all scholarship questions to:

Aaron Preece, Scholarship Coordinator

Telephone: 304-710-3034

E-mail: apreece@afb.net

The thrill I felt when first unwrapping the package is one that will resonate with any lifelong reader of braille. It was Christmas 2017, and my daughter was especially excited about one particular gift as she placed it in my hands. A rectangular box, about eight inches long and two inches wide, it had a certain heft that signaled something elegant might rest within. The possibility was confirmed when, as the gift-wrap fell away, my fingers touched lovely, Grade 2 braille on the top of the box.

"The Bradley Timepiece," the top line announced. And beneath it: "Designed to touch and see."

In this month of celebrating braille and all things tactile, I am exploring with you whether or not this Bradley Timepiece is a welcome innovation for readers of braille everywhere—as well as for those who know nothing at all about the six-dot literacy system.

A Short History of the Bradley Timepiece

When Hyungsoo Kim was a student at MIT, it troubled him that a friend and classmate who happened to be blind had to ask others for the time. The blind student had a talking watch, but also had enough social savvy not to press its button and thus bark the time (and the fact that he was monitoring it) to everyone within hearing. A blind person, it seemed to Hyungsoo Kim, had as much right to check the time discreetly as anyone else. Not only did he—and others who joined his pursuit—want to develop a way of telling time that was functional and discreet, but he also wanted to develop a watch that was different in a positive way, a watch that was, as the company logo says today: "beautiful, functional, and inclusive." Moreover, he wanted a watch that wasn't exclusively designed for blind people, but rather, a watch that everyone, including blind people, could enjoy.

Meeting the Bradley

After I removed the welcoming sleeve announcing in print and beautiful braille that this is a Bradley Timepiece, the rectangular jewelry box opened with a flip-up lid and greeted me with even more braille. A booklet, formed exactly to fit the shape of the rectangular container, relates the tale of the Bradley Timepiece. Again, this information is presented in lovely contracted braille. The Bradley timepiece was nestled in its container, below the booklet.

Here is a personal note about my own experience with telling time: I have never been a fan (or even been marginally interested) in watches that blare the time announcement for all to hear. I have, however, had braille watches of one sort or another since the second grade. Traditionally, these have a hinged crystal that lifts up, allowing the wearer to touch the hands and face of the watch. Dots indicate the 1 through 12 positions on the analog face, and one can quickly learn to discern by touch where the small and large hands of the watch are pointing. While this is definitely a discreet way of accessing the time, braille watches have been more functional than stylish.

The Bradley has neither a crystal nor moving hands. It does have a "face," similar to an analog clock, with raised markings to indicate the positions of 1 through 12. Each of these is a simple line, radiating to the outer edge of the face, with the exception of the indicator at the 12 o'clock position, which is a triangle. The time is displayed by noting the positions of two magnetized ball bearings. On the front of the timepiece, one ball bearing moves to indicate the minutes. Around the edge or side circumference of the timepiece, a second ball bearing rolls in a groove and indicates the hour. Each of these ball bearings moves along a recessed track. The track for the ball bearing indicating the hour is cut into the rim of the watch, while the track on the face, for the minutes indicator, is between the raised markings and a dime-sized flat surface in the center of the face. At the three o-clock position near the back or bottom of the timepiece, closest to your wrist, is a small knob-like protrusion the company refers to as the crown. To adjust the time, you pull out the crown, turn it counterclockwise, and observe the time progressing clockwise on the watch. When the desired time is reached, press the crown in to lock it into place.

The Bradley comes in a variety of materials and colors. Gold, silver, bronze, black, brown, are colors listed on the site for watches; the strap, as well, is available in various shades, and is available as stainless steel or leather.

The Bradley Timepiece runs on a Renata 371 button cell battery, which lasts for about two years. As with any watch, the company recommends taking the Bradley to a jeweler or watch repair establishment when the battery needs replacing.

Using the Bradley Timepiece

It takes a bit of practice to tell time successfully and efficiently with the Bradley, but once you have acclimated, it is quick and easy to touch the watch and know the time. If you move one of the ball bearings accidentally, a quick shake of the wrist will pull them back into alignment. Although the watch is not completely water resistant, it can withstand small amounts of water such as a rain shower or water splashed while washing hands.

The Bradley is promoted as a watch for both blind and sighted people, and indeed, one of the most rewarding things about owning one is the high number of compliments I received. It is a striking piece of jewelry that can be worn by both women and men, evidenced by my own experience of hearing frequent comments from both sexes. People want to touch it and, fortunately, since the ball bearings readily shake back into place, it is a wish that can be accommodated without harm. It is fun wearing a watch that others find beautiful, and there is some satisfaction in wearing a watch that has a story that is compelling and patriotic.

The Bradley gets its name, incidentally, from its spokesperson, Brad Snyder, a former Naval officer turned gold medalist Paralympian who lost his sight in 2011 while deployed as a bomb diffuser in Afghanistan.

Is this product, as its promotional materials proclaim, beautiful, functional, and inclusive? The Bradley Timepiece is a unique and lovely piece of jewelry that presents a tactile alternative for discreetly checking the time. It is produced by a company that presents its product as being appropriate for everyone, blind or sighted, and presents blindness with absolute dignity and respect. It does, in other words, deliver.

Prices range from $260 to $310, and free shipping is available in the United States and United Kingdom.

