Braille app makes texting on a touch screen possible without sight

In my last blog I wrote about 'The Internet of Things' and the desire to create a Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure that one day will store your personal preferences and use them to automatically personalise the interface of any public phone, computer, cash point or ticket machine that you use. In this blog I would like to continue the technology theme and talk about the steps being taken by some technologists to ensure that touch screen devices are accessible for blind and partially sighted users.

Touch screens are becoming increasingly prevalent; they are now common place on phones, tablet computers, ticket machines, cash-points, photocopiers and self-service supermarket tills. Sales of smart phones illustrate just how rapidly touch screens are taking hold; global smart phone sales have jumped year on year from approximately 174 million units shipped in 2009 to 472 million in 2011, and this is set to rise by 25% this year to approximately 630 million units. Inevitably, as sales in smart phones have grown sales of traditional button phones have started to decline in the US, Japan and the EU.

As touch screens become more and more ubiquitous there is an imminent and increasing need to devise new ways in which blind and partially sighted people can use and benefit from them, rather than being marginalised by them. One such innovation is a new app that will be launched over the coming weeks called Braille Touch. This new app has been developed by Georgia Tech for use on iPhones and Android phones, and once proficient in its use it is claimed to be up to six times faster than existing methods for sending text messages without sight.

Unlike many phone apps, Braille Touch is designed to be used holding the phone horizontally in landscape mode with the screen facing away from you. When held like this the user can easily place three fingers from each hand on the three virtual buttons located on the right and left-hand side of the screen. By selecting various combinations of the six virtual buttons in a chorded process users can type letters in a Braille-like dot matrix, and each letter may be spoken as it is typed. To insert a space between words the user simply needs to swipe a finger across the screen.

The Georgia Tech research group has developed iPhone and iPad versions of Braille Touch and is currently working on Android versions. Early trials with participants proficient in Braille typing have demonstrated that users can reach up to 32 words per minute with 92 percent accuracy using the prototype app on an iPhone.

With the good news that the app will be free for users to download perhaps now you have the perfect excuse to start polishing up your Braille skills!

If you're keen to know more about the app, you can view a short demonstration video on YouTube.http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57380668-247/braille-texting-app-could-have-broader-appeal/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20