BrailleNote Touch Plus

Resources Provided by Amy Snow TVI, CATIS

Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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The resources, commands, and instructions in this presentation are not meant to be a comprehensive list and are current as of July 2020

Foundational Resources:

• BrailleNote Touch Plus Product Page
• BrailleNote Touch Plus Support Page (contains most up to date release notes)
• Touch Plus User Guide (HTML)
• Audio Tutorials Page (Table of Contents and Download Link in MP3 and DAISY Formats)
• Video Tutorials
• The Art of Notetaking with Drive and Docs (Downloadable PDF))
• Jeopardy!
• BrailleNote Touch Plus Beginners Boot Camp Series

This presentation can be found at the short URL or by scanning the QR code:

https://bit.ly/315VLtI

Basic Orientation to the Unit

Orientation to the Hardware - Top Panel

Backspace - Located left of Dot Three) Use to backspace over a letter.

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Enter - (Located to right of Dot Six) Use to insert a new line, enter a edit field, or to activate a button that has focus.

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Backspace and Enter can also be used in combination with other keys to execute key commands

Orientation to the Hardware - Braille Display

The BrailleNote Touch Plus has 32 cells, above each is a Cursor Routing key. Cursor Routing Keys can be used to:

• Click on or select an item in focus in a list or dialogue box
• When editing a document, move the cursor to the desired cell

Orientation to the Hardware - Front Panel

Previous - (located furthest to the left) Move to previous item

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Left - (located second from the left) Pan braille display to the left

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Right - (located second from the right) Pan braille display to the right.

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Next - (located farthest to the right( Move focus to next item

Orientation to the Hardware - Front Panel

Back - Shaped like a triangle pointed left; moves back to the previous screen or menu

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Home - Shaped like a circle and located in the middle of the front panel; moves to Main Menu

Recent Apps - Square shaped button to the right of the home button; tap to switch between open applications. Hold for two seconds to access the context menu in your current application in focus

Orientation to the Hardware - Left Panel

USB-C Port - Located furthest away from the user; used for charging or file transfer

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Power/Lock Button - Oval button in the middle of the panel; press briefly to lock/unlock or hold to power unit off/on

Volume Buttons - Rectangular buttons closest to the user; adjust the volume of the unit

Orientation to the Hardware - Right Panel

Action Button - Located closest to the user; performs actions such as start/stop record, play/pause, or take a photo

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Headphone Jack - Located in the middle of the panel; connect wired headphones

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Microphone Jack - Located furthest from user; plug in an external mic.

Orientation to the Hardware - Rear Panel

HDMI Port - Located farthest to the left; use this port to connect an external monitor

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SD Slot - Located in the middle of the back panel; insert an SD Card for easy file storage and transfer

USB Port - Located farthest to the right; plug in a USB drive to store and transfer data

Basic Keystrokes to Adjust Spoken Feedback

Getting Information

Other Navigation Commands

Note that other commands can be found in the Command Summary using the links below:

General BNT+ Commands

General Navigation

Navigating the Main Menu

Switching Between Open Apps

• Press the square button on the front facing panel of your unit
• Your unit will say “Recent Apps”
• Navigate the recent and currently opened apps using Thumb Keys
• You will hear something like the following example for each app open. Press Enter to execute the operation indicated.
• App Name
• Press Enter to place that app in focus
• Open (App Name) Application Info Button
• Pressing Enter here will open settings/info for that app
• Dismiss (App Name)
• Pressing Enter here will close that app completely and remove it from the list
• Clear All
• Pressing Enter here will close all open apps.

Snapshot Tutorial: General Orientation to the Unit

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, it gives you an overview of the hardware (which is identical to that of the Touch Plus. The menu on the Touch Plus will look slightly different, but the two are similar enough that this Snapshot Tutorial is relevant to both units.

WiFi and Bluetooth

Checking Connection Status

• To check connection status, press Enter + Dots Three and Four
• A connectivity dialogue is displayed. Navigate the dialogue with your Thumb Keys
• To exit the dialogue, press Back Button or Space with E (Dots One and Five)

Connect to WiFi

• Press Enter + Q to quickly open Android Settings
• Alternatively, you can open Android Settings by going to All Apps from the Main Menu then navigating down to Settings.
• You’ll need to press the next thumb key to scroll to Internet and WiFi. Press Enter or a Cursor Routing Key to open the submenu
• If you are not connected to a WiFi network, the BrailleNote will say “not connected”. To connect a network, press Enter.

