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But today, we really wanted to put the focus on YOU, our dedicated Braille users, for all YOU do spreading awareness, and promoting use of Braille, not just with NVDA on the PC, but in all aspects of life.

Learn more about World Braille Day from the UN: un.org/en/observances/braille-…

#Braille #WorldBrailleDay #WorldBrailleDay2024 #NVDAsr #Literacy #LiteracyMatters

World Braille Day | United Nations

The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.

^{United Nations}

It's World Braille Day! Braille is an important part of literacy for blind people around the world. We are proud to keep NVDA's Braille support top-notch.

Read about some recent efforts in our blog: nvaccess.org/post/in-process-8…

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#Braille #WorldBrailleDay #WorldBrailleDay2024

In-Process 9th October 2024

This time around, we wanted to put the spotlight on Braille. We have a very enthusiastic community of Braille users, and we wanted to share where we’re at, what we’ve added recently, and importantl…

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Celebrate Braille Literacy Month! Join us on Thursday, January 16 at Noon ET for the live webinar, Ten Power Tips for Using Braille with JAWS. We'll walk you through setting up your braille display, discuss important commands, and demonstrate valuable features designed to help you be more productive when using braille and JAWS.

Register today: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

#JAWS #FreedomScientificTraining #Braille #BrailleDisplay #BrailleLiteracy

A recent discussion on social media about the fact that I enjoy doing #Tactile (#Braille) #puzzles on #paper prompted a thought about producing them to share more widely. #Crosswords, #wordsearches, #Sudoku and so forth.

If anyone is interested, please feel free to fill and share my expression of interest form below.

is.gd/brl5qs

Santa Reads Braille is back! Sign your child up to receive a braille or large print letter from Santa. brailleworks.com/santa-reads-b…

#BrailleWorks #SantaReadsBraille #Braille

Santa Reads Braille - Braille Letters from Santa - Braille Works

Santa Reads Braille - Parents & teachers can reach out to receive a letter from Santa in braille & large print for their child.

^{Braille Works}

Thanks to inspiration from @cachondo , I have produced my first braille word search.

A great way for me to engage the kids in braille too. #Braille

One downside to Braille is that you have to use your brain. And if you're like me, you get words confused because your brain doesn't always register every dot your fingers feel. So, Lyft becomes Loft. Just, uncontracted if you're reading this in Braille.

One good thing about Braille, though, is you get to use your brain. So, if your TTS or narrator doesn't pronounce a name correctly, you can read it in Braille any way you want. And if you're like me, you really notice the things.

#Braille #Blind

As it has been a while and I could have done this better last time here’s my #introduction. I’m a #blind #parent, #braille user, and #musician. I have been blind for coming up on 5 years, learned braille over the last not quite 3 years, and spend most of my time juggling being a stay at home dad, and staff for #OurBlind, mainly on our Discord and the r/blind subreddit. I also read a lot, mainly fantasy, mostly on my #kindle with the #voiceview #screenreader, though also read on a #Brailledisplay.

ourblind.com/

OurBlind

Welcome to OurBlind Join Us Reddit Discord Lemmy Who We Are OurBlind is a community of blind and visually impaired people, their family and friends, and allies, from around the world.

^OurBlind

It was my great honour to have been asked to speak earlier today at the launch of “Braille On Display Third Edition”.
#Braille is the most priceless, life-changing gift blind people have ever been given. It was invented by one of us, for all of us. Despite some predictions when talking computers came on the scene that Braille would be rendered obsolete, technology has made Braille more relevant and abundant than ever.
There’s no getting away from it, hardcopy Braille books are bulky. But with a Braille display that connects to a smartphone or contains its own storage, we can have hundreds of volumes of Braille at our fingertips.
The cost of manufacture of Braille displays must be spread across a small number of units, so they are expensive, even though their price in real terms has declined significantly. During my time in the Braille product management field, the thing I am proudest of is delivering on two separate 40% reductions in the cost of refreshable Braille display technology.
If you’re going to buy a Braille display, or you have been allocated funding for one, naturally you want to make sure you’re getting the one that will best meet your needs. Finding objective information about all the choices out there is very difficult. Some agencies recommend what they know, and, understandably, distributors recommend what they distribute.
When I ran Mosen Consulting, I was proud and honoured to publish two editions of Jackie Brown’s book, “Braille On Display”. Now, it’s back for a third edition, and it is available free from the Braillists Foundation.
This book begins with the basic concepts and not only covers Braille displays, but Braille-only input devices as well. The Braille display market is vibrant, with plenty of competition and innovation occurring. The line between Braille displays that only function in terminal mode and the more fully-fledged notetaker is blurring, and that means there is more functionality available to the user at a lower price. Then there is the new category of multiline devices that can display tactile graphics.
With Jackie around to cover it all, we are in good hands to ensure that our hands are on the display that suits us best.
So, pick up your free copy of “Braille On Display” today, and read objective evaluations of a wide range of Braille devices.
braillists.org/brailleondispla…

