AN AFFORDABLE, MULTILINE SCREEN, PAPERLESS BRAILLE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

THERE IS AN URGENT, GROWING NEED FOR TACTUAL (PAPERLESS BRAILLE) DISPLAY UNITS (TDUS) THAT SERVE THE BLIND THE WAY VISUAL DISPLAY UNITS (VDUS) SERVE SIGHTED COMPUTER USERS. BUT TODAY'S DOT TECHNOLOGY IS COMPLEX, EXPENSIVE, LIMITED TO SINGLE DISPLAY LINES, AND INHERENTLY UNABLE TO FURNISH THE MULTILINE, REAL-TIME, MONITOR SCREENS NEEDED TO PROVIDE THE BLIND ACCESS EQUALITY WITH THE SIGHTED. A NEW AND DIFFERENT DOT TECHNOLOGY CAN PROVIDE MULTILINE MONITORS OF ANY PRACTICAL SIZE THAT CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE SIGHTED. SCREENS OF INDIVIDUALLY ADDRESSABLE CELLS WILL MAKE EDITING FAST AND EASY. DRAMATICALLY REDUCED COSTS WILL ALLOW REALTIME, MULTILINE, BRAILLE MONITORS TO BE MADE AND SOLD AT PRICES FAR BELOW TODAY'S PROHIBITIVE (SINGLELINE) LEVELS. THE RESEARCH WILL LEAD TO COST-EFFECTIVE, ONE-ON-ONE TEACHING SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE THE BLIND WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO DATABASES, BULLETIN BOARDS, CD-ROMS, AND OTHER LOW COST SOURCES OF INFORMATION. THE ELIMINATION OF BRAILLE/SIGHTPRINT BARRIERS WILL OPEN MANY DOORS. BEING ABLE TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE SIGHTED WILL CREATE NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND GAINING INDEPENDENCE WILL BE MADE EASIER.