News

From Blazie Technologies: See What’s Coming in the October Update for BT Speak and BT Braille, Wednesday 7 October at Midnight

Join Blazie Technologies for our October Monthly Webinar, hosted by David Goldfield!

We’ll lift the lid on several huge features arriving in the October software update for BT Speak and BT Braille, including:

  • BT Mail – a full email client that makes managing your email simple, fast, and accessible, directly in Blazie Mode.
  • External Braille Displays with BT Speak – connect a compatible display via USB or Bluetooth and use it across Blazie Mode, Desktop Mode, and even the Linux shell.
  • Control Your Phone, Tablet, or Computer with BT Speak – Use your BT Speak’s Braille keyboard to control your other devices and switch back without losing your place.

And much more …

We’ll walk through the latest features and answer your questions live.

Whether you use BT Speak, BT Braille, or just want to see what’s new at Blazie Technologies, we hope you’ll join us.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89625302468?pwd=AOPm1Qa49RvuWQLlfAMQWbDZte2ivI.1

Meeting ID: 896 2530 2468

Passcode: 807616

Join HumanWare in your Local Area and Enter the Draw for a Brailliant BI20X!

National Braille Week is fast approaching, and as part of HumanWare’s commitment to Braille and Braille literacy, we are delighted to be hosting a series of drop-in events across the UK in partnership with regional and national sight loss organisations.

These events offer a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience with HumanWare’s complete Braille product range. A HumanWare representative will be available at each location to demonstrate our latest solutions and answer any questions you may have.

Featured products include:

  1. Brailliant BI 20X – our compact and portable Braille display
  2. BrailleNote Evolve – a powerful note-taking and productivity solution
  3. Monarch – the world’s first dynamic multi-line Braille device, capable of displaying up to ten lines of Braille simultaneously and presenting both text and tactile graphics on the same display

As a special celebration of National Braille Week, everyone who attends one of the events in person will be entered into a free prize draw to win a brand-new Brailliant BI 20X.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us on 01933 415800 or email [email protected].

We look forward to welcoming you and celebrating National Braille Week together.

Tuesday 6 October

  • 1:00-3:00 pm: RNIB Scotland, 12-14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh, EH7 5EA

Thursday 8 October

  • 1:30-3:30 pm: BASIS Essex, SS16 5BP

Monday 12 October

  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Braille IT, Clitheroe Library, BB7 2DG

Wednesday 14 October

  • 9:30-11:30 am: Sight Support Worthing, BN11 3JT
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Walthew House, Stockport, SK2 6QS
  • 10:30 am-1:00 pm: Sight Support Derbyshire, DE22 1BP
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Croydon Vision, CR0 2AR
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: My Sight Nottinghamshire, 26-28 Heathcoat Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AA

Thursday 15 October

  • 9:30-11:30 am: Vision Norfolk, NR3 3DZ
  • 10:30 am-12:30 pm: Bradbury Fields, Liverpool, L14 2EP
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Suffolk Sight, IP1 3BE
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Somerset Sight, Taunton, TA1 1DG

Friday 16 October

  • 9:30-11:30 am: Coventry Vision Hub, CV5 6TH
  • 10:30 am-12:00 pm: Dagenham & Redbridge Adult Group
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Bucks Vision, HP19 9HH

Monday 19 October

  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: My Vision Oxfordshire, OX1 4XL
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: RNIB, Grimaldi Building, Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JE
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Sight Cymru, Pontypool, NP4 6JH
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Guide Dogs Manchester, Gibfield Park Avenue, Manchester, M46 0SU
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: NAB Northamptonshire Association for the Blind, NN3 6LF
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Sight Life, Cardiff, CF10 1BR

Tuesday 20 October

  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Sight for Surrey, KT19 8AG
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Herefordshire Vision Links, Hereford, HR4 9EP
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Galloways, Morecambe, LA4 4AH
  • 10:30 am-12:30 pm: The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Sensory Matters Worcestershire, Worcester, WR1 1LH
  • 2:30-4:30 pm: Portsmouth Adult Group, Portsmouth, PO1 2DX

Wednesday 21 October

  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Sensory Solutions, Plymouth, PL3 5QL

Thursday 12 November

  • 12:00-2:00 pm: Hartlepool Vision Support, 177 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9EQ (Tel: 07379 859420)

Reminder: NVDA and Braille, Tuesday at 7:30 PM

Recent developments in braille technology have shone a particular spotlight on NVDA, but what is its braille support really like? In this two-part series, we will explore the braille features available to NVDA users and how well they work in the real world.

