News

For many years, we have had the ability to use electronic files to store and retrieve braille. Perhaps the most well-known file format for this purpose is BRF. However, working with these files presents a number of challenges, from the point of view of both embossing in hard copy and reading on electronic braille devices.

The recently released eBraille standard from the DAISY consortium addresses many of these challenges.

In this session, we will hear from Willow Free, Tactile Technology Product Manager at APH and Co-Chair of the DAISY eBraille Working Group. Willow will give a brief history of the eBraille project, explain how the standard works today, describe how to create and obtain eBraille files, and provide an overview of where eBraille is currently supported. Particular topics will include:

• The differences between a BRF file and an eBraille file
• Converting BRF files to eBraille, and the limitations of this process
• Some products and tools which currently support reading and creating eBraille files

There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end of the session.

Register for the session

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 815 7769 8751
• Passcode: 123456

The next meeting with Orbit Research CEO Venkatesh Chari will take place on Monday at 5:00 PM.

Join the meeting (no registration required)

Meeting ID: 858 0066 3113

Passcode: 585328

View meeting insights with AI Companion

The March 31, 2026, That All May eRead online program is an open forum. We will answer any questions you have about the NLS Braille eReaders for the entire hour.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and will last for one hour. The meeting will be recorded. To access the meeting, go to https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1603971745?pwd=AAyByFXmbZ94WHMCroPt1Iw28Se5mU.1

Meeting ID: 160 397 1745

Passcode: 471174

If you choose to dial in to the call, use the telephone numbers provided below. The Zoom.gov ID will not work with standard Zoom.us.

• +1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose)
• +1 646 964 1167 US (US Spanish Line)
• +1 646 828 7666 US (New York)
• +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)
• +1 415 449 4000 US (US Spanish Line)
• +1 551 285 1373 US (New Jersey)
• International numbers

Remember that the meeting is recorded. Do not speak if you do not wish to be on the recording.

You can find recordings and transcripts of previous That All May eRead programs on the NLS website at www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/that-all-may-eread.

For more information, please contact:
Tamara Rorie
Head, Patron Engagement Section
[email protected]
or
[email protected]

Pre-orders for BT Braille 20 and BT Braille 40 can now be purchased from the Shop page of the Blazie Technologies website.

The Sao Mai Centre for the Blind is developing a Braille music translation app for MacOS named SM BungSang. This app is mainly used to read and translate MusicXML scores into Braille. It doesn’t provide other Braille conversion features for text, math and tactile graphics as Sao Mai Braille software on Windows does.

Interested testers should email Phúc Dang Hoai on [email protected]

Hello everyone,

My name is María García Garmendia. I am a Sworn Translator and Interpreter for Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the past year, I have been pursuing doctoral research at the Faculty of Translation and Documentation of the University of Salamanca on the accessibility of digital dictionaries for blind people through the use of screen readers and refreshable Braille displays.

As part of this doctoral research, I am looking for blind participants to test a range of monolingual and bilingual dictionaries.

The participants should ideally meet the following requirements:

1. Be blind and, if possible, hold a degree or postgraduate qualification, or be a doctoral student or doctoral graduate, in Translation and Interpreting, Philology, language teaching, or another language-related subject, or have a big experience in accessibility.
2. In addition to English, speak in high level Spanish, Portuguese or Italian, or some of them. Any other language would also be very welcome.
3. Use a screen reader and a Braille display.
4. Use WhatsApp, as instructions, questions and general communication will be handled through this medium for convenience.
5. Be reliable and honour any commitments made.
6. Have an interest in accessibility and in testing both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries in different languages.

If you are interested, please write to me at: [email protected]

The tests will be carried out by means of audio recordings, which may be made using your own mobile phone and uploaded to a Google Drive folder. Communication will also take place through a WhatsApp group created for this purpose.

There will be no payment for taking part in the tests.

Many thanks to everyone, and I look forward to hearing from you.

We have been informed by the Touch Pad Pro Foundation that, unfortunately, production of the Braille Doodle is currently on hold due to the manufacturing molds becoming defective. Fundraising to create new molds is currently underway. Readers may Visit the Go Fund Me page for more information.

