Image of fingers reading the braille on a refreshable braille display
Strategy

Brian: Learning to Read with an iPad and Refreshable Braille Display Video

Video demonstrating high school student with multiple disabilities learning to read using an iPad and refreshable braille display.

READING:  In this video, Brian demonstrates how he can read braille letters and sight words using an iPad paired with a Refreshable Braille Display (RBD).  Brian is a high school student with multiple disabilities who began to learn braille concepts during an I-M-Able braille study.  I-M-Able – which teaches braille letters and sightword – is geared for students who have struggled to learn braille using traditional methods.   This is Brian’s second time to use a refreshable braille display.

Brian, who can name the dot combinations associated with each braille letter, struggles with identifying the traditional paper braille dots; he tends to “scrub” – rapidly rubbing his finger up and down the braille dots – in an effort to identify how many dots within the braille cell and the spatial relationship of those dots.  However, he is able to identify the “crisp” braille pins on the refreshable braille display – with significantly decreased scrubbing.   Brian is very excited and proud of his ability to read his sight words and simple sentences on the RBD!

In this video, Brian used an iPad, APH 18 Refreshabraille Display and Pages app.  Note:  Brian had typed more than two pages of braille sight words (one word per line with an empty line between each word) just prior to recording this reading video.  Even though Brian knew which words he had just typed, the words were randomly selected.  Brian typically read the first couple of letters of each word, then he made an educated guess using the length of the word and recalling what words were included on this list.

To view Brian typing these words, go to the related post:  Brian: Learning to Write with an iPad and Refreshable Braille Display Video

 

By Diane Brauner

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