Author: Matthew Horspool

As part of the Windows K2 initiative to revitalize Windows 11, there have been a number of braille improvements in Narrator. From the Windows Central article:

Braille displays now connect instantly with Narrator

• We’re making refreshable braille displays easier to use in Windows. Narrator now supports displays that use the HID standard — an open industry standard for braille displays. If your display supports HID, simply connect it via USB and start reading — true plug-and-play with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory, and you can work wirelessly without being tethered to your PC.
• Compatible HID displays include models like the Orbit Reader 20, Orbit Slate 340, Freedom Scientific Focus 40, and APH Mantis Q40.

HID braille displays now work during the initial Windows setup experience (OOBE) over USB — meaning users who are deaf-blind can set up their PC independently, right from the first screen. You can customize braille input and output options anytime in Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.

From Harri Pasanen:

I’m happy to announce public availability of MBraille Desktop app for Windows: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pc8z5m4vnz1

It allows you to learn and practice Braille on your Windows PC using a regular keyboard. The application is free to download and use, it contains no in-app purchases.

This release is highlighted by a new Norwegian grade 3 contraction table, the result of Lars Bjørndal’s work implementing the revised Braille Authority rules. The Swedish tables have been thoroughly renewed and now also cover Sami and Elfdalian. Malayalam has been updated to comply with the new Bharati Braille 2026 rules. Several security vulnerabilities were fixed, and the documentation was improved.

Read the full announcement

This article from Helptech describes their new myBraille product.

We’re excited to announce that the June update for BT Speak is now ready. To install it, press O-chord for the Options menu, M for the BT Speak Management menu and U to check for updates.

One thing to note: once the update has finished downloading, the vibrations you normally hear and feel may stop for around 10 seconds. That is expected behavior. If that happens, just wait and you will eventually receive more progress information as the update installs and the vibrations will eventually resume.

You can read the Release Notes on our Web site.

This blog post from Even Grounds may be of interest.

We would love to invite you to join our email community, where we share product updates, webinar schedules, tutorials, accessibility tips, and other resources designed to help users stay connected and informed. Our goal is not simply to send announcements, but to create a space where users, families, educators, and accessibility enthusiasts can stay engaged with the latest developments and opportunities within the Blazie community.

By joining, you will receive:

• Early access to updates and new features
• Webinar and live demonstration schedules
• Helpful tutorials and accessibility resources
• Direct access to BT professionals for guidance and support
• Community news, user stories, and upcoming software improvements

Register here

At Blazie Technologies, we believe accessibility is about more than technology — it is about community. Whether you are a current user or simply exploring our products for the future, we want you to know that the Blazie family is here to support you throughout your journey.

We’ve updated our BT Braille product page. Feel free to visit it to learn about all things BT Braille.

The invention of the Braille code is an enduring, striking example of how we as blind people have solved our own challenges and shaped our own futures. A blind teenager named Louis Braille invented the code 200 years ago, and it remains vibrant, relevant, and adaptable to evolving technology.

Recently, refreshable digital Braille has been liberated from the confines of a single line of text, making digital graphics, complex data, and more fluent reading possible.

In the May edition of the National Federation of the Blind’s flagship publication, “The Braille Monitor”, I discuss the two leading devices in this space, Monarch and Dot Pad, describing the different philosophies adopted by each.

We have been waiting for viable multiline Braille for a long time. It’s wonderful that we now not only have it, but have a choice of device.

Read Two Displays, Two Philosophies: Comparing and Contrasting the Monarch and the Dot Pad X

From the Dot blog

We’re incredibly proud to share that Nemonic Dot, our portable Braille label printer that launched earlier this year through our partnership with Mangoslab, has been shortlisted in two categories at the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2026.

🏆 Digital Accessibility Award Finalist
Recognising technology that removes barriers and enables disabled people to access information, services and opportunities more independently.

🏆 People’s Award Finalist
Chosen entirely by public vote, giving the wider community the chance to champion the technologies they believe are making a real difference.

The Tech4Good Awards celebrate organisations and innovators using technology to create a more inclusive, accessible and equitable world. To see Nemonic Dot recognised in its launch year, and shortlisted alongside so many inspiring initiatives, is a tremendous honour. Thank you to the judges for selecting us from such a competitive field.

Voting for the People’s Award opened on 15 June). If you believe in the importance of accessible technology and the impact that braille labelling can have on independence and inclusion, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Voting closes at 18:00 BST on 1 July.

Vote here: AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards

The winners of both awards will be announced at the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards Ceremony on 3 July 2026, hosted by IBM in London and online.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Dot Inc. and Mangoslab as we’ve introduced Nemonic Dot to the accessibility community this year. Congratulations to all of the finalists, and good luck to everyone involved.