For more information or to order a Bradley Timepiece, visit the company's website.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• The Ditto: A Wearable Notification Center for Your Mobile Device by Scott Davert
• The Apple 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference Keynote by Janet Ingber

More by this author:

• BosmaForce: Training Blind People for an Exploding Job Market
• Book Review: Writing Your Way: Composing and Editing on an iPhone or iPad, by Judy Dixon

Wearable technology is not new to the mainstream and adaptive technology markets. AccessWorld reviews this technology, which ranges in price from $39.95 for the Ditto to $599 for an Apple Watch with Cellular, more and more frequently. Like all technology, wearables offer various functions, features, and levels of accessibility.

The subject of this review is a unique entry into the wearable technology market. Unlike any other device in this category, the Dot Watch 2 has a 4-cell braille display. It works with both Android and iOS devices, making notifications from these platforms available to the deafblind. It has some unique functions that allow limited use of the watch without braille knowledge. Though these features will be briefly discussed, the focus of this review will be on the Dot as a companion to a smart phone. Unless otherwise noted, Dot Watch will refer to the second generation. The first generation was discontinued in June 2018.

Dot Watch Packaging and Contents

The Dot Watch arrived in a very plain package. After opening the box, things became more interesting. After removing the plastic from the second box, I received some rather nice tactile surprises in terms of how the watch was packaged. Along the left side of the box, the words "Dot Watch" were embossed in braille. On the right side, the words "Reinventing tactile communication" were written. On that same side, the word "manual" was written in braille on a strip of paper taped to the braille manual. Pulling on this paper opened the box, revealing its contents.

The first item in the box is the manual. Though slightly dated, it covers the basics, complete with tactile graphics of the watch. To get the most up-to-date version of the manual, consult the User Guide found in the mobile app, or the guide on the Dot Incorporation website.

Underneath the manual is the Dot Watch along with the proprietary charger that connects to the bottom of the watch. The Dot comes with the wristband already attached and is ready to wear. The User Guide recommends charging the watch before the first use.

The charger has a magnetic, circular attachment on one end where the bottom of the watch connects, and on the other end a standard USB plug that can be plugged into any power supply. To line up the magnets on the watch and charger, find the small indentation on the bottom of the watch. On the charger, there are three dots forming the braille letter L. Lining up the indentation on the watch with these dots properly aligns the magnets for charging. If the battery is not completely drained, the watch will vibrate to indicate it is charging. If there is no vibration, it's likely the watch battery is completely dead. In this case, wait a few minutes for the battery to charge, then turn the Dot Watch on by pressing and holding the Home button for three seconds.

Description of the Dot Watch

The housing of the Dot Watch is aluminum. It's circular, and about the size of an Apple Watch, though proportioned differently. It's in a 43-millimeter case. On the right side of the watch, there are two buttons on either side of a crown. The crown can be turned clockwise or counterclockwise. With the buttons on the right (I wore the watch on my left wrist), the button closest to you is Home while the other is Select. The Home button puts the watch in Standby mode while the Select button wakes it. A protective cover over the face helps keep debris from entering the 4-cell display. On a slightly lower surface is the 4-cell braille display itself. On the other side of a metal bar that is level with the watch's protective cover, you will find another bar. Behind that, located parallel to cells 2 and 3 are the touch sensors used to pan the display. The sensor under cell 2 pans backward, and the one under cell 3 pans forward.

The wristband that comes with the Dot Watch feels quite elegant. It is made of a magnetic mesh and feels very similar to the Milanese Loop for the Apple Watch. Like the Milanese Loop, the Dot Watch band is secured to your wrist using a magnet.

Waking the Dot Watch

To wake the Dot Watch, press the Select button. The Dot Watch will vibrate, and something resembling braille will be shown on the display, though the user will be unable to make sense of it. Dot Watch operates in two modes: Tactile and Braille. By default, the Tactile mode is enabled, and uses a braille code Dot Incorporation designed themselves. You can read further details in this section of the manual. For example, if the time is 3:00, cell 1 is blank while cell 2 contains 3 pins. Each dot in cells 3 and 4 represents five minutes. While this is a unique concept that works differently when using the Timer and Stopwatch applications, it requires learning a code unique to the watch. To switch between modes on the Dot Watch, press Home, Select, and then Home again.

If you wish, you can switch the Dot Watch's orientation, so it can be worn on your right wrist. To do this, press Home twice followed by two presses of the Select button. Then, press Home twice, and then press and hold Select. If this sounds too complicated, you can switch the orientation using the app once it is paired to your phone.

Pairing the Dot Watch With Your Smart Phone

Before pairing a Dot Watch to a mobile device, first download and install the mobile application. Apps are available for both iOS and Android. Please be aware that you want the Dot Watch 2 application, not the Dot Watch 1 application. This app is compatible with iOS 9 and later and Android version 4.4.4 and later. Note that the Android app will not be reviewed, as I do not own an Android device, though the experience should be similar. I evaluated the Dot using my iPhone 8 running iOS 12.1.1.

After downloading, launch the Dot Watch 2 application and register. After registering, you are ready to pair your Dot Watch. All portions of the Dot Watch app are fully accessible using VoiceOver with speech or braille. I found the pairing process to be simple and straightforward. Please read about how to pair the Dot Watch here. Though there is a way to set the time without being paired to a mobile device, once a connection is established, the Dot Watch will automatically synchronize with your phone, and show the correct time.

The Dot Watch App

After you have registered and paired the Dot Watch, you will be placed in the first of four tabs known as My Watch. The other tabs are Clock, Functions, and Settings.

