Braille Keyboard Program

Braille Keyboard Program

[Georgina Joyce]

Hi All

Am I dreaming or was there a good number of years ago a program that
allowed a qwerty keyboard to be used as a braille keyboard?

Thanks
-- 
Gena

http://www.ready2golinux.com

M0EBP

Re: Braille Keyboard Program

[Tony Baechler]

Georgina Joyce wrote:
> Am I dreaming or was there a good number of years ago a program that
> allowed a qwerty keyboard to be used as a braille keyboard?
>   



Hi,

I remember a DOS program which did just that.  It was by Blazie at the 
time and I think was called brlkbd.com or similar.  If the program 
you're thinking of runs on Linux, this isn't it.  I did use the DOS 
program for experimenting and such but never found any practical use for 
it.  I don't have any links but you can of course try Google.  I think 
it was on the Blazie BBS or another BBS dealing in accessible software 
because that's where I would've got it.  You could also check simtel.net 
which has many old accessible packages and demos.  If anyone has 
brlkbd.com or whatever it was called, I'm willing to host it on my 
accessible demos directory.

http://baechler.net/demos/

Sorry this isn't any kind of definitive answer.  I certainly don't know 
of a Linux equivalent.

Re: Braille Keyboard Program

[Georgina Joyce]

> Hi,
> 
> I remember a DOS program which did just that.  It was by Blazie at the 
> time and I think was called brlkbd.com or similar.  If the program 
> you're thinking of runs on Linux, this isn't it.  I did use the DOS 
> program for experimenting and such but never found any practical use for 
> it.  I don't have any links but you can of course try Google.  I think 
> it was on the Blazie BBS or another BBS dealing in accessible software 
> because that's where I would've got it.  You could also check simtel.net 
> which has many old accessible packages and demos.  

See Sam's reply.
 

Braille Keyboard Program

[Georgina Joyce]

Hi All

Just for the archives, I thought I'd forward the information that Samuel
and Nick have emailed me personally, thanks guys:



There is: brlkey, on 
http://coscell.molerat.net/brlkey-1.9.5.tar.bz2

Samuel

The first one is a version of DBT 10.5 with the translation stuff
removed 
but you can use it to emulate typing in braille with your keyboard.
There is also a mac version but I'm not sure if it would run on the
current 
macs or not.
http://www.duxburysystems.com/product2.asp?product=Perky 
Duck&level=free&action=pur
the second looks as if it is still beeing maintained and updated and it
will 
run in boath windows and dos.
It will even run in windows Vista if you happen to be a masochist like
most 
Vista users.
Because it will run under dos it might be possible to run it in dosemu
or 
something like it.
http://www.braille-pokadot.com/
that site also has info about some keyboards that support typing up to
6 
keys at once which is needed for braille keyboard emulation on a
computer 
keyboard.
I also have heard of one hardware device which would work in gnu/linux
but 
I'm not sure if it is still beeing made or sold.
it was a braille keyboard that could plug in to the PS2 port on your 
computer and it was sold by sighted electronics.
http://www.sighted.com/english/braillein.html
If you happen to find a package in gnu/linux that can emulate typing on
a 
braille keyboard I'd love to hear about it as I'm quite intrested in
braille 
keyboard emulation.



-- 
Gena

http://www.ready2golinux.com

M0EBP