Author: Matthew Horspool

We are delighted to announce the 2024-25 season of the Gardner’s Trust Braille Music Literacy Awards. Administered by the RNIB, these awards are dedicated to assessing the reading, understanding, and performance of Braille music. They provide music Braillists with a valuable opportunity to receive expert feedback on their specialist skills and to demonstrate their musical independence.

The awards are open to Braillists in the UK of all ages, as previous age restrictions have been removed. Candidates are also permitted to retake levels they have previously attempted.

There are five levels of assessment available. All participants will receive a detailed report and a certificate of entry. Outstanding entrants at each level who meet the required standard will be awarded a prize, ranging from £10 for Level 1 to £50 for Level 5.

Tests will take place from January to March 2025. Feedback and certificates will be issued in April/May 2025, at which time we will also announce the prize winners. Candidates may choose to take the exams either in person at a location of their choice or online.

Specimen tests, along with general regulations and requirements in both Braille and print, can be obtained from the RNIB.

For more information, please visit: Gardner’s Trust Braille Music Literacy Awards | RNIB.

To request the information pack and application form, please contact us at: [email protected]

We are thrilled to announce the release of Sao Mai Braille 24.11.5. Some of its highlighted new features include: adding a new contracted Thai Braille table for literature text, support for speaking and translating math equations into Braille in Finnish, translating Vietnamese text into Braille when written in math equations, opening and saving EPUB files, scanning and recognizing text in more than 100 languages, supporting a new format style for vocal scores with chord symbols, adding a section-by-section format style used in Italy, improving figured bass translation, setting alignment for music text elements, and many other new features and improvements.

Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London, W8 7NX

If you are coming to Sight Village South East this year, please drop by and say hi!

Matthew and friends will be located in the Great Hall, row 3, table 25.

We are pleased to share information about two braille-related seminars taking place at Sight Village South East on Tuesday 5 November, each lasting half an hour.

Pre-register for Sight Village South East seminars

Getting Started with Braille Screen Input, 1:40 PM in Room 2

Presenter: Matthew Horspool

Entering text on an iPhone can be challenging. Many visually impaired people dictate text because they find the on-screen keyboard cumbersome, but dictation isn’t always accurate, and there’s always a risk that a private message will be overheard. In this session, we will introduce you to another option:

Braille Screen Input replaces the standard on-screen keyboard with a braille one, and it’s built directly into every iPhone. It’s also just had a major overhaul, making it easier than ever to get started.

So what are you waiting for? Join us and learn how to type quickly, quietly, with confidence.

Celebrating 200 Years Of Braille, 3:00 PM in Room 2

Presenters: Dave Williams and Claire Maxwell

#Braille200 Join RNIB for a celebration of all things braille. We will be looking at how far braille has come over the last 200 years, the significant difference it is making to people’s lives today and what is on the horizon for braille in the future.

Pre-register for Sight Village South East seminars

Notes from James Bowden’s session on MuseScore Studio for Sound Without Sight have now been published.

You can find the recording on the Sound Without Sight Podcast.

A recording of Matthew Horspool’s Braille Screen Input for Beginners session for Accessible World Tek Talk is now available.

A message from Tactile View:

Dear Reader,

After an inspiring period of over 17 years, and now reaching the age of 68 years, the moment has come for me to find a new home for the TactileView software. Therefore, I am really pleased to announce that HumanWare Inc is taking over all aspects of the TactileView software.

HumanWare wants to work along the same path as Thinkable has been doing:

• Remain the most versatile editor for tactile graphics.
• Support the user to the best possible.
• Responding to user feedback in the further development of the product.

(see HumanWare’s statement below)

The Thinkable team has worked closely with the HumanWare team in the past months to guarantee a smooth transition. Sales and support staff have been trained. Websites have been updated to reflect the change of ownership, to update product information and support procedures.

Support requests

Support request should be directed to one of the following mail addresses depending on your region :

Uk and Europe – [email protected]

USA and Canada – [email protected]

Australasia – [email protected]

These addresses are monitored by HumanWare staff for all your remarks and software licence reset requests and other questions. So please use these from now on for TactileView related emails.

New TactileView version 3.0

It is planned to release a new version 3.0 not too long from now. Therefore, the Thinkable programmers will be involved in the further development of the software under the flag of HumanWare.

One improvement you have been asking for is the undo/redo functionality. You will get it.

TactiPad, GraphGrid, CircleFrame, TactiForma and MDA.

These products stay in the portfolio of Thinkable. The transfer of the software will free up some time to concentrate more on a further development of manuals and tutorials for these products. As the product information on the www.thinkable.nl website will undergo some changes, we will keep you updated.

