Braille Keyboard

How to set up braille keyboard on an Android phone

Braille, traditionally, is a system of raised dots that make reading and writing accessible to the blind or visually impaired. While there are external devices that make it possible to type something in braille on a phone, it’s not exactly quick or a seamless experience. With that in mind, Google made the TalkBack braille keyboard. It’s a virtual braille keyboard integrated directly into Android.

Here’s how Google describes the feature:

Our team collaborated with braille developers and users throughout the development of this feature, so it’ll be familiar to anyone who has typed using braille before. It uses a standard 6-key layout and each key represents one of 6 braille dots which, when tapped, make any letter or symbol. To type an ‘A’ you would press dot 1 and to type a ‘B,’ dots 1 and 2 together. read more

If you have a braille display with a Perkins style keyboard, you can control your iOS device by entering certain key combinations. I will include a list of these braille keyboard commands. While some of them will work with iOS 10 as well, iOS 11 will allow you to assign keyboard commands where none currently exist, and also change existing keyboard commands.
To assign a keyboard command where none exists, or change an existing keyboard command, go to Settings\General\Accessibility\VoiceOver\Braille.
From there, select more info next to the braille display that you have paired to your device, and then select Braille Commands. Now you will see a list of buttons like Braille, Device, Interaction, Keyboard, ETC. Each one has a list of braille commands that you can see when you click on one. I have included the complete list below; to make it easier to find the command you are looking for. read more