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‎astro/src/content/blogs/_braille-display-advancement.mdx‎

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---
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title: "Advancing Assistive Technology: The Next Chapter in Braille Displays"
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description: Explores the new braille displays
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published: 2026-02-03
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tags:
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- opinion
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author: christine-loew
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---
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# Advancing Assistive Technology: The Next Chapter in Braille Displays
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Imagine sitting in a math class where the teacher sketches a graph on the board. The sighted students instantly understand how the curve rises and falls. But for a blind student, that information often arrives in words alone — a description that never quite captures the full picture.
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For years, this has been the reality. While refreshable braille displays have given students incredible access to text, the world of tactile graphics — diagrams, charts, and complex images — has remained frustratingly out of reach.
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Today, we are at an exciting moment: advances in braille display technology are reshaping not only how text is accessed, but also how complex subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can be fully explored by blind learners.
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## Commonly Used Braille Displays
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Braille displays like the [Brailliant BI Series](https://store.humanware.com/hus/braille-devices/braille-displays), [Focus Blue Series](https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/), [BrailleSense 6 Notetaker](https://selvasblv.com/product/braillesense-6/), and [Orbit Readers](https://www.orbitresearch.com/products/braille-displays/) have been indispensable. These devices are widely used across schools, workplaces, and homes, enabling learners and professionals to engage with digital content in real time. They make it possible for blind learners and professionals to read, write, and navigate digital environments in real time. But for subjects like geometry or chemistry, where pictures matter as much as words, the gap remained.
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## Enter the Dot Pad X: A New Way to Feel Graphics
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The [**Dot Pad**](https://www.dotincorp.com/en/product/pad) is changing that story. Unlike traditional braille displays, the Dot Pad renders tactile graphics in addition to text. A biology student can now run their fingers over the shape of a cell. A math student can trace the slope of a line. A data science student can explore charts that were once inaccessible. This isn’t just a new device. It’s an invitation for blind learners to fully step into STEM fields, where tactile graphics are essential. ![Dot Pad front view with map displayed][image1]![Dot Pad side view][image2]
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Watch how the Dot Pad X opens new possibilities for users – [YouTube](https://youtu.be/AIa1qePwog8?si=1CrhYL9OTLJ9znYG).
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## The Monarch: Collaboration in Action
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Even more exciting, the **Monarch** — developed through a partnership between [HumanWare](https://www.humanware.com/en-usa/), the [American Printing House for the Blind](https://www.aph.org/) (APH), and the [National Federation of the Blind](https://nfb.org/) (NFB) — is building on this innovation. Using Dot’s Cell technology, the Monarch makes it possible to display both braille text and tactile graphics seamlessly, showing the power of partnerships in driving the next generation of accessibility tools.
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## Why This Matters
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With devices like the Dot Pad X and Monarch, we are seeing a future where blind learners can participate in every classroom subject, including those historically out of reach.
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The story of braille displays is still being written, and with each advancement comes greater opportunity. For the accessibility community, this is more than technology — it is a step toward equity, inclusion, and possibility.

