News

Dear [Braillists Foundation] Community,

Happy National Volunteer Week!

At the Braillists Foundation, we deeply appreciate and value the dedication, time, expertise, and unwavering commitment of our incredible volunteers. Your efforts to spread the power of braille and empower individuals with visual impairments are truly exceptional. Today , we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has generously given your time and talents to further our mission. While we recognize that we may unintentionally overlook some names in this message, please know that every single volunteer is invaluable to us, and your contributions do not go unnoticed.

We want to give a special shout-out to a few outstanding individuals who have gone above and beyond in their roles:

• Mel, a remarkable leader, who has been instrumental in organizing and leading our Braille for Beginners sessions. Your passion and dedication have empowered countless individuals to embark on their braille journey with confidence.
• Chantelle, a breath of fresh air within our community, whose enthusiasm and positivity have left an indelible mark. Your presence and support have uplifted both fellow volunteers and those who benefit from our services.
• James, a true champion, who consistently steps up to serve on our Braille Bar Panel and deliver masterclasses. Your expertise and willingness to share your knowledge have greatly enriched the learning experiences of our community.

To all the volunteers who have selflessly given their time, energy, and expertise to the Braillists Foundation, we thank you. Your tireless efforts have enabled us to touch the lives of many individuals, fostering inclusion and empowering them to access information and opportunities through braille.

On this special occasion of National Volunteer Week, we want to emphasize that while we formally celebrate volunteers this week, we recognize and value your contributions every single week of the year. Your dedication drives us forward and motivates us to continue our vital work.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your tremendous support. Without you, the Braillists Foundation would not be the vibrant and impactful community it is today .

Wishing you all continued success and fulfillment in your endeavors.

With utmost gratitude,
Dave Williams
on behalf of the Board of Trustees

The Orbit Reader range is now very extensive and comprises the Orbit Reader 20, the Orbit Reader 20 Plus and the Orbit Reader 40. In this Masterclass, Dave Williams, Customer Experience Manager at RNIB and Chairman of the Braillists Foundation, will talk us through what these products can do, how they work, and the differences between Orbit Readers and other braille displays and notetakers.

You will learn:

• The differences between the Orbit Reader 20, 20 Plus and 40
• How Orbit technology differs from traditional braille display technology
• How to find and open files
• How to find text within a file
• How to use the editor
• How to transferr files between the Orbit and a computer

Register for the Masterclass here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 824 7645 2710
• Passcode: 123456

Braille Literacy Canada (BLC) will be holding its third annual virtual braille symposium on Friday, June 2, 2023 from 1 – 5 PM EDT (10am-2pm Pacific/11am-3pm Mountain/Saskatchewan, 12pm-4pm Central, 2pm-6pm Atlantic, 5pm-9pm UTC).

This event will be of interest to braille readers, educators, transcribers, parents, producers and anyone else with a passion for braille literacy!

Schedule overview

The schedule of events is as follows:

• 1:00pm EST: Concurrent English/French presentations:
  • English: About Braille Files (James Bowden, RNIB, Braille Technical Officer)
  • French: Les albums tactiles illustrés des Doigts Qui Rêvent, presque 30 ans d’innovation (Sophie Blain, Les Doigts Qui Rêvent)
• 2:00pm EST: I-M-ABLE: Individualized Meaning-Centered Approach to Braille Literacy Education (Dr. Diane Wormsley, Brenda Brodie Endowed Professor, North Carolina Central University, Retired)
• 3:00 pm EST: Expanding the Frontiers of Literacy: Developing Braille Codes for Indigenous Languages (Jen Goulden and Christine Muise)
• 4:00pm EST: Unified English Braille Across Borders (Frances Gentle, Josie, Howse, Craig Cashmore)

Each presentation will be approximately 30 minutes long, followed by a 15 minute question-and-answer period, and then a 15 minute intermission.

Registration information

This event is open to anyone in Canada and internationally with an interest in braille.

It is free of charge to members of Braille Literacy Canada (or members of organizations who are corporate members of BLC) and $20.00 for non-members. Interested in becoming a BLC member? Annual membership (open to all Canadians) is $20 – check out our membership section for more information!

