News

We’re excited to announce that the June update for BT Speak is now ready. To install it, press O-chord for the Options menu, M for the BT Speak Management menu and U to check for updates.

One thing to note: once the update has finished downloading, the vibrations you normally hear and feel may stop for around 10 seconds. That is expected behavior. If that happens, just wait and you will eventually receive more progress information as the update installs and the vibrations will eventually resume.

You can read the Release Notes on our Web site.

This blog post from Even Grounds may be of interest.

We would love to invite you to join our email community, where we share product updates, webinar schedules, tutorials, accessibility tips, and other resources designed to help users stay connected and informed. Our goal is not simply to send announcements, but to create a space where users, families, educators, and accessibility enthusiasts can stay engaged with the latest developments and opportunities within the Blazie community.

By joining, you will receive:

• Early access to updates and new features
• Webinar and live demonstration schedules
• Helpful tutorials and accessibility resources
• Direct access to BT professionals for guidance and support
• Community news, user stories, and upcoming software improvements

Register here

At Blazie Technologies, we believe accessibility is about more than technology — it is about community. Whether you are a current user or simply exploring our products for the future, we want you to know that the Blazie family is here to support you throughout your journey.

We’ve updated our BT Braille product page. Feel free to visit it to learn about all things BT Braille.

The invention of the Braille code is an enduring, striking example of how we as blind people have solved our own challenges and shaped our own futures. A blind teenager named Louis Braille invented the code 200 years ago, and it remains vibrant, relevant, and adaptable to evolving technology.

Recently, refreshable digital Braille has been liberated from the confines of a single line of text, making digital graphics, complex data, and more fluent reading possible.

In the May edition of the National Federation of the Blind’s flagship publication, “The Braille Monitor”, I discuss the two leading devices in this space, Monarch and Dot Pad, describing the different philosophies adopted by each.

We have been waiting for viable multiline Braille for a long time. It’s wonderful that we now not only have it, but have a choice of device.

Read Two Displays, Two Philosophies: Comparing and Contrasting the Monarch and the Dot Pad X

From the Dot blog

We’re incredibly proud to share that Nemonic Dot, our portable Braille label printer that launched earlier this year through our partnership with Mangoslab, has been shortlisted in two categories at the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2026.

🏆 Digital Accessibility Award Finalist
Recognising technology that removes barriers and enables disabled people to access information, services and opportunities more independently.

🏆 People’s Award Finalist
Chosen entirely by public vote, giving the wider community the chance to champion the technologies they believe are making a real difference.

The Tech4Good Awards celebrate organisations and innovators using technology to create a more inclusive, accessible and equitable world. To see Nemonic Dot recognised in its launch year, and shortlisted alongside so many inspiring initiatives, is a tremendous honour. Thank you to the judges for selecting us from such a competitive field.

Voting for the People’s Award opened on 15 June). If you believe in the importance of accessible technology and the impact that braille labelling can have on independence and inclusion, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Voting closes at 18:00 BST on 1 July.

Vote here: AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards

The winners of both awards will be announced at the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards Ceremony on 3 July 2026, hosted by IBM in London and online.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Dot Inc. and Mangoslab as we’ve introduced Nemonic Dot to the accessibility community this year. Congratulations to all of the finalists, and good luck to everyone involved.

(TORONTO, ON, June 18, 2026

At its Annual General Meeting held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, Braille Literacy Canada (BLC) was pleased to announce the three recipients of the 2026 Edie Mourre Scholarship award. This award, created in honour of Edie Mourre, a long-time CNIB library employee and braille transcriber, supports outstanding individuals who are training to become braille transcribers, proofreaders, or braille educators.

This year, we are pleased to announce that three recipients were chosen for the Edie Mourre Scholarship:

• Shay Hammad is pursuing certification in braille transcription.
• Emily Morgan is a teacher who is wishing to strengthen skills in braille, to provide more accurate instruction, adapt classroom resources efficiently, and better meet the diverse literacy needs of her students.
• Lilian Chan is teacher of students who are blind or with low vision and is pursuing additional braille coursework.

