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.More information
This site also has information about braille books and accessible entertainment in your area, which has braille information.