Registration will close on Thursday, May 31, 2023 at midnight. Live automatic captioning will be provided for the presentations through Zoom, and written transcripts of the presentations will be made available after the event. (Zoom is not able to support live captioning and transcripts for the French presentation at 1pm EST.)

Once you have submitted your registration, your request will be reviewed and a Zoom link will be e-mailed to you within a few days. If you do not hear from us or you have any other questions, please write to [email protected].

Click here to register

“This new braille has so many extra dots!” This is something we hear a lot, and it’s often followed by the question, “What do they all mean?”

This Masterclass will help to solve the mystery. James Bowden, Braille Technical Officer at RNIB, Chairman of the Braille Coding Group of the UK Association for Accessible Formats, and the UK Representative to the Code Maintenance Committee of the International Council on English Braille, will describe the common indicators in UEB and give some real world examples of their use.

In particular, we will cover:

• Capital letters and block capitals
• Making sure a word or symbol is not misread as a contraction
• Italicised, bolded and underlined text

A handout will be made available on our website after the Masterclass. However, the pace is likely to be quite brisk, so we recommend being able to take notes during the session if at all possible.

Register for the Masterclass here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 824 7645 2710
• Passcode: 123456

RNIB are now reselling the Versaslate, a paperless braille frame, for £89.99. The product code is BF27.

Purchase the Versaslate at the RNIB Shop

Celebrate the historic occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort with this special commemorative guide, published by RNIB Newsagent.

The Coronation takes place on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey, and will be followed by a weekend of special events.

We take you through all the longstanding traditions and pageantry of the Coronation Ceremony itself and, as Their Majesties want to encourage people to mark the occasion with friends, families and their communities, we also have information on how you can enjoy events such as the Coronation Big Lunches and the Big Help Out.

The commemorative guide also takes a look back at the lives of King Charles III and Camilla, The Queen Consort, and reflects on the Coronation of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 70 years ago.

Product Code: DUP0003655
Price: £3.50

Order the RNIB Coronation guide here

RNIB is advertising a ten week work placement over the summer months to help them prepare a braille course for online delivery. The placement is specifically for people with lived experience of sight loss.

It is listed as “See Work Differently Placement – Content Development”. The Job reference is REQ0001692.

For more information and to apply, visit the Search for Jobs page of the RNIB website and enter “see” into the search box.

• Closing date: Wednesday 31 May 2023
• Who: 5 to 17 years

Put the power of literacy at your fingertips! Write a short story, essay, or poem on any topic in braille.

Since 1997, 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.

VICTA is delighted to be a part of this contest for 2023 and we look forward to reading your entries!

Why enter

Everyone that enters the contest will receive a small participation prize.

Under 10?

You can use this entry to go towards your ‘Create’ badge as part of your Young Achievers Award. You could also use it to enter the BBC’s ‘500 Words’ competition coming in September.

Over 10?

You can use this as evidence to demonstrate great communication as well as working under pressure on your VICTA Vault profile. If you are 10 or 11, you can also use it to enter the BBC’s ‘500 Words’ competition coming in September.

To find out more about the entry criteria and how to enter, follow the link below!

Find out more and enter

We’re excited to announce that the Optima Braille Laptop Computer will integrate the Framework Ecosystem! The highly customizable, upgradable and repairable platform will offer unprecedented flexibility and performance to assistive technology products.

The Framework ecosystem is known for its modular design, which allows users to easily replace and upgrade individual components such as the processor, memory, and storage. This makes it easy to keep the device up to date and running smoothly, and also reduces electronic waste by minimizing the need for full device replacements. In addition, the Framework Laptop is built with sustainability in mind, using recycled materials and providing detailed information about the origin and environmental impact of each component.

The Optima transforms the assistive technology landscape which has traditionally seen custom-designed proprietary computing products, by offering all the power, features, functionality, configurability and upgradability that people have come to expect from common desktop computers. It is an optimal combination of a full-featured mainstream computer with braille and speech output and a QWERTY keyboard in a sleek and compact handheld form-factor; a high-performance Windows-based machine that can accomplish any task from word-processing and internet-surfing to highly demanding professional workloads such as video editing and software development. The Optima is the only product that puts users in complete control by offering them configurability before they purchase it and full upgradability after.