My Watch

My Watch displays information concerning the watch and your account. The first element welcomes you, and the second shows battery status. You can check the battery status on the Dot Watch by pressing the Select button to wake the device and turning the crown clockwise once. The number will be displayed in braille in Braille mode, and as a series of partially filled cells in Tactile mode.

Settings

It's worth customizing the Dot Watch to your liking as much as possible before using it. Changes to settings are effective immediately, and are confirmed by a vibration from the watch. It is often unnecessary to activate the Back button to save your settings, but should you need to, it is located in the upper left corner of the screen. The first option on the Settings tab welcomes you and allows you to change account information and sign out of your account.

The next option, called "Dot Watch" followed by the last four digits of the serial number, is where most settings are adjusted. The first set of options are found in Output Settings. The first option is Auto Scroll Speed, which adjusts the display's refresh rate. This is adjustable by percentage, though I was not able to set the value above 86 percent. After flicking to the desired speed, double-tap or press a cursor routing button to change the setting. This menu also allows for adjustment of vibration intensity. Once again, I was unable to adjust this value above 86 percent. There is also a picker item to adjust the period of time the Dot Watch waits for activity before going into Standby mode. Again, the picker item would not allow me to set the value to its minimum or maximum. Finally, there is an option to control whether the touch sensors move by one or four cells.

The next series of options are found in Display Settings. The first option is to set the watch mode. The next series of options allows you to customize how the date is displayed by showing either the date or month first. After that, you can adjust how time is displayed. By default, the Dot Watch uses your mobile device's time format, but this can be changed to 12- or 24-hour time. There is also a setting called Reverse Mode, which allows you to wear the Dot Watch on your right wrist.

The next series of options pertain to notifications that are delivered to the Dot Watch. You can turn them on or off, or just turn off specific alerts for phone calls. There is an umbrella setting for all other notifications on iOS. Note that on Android, it is possible to customize app-specific notifications. The only way to do this on iOS is by adjusting the notification settings on your phone. Finally, there are language settings, though this submenu controls more than the language used. This is where you set your braille table and code of braille. Note that the Dot Watch has a 6-dot display, so 8-dot braille is unavailable. Available languages include German, French, English, Spanish, and Korean among others.

The final set of options in this menu allows you to check for software updates, obtain watch-specific information such as the firmware build along with some information about the connected mobile phone, and un-pair the device.

A Support heading on this screen allows you to contact Dot Incorporated, read the User Guide, view a tutorial to familiarize yourself with the watch, read the company's privacy policy, and view the currently installed app version.

Clock

The Clock tab is where you can set alarms and enable the ability to be notified at the top of each hour. You set alarms on the Dot Watch the same way you do in the iPhone's Clock app. If you wish to use the Dot Watch as an alarm, you must set alarms in the app, as the watch will not alert you if the iPhone's alarm goes off.

Functions

The third tab along the bottom is called Functions. These are features that can help you manage the Dot Watch. The first function is Saved Messages. In this section, you can look at any notifications you have saved from the watch on your iOS device.

The next function is Study Braille, which allows you to send numbers, letters, or anything typed on your mobile device to the Dot Watch. Someone using Tactile Mode could make use of this feature to hone their braille skills.

Memo allows you to write something on your iOS or Android device and have it available on your wrist for reading. This can come in handy when you need to access information quickly, but are unable or unwilling to use your phone and braille display to do so.

Find my Dot Watch is the final function in this tab, and selecting this option will cause the watch to vibrate for 5 minutes. If you have the hearing to utilize this feature, it will assist you in finding a misplaced Dot Watch. You can use the Dot Watch to find your phone, as long as it is within Bluetooth range of the device. Pressing the Home and Select buttons together two times will cause your phone to vibrate and play a tone. This only sends one sound and a one second vibration, but you can hit it as many times as necessary.

Using The Dot Watch

Let's look at how well the Dot Watch performs day-to-day. I spent approximately two weeks with the Dot Watch 2 and integrated it into my life.

Braille Functionality

The braille displayed on the watch utilizes a different kind of technology than that which you may be used to. This technology requires that you do not touch the display as it is refreshing. When you are reading a notification, you must select it, read the four cells, lift your finger, press the touch sensor, and put your finger back on the watch to continue reading. It's a bit of a learning curve for even the most tech-savvy braille user. I sped up the auto scroll speed as much as I could, and it worked fairly reliably once I adjusted to this process. If you do not lift your fingers off the display, as reported by J.J. in his CSUN Article, using certain features that constantly refresh, such as the timer, becomes difficult, because all of the dots may not rise. Perhaps one way to offset this would be to send a vibration after a certain user-defined number of seconds have passed. I did not find that the protective covering interfered with the display, though the pressure of my finger did. When the display had obviously misfired, I would scroll back and then forward, which usually fixed the situation. In a few cases, pressing Home fixed any issues. In very rare cases where I could make no sense of what was displayed, I checked the notification on my iPhone. I had to do this two or three times for every 100 notifications.

Getting Notified

With all notifications enabled, the Dot Watch reliably alerted me to any notifications by vibrating twice. To read notifications on the watch, you press the select button, turn the crown counter-clockwise once to bring up notifications (abbreviated "noti) and then press Select. Pressing Select again will bring up your notifications in reverse chronological order.

