A vast array of resources is available for braille users including items which:
Many of these items may also benefit students with low vision. Please note that this list represents only a selection of products available. Small modifications can be make to regular equipment eg tactual markers such as the Bumpons and Bump Dots can be added to the microwave oven, different coloured and shaped buttons can be used to indicate clothing colour, a bell can be tied to the centre of a trampoline etc.
The internet is a great source of information and links to other people (and their ideas) world wide. For example, there is a great deal of information and supplier details regarding labelling (eg braille labelling, clothes labelling, food labelling, electronic labelling etc) on the Tiresias website.
Vision Australia's Equipment Solutions display and sell a wide range of products including many items for the activities of daily living (personal, medical, kitchen, bathroom, identification, watches, recreation and games).
For improved access to the computer, see Computer Access for Students with Vision Impairments
For improved curriculum access, see Curriculum Access for Students with Vision Impairments
| Title and Supplier |
Price |
Comments |
| Abacus - Crammer Equipment Solutions |
A$54 | 13 rod abacus with tactile markings for simple calculations |
| Audible Battery Tester Equipment Solutions |
A$76 | Vibrates with audible buzz to indicate the strength of the remaining battery |
| Balls Equipment Solutions |
A$58-$90 | Balls with bells, direction finder Balls for basketball, cricket , goalball etc |
| Bell Basketball Package Equipment Solutions |
A$65 | Pachage includes regulation size and weight Wilson basketball with bells
inside that ring whenever the ball is in motion. Also comes with a buzzer
(goal locator) in a pouch that can be placed on the basketball ring to
locate it by sound, and an extra bell to attach to its net so that it
rings when the ball goes through it and you score! Requires one 9 volt battery. Colour: Red, blue and white striped. |
| Braillable |
A$2 per A4 sheet |
Clear adhesive plastic for brailling adhesive labels |
| BrailleAlign Optek Systems |
A$750 | WIN: Software which allows the production of braille and print |
| Braille Eraser Equipment Solutions |
A$3 | Wooden or plastic |
| Braille Frame Equipment Solutions |
A$14-$65 |
Hand frame for producing braille |
| Braille KeyTop Overlays Spectronics |
A$25 | Durable adhesive braille stickers for keyboard |
| Braille Paper Equipment Solutions |
500 sheets A$43 500 A4 sheets A$40 |
Suitable for Perkins, Mountbatten etc |
| Braille Primer (UEB) Round Table |
Free download to Round Table members | 2006 Unified English Braille code |
| Braille Stylus Equipment Solutions |
A$11 | For producing braille by hand eg notes, phone numbers etc Plastic or wooden |
| Braille Swing Cell Equipment Solutions |
A$12 | Two hinged rectangular wooden blocks which can be used to represent a braille cell |
| Brailler (Perkins) |
A$1,325 |
Metal-bodies braille writer Lease per year A$150 |
| Braillin Doll |
A$74 |
Soft rag doll with six raised buttons on its chest that can be depressed
to form braille letters Designed as an interactive toy or teaching aid, it comes with a list of suggested activities |
| Bumpons and Bump Dots Equipment Solutions |
$A2-$7 Starter pack A$7 |
Various sizes and colours, square or round including transparent - used to mark every day items eg heater, oven, keyboard etc |
| Cane Equipment Solutions |
A$18-$68 Tips A$1-$18 |
Range of canes available - fibreglass, fold or telescopic and cane tips |
| Capsule Paper Equipment Solutions Quantum Technology |
100 sheet packs A4 A$150 B4 A$250 A3 A$300 |
Paper onto which images can be drawn or photocopied (thermofornm sheets) The paper is then heated to produce a raised line image (see PIAF) |
| Checkers/Draughts - Tactile Equipment Solutions |
A$43 | Tactile board and pieces |
| Chess - Tactile Equipment Solutions |
A$54 | Tactile board and pieces |
| Clothing Labelling Kit Equipment Solutions |
A$14 | Comes with instructions, puff paint etc |
| Colour Detector - Talking Equipment Solutions |
A$196 | Scanning device that announces colour eg “very light blue” |
| Compass Equipment Solutions |
A$155 - tactile A$140 - talking |
Tactile or talking available |
| Connect Four Equipment Solutions |
A$25 | Tactile game |
| Cricket Ball Equipment Solutions |
A$28 | Cane ball with bell |
| C2 (Talking Compass) Robotron View: C2 |
A$150 | Palm-sized talking compass, digitised speech, bilingual, wide choice of languages, battery operated |
| Die - Tactile Equipment Solutions |
A$5 (set of 2) | Tactual dots |
| Dominoes Equipment Solutions |
Tactual A$24-$26 | Tactual dominoes - double six or double nine, colour, indented tiles, black on white |
| Draftsman Quantum Technology |
A$295 | Portable rubber-backed drawing board Use plastic embossing film |
| Dymo Labeller - Braille Equipment Solutions |
A$53 | Produces braille labels |
| Braille Dymo Tape Equipment Solutions |
Clear or black A$4 | Sticks to paper, plastic etc |
| Geometry Mat Equipment Solutions |
A$21 | Large rubber mat for producing tactual drawings |
| Goal Ball Equipment Solutions |
A$118 | Large ball with bell |
| Graph Paper Equipment Solutions |