A plain text version of the press release is included below:

The ecosystem brings mainstream performance and flexibility to the assistive technology space, marking the end of the era of proprietary notetaker devices

Wilmington, Delaware – April 6, 2023 –

Orbit Research, a leader in the field of assistive technology, announced today that the company will integrate the Framework ecosystem into its products starting with the Optima Braille Laptop Computer from AccessMind, a new enterprise founded by Orbit Research and a team of veteran software developers. The highly customizable, upgradable and repairable platform will offer unprecedented flexibility and performance to assistive technology products.

The Optima transforms the assistive technology landscape which has traditionally seen custom-designed proprietary computing products, by offering all the power, features, functionality, configurability and upgradability that people have come to expect from common desktop computers. It is an optimal combination of a full-featured mainstream computer with braille and speech output and a QWERTY keyboard in a sleek and compact handheld form-factor; a high-performance Windows-based machine that can accomplish any task from word-processing and internet-surfing to highly demanding professional workloads such as video editing and software development. The Optima is the only product that puts users in complete control by offering them configurability before they purchase it and full upgradability after.

“We’re amazed to see how Orbit Research has leveraged modules from the Framework ecosystem to enable a high-performance braille laptop” said Nirav Patel, CEO of Framework. “We designed our modules from the start to be reusable outside of the Framework Laptop, but this goes beyond anything we envisioned.”

The Framework ecosystem is known for its modular design, which allows users to easily replace and upgrade individual components such as the processor, memory, and storage. This makes it easy to keep the device up to date and running smoothly, and also reduces electronic waste by minimizing the need for full device replacements. In addition, the Framework Laptop is built with sustainability in mind, using recycled materials and providing detailed information about the origin and environmental impact of each component.

“By integrating the Framework ecosystem into the Optima braille laptop computer, we are able to offer a level of configurability, upgradability and repairability that has never been possible in the assistive technology market. Orbit’s quarter-century of experience in designing and manufacturing highly complex and advanced systems such as the Graphiti have enabled us to engineer the Optima in a manner that offers the flexibility of the Framework ecosystem with the robustness of the Orbit TrueBraille platform while accommodating it in the unique ergonomic and compact form-factor of the Optima.” said Venkatesh Chari, CEO of Orbit Research and co-founder and CEO of AccessMind. “This allows us to provide users with truly innovative and sustainable products that will meet their needs for years to come. For far too long, users have only had the choice of traditional braille notetakers which are extremely expensive, have very limited hardware capabilities, and lock users into a closed system that is obsolete the day it is released. These notetakers require both students and teachers to learn specialized proprietary user-interfaces and then re-learn the use of mainstream computing platforms such as Windows or Mac computers as they enter the workforce. The Optima changes this forever. Orbit’s disruptive educational and braille products have set the bar for breakthrough functionality, performance, quality and affordability by developing solutions based on mainstream manufacturing practices. Integration of this flexible platform is yet another milestone in our journey towards leveling the playing field by introducing to the assistive technology industry the benefits of cutting-edge mainstream computing technology, and the ease of configurability and upgradability that the Framework ecosystem pioneers.”

“We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or needs,” said Adi Kushnir, co-founder and CTO of AccessMind and a veteran developer of assistive technology software. “By integrating the Framework ecosystem, we are taking an important step towards making that goal a reality. The Optima offers a no-compromise solution that bridges the gap between mainstream and assistive technology products by providing options in configurability, not only in hardware but also in software. Having been built to run standard Windows, the Framework ecosystem is future-proof with respect to operating system updates and the Optima also offers AccessMind’s specially developed BrailleUI software. BrailleUI provides a simple notetaker-like custom-designed braille-first user experience for a set of common applications such as a book reader, braille editor, calculator and file manager to seamlessly bridge the gap between a simple dedicated user interface and the mainstream Windows experience.”

The Optima will be available in Q1 2024 and customers will be able to choose from a variety of configurations and customization options, including different state-of-the-art processors, memory, storage, braille technologies and keyboard layouts.