‎astro/src/content/blogs/inclusive-language.mdx‎

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---
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title: Why Inclusive Language Matters
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description: Use disability inclusive language
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published: 2026-02-03
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tags:
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- education
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author: amanda-luevano
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---
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import ImageFigure from "@components/ImageFigure.astro"
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import topImage from "src/images/blogs/inclusive_lang.png"
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<ImageFigure src={topImage} class="text-center mb-4" imageClass="d-block mx-auto" alt="A picture of Judith Heumann from 2014." caption="Why inclusive language matters. When your language is thoughtful and respectvial and gracious, you belong here."/>
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Language can welcome people in or shut people out.
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The way we talk about people affects how valued they feel. Inclusive language is about using words that respect real people, real identities, and real experiences.
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Outdated or careless language can create barriers without us even realizing it. Thoughtful language opens doors to a world where we can help people feel respected, seen, and valued.
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For businesses and organizations, inclusive language is more than just being polite–it is part of accessibility. It is the foundation that builds trust and connection and shows that you genuinely care about the people you serve.
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When your language is thoughtful and respectful, you send a clear message: *you belong here*.
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## Put It Into Practice
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* Use people-first or identity-first language based on preference. The key is to not define a human by their disabilities.
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* Instead of: “the disabled” → Say: “persons with disabilities” or “people with disabilities”
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* Instead of: "autistic child” → Say: “person with autism" or "autistic person.”
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* **Always** follow the individual’s lead on their preferred terms.
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* Replace outdated or negative terms with respectful ones.
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* Instead of: “wheelchair-bound” → Say: “wheelchair user.”
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* Instead of: “suffers from anxiety” → Say: “has anxiety.”
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* Avoid labels that imply weakness, illness, or powerlessness. Disabled people are **not** problems that must be fixed.
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* Use language that centers dignity and independence.
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* Instead of: “special needs person” → Say: “person with a disability.”
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* Instead of: “normal people” → Say: “non-disabled people.”
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* Avoid referring to people with disabilities as patients unless it is actual medical care.
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* Ask when you’re unsure.
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* Try: “How would you like to be identified?” OR “How would you like me to refer to this?”
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* Check your materials for unintentional barriers.
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* Update forms that say “handicapped” to “accessible.”
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* Replace phrases like “confined to a wheelchair” with “uses a wheelchair.”
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* Avoid using phrases like “retarded”, “blind as a bat”, or casually labeling memory issues as “dementia.”
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### Quick Reference Chart
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<div class="table-responsive">
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<table class="table">
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th scope="col">Recommended Language</th>
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<th scope="col">How to Use/Example</th>
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<th scope="col">Avoid Saying</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td>Person with a disability</td>
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<td>Person with a vision, hearing, or mobility disability</td>
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<td>Disabled person, handicapped, special needs</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Person without a disability</td>
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<td>General population, non-disabled individuals</td>
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<td>Normal, able-bodied, typical</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Deaf / Hard-of-hearing person</td>
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<td>Person who is deaf, person with hearing loss</td>
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<td>The deaf, hearing impaired</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Blind / Low vision person</td>
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<td>Person who is blind, person with low vision</td>
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<td>The blind, partially sighted</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Wheelchair user</td>
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<td>Person who uses a wheelchair</td>
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<td>Wheelchair-bound, confined to a wheelchair</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Avoid labels tied to impairment</td>
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<td>Ask the person’s preference: <br/>“How would you like me to refer to this?”</td>
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<td>Suffers from, afflicted by, crazy, retarted, crippled, deformed, invalid, dwarf, midget, subnormal, etc.</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Accessible facilities</td>
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<td>Accessible bathroom, parking for people with disabilities</td>
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<td>Handicapped bathroom, handicapped parking</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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</div>
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To learn more see [Disability inclusive language](https://www.ta11y.org/learning/topic?key=plan.inclusive_lang) or sign up for [tips like this one](/tips/) each week in your email.

‎astro/src/content/staff/amanda-luevano.md‎

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---
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name:
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first: Amanda
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last: Luevano
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roles:
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default: Communications Team
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communications: Contributor
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---

‎astro/src/images/blogs/inclusive_lang.png‎

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‎astro/src/styles/bootstrap.scss‎

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//********
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// Shadows - Tweaked from https://codyhouse.co/nuggets/beautiful-css-shadows
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//********
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// inner glow
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// inner glow
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$box-shadow-sm: inset 0 0 1px 2px hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.125),
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// multiple soft shadows
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@import "bootstrap/scss/images";
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@import "bootstrap/scss/containers";
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@import "bootstrap/scss/grid";
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@import "bootstrap/scss/tables";
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@import "bootstrap/scss/forms";
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@import "bootstrap/scss/buttons";
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@import "bootstrap/scss/transitions";

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