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Peter White's Perkins Brailler

Contributed by AHOTW People

Peter White's Perkins Brailler

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Peter White's object is his Perkins Brailler. It is a Braille writing machine that works when 6 keys press holes in paper from underneath. By using different combinations of these keys the user can create any of the characters in the Braille code. This gives a Braille system on the top of the page. It was designed by David Abraham, a Liverpudlian, who was teaching at the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston.

Before machines of this kind were invented, it was relatively difficult to write and produce Braille. It would have to be done manually using a stylus and slate. Since it was first produced some 330,000 Braillers have sold to individuals in over 170 countries. Because it does not require electric power, it has been able to assist blind people wherever in the world they are living.

It is a rare example of a machine which is virtually unchanged since the 1950's.

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