If you don't have a PC and would like to use braille, you need to use a brailler or braille note-taker.
Braillers allow you to type braille directly onto paper, like using a typewriter. A braille note-taker allows you to write and read braille. It has a refreshable display and can also act as a braille terminal for a PC, giving you braille output of the screen content.
Refreshable braille displays
Adding a refreshable braille display to your computer will let you read the information on your PC screen in braille. The display is placed next to the keyboard on your PC. It has a series of "cells" of eight pins which rise and fall to produce braille representations of the text on-screen.
Unfortunately, braille displays can be extremely expensive.
More detailled information is available in the RNIB factsheet "Using a computer without vision" on RNIB website which includes advice on choosing the right equipment, suppliers and prices.
You can also use a braille display with a textphone. It is also possible to use these for one-to-one conversations.
Braille embossers
These products act like a printer for your PC, but produce braille instead of print. They also require software to convert the file, although this is often included with the embosser.
More detailled information is available in the RNIB factsheet "How do I produce braille?" on RNIB website which includes advice on choosing the right equipment, suppliers and prices.
 | Braille Wave | RNIB | HT213 | £4,348.13 | Free | | |
| Braille Display and notetaking device. |
 | Braillino Braille Display | RNIB | HT212 | £3,065.66 | Free | | |
| Braille notetaking device with 20 braille cells - All the rest of the same features as the Braille Wave. |
 | Braille Star 80 | Force Ten Co | N/A | £7,552 + VAT | Free | | |
| Braille Star 80 is an intelligent braille system with 80 ergonomically shaped braille cells. |
 | Brailliant devices | Humanware | N/A | From £1995.00 + VAT | Free | | |
| A range of Brailliant devices from Humanware - 24,32,40,64 and 80 cells models. |
 | Perkins Brailler | RNIB | BM36 Blue/Green | £452.38 | Free | | |
| The Perkins Brailler can be used with most paper and other materials such as Brailon. Up to 42 characters per line.
Upwards embossing allows you to check braille as you write. |
 | ET double-sided embosser | RNIB | HE02 | £2,696.63 | Free | | |
| A mid range embosser for small scale producers of braille |
 | Tiger Pro Embosser | Force Ten | N/A | £6,595.00 | Free | | |
| The Tiger Pro is your marathon Braille production machine able to handle large volume runs of Braille and tactile graphics, printing all sizes and types of paper/media. Use Tiger Pro also for Braille math with graphics, Braille adhesive labels, Braille business cards and much more. |
 | Braille Connect 12 | Humanware | | £1,495.00 | Free | | |
| Braille Connect 12 is the revolutionary new product from Humanware of a wireless Braille Keyboard for a PDA, mobile handset or PC. |
 | Braille Sense notetaker | Force Ten Co | N/A | £2,995.00 + VAT | Free | | |
| A braille note-taker that offers notetaking and entertainment in the same package. |
 | BrailleNote mPower | Humanware | N/A | £3,195.00 + VAT | Free | | |
| The BrailleNote mPower combines a braille display with speech. |
 | Braille transfer sheet | RNIB | LM63 | £5.18 | Free | | |
| Sheet of rub down black transfer dots laid out as complete braille cells. Useful for putting braille on black and white artwork or masters for tactile diagrams. |
 | Moon Alphabet sheets | RNIB | ZM25 | £6.17 | Free | | |
| Each Moon letter, punctuation mark, numeral or other sign can be removed from a backing sheet to create labels on a wide variety of items, such as CDs and food containers. |
 | Screen Braille Communicator | C.Lagarde | | | Free | | |
| The Screen Braille Communicator is a revolutionary device designed for face-to-face communication between a deafblind person and someone who can see. |
