This month we are joined by a multidisciplinary team from the University of Washington to discuss how they are using Dot Pad X to make computer-aided design (CAD) more accessible for blind and low-vision students and professionals. Guest Panel Carlos Tejada, Postdoc at the University of Washington and technical lead on the project. Dr. Jen Mankoff, Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, director of the CREATE center, and accessibility researcher/advocate. Dr. Joshua Miele, Blind designer of accessible experiences, information accessibility researcher, and outside collaborator on the Key Discussion Points The Accessibility Gap in CAD: Traditional CAD software and tools are visual-based, creating major barriers and limiting potential impact for blind and low-vision users. Innovative Tactile Workflows: The team discusses moving away from lengthy, tedious fabrication loops by developing methods to slice 3D models and represent cross-sections on tactile displays such as Dot Pad. Collaboration: Insights into how researchers, designers, and students with and without lived experience work closely together to ensure tools are both functional and enjoyable to use. The Web-Based Tool: A brief overview of the new web-based, zero-installation tool featuring pre-loaded models (such as cups and LEGO bricks), multiple rendering/display modes, panning, zooming, and tactile device connectivity. Resources Global Braille Usage Survey: Help collect feedback before the end of the year at tiny.cc/braillesurvey. Accessible CAD tool: https://tada.wssb.wa.gov/ https://github.com/tdeck/3dmake https://see3d.org/ https://cada11y.cs.washington.edu/ Open-Source Tools and Communities: OpenSCAD, the 3D Make community, and C3D for exploring 3D printing and modeling. Dimensions Lab at New York Public Library https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/heiskell/dimensions Connect With Us Have questions, comments, or feedback about the podcast? Drop us an email at [email protected]! For more like this, please make sure to like, subscribe, and share the podcast.

# Studying with Dot Pad X This month we meet Isaac, a blind Purdue University student Majoring in Computer Engineering Technology and Cyber Security, who explains how he is using Dot Pad X to enhance tactile access to his learning materials. We also learn about Ghostwriter Markdown, a free app that offers an easy and affordable way of producing well-formatted braille files for reading on multiline Braille displays. ##Isaac Rasky (University Student & Tech Enthusiast) Isaac discusses transitioning through various single-line note-takers to adopting the multi-line Dot Pad X display for complex STEM coursework, including calculus graphs, physics diagrams, and spatial math. You can learn more about Isaac's journey on Dot's blog: https://blog.dotincorp.com/isaacs-experience-with-dot-pad ##Marco Solsolchica (Blind Developer & Creator) Marco introduces his lightweight iOS markdown editor designed to make well-formatted braille and text file creation seamless on iPhones and iPads. The app allows users to quickly draft structured notes, headings, and lists, and export them into multiple formats including EPUB, eBraille, BRF (Braille Ready Format), and Microsoft Word documents. ## Useful Resources & Links * Dot: Learn more about Dot Pad, Dot Canvas and Dot Book at [Dot Incorp Website](https://www.dotincorp.com). * Explore Ghostwriter Markdown and other accessibility-first utilities on Marco's personal website: [Marconius.com](https://marconius.com). * Have feedback, show ideas, or want to share your own DotPad experience? Email us at **[email protected]**. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share Raising the Dots with your networks!

Enhanced Multiline Braille & Tactile Graphics This episode covers major upgrades to multi-line Braille support and tactile graphics capabilities for Windows screen readers, including NVDA and JAWS. Key Highlights NVDA Add-On Release: Developer Bram Duvigneau introduces a new, official NVDA add-on designed for the Dot Pad A320 and Dot Pad X. Automatic Detection & Customization: Features seamless Bluetooth/USB auto-detection, customizable line counts to suit user reading preferences, and a single-line text view alongside the multi-line display. Tactile Display API: Developer Joe Stephen explains the new API, enabling developers to send direct tactile graphics and multiline Braille to Dot Pad. Visual Screen Overlay: A dedicated desktop viewer overlay allows educators, trainers, and sighted colleagues to view the tactile layout on-screen in real time in person or via video conferences. Tactile Graphics Capabilities: Users can graph math equations (in Microsoft Word and web browsers), preview Excel bar charts and tables, and feel graphical representations of print characters and emojis. Getting Started & Resources NVDA Add-On Store: Available directly within NVDA 2026.1+ via Tools > Add-on Store. Download NVDA Add-On: https://dot-update-us.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/program/DotPad.nvda-addon JAWS Tactile Display Scripts: https://dot-update-us.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/program/JAWS-TDA-Setup-x64.exe Feedback & Enquiries: Email [email protected] for questions, comments, or technical support.

