Design Exploration of Affordable Refreshable Braille Display Technology for Low-Income Visually Impaired Users

People with visual disability need assistance in reading and writing by converting text to braille. Braille allows tactile display of the information for the visually impaired. Refreshable braille displays are commonly available in developed countries for a high price with the number of cells the display contains being the most influential factor on that price. Low-income blind individuals from developing countries cannot afford an expensive refreshable braille display, which in turn limits their access to digital information. The purpose to this paper is to explore design options for reducing the cost of refreshable braille displays. The paper begins with a summary of currently available refreshable braille displays on the market and their features. Next, the design requirements are explored for developing a low-cost device for visually impaired users in the developing countries. The paper also explains the state-of-the-art technologies for actuating the braille dots that may reduce the cost of the device. Finally, the recommendations for reducing the cost of these displays are presented.