Braille Computer Displays Braille Computer Displays

1. Braille Computer DisplaysBraille Computer Displays

2. OutlineOutline • Problem description • Customer base • Competition • Solution • Technology • Difficulties • Conclusion Joseph Conlin

3. The ProblemThe Problem • Computers are very visual devices • Software companies aim to please the masses, not necessarily to help the minorities • As touch devices become more and more prevalent, blind users are left behind • Current assistance software cannot keep up with the progress of major corporations’ design Joseph Conlin

4. The ProblemThe Problem • Blind unemployment is on a decline* • Unemployment still at 70%** • Workplaces rely on a person’s ability to quickly use computer systems • Interactive systems are not designed for assistance software *Forbes: Blind people in the workplace **Bnet: America’s blind unemployment… Joseph Conlin

5. Customer BaseCustomer Base • 1.3 million blind adults in United States as of 2002 • 93,600 blind school age children • Estimated 1.6 million blind adults by 2015 and 2.4 million by 2030 Data provided by: National Federation of the Blind Joseph Conlin

6. CompetitionCompetition • Vario Connect series • Translates typed text and output into Braille • Basically a Braille command line • Does not fix the problem of interactive menus Images from: Baum Braille Displays Joseph Conlin

7. Joseph Conlin

8. Future CompetitionFuture Competition • Tactile Response • Concept for a Braille display • Only exists in drawings • Does not recreate screen, only displays its own software • Too small for large interactive applications • Uses primitive technology Images and information from: Tactile Response Joseph Conlin

9. SolutionSolution • Combination of the two technologies • Use the small plastic dots from the Vario devices and place them into a larger grid using the concepts from the Tactile Response device. • Three states of a dot • Depressed • Normal • Raised • Allow user to press down on any dot and have it register to the computer that an action was performed Joseph Conlin

10. Hardware TechnologyHardware Technology • Hardware • Device to raise and lower a grid of dots and sense when any of them are depressed • Covered with a plastic sheet to protect dots and minimize wear and tear Joseph Conlin

11. Software TechnologySoftware Technology • Find edges of on screen items, redisplay them as patterns of dots. • Translate text into Braille for display on the screen Joseph Conlin

12. DifficultiesDifficulties • Need for new hardware • Proof of concept is simple enough to create • Full sized device will be extremely difficult • Braille translators are still very primitive • Does not recognize special characters • Total of 256 Braille characters in the 8 dot system • Numbers and character cases are difficult to accurately display • abc = abc • ABC = abc • 123 = 123 Joseph Conlin

13. SummarySummary • Computers are increasingly difficult for blind users to utilize • Visual GUIs designed around a user’s ability to see are getting more and more complicated to the point that accessibility software can no longer keep up • We need a device that will translate visuals into a physical form that blind people can feel and interact with the same way we do with a screen Joseph Conlin

14. QuestionsQuestions Joseph Conlin