Power Chord keyboard vs. Perkins Brailler

[TingSiu]

I am currently working as a TVI at the Jewish Guild for the Blind in
their preschool program. One of my students is learning Braille, and I
have struggled all year to introduce the Perkins Brailler to him.
While he understood the mechanics and idea of it, it was difficult for
him to understand the concept of having to isolate his fingers to
simultaneously push the keys down to form a Braille cell; the keys
were simply too large and difficult for his little fingers to push.
Even with the electric Brailler, while the keys were easier to push,
were spaced too far apart for him to wrap his fingers around.

When I showed this student the PC Keyboard, the light bulb immediately
went off in his head. By the end of our 2nd session together with the
keyboard, he was independently finding all the keys necessary for a
given letter, isolating his fingers with almost no assistance, and had
no trouble coordinating his fingers to push the appropriate keys. The
immediate audio feedback verifying what he had just typed was a
natural positive reinforcement.

Previously, I had to creatively present the Brailler to avoid groans
about bringing it out; now, the minute he steps into my room he asks
if we'll use the keyboard.

This simple device has been so amazing in introducing 6-key braille
input for this young student, and the technology in itself is highly
motivating. Because of its affordable price, I've been able to
successfully recommend this item to the student's school and home for
the following year.

Ting Siu, M.A. Special Education, TVI