Braille Display questions

By Tangela, 25 March, 2014

Forum
Assistive Technology
Hello. I am looking into a braille display for the future. I know there are devices that let you type in braille without including a display, but does the reverse exist-- a device that has a braille display but not imput keys? If not, I am looking for more or less minimalist display, primarily focused on reading. I do not need note taking features or external apps. I am also looking for a relatively inexpensive option. What do you all recommend

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Comments

By Siobhan on Monday, March 24, 2014 - 03:32

Hi. first off, how long do you want the displayt o be? Generally, the smaller the cheaper. Freedom has 14 all the way to eighty. The Braille edge is I think 40 40 being the most common number of sells. I think it's Handy tech? hasa display that you replace with batteries. Do you want Bluetooth? Generally most of the manufacturers have that. I have a Focus 40 blue and while i'm unhappy I didn't wait for the next generation which is quite a bit thinner, it works ok for me. Although I have a dot that's stuck. You'll need to take into account htat servicing this device is a bit costly. I'll say that i didn't updatemy pma or maitenance agreement becuase of the cost. I have freedom scientific as i said, not sure how expensive the other options are. You'll look at around three thousand dollars for a 40 cell model. Hope I helped.

By Isaac Hebert (not verified) on Monday, March 24, 2014 - 03:32

There is also the refresh a braille and the braille esense.

By Siobhan on Monday, March 24, 2014 - 03:32

Isaac, this person did not care for the note taker or other functionality.

By Scott Davert on Monday, March 24, 2014 - 03:32

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team
Hi. If you're not interested in any of the external functions, you may be interested in the Focus line of displays. The Focus 40 Blue goes for around $2700 and the 14 cell model goes for $1295. However, if you drop the display one time, the Focus line of displays tends to break much more easily than some of the other options out there. There is also the Brailliant 32 and the Brailliant 40. If you're not interested in the keyboard for braille input, you may wish to consider thiese. The 32 cell model sells for around $2500 and the 40 for about $3000. These are much more solidly built than the Focus displays, but past experience by myself and those I work with seems to indicate many issues with Humanware's repare department since they have moved offices. They may have better services in other countries, I just know what I've seen here in the US. Thhere's also the Braille pen 12, which sells for around $1000. The newest line has cursor routing buttons, but you're only working with 12 cells. If you plan to do a lot of reading, you may find hat this is not big enough for your needs. I haven't mentioned displays that lack a keyboard, because this is now essentially a standard feature. I hope this info helps, but feel free to ask further questions if you need clarification on any of the options. I work with these devices nearly on a daily basis, so I'm quite well aware of heir limitation s and benefits.