News

Friend of the Braillists Scott Davert has updated his article on AppleVis: Using a Braille Display on iOS: an Introduction.

The update reflects some changes to iOS 26, including Braille Access, and removes some obsolete information.

Our popular Braille Bar returns this Tuesday at 7:30 PM. No question is too small, from kit to code – just ask and our experts will assist you!

Register for the Braille Bar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdOyopjMiHdyORwRuXacnY9IrA4lVN2Bh

Or, to join by phone, use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 880 3508 8878
• Passcode: 123456

Calling all braille readers and braille providers! Bookshare is conducting an anonymous survey of both Bookshare members and non-members to learn more about how digital braille is used and how we can better support braille readers through Bookshare improvements.

Complete the survey and help us improve Bookshare

Sound Without Sight are excited to announce their next Monthly Meet-up and Q&A, featuring the radio producer and musician, Kevin Satizabal.

Kevin is an Assistant Producer at BBC Radio 3. His debut radio feature, Joining the dots – 200 years of Braille Music, aired on 28 September. The documentary explored the impact that braille music has had over the last 200 years.

Kevin himself is a composer and pianist, and also a trustee at Paraorchestra.

During the meeting, Kevin will share:

• The process of producing the documentary.
• The initial inspiration for the documentary.
• How he went about the research process, and selecting people to interview.
• The impact of using sound design to engage the listener, and technical aspects such as methods used to record and edit material.

The session will last 60 to 90 minutes, including Q&A. This will be a relaxed, informal event and audience participation is encouraged. We really want to make sure that everyone gets a chance to ask a question if they would like to. Submitting questions in advance enables us to ensure that they get answered.

Please note that this session will be recorded and published on podcasting platforms, so if you contribute during the session, you are consenting to appearing in the recording.

Register for the Meet-Up

We hope to see you there!

Vispero and HumanWare invite you to an exclusive webinar showcasing the future of braille access with Monarch and JAWS. Together, we’ll demonstrate how multiline braille and split braille open new possibilities for education, productivity, and independence.

Discover how cursor routing on multiline displays provides faster, more intuitive navigation across multiple lines of text, bringing braille access closer than ever to the experience of print. Learn how JAWS and the Monarch work hand-in-hand to deliver a powerful, seamless solution for braille users of all levels.

Join us to see firsthand how this groundbreaking collaboration is transforming braille access and empowering users worldwide.

Register for Monarch Meets JAWS

Coventry Vision Hub, the new name for Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind, will be holding an open day in recognition of World Sight Day. HumanWare and other assistive technology companies will be part of a small exhibition, and we are promised that there will be a Monarch!

Entry is free on Thursday 9 October between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. No registration required.

Coventry Vision Hub, 33-35 Earlsdon Avenue South, Coventry, CV5 6Th
024 7671 7522
[email protected]

Apple recently released the latest versions of its flagship operating systems, including iOS and iPad 26 for the popular iPhone and iPad product lines. Amongst the many new features are a significant number of improvements to VoiceOver, the built-in screen reader, including a new notataker-like feature called Braille Access.

In the second part of this two-part series on iOS 26, Matthew Horspool will talk about:

• Launching apps and items
• Taking, reading and managing braille notes
• Reading and transferring BRF files
• The braille clock and calculator
• Live braille captions
• Braille Access settings
• Configuring braille keyboard commands for Braille Access

Register for the Masterclass here.

To join by phone, please use these details:

• Phone number: 0131 460 1196
• Meeting ID: 890 9440 0482
• Passcode: 123456

In October, we celebrate National braille week, so naturally, this month’s Webinar Wednesday has a braille theme.

We’re thrilled to welcome back Matthew Horspool, a long-time friend of Sight and Sound Technology. Matthew wears many hats—he’s the Code Maintenance Officer for the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) and General Manager at the Braillists Foundation.

Matthew will be talking us through a relatively new and powerful feature in JAWS called split braille. Split Braille allows your braille display to show content from two different locations or views at the same time, by splitting the display into two regions. For example, you can read the main document text on one side and see attributes like bold or italics, comments, or speech history on the other. This helps you review more information at once without switching views. While split Braille works on any size braille display, it is most useful on larger displays, where splitting the braille line would still afford ample space for accessing information.

Please register here to attend what will undoubtedly be a hugely informative and worthwhile session.

The topic for the Tuesday, September 30, 2025, That All May eRead online program will be NLS eReader Searching: Tips and Tricks. We will open the program with a brief presentation and demonstration and then we will answer your questions about the Zoomax and HumanWare Braille eReaders for the remainder of the hour.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and last for one hour. To access the program, go to https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1600222400?pwd=4laeaft2Upzed3CbsPRUKq8xGdTXMC.1.

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

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.

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.

Join by Telephone

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

Meeting ID: 160 402 1014

Passcode: 555132

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Introducing the Canute Console from Bristol Braille. A 360 cell, 9-line refreshable braille display synced to a high contrast 13″ monitor.

Read literary, math or music Braille a nine-line page at a time; Use the Console to access math, financial and chart information in a more intuitive way; Study; Use the Console for  Linux system administration; programming; exploring maps and much, much more.

Presented by Ed Rogers from Bristol Braille.

Join the Zoom meeting Meeting ID 890 8536 4510 000764