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Writing in Braille using Biblos' Braille Typewriter

Updated the 08/07/2024 08:00 
 

Today, I want to talk to you about a tool for writing in Braille, something that with Biblos can be useful for educational purposes to learn how to write and recognize the position of Braille dots: the virtual Braille typewriter.

The Braille typewriter is a machine for writing in Braille that mainly consists of six keys, each corresponding to a Braille dot. If you work with assistive devices, you have probably seen it, as it is commonly used by elementary school children. Each key presses a specific dot onto the paper. To write a Braille cell, all the keys corresponding to its dots must be pressed simultaneously.

The virtual Braille typewriter in Biblos mimics the mechanical machine, using the keyboard to simulate its behavior. By activating the Braille typewriter, the keyboard transforms, and only some keys become useful for writing. This Biblos tool mainly consists of eight keys, corresponding to the eight points of the Braille system. Unlike the mechanical Braille typewriter, Biblos introduces two additional points to allow writing in Computer Braille code. The keys useful for typing the points are as follows:

Correspondence between keys and Braille dots

F=1 J=4
D=2 K=5
S=3 L=6
A=7 Ò=8

The first time you use the Braille typewriter, it's helpful to choose some settings. The settings are located in the Braille Typewriter tab of the window accessible from the Tools/Braille/Settings... menu.

Biblos' Braille typewriter has three typing modes:

  1. Immediate typing: just like the mechanical Braille typewriter, all the Braille dot keys of the cell are pressed simultaneously, and upon release, the Braille cell is immediately typed. Some keyboards may not allow simultaneous pressing of multiple keys, so this mode might not always work;
  2. Delayed typing: within a certain time frame, the keys corresponding to the dots of the cell to be typed can be pressed, even with a delay. After the preset time, the cell is automatically typed. If you choose this mode, there is an additional field where you can set the typing delay;
  3. Typing with confirmation: the keys corresponding to the dots can be pressed simultaneously or with a delay, and the full cell is written only when the spacebar is pressed. This is probably the most suitable mode for users with a keyboard that is incompatible with immediate typing.

The Braille typewriter in Biblos uses Unicode. Could it be otherwise? This encoding is the most effective for this purpose. In the settings, there is a "Font Type" button. The default setting is the default font. By leaving the default font, the Braille typewriter will use the current typing font; however, on older Windows systems (Windows XP, Vista), Braille cells might not display correctly. The button is meant to choose the font used to display Braille cells. The choice is made easier because Biblos automatically looks for a suitable font. On modern Windows systems, from Windows 7 onward, Unicode characters are always displayed correctly, thanks to a feature of these systems.

Now that I've explained and prepared you to use this tool, you're ready to activate and write with the Braille typewriter. Open Biblos. Are you ready?

Go to the Tools/Braille/Braille Typewriter menu and click it: the Braille typewriter is now activated.

I've already explained which keys to press, now try it yourself. Depending on the mode you selected, the Braille typewriter will respond to the keys you press. I recommend choosing the third mode, "Typing with confirmation," so you have time to press the keys and confirm with the spacebar.

For example, let's write the word CIAO together, of course in Braille. Press:

F-J spacebar; D-J spacebar; F spacebar; F-S-K spacebar.

What you write can be read with speech synthesis, character by character, and with the Braille display. Additionally, the cells you type can be printed in Braille. You can even create a mixed text, part in Italian and part in Braille, and then use the Biblos table to print it correctly.

For further support you can subscribe the Biblos Group on Facebook.