[Blindmath] Results of Using the Perkins

[Susan Jolly]

This is an attempt to respond to Jose's excellent and clear post.

He wrote correctly "that as long as
you type in the Nemeth codes using your 6 dot knowledge of Nemeth Braille,
it will display on the BrailleNote."

Actually this is true not just of Nemeth but of any braille code.  If you 
type in contracted braille using your 6 dot knowledge the contracted braille 
will display on the BrailleNote as well.

What you are typing or writing is actually just the braille cells. What they 
mean depends on what you think they mean. If you type dots-123456 it could 
mean "for" or the Nemeth omission symbol or an ASCII equals mark depending 
on whether you are thinking in contracted braille or Nemeth math or ASCII.

Some people feel more comfortable entering braille by using the braille 
keyboard on a Perkins or on a notetaker.  But if you are familiar with your 
notetaker's computer braille table, you can also enter any desired braille 
cell via QWERTY, either using a regular keyboard or a QWERTY keyboard on a 
notetaker.

Using an electronic keyboard is certainly easier on your hands but, as been 
pointed out previously, one advantage of the Perkins is that it is easier to 
see several lines or math steps at a time. Of course, if money is no object, 
one could use a standalone 80-cell braille display which allows you to get 
several simple math steps on one line.

Sighted people can enter simulated braille from a regular keyboard by typing 
in computer braille and then using a compatible font to change the 
appearance from text to braille.  Of course this only works if the font 
matches up with whatever computer braille table you are using.  Duxbury's 
free SimBraille font is designed to match up with North American ASCII 
Braille.

SusanJ