Visit www.orbitresearch.com/product/Optima for more information.

About Framework:

Framework is a San Francisco-based company that creates technology products with sustainability, customization, and repairability in mind. Its flagship product, the Framework Laptop 13, is a highly customizable and upgradable laptop computer that features a modular design, easy repairability, and detailed information about the origin and environmental impact of each component. For more information, visit https://frame.work.

About Orbit Research:

Orbit Research is a global leader in the development of innovative and affordable products for people who are blind and visually impaired. Founded with the mission to fulfill the urgent need for affordable assistive technology products, the company has introduced breakthrough products like the Orion family of accessible scientific and graphing calculators, the Orbit Reader family of refreshable braille displays, the Orbit Slate family of multi-line refreshable braille displays, and the Graphiti family of tactile graphic displays that define the state-of-the-art in features, functionality, and affordability.

About AccessMind:

AccessMind is a new enterprise founded by Orbit Research and a team comprising Adi Kushnir and Avi Mann, with a mission to transform the Assistive Technology industry by bringing the benefits of mainstream technologies to products for people who are blind or visually impaired. With decades of experience in the Assistive Technology industry and a proven track record in developing world-leading breakthrough products and technologies at affordable prices, the AccessMind team brings a unique combination of a modern, innovative mindset and tremendous depth of skills and experience to usher in a new era in Assistive Technology.

Contact details:

Carla Morris
Orbit Research LLC
Tel: +1-888-606-7248
Email: [email protected]
https://www.orbitresearch.com

Anaheim, California – March 14, 2023 –

AccessMind and Orbit Research announced the launch of the Optima™ Braille Laptop Computer today at the 38th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. Providing all the capabilities of a state-of-the-art laptop computer and adding complete modularity and flexibility in hardware and software, the Optima Braille Laptop pioneers an entirely new class of products.

Traditional braille notetakers are extremely expensive, have very limited hardware capabilities, lock users into a closed system that is obsolete the day it is released and offer software upgrades that are few and far between. These notetakers require both students and teachers to learn specialized proprietary user-interfaces and then have to re-learn the use of mainstream computing platforms such as Windows or Mac computers as they enter the workplace.

The Optima changes this forever by offering all the power, features, functionality, configurability and upgradability that people have come to expect from common desktop computers. It is an optimal combination of a full-featured mainstream computer with braille and speech output and a QWERTY keyboard in a sleek and compact handheld form-factor; a high-performance Windows-based machine that can accomplish any task from word-processing and internet-surfing to highly demanding professional workloads such as video editing and software development. It is the only product that puts users in complete control by offering them complete configurability before they purchase it and full upgradability after.

The modular platform allows users to configure every aspect of the hardware and software. Built upon state-of-the-art hardware, the Optima offers the latest generation of Intel Core i5 and i7 laptop processors, memory options from 8GB to 64GB, onboard storage from 256GB to a massive 2 terabytes and beyond. A choice of braille technology options is also available – Orbit’s signage-quality and affordable TrueBraille™ or traditional piezo cells.

With the latest WiFi 6E standard and Bluetooth 5.2 technology, Optima allows fast and reliable wireless network speeds. The product is also the first Thunderbolt 4 certified Braille device, offering industry-leading data transfer capabilities with speeds of up to 40 GBPS. It also includes the peripherals expected in a high-performance mainstream laptop, such as high-quality stereo speakers, beam-forming microphones, and a fingerprint sensor and adds accessibility enhancements such as haptic (vibration) feedback.

Optima’s hardware flexibility extends to its ports, allowing users to pick any four from a wide range of popular ports including, USB Type C, USB A, HDMI, SD cards and storage expansion modules. The modular ports offer plug-and-play interchangeability and can even be swapped on the fly. Optima also provides a Braille Terminal mode and can be connected to any smartphone or computer and used as a braille display and keyboard.

