Category: Uncategorised

Many screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA, make use of the popular, open source Liblouis braille translation engine as part of their braille display support. In this session, we will explain and demonstrate how to harness the power of Liblouis braille tables to implement additional contractions in your screen reader of choice.

If you use a long word regularly and find it is taking up too much space on your braille display, this is the session for you! It will also serve as a brief introduction to Liblouis translation tables in general.

The session will be presented by James Bowden. In addition to his work as Braille Technical Officer at RNIB, James is also the Chair of the Braille Technology Committee of the International Council on English Braille, and is the primary developer of the default UEB translation table in Liblouis. Over many years, he has not only added new symbols to the UEB tables, but has also corrected numerous errors with existing contractions, and he actively contributes to discussions about the future development of Liblouis.

Please note: although we will do our best to present the concepts in this session in as simple and straightforward a way as possible, modifying Liblouis tables involves advanced file and folder manipulation, administration rights and working with computer code in a text editor. You do not need to be a computer programmer in order to benefit from this session, but it is best suited to people with intermediate to advanced computer knowledge.

Register for the Masterclass here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 814 7463 2995
• Passcode: 123456

Calling all Braille music lovers:

Bristol Braille Technology are now opening up the Braille invention centre in Bristol, so that we can gather interested people to try out the Canute Console, and participate in its development.

On Saturday, 13th April, we are holding a Music gathering, where we will be displaying Braille music scores on the nine line by 40 character display on the Canute Console.

This means you will be able to have more than one line of music and the lyrics all on one page, without having to scroll from line to line to gain the whole picture. We will be meeting at: The Braille invention centre: G11, 37 Philip St, Bristol, BS3 4EA, UK, from mid day until 3pm.

Ed Rogers and Steph Sergeant from Bristol Braille and Stuart Lawler from Sight and Soundwill be hosting the meeting.

“We are looking for people who are interested in building something exciting with us.” Even if you cannot attend on the day, email what you would like to see developed.

We will do live prototyping of any ideas that have arisen.

James Bowden, RNIB’s Braille Technical Officer, will be bringing a variety of braille music scores to display on the Canute. He will also demonstrate using MuseScore and SMB (etc).

Jay Pocknell, one of RNIB’s music officers is coming to talk about access to music etc. He runs ‘Sound Without Sight’

Roger Firman cannot come unfortunately, so he is sending a recording of his experience of several years of using a Canute with Braille music.

Another exciting development is that we are in touch with MuseScore to discover how well, their new version of MuseScore will work with the Canute Console. In a future event we will be inviting Peter Jonas to explain MuseScore, including six-key input.

Please get in touch To let us know you are interested:. Email [email protected] (mobile 07793 906 745)

Please let us know the time your train will be arriving at Bristol Temple Medes, and we can co-ordinate taxis. You may bring a sighted guide if that would help.

Bristol Braille will be able to cover standard class travel expenses.

If you live in the UK and are an experienced braille reader with access to a Windows computer and screen reader, you are invited to test a new braille learning tool. In as little as one hour you could make a huge difference to the way braille is learnt in the UK. Contact us here at the Braillists and we will pass along your details.

The VICTA & CNIB Creative Writing Competition is open for submissions!

• Closing date: Friday 31 May 2024
• Who: 5 to 17 years old

Since 1997, the CNIB has organised a Canada-wide Braille Creative Writing Contest for children and young people. This important competition celebrates braille literacy and encourages young people to flex their creative muscles while practicing their braille skills. Put the power of literacy at your fingertips! Write a short story, essay, or poem on any topic or re-purpose something you’ve written for school this year.

Entry criteria

We can accept original stories, essays or poems written in:

• Contracted or uncontracted braille – use the braille you know!
• Perkins or computer (6-key entry)
• Computer braille is accepted – please contact [email protected] so that we can confirm the best format for you to send it in

Who can enter

• The contest is open to children and young people aged between 5-17 years old who are registered or are registrable as blind or partially sighted
• Entrants must be permanent residents of the UK
• The online entry form must be completed by a parent/carer
• By completing the online entry form, you agree to your child’s entry as well as your child’s name and age being used by VICTA, including being displayed on the VICTA website and on our social media channels

Find out more about the competition and enter now!

If you are registered for our Braille for Beginners On Demand course, our next Office Hours session will take place on Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Please look out for a reminder email containing your unique joining link. If you have not received it by Tuesday lunchtime, please write to [email protected] for assistance.

If you are new to braille and not registered for Braille for Beginners, please consider signning up at www.braillists.org/beginners.

For people not following Braille for Beginners, your next session will be next Tuesday. Please see next week’s Newsletter for more information.

The “brilliant Berni Warren” and the “marvellous Melanie Pritchard” both appeared on a recent episode of the Blind Guys Chat podcast, discussing the Book Club and Braille for Beginners. Please do give it a listen.

