Braille mechanical typewriters like Erica are still used regularly in schools for blind and low vision in Germany to teach Braille so idk if its so obsolete until they literally fall apart and parts are missing, often machines are combined together from parts to properly function again. There are some Braille monitors to use but always not enough compared to number of people needing to type something and not all computers are equipped with them so old school tech is still much alive.

Analog old-school tech is AWESOME when it comes to longevity. The best sewing machines are the decades old, all metal models that weigh a TON, and they basically last forever because each part can be repaired or replaced as needed.

I wonder how many parts inside your braille machine are just standard typewriter parts you can find anywhere?

You can get a free slate and stylus from the NFB and they are quite affordable on websites like Amazon and Maxi-Aides. The key is consistent practice regularly. The average sighted person can write around 20-30 words per minute if I recall correctly, and it is possible for the blind to do the same.

I had one of those when I was a kid. It seemed to have died for some reason. I remember us trying to find something like it and not being able to find a good replacement.

Big ups for good old language master. I took mine into my office and had it in my desk drawer for a while. It broke last year after going strong since the mid 90s. One day the internet went down in the office and we all played hangman on there lol.
I really miss it and wish I could find another one for my next 30 years.

RSS was cool when I used pc's but I haven't used it in years! I'm exclusively mobile stuff now,, apart from when I absolutely can't get around using one. I'm all about what works for each of us!

A device that allows you to write braille by punching each dot into paper.

I had Nokia Talks for ages!

Nokia buddies for life and everything.

Oh I miss so much typing with physical T9 keyboard it was so effective, fast, private and intuitive! I hate on screen touch keyboards tried all of them on iOS and Android and third party and voice typing doesn't match traditional typing. Bought Bluetooth keyboard few times but they break quite fast: battery problems, fast discharging so I have to carry powerbank, bulky and big and another thing to be charged everyday. Ah phones those days with 2 weeks battery life on single charge and nowadays?

I use slate and stylus in local schools on presentations about disablities to show kids how Braille users used to write they're so fascinated

If it's using the 3G towers which I believe it is, those are going to start being phased out in 2021 and beyond. Loved my N82.

> Braille is for beardy people who were born blind to make the rest of us feel small.

Not born blind, and definitely hope I don't have a beard as a woman, and I learned braille in my late teens and early 20s.

You don't have to, but I really hate the narrative that it's difficult or impossible for adults to learn braille.

Wtf no it isn't.
Literacy is important. Ever seen the stats on braille readers vs. non braille readers and employment? I think its like 80or 90 percent of employed blind people at least know braille.

Sorry for off topic
I disagree
I wasn't born blind I'm not fully blind either but it would made my life so much easier if I would have possibly to learn Braille basics before I had started studying. Beforehead blind person warned me without Braille and Braille monitor you highly probability wont make it sadly, she was working there. Maybe with Braille I would been able to end my studies successfully. I had electronic magnifier, Zoomtext, dictaphone but I was using high magnification I was too slowwas behind others. My eyesight went worse due to much screen time and intense reading my eyes were constantly overworked. Assistance for notes was available 2 hours a week, pdfs making or scans, using dictaphone often unavailable due to copyright rights. Only computer typed notes, handwritten notes or Braille notes were allowed by some professors, some even were afraid of my tablet - Bluetooth keyboard and banned me from using it (that was other school in Germany 3 years ago) I had to type in Braille machine like the others. But Braille overall can reduce eye strain and stress level - if eyes can't do it anymore you can still read.