Open Braille Access for the Visually Impaired

Chicago, 1 October 2009.

Braille literacy is critical to the success of blind students; there is a direct correlation between Braille literacy and succeeding in the work place.  Learning to read and write is fundamental in education, which in turn is paramount to full and equal participation in society. 

To facilitate access to Braille, a group of prominent Braille device manufacturers has been formed to develop and maintain an Open Standard for communications between screen readers and Braille displays.  There is no reason why Braille readers should not be able access, through screen access software and Braille displays, the same information, using the same computing platforms and devices (e.g. computers, smart phones and Internet devices), as the sighted population.

With the growth of the various operating systems found on computing platforms, as well as the number of organizations providing screen access and Braille display solutions, there is a need for a universal standard to allow all of these programs and devices to communicate with each other.  The goal of the Braille Open API Initiative is to publish an Open API that will define how screen access software can communicate with Braille displays to identify them and understand what functionalities are available through the Braille device interface.   The Initiative will also develop code and offer testing and technical support to all screen access software (including future screen access technologies) and Braille device manufacturers to ensure that their products are fully compatible.  It will also work closely with operating systems providers for certification purposes.

The goal of this initiative is to ensure that our customers have complete freedom of choice when selecting a screen reader and Braille device for their individual needs.  The purpose of this iniative is to eliminate the need for specialized driver installation, as well as limitations due to poor functionality implementation, and eventually to do away with incompatibility lists.

This initiative was launched by five of the top six Braille display manufacturers in the world and is open to all other manufacturers.  It has received the support of the national Federation of the Blind, and of several major screen reader manufacturers from around the globe.  The aim of this project is to bring about a free and open API, while providing extra services to facilitate the development and integration of the API as well as customer support.  The group is working closely with major operating system providers such as Microsoft and Apple to facilitate a smooth integration.  This initiative is also opened to other application developers for open source OS such as Linux.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the national federation of the Blind, said: “It is critically important that no unnecessary barriers prevent innovations that will improve the quality, performance, and interoperability of refreshable Braille displays while reducing the cost to consumers.  An open API will allow any blind person to use any Braille display with any screen access technology, thereby giving consumers more choice, increasing competition, and making Braille displays easier to operate.  For these reasons the National federation of the Blind fully supports the Open Braille Initiative and urges all Braille display and screen access technology manufacturers to join us in doing so.”

For more information about the Braille Open API Initiative please visit us online at: www.openbraille.org