The Braille eMotion is a multimedia 40-cell braille display designed to provide you with a seamless and intuitive reading experience. The device includes crisp, Clear Braille Cells, the ability to connect to multiple devices using Bluetooth and USB, screen Reader Support on multiple platforms and devices, intuitive Navigation: long-lasting Battery, compact and Portable, quality Text-to-Speech with multiple language support, a host of useful applications and much more.

Join us when our good friend Jenny Axler from Selvas Healthcare makes a very welcome return to help us unpack this truly outstanding device!

Please register here to attend this session.

We recently received the below email from STA, TendersTD and believe it is genuine. We will provide more information as and when we receive it.

Dear Suppliers,

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE) is looking to recruit Braille experts to quality assure modified Braille versions of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests to ensure that these are accurate, accessible and fit for purpose.

The national curriculum tests include the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, English reading (key stage 1 and key stage 2), English grammar, punctuation and spelling (key stage 1 and key stage 2), mathematics (key stage 1 and key stage 2).

The STA is looking to recruit experienced Braille experts for quality assuring the modified Braille versions of the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests. We are looking for individuals or organisations with excellent knowledge of contracted Braille (for key stage 2) and uncontracted Unified English Braille (for key stage 1) as well as experience of proofing complex Braille materials.

The successful Braille experts will:

• Have experience of proof-reading paper-based Braille materials;
• Have expertise in reviewing assessment materials;
• Be flexible and available to review materials in various locations as and when required in agreement with the relevant STA project team.

This is not a full time position and requires availability only during the proofing windows.

The indicative procurement timeline is provided in the table below. We shall be notifying those on our distribution list when the procurement goes live.

Date	Stage
15 April 2024	Invitation to Tender (ITT) issued
12 noon, 10 May 2024	Deadline for clarification questions
12 noon, 24 May 2024	Deadline for submission of tenders
28 June 2024	Award Notices issued to tenderers

If you are aware of any other Braille experts who may be interested in applying for this opportunity, please do alert them to this opportunity by forwarding this information to them.

Many thanks and best regards,
Rashida Akbar
Standards and Testing Agency
Department for Education
Cheylesmore House, 5 Quinton Road, Coventry CV1 2WT
Email: [email protected]
Please note my working hours are 8am – 4pm
Prefered method of contact: Email or phone (please do not message me via MS Teams as this is not very accessible for me)
Pronouns: she/her

The 39th CSUN Assistive Technology Conference took place from 18 to 22 March in Anaheim, California, hosted by the Centre on Disabilities, Division of Student Affairs at California State University, Northridge.

There were many exciting braille product announcements at the conference including the Orbit Reader Q20 and Q40, the eMotion from Hims and a new software update for HumanWare and APH braille displays. The latest prototypes of other braille products, including the much anticipated Optima from Access Mind, were also exhibited.

In this session, we will be joined by a panel of braille experts who attended the conference. They will help us unpack the announcements and share their thoughts on the products they saw.

If you are planning to attend any of the Sight Village exhibitions in the UK, this session will help you decide which products you might like to see for yourself.

Register for the Masterclass here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 880 0277 0620
• Passcode: 123456

Hims are thrilled to announce the launch of their latest innovation: the Braille eMotion 40-cell Braille Display! This groundbreaking product marks a new dimension in braille connectivity and innovation, revolutionizing how you interact with technology.

Go with that feeling and experience the power of the Braille eMotion!

Braille eMotion is a multimedia 40-cell braille display designed to provide you with a seamless and intuitive reading experience. With this device, you will enjoy these key features:

1. Crisp, Clear Braille Cells: Enjoy a smooth and responsive reading experience on our premium 40-cell braille display.
2. Versatility: Seamlessly connect to multiple devices simultaneously via 1 USB and 5 Bluetooth connections for enhanced accessibility and efficiency.
3. Screen Reader Support: Connect your favorite screen readers on multiple platforms and devices.
4. Intuitive Navigation: Effortlessly navigate through documents, websites, and applications with our user-friendly interface and ergonomic design.
5. Long-lasting Battery: Experience up to 20 hours of battery life per charge, ensuring uninterrupted usage throughout the day.
6. Compact and Portable: Designed for on-the-go accessibility, Braille eMotion is lightweight and compact, making it the perfect electronic Braille companion.
7. Quality Text-to-Speech (TTS): Choose from a wide selection of voices and many more languages than previous models for a personalized experience.
8. Standalone Notepad and Applications: Boost productivity with HIMS’ internal stand-alone applications, including Notepad, DAISY and Document Reader, Media Player, Calculator, Alarm, Stopwatch, Countdown Timer, and Voice Recorder.
9. Wi-Fi Connectivity: Upgrade Braille eMotion effortlessly with built-in Wi-Fi, offering additional power and versatility for future enhancements. Enjoy the freedom and flexibility of USB or up to 5 simultaneous Bluetooth connections.
10. Plentiful and various storage options: Read and save documents, DAISY text and audiobooks, media, and voice recordings to the 45 GB of internal storage, the Micro SD card, or USB drive.