Author: Matthew Horspool

We are sorry to announce the death of Dr Mike Townsend. Mike was a significant figure in the world of braille, having been part of the Braille Authority of the United Kingdom (BAUK) for many years and latterly a member of the Braille Subject Area of the UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF). In this capacity, he represented the UK on the Executive Committee of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) between 2012 and 2016, where he also served as Public Relations Officer, and he continued to represent the UK on ICEB’s Public Relations Committee until his death.

An extract from a statement from Torch Trust, where he served as Chair of Trustees, follows:

It is with a heavy heart and a sense of profound loss that we announce the death of Mike Townsend. He and Edith had been on a cruise in the Caribbean when Mike developed a bad cough and collapsed. He was taken to a hospital in Antigua where they found he had a repeat of the pneumonia that he had suffered with a couple of times in recent years. They also found that he had had a cardiac arrest and that his blood pressure was very low meaning that some of his organs were beginning to shut down. He was too ill to move to another island with more of the facilities he needed and despite a brief increase in his blood pressure earlier this week, his body finally succumbed, and he died on 28th November).

Edith has been with him in Antigua and thankfully her sister was able to fly out to be with her before Mike died. Our thoughts and prayers are with Edith, their daughter Christine and the rest of the family as they begin to absorb this news and start their journey of grief. Please do pray for them and particularly for Edith as she has to make arrangements to return to the UK and all that entails and all that will follow it in terms of plans for funerals etc.

We mourn Mike’s death. We grieve the loss of someone who has been so involved in and committed to Torch’s ministry almost since its start. Mike touched the lives of many many people both directly and also in the many contributions he made through Torch and other organisations that he was involved in. We will miss him.

Do you access information using alternative formats or do you work for an organisation that arranges alternative formats for someone else? At A2I we want everyone to have equal access to information. we produce a range of formats including Braille, large print, audio and Easy Read.

If you have ideas of how alternative formats could be improved then we would like you to share your thoughts with our 2 user groups. We won’t bombard you with messages. We’ll send you a maximum of 3 surveys a year, and you can always unsubscribe at any time.

Please sign up at: https://a2i.co.uk/user-group-signup/.

Thanks for your help!

The Hable One is AT Guys’ newest product that allows you to remotely control your smart phone with an easy to use interface. Use the Hable one as if you were using braille screen input in screen away mode. No need for a table to quickly enter text and control your phone. You can even wake your phone up with it still in your pocket!

Discover the Hable One in AT Guys’ upcoming free webinar, highlighting its simplified text entry, app navigation, and call management.

Date & Time: December 13th at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. Reserve your spot here.

“What’s wrong with grade 2?” In many cases, nothing. It strikes a good balance between compactness, readability and lack of ambiguity. However, in some cases, a code which is even more compact than grade 2 is extremely advantageous, especially when information needs to be written down at speed.

The Braille Shorthand Code was one attempt at creating such a system. Devised and used in the UK, it was last updated in 1959 and still has a loyal following.

In this event, we will be joined by Dr Norman Waddington, a prolific user of the Braille Shorthand Code for many years. Norman will explain the principals behind the Braille Shorthand Code and take us through some examples of some typical shorthand phrases. He will also talk about the equipment which was traditionally used to produce braille shorthand and discuss who would benefit from using the Braille Shorthand Code.

Register for the Masterclass here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 870 1431 7702
• Passcode: 123456

The international DAISY Consortium and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) invite music publishers, composers, and music-setters/engravers to take part in our upcoming online Round Table on Accessible Music Publishing.

The event aims to explore and understand various sector requirements, through presentations and discussions between:

• mainstream music publishers (including exam boards)
• braille and other accessible format producers
• blind, partially sighted, and print-disabled musicians
• music setters/engravers
• music notation software producers.

We will discuss steps that the global sector can take to ensure equitable access to published scores, in response to legislation and to take advantage of technological advances, with the aim of establishing a sector Working Group and trialling some solutions.

Register for the Accessible Music Publishing Round Table event on Eventbright

Check out these RNIB braille and labelling products and 2024 stationary products which are on sale until the end of November 2023.

• When: Saturday 13 January 2024
• Who: 5 to 17 years plus immediate family
• Location: MK Gallery, 900 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 3QA
• Cost: £5 per person attending (under 5’s go free)
• Closing date: 30 November 2023

At VICTA we believe art is for everyone, there’s nothing to stop you expressing your creativity! Have you ever thought about how art can be accessible? How can braille open up a world of possibilities in art? What really is art? We’re really excited to be joined by the Blind Braille Artist, Clarke Reynolds, at MK Gallery where we will get involved and find out!

Find out more about this fun, creative and inclusive family day and apply for your place.

We are happy to unveil yet another advancement for Brailliant BI X displays and Mantis Q40.

Experience more text-to-speech voices and expanded online libraries(Brailliant BI X only)

This update introduces exciting enhancements, offering additional text-to-speech (TTS) voices that enable personalization according to your preferred language.

Furthermore, the Victor Reader application now has access to an extended range of online Daisy libraries, providing you with a seamless opportunity to immerse yourself in your favourite literary works with ease and enjoyment.

Click here to view the snapshot Video Tutorial

Mantis Q40 Sticky Keys

We are also excited to present the inclusion of Sticky Keys for the Mantis Q40, which allows individuals who operate the device with a single hand to achieve seamless control and navigation.

Kindly note that the Mantis Q40 does not possess audio capabilities, thus excluding features like TTS and Daisy Online. Please refer to the release notes for a comprehensive list of available libraries.

Click here for the full release notes

The braille community is buzzing about the next generation of braille display: devices which can show anything from tables to tactile graphics at the press of a button are now a reality, and braille users around the world are putting the technology through its paces.

But how do they fit into a classroom setting? This event, brought to you by VIEW and the Braillists Foundation, will help us find out:

In the first half, we will hear from HumanWare, Orbit Research, Dot and Bristol Braille Technology, all of whom are developing multi-line braille and/or tactile graphics displays.

In the second half, an expert panel of QTVIs will discuss how current practice might evolve to take advantage of emerging braille technologies.

There will be time at the end for you to ask questions of your own, so come prepared!

Register for Multi-Line Braille in the Classroom here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 876 1345 5225
• Passcode: 123456

Join us in the discovery of a brand-new screen reader curriculum called “Diving into Braille Displays”. Topics include choosing the right braille display, connecting your display to your computer and editing using your new display! Plus, HumanWare will be giving everyone who attends a FREE license to the course.

Register now to secure your spot!