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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Actually, the Orbit Reader does not have Wi-Fi.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">It is designed to be simple to operate locally for reading, file management on the SD card, and taking simple notes. It connects to a screen reader with USB or
Bluetooth for communication with host devices, just like most refreshable braille display technology.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">In other words, it is a refreshable braille display with simple local functionality.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">There are a few additional details at transformingbraille.org.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Nfbk [mailto:nfbk-bounces@nfbnet.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Kevin Pearl via Nfbk<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 28, 2016 7:43 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> NFBK <nfbk@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Kevin Pearl <kvnprl@twc.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nfbk] Orbit Braille Reader<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<h1 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:21.0pt">First affordable braille reader launched. </span><o:p></o:p></h1>
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<p style="line-height:19.2pt"><span class="xn-location">TORONTO</span>, <span class="xn-chron">March 24, 2016</span> /CNW/ - The new Orbit braille reader was launched last night at the Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference in <span class="xn-location">San
Diego, California</span>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">The Orbit braille reader is the first ever affordable refreshable braille reader that is portable. Until now, braille displays cost on average around <span class="xn-money">$3,000</span>, putting them out of reach for many people
– not just in <span class="xn-location">Canada</span>, but around the world. In contrast, the new Orbit braille reader will retail for under <span class="xn-money">$400</span>, providing an important new option for people who are blind or partially sighted
to access literacy at an affordable cost. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">"Solving the global issue of affordable refreshable braille devices is not something any one organization can do, and we were thrilled to be part of the consortium that took on the challenge of making braille technology widely
available," says <span class="xn-person">John Rafferty</span>, President and CEO of CNIB. "It means that a braille reader can now be right in the homes of many children and youth who are learning to read, and it also provides previously lacking access to braille
in many developing countries."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">CNIB is one of ten organizations worldwide who were involved in creating the new technology, along with the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) in <span class="xn-location">England</span>, NFB (National Federation of
the Blind) in <span class="xn-location">the United States</span>, American Printing House for the Blind, <span class="xn-location">New Zealand's</span> Blind Foundation, <span class="xn-location">Perkins</span>, the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially
Sighted, Association Valentin HauY (AVH), Sightsavers, and Vision Australia. CNIB provided research and development funding, expertise and testing.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">A refreshable braille display is a device that allows a person who is blind or partially sighted to read the contents of a display, like a computer, a text line at a time as a line of braille characters. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">In addition to CNIB contributing financially, <span class="xn-person">Diane Bergeron</span>, Executive Director, Strategic Relations and Engagement, CNIB, was a member of the product development committee which provided input on
design and testing in <span class="xn-location">Canada</span>. "Reading is one of the daily human activities affected most profoundly by vision loss, and it's absolutely critical to the success of a person who is blind or partially sighted living in a sighted
world," said Bergeron. "Early childhood literacy can have an impact on a person's commitment to education, ability to work and level of personal satisfaction in life."Braille continues to be an important tool for people who are blind or partially sighted,
despite advances in technology. Reading braille helps teach basic literacy skills like spelling, grammar, sentence structure and comprehension in a way that audio cannot help with. Simply hearing the words "there" and "their" won't teach you how "they're"
spelled.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">The Orbit braille reader works over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and can read files stored on an SD card inserted in the reader. The Orbit braille reader can read translated, formatted braille (BRF) files, translated, unformatted brailled
(BRL) files, portable embosser format (PEF) files and text (TXT) files.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="line-height:19.2pt">CNIB is the exclusive supplier of the Orbit braille reader in <span class="xn-location">Canada</span>, which will be available in the fall from Shop CNIB at <a href="http://www.shop.cnib.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">www.shop.cnib.ca</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
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