Use Your Regular Keyboard As A Perkins Braille Keyboard

By Ricky Buchanan • March 31, 2008

After Robert Menzel posted his ControllerMate setup for Morse Code Input to a computer I asked him, only half seriously, if he would be able to use ControllerMate to make a regular keyboard emulate a Perkins Braille style chording keyboard.

Evidently he has far too much free time, because he’s now produced a setup for Keyboard Braille! His setup uses the keys F S D J K L for dots 1 through 6, and the regular space bar. It understands Grade 1 Braille only - no contractions or shorthand included as that would make the setup hugely more complicated.

Please note that neither Robert nor I are braille users, if there are mistakes in what he’s done it’s probably because I suggested the wrong reference materials for him. Constructive criticism and suggestions will be happily received, and Robert is eager to know if anybody is interested in using this on a day to day basis and would like changes or improvements. You can leave comments here or email him over at his blog.

I know that the vast majority of blind people, braille users or not, learn to touch-type on a regular keyboard which is a far more efficient way of input. But there are some people for whom chording braille input is the best solution, so it’s good to know there’s a way to accomplish it without expensive hardware. Remember, though, you will need the ControllerMate software to use this.

This system would not be difficult to adapt to use a setup with any 6 switches as input, if anybody uses such a system and wants a hand with the adapting let Robert or me know.

Website: Keyboard Braille

- Ricky Buchanan

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Categories: Geek, Information, Primary Keyboard Users, Primary Switch Users, Users, Vision Impaired, VoiceOver
Tags: apple, braille input, braille keyboard, keyboard layout, keyboard mapping, mac, os x, perkins braille keyboard, perkins keyboard

About the Author

Ricky Buchanan

Ricky Buchanan is 33 years old and the founder and main writer for ATMac. She's bedridden with severe CFS/ME or perhaps a primary mitochondrial disorder - the doctors are not sure. When she's not working on ATMac or her other websitse she composes music, listens to audio books, does other disability advocacy, watches TV with her flatmate, and enjoys her cat.

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