BLC, as the Canadian Braille Authority, is thrilled to be able to support Shay, Emily and Lilian as they strive towards their braille goals, and we wish them all the best with their future training! We thank all those who are interested in pursuing braille certification to increase access to timely and high-quality braille.

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Braille Literacy Canada / Littératie braille Canada, founded in 1990 as the Canadian Braille Authority, is a national charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of braille as the primary medium of literacy for those who are blind or with low vision. BLC is recognized by the International Council on English Braille as the authority for the development, adoption, and establishment of standards relating to braille in Canada. With a membership comprising organizations and individuals, educators, braille transcribers, braille producers, parents of braille users and braille users themselves, BLC represents a broad cross-section of those working with or impacted by braille and is led by a volunteer board of directors elected by the BLC membership.

June 18, 2026 – President Daphne Hitchcock, on behalf of the board of Braille Literacy Canada (BLC), presented the 2026 President’s Award to Karen (Kae) Brophy at the Annual General Meeting held on June 6, 2026. Established in 2018 and awarded annually, the award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to braille literacy in Canada.

Kae has been a strong advocate of braille, who has worked diligently to develop programming which specifically benefits young learners and their families.

Kae worked at CNIB for 40 years. She began her career in the CNIB Library, Braille Department.

When she moved to the braille transcription department, Kae’s braille knowledge grew, and she continued to champion braille as her career evolved. Kae was an integral part of the creation and roll-out of many braille-centric resources and programs aimed at promoting literacy for readers who are blind or with low vision including,

• Organizing the annual Creative Writing Contest, formerly known as the CNIB Braille Accuracy and Literary Contest which began in 1997.
• “Where’s My Ball”, a program that provided families with a tactile print/braille book and promoted activities and resources to help young learners develop skills in tactile exploration, while introducing braille format.
• Braille Club at the Hub,
• Ontario Braille Challenge
• National Book Club for adult readers and Accessibility of the TD Summer Reading Club.
• Braille Writers Retreat at Camp Jo

Kae has also contributed to many successful community collaborations, including World Braille Days events. Kae retired in December 2025 as the Program Lead for Braille Literacy – CNIB Next Generation.

“Over the years that I have known Kae, I have been impressed with her innovative program ideas, her boundless enthusiasm and unwavering passion for braille literacy,” states BLC past-president, Daphne Hitchcock.

BLC is honoured to recognize Kae for her years of dedication to braille literacy, contributions to national programming and provision of educational opportunities for youth who are blind or with low vision.

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Braille Literacy Canada / Littératie braille Canada, founded in 1990 as the Canadian Braille Authority, is a national charitable organization led by a volunteer board of directors dedicated to the promotion of braille as the primary medium of literacy for those who are blind or visually impaired. BLC is recognized by the International Council on English Braille as the authority for the development, adoption, and establishment of standards relating to braille in Canada. BLC represents those working with or impacted by braille, with a membership comprising organizations, researchers, educators, braille transcribers, braille producers, parents of braille users and braille users themselves.

Humanware has a page containing several guides for the new BrailleNote Evolve.

David Woodbridge is posting occasional episodes about the BrailleNote Evolve on his iSee – Using Various Technologies from a Blind Persons Perspective podcast. Currently, these include:

• A physical description of the Braille Note Evolve
• Braille Note Evolve demo 1 – description, starting up, entering pin number to login, main menu, and shutting down
• Braille Note Evolve demo 2 – KeySoft Main Menu Options, KeySoft Control Centre, and exiting KeySoft Main Menu
• Braille Note Evolve demo 3 – how to get to the NVDA settings from the KS Main Menu and how to get back to the Main Menu if you pop in to Windows by accident
• Braille Note Evolve demo 4 – a quick review of Quick Settings, and then handy KeySoft, NVDA, and Window commands
• Braille Note Evolve demo 5 – using Braille on the Braille Note Evolve
• What it is like using JAWS with the BrailleNote Evolve