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Braille add-on for children's books? (self.Blind)
submitted by AerosolHubris
I hope it's alright as a sighted person to ask the community a question. Please redirect me if this isn't the right place.
I talked with someone recently who is visually impaired and is a single parent. She mentioned that something sighted folks take for granted is the ability to simply read a children's book to their kids. Her kids, who are very young, don't understand why they can't just hand her a book and have it read to them.
I'm curious what the options are for folks in this situation, other than books with words and pictures for kids with added braille for the adults. I'll be surprised if there is a large library of books like this.
I also had an idea that I'm sure has been thought up and tried a thousand times, so I'm wondering if anyone knows why it's not a more common thing. Could braille be printed onto transparencies which can then be overlaid onto kids' books? There are usually few words on each page of a board book and braille could cover the entire page, so crowding wouldn't be a big issue. But, again, I don't know anything about accessibility devices, and it's just been stuck in my head for a couple weeks; are there maybe already better options, is braille printing too cost-prohibitive, is the printing not suited to transparencies, or is there something else?
Also, is there a subreddit devoted to cool new advances in accessibility? I've always found the tech interesting. Thanks so much.
edit: Thanks for the replies and suggestions. The mother I spoke with isn't really looking for anything for herself; she was just someone I met who brought up the issue in conversation. I am just curious for myself about what's available out there, since accessibility solutions are super interesting. I'm glad there are resources for this sort of thing!
I talked with someone recently who is visually impaired and is a single parent. She mentioned that something sighted folks take for granted is the ability to simply read a children's book to their kids. Her kids, who are very young, don't understand why they can't just hand her a book and have it read to them.
I'm curious what the options are for folks in this situation, other than books with words and pictures for kids with added braille for the adults. I'll be surprised if there is a large library of books like this.
I also had an idea that I'm sure has been thought up and tried a thousand times, so I'm wondering if anyone knows why it's not a more common thing. Could braille be printed onto transparencies which can then be overlaid onto kids' books? There are usually few words on each page of a board book and braille could cover the entire page, so crowding wouldn't be a big issue. But, again, I don't know anything about accessibility devices, and it's just been stuck in my head for a couple weeks; are there maybe already better options, is braille printing too cost-prohibitive, is the printing not suited to transparencies, or is there something else?
Also, is there a subreddit devoted to cool new advances in accessibility? I've always found the tech interesting. Thanks so much.
edit: Thanks for the replies and suggestions. The mother I spoke with isn't really looking for anything for herself; she was just someone I met who brought up the issue in conversation. I am just curious for myself about what's available out there, since accessibility solutions are super interesting. I'm glad there are resources for this sort of thing!
dmazzoni 5 points 4y ago
There are several sites that sell children's books exactly like you describe! Transparent Braille on top of print. We probably have 100 of them, and a dozen more we brailled ourselves.
Two good sites are beulahreimerlegacy.com and http://www.seedlings.org/
Also try eBay!
Two good sites are beulahreimerlegacy.com and http://www.seedlings.org/
Also try eBay!
AerosolHubris [OP] 2 points 4y ago
Cool! I'm glad there are a lot of options. I'm mostly wondering about adding something to books after purchase, either as a service another commenter mentioned or something one can do at home.
rollwithhoney 4 points 4y ago
Another great place for print + transparent braille is National Braille Press, www.nbp.org. It sounds like you're talking about a braille labeler though. There are many different makes and models for those, just depends (typically the cheap ones are lower quality labels, like youd expect). Not sure abt Seedlings but NBP sells their kids books at the print-only cost so thats what I'd recommend.
There's also the Louis Database (louis.aph.org i think) where you can search ANY book title and see if its been brailled. If NBP or Seedlings hasn't done your kid's favorite obscure book, maybe someone else has already. Transcription is costly so usually its ideal to find where its been brailled already and order from them.
Edit: grammar
There's also the Louis Database (louis.aph.org i think) where you can search ANY book title and see if its been brailled. If NBP or Seedlings hasn't done your kid's favorite obscure book, maybe someone else has already. Transcription is costly so usually its ideal to find where its been brailled already and order from them.
Edit: grammar
AerosolHubris [OP] 3 points 4y ago
This is so cool. I wish there was some way to put something like this together at home with an arduino or raspberry pi.
I'm a mathematician and my MA advisor was blind, so I've seen what cool things are being done for academics. I've tried finding organizations to volunteer with to voice record mathematics texts for students but haven't found anything. Thankfully almost everything nowadays is available in LaTeX and text-to speech is better than it was years ago. But braille tech is just so cool.
All that said, I'm glad I asked this here. Maybe someone else will be looking for answers and there are some good ones in this thread.
I'm a mathematician and my MA advisor was blind, so I've seen what cool things are being done for academics. I've tried finding organizations to volunteer with to voice record mathematics texts for students but haven't found anything. Thankfully almost everything nowadays is available in LaTeX and text-to speech is better than it was years ago. But braille tech is just so cool.
All that said, I'm glad I asked this here. Maybe someone else will be looking for answers and there are some good ones in this thread.
dmazzoni 3 points 4y ago
The tech you'd need for this is called an embosser. Like a printer, but embosses bumps on paper instead of printing ink. There are several brands of embossers for braille and they all come with software.
Or to do it manually, a Braillewriter - like a typewriter but for Braille.
Prices for professional brailling are super expensive. A textbook would cost thousands of dollars.
Or to do it manually, a Braillewriter - like a typewriter but for Braille.
Prices for professional brailling are super expensive. A textbook would cost thousands of dollars.
Rw0004 4 points 4y ago
What country are you in? I’m in the UK and we have a charity here that send us a load of children’s books with both print and Braille and once you’re done with them you send them back (freepost) and they send you another lot out. Our local library also order some from time to time when my son visits with his school.
Alternatively, if the mother wants to read print to the child she could maybe look at a technology aid such as OrCam which would assist with this.
Alternatively, if the mother wants to read print to the child she could maybe look at a technology aid such as OrCam which would assist with this.
AerosolHubris [OP] 2 points 4y ago
In the US, but I just added an edit to my post that I'm just curious about options, not looking to help her out. It was just something she said in passing that piqued my interest.
And I like that idea. Decidedly low tech but obviously really useful.
And I like that idea. Decidedly low tech but obviously really useful.
Rw0004 3 points 4y ago
The feedback that you’re getting on this post might allow you to offer some advice which will be a big boost for her the next time you speak. They may sound like relatively small things, but you would be amazed at how much of a difference those things would make to a mother trying to bring joy to her children 👍🏼
AerosolHubris [OP] 2 points 4y ago
Yes, definitely. Thanks.
oncenightvaler 4 points 4y ago
There is such a thing as plastic sheet Braille paper which you would use for your primary suggestion, but the mom's best bet is to buy a lot of Print Braille books if she can find them. These are Braille books which have the printed written words along with them and all the pictures.
KillerLag 3 points 4y ago
Depending on where she is, the print braille books can be very costly. If she has the plastic braille sheets, that would definitely be the cheaper way to go.
Some places also do it as a service, as well.
Some places also do it as a service, as well.
AerosolHubris [OP] 2 points 4y ago
Neat. I was wondering if there was a service for this sort of thing.
dmazzoni 3 points 4y ago
I've sent several books to that first site I mentioned and they've brailled them for me! Just ask for a quote!
BrailleNomad 3 points 4y ago
If she has a school for the blind nearby, they may be kind enough to let her check out some books to read with her kids too. It may be worth looking into.
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