Like print, Braille is displayed spatially. Consequently, many of the spatial cues that facilitate the reading of print are also available to the reader of Braille. The selective reading enabled by these cues is the kind of reading that must be done to make efficient use of the information displayed on the screen of the computer monitor. Refreshable Braille devices are now available, and by using them to read the information on the monitor screen, blind computer operators can interact with their computers more efficiently than they do when they must rely upon speech synthesizers for the display of information. Unfortunately, the refreshable Braille displays now available are so expensive that all but a few are denied access to them. The research conducted by Blazie Engineering over the last two years strongly supports the possibility of building pneumatically operated refreshable Braille devices. The refreshable Braille devices are more reliable and significantly less expensive than the refreshable Braille devices now available. If the research and development is successful, we will be producing and selling refreshable Braille devices shortly thereafter.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research: An adequate speech synthesizer can cost as little as $250, whereas a refreshable Braille device with limited display capability can cost $ 14,000 or more. Our expectation is to design and build a reliable BRBD and bring it to market at a price that can be afforded by blind consumers. If this disparity in cost were not so enormous, there is no doubt about the choice that would be made by blind computer operators who know Braille. Our experience defined by visually impaired consumers clearly indicates that the manufacture of products intended for this market can be a profitable enterprise. Since its introduction, the demand for the Braille 'n Speak has become worldwide and continues to grow.National Eye Institute (NEI)