Sincere thanks and appreciation to Jackie for the huge effort she has put into this, and to the Braillists Foundation for being such epic Braille champions.

Reading WITHOUT Sight: Challenging the Ableist Assumptions of Non-Visual Literacy

In today’s world, where accessibility is supposedly ever-expanding, comments on how blind people read – or rather, whether we “really” read – reveal a significant amount of latent ableism. When someone remarks, “You’re not really reading because you have to listen to it,” they are unwittingly touching on deep-seated biases that marginalize blind people and our experience. For me, as a blind person, these comments feel aggressive, like a slur that undermines not only my intellect but my very existence within a literate society. The underlying suggestion that my method of consuming literature is somehow less legitimate than traditional reading reflects a lack of understanding and a failure to appreciate the richness of alternative literacy.

At its core, this statement implies that visual reading is the only valid form of reading – an attitude deeply rooted in ableist assumptions. Just as the sighted world learns and adapts to new ways of accessing information, blind people, too, use technology to bridge gaps that were once insurmountable. By suggesting that listening to an audiobook or using a screen reader is inferior to reading with one’s eyes, the speaker perpetuates a narrow view of literacy that excludes anyone who does not fit their narrow definition of a reader.

The Emotional Impact of Dismissive Comments

Hearing such remarks can be hurtful. When someone tells me I’m not “really reading,” they trivialize the effort, love, and passion I pour into every book. Reading, in any form, is more than just a mechanical process; it’s an engagement with ideas, narratives, and emotions. Denying my capacity to “really” read is akin to erasing my agency in choosing to explore literature. It dismisses my experience and can feel like a personal attack, minimizing my intelligence and curiosity.

Moreover, these comments strip away the nuances of my identity and life experience as a blind person. They ignore the reality that many of us navigate systems not designed with us in mind, yet we adapt with resilience and creativity. Listening to a book, for me, is as much an engagement with its content as sighted reading is for others. This medium allows me to dive into narratives, to imagine worlds, and to connect with characters just as vividly as if I were reading visually. Such a remark does not just invalidate my experience, but it also points to a societal failure to recognize and celebrate the diverse ways people interact with literature.

Understanding the Roots of Ableism

Ableism, at its core, stems from a belief that certain abilities, like sight, are inherently superior. This mindset manifests in the way sighted people sometimes view adaptations like screen readers or braille as substitutes, rather than as equally valid methods of accessing information. This thought pattern diminishes the lived experiences of blind individuals and subtly implies that we’re only half-participating in the world of literature. The comment reflects an ideology that upholds one mode of experiencing the world as ideal, while relegating others to second-class status.

Furthermore, literacy is a concept that should not be defined by sensory modality. Whether through braille, audio, or screen readers, blind readers engage in the same cognitive processes of understanding and analying text. These methods are not merely compensatory but rather alternate pathways that lead to the same destination.

Responding Constructively

Addressing this kind of ableism requires a blend of assertiveness and education. In responding to these comments, I could say something like, “When you suggest that I’m not really reading, it feels as if you’re diminishing my engagement with the text. For me, listening to a book offers the same intellectual and emotional journey as sighted reading does for you. It’s not about the method; it’s about the experience of connecting with the material. I’d appreciate it if we could acknowledge that there are many valid ways to be a reader.”

By framing the response in this way, I affirm my own experience while gently inviting the person to reconsider their assumptions. Another approach could be to highlight the diversity of literacy methods available today: “There’s a wide range of ways people can read now, whether through audio, braille, or text-to-speech technology. These methods open up the world of literature to more people and should be celebrated rather than diminished.”

My hope is that, in responding to these comments, I can foster a moment of reflection for others. Reading is about engaging with ideas and stories, not about the medium through which we access them. Ableist remarks about non-visual reading, though sometimes spoken thoughtlessly, present an opportunity to open minds and broaden perspectives. By sharing my experience, I contribute to a more inclusive understanding of literacy and help to dismantle the harmful stereotypes that still persist.

