BRAILLE-NOTETAKERS

Electronic notetakers are small, portable

devices for storing information with the use
of braille or typewriter keyboards. The
stored information may be accessed through
a built-in speech synthesizer, a braille
display, or both. In the past, similar devices
that were less powerful and less versatile
were referred to as braille notetakers, which
were used for storing names and telephone
numbers, keeping track of appointments, and
taking notes.
In addition to these functions, the latest electronic
notetakers provide advanced word processing, web
browsing, and other functions. At one time, these devices
were referred to as "accessible PDAs (Personal Digital
Assistants) because they allowed users to perform most
of the functions of a standard PDA. Since smartphones
and tablets (like the iPad) have become so prevalent,
most people in the general public no longer use PDAs, so
we have returned to the term electronic notetaker even
though the device allows the user to do so much more
than just take notes.
Electronic notetakers allow you to get rid of a
lot of scraps of paper or cassette tapes you have
used for trying to keep track of information. No
electronic notetaker with a screen has been
developed for people with low vision, so a
person with low vision should consider an
electronic notetaker with speech output.
Someone who knows braille will probably be
more comfortable using a device with braille
output. For your convenience, electronic
notetakers with braille and speech output are
listed separately here from electronic notetakers
with speech output only.
Current electronic notetakers are based on
Microsoft’s Windows CE operating system, a version
of Windows specifically designed for handheld
computers. They generally include a simple word
processor, calendar, address list, and e-mail
functions. Data entered into an electronic notetaker
may be transferred to a larger computer with more
memory, reviewed using the built-in speech
synthesizer or braille display, or printed on a braille
or ink print printer. A basic electronic notetaker
without a braille display costs between $2,000 and
$3,000. An electronic notetaker with a braille display
is typically double the price.