iDevice Primer 109: Braille
Can I use a Braille display with my iDevice? If so, which models work?
Yes, any iDevice that runs VoiceOver can support a large variety of bluetooth Braille displays. Common ones include Humanware's BrailleNote Apex, HIMS' Braille Sense line (some of them, at least), and many stand-alone displays from Alva, Baum, Freedom Scientific, and other companies. Please see this page for a complete list of supported displays. You may also find this page listing common Braille commands for iOS to be helpful.
Over thirty models are supported, according to Apple, so chances are that if your display includes bluetooth connectivity, it will be supported. Please see the link above and make sure that your model is listed, to be sure that your display will work.
How do I pair my display with my iDevice?
This process will be different for each display, so I will not answer in detail. Generally, though, the process is quite straightforward.
- Put your display in "terminal" or "discoverable" mode.
- On the iDevice, go to Settings, general, accessibility, VoiceOver, Braille. If the iDevice bluetooth is not on, you will be prompted to turn it on at this point; do so before continuing.
- After a few seconds, you will see a list of available displays (assuming your display is in the correct mode). Simply choose your display from the list by double tapping it.
- You will then be prompted to enter a passcode on the iDevice. This code will differ depending on which display you are using, so check with the documentation or display manufacturer to find the correct code. You will only have a few seconds to enter the code, so be ready with it and be sure you are comfortable typing with the iDevice's onscreen number pad. Once you have entered the code, double tap the "pair" button, found in the upper right of the screen, next to and a little above the 3 button.
- If all went well, there will be a delay of a few seconds and then you will se Braille appearing on your display. You can now use the display to read what VoiceOver says and, assuming you have a keyboard on the display, enter text and commands into the iDevice.
- If you try to enter the passcode three times and are unsuccessful, you will find odd things happening; the iDevice may not find the display, it may refuse to prompt for the passcode, and so on. This is a security measure from iOS so that an unlimited amount of attempts cannot be made to pair a device, since that could mean a hacking attempt. To get around this, go back to General in the Settings and choose the bluetooth option. Find your display in the list of devices and double tap it. Now find and double tap the "forget this device" button. You are now free to try three more times to pair the display.
Sometimes, when I type in Braille, letters in words expand to their grade 2 words, like the s at the end of "as" becoming "so". What's going on?
This is a common problem when using contracted Braille, but one that can be overcome once you get used to typing in contracted Braille with iOS. First, it is important to understand how the Braille input system works. When you type, you will notice that your text does not appear right away, but rather after a second or two. This is not the fault of the bluetooth connection or your display. iOS is actually delaying intentionally, so that it can be sure you are done typing and can translate everything you just typed, then put it in the edit field all at once. It does not take prior text into account during this translation process. If, for example, you were writing a sentence and realized that you had forgotten to make a word plaural, you could not just put your cursor after the word and type an s. The iDevice would wait, see that you had typed an s, and assume you meant the grade 2 sign for "so", not taking into account your proximity to a word. The best way to avoid translation problems like this is to write something that will not be translated. If the word to be plauralized were "flower", you would want to put your cursor after the r, then press space-d to delete the r. You would then type "rs", since that is not a grade 2 symbol and so will be entered by iOS exactly as you wrote it, instead of the s expanding into "so". Alternatively, you can enter a letter sign (dots 5-6) before the s. Sometimes iOS will insert "ness" (or "ment" for t, and so on), but this method works for most letters.
You can always switch to uncontracted Braille with space-g (this is a toggle, so use it to get back to contracted). In this mode, no grade 2 translations take place, so there is no way iOS can misinterpret your words. Punctuation is a different story, though, and it may be easiest to press space-2-3-6 to switch to 8 dot mode to enter mixed punctuation (such as a password, math text, or email address).
What codes and grades of Braille are supported by iOS?
iOS5 brings support for contracted Braille (behaves the same as earlier versions of iOS), uncontracted Braille, and 8 dot Braille. I am not sure, but I believe that the 8 dot Braille code used is based on your location setting; if your iDevice displays in American English, you get U.S. Braille. I do not know if British users have a different English setting, but if they do, then they might get U.K. English Braille, and so forth. I am in the U.S. and so cannot confirm any of this.
Contracted Braille, as mentioned, works exactly how it did in previous iOS versions. This includes the errors and delays in contraction translation. Now, though, we can get around this. Use uncontracted to enter text in grade 1 Braille; no contraction can be entered, and trying to do so will enter a character from a code I have not yet worked out. For instance, a the sign (2-3-4-6) in contracted Braille is "the", is "e grave" in uncontracted with 8 dot off, and is an exclamation mark in uncontracted with 8 dot on. Note that you must have contractions off (by using space-g to toggle this setting) before the 8 dot toggle, space-2-3-6, will work. Even with 8 dot Braille on, though, you can toggle contractions on or off. This lets you leave 8 dot on all the time and switch into and out of contractions when you wish, knowing that turning off contractions will activate 8 dot Braille.
Comments
#1 Contracted Braille
Hi,
Another way, and maybe some will find this easier, is to use the letter sign. In the above mentioned example, the word flower (or flowers) is mentioned. If I forget the s at the end, I can, indeed, erase the r and type rs, however I could also press dots 5-6 on the display, the letter sign, and type an s. iOS will wait a second, as is customary, and then just type an s. Both ways work absolutely great, but I personally find it easier to type the letter sign, rather than backing up and retyping stuff.
By the way, thanks for talking about 8-dot braille. It's something I never investigated in iOS, and I'm glad this stuff is possible.
#2 Good point, and something I
Good point, and something I had forgotten about. I have found that it sometimes inserts the 5-6 sign for the letter, though, such as "ness" for s or "ment" for t. The method of typing multiple letters, provided those letters don't form a grade 2 word in themselves, is more reliable for these letters. Of course, your way works for most letters, and I'll add it to the guide. Thanks for the reply.