Private note

I will work with the HumanWare team for the next six months to make sure as much as possible of my expertise is transferred to the new team. Besides this I will find more time for my hobbies reading and cooking for friends.

A few big thank you’s.

Thank you for all the personal stories and responses that I received from end users. It is impossible to list all of these, but I’ve got many chicken skin moments when I heard about the steps especially children made when they discovered the world of tactile graphics. Also a big thank you for the local dealer organisations that are hooked into the Thinkable network. They committed themselves to this type of product to make it into a commercial success. I could not have achieved all of this without the people that formed the Thinkable team throughout the years behind. Thanks for all your contributions.

For now, best greetings,
Jaap & Thinkable team (Marjan, Arend, Vincent, Arjen and Wim)

The creation of tactile graphics for the visually impaired community has always been quite limited. Over the years, TVIs have often used word processing software as a tool for this task; however, this approach involves several steps and is not the most efficient.

That’s why we’re excited to announce that HumanWare is now the master distributor and co-developer of TactileView, a software designed by Thinkable. It’s an innovative tactile design tool that makes images accessible at your fingertips. TactileView enables persons with a visual impairment to create and read tactile graphics and embossed material.

“We are delighted to take this important step in our commitment to tactile literacy, by becoming not only the worldwide distributor, but also the co-developer of TactileView,” says Bruce Miles, General Manager, Professional Solutions at Essilor Luxottica, Canada and Head of HumanWare.

With the recent launch of the Monarch, a dynamic tactile and multi-line braille tablet, our commitment to tactile literacy is stronger than ever. The addition of TactileView to our portfolio enables us to improve access to tactile graphics by making their creation easier and more accessible while providing even more comprehensive solutions that support learning, communication and exploration through touch.

Jaap Breider, Thinkable CEO shares, “I am confident that the dedication I invested in TactileView software for over 17 years is in excellent hands with HumanWare. Their ongoing work promises to be a valuable resource for both current and future users. Thank you all for the inspiration we’ve shared in advancing tactile graphics.”

This commitment aligns with our mission to empower people with a visual impairment by providing innovative tools to improve their independence and access to information. We are determined to continue developing and expanding the software’s capabilities to ensure that it meets the growing needs of our community.

We look forward to sharing more exciting updates in the near future. For more information, feel free to contact us.

humanware.com

US 1 800 722-3393

Canada 1 888 723-7273

UK and Europe +44 1933 415 800

Australasia +61 2 9686 2600

About HumanWare

HumanWare, a member of EssilorLuxottica, creates solutions empowering people with vision loss. Since 1988, HumanWare has developed assistive technologies such as video magnifiers, braille devices, audio assistants and GPS, helping students, seniors, and professionals with visual impairments to see the world differently and gain greater autonomy.

USB, or Universal Serial Bus, has been a feature of braille displays for over twenty years. Originally a standard for connectivity, it has evolved over time to also provide power and charging capabilities. However, if USB is supposed to be Universal, why are some chargers faster than others, and why won’t some chargers and cables work at all?

IN this session, we will unravel the answer to this far from straightforward question. Along the way, we will cover:

• A brief history of USB
• Common USB connecters and how to tell the difference between them
• How and when the USB cable you use may impact performance
• What happens behind the scenes when you connect your braille display to a USB charger
• What to look for when buying replacement cables and chargers
• Whether or not a power bank is a viable solution for charging your braille display on the go
• Things to try if your braille display won’t charge

The session will be presented by Mobeen Iqbal from Taira Technology, an independent provider of bespoke and specialist hardware, software and support solutions. Mo has over fifteen years’ experience working with hardware of all shapes and sizes, from custom-built desktop and laptop computers to TV set top boxes and remote controls, and has a passion for improving the ease of use of technology for blind and partially sighted people.

Register for Untangling the Wires here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 815 5399 0950
• Passcode: 123456

If you are looking for a gentle, but thorough, introduction to Braille Screen Input on your iPhone or iPad, look no further!

This week, Accessible World Tek Talk will be joined by Matthew Horspool from the Braillists Foundation, who will introduce us to the wonderful world of typing in braille on our favourite Apple touch screens.

The session will guide you through setting up Braille Screen Input, help you choose how to hold your phone while brailling, and accompany you as you send your first text message in braille. Specific topics will include:

• Enabling Braille Screen Input
• Choosing your braille code and grade
• Setting your typing echo
• Proper orientation for both Tabletop and Screen Away modes
• Tips for ensuring accurate braille entry

The session will take place on Monday 28 October at 8:00 PM US Eastern time, 7:00 PM US Central time, 5:00 PM US Pacific time and midnight on 29 October in the UK. A recording will be made available shortly afterwards.

Join the Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room

Meeting ID: 839 935 813
Password: awz