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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
</b> <br>
<b>CONTACT:<br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind <br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br>
<u> <br>
</u><b>CONTACT:<br>
</b>Nicolas Lagacé <br>
Marketing Communications Manager<br>
HumanWare <br>
(888) 723-7273 <br>
<a href="mailto:Nicolas.Lagace@humanware.com">
Nicolas.Lagace@humanware.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>Print to Braille in Seconds:<br>
HumanWare Partners with KNFB Reader, LLC and National Federation of the
Blind<br>
</b> <br>
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<b>Longueuil, Quebec, and Baltimore, Maryland (July 25, 2016):</b> Nearly
every blind person encounters print material on a daily basiswhether it
is a paper handout in a classroom or meeting, inaccessible content on a
screen, or personal mail. In the past such situations would require the
blind person to ask for assistance and, often, to wait for that
assistance. The launch of KNFB Reader for smartphones forever changed the
significance of receiving an inaccessible piece of paper. Now a blind
user can simply snap a picture using their smartphone and have the print
read to the user in seconds.<br>
<br>
HumanWare, KNFB Reader, LLC (KNFB), and the National Federation of the
Blind (NFB) have taken instant access to print content even further. Both
HumanWare and NFB have always been primary advocates of Braille literacy
and share the belief that Braille literacy is directly related to success
in employment. Building from this belief, along with a desire to empower
blind people with a tool that can turn print into Braille in seconds,
HumanWare, KNFB, and the NFB have partnered together to offer the KNFB
Reader as a freely included app on the BrailleNote Touch.<br>
<br>
“Someone once told me they dreamt of a world where all print material
could instantly be replaced with Braille. Today, with this partnership,
we are making that dream a reality,” said Greg Stilson, HumanWare’s
Product Manager of Blindness Products.<br>
<br>
This March HumanWare launched the BrailleNote Touch, the most powerful
Braille productivity tool ever built. The first and only Google-certified
Braille tablet, the BrailleNote Touch combines the efficiency and
simplicity of a traditional Braille notetaker with the power and open
mainstream apps of an Android tablet. Equipped with a customized touch
surface or optional Braille keyboard, a built-in Braille display, and an
8-megapixel camera, the combination of the BrailleNote Touch and the KNFB
Reader is a natural marriage.<br>
<br>
“As an organization that strives every day to raise expectations for the
blind, the National Federation of the Blind applauds the work HumanWare
and Google have done to create an innovative product that breaks down the
traditional barriers using assistive technology. It was only fitting to
empower this technology with the best print recognition tool, and we are
excited that BrailleNote Touch users will immediately have access to the
KNFB Reader,” said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. <br>
<br>
HumanWare is aiming to include KNFB Reader in a free BrailleNote Touch
update this September. All existing BrailleNote Touch users will receive
a notification on their device when this update becomes available and can
initiate the wireless update immediately.<br>
<b> <br>
<div align="center">###<br>
</b></div>
<br>
For over 25 years, HumanWare’s inspirational vision has resulted in a
range of highly intuitive and intelligent solutions that empower people
who are blind or with low vision by giving them the independence to
participate effectively within a sighted world. From advanced Braille
products and electronic magnifiers to digital talking book players and
beyond, our tools help end-users to live independently and compete
effectively in today’s world. <br>
<br>
For more information about HumanWare and the BrailleNote Touch, please
visit: <a href="http://www.humanware.com">www.humanware.com</a>. <br>
<br>
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back. <br>
<br>
For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, please
visit: <a href="http://www.nfb.org">www.nfb.org</a>. <br>
<br>
To learn more about the KNFB Reader, please visit:
<a href="http://www.knfbreader.com">http://www.knfbreader.com</a>. <br>
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