While this works reliably, I was hoping for a more complex system like that used by the Ditto. You can set custom vibrations for each app offering notifications. This would come in handy especially in iOS where you either receive all notifications sent to your phone or none. This way, I would know by the vibrations which app was notifying me. If this couldn't be implemented, an option to receive notification of phone calls and SMS messages from select contacts would be quite helpful. From my understanding, you can customize the apps you receive notifications from on Android, but I hope the Dot Incorporation will consider doing something similar to what the Ditto does for iOS users.

The Watch Can Even Tell You The Time!

Checking the time is quick and easy with a press of the Select button. I found this to be much faster than using the Taptic Time feature on the Apple Watch, as the vibrations from that device are very slow. With the Dot Watch, I press Select, and instantly have access to the time instead of having to count vibrations or obtaining it through the very slow Morse Code output.

Please note that when you travel from one time zone to another, as when I traveled from Charlotte to Phoenix, the Dot Watch does not automatically reflect the time zone change. The Dot Watch keeps track of the time internally, and only synchronizes when you first pair the device. You can resolve this by un-pairing and re-pairing the Dot Watch, or by setting the time manually.

Speaking of time, I have found that if I keep the alarm vibration intensity on its highest setting, it never fails to wake me. If you happen to be a heavy sleeper, though, the vibration may not be strong enough. Unlike the Ditto, the Dot Watch will consistently go off for 5 minutes unless you turn it off. The vibrations of the alarm on the Apple watch are certainly more intense, though if you are a deafblind user who relies exclusively on braille, native support for braille displays is not available on the Apple Watch.

Timer and Stopwatch

To get to the Stopwatch, press Select and turn the crown twice to arrive at what the Dot Watch calls "stop." Press Select to open this application, and then press Select again to start counting up. As noted above, easily keeping track of the time elapsed can be an issue due to the technology used in the watch's braille display.

This wasn't quite as big of an issue for the Timer unless you are setting it for a few seconds. Find the Timer (abbreviated "timr") by turning the crown three times and then pressing Select. You set the minutes by using the crown then pressing Select, and the number of seconds in the same way.

Memos

I found this feature to be very helpful when storing a phone number that I had to dictate to Siri. When you invoke Siri, nothing is displayed in braille while it is actively listening for commands, making it impossible to look up a phone number as you dictate.

Battery Life

The battery life on the Dot Watch is very impressive. I can go between seven and eight days without needing to charge it. To check the battery life, press Select, and then turn the crown clockwise one time. This will display the battery status in 10 percent increments. I charged the Dot Watch four days before writing this article, and it is still at 60 percent. If you are someone who relies on the alarm function to wake you up, it is very nice to not have to charge the watch every 36 hours or so, as you must do with the Apple Watch. Granted, the Apple Watch offers a more robust set of features, but if you require braille, some of these are not accessible to you anyway.

Conclusion

Many of the issues I reported above are ones the makers of the Dot Watch have been open about and have noted in the manual. It is good to see a company producing a watch that is fully accessible to the deafblind. From the process of pairing through utilizing the watch in my daily life, I never had to rely on speech to access anything. Four cells is not a lot of braille, but 44 millimeters isn't a lot of text either. Dot Incorporated continues to develop its feature set and continuously shows dedication to their customers. For example, those who had the first generation of the Dot Watch were given a free upgrade to the second generation. For users who require the ability to read notifications on their wrist or for those who wish to have it for privacy reasons, the Dot Watch is worth considering.

Product Information

Product: Dot Watch 2
Manufacturer: Dot Incorporated
Price: $399.00

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

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In 2016, Amazon announced the availability of Fire OS 5. As part of this release, Amazon announced VoiceView, a screen reader designed specifically for Kindle Fire tablets. VoiceView did not offer direct braille support, but very limited access to braille was available through Amazon's version of BrailleBack. With BrailleBack, not all Kindle titles which could be read using VoiceView could be read in braille, there were no commands to change pages when reading, and a braille display's keyboard could not be used to enter text.

Since its release in 2016, VoiceView has evolved in every way, including braille support. In September 2017, Amazon announced that braille was directly supported by VoiceView. Reading Kindle content in braille was supported, as was using braille commands to navigate the tablet. Text entry using a display's Perkins-style keyboard was also supported in the September 2017 release of VoiceView. Native braille support could be had on Kindle Fire tablets from the 4th generation onward. This article will examine the current state of braille on the Kindle Fire tablet using the 7^th generation of the Kindle Fire HD 8 running Fire OS version 5.3.6.4. An Orbit Reader 20 and Brailliant BI 14 were used in testing.

There are many potential options with the Kindle Fire that are beyond the scope of this article. Installing the Google Play Store allows the downloading of Android apps such as KNFB Reader, BARD Mobile, and Dolphin EasyReader, among many others. The affordability of the Kindle Fire, coupled with the ability to download numerous apps from the Google Play Store, gives people who are blind and deafblind yet another option that merges assistive technology with mainstream technology.

Support and Set-Up

According to Amazon's documentation, braille support is limited to a few braille devices. Supported displays include the Brailliant BI displays from Humanware, the Orbit Reader 20 from Orbit Research, the Refreshabraille sold by the American Printing House for the Blind, and the VarioConnect, VarioUltra, and SuperVario lines from Baum.

The Kindle Fire's documentation provides well-written instructions for initial set up and pairing of the device with a supported braille display. Note that the process of pairing a braille display to a Kindle Fire is similar to that used when pairing a braille display to an iOS device. The pairing request is initiated in VoiceView settings, as opposed to Bluetooth settings. Once connected, braille should immediately appear, giving a braille-only user access to much of what the Fire tablet offers. Within the Braille menu, a few user-customizable options are available. Among these is the ability to set your preferred braille table, and to mute all sounds.