Last week, in part 1, we introduced NVDA’s braille support, described NVDA’s braille settings, and discussed NVDA’s braille output.

This week, in part 2, we will concentrate on NVDA’s braille input, including:

  • Entering text using the braille keyboard
  • Correcting mistakes
  • Navigating using the braille keyboard
  • Strategies for quickly changing braille tables
  • Controlling the computer using the braille keyboard

Register for NVDA and Braille

To join by phone, please use these details:

  • Phone number: 0131 460 1196
  • Meeting ID: 811 6921 7374
  • Passcode: 123456

From Dot Inc & Vispero: JAWS Split Braille with Dot Pad, Monday 28 September at 5:00 PM

Following demand from our August Back to School webinar, we’re taking a closer look at what happens when JAWS Split Braille is combined with a multiline Braille display.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Read a Microsoft Word document while accessing comments, annotations and font attributes
  • Display contracted and uncontracted Braille simultaneously
  • Compare and organise information across multiple lines of Braille.

Whether you’re a Braille user, teacher, student or accessibility professional, join us to explore what JAWS Split Braille can do with room to spread out.

Register Now

From Blazie Technologies: Master Thunderbird on Your BT Speak & BT Braille! Wednesday 30 September at Midnight

Our next Blazie Technologies Training Session is coming up!

Join Ben Blatchford for a live, accessible, hands-on training session designed to help you get started with Mozilla Thunderbird and navigate your email with confidence on your BT device.

Whether you’re opening Thunderbird for the first time or want to improve your email skills, Ben will walk you through the essential features and commands you need to know.

During the session, you’ll learn:

  • What Thunderbird Is — Get introduced to Thunderbird and the features available for managing your email.
  • First-Time Account Setup — Learn how to set up your email account in Thunderbird and get ready to start sending and receiving messages.
  • Navigating Your Inbox — Learn how to move through your inbox, locate messages, open and read emails, and navigate your messages efficiently.
  • Email Navigation Commands — Discover useful keyboard commands and navigation techniques for working with email on your BT Speak and BT Braille.
  • Ask Questions Live — Have questions as you follow along? You’ll have the opportunity to ask Ben during the live session.

This training is designed to provide practical techniques you can start using right away to make managing email on your BT device easier and more efficient.

Join Us Live: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81898316702?pwd=AJGvYEu2YkalB5NVb7CSHH9YF4uPbY.1

Meeting ID: 818 9831 6702

Passcode: 280318

That All May eRead: Effective Use of the NLS eReader Dictionary, Wednesday 30 September at Midnight

The topic for the Tuesday, September 29, 2026, That All May eRead online program will be Effective Use of the NLS eReader Dictionary. In the remaining time, we will answer any questions you have about the NLS Braille eReader.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and 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.

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]

From the EBU Braille Working Group: Invitation to BBQ – Braille, Brands & Questions, Starting on Wednesday 30 September at 4:00 PM

Dear braille displays users,

We are writing on behalf of the Braille Working Group of the European Blind Union (EBU).

Expert Table Talks are back – with a new name and a fresh format!

We are delighted to invite you to BBQ – Braille, Brands and Questions, a new series of informal online conversations with Braille display manufacturers.

Join us to discover their products, hear directly from knowledgeable representatives and developers, and ask the questions that matter to Braille users. We look forward to welcoming you back around our virtual table!

📅 The meetings are planned to take place on the last Wednesday of each month, of autumn 2026 and spring 2027 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm CET. We expect to organise at least six such sessions and will include interested manufacturers in the programme.

🎧 We plan to record each meeting and publish the recording on our YouTube channel, along with an episode of our podcast LivingBraille.eu and a text summary on livingbraille.eu. You can find the summaries and reports of our previous Table Talks on the livingbraille portal.

During the table talk, we would like to discuss with manufacturers about the following topics:

  • braille displays and their main characteristics;
  • how their products relate to our checklist on choosing a braille display;
  • different features of braille displays and the needs of users in different use cases.
  • Q&A session full of questions from our participants.

🗓️✍️ Reserve the time slot in your calendar for 30TH of September 2026 at 17:00 CEST (15:00 GMT). You are going to meet with HumanWare!

If you registered for our previous Expert Table Talks sessions, you do not need to register again.

If you did not register yet, we kindly request that you register for the table talk here: Registration form to the Expert Table Talks.

The Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants shortly before the meeting.

So come join us—and take your Braille display skill to the next level!

More information about EBU and our braille-related activities can be found here: livingbraille.eu