Navigating the World with Tactile Street Maps on Dot Pad In conversation with Dr. Josh Miele Imagine a future where you can type in a zip code or post code and instantly feel under your fingers a simple, well-formatted, tactile street map enabling you to explore by touch the surrounding streets enhancing orientation and independence. Imagine tactile street maps that let you pann and zoom to build understanding of the surrounding area, your neighbourhood, or where you work or go to school. Imagine no longer. Thanks to a unique collaboration between Dot and DR Josh Miele, tactile street maps are now coming to Dot Pad. You are invited to join us on this journey. Ahead of our live webinar on Sep 14 2026, where you will learn how to get started with tactile street maps on Dot Pad, in this episode we connect with scientist, inventor, MacArthur Fellow, and Principal Accessibility Researcher at Amazon, Dr. Josh Miele. Josh breaks down his pioneering work on the Tactile Map Automated Production system (TMAP), sharing his lifelong love for maps, his journey through accessibility design, and why tactile spatial information is critical for blind independence. Episode Highlights * Josh discusses his undergraduate years, interning at NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center) on the Mars Observer project. We hear how Josh's career pivoted to accessibility when he worked on one of the first GUI screen readers, Outspoken, and shifted his focus toward designing tools by blind people, for blind people. * We learn about the genesis of TMAP (Tactile Map Automated Production) at Smith-Kettlewell in 2003. A project to solve the challenge of needing a sighted person to custom-craft every tactile street map. * Josh explains why Tactile Maps Matter, why turn-by-turn audio routing isn't enough. Tactile maps provide spatial context, high-level overviews, and allowing users to build mental/cognitive models of an area from our homes before venturing out. * We unpack the Design Philosophy Behind TMAP, drawing design inspiration from tactile cartographers and decades of hands-on experience, optimizing map layouts and labelling decisions to ensure clarity and readability. * Finally you will hear about the latest leg of the journey as we take TMAP from a hardcopy paper-based experience to rendering tactile street maps on refreshable tactile displays. Links to Further Resources * Try TMAP on Dot Pad https://touchout.org/tmap/ * Get hardcopy tactile maps via the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. https://madlabdesign.org/tmap/ * Book: Connecting Dots: A Blind Life by Dr. Josh Miele. https://mielelab.com/connecting-dots/ * Discover the Dot Pad X tactile display https://www.dotincorp.com/en/product/dotpadx * Visit the Dot Blog and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about how to register for Dot webinars including Navigating the World with Dot Pad and TMAP on Sep 14 2026. https://blog.dotincorp.com/ Braille Survey You are also invited to take part in the Global Braille Literacy Campaign survey from WBU and ICEVI. The survey, sponsored by Dot and partners, explores the relevance, use, challenges, and benefits of braille literacy worldwide. You can find the survey here: http://tiny.cc/braillesurvey

Welcome back to Raising the Dots. Thankyou everyone who has shared liked and subscribed to stay connected with the people ideas and technology reshaping braille and tactile literacy. If you have a comment or suggestion, or question about Dot's tactile products and services, be sure to write to: [email protected] For the latest Dot news, visit our blog. http://blog.dotincorp.com The Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education is a joint initiative of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union (WBU), calling on governments, education systems, organisations, and communities to recognise braille literacy as a fundamental human right and an essential component of inclusive education. You are invited to add your voice. https://icevi.org/global-declaration-add-your-voice/ BraillePen 24 supports students, professionals, and travellers who rely on fast, precise braille access. This month we hear the story behind BraillePen 24, a highly portable braille display built around Dot's D3 tactile cell technology. You will hear how this product came to be and some of the design decisions made along the way. www.braillepen.com We are also joined by Scott Thornhill, Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), to discusses ACB’s 2026 priorities—including convention programming, national advocacy and collaboration. www.acb.org

Welcome and Webinar Before we get started this month, a reminder to join Dot's June webinar, Developing for Dot Pad X, and discover how innovators across the accessibility community are transforming multiline braille and tactile graphics into practical, engaging applications. From the AT Guys' browser-based Braille Apps to interactive experiences including chess, checkers, Battleship, Connect 4, calendar tools and more, you'll hear directly from the developers and community leaders bringing these projects to life. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dotinc_dotpadx-braille-multilinebraille-activity-7468614282671222784-GL-a Join Dot at the US Blind Consumer Conventions In July you are invited to meet the Dot team and get hands on with Dot Pad X at the NFB and ACB Conventions. National Federation of the Blind 86th Annual Convention Austin, Texas July 3 - 8 https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2026-national-convention-agenda American Council of the Blind 65th Annual Conference and Convention St. Louis, MO July 13 - 31, 2026 https://acbconvention.org/ Featured Interview This month on Raising the dots, we speak with Vítor Carvalho, a researcher with the faculty of engineering at the University of Porto, working to make technical drawings accessible for blind and low vision students and professionals. Vítor's papers at conferences include: Study on memorising technical drawings using eye-gaze analysis to improve their rendering by text-to-speech https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3702163.3702438 Enabling visually disabled persons to create technical drawings: a review with a preliminary contribution https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3629296.3629363 Development of accessibility resources for teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9125152?casa_token=qeRVQYXK68gAAAAA:76sCb7qNm5q7A3llPYEdFhjSE_RnOAGGfH7OWNGa3i6GEG3JXeft7r7pkUYfSrCo0hgA2XreIQ Automatic description of SVG images for the visually impaired: a Gestaltic approach https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050915030896 Related links: The Gestalt Principles https://ixdf.org/literature/topics/gestalt-principles Goethe’s Theory of Colour (specially part VI - Effect of colour with reference to moral associations) https://www.gutenberg.org/files/50572/50572-h/50572-h.htm Outro If you have a suggestion for a project you would like to hear featured on a future episode of Raising the Dots drop an email to [email protected] Until next time.

