Category: Daily Living
This is from the Editor's message in the December Matilda Zeigler.
Dear Readers:
It's a sunny morning in Watertown, MA, with a temperature in
the mid-60s and Mother Nature in the midst of her glorious
autumnal show of color. I'm on the well-manicured campus of
Perkins School for the Blind, where I have come
for the introduction of a redesigned icon.
Today would be the first opportunity for Perkins students--
and me--to see the Next Generation Perkins/APH Brailler.
I entered the stately Howe Building and made my way
over squeaky-clean tile floors to the auditorium, where
students were awaiting the start of the presentation.
Standing in front of a large, round wooden table was David
Morgan, general manager of Perkins Products, the entity
responsible for re-thinking the brailler. On the table sat
four of his brand-new creations, and David showed me the
brailler's finer points as we discussed the design process.
He explained that Perkins Products began
conceptualizing an updated brailler about three years ago,
but the "real work" started a year later, with intensive
user research in places like India, Mexico, South Africa and
Malawi. Researchers heard how dust and dirt can jam the
machines in India, how teachers in Malawi have just one
brailler to pass around an entire school, and how American
users wished for something easier to carry.
Perkins engineers paid close attention to these
comments, and they responded by making their next-generation
brailler more portable, with a lighter weight and a smaller
size. This machine weighs about 25 percent, or three
pounds, less, and its footprint has been reduced, with
dimensions that are 12 inches long, 10 inches wide and six
inches high. A new built-in handle in the base is easy to
grip. The brailler's keys have been redesigned to require
less force, so the machine is more comfortable to use over a
longer period of time. Keys are now lower to the table
surface, making it easier to position fingers comfortably.
The color of the keys has been changed to white, which
contrasts with the brailler's colorful body, aiding those
with low vision. The new machine is less noisy, and it has
a muted end-of-line bell. At the back of the brailler is a
retractable reading rest, which holds the paper flat, making
it easier to proofread. Located on the front of the
machine, margin guides are easier to grasp and hold. These
are now easily accessible, and do not require reaching
around to the back. The paper-feed knobs have a flatter
shape, making them easier to hold and turn. This brailler
takes paper up to 8-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.
I'm sure braillists will appreciate these many
improvements, but I'm betting that the most popular feature
will be the easy-erase button. Simply depressing one key
deletes an incorrect cell, letting the user braille over the
original one.
As you might expect, the Next Generation Perkins/APH
Brailler, its official name, looks and feels very different
from the classic version, which Perkins will continue to
sell.
Although the original design is cherished, it went
unchanged for 57 years, and Perkins thought they were losing
a lot of young people with it--that it wasn't quite "cool
enough," according to David.
Hip or not, the engineers saw no need to do a complete
redesign, he said. They kept everything that was great
about the original and put it in new packaging, making the
machine lighter and more portable.
Those familiar with the classic know it is constructed
of heavy-duty metal. The next- generation brailler still
has mostly all-metal construction inside, and the same
embossing mechanisms, but the exterior shell is made of ABS
plastic. This polycarbonate is a high-impact engineered
plastic, like that used on aircraft. Perkins Products
believes this plastic will prove to be more durable.
It certainly is more colorful, as the brailler's
exterior housing comes in a vivid shade similar to sky blue.
This color, known as APH blue, will be the only one
available until the spring, when there will be two more
color choices: raspberry and midnight blue.
How did the color and initials of American Printing
House for the Blind end up on a Perkins product? David
explained that APH actually had started designing its own
brailler a few years ago. After learning that Perkins was
already redesigning the classic brailler, APH decided to
shelve its project. They joined forces with the school and
supported Perkins's redesign by underwriting much of the
research and development costs.
In exchange for the Printing House's contribution, the
letters a p and h were added to the brailler's name, and APH
blue was the first color to be offered. They also have
exclusive distribution rights within the United States and
U.S. territories for the first six months of the product
launch. Buyers using Federal Quota Funds will have to make
their purchases through APH. By spring 2009, however,
Perkins Products expects that all the resellers who carried
its braillers in the past will offer the new one.
The Next Generation Perkins/APH Brailler came on the
U.S. market in October at a price of $650, which,
refreshingly, is $40 less than the classic. It has a
warranty of one year on parts and labor. International
orders will be accepted after the first of the year. For
developing countries with lower and middle incomes, purchase
subsidies will be available, as they are for the classic
model.
Some of the next-generation braillers will undoubtedly
end up back in the country where they were made. While the
components are mostly American, some parts are sourced from
southeast Asia. Final assembly takes place in India at an
ISO 9001 factory, which meets U.S. standards, and about 80
percent of its workers have some kind of disability.
Perkins Products has developed a marketing strategy for
this brailler, the centerpiece of which is a special Web
site. Perkinsbrailler.org features a song written
especially for the brailler by blind recording artist Raul
Midon. His "Next Generation" is a very catchy tune, and if
you like it enough, you can even download a ringtone to your
cell phone.