Using Fire OS with a Braille Display

Many of the commands used for navigating Fire OS will be familiar to users of braille displays and notetakers. For example, Spacebar + dot-1 moves to the previous item while Spacebar + dot-4 moves to the next item. Pressing a cursor routing button activates the currently selected item while Spacebar + F launches the Find function. Though some of the commands may be different from those encountered by long-time users of braille displays and notetakers, they are typically commands that can be easily committed to memory. For example, to go to the Notification Center, press Spacebar + N.

As more than one item shows on the display at a time, selecting items is faster if the display has cursor routing keys. You can simply press the cursor routing key above or below the item you wish to activate. As the Orbit Reader 20 has no cursor routing keys, you have to know what item currently has focus, then press Spacebar + E to activate it. If you are not using speech, the only way to tell if an item is highlighted is by turning on the Show Accessibility Focus feature. To turn this feature on, press Spacebar + dot-7 + dot-8. This raises dots-7 and -8 underneath the item currently in focus. When you have activated the desired item, you can toggle Show Accessibility Focus off should you find it interferes with your reading experience. I evaluated the Orbit Reader last January, and documented my struggles with being unable to toggle this feature on and off. I'm happy to see this problem has been remedied since my evaluation.

Also addressed since the last time I wrote about the Fire tablet and braille support was the issue related to a paired braille display being remembered after the Fire restart. With the latest update, Fire OS remembers the paired display, and I have seen no issues with the braille display being remembered despite restarting the device multiple times. The only time I found that a braille display would not successfully connect was if the Fire was unlocked before a braille display was turned on. Simply locking the Fire, turning on the braille display, and then unlocking the Fire yields consistent results.

I found several inconsistencies with displaying content when using the Brailliant BI 14 that were not present when using the Orbit Reader 20. For example, though focus would jump to the next item when pressing Spacebar + dot-4, the app in focus was not always shown in braille. This was not an issue with specific apps, as sometimes the correct app would show on the braille display while not doing so at other times. The Orbit Reader did not have this issue.

Braille Support in Specific Apps

Reading

One of the most common uses of a Kindle Fire is for reading Kindle content. I was able to purchase and read content from the Amazon Kindle store with no difficulty. I was able to search for and download a book using braille on the Orbit Reader. When browsing the store with the Brailliant BI 14, I received inconsistent braille feedback, so used the Orbit Reader for the rest of the process. After selecting a book to purchase, I was able to read the synopsis, reviews, and other information. There were a few elements VoiceView didn't read, which were also not displayed in braille, but they did not impact my ability to buy or download content.

Reading a book on the Kindle Fire is a pleasant experience. After opening a book, I was placed at the beginning of the Prologue, bypassing all front matter. If you wish to go backward to the Table of Contents, you can do so by pressing Spacebar + dot-1 to move to the previous section. I was not able to find a command to quickly jump to the beginning of the previous section, so if you wish to review the front matter, a lot of backward scrolling will be necessary. The Fire recalled my position in the book each time I exited the application. To close the book you are currently reading, press Spacebar + Z to activate the Back button, or exit the application by pressing Spacebar + H.

The Find function did not appear to work in either of the two Kindle books I tested unless the word was on the page I was currently reading. One of the nice things about the Find function, if it were to work throughout the entire book, is that you could search either forward or backward very easily. Spacebar + dot-8 will search forward, while Spacebar + dot-7 will search for text going backward. It would be great to be able to use this, for example, to search an entire book for academic reasons. It would also be helpful to have this command function throughout the entire text so that you could more easily find where you left off in a book should the Fire fail to preserve your reading position.

Mail

Though a bit clunky, the Mail application works for the most basic tasks. I was able to set up a mail account and read and send email with no trouble. I reported in my very brief glance at braille support on the Kindle about how typing fast resulted in jumbled or missing letters. I'm happy to report that this is no longer an issue when composing emails on either the Brailliant or Orbit Reader. When using the Mail app, the Brailliant provided inconsistent feedback in braille. I experienced no issues when using the Orbit Reader.

Once in your email, the quickest way to compose a new message is to press Spacebar + dots 4-5-6-8 to move to the last element on the screen, which is the New Message button. When I typed a first name in the "To" field, no possible matches were found even though my address book was on the Kindle. Perhaps the match was located somewhere on the screen, but I couldn't find it. I typed my full email address because I hadn't talked to myself enough that day, and then was able to navigate to the "Subject" and "Compose" fields. Unlike in most programs, you must press Spacebar + E to change the focus from one field to another. You can also add the cc: and bcc: fields if you wish by moving backward from the "To" field. After composing a message, find the "Send" button located above the "To" field toward the top of the screen. If you entered the recipient's email address correctly, the message will send. If you have entered an invalid address, however, there is no braille feedback to alert you to an error. It is spoken by VoiceView, but this does not benefit a deafblind user who can't hear the speech. Using braille alone, I was unable to locate the error message on the screen to determine the issue.

The Mail application is missing robust features that would make managing email for a braille or VoiceView user more enjoyable. For example, having something like the Actions rotor on iOS to delete messages quickly would be helpful.

Browsing with Silk

The default web browser for Fire OS is called Silk. I was able to launch Silk without issue and chose to bring up the AccessWorld homepage to test the browser. It's worth noting that you must enter the web address in computer braille, as contracted braille is not supported.