Embossed - A$19 | Graph paper tactile or bold lined - 2 cm squares Pack of 50 sheets |
| Jackson Models Jim Jackson or borrow from Family Planning Victoria |
Approx US$5,000 | Models of genitalia made of a latex-type material |
| Jot A Dot Quantum Technology |
A$350-$425 | Manual braille note taker Plastic outerbody |
| Light Sensor Equipment Solutions |
A$67 | Range of light sensors either audible or vibrating |
Liquid Level Indicator |
A$21-$42 | Hang unit on side of cup Audible and vibrating available Some versions have a “print locate” to assist detecting which side of a page has print |
| Locator Dots Equipment Solutions |
6 pack - A$4 | Locator dots |
| Ludo - Tactile Equipment Solutions |
A$51 | Tactile board and pieces |
| Magnifying Mirror Equipment Solutions View: Magnifying Mirror |
A$19-$50 | Mirror magnifies - compact and stand models available and some with
a light Magnification 2.5-7x |
| Mangold Exceptional Teaching Aids |
Various programs and teaching resources available See website for prices |
Tactile perception, pre-braille reading program, braille letter recognition, maths materials, raised-line coloring books |
| Maps of the World Embassy World |
Free | Large list of outline maps that cam be downloaded and edited to create a raised line map using stereo/capsule paper |
| Mimic - LED Display Quantum Technology View: Mimic |
A$455 | Attaches to Mountbatten Brailler to give LED display of student's brailled
work Also compatible with Braille Lite and Braille n Speak |
| Money Organiser Equipment Solutions |
Notes A$7 Coins A$2 |
Money organisation aids |
| Monopoly - Braille Equipment Solutions |
A$104 | Braille game |
| Music Marvelous Micro Marvellous |
A$660 | Based on Yamaha synthesiser, talking lessons for learning 20 tunes Senses notes, loudness, duration and gives feedback Instrumental backing available |
| OBR - Optical Braille Recognition Quantum Technology |
Approx A$1,412 | Computer software - use your PC and scanner to convert braille into print for reading on screen, printing or producing a braille copy |
| Pedometer - Talking Equipment Solutions |
A$18 | Anounces distance walked and number of steps |
| Perkins Brailler |
Regular A$1,325 |
Operates manually Lease and repairs also available |
| PIAF (Pictures in a Flash) Quantum Technology View: PIAF |
A$1,395 | Images can be drawn or photocopied onto a specially treated paper known
as capsule paper ($1.45 per A4 sheet or $3.00 per A3 sheet from Quantum) The paper is then passed through PIAF to raise the image |
| Picture Braille for Windows Pentronics |
A$450 | Create black line drawings with braille labelling for tactile diagrams |
| Plastic Embossing Film Equipment Solutions Quantum Technology |
50 sheets A$15 55 sheets A$85 100 sheets A$25 |
Used for labelling |
| Playing Cards Equipment Solutions |
Braille - A$13-$21 Large print - A$3-$14 Holder A$6 |
Tactual or large print |
| Polymark Paint Equipment Solutions |
A$2 | Fabric/craft paint which dries (3 hours) to form tactile mark |
| Protractor Equipment Solutions |
A$10 | Tactile, semi-circular, yellow |
| Ruler Equipment Solutions |
Tactile A$10 | Tactile and large print available |
| Scrabble Equipment Solutions View: Braille Scrabble |
Braille A$95 |
Suitable for braille readers or people with low vision |
| Self Adhesive Plastic Sheets Equipment Solutions |
50 sheets A$15 55 sheets A$85 |
Used for labelling |
| Signature Guide |
A$1-$4 | Template used for signing name on, for example, cheques |
| Sock Holders Equipment Solutions |
A$3-4 |
Keeps socks in pairs during washing |
| Spur Wheel Equipment Solutions |
POA | Various including ordinary, upward embossing, hooked etc |
| Tack-Tiles Tack-Tiles View: Tack-Tiles |
Price varies depending on purchase | Blocks with braille cells which will fit on regular lego boards Can buy packs eg alphabet, contractions, word signs, maths, magnetic, games etc Starter set - 320 tiles See website for more information |
| Tape Measure - Talking Equipment Solutions |
A$142 | Talking tape measure |
| Tatrapoint Quantum Technology |
A$995 | Metal-framed manual braille writer Light weight and robust Dymo tape clips for embossing dymo tape |
| Test Taker Quantum Technology |
Teachers edition A$868 Student copy (5 users) A$576 |
Reads out test to student |
| Thermoform Sheets / Stereo Paper |
POA | Paper onto which images can be drawn or photocopied (capsule paper) The paper is then heated to produce a raised line image (see PIAF) |
| Thermometer - Talking Equipment Solutions |
A$19-$80 | Fever and indoor/outdoor available |
| Tic Tac Toe / Noughts & Crosses - Tactile Equipment Solutions |
A$17 | Tactile board and pieces |
| Touchdown Sheepville Equipment Solutions |
A$112 | Braille manual for teaching mapping skills to braille readers |
Trail-A-Bike |
approx A$400 | Attachment for an ordinary adult's bicycle which seats children from 3 to 9 years |
| Uno Equipment Solutions |
A$21 | Braille card game |
| Watch |
Talking A$16-$23 Tactile A$33-$152 |
Various styles - talking, tactual and vibrating Clocks and timers also available |
| Wikki Stix Windmill Equipment Solutions View: Wikki Stix |
Varies depending on set purchased eg hot neon colours A$14 | Bendable sticks used for making tactile outlines |
| Writing Guide Equipment Solutions |
A$4 | Provides straight lines for handwriting |