Connect to WiFi Continued

• Use your Previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate the visible networks. Once you locate the one you need, press Enter
• You will be prompted to enter a password if one is required. Remember to use Computer Braille.
• If you are not placed directly into the password field, use the Next Thumb Key to navigate to it, then press Enter or a Cursor Routing Key to begin entering text.
• Once you’ve entered the password, press Enter
• To exit, either press the Back button or press Space + E

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Connect to a Bluetooth Device

• Press Enter + Q to quickly open Android Settings
• Alternatively, you can open Android Settings by going to All Apps from the Main Menu then navigating down to Settings.
• Use the Next Thumb Key to scroll down to Bluetooth. Press Enter
• Use the Next Thumb Key to navigate the menu. You will find a button called “Pair a New Device”. Press a Cursor Routing Key or Enter.

Connect to Bluetooth Device Continued

• Use your Previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate the visible devices. Once you locate the one you need, press Enter or a Cursor Routing Key.
• You will be prompted to enter a password on either the device you are pairing or the BrailleNote Touch Plus. Proceed as directed.
• The BrailleNote will tell you if the pairing was successful. If not, perform these steps again, making sure to consult the user guide for the device you are pairing.
• To exit, either press the Back button or press Space + E

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Snapshot Tutorial: Connect to WiFi

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, it gives you an overview of the hardware (which is identical to that of the Touch Plus. The menu on the Touch Plus will look slightly different, but the two are similar enough that this Snapshot Tutorial is relevant to both units.

Options and Settings

Options and Settings

Navigate to the Options Menu with Space + O (Dots One, Three, and Five)

From in this menu you can:

• Select/Configure Language Profiles (voice and braille output)
• Adjust Keyboard Settings
• Configure Miscellaneous settings (turn on/off vibration, use navigation sounds, manage gestures, start the BNT+ Tutorial, and others)

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Language Profiles and TTS

• The BrailleNote Touch Plus comes with two TTS Engines: Acapela and Google. Each has its own subset of voices.
• You can have more than one language profile using more than one TTS Engine. The BNT+ has several languages preinstalled with compatible voices
• Quickly switch between language profiles using Enter + L (Dots One, Two, and Three)

*The Braille Table Settings are also found in the Language Profiles area of the Options Menu*

Braille Tables

To change the Braille Settings, go to the Options Menu, then Configure Language Profiles. Choose a profile to configure. From this menu you can select:

• Braille entry and display preferences within the Language Profile (primary, secondary, etc)
• Grade of braille for entry and display
• Braille table (first by selecting the language (i.e.English) and then the translation table (English UEB Grade 1, English US Grade 1, etc)
• Please see the video on the next slide for a complete walkthrough of selecting prefered Braille Tables.

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Format Markers

Format markers are displayed when there is a change in format in the document (bold, italic, etc). There are three options:

• No Format Markers: The braille display does not show any symbol to indicate a change in format.
• Main format markers: The braille display shows markers for headings, new line, page changes, etc
• All format markers: The braille display will show all format changes, including text that is bold, underlined, changes size, etc

New Line Rendering

• By default, the BrailleNote Touch Plus settings support fitting as much braille on the display as possible. This means that, rather than display text in a new line each time there is a line break, a “new line symbol” is shown. This setting can be overridden so that the new line marker does not appear on the display. Having this enabled is helpful for young or struggling braille readers.
• In the Options Menu, select Miscellaneous Settings, then Format Marker Settings, then New Line Rendering.
• To completely remove the new line marker, choose the No Indent option.

Snapshot Tutorial: Options and Settings

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, The content in these videos is sufficiently similar to the Touch Plus

KeyWord Documents

KeyWord - Creating a Document

From the main menu

• Navigate to Word Processor by pressing W and press Enter
• Create is the first option. Press Enter
• A blank .DOCX document is ready.

From within KeyWord:

• Backspace + N (Dots One, Three, Four, Five)
• If you have an unsaved document open, you will be prompted to save it first.

KeyWord - Saving a Document

Space + S (Dots Two, Three, Four) will save a previously named/saved file without opening the Save As Dialogue

Backspace + S (Dots Two, Three, Four) will open the Save As Dialogue:

• When the dialogue first opens, you are placed in the edit field where you can name your file. Press Enter if you are done .
• Navigate the dialogue with your Thumb Keys
• If you activate the location button by pressing Enter,, you can choose which folder you want to save the file to. Use your thumb keys to find the folder. To go back/up one folder, activate the “Go to Parent Folder” button. Once you’ve focused on the folder you want the file saved in, press S to navigate to the Select Folder button then press Enter.