All the navigation commands appear to work with Silk including the ability to jump by heading, form control, etc. You can combine the letter that you choose with dot-7 to move to the previous occurrence of the element, and dot-8 to move to the next. For example, Spacebar + F + dot-8 will move the browser to the next form field. The Find feature appeared to work very well searching both backward and forward through web content, even on very cluttered websites. I was able to sign into a website and post a comment to a discussion forum without any trouble. Having the ability to jump by specific elements made this a very efficient process.

Alexa

Alexa, Amazon's virtual assistant, is available on the Kindle Fire. Using Alexa, you can control smart home devices and carry out many other useful functions using your voice. Sadly, it appears that there is no way to control Alexa by typing in requests. A deafblind user who cannot speak is not able to use Alexa because of the inability to enter requests with a keyboard. Further, if I tell Alexa to do something, the only braille feedback I receive is "image" even though I get a voice response. Both Apple and Google permit text entry with their voice assistants, so hopefully Amazon will do so as well at some point soon.

Conclusion

It's very clear that Amazon Accessibility is taking braille support seriously both in terms of feature development and bug fixes. Several of the challenges I encountered while briefly discussing braille support on the Kindle Fire in the January 2017 issue of Access World have been resolved. With a price tag of $60, coupled with the Orbit Reader 20 at $449, this package can deliver a lot of functions at a much lower price than anyone could have dreamed of two years ago. While braille support needs some work, and certainly could be improved upon, I'm encouraged by the fixes I have seen since I last evaluated the Fire tablet and am hopeful for an even better braille experience in 2019.

Product Information

Product: Fire HD 8
Price: starts at $59.95
Manufacturer: Amazon

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

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• Feel This: The Current State of Braille with the Windows Narrator Screen Reader by Scott Davert

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In late September 2018, Apple released new operating systems for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. All three of these operating systems have already received updates. This article assumes you know how to use VoiceOver on the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. I used a 2016 MacBook Pro with touchbar, a Series 3 Apple Watch, and an Apple TV. All three were running the latest versions of their operating systems.

Mojave (macOS 10.14.1)

The installation of Mojave is a straightforward process. The upgrade can be accessed through the Mac App Store or through the Software Update in System Preferences. As usual, there is little audio feedback as the installation progresses. You can try using VO plus the Arrow keys to check your progress, but it doesn't always work.

Once Mojave is installed, you will receive prompts to take a tour. There is a button to take the tour now and a button to take it later. I kept getting reminders until I finally took the tour. This is worth doing, as the tour only takes a few minutes and contains useful information. No new VoiceOver accessibility commands have been added in this release, though Mojave has additional apps and new features.

Dark Mode

This new feature received significant attention at the Apple 2018 World Wide Developers Conference. When this feature is activated, background information is darkened while foreground information remains lighter. For people who are sighted, this apparently is an exciting new feature. For people who are low vision, it may be of some benefit. By default, this feature is not enabled. Enable it by going to System Preferences > General > Appearance and select "Dark."

Apple Mail

When you attach a file to an email, VoiceOver now says the name of the file, though there is a VoiceOver bug in Apple Mail. When you send an email, VoiceOver says, "Send again."

iOS Apps on the Mac

To bring iOS apps to the Mac, Apple has added four of their iOS apps with the Mojave release. They are News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home. If you use iCloud, these apps will sync with your other Apple devices. By default, News is on the dock. Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos can be found in the Applications folder. If you are not sure how to get there, go to the Finder and type Control + Shift + A. Apple plans to make some third-party iOS apps available on the Mac

News

When you first launch the News app, you will land on a tool bar. Explore it with VO and the Left and Right Arrows. To the right of the tool bar is information about Apple News.

There is a Table of Contents button on the right side of the toolbar. If you have selected media outlets to follow in iOS, they will be in News on your Mac. Go to File > Discover Channels and Topics and select it. On the screen will be a very extensive list of news sources covering an extensive list of categories. Select a channel or category with VO + Spacebar. At the end of the extensive list is a "Done" Button.

While viewing information in the News app, select any media item to learn more about it. The easiest way to navigate the News app is to use VO and the Arrow keys.

Stocks

This app shows top stories related to stock performance, business, and the economy. Select any headline to read the entire story.

You can add stocks to a Watch List. Control + N brings up a search box. Enter the company's name or stock symbol and select the result you want. Although this can be done on the Mac, I found the iOS interface easier to use.

Voice Memos

When Voice Memos is launched for the first time, there is a welcome message and a request for the app to use your location. Location can be added to information about each memo.

The command for starting a recording is Command + N. A problem is that Voice Memos picks up what VoiceOver says when the command is executed. When the app is launched, after the first time, focus is on the Recordings table.

I gave Voice Memos permission to use my location. It thought I was at three different addresses even though I did not move at all during my recording trials.

Home

Since I do not use any items that can be controlled by the Home app, I could not test it myself. However, I checked with friends who informed me that the app works well. Apparently, at this time new devices must be added through iOS.

New Views

Mojave has some new ways to view your files. Here are some that can be used with VoiceOver or for people who have low vision.

Stacks

This new feature lets you place files on your desktop in one Stack rather than scattered on the desktop. When the stack is selected, all files in it will open, making them easier to access. For example, I put five different TextEdit documents in a stack. When I activated the Stack, I was able to quickly Command + Grave Accent through all the files. The command to use Stacks is Command + Control + 0. The Stacks command is also found in the Finder's view menu.

If the files are still on your desktop when Stacks is turned off, they will be placed individually on your desktop.

