[Nfbc-info] {Disarmed} DOT, the 1st Braille Smartwatch-August eNews

[Nancy Lynn]

National Braille Press

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                  August 2015


                        Meet DOT, the 1st Braille Smartwatch


                         

                        ZD Net writes:

                        The iPhone has accessibility features that make it an effective tool for the visually impaired. That's why the Dot, a Braille smartwatch coming in December, is so exciting. It uses innovative technology that forms "bubbles" on the "display" to write text for the blind. There are existing Braille readers, but these tend to cost $2,000 or more. The Dot is expected to retail for less than $300. 

                        According to Popular Science, the Dot can write text at variable speeds to suit the owner. Looking like a cross between a fitness band and a small smartwatch, the Dot writes the text in Braille using four cells with six active bubbles each that appear and disappear as appropriate.

                        Read more about DOT.
                       


                        The Art of Proofreading Braille


                        NBP Braille proofreader, Amber Pearcy, is profiled in August’s On the Job section of The Boston Globe’s online edition.

                        Here is an excerpt:

                        It might seem that the need for a Braille proofreader is becoming obsolete, especially with today’s digital technology. But there’s still a enormous stack of printed materials being added to libraries for blind and visually impaired readers.

                        In the past few years, National Braille Press proofreader Amber Pearcy has checked Braille translations for iPhone instruction guides, an airline safety card for Southwest, a children’s picture book, college admission tests, cookbooks, and best-selling novels. 

                        Read the entire article at Boston.com


                       

                        Why I Love UEB!

                        For several decades, the discussion about changing the braille code to Unified English Braille (UEB) has sparked passionate feelings. This code, named for its inventor Louis Braille, has been around for over 200 years and has served the blindness community well. Anticipation, trepidation, and many, many questions still surround UEB.

                        Recently, NBP Publisher, Diane Croft, spoke with Steve Booth, a former NBP employee and current Braille Specialist at the National Federation of the Blind. When he proclaimed to “love UEB” we knew we needed him to post his thoughts on our blog.

                        Read Steve’s take on UEB. 

                       
                 

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