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News coverage, announcements, and reporting pulled from trusted accessibility, blindness, and disability sources.
Orbit Research is offering special pricing to US customers tied to the 2026 ACB and NFB conventions, running July 3 through July 31, 2026, while supplies last. Orders can be placed by phone, email, or through the company's website.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Orbit Research is reminding US customers that a limited-time subsidy program with VOSAP is still bringing down the cost of the Orbit Reader and Orbit Player. The company has not said how long the discounted pricing will last, making this a time-sensitive opportunity for anyone considering either device.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Blazie Technologies has introduced a Legacy Trade-In Program offering $200 off a new Blazie Technologies product for customers who trade in an eligible Blazie Engineering device. The program targets longtime users of Blazie Engineering hardware, known for its durability and reliability in the blindness community.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Selvas says a recent Windows update disabled its legacy USB Braille display drivers due to outdated security certificates, breaking connectivity for some users. The company is working with Microsoft on a fix but has not given a timeline yet.
Source: Braillists Foundation
SELVAS releases three new apps for the BrailleSense 6 and 6 Mini, improving access to web TV, app searches, and document management. An updated web browser enhances user experience.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Blazie Technologies announces July updates for BT Speak, featuring new Braille Input, podcast navigation, and major enhancements across the board.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Orbit Research has released a new firmware update, version B0.xx.00.69rxx, for the Orbit Reader 20 braille display. Users upgrading from version B0.xx.00.69r36 or earlier should review additional instructions before installing, with the update available through Orbit Research's Support menu.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Orbit Research has released firmware version A1.xx.00.09r62 for the Orbit Reader 20 Plus, bringing new features and improvements. Users on older firmware versions should check specific update instructions before installing.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Orbit Research has announced that BARD support is coming to both the Orbit Speak Plus and the Orbit Player starting July 15. The update lets users browse and download titles from the NLS BARD library directly over Wi-Fi, with braille titles read aloud through text-to-speech.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Developer Harri Pasanen has refreshed MBraille Desktop for Windows, making the free notetaking and typing app fully self-voicing after NVDA and JAWS struggled to navigate it. Users are advised to suspend their screen readers while running the updated software.
Source: Braillists Foundation
The American Printing House for the Blind has released BrailleBlaster 3.2.2, a free update to its braille transcription software featuring improvements to table handling and fixes for the backspace and delete keys. The update is available now as a free download from the BrailleBlaster website.
Source: Braillists Foundation
Developer André Polykanine has released SharpLouis, a .NET wrapper for the LibLouis Braille translation library, giving C# developers an easier way to add Braille translation to desktop software. The tool, now at version 2.0, bundles LibLouis directly so developers don't need to manage a separate installation.
Source: Braillists Foundation