Mary,

the following article I wrote on purchasing a Braille embosser was published
in 1997 in "Computer User Network News," a publication of the Chicago Blind
Computer User Network.  In addition to this article, I would also encourage
you to read my whole package on choosing adaptive technology on esight.org.
Registration is free and you get a boatload of information.  A preliminary
drat is on Jamal's site at:

http://www.empowermentzone.com/atchoice.txt

Kelly

Braille has come of age in this era of information abundance.  Scanning
software and the Internet give blind people electronic access to mountains
of documents, books and resources and Braille translation software and
embossers turn these computer files into highly readable grade II Braille.
For the person who needs a Braille copy of something at home or at the
office, the dream of instant, affordable Braille is now a reality.  Prices
for embossers are now less than $2,000 and translation software easily works
with older computers, allowing the blind computer user to independently
produce well formatted and readable Braille on the cheap.

This article describes how to choose the Braille embosser that most
affectively meets user needs.  I will not discuss the Braille translation
software needed to turn a computer file into grade II Braille.  the term
"Braille embosser" is used throughout the article rather than "Braille
printer," as Braille embossers actually physically change the paper going
through them rather than printing ink on it.  Unlike inkprint printers,
Braille embossers are a whole lot heavier and noisier, a unique
consideration if one is working in an open environment with others likely to
be bothered by the noise.

When most people shop for a Braille embosser, they usually ask two
questions:  how much does it cost and how fast is it?  Speed, expressed in
characters per second, is only one factor out of many.  Blind computer users
often rely on it as it allows for a standard comparison from product to
product.  Other factors that are equally important include quality of
Braille produced, reputation of manufacturer, reliability, reputation of
local dealer, user past experience with product, availability of timely
service and support, ease of operation, clear and understandable
documentation, and manuals available in well-formatted, Grade II Braille.

Price and speed as a comparison can be an illusion.  In the January, 1996
issue of the "Braille Monitor," an article states:  "when designing a
[Braille] printer, the manufacturer has to make certain tradeoffs and
compromises.  It may be possible to gain some apparent speed by using a
shorter line--at the cost of flexibility. And an embosser   employing a long
line and rated by a conservative but    arduous test ... may look more
unattractive than it actually is. In short, a variety of    factors should
be considered and balanced when making the decision to buy an embosser.
The prices of Braille printers have dropped over the past few years. There
are also many more models available now than formerly. However, past a
certain point, the only way to achieve more speed or lower price is to
sacrifice the quality of the Braille produced."

The article identifies something that I noticed when I was in the process of
buying a Braille embosser in 1995:  reported speeds by manufacturers are
often significantly inflated and there may not be a correlation between
actual speed and price.  There is no standardized way speed is calculated
from manufacturer to manufacturer, so some companies goose the test for all
that it is worth.  For example, Blazie Engineering determines speed by
timing how long it takes its Braille Blazer to produce one line of Braille.
Such tests never translate into the real world of articles, letters and
reports that have more than one line and multiple pages.  When producing a
"real document," such as a Braille copy of the "Braille Monitor" in the
speed test described in the article, the Braille Blazer actually produces
only 8 characters per second while the manufacturer claims it produces 15
cps, a variance of 47 percent between fantasy and reality.  Dean Blazie
wasn't the only one cooking the numbers on Braille embossers.  Telesensory
Systems, apparently learning of the evaluation, publicly lowered its
published speeds for some of its embossers before the article went to press.

One way to learn about approximate speed and get around the numbers game is
to ask how many pages does this embosser produce in an hour?  This allows
you to match the speed of the printer to the amount of Braille one would
actually read or need.

Before I talked with any dealer or vendor in my search I did some homework,
such as obtaining lists that describe different Braille embossers and their
cost.  One such list is available from http://www.nfb.org and go to the
technology section on the page.    This is what I used when I went to buy my
own embosser.  Something more up to date and does not require access to the
World Wide Web is available from the federally-funded AbleData
(800-227-0216).  Written results of a data base search are $5 for 50
products and $10 for the next fifty.  If you have access to the web you can
search the site yourself at http://www.abldata.com.  In Illinois the
Illinois Assistive Technology Project (800-852-5110) and the Disability
research Network (800-447-4221) also can search the AbleData resources and
will provide a written list with product descriptions and prices for free.
All three services will fill your request in Braille or on computer disk and
of course print.  Ask for the format of your choice.

From these lists, it is easy to winnow down to the three to five products
that are real prospects and come closest to meeting user needs.