The software on the Optima Braille Laptop is equally flexible. The unit comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 11 operating system, the best mainstream computing platform for accessibility and productivity. With Optima, users no longer have to use out-of-date versions of operating systems or wait for the device vendor to push updates to them. They can always stay secure and up-to-date through Microsoft’s upgrade facilities. Since it is a standard Windows computer, the user also has a choice of screen readers, with support for NVDA, JAWS, Narrator, and Supernova screen readers. The Optima comes with the NVDA Screen Reader pre-installed, configured with speech and braille output and ready to use out of the box.

For users who prefer a dedicated braille-optimized user interface, the Optima includes AccessMind’s specially developed BrailleUI software. BrailleUI provides a simple notetaker-like custom-designed braille-first user experience for a set of common applications such as a book reader, braille editor, calculator and file manager to seamlessly bridge the gap between a dedicated user interface and the mainstream Windows experience. BrailleUI also includes high-quality speech synthesis from Cerence (Vocalizer), in addition to the voices built into the Windows operating system.

Weighing just over 3 lb. and measuring 11.7 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches, the Optima is compact and lightweight but rugged and durable. The Optima Braille Laptop will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2024.

After the transformative changes that have been brought about in the educational and professional assistive technology field by Orbit’s breakthrough products such as the Orbit Reader and the Graphiti, the Optima now further levels the playing field by offering a no-compromise solution that bridges the gap between mainstream and assistive technology products.

Visit www.orbitresearch.com/product/Optima for more information.

About Orbit Research:

Orbit Research develops and manufactures innovative and affordable products that enable an independent lifestyle for people who are blind or visually impaired. Founded with the mission to fulfill the urgent need for affordable assistive technology products, the company has introduced breakthrough products like the Orion family of accessible scientific and graphing calculators, the iBill Talking Banknote Identifier Orbit Reader family of refreshable braille displays, the Orbit Slate family of multi-line refreshable braille displays, the O and the Graphiti family of interactive tactile graphic displays that define the state-of-the-art in features, functionality, convenience, and affordability. For more information, visit www.orbitresearch.com.

About AccessMind:

AccessMind is a new enterprise founded by Orbit Research and a team comprising Adi Kushnir and Avi Mann, with a mission to transform the Assistive Technology industry by bringing the benefits of mainstream technologies to products for people who are blind or visually impaired. With decades of experience in the Assistive Technology industry and a proven track record in developing world-leading breakthrough products and technologies at affordable prices, the AccessMind team brings a unique combination of a modern, innovative mindset and tremendous depth of skills and experience to usher in a new era in Assistive Technology. For more information, visit www.accessmind.net.

Contact details:

Carla Morris
Orbit Research LLC
Tel: 1-888-606-7248
Email: [email protected]
www.orbitresearch.com

The brochure text follows –

• All-in-one Braille laptop computer
  • 40 braille cells
  • QWERTY Keyboard
• Mainstream Hardware and Software
  • Latest-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 laptop processors
  • Microsoft Windows 11 and beyond
• Modular design is fully configurable before you buy it and upgradable after you do
  • Braille technology options – Orbit TrueBraille™ or Piezo
  • Processors – Intel Core i5 or i7
  • Memory – 8GB to 64GB
  • Storage – 256GB to 2TB
• Powerful Connectivity
  • Latest WiFi 6E standard
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • The first Thunderbolt 4 certified Braille device
• Choice of popular ports – pick any 4 you want
  • Wide range of hot-swappable ports, Plug-and-Play interchangeability
  • Thunderbolt/USB C, USB A
  • HDMI
  • SD Card
• BrailleUI – Braille-optimized user interface
  • Simple notetaker-like interface
  • Built-in apps: braille editor, calculator, book reader, file manager
  • High-quality Cerence (Vocalizer) TTS voices
  • Easily switch between BrailleUI and standard Windows
• Choice of screen-readers
  • Pre-installed with NVDA
  • Narrator, JAWS, Supernova
• Mainstream peripherals you expect
  • High-quality stereo speakers
  • Microphone
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • Haptic (vibration) feedback
• Braille Terminal Mode
  • Connect as a braille display and keyboard
  • Operate your smartphone or PC
• Compact, lightweight and rugged
  • 3.4 lb., 11.7 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
  • 1.5 kg, 29.6 x 19.0 x 3.3 cm