Braille Reading Speed: The Role of Line Length and Dimension

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

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This is an audio summary of the article, Braille Reading Speed: The Role of Line Length and Dimension, published in The Journal on Technology and Persons with Disabilities in 2025.

Braille Reading Speed: The Role of Line Length and Dimension

Why does this study matter?

Refreshable braille displays, which are devices with pins that rise and fall to form braille symbols, now come in more designs than before. Some have one short line. Some have one long line. Newer models can show multiple lines at once. We need better evidence to help braille users and vision rehabilitation professionals choose between them. This matters because these devices are usually expensive, and users might prefer a specific design based on many factors.

What did we ask?

We asked three questions. First, does braille reading speed depend on line length. Second, is silent reading faster than reading aloud on braille displays. Third, does a multi-line display help with non-linear reading tasks, such as finding information in tables, compared to braille displays that only include one line.

Who took part?

Five experienced braille readers took part. They were between fifty-one and seventy-two years old. Two were men and three were women. All identified as early blind. All had learned braille at about age five or six and described themselves as advanced readers of contracted Unified English Braille. Most had used a single-line display before. Only one had seen a multi-line display before.

What did we do?

We used several refreshable braille displays in random order. For paragraph reading, participants read short passages on single-line displays with fourteen, twenty, forty, or eighty cells. They also read on a forty-cell multi-line display with nine lines. They read some passages aloud and some silently. We measured reading speed in braille characters per second. For table reading, participants used a forty-cell single-line display and a forty-cell multi-line display. They answered simple lookup questions and comparison questions based on the tables. We timed how long it took them to find each answer.

What we found

Silent reading was faster than reading aloud for every participant. For paragraph reading on single-line displays, most participants were fastest on the forty-cell display. Most were slowest on the fourteen-cell display. The eighty-cell display was often slower than forty cells. For paragraph reading, the multi-line display was slightly slower overall than the forty-cell single-line display. For table reading, the pattern changed. Four of the five participants were slower on the multi-line display for simple lookup questions. Most were faster on the multi-line display for comparison questions that required checking several rows or columns. All five participants preferred the multi-line display for table reading.

What this could mean

So far, this study shows that the specific reading task, and not just the hardware, should be considered when choosing a braille device. For many experienced readers, a forty-cell single-line display may work well for continuous text, like reading paragraphs. Multi-line braille may be especially useful when layout matters, such as tables and subjects like math and science, where braille users are under-represented, or for users who want an experience similar to reading a traditional book. This could help braille users, teachers, and vision rehabilitation professionals match devices to real reading goals. We also saw that reading style mattered. Readers who used both hands seemed to benefit more from multiple lines. This highlights how important it is to teach the use of two hands during braille reading instruction, especially as multi-line displays become more available. Our sample was very small, so these results are only an early guide, not a final answer.

What happens next?

We are still collecting data. We plan to test a larger group across a wider age range so we can develop stronger evidence to guide braille device selection. In future, we will also explore other factors, like the placement of buttons, the usability of the software, the age of participants and more, to help guide braille device selection in adulthood.

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Why does this study matter?

Refreshable braille displays, which are devices with pins that rise and fall to form braille symbols, now come in more designs than before. Some have one short line. Some have one long line. Newer models can show multiple lines at once. We need better evidence to help braille users and vision rehabilitation professionals choose between them. This matters because these devices are usually expensive, and users might prefer a specific design based on many factors.

What did we ask?

We asked three questions. First, does braille reading speed depend on line length. Second, is silent reading faster than reading aloud on braille displays. Third, does a multi-line display help with non-linear reading tasks, such as finding information in tables, compared to braille displays that only include one line.

Who took part?

Five experienced braille readers took part. They were between fifty-one and seventy-two years old. Two were men and three were women. All identified as early blind. All had learned braille at about age five or six and described themselves as advanced readers of contracted Unified English Braille. Most had used a single-line display before. Only one had seen a multi-line display before.

What did we do?

We used several refreshable braille displays in random order. For paragraph reading, participants read short passages on single-line displays with fourteen, twenty, forty, or eighty cells. They also read on a forty-cell multi-line display with nine lines. They read some passages aloud and some silently. We measured reading speed in braille characters per second. For table reading, participants used a forty-cell single-line display and a forty-cell multi-line display. They answered simple lookup questions and comparison questions based on the tables. We timed how long it took them to find each answer.

What we found

Silent reading was faster than reading aloud for every participant. For paragraph reading on single-line displays, most participants were fastest on the forty-cell display. Most were slowest on the fourteen-cell display. The eighty-cell display was often slower than forty cells. For paragraph reading, the multi-line display was slightly slower overall than the forty-cell single-line display. For table reading, the pattern changed. Four of the five participants were slower on the multi-line display for simple lookup questions. Most were faster on the multi-line display for comparison questions that required checking several rows or columns. All five participants preferred the multi-line display for table reading.

What this could mean

So far, this study shows that the specific reading task, and not just the hardware, should be considered when choosing a braille device. For many experienced readers, a forty-cell single-line display may work well for continuous text, like reading paragraphs. Multi-line braille may be especially useful when layout matters, such as tables and subjects like math and science, where braille users are under-represented, or for users who want an experience similar to reading a traditional book. This could help braille users, teachers, and vision rehabilitation professionals match devices to real reading goals. We also saw that reading style mattered. Readers who used both hands seemed to benefit more from multiple lines. This highlights how important it is to teach the use of two hands during braille reading instruction, especially as multi-line displays become more available. Our sample was very small, so these results are only an early guide, not a final answer.

What happens next?

We are still collecting data. We plan to test a larger group across a wider age range so we can develop stronger evidence to guide braille device selection. In future, we will also explore other factors, like the placement of buttons, the usability of the software, the age of participants and more, to help guide braille device selection in adulthood.