Gallery View

The Gallery View feature provides a lot of information about a file including file type, date created, and date last opened. You can also read part of the file without opening it. Get to Gallery View through the View menu in Finder or type Command + 4.

The one quirk when looking for the file in a file list is that movement to the next or previous file is done using the Right or Left Arrows respectively, instead of the Up and Down Arrows.

Interact with the file list and once the file is located, stop interacting. VoiceOver will say, "Out of Gallery View." VO + Right Arrow past the vertical splitter and you will hear information about the file. If you VO + Left Arrow from the file, you can read some of its contents.

If you find it confusing to navigate the files list in Gallery View, you can locate the file using another view such as List View and then switch to Gallery View.

Folders on Top

In Finder windows, folders can now be set to appear in alphabetical order at the top of the list. Go to Finder > Preferences or type Command + , (Command + Comma) and check the Advanced tab. Go to Keep Folders on Top. There are two options, "in windows when sorting by name" and "on desktop". Check the appropriate checkbox for the option you would like to select.

Miscellaneous

Several miscellaneous improvements were introduced in this update. Siri has an expanded knowledge base and Safari has improved tracking blockers. If you have some vision and like wallpapers, they now can be changed according to the time of day. With the release of macOS Mojave 10.14.1 as well as iOS 12.1 and watchOS 5.1, it is now possible to make FaceTime calls with up to 32 people on the call at once.

Conclusion

MacOS 10.14 Mojave is a stable update with new features and improved security and is worth installing. Remember to back up your Mac before beginning the installation process.

watchOS 5.1

The update for your Apple Watch is in the Watch app on your iPhone. Select the My Watch tab and then select General > Software Update. Note that if you do not have an Apple Watch Series 4, you cannot use the new Electrocardiogram and Fall Detector features.

Workout Reminders

You can now set your watch to give you a reminder in the event you start a workout and did not tell the Workout app to start logging it. You can likewise get a reminder if you have forgotten to turn off the Workout app when you finish.

On your watch, go to Settings > General > Workout. There are options to add reminders for when the watch thinks you have begun a workout and a reminder for when the watch thinks you have ended your workout. The first option is "Start Workout Reminder." The second is "End Workout Reminder." I have found that I appreciate these new features!

Siri

With the Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 4, Siri will be ready to hear your command just by raising your wrist. On your watch, go to Settings > General > Siri. Select the "Raise to Speak" button. Just raise your wrist, bring your watch close to your mouth, and give Siri your command. In practice, I found that using "Hey Siri" worked better than Raise to Speak.

Control Center

You can now organize the Control Center and you can do so directly on your watch. There are two ways to get started. Go down to the bottom of the Control Center and activate the "Edit" button. Alternatively, find the widget you want to move and do a one-finger flick up or down until you hear VoiceOver say, "Edit." Double tap. No matter which method you choose, do a one finger flick up or down. There are four options: Move Left, Move Right, Stop Editing, and Activate. When the widget is moved, VoiceOver will announce its new location. When done, select Stop Editing or activate the "Done" button at the bottom of the Control Center.

Weather

You can now add cities directly from the Weather app onto your watch without using your iPhone.

At the bottom left of the main screen of the Weather app is an "Add City" button. When activated, a new screen will load with a "Dictation" button near the upper left corner. Activate the button and speak the name of the city you want to add. Double tap the button when done. A list of options will appear. Select the result you want. On the main screen, do a one finger flick up or down to activate or delete the city.

Information on air quality, ultraviolet index, and wind speed are now available in the Weather app. Select the city, and go to the bottom of the screen. You may need to tap or slide your finger around to get the information.

Notifications

As with the iPhone, notifications on the Apple Watch are grouped by default. Double tap on the group to expand it. When finished, select the "Done" button in the upper left. As on the iPhone, there is a Manage option that gives choices including deliver quietly and remove from Apple Watch.

Walkie-Talkie

This new feature allows your watch to work as a walkie-talkie. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to Walkie-Talkie. Make sure Allow Notifications is selected. FaceTime also needs to be active.

Go to Walkie-Talkie on your watch. If you cannot flick down to your contacts from within the app, try flicking up with two fingers. You can use the digital crown to scroll through your contacts. To use the walkie-talkie feature with someone, either you must send an invitation to them or they must send one to you. Send an invitation by selecting a contact. If you receive an invitation, you will get a notification on your watch.

Conclusion

This update is worth installing. It is stable and has some very useful features including workout reminders and the ability to organize the Control Center.

tvOS 12.1

This new software update is available for the Apple TV 4th and 5th generations. It can be found by going to Settings > System > Maintenance > Software Update. The update has two main new features: support for Dolby Atmos and zero sign-in.

Dolby Atmos

Dolby Atmos is a surround-sound technology. It is available on the Apple TV 4K and newer generations. You will need an Atmos-enabled sound system to take advantage of this feature. If you are using Dolby Atmos and have previously purchased an iTunes movie, Apple will upgrade your movie to Atmos if it is available.

Zero Sign-In and Password Autofill

The second new feature is zero sign-in. The first cable company to get this feature will be Charter Spectrum, sometime after December 2018. Apple indicated at its WWDC that other companies will be added later. This feature lets your TV automatically authenticate your user name and password, so you do not need to sign in on apps available with your cable subscription. You will need to subscribe to both Internet and cable with the same company for this to work.

Password AutoFill is also now on the Apple TV and provides an easier way to sign into apps.

Conclusion

Zero sign-in is a nice feature if your cable company supports it. I have never heard Dolby Atmos, but Apple states it is superior to Dolby 5.1.