KeyWord - Selection and Formatting

Enter + S (Dots Two, Three, Four) starts/ends selection

• Cursor blinks to indicate selection tool is active
• Dots Seven and Eight are up to show what is selected.
• Enter your command (cut, copy, bold, alignment, etc)

Note: Formatting will not appear visually on the screen unless you press Enter + V (Dots One, Two, Three, Six) to generate a visual preview. To exit the visual preview and then Space + E (Dots One and Five) to exit back to the braille first document when ready to begin editing again.

KeyWord - The Context Menu

If you do not remember the command for a specific action, access the Context Menu.

Space + M (One, Three, and Four) will open the Context Menu

Holding the Recent Apps button for two seconds will also open the Context Menu.

• Use Next and Previous Thumb Keys to move to different menus
• When you are focused on the sub-menu you want (File, Edit, etc, press Enter
• Navigate the sub-menu with the Thumb Keys
• Notice that as you pass the various possible commands, the keystroke is repeated for you. This is so that, in the future, you can utilise them to access that action more quickly and efficiently.

KeyWord - Getting Help

Space + H (Dots One, Two, and Five) opens Context Sensitive Help (or Contextual Help). A dialogue box will open and provides you with a description of the context you are focused in, lists the commands you can do on a particular item, and explains how to execute them.

• To navigate the topics in Contextual Help, press Next and Previous Thumb Keys
• To exit Contextual Help, press Space + E (Dots One and Five) or the Back Button.

Snapshot Tutorial: Create, Edit, and Open Documents

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, The content in these videos is sufficiently similar to the Touch Plus

KeyWord - Find and Replace

From within a document:

• KeyWord searches forward from where the cursor is, so make sure you are at the beginning of the document (Space + Dots One, Two, Three)
• Backspace + F (Dots One, Two, Four) opens the Find and Replace Command
• You are placed in an edit box. Type the text you want to insert
• Pressing Enter replaces the first instance of the occurrence
• Using Thumb Keys, you can find other options such as Replace All, search for case sensitive text, etc.

KeyWord - Sharing Files

Files can be shared from the File Manager, but they can also be shared from within KeyWord

From within KeyWord:

• Open the Context Menu with Space + M (Dots One, Three, and Four) or pressing and holding the Recent Apps button for two to three seconds. Press Enter on the File Functions Menu
• Use your Thumb Keys to scroll down or press the letter S to find Share. Press Enter or a Cursor Routing Button.
• You will be presented with options on where to share. Once you find the location, press Enter or a Cursor Routing Button

KeyWord - Frequently Used Key Commands

KeyWord - Frequently Used Key Commands

KeyWord - Frequently Used Key Commands

KeyWord - Frequently Used Key Commands

KeyWord - Frequently Used Key Commands

Frequently Used Key Commands

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Remember…

You cannot “undo” on the Touch!

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Other Key Commands

Note that other commands can be found in the Command Summary using the links below:

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KeyWord Commands

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Editing Text

Snapshot Tutorial: Do More in Documents

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, The content in these videos is sufficiently similar to the Touch Plus

Google Drive

Important Notes on Google Drive

• Since it is a third-party application, Google Drive does NOT have a specific set of keyboard shortcuts
• Navigation of Drive is primarily done with:
• Thumb Keys
• First Letter Navigation
• Go to top (Dots One, Two Three)
• Go to bottom (Dots Four, Five, Six)
• Navigate to lower right corner (Enter + Four and Six)

Navigating Google Drive

First Letter Navigation

• If you know the name of the file you are looking for, simply type the first letter of the file name until you are focused on it

Search

• Navigate to the Search Field by pressing the letter S until you are focused there. Press Enter to enter text in the Search Box
• To narrow your search, use Thumb Keys to select a specific file type, to search within a folder, or to narrow results by timeframe or file owner.

Navigating Google Drive Tabs

There are four Tabs along the bottom of Google Drive. The easiest way to access them is by navigating to the lower right corner of the screen then navigating backwards using the Previous Thumb Key. Press Enter + Dots Four and Six. Your focus will be on the tab furthest to the right

• After pressing Enter + Dots Four and Six, your focus will then be on the Files Tab.
• If you press Enter, Drive will bring up all folders and files you own. You can use first letter navigation or any other method to navigate and use Enter to open any file in focus

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Navigating Google Drive Tabs Cont’

• If you press your Previous Thumb Key, focus is placed on the Shared Tab.
• If you press Enter, Drive will bring up all folders and files that are shared with you.
• Pressing your Previous Thumb Key again will bring focus to the Star Tab.
• If you press Enter, Drive will bring you to the Starred Folder.
• This is an easy way to access files you have “starred” as important. Files you star are NOT moved to this folder,. This view only provides a shortcut to accessing files you’ve marked. They still exist in the same folder that you saved them in originally.

