GET WIRED UP WITH WINDOWS 10 USING ELBRAILLE

JACKIE BROWN

JULY 2017

What I have wanted to see for a long time now is a portable Braille device that runs the latest version of Windows with my preferred screenreader, giving me the ability to perform many of the tasks available on a regular PC or laptop. Well it’s finally arrived … meet ElBraille.

What Is ElBraille?

ElBraille is a portable Windows 10 device that comes in two parts: a docking station and the Focus Blue 14 Braille display. Connect the two to look like one unit and you have the most up-to-date operating system running the latest release of JAWS in the palm of your hand. With a battery life of around 20 hours and full control of your applications using JAWS and the Focus Blue 14 display, this really has to be a contender in the Braille arena.

A Little Background

The Elita Group from Russia and Freedom Scientific joined forces to produce ElBraille in 2016. For a variety of reasons though, the first iteration of ElBraille didn’t come to fruition. But, with technical issues resolved, ElBraille was launched in March 2017.

The ElBraille docking station measures 189mm wide, by 118mm deep, by 38mm high, and weighs 750g including battery. Specifications and key description of the Focus Blue 14 Braille display can be found in the Focus Blue manual.

The docking station has a large space at the front into which the Focus Blue fits snugly. With this facing you, on the right side, from back to front, are the following items:

  • Power socket
  • USB3 port
  • SD card slot
  • 3.5mm headphone socket
  • Right latch

On the left side, from back to front, are the following items:

  • Mini HDMI port
  • Micro SIM slot
  • Left latch

The power button is a vertically recessed button that is positioned on the top left of the docking station towards the front edge. And just above the power button is a small three-colour indicator light.

Above this is a magnetic flap that can be removed to reveal the power button of the Focus Blue Braille display. When the display is placed in the docking station, it has to be connected to the ElBraille via a micro USB connection.

On top of the docking station, directly behind where the Focus Blue sits, are six tactile buttons which are programmed as follows:

  • El menu (when tapped once, and El recovery menu when long pressed)
  • Battery status (when pressed once, and WiFi status when pressed twice quickly)
  • Volume down
  • Volume up
  • Time (when pressed once, and date when pressed twice quickly)
  • El Notes (a quick way to access your written notes.)

Two stereo speakers are situated behind the above keys with an ElBraille inscription between them, and a built-in microphone. An additional small speaker offers system sounds and vibration to assist deaf-blind users.

ElBraille is powered by a rechargeable 10,400 mAh battery. Even with WiFi turned on, battery life is approximately 20 hours.

This machine runs on an Intel® Atom™ x5-Z8300, Quad-Core, 1.84 GHz CPU. It supports Bluetooth 4.2, and Wireless WLAN802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networking (2,4GHz and 5GHz.)

It comes with an internal 160gb of memory which is split between two SSD drives. There is also 2gb of RAM. SD card capacity is up to 256gb. A built-in modem allows you to add a Micro SIM card if you have an appropriate data plan to use with ElBraille on the go.

ElBraille comes withleather carry case, cables and backup configuration on the internal SD card. The ElBraille user guide can be downloaded from the Elita Group website,

If you purchase the Focus Blue 14 Braille display, you will receive a CD containing drivers, Braille manual, carry case and cables for your Focus Blue as well.

Should you want to purchase ElBraille on its own because you already have a Focus Blue 14 or JAWS For Windows, you may do so. A demonstration copy of JAWS is preinstalled on ElBraille, so all you have to do is authorise it to run in full mode.

Using ElBraille For The First Time

Whether you already own a Focus Blue 14, or have purchased it to work with ElBraille, you will need to connect it to the docking station before booting the machine. I would urge you to be careful when attaching the display to the ElBraille docking station as you don’t want to force the display into the cradle incorrectly. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the area into which the display goes. Once it clicks into place, you should be ready to begin.

When you power ElBraille, you will hear and feel various sounds and vibrations that indicate your machine is booting. The operating system will load to the DeskTop. At this juncture, you will be invited to authorise JAWS with one of your existing licences, or with the new copy you bought to work with ElBraille.

The ElBraille Menu

If you press the El button - which is the leftmost of the six on top of the machine in front of the Braille inscription - you are taken into a very useful menu containing the following items:

  • Instant Messenger
  • Skype
  • Calculator
  • ElBraille Utilities (has a submenu)
  • My Files
  • Text Editor
  • Notes
  • Audio Player
  • Books
  • Internet Browser
  • Email
  • (Microsoft Office would also be included in this menu if you install it)

The ElBraille Utilities menu comprises:

  • Keyboard Editor
  • Settings
  • Check For Updates
  • Help
  • About ElBraille

Nearly all the items in the ElBraille menu can be found elsewhere in Windows, but have been grouped into one place to resemble a menu you might find on a dedicated note-taker such as BrailleNote Apex or Hims U2.

