Podcast: Braillecast

Unveiling Canute Scientific from Bristol Braille Technology (Episode 76)

Join Ed Rogers of Bristol Braille Technology as he lifts the lid on Canute Scientific, the next generation of multi-line braille technology designed specifically for blind people working, studying or exploring Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Based on the already popular Canute Console multi-line braille workstation, but with an upgraded system board, new chassis, greater connectivity options, roadmap for future development and a suite of custom applications designed with feedback and advice from braille readers at the forefront, BBT truly believes this is their best product to date.

IN this episode, Ed will:

  • Explain how Canute Scientific came to be and who will benefit most from it
  • Describe the physical layout and appearance of Canute Scientific and how it differs from Canute Console
  • Introduce Canute Scientific’s operating system and user interface
  • Demonstrate some of the applications developed specifically for Canute Scientific
  • Outline which features will also be available to Canute Console owners
  • Explain the upgrade options available to owners of Canute Console and Canute 360

With thanks to Bristol Braille Technology CIC for sponsoring this episode.

Links of Interest

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IN Conversation with Scott Erichsen (Episode 75)

Regular Braillecast listeners will know that I visited Australia and New Zealand in 2024, and we featured a number of interviews from that trip in the weeks that followed. One interview that we didn’t feature at the time was with Scott Erichsen, an Australian assistive technology expert, musician and all round braille enthusiast.

As a musician, he is an accomplished jazz and classical pianist and regularly accompanies other musicians in concerts, exams and recordings. He qualified in jazz piano at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

His technology career began when a UK company, T and T Consultancy, expanded its operations into Australia in the late 2000s. After being the figurehead of that operation for several years, he enjoyed positions at Quantum RLV, Pacific Vision International, Vision Australia, Next Sense, HumanWare, Guide Dogs Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency, which administers the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

In this fascinating conversation, we discover more about Scott’s musical and technological career, the part that braille plays in his life and work, and his perspective on the future of braille technology.

Links of Interest

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Irrelevant or Irreplaceable: Is the Perkins Brailler Really so Old-Fashioned? (Episode 74)

The “old-fashioned Perkins” is a term we hear (and perhaps use) a lot. Whilst it is true that it was invented over fifty years ago, the evolution in braille writing in the period leading up to the first Perkins Brailler being sold was immense, with dozens of braille writers coming to market. Some of them survived; some of them have been almost completely forgotten; but all of them have a story to tell.

In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by Alan Thorpe, Perkins repair expert and owner of the largest known private collection of heritage braille equipment in the world. We will explore how ideas around braille writing evolved over time, from stylus to Stainsby and beyond, and discover afresh why the Perkins Brailler is considered by many to be a timeless treasure.

Visit Eyecan, Alan’s company’s website

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A History of Tactile Literacy: In Conversation with Tilly Guthrie (Episode 73)

Victorian Britain was a heavily visual era. Sighted people gained access to the Penny Post, and the ability to communicate with friends across the nation with relative ease in an alphabet which was already well-established. On the other hand, for the blind community, many different tactile alphabets were invented simultaneously to address their exclusion from this culture, and blind education was completely decentralised.

Tilly Guthrie is a PhD researcher in the history of tactile literacy, specialising in the period between the invention of Braille in the 1820s and its eventual adoption in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century. In this conversation with Braillists Chairman, Dave Williams, she describes some of the tactile alphabets in use at that time and shows how their concurrence affected blind people’s access to culture and community and how blindness was perceived by the sighted.

More Information

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World Braille Day 2025: HumanWare (Episode 72)

Most of us by now have heard of the BrailleNote, Brailliant and Mantis, three of the leading braille products manufactured by HumanWare. Last year, they also launched Monarch, their brand new Dynamic Tactile Device, allowing multi-line braille and tactile graphics to be rendered on the same refreshable surface.

In this episode, we catch up with Braille Product Manager Andrew Flatres.

Links of Interest

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World Braille Day 2025: Aspire Consultancy (Episode 71)

Many listeners to this podcast will already be familiar with the Orbit Reader, which has been available in the UK since around 2018. Orbit Research have since expanded their product portfolio to include a range of other braille input and output devices. However, RNIB recently took the decision to discontinue Orbit products, leaving many customers anxious and disappointed.

One company which has stepped into the breach is Aspire Consultancy, and in this episode, we’re joined by its proprietor, Graham Longley.

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World Braille Day 2025: Bristol Braille Technology CIC (Episode 70)

Bristol Braille Technology CIC is a not-for-profit organisation and the inventor of the Canute 360, designed in close collaboration with the Braillists’ community as the original affordable multi-line Braille display.

Their latest product, the Canute Console Premium, is a tactile workstation for viewing and editing text, tables, charts, vectors, maps and code over nine lines—or 360 cells—of refreshable Braille.

In early 2024 we featured a candid conversation with Ed Rogers, Managing Director of BBT, about Canute 360, and as one of our World Braille Day conference sponsors, we are pleased to invite him back to talk more about Canute Console now.

We also discussed BBT’s role in shaping the Braillists and how this might develop in the future.

Other links of interest

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World Braille Day 2025: Paige Braille (Episode 69)

Paige Connect is an affordable adaptation for your classic braille writer that connects it wirelessly to any phone, tablet or laptop for instant braille translation and gamified learning. The Paige Connect board is posted to you in a package that fits through your letterbox and simply replaces the base of your braille writer to transform it into a Bluetooth keyboard. This makes it compatible with any software that accepts SDFJKL braille input, including Duxbury and UEB Online.

The company behind Paige Connect is Paige Braille, and we catch up with them in this episode.

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World Braille Day 2025: Sight and Sound Technology Ltd (Episode 68)

Sight and Sound Technology is the leading supplier of assistive technology in the UK and Ireland, offering assessment, technology solutions, training and lifetime support so that their customers are able to make best use of the technology. They represent some of the world’s biggest names in the assistive technology sector and are master distributors for many innovative new low vision and blindness products.

Their passion for Braille shines brightly, not only in their innovative product line, but also in how they engage with the blind and low vision community. They work closely with education professionals to support and advocate for Braille as a crucial literacy tool.

Their portfolio now features an exciting array of single and multi-line Braille products, and they continually seek out new and groundbreaking technology. Their full product range includes:

Also Mentioned

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World Braille Day Conference 2025 (Episode 67)

In this episode, we take you to New College Worcester and our first ever conference for World Braille Day. We feature recordings from both the morning and afternoon session, including:

  • Welcomes from the Braillists and New College Worcester
  • Keynote speech from Eleanor Stollery
  • Overview of the exhibitions and acknowledgement of sponsors
  • Orientation to the programme
  • Future plans for the Braillists
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