Navigating Google Drive Tabs Cont’

• Pressing your Previous Thumb Key again will bring focus to the Home Tab.
• If you press Enter, Drive will bring you to the Home View, which is generally your default view
• The Home View
• This is an easy way to access files you have “starred” as important. Files you star are NOT moved to this folder,. This view only provides a shortcut to accessing files you’ve marked. They still exist in same folder that you saved them in originally.

Humanware Live Webinar: Tips for Google Drive

This webinar discusses Google Drive Tips, but the user may need to skip ahead. Google content begins at timestamp 34:33

Google Docs

Google Docs - Creating a Document

Starting from the Main Menu:

• Navigate to All Applications by pressing A and press Enter
• Navigate to Docs by typing a D or navigate with the Thumb Keys and press Enter
• You are now in Docs and focused on the New Document button
• Press Enter and a new document will be created. You will be placed in that document and may begin typing. The document title will be “Unnamed Document”
• When finished editing, press Space + E (Dots One and Five)

Google Docs - Opening a Google Doc

Starting rom the Main Menu:

• Navigate to All Applications by pressing A and press Enter
• Navigate to Docs by typing a D or navigate with the Thumb Keys and press Enter
• Type the first letter of the file name until you hear it, then press Enter.
• Alternately, you can navigate the list of docs using the Thumb Keys.
• You are now in your file.

You may use your reading keys to read the document without making changes inadvertently

Google Docs - More Actions Menu

The “More Actions” menu contains more options for actions you can do to your document.

To find the More Actions Menu::

• Navigate the screen as normal, with Left/Right Thumb Keys
• When focused on a fine for which you want to see additional actions, press the Right Thumb Key
• You will hear (and read on the display) “File Name More Actions Button” Press Enter

Google Docs - More Actions Menu

The “More Actions” menu contains the following items

(Note that you may navigate with Thumb Keys or First Letter Navigation)

• Add to Starred
• Adds to the Starred Folder, does not move the file
• Share
• Brings up a dialogue box for sharing.
• You can add people or groups manually or from contacts
• Navigate the Edit Box with Thumb Keys.
• You can also change access rights and include a message.that will notify contacts that a file was shared with them

Google Docs - More Actions Menu

• Make Available Offline
• Allows access when not connected to the internet
• Details
• Opens details pane showing owner info, when the file was last edited, where it is located, etc.
• Exit the details pane by using the Back Button or navigate to the dismiss button
• Link Sharing On/Off
• Toggles link sharing on or off. If link sharing is turned on from this menu, the link is copied to the clipboard.

Google Docs - More Actions Menu Cont’

• Copy Link
• Send a Copy
• Opens a dialogue allowing you to share a Word, PDF, plain text, etc. Choose the format you want to share and press Enter
• Choose a share method (Google Drive, Dropbox, Gmail etc.
• Proceed as indicated
• Make a Copy
• Opens a dialogue with a default name of “Copy of filename”. You can edit this to be anything you wish.

Google Docs - More Actions Menu Cont’

• Download
• You may need to allow access to your device. You must accept to proceed.
• The file will appear in your Downloads folder as a PDF
• You can use KNFB Reader to open/read the PDF if needed.
• Save as Word DOCX
• You may need to allow access to your device. You must accept to proceed.
• The file will appear in your Downloads as a DOCX

Google Docs - More Actions Menu Cont’

• Rename
• Opens a Rename dialogue, use Thumb Keys to navigate
• Move
• Opens a Move dialogue. Use Thumb Keys to navigate.
• Choose a location and press Enter
• Print
• A print dialogue opens. Navigate the dialogue box with Thumb Keys
• Remove
• Removes the file from your drive
• NOTE: Others with access will still have access, especially if they saved their own copy.

Google Docs - Editing a Document

From the main Docs screen:

• Use Thumb Keys to find the desired file and open it by pressing Enter.
• Press E (Dots One and Five) to navigate to the Edit button then press Enter to activate it.
• Make any desired changes to the Doc.
• When finished, exit Edit Mode by pressing Space + E )Dots One and Five).

An Important Note Regarding Google Docs

• Humanware recommends that any extensive editing to a Google Doc be done by downloading the Google Doc and opening it with KeyWord. When finished, the document can be uploaded to Google Drive again.
• REMEMBER Google Apps are all third-party applications that often change with little to no advance notice. This means that good problem-solving skills are often required navigate these apps when changes are made that affect you or your students.