Using ElBraille

Now it’s time to have some fun. I cheated somewhat when I first started to navigate ElBraille because I didn’t know many of the shortcuts required for use with the Focus Blue 14 display. I am very much a qwerty keyboard user when working with my PC or laptop, and use the Braille display to complement speech output from JAWS. So I decided to attach a USB qwerty keyboard to ElBraille to get me started. In this way, I was quickly able to customise the Desktop, add my WiFi credentials, and install additional programs. Once I had done all those things, I was then able to start learning the many commands required to navigate the world of Windows with the Focus Blue 14.

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with ElBraille. The idea of carrying a Windows 10 device around with JAWS and Braille, and using all the programs I am familiar with, was frankly liberating. Even the most powerful laptop can have its challenges when on the go because you need a display if you want to use Braille, giving you two devices to manage. That extra bulk and weight can make all the difference, so ElBraille was a very attractive proposition for me right away.

As you can imagine, there are lots of keyboard commands you need to know in order to navigate Windows with the Focus Blue. Both user guides offer good command summaries, but it does take time to get to where you want to be when using Braille as your input method. But writing in applications such as Word or Notepad in contracted Braille, surfing the web, using Skype, Windows Media Player and other favourite programs, is so useful compared to dedicated note-takers.

This unit is also moderately priced alongside its competitors. Remember you are getting a Windows 10-based device, not the Windows CE platform or an older version of Android. You can also use the Focus Blue 14 with your Smartphone if you wish, even without ElBraille being turned on. Simply press the Focus Blue power button and dots one-two-three together to skip between reading Braille on your paired Smartphone and Focus Blue on ElBraille.

The big advantage, of course, is that ElBraille is modular: you can purchase it with or without a JAWS licence or Focus Blue display. I also run NVDA on my unit, and have it working beautifully with the Focus Blue 14, though there are obvious limitations because NVDA does not support the JAWS command structure required for navigation. So using NVDA is best achieved with an external keyboard. It comes in handy though to have an extra screenreader on your computer or laptop in those situations where JAWS doesn’t play ball. This is why I really love ElBraille, because it has the configuration I like in Windows.

Pros And Cons

Windows enthusiasts will be delighted to see a portable device with full screenreader and Braille support finally emerge. In my view, it is what the industry needed in order to offer a strong alternative to dedicated note-takers running proprietary software. But while it runs Windows 10 and JAWS, plus a plethora of programs you would expect to use in Windows 10, it is also fair to say that 2gb of RAM feels rather skimpy to me. Running several programs could become a compromise with an Atom processor and 2gb of RAM. It isn’t the first time that I’ve heard JAWS say: “Outlook” or “Skype is not responding,” due to insufficient memory. I would also like to have seen one larger SSD drive. There are two rather small drives, so that files you want to save all go on drive D, leaving software installations and program files on drive C. But you can supplement storage with an SD card with up to 256gb of memory should you need it. The ElBraille quick start guide should be included as part of the box contents on a CD with a choice of electronic formats.

If you are used to Windows, but working with it using a qwerty keyboard, then you will find navigation and the execution of programs a steep learning curve using a Braille display. But you could overcome this problem by using an external USB or Bluetooth qwerty keyboard if it hinders you significantly. I did this to start with, but it has become less of a deal-breaker now.

My understanding is that the Focus Blue 40 will soon incorporate ElBraille too. You will need to return your Focus Blue 40 to your dealer for ElBraille to be fitted. While this will make it heavier and thicker, you will have the added bonus of all those lovely extra Braille cells to work with.

So far, I am delighted with ElBraille. It isn’t a desktop, it’s a Netbook which serves my needs adequately with all the versatility of Windows 10. I have installed Microsoft Office 365, and am delighted to be using mainstream applications in one portable unit offering both Braille and speech with my regular screenreaders.

Contact Information And Pricing

ElBraille, the Focus Blue and JAWS can all be purchased as a package or individually from Sight and Sound Technology, 01604 798070,

  • ElBraille docking station: £1,100.00
  • Focus 14 Blue: £1.182.00
  • JAWS Home: £699.00
  • ElBraille Complete: £2,645.00
  • ElBraille Focus 14 Bundle: £2,195.00