After the marketing presentation was concluded, David
left the Howe Building with me. I asked him what the next
project is for Perkins Products, and found out that an
electric version of the redesigned brailler will be coming
to market in a year or so.
I then asked how the introduction has been going for
this brailler. David said he's pleased that the machine has
generated a great deal of attention, and thinks that sales
will be stimulated as word gets out.
With obvious pride, he mentioned that professionals in
the blindness field have called the Next Generation
Perkins/APH Brailler "revolutionary." As we said our
goodbyes, David added a final thought: "If it builds
interest and excitement for braille, then it's done its
job."
The Next Generation Perkins/APH Brailler certainly is a
great present for Louis Braille's 200th birthday in January-
-or this month it could even be a nice holiday gift for
yourself or someone very special.
Thanks, Becky. I'm on the mailing list, but this is the first I've seen since I added my name after your last post on this subject.
Lou
Hmmmm, interesting. I'd love to get my hands on one of these. This article gave me a pretty good idea, but nothing compares to seeing it up close and personal. Thanks for posting this, Becky.
Sounds nice, but still not as cheap or portable as the good old slate and stylus! Nothing beats it!
We have one and it is lighter, quieter but I think over all not as durable as the old clunker because, as was stated its outer shell is plastic.The reading rest is a nice feature and the erase button is okay though I've had too many years of rubbing down the dots with the old fingernail to change my ways I think. Also, because the erase buttonand the embossing head are so close one has to remember to line space before pulling the carriage back because the dots could be flattened down otherwise. Also, you cannot use the wider paper in this model The bell is muted so if you're really concentrating of your writing you hardly hear it and you only have 3 spaces after the bell. When my husband spoke to someone at Perkins giving feeback, he was encouraged to send the machine back to "improve the life" of the braillewriter.We are not sending it back. My husband says if they wouldn't make this stuff in India and designed it here in the u.s.a. this wouldn't have been necessary!
They said a complete redesign is not necessary, that's what I got from this article. I beg to differ strongly. There are an astonishing number of parts in the braillers, which means more to go wrong.
I agree, I'd still like to get my hands on one, and give it a shot.
I saw one of the braillers at one of the meetings at Perkins and it's really nice!. And like it said in the article, It's so much lighter than the old one. It a little bit smaller, I really love it. The new perkins brailler is on quota from the APH now. You can order one if you're a student, i think. My TVI already ordered it for me, I can't wait to have one. Really useful for math class. And I think we should take all the improvements we can instead of complaining about the first inconvenience we sees ...
It's natural that there will be problems with the new Brailler, and I see no reason why we shouldn't voice those problems. Perkins needs to know what's wrong with the machine, as well as what's right, if they are to continue to improve it. I do agree with the poster who is unhappy about them outsourcing the making of it. Those used to be made here in America, and I wish they still would be.
Aww I'd love one of these. I only have the slate and stylus for taking notes for when I have my mail read to me and it is a pain. Anyone want to donate their older braillewriters to me if they get the new one? I prefer the new one myself but any braillewriter will do for now. I'm so desperate for one.
I'd love one of these too.
Way down that article, it says that somebody has written a song about the new brailler. Is the author serious? Are people really writing songs about braillers? What ever next! Hopefully we'll have to wait another 57 years for the next brailler, and the next strange person to sing songs about a brailler.
To the poster who wants a brailler if I get a new one I will send you mine.
I don't want the new brailler, personally. I use the wider paper. It takes up fewer pages. Maybe if they made it in a full-sized version, it'd be ok, but for now, I'll pass.
I'll stick to my oldschool Perkins myself. I've had it since I was 6 years old and never needed it repaird. Had grandpa oil it once but that's all it's needed in its nineteen year career. The old girl works just fine for me. I use the wider paper to write out weekly menus schedules etc. Like the pervious poster said the wider paper works better. A song about a briller? Really now. Come on folks. Shaking head. Tiffany
I use the old perkins brailler I have had it since I was 4 years old. All though it is nice to new there is a new one out there. I am happy with the old one.
I haven't used a brailler in years. I didn't think that they'd actually make a new model of it, what with all the electronic stuff like the braille note, and pack mate. I'm thinking about getting one. But honestly, what would I use a braille for, I have my good ole phone for taking notes lol
I tend to agree. I still have my old Perkins but I'e always hated how clunky and noisy they were. That and I generally find I remember stuff better if I hear it rather than reading it in braille. And I've never had the patience to use the Slate and Stylus, although I've had several teachers try to teach it to me. So while this new brailler is intriguing it's not enough for me to justify spending that kind of money even if I had the money to spend.
I noticed immediately the limit on paper width. I always use the wider paper so I can put it into a notebook easily.
Didn't they make an electric brailler several years ago? Wonder what happened to that.
Bob