Introduction - Papenmeier BRAILLEX ELc Series User Manual

1

Introduction

Papenmeier has added three more devices to the BRAILLEX EL family.
BRAILLEX EL 40c, BRAILLEX EL 60c and BRAILLEX EL 80c
All three new EL devices have the well-proven Easy Access Bar which guarantees ergonomic work and
comfortable one-hand-operation.
Please read here how the Easy Access Bar works. Users who have already worked with an EL display and
know about the many advantages of the Easy Access Bar may skip the following description.
The classical operation of a Braille display is done by pressing several keys on the front or the top panel.
Thus, you have to take at least one hand away from the reading position of the Braille display. Sometimes,
you might have to remove even both hands when it comes to operating the computer keyboard. Those
additional movements take their time.
The Easy Access Bar compensates the disadvantage. By means of the Easy Access Bar, you can always
access functions and commands right from your reading position in order to operate the Braille display. Often
used PC keyboard functions are accessible from every hand position on the horizontal Braille display. In this
way, your reading hand/s stay at their proper place. No longer will the user search or count out keys which is
quite annoying. Additional hand movements or a constant re-orientation in the reading window will no more
be necessary. Therefore, your work becomes much faster and more effective.
The Easy Access Bar is a long single lever (like a space bar) situated on the front side. Almost as large as
the Braille display itself, the Easy Access Bar is completely integrated into the device. From every reading
position, you operate the Easy Access Bar using the thumb/s of your left and your right hand. No matter on
which position you are, you can push the Easy Access Bar in all four directions. Thus, the corresponding
thumb makes a minimal movement while the pressure remains the same. Pushing the bar in one of the four
directions, a switch or sensor will be operated which executes the desired function. The rubber profiled front
of the bar gives your thumbs enough grip to activate these keys.
Among the usual functions of a Braille display, the unit with Easy Access Bar offers access to PC keyboard
functions at the reading position. Many operations and settings of the screen reader software are therefore
concentrated on an easily accessible position. Left- and right-handed persons are able to operate the Easy
Access Bar. It is even possible to perform the operation with one hand only. The key functions of the Easy
Access Bar can be set individually.
Despite all functionality, the well-proven safety and the solid-rock construction of the BRAILLEX devices stay
the same. This is possible because of specific materials and a precise way of construction.