<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m trying to decide on Braille displays for our college. I want one for my office – I’m a user – and one for our proctored testing area . I also want to buy another one for moving around between our access technology lab, library or a
tutoring center – wherever a student might need to access it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a Braille user, I know a couple of things: Baum displays were durable and I was quite annoyed when they went bankrupt and ours can no longer get repaired. I also know that 14 cells is fine for tweeting and texting but an inconvenient
pain for studying and reading. So I want 40 cells if possible.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I also know that all the built-in features like note-taking can be useful in a classroom but a disaster for test proctoring. We won’t be loaning these to students to take home because they are so delicate, but of course we will let them
use the displays.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I also know that there’s a significant learning curve for most displays. So many buttons and if you press the wrong one surprises occur.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So ideally I want simple, 40 cels, easy to use and hard to break. Not always easy to find!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Brailliant BI<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://store.humanware.com/hus/brailliant-bi-40-new-generation.html">
https://store.humanware.com/hus/brailliant-bi-40-new-generation.html</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Humanware has a great reputation, but so did Baum and look what happened to them. Our regular vendor would like us to buy this one.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Basic Braille:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://www.hims-inc.com/product/basic-braille/">
https://www.hims-inc.com/product/basic-braille/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Looks very easy to use, but it’s another German company who just has a U.S. distributor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Braille Edge:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://himsintl.com/product/braille-edge-40/">
http://himsintl.com/product/braille-edge-40/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You know I don’t need a Braille display to “manage my life”I just need ones that display Braille! But they keep trying to win the features war. Hims is a Korean company that has really stormed the market. I hope they last! My vendor really
loves this one; wonder what his commission is!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Freedom Scientific Focus 40 Blue<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/blindness/focus40brailledisplay/">
https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/blindness/focus40brailledisplay/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d buy this if it was my money. But our local regular vendor is annoyed with FS because they no longer support dealers. I hate to stiff my regular vendor and this display is complex to use.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Orbit Reader 20<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.orbitresearch.com/product/orbit-reader-20/">https://www.orbitresearch.com/product/orbit-reader-20/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cheap! But only 20 cells. Easy to use, relatively. But it has an SD card; students could easily stick their exam answers on it. Also a slow refresh rate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Alva 640<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://in.optelec.com/products/alva-640-comfort.html">
<span lang="ES-MX">https://in.optelec.com/products/alva-640-comfort.html</span></a><span lang="ES-MX"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also not easy to use. And I can’t even find a price.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">QBraille XL<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://www.hims-inc.com/product/qbraille-xl/">
<span style="color:blue">https://www.hims-inc.com/product/qbraille-xl/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our vendor loves this one! Thinks it’s ideal for a lab because it has keys for Windows, enter, tab etc. My opinion: blind college students need to learn to use a QWERTY keyboard, but maybe I’m being rigid. Has lots of note-taking built
in and I found it kind of big compared to others.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All these support Windows, Linux, IOS, Mac and all common screen readers. Remember many Braille displays still in use no longer exist to purchase.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Your thoughts and other recommendations welcome. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">--Debee<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>