If you didn’t make it to the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference this year, you don’t have to miss what’s new.

Join the Dot team for a special post-CSUN webinar where we’ll share the latest product innovations that we’re launching, and which we  demonstrated at this year’s conference.

In this session, you’ll learn about:

Dot AI – new AI-powered integrations with Microsoft and Google enabling tactile PowerPoint experiences and new classroom access tools.

Our partnership with LG Electronics bringing multiline braille to accessible public kiosks.

The Nemonic Dot Braille Printer – a pocket-sized printer designed for durable braille labelling anywhere.

Reserve your spot

Hello Braille readers,

The Braille Working Group of the European Blind Union (EBU) has already brought to you two interesting and informative sessions of table talks on braille displays usage – Use Your Braille Display Like a Pro. You can find the articles about our first two sessions on livingbraille portal:

• Expert Table Talk Series on Braille Displays: the first C, connecting;
• Expert Table Talk Series on Braille Displays: The second C – Consuming.

Both articles will lead you to the YouTube recording of each session.

Today we invite you to the third round table on using your Braille display like a pro:
Wednesday, March 25, at 18:00 CET (17:00 UTC)
on Zoom

The topic of our third table talk is: Control your device from your braille display.

1. Basics of controlling a mobile device with a braille display
2. Basics of controlling a Windows computer with a braille display
3. Focus on unique features of European displays – Helptech and Papenmeier

A panel of experts will give short presentations and you are invited to share your experiences and ask your questions.

If you registered for our first session in January, you should have received the Zoom link by e-mail. The link remains the same for all sessions and we will send it to all participants who have already registered for the first and the second session.

If you did not register yet, we kindly request that you register for the table talk here.

So come join us for our third expert table talk—and take your Braille display skill to the next level!

Best wishes

The Braille Working Group of the European Blind Union (EBU)

Selvas BLV is pleased to announce that we are still accepting pre-orders for the all-new BrailleSense 7 braille tablet.

Following the highly successful unveiling at last week’s CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, we are continuing the momentum by hosting an in-depth webinar highlighting this award-winning technology. Although the BrailleSense 7 has not yet begun shipping, it has already been recognized as a winner of the prestigious iF Design Award 2026—one of the world’s most respected honors for innovation, functionality, and user-centered design.

We invite you to join us on Thursday, March 26 at 4:00 PM Central Time for a comprehensive overview and live demonstration of the BrailleSense 7. During this session, we will explore the features and innovations that distinguish this device as a leader in its class.

What You’ll Learn

What’s Included

• BrailleSense 7 tablet with touch-sensitive braille cells
• User-replaceable battery
• Secondary battery
• Dual input: Both Perkins-style and QWERTY keyboards
• Protective carrying case with shoulder strap

Hardware Overview

• Available in 40-, 32-, and 20-cell models
• Touch-capacitive braille interface
• Octa-core processor
• 256 GB flash storage with support for additional SD Micro memory

Device Layout

• Ergonomically designed braille keyboard
• Overview of all ports and connectors
• Orientation of top, front, back, left, and right panels

Settings and Navigation

• Support for legacy commands
• Gesture controls (swipe left/right, double-tap for navigation and app launching)
• Smart Scroll for seamless reading with minimal physical button interaction
• Customizable cursor routing options
• Scroll wheel for adjusting speech parameters and navigation

Software Capabilities

• Braille-first applications and curated third-party apps
• New multi-page home screen
• Full Excel spreadsheet creation and editing (beyond a viewer)
• Quick Search for local and online content
• Integrated Web TV tuner

This webinar is ideal for consumers, educators, and assistive technology professionals who are seeking a detailed look at the next generation of braille productivity and accessibility tools. Reserve your spot today and experience the future of braille technology with BrailleSense 7.

Please note: although all of the product information in this webinar is likely to apply in the UK, this is a US webinar and as such, release timelines may vary and pricing information and trade-in options should be treated as a guideline only.

Register for the webinar