The Bottom Line

All three of these operating system updates are worth installing. I usually install one operating system and then spend a couple of days learning it before going on to another. Though the mainstream features included in these updates are helpful, it would be very nice to have some VoiceOver improvements in Apple's next operating systems.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

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While many reasons can be cited for the lack of braille adoption among students and other readers, the cost of the various tools required to produce braille is certainly one of the most formidable barriers. Braille transcription software often costs several hundred dollars per license, braille embossers are priced in the thousands, and high-quality transcriptionists are a rare commodity.

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) has sought to knock down at least some of these barriers through the introduction of Braille Blaster, a free transcription suite that enables relatively painless conversion from a variety of formats. While the software is designed, at its core, to be a tool for producing textbooks for students, many of its features make it a viable option for a wide variety of users, from braille producers to those seeking a simple way to emboss short files.

Installation and Setup

APH offers the software for free on the Braille Blaster website, with versions available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The only thing required to download is your email address. We used the latest Windows version released in November 2018 for this review.

The User Guide is available through the Help menu of the program, which links to a manual on the APH website. The documentation does a decent job of describing the various menus and their functions, though it is apparent the intended audience is professional braille transcribers who would be used to some of the advanced transcribing terms that are used. Some of the basic set-up steps, including configuring an embosser, are not described in the manual (to be fair, the embosser feature was added in a more recent version of the software).

Speaking of embossers, Braille Blaster has built-in support for newer models of Index and Enabling Technologies embossers. If you have another type of embosser, you can select the generic option, which should still allow you to send basic commands to your device. I set up an Index Everest embosser and the process was straightforward.

Loading and Transcribing Files

Braille Blaster supports a variety of formats for braille transcription. Its primary focus is files in the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) format, the primary filetype for textbooks for students. Files can also be loaded in other formats including EPUB, .DOCX, and HTML. The EPUB format may be of particular interest to Bookshare users, as this is one of the options available for downloading books from its online collection.

We tested out the basic features of Braille Blaster by loading in a copy of A Christmas Carol, a freely available book from Bookshare's collection. Upon loading the book, the cursor is placed in a window that contains the entire print text of the book. From here, normal editing commands can be used to make changes to the book, apply styles and formatting, or add other specialized elements described below.

Pressing Control + Tab will move focus to the braille window, which displays the text of the book in braille form. For a screen reader user, this may sound like gibberish, because braille characters are spoken using their print equivalents. For example, a braille comma, which is represented by dot-2, will be spoken as the number 1, since the number 1 is represented by dot-2 in computer braille. While not a problem for those used to computer braille, a way for braille characters to be read as dots while arrowing through the text may be helpful.

One can painlessly move between the print and braille windows at any time, though all editing must take place in the print window. This negates the need to run a separate translation command to turn print text into braille, as translation is performed on the fly. For editors, especially those who lack an advanced knowledge of braille, this should make it easier to make changes to a document on the fly.

Embossing a Document

Embossing a document can be as simple as loading a file and then selecting the Emboss command. Once the braille embosser has been set up, pages can be sent to the device within seconds. The reason I say it "can be as simple" is because many professionally produced documents may require additional formatting before they are rendered into braille.

Tools for Professionals

For professional producers, Braille Blaster offers a variety of tools to lessen the burden of transcribing large and daunting textbooks. Although the NIMAS standard for textbooks provides a flexible framework for publishers to provide high-quality textbooks for producers, the quality of these files varies widely. Typically, additional work is required to turn a file into a student-ready braille book.

Braille Blaster includes tools to manage some of the most typical, and some atypical, transcribing needs. These include the means to separate books into multiple volumes, the ability to automatically add Transcriber's Notes, which are typically added at the beginning of a volume to explain any special braille symbols that are used, and a TOC Builder that can be used to generate a robust Table of Contents. A special editor is included for mathematical content, and there is even a tool for providing the proper formatting and numbering for poetry. The effectiveness of these tools depends on the quality and file format of the book or document that is loaded. As stated above, most of these tools are intended for professionals who produce braille materials on a daily basis.

Screen Reader Support

I was happy to find rather robust support for screen readers included in the software. In my testing with NVDA, major functions were voiced while navigating the program. Some of the advanced screens could benefit from additional verbal output. For example, it would be nice to hear the dots or letters that are entered while using the six-dot input mode. Believe it or not, there are actually some braille transcription programs that do not include accessibility support, and while I am not at all surprised that APH included this as a core part of the program, it is still worth commending their efforts.

Looking Ahead

Braille Blaster is an excellent and versatile tool for educators and braille professionals. It also includes some basic tools for those who wish to produce simple braille documents. It would be great to see more features for average braille readers added in the future, which could make braille production more accessible to everyday consumers. Recent updates have added support for modern Microsoft Word files among other formats, which is a welcome addition. Expanding the range of formats to include accessible PDF files would increase the apps versatility. Additional embosser support and versions for iOS and Android should also be considered.

Conclusion

In the year that Braille Blaster has been available, it has blossomed into a far-reaching tool for those who produce braille. Although it may lack the familiarity and extensibility of other paid options such as Duxbury, Braille Blaster provides a means for producing high-quality braille more affordably. Between Braille Blaster and the Orbit Reader, APH has become a trendsetter in increasing access to braille materials, and they should be commended for their efforts. We look forward to future developments with Braille Blaster and other efforts to increase the proliferation of braille worldwide.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

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