Short, user-friendly research summaries

Six adults with no previous knowledge of braille were introduced to braille letters on paper and on a refreshable braille display. The braille display led to slightly better accuracy and speed than learning on paper, especially for older adults with a poorer sense of touch in their finger tips. However, all participants were able to successfully learn symbols on both paper and on the braille display and could transfer what they learned to the opposite format.

We reviewed eighty-five years of braille research. Almost none of it studied the older adults who are now most likely to request education and rehabilitation services related to reading difficulties, including braille instruction.

We tested forty-six blind and low vision adults aged twenty-three to eighty-eight. How often they used braille mattered far more than how old they were.

We interviewed Canadian adults who learned braille later in life. These adults suggested that success depended on much more than fingertip sensitivity. Many of the obstacles that were shared would be solved with policy and practice changes.

This study found that smartphones and tablets often replace traditional assistive devices for many everyday tasks for blind and low vision users. It also found that traditional assistive devices still matter, especially for tasks that involve a lot of typing or editing.

This study explored whether line length and layout influence reading speed for experienced braille readers.