Index Braille appeared in the winter issue 2013 of the ABility magazine.
The article stated the following:
Index Braille and Thinkable bring the visual world one step closer to blind and partially sighted people, writes Allana Grant.
How does the old saying go: a picture paints a thousand words? These sentiments are no less true for a visually impaired person.
The last few years have witnessed a worldwide growth in demand for the conversion of images into tactile representations; with visually impaired people of all ages and backgrounds using raised diagrams for educational, recreational and professional purposes.
While a tactile diagram couldn't possibly come close to replacing a visual image; it does often form a useful aid to understand the visual world.
Presenting complex and colorful images in a form that is meaningful to visually impaired people has traditionally been an extremely arduous and time consuming process.
Although drawings and photos are extensively available to us in journals, from books and on the internet; directly to tactile format. Often, drawings are too detailed and shapes are difficult to distinguish.
So the image must be prepared for creation by removing much of the complex detail. The biggest difficulty lies in striking the correct balance: presenting visually impaired users with a diagram that provides them with all the relevant information as well as retaining some of the realistic features of the original image.
Thanks to Thinkable, developer of the TactileView software, and Index Braille, one of the world's leading producers of braille embossers, this situation could be set to change.
Index Braille announced, in a November newsletter, that all customers purchasing a new V4 Index Braille embosser would receive a free copy of the TactileView Mini design software.
TactileView is a design program that allows you to create and produce your own tactile drawings using a PC and a braille embosser.
The process is simple, focusing on designing a diagram rather than creating it from physical materials, and can take mere minutes in some cases.
Select an image to work from, import it into TactileView, convert to a line drawing and customize it to suit your individual needs using the software's array of drawing and editing tools. The diagram is then ready for printing from an embosser.
An image from the internet, a scanned photo from a book/magazine or a drawing of your own design, the software will enable you to create a tactile image using almost any source materials. Once you have selected your image and imported it in to TactileView, customization and processing begins.
The software allows users to reduce the complexity of the image, leaving as much or as little detail as is necessary: cutting an image down to its basic contours for example.
TactileView also gives users the option to add information for clarification. For example, include brailled explanations or use variety of line styles, thicknesses and textures to create contrast.
The software has extensive drawing tools that are of great use in a learning environment, such as compass for drawing pie charts. It is also highly effective as a mobility aid: allowing users to print raised street maps.
Processing complete, hook your PC up to a V4 embosser and away you go. Index's V4 embosser series boasts a whole host of features which make them highly compatible with the TactileView software.
TactileView takes advantage of an Index V4 embosser's ability to print up to 50 dots per inch in tactile resolution, to produce high-resolution diagrams.
These machines also have the option to print on differing paper sizes as well as a function for making unlimited copies of your diagram. You can additionally choose to just print a braille diagram or one which has corresponding print graphics overlaying the braille.
Index V4 embossers and TactileView software combine to ensure that blind users can enjoy tactile images of any kind.
-Allana Grant : Ability
Request a braille sample from Index Braille and see just how great the tactile resolution is with an Index embosser! (Tactile diagrams will be created using the TactileView design software)
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| Ability - Issue 92 Winter 2013 |
Index Braille and Thinkable bring the visual world one step closer to blind and partially sighted people, writes Allana Grant.
How does the old saying go: a picture paints a thousand words? These sentiments are no less true for a visually impaired person.
The last few years have witnessed a worldwide growth in demand for the conversion of images into tactile representations; with visually impaired people of all ages and backgrounds using raised diagrams for educational, recreational and professional purposes.
While a tactile diagram couldn't possibly come close to replacing a visual image; it does often form a useful aid to understand the visual world.
Presenting complex and colorful images in a form that is meaningful to visually impaired people has traditionally been an extremely arduous and time consuming process.
Although drawings and photos are extensively available to us in journals, from books and on the internet; directly to tactile format. Often, drawings are too detailed and shapes are difficult to distinguish.
So the image must be prepared for creation by removing much of the complex detail. The biggest difficulty lies in striking the correct balance: presenting visually impaired users with a diagram that provides them with all the relevant information as well as retaining some of the realistic features of the original image.
Thanks to Thinkable, developer of the TactileView software, and Index Braille, one of the world's leading producers of braille embossers, this situation could be set to change.
Index Braille announced, in a November newsletter, that all customers purchasing a new V4 Index Braille embosser would receive a free copy of the TactileView Mini design software.
TactileView is a design program that allows you to create and produce your own tactile drawings using a PC and a braille embosser.
The process is simple, focusing on designing a diagram rather than creating it from physical materials, and can take mere minutes in some cases.
Select an image to work from, import it into TactileView, convert to a line drawing and customize it to suit your individual needs using the software's array of drawing and editing tools. The diagram is then ready for printing from an embosser.
An image from the internet, a scanned photo from a book/magazine or a drawing of your own design, the software will enable you to create a tactile image using almost any source materials. Once you have selected your image and imported it in to TactileView, customization and processing begins.
The software allows users to reduce the complexity of the image, leaving as much or as little detail as is necessary: cutting an image down to its basic contours for example.
TactileView also gives users the option to add information for clarification. For example, include brailled explanations or use variety of line styles, thicknesses and textures to create contrast.
The software has extensive drawing tools that are of great use in a learning environment, such as compass for drawing pie charts. It is also highly effective as a mobility aid: allowing users to print raised street maps.
 |
| Index Braille & High Resolution Tactile Graphics - Photo by Irie-AT |
Processing complete, hook your PC up to a V4 embosser and away you go. Index's V4 embosser series boasts a whole host of features which make them highly compatible with the TactileView software.
TactileView takes advantage of an Index V4 embosser's ability to print up to 50 dots per inch in tactile resolution, to produce high-resolution diagrams.
These machines also have the option to print on differing paper sizes as well as a function for making unlimited copies of your diagram. You can additionally choose to just print a braille diagram or one which has corresponding print graphics overlaying the braille.
Index V4 embossers and TactileView software combine to ensure that blind users can enjoy tactile images of any kind.
-Allana Grant : Ability
Request a braille sample from Index Braille and see just how great the tactile resolution is with an Index embosser! (Tactile diagrams will be created using the TactileView design software)
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