The field of assistive technology and accessibility is continually advancing and innovating. As assistive technology gains new capabilities, it is becoming even more valuable in providing for more inclusive and diverse opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Assistive Technology is vital in fostering independence, providing access, and allowing equal opportunities for advancement in education and workplace settings.
At the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, exploring advancements and leading innovation in assistive technology is a top priority. It is our goal to think creatively and collaboratively in order to lead innovative assistive technology programs and initiatives.
Braille Technology Advantage
Focus Blue Braille Display
The Braille Technology Advantage program launched at MSU during the Fall 2020 semester. The program provides Focus Blue electronic braille displays to blind students, that use braille, at no cost to them. This allows students the opportunity to have more immediate access to braille materials, without the added challenges of paper braille printing, delivery, and transportation.
Canute 360
Canute 360 is the world's first multi-line Braille e-reader. One of the big advantages to the Canute 360 is that it features a nine-line display, with each line comprised of 40 cells of Braille. It is compatible with .BRF and .PEF file formats and can display Braille text, mathematics, music, or any other six-dot braille code.
Braille users will find many uses and possibilities with the Canute 360 beyond simply reading books.
- Tables become more readable when up to 9 lines can be displayed.
- Mathematics often contains long and complex equations which run over multiple lines.
- Music scores are invariably best understood when multiple lines can be read.
- Canute reads BRF (Braille Ready Format) files, so displaying different languages in the same document is both possible and practical.
