[nfbwatlk] [Wcb-l] FW: [leadership] Fwd: Low-cost Refreshable Device to beAvailable in 2016 fyi
debby phillips
semisweetdebby at gmail.com
Fri Sep 5 04:46:53 UTC 2014
This could be a wondgful solution, and make braille more
available to more people here and worldwide. Debby
---- Original Message ------
From: "Sue Ammeter" <sue.ammeter at cablespeed.com
Subject: [Wcb-l] FW: [leadership] Fwd: Low-cost Refreshable
Device to beAvailable in 2016 fyi
Date sent: Wed, 3 Sep 2014 16:53:18 -0700
-----Original Message-----
From: leadership [mailto:leadership-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of
Carla
Ruschival via leadership
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2014 11:22 AM
Subject: [leadership] Fwd: Low-cost Refreshable Device to be
Available in
2016 fyi
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Roberta Williams <rwilliams at aph.org
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 16:27:31 +0000
Subject: Low-cost Refreshable Device to be Available in 2016 fyi
To: "carla40206 at gmail.com" <carla40206 at gmail.com
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Roberta Williams, (502) 899-2357 (office),
rwilliams at aph.org<mailto:rwilliams at aph.org
Low-cost Refreshable Device to be Available in 2016
Louisville, Kentucky (August 27, 2014) - American Printing House
for the
Blind (APH) is pleased to announce that the Transforming Braille
Project,
for which it serves the CEO function, has reached a new plateau.
Beginning
in 2012, APH and eighteen other non-profit organizations
http://www.transformingbraille.org/faq/#faq_03
concerned about the high cost of refreshable braille devices
began a quest
to create a low-cost option by forming an international
consortium to work
on the issue.
Recently, Orbit Research LLC http://www.orbitresearch.com/ and
the
Transforming Braille Group LLC
http://www.transformingbraille.org/
announced an agreement to produce a low-cost refreshable braille
display.
According to a release sent out by Transforming Braille Group,
"The
objective of the project is to produce a stand-alone 20-cell
refreshable
braille display for $300 (or £200) which will bring refreshable
braille
within the reach of children in developing countries and will
provide
libraries in developed countries with a viable alternative to
hard copy
braille. The product will be launched at CSUN (California State
University,
Northridge Center on Disabilities Annual International Technology
and
Persons with Disabilities Conference) in 2016.
The display is designed to work through USB and Bluetooth
connectivity with
'smart' phones and tablets. It is not intended to compete with
high
specification refreshable braille displays already on the market,
primarily
used in education and employment, but is intended to bring
braille displayed
e-books to a wide audience at an economical price."
Of the project, Larry Skutchan, CEO of Transforming Braille Group
LLC and
Technology Project Manager at APH, said, "Dramatically reducing
the cost of
refreshable braille is one of the most effective ways to increase
literacy
for people who are blind. Between this new refreshable braille
display and
the advent of free or low cost screen readers like NVDA, anyone
can afford
to participate in the electronic text revolution we all now take
for
granted. While the impact to people in less developed countries
is most
dramatic, even braille readers in more prosperous countries, like
the United
States, can afford to read without the help of government
subsidies. Since
the device works both independently and connected to computers
and smart
phones, it is possible to distribute documents with a commonly
available SD
card. The simple user interface is analogous to that of an
electronic book
reader, except that instead of a screen, it uses refreshable
braille. This
project truly transforms braille."
-MORE-
"We're excited to participate and lead this global effort for
braille
literacy," said Tuck Tinsley III, APH President.
About the American Printing House for the Blind:
The American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c) (3)
non-profit
organization, is the world's largest nonprofit company devoted
solely to
researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people
who are blind
or visually impaired. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest
organization of its
kind in the United States. Under the 1879 federal Act to Promote
the
Education of the Blind, APH is the official supplier of
educational
materials for visually impaired students in the U.S. who are
working at less
than college level.
APH manufactures textbooks and magazines in braille, large print,
recorded,
and digital formats. APH also makes hundreds of educational,
recreational,
and daily living products including computer software and an
array of
assistive technology items.
The American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. is located at
1839 Frankfort
Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, call
(502) 895-2405 or log on to www.aph.org<http://www.aph.org
END-
Roberta
Roberta Williams, 502-899-2357
Public Relations Manager
Publicity, Tours, InSights Art
http://www.aph.org<http://www.aph.org/
click on links below to connect with us
[Facebook-Icon]<http://www.facebook.com/#!/AmericanPrintingHouse>
[blogger
icon]<http://www.fredshead.info/>[you_tube]<http://www.youtube.co
m/aphftb>[f
lickr
icon]<http://www.flickr.com/aphblind>[twitter]<http://www.twitter
.com/APHfor
theBlind
American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
Building Independence Since 1858
-----
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