Conclusion

Reading is not an act confined to the eyes; it is an intellectual and emotional endeavour that transcends sensory modality. For many blind people, it is the ultimate expression of our love for stories, our curiosity, and our intellect. When someone diminishes my experience as “not really reading,” they underscore a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a reader. As we continue to expand our understanding of accessibility, it is crucial to challenge and reframe such biases. Only by doing so can we begin to recognize and respect the many ways in which people interact with the written word, enriching our collective experience of literature in all its forms.

#Ableism #Accessibility #Audible #Blind #Braille #Disability #Equality #Inclusion #Kindle

Huge props to the #NVDAsr team for recognizing this and taking the steps to make #Braille a priority. Will be filling out their survey and hope other #Windows #ScreenReader users will do the same.

#Blind #LowVision #BlindMasto #BlindMastodon #BlindFedi @mastoblind

One of the themes which came through from the NVDA Satisfaction Survey earlier this year, was to improve Braille support. To help us target the most needed improvements, we have created a short survey. If you use NVDA with braille at least some of the time, please consider completing this survey.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

Please also share with anyone else who may be interested.
#NVDA #NVDAsr #ScreenReader #Braille #Accessibility #A11y #Survey #CommunityInput

Habe gerade eine Vorstellung des Projekts "MetaBraille" gesehen. Das ist ja saustark! Open Source Tools haben die verwendet und sich eine eigene Braille Tastatur gebaut, die im Prinzip von jedem blinden Menschen nachgebaut werden kann.
Sogar die Steuerung vom 3D Drucker.
Die 3D gedruckte Tastatur kann man dann an das Handy koppeln. Klasse!!

kom-in.de/179/braille-aber-dig…

#Inklusion #Braille #tastatur #opensource #blind

To my last boost. Please boost this for wide spread. This is an opportunity for #braille dice sets to enter the realm of #mainstream and mass manufacturing. I haven't been able to read of full set of #dice as a #TTRPG player in 20 years since I went #blind. It would be beautiful for something like this to be added to life and make me feel like I'm right up there with everyone else. Thank you!

Just going to add the link directly here as well.

itch.io/b/2623/ttrpgs-for-acce…

Okay just, like right off the cuff here. But why does Vispero, a company making blindness software/hardware want videos for there Big Thing thing? Why not just text? Emails? Like, what? Why? Meh, whatever. I'll submit mine I guess. I'm sure some of you know what I'm gonna suggest. Feel free to submit your own ideas, goodness knows we need more grand ideas for screen readers.

#accessibility #blind #Braille #JAWS #FreedomScientific #ScreenReader

freedomscientific.com/nextbigt…

Great Braille Game! I learned about this game from Holly Anderson of the Maccessibility Podcast.
Brailliance is a Braille version of the popular Wordle game with a little twist.
You are given the total number of dots in the word, and you have to guess what the word is by figuring out the letters in the word with each of your guesses.
For example. The word has a total of 10 dots.
So your first guess is tale, t, a, l, e.
It tells you that 3 of those letters are in the word, and one is not.
t, a, and l, are in the word, and the letter e is not.
Please note: those letters are part of the final word, but they do not have to be in that order.
So lets see, the letters t, a, and l, equal a total of 8 dots, so you only have 2 dots left to make the final word.
And you only have 4 letters left with 2 dots, b, c, i, and k.
So now it is just a process of elimination
For this word, the correct other letter was k. So the final word was talk, t, a, l, k.
The tough part is figuring out words that have a specific number of dots, but this gets easier the more you play.
Plus, to help you out, the total number of dots for each letter can be found on the letters of the on-screen keyboard.
So how good do you know your Braille? Ready to take the challenge?
Just like Wordle, there is a new puzzle every day, as well as some other puzzle packs that you can play on the side if you like.
The game is totally free, and does have a cost to get rid of ads if you want.
I actually find this game more fun and challenging as Wordle! So I highly recommend giving it a try.
Here is the app store link.
apps.apple.com/us/app/braillia…

#Game #Accessible #Wordle #Braille #Maccessibility #Blind
@dhsholly

‎Brailliance - Learn Braille

‎Brailliance is a puzzle game where you guess the word by adding up braille dots. This game has been carefully crafted to be playable by everyone, and it includes multiple accessibility features for people with blindness and other disabilities.

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