In this episode we meet two people on opposite sides of the world, both working in education, and both active in applying multiline braille technology in their work. Peter Cracknell has been supporting the development of braille technology for over 30 years. In 2023 Peter invited Dot to visit Australia where he connected Dot with teachers, alternate format producers and blindness agencies – including See Differently, who now distribute Dot Pad X. Peter is now working in Access Technology for the Queensland Department of Education in Australia. In this wide ranging conversation, we spoke with Peter about the impact of multiline braille technology, his thoughts about the evolution of Dot Pad X and what he hopes to see in future. Holly Baker is a talented mathematician and computer scientist working in the PhD Research Programme in Computing at the University of Bath, UK. Holly has been exploring how multiline braille technology can support independent study and research in STEM fields. We were invited to meet Holly in Bristol where she shared more about her findings thus far. Links: Peter Cracknell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/peter-cracknell-081137ba_after-23-years-its-time-to-leave-quantum-activity-7378337080629895168-5Ys7 Dot Pad X from See Differently, Australia: https://seedifferently.org.au/shop/assistive-technology/braille/dot-pad-x-tactile-braille-display-online-only/ Holly Baker University of Bath: https://people.bath.ac.uk/hb581/

Before our featured interview, we share a couple of announcements from Dot. 1. There is an update to the free Dot Book reading app designed to be used with Dot Pad. Now available for iPhone and iPad, Dot Book now includes the ability to render up to 10 lines of braille improving fluency and context. You can download Dot Book from the App Store. ‎Dot Book App - App Store 2. On April 27th 2026 Dot will host a webinar to demonstrate support coming to the BrailleSense notetaker for Dot Pad. We hope you can join us. 3. During the final week of May 2026 Dot will be exhibiting at Sight City in Germany. We hope you can meet us there. For more news and events follow Dot on social media or visit our blog: blog.dotincorp.com For any questions about a Dot product email [email protected] In this episode, we hear a powerful and moving story of braille education from North Africa. Samira Mohamed Lamin was born in 1995 in Smara, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. At the age of 6, she traveled to Spain for the first time to receive treatment for glaucoma. From then on, she continued traveling to Spain and undergoing treatments and surgeries to slow the progression of the disease. At the age of 17, she became blind due to complications in accessing the necessary treatment in the refugee camps. At that age, she returned to Barcelona, Spain, where she spent three years learning Braille, mobility and orientation techniques, and daily living skills at the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE). At the age of 20, she returned to the refugee camps, and in 2024 she decided to create the Himma Association to raise awareness among the Sahrawi society about the importance of education and autonomy for people with disabilities in the camps. She also volunteers at a school in Smara, teaching Braille and tactile literacy to blind children. Learn more about this project by writing to [email protected]

This month on Raising the Dots, we meet two incredible technologists working at the cutting edge of accessible innovation. From tactile gaming to responsible artificial intelligence, both guests are helping shape a more inclusive tech future. JJ from AT Guys joins us to discuss exciting experiments using the Dot Pad X for tactile games and interactive applications. Our second guest is Cynthia Bennett, a Research Scientist working on Responsible AI at Google. Dr. Bennett holds a PhD from the University of Washington in human-centred design and engineering and previously worked at Apple. Her research focuses on making AI systems more accessible and representative of disabled people. Topics include reducing bias and stereotypes in generative AI and ensuring disabled people are involved in AI design. Links: https://www.atguys.com https://research.google/people/cynthia-bennett/ https://ai.google/responsibility

This month on Raising the Dots we discover how to make the most of multiline braille support introduced in JAWS For Windows. Joe Stephen, the brains behind multiline braille in JAWS, offers us a practical demonstration of how multiline braille enhances access to: several documents simultaneously, rich formatting information, previewing emails without leaving your inbox, spreadsheet layout and comments, plus much more. You can find out more about Dot Pad X and JAWS from this recent webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxSDYxjLXy0 Clarke Reynolds was brought up in Portsmouth, England, with a passion for art that defied the challenges life presented. Diagnosed with deteriorating eyesight from a young age due to rod cone dystrophy, Clarke faced a world where sight was slowly changing. Art remained his constant — a creative lifeline that allowed him to express his experiences, emotions, and identity. He studied model making and design, In this interview with Mr Dot, we explore his influences and ambition for his braille- inspired artworks. Explore Mr Dot's story and artwork on his website here: https://mrdotuk.com