[laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind

Mon Oct 22 21:18:24 EDT 2007

We were debating whether or not it would make sense to make a version
of the OLPC keyboard that had raised dots for Braille. I imagine that
it would be relatively easy to make a new mold for the rubber membrane
keyboard. We'd consider it if it was useful globally--a percentage of
these keyboards could be included in every order. But it isn't clear
that would be particularly useful.

Of course, we'd need to get the back-end support working as well.

-walter

On 10/22/07, Aaron Cannon <cannona at fireantproductions.com> wrote:
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> Hi Manu.
>
> I just want to clarify some things.  First, when you say Braille keyboard,
> do you mean a regular keyboard with Braille labels on the keys, or a
> keyboard that will allow the user to type in Braille?
>
> I assume the latter, but would just like to make sure.
>
> There are two general types of Braille in use in the world, six-dot and
> eight-dot.  Most languages use six-dot Braille.  This is the type of Braille
> used in the English Braille Code, the new Unified English Braille code,
> Braille music, the Nemeth Braille code for mathematics, Spanish Braille, and
> many others.  An eight-dot code is also sometimes used for certain foreign
> languages, as well as certain types of computer Braille.  Many manufacturers
> of Braille keyboards simply make the 8-dot type, and the users just don't
> use the lower two keys.
>
> If those were the only differences, then there would be no problem.
> However, making a computer understand Braille requires not just getting the
> Braille into the computer, but also translating it to print.  This is much
> more complex than it may seem at first glance.  Because Braille was not
> designed to be read by computers, there are several ambiguities.  (There
> were bound to be; you have only 63 dot combinations in 6-dot Braille, and
> they have to represent close to a hundred different symbols.)  Fortunately,
> these ambiguities are quite obvious to a human.  Unfortunately, they are
> quite difficult for a computer.  If that weren't bad enough, many Braille
> codes, including English and Spanish, employ contractions.  Braille is big,
> and one way we reduce the size of Braille is to write in short hand.
> Contracted Braille in English is very well defined, but unfortunately, it is
> still often ambiguous to computers.
>
> There is a publication available from the National Library Service for the
> Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Library of Congress,
> which gives some details about each of the formalized Braille codes in the
> world.  If you'd like I can dig up the title.
>
> Are you considering making the Braille keyboard a separate USB device, or
> replacing the existing keyboard with the Braille keyboard?  I would strongly
> recommend keeping it separate.  Blind people have been typing on standard
> keyboards for years with absolutely no problems, and many prefer doing so,
> my self included.
>
> However, if you are in fact planning on making a separate Braille input
> device, then by all means, go for it.  Just know that getting the Braille
> into the computer is the easy part.  Back-translation to print is what's
> hard.
>
> Finally, a third alternative is to simply use the standard keyboard for
> Braille input.  Whether or not this will work will depend on the hardware,
> but many blind people type Braille on a standard qwerty keyboard.  They
> press the f, d, s, j, k, and l keys in various combinations to make the
> different Braille symbols.  I've done it my self, and it seems to work ok.
> I think I prefer a true Braille input device for typing Braille, but I could
> probably get used to it.
>
> Anyway, I hope that that helps.
>
> Let me know if you have any further questions or need any clarifications.
>
> Aaron
>
>
> - --
> Skype: cannona
> MSN/Windows Messenger: cannona at hotmail.com (don't send email to the hotmail
> address.)
> - ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Manusheel Gupta" <manu at laptop.org>
> To: "Aaron Cannon" <cannona at fireantproductions.com>; <bigone at qon.lao.net>;
> "Peter Korn" <Peter.Korn at sun.com>
> Cc: "Discussion of accessibility on the OLPC"
> <accessibility at lists.laptop.org>; "Walter Bender" <walter at laptop.org>;
> "Samuel Klein" <sj at laptop.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 10:48 AM
> Subject: Re: [laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind
>
>
> > Thanks Aaron, Peter, and Big One(Sorry! I don't know your name) for the
> > introduction and help.
> >
> > Me and Walter are currently working on the development of OLPC-Braille
> > Keyboard.
> >
> >
> > Aaron, you wrote:
> >
> >>What adaptations are you considering?
> >
> > We are at an initial stage, and are in the process of looking for a
> > suitable
> > layout.
> >
> > The first question we are searching about, at the moment is: Is Braille
> > in US the same as Braille in India as Braille in China as Braille in Peru?
> > If so, we can sum up with a separate keyboard mold for use
> > everywhere--economies of scale.
> >
> > Any pointers/feedback about it will be highly appreciated.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Manu
> >
> > Manusheel Gupta
> > One Laptop Per Child Inc.
> > http://laptop.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 10/22/07, Aaron Cannon <cannona at fireantproductions.com > wrote:
> >>
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> >> Hi Peter.
> >>
> >> I wrote to the person leading the effort as well as CCing the list as I
> >> thought it would be of interest.
> >>
> >> I got the information from the weekly email update to the
> >> community-news at laptop.org mailing list from Walter Bender:
> >> "18. Keyboards: Manusheel, Sayamindu Dasgupta, Roshan Kamat, Tushar
> >> Sayankar, Jens Peterson, and Walter Bender have finished the layout for a
> >> Deva keyboard (See http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Devanagari_Keyboard ). We
> >> hope
> >> to finish the Nepali and Pashto keyboards in the coming weeks. Manu is
> >> leading a discussion on an OLPC keyboard for the blind. Please send your
> >> ideas/feedback to manu<at>laptop<dot>org)."
> >>
> >>
> >> Aaron
> >>
> >> - --
> >> Skype: cannona
> >> MSN/Windows Messenger: cannona at hotmail.com (don't send email to the
> >> hotmail
> >> address.)
> >> - ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Peter Korn" <Peter.Korn at Sun.COM>
> >> To: "Discussion of accessibility on the OLPC"
> >> <accessibility at lists.laptop.org>
> >> Cc: <manu at laptop.org>
> >> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:09 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi Aaron,
> >> >
> >> >> I have been informed that you are in the process of designing a
> >> keyboard
> >> >> for
> >> >> the blind for the XO.  Being totally blind my self, and having learned
> >> to
> >> >> touch-type at age six, I am curious about the project.  First, why is
> >> it
> >> >> believed that a specialized keyboard is needed?  Is there something
> >> >> unique
> >> >> about the current XO laptop which makes it difficult to touch type
> >> with?
> >> >> What adaptations are you considering?
> >> >
> >> > You have reached an e-mail discussion list, where folks interested in
> >> > accessibility for the OLPC/XO discuss these matters.
> >> >
> >> > I am not aware of any work going on around a specific "keyboard for the
> >> > blind for the XO".  However, if someone is working on that, it is a
> >> > reasonable guess that they might be on this e-mail list.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > From where did you hear this?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Regards,
> >> >
> >> > Peter Korn
> >> > Accessibility Architect,
> >> > Sun Microsystems, Inc.
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > accessibility mailing list
> >> > accessibility at lists.laptop.org
> >> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/accessibility
> >>
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-- 
Walter Bender
One Laptop per Child
http://laptop.org