One need that people sometimes ponder is interpoint or single-sided
embossers.  Sometimes people think that if they get an interpoint embosser,
they can operate a Braille business.  Like any job, training and experience
are key.  Good transcribers are certified by the Library of congress and
have had some experience transcribing and proofreading for someone else.
Additionally, the business is predominated by government agencies,
charities, not-for profit organizations, and lots of private fundraising to
subsidize it.  commercial opportunities may be limited.  Interpoint
machines, those that produce Braille on both sides of a page, cost at least
double what single sided embossers cost.  Moreover, they may need more
repair as the paper dust can clog the machine and cause it to produce poor
quality Braille.  For most individual users, the costs saved in using less
Braille paper will not match the additional cost of an interpoint embosser
and additional maintenance

Now that the consumer has identified a few products and their manufacturers,
it is now time to contact dealers and see products demonstrated.  It is best
to do this in person, rather than receiving brochures and Braille samples
from embossers by mail.  doing it in person allows the consumer to get a
feel for how easy the product is to use and the way the embosser handles the
paper as well as how it returns to the top of form.  if you are blind,
request a real "hands on" demonstration, where you the user tactually check
out the product, execute yourself several commands that control the printer,
adjust the force the embosser head hits the paper, change margins, and print
something.  If a manufacturer, vendor or dealer is uncomfortable or refuses
this kind of inspection, look elsewhere.  This is the only way a blind
person can thoroughly examine a Braille embosser and answer critical
questions such as ease of use and durability.  A reluctance of this kind
tells the user much about the manufacturer and its understanding and
sensitivity of the needs and lives of blind end users.

One of the best and easiest ways to do side by side hands on comparisons of
all the embossers on your list at once is at a convention of a blindness
organization, which is what I did when a national convention of a consumer
organization was in Chicago at the conrad Hilton in 1995.  These in person
demonstrations told me a lot.  With one embosser, the Braille Comet, the
paper jammed.  the Braille appeared mushy on another, the Everest.
Telesensory's Thiel could not find the top of page.  It is also possible to
sense how fast the embosser produces Braille, despite manufacturer claims.
This allowed me to discover that the VersaPoint from Telesensory systems,
priced at $3,795 was not much different from the Romeo 25 from Enabling
Technologies, priced at the time at $1995.  later the "Monitor" test would
show that there is a 32 percent variance between the 40 characters per
second claimed by telesensory and the actual 27.4 cps.  The romeo 25, came
to 23.8 in the test, a variance of only 5 percent.

All the database searches and product demonstrations in the world will not
answer questions of product reliability, service, dealer follow through,
support, and consumer experience with product.  The way to learn these
issues is through talking with other users of Braille embossers.  Why was
their product chosen?  Is it easy or difficult to use?  Has the product
needed repair?  How often?  What was the quality of the work?

I did this process months before the convention so that I could come back
and ask my friends forgotten questions or more detailed ones.  Waiting until
a few days before a buying decision to do this step will not build
confidence and comfort in your choice.  Use what you learn from other end
users to narrow down your list even further.  For example, I cooled my
enthusiasm for the Everest after I learned from several people about its
frequent need for repair.  I was cautious about Telesensory Systems after
several other blind end users described unpleasant experiences with local
dealers and company representatives when they needed assistance.  Never omit
this essential feedback step from your search.

in the end, I bought the Romeo 25 from Enabling Technologies.  The Romeo was
one of the first embossers produced.  It gained popularity in the 1980's for
its solid durability and quality of Braille produced.  I checked out eight
embossers at that convention.  The romeo was the only one with Braille
coming from the machine as crisp as a Perkins Brailler.  Blind users with
whom I spoke loved the Romeo and were ecstatic about enabling.  The company
only produces embossing products.  It was the only company at the convention
that had a blind computer user and Braille reader demonstrate the product
with me.  Further, Enabling employs blind computer users and Braille readers
throughout the company and in substantial levels of decision making.  The
nearly 25-year-old company had a sterling reputation from those with whom I
spoke.  i was tempted to buy the Braille Blazer, but the small $300 price
difference at the time tilted my interest to a faster product, one that
embosses on 11 by 11 1/2 inch paper, and a great company.  The speech
synthesis interface on the Blazer interested me.  However, I believed that
for average use, I would only need to know a few commands, which would
easily be memorized after a few months of use with or without speech.

In the more than two years since buying the product, I haven't been let
down.  Customer support has exceeded expectations, walking me through setup
and configuration of my embosser long distance.  Of course, my choice is not
your choice.  Above all else,make your search for your ultimate Braille
embosser a fun, social, and educational learning experience.

??


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