Braillecast

How might you use braille at university, and what funding is available to help you get it? Join Connor Scott-Gardner to find out! Connor has experience as an advocate, DSA assessor and university student. In this session, he shared: How he used braille in his own studies, and how you might use it in yours Where braille technology works well in a university environment (and where it doesn't) What options are available for transcription, both for hard copy braille and electronic formats for use on braille displays What support is available and who is responsible for providing it Advice on navigating Disabled Students Allowance, and what to ask for at a DSA assessment This will be particularly relevant if you are about to start a university course, but much of the information will still apply if you are part-way through your studies.

When we talk about braille, we often hear statements like: “Only 7–10% of blind people read braille.” “Blind children aren't learning braille at school like they used to.” “Technology is making braille irrelevant.” But how true are they? Help us on our mission to find out! A global braille survey has been launched by the International Council for Education of People with Vision Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union through their braille literacy campaign More Braille: More Empowerment. The survey is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a comprehensive understanding of the international braille landscape, ensuring that future braille initiatives are informed by evidence, respond to real needs, and help secure future investment in braille literacy. Join us to find out: Why do we need a survey like this? What will happen to the data? Who can take the survey? How long will it take to complete? Will it be available in multiple languages? When will it close? Hear first-hand from senior leaders in ICEVI and WBU, members of the Global Braille Literacy Campaign Steering Committee and the researchers who compiled the survey, and discover how organisations are already planning to incorporate the results of the survey into their future work. Let your story shape braille’s next chapter. Take the Global Braille Survey

The official launch of the ICEVI–WBU Global Braille Literacy Campaign On behalf of the International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union (WBU), we are pleased to mark the official launch of the ICEVI–WBU Global Braille Literacy Campaign: More Braille, More Empowerment. The campaign champions braille as a foundation for literacy, learning, independence, and empowerment. The launch centres on a lively panel discussion with internationally recognised braille experts, exploring current and emerging topics in braille literacy across inclusive school, work, and community contexts. The campaign is open to everyone worldwide who shares a commitment to inclusive literacy and empowerment including policy makers, educators, families, advocates, researchers, organisations committed to inclusive literacy and the right to braille … and, most importantly of all, braille users! As part of the broader campaign launch, ICEVI and WBU have also released More Braille: More Empowerment – Voices Advancing Braille Worldwide, a campaign video featuring messages from members of the global campaign Steering Committee and campaign sponsors, highlighting their shared commitment to advancing the right to braille literacy worldwide. Join the global movement: be part of a worldwide call to action to ensure braille remains a living, evolving, and empowering literacy medium for generations to come.

The 41st CSUN Assistive Technology Conference took place from 9-13 March 2026, introducing an impressive assortment of new braille products! Everything from the most advanced notetaker to the simplest USB-only braille display was unveiled, alongside new developments in multi-line braille technology and braille labelling. In this episode, join our panel of braille experts and enthusiasts as we round up the announcements and make sense of the ever-changing braille landscape.

Did you know you can connect a Bluetooth keyboard or braille display to any iPhone or iPad? It’s a great way of improving your productivity and efficiency. However, there are some features which don’t have a keyboard shortcut assigned to them by default, and others where the default keyboard shortcut is hard to remember or difficult to press. In this episode, we bring you highlights of a seminar recorded at Sight Village London in which Matthew Horspool shows you how to customise your keyboard or braille display shortcuts so that your iPhone or iPad best meets your individual needs, and shares some strategies for ensuring you can remember which shortcut you chose. The podcast heard during the demonstration of changing the magic tap keystroke was Double Tap.