ELIA Life Technology was formed to provide a simple alternative to the Braille alphabet - for many, requiring a stepp learning curve - and thereby provide integrated products and services to the visually impaired and their sighted family and friends. An estimated 8-10 million people Inthe US with 1.8 million being blind. Worldwide , some 285 million people are visually impairment, withover 40M being blind. These impairment affects all apsect's of people's lives with varying impact on those around them. Wuth the obejctive of enabling greater independence, literacy and employment to people who have a visual impairment, ELIA Life is developing assistive tactile computer hardware and software with the objective perhaps of replacing current tactile printing and display technology with technology that supports all alphabets as well as tactile and visual graphics.