An Important Note Regarding Google Docs

• For best results, do NOT rely on spoken feedback within Docs. Utilize the Left and Right Braille Panning Keys and Cursor Routing Buttons to position the cursor and enter/edit text.
• When using the Right and Left Thumb Keys or other navigation keystrokes (such as Space + Dot One) you will be moved out of the editing area of the Google Doc. It is a very easy mistake that most users make since using those keys is second nature to a BNT+ user. If you navigate out of the edit field, you can locate the edit button again by pressing Space + Dots Four, Five, Six to navigate to the bottom of the screen, then press Enter on the edit box.

Snapshot Tutorial: View/Edit Google Documents

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, The content in these videos is sufficiently similar to the Touch Plus

Folder and File Management

File Manager Basics

From the Main Menu:

• Press F to navigate directly to File Manager. Press Enter
• You are placed in the last folder with which you interacted
• To find out what folder has focus, press Space + Dots One, Five, Six.
• Folders can be navigated with Thumb Keys or using First Letter Navigation

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File Manager Basics

The Braillenote Touch Plus has several ways of storing files:

1. The hard drive of the BrailleNote (The BNT+ calls this “Storage”)
2. SD Card
3. USB or Flash Drive

Note that if the SD Card has a name and the BNT+ will use that name to identify the device.

Also, USB and SD Drives do not show up unless there is media in these slots.

File Manager - Marking Files

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Navigating and Marking Files

To apply an action to multiple files (copy, delete, etc) you must mark the files you want to apply the action to.

• Navigate your files using the Thumb Keys.
• Once you land on one you’d like to apply an action to, mark it by typing the command Backspace + L (Dots One, Two, and Three). Move through the list until you have marked all files you want to select.
• If you mark a file by accident, simply press Backspace + L to unmark the file

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File Manager - Marking Files

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• Press the keystroke for the appropriate action (Backspace Y to copy for example)
• The action should have applied to all files you had previously marked.
• NOTE: This only works for marking files or folders in the same view. You cannot mark one file, then enter a folder to mark other files hoping to apply the actions to both sets of files/folders.
• To select all files and folders in the current view, press Enter + Dots One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six.

File Manager - Moving Files

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• Navigate to the folder or file you wish to move.
• Mark the file or files you want to move (see previous slides on marking files)
• Cut the file with Backspace + X (Dots One, Three, Four, and Six)
• Note, you could also copy the file with Backspace + Y (Dots One, Three, Four, Five, and Six) and then go back later and delete the original file later
• Navigate to the location you want to move to and paste the file with Backspace +V (Dots One, Two, Three, and Six)
• If you chose to copy the file instead of cutting it, go back to the file you copied and delete it by pressing Backspace + Dots Two, Three, Five, and Six

File Manager Basics

File Manager Basics

File Manager Basics

Note that other commands can be found in the Command Summary using the links below:

KeyFiles Commands

Snapshot Tutorial: Folder Management

Snapshot Tutorial: Customizing the Main Menu

Keymail

KeyMail Basics

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• To open KeyMail from the Main Menu, you can navigate to it using the Thumb Keys or simply type the letter E (Dots One and Five) then press Enter
• NOTE: Once you’ve added an email account, all contacts, emails, and appointments will be synced with your unit. However, Calendar integration needs be be synced with a Google Exchange Account.

KeyMail - Adding an Account

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• *The steps on the following slides assume you are setting up a Google Account. Please contact your IT department or Internet Provider if you are adding an account other than Gmail.***
• If your Gmail account has Two-Step Verification enabled, the BNT+ will NOT let you sign in. You will need to turn off two-step verification and then enable less secure apps to proceed.

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KeyMail - Adding an Account

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• When opening KeyMail for the first time, you will be prompted to add an email account.
• You should be focused in a list with several option on creating and accessing mail.
• We’re going to take a look at adding a Gmail account here. Please contact your IT department or internet provider for setup information related to any other account types.
• If you already have an account and want to add a second onet, you should be able to choose Add An Account from the main KeyMail menu.

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KeyMail - Adding an Account Cont’

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Once you are at the first step of adding an account, either because it was autolaunched by Keymail or you manually activated it, follow these steps:

• Enter your email address using Computer Braille
• @ sign is created using Backspace + Dot Four
• . is Dots Four and Dot Six
• When entering numbers, use Nemeth/dropped numbers
• Press Enter on Manual Setup.

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KeyMail - Adding an Account Cont’

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• Choose your account type.
• For a Gmail account, you will choose Personal IMAP
• You are placed on a new screen where you will enter your password
• Refer to Computer Braille on the BrailleNote Touch Plus if you are unsure how to type any numbers, special characters, etc
• You are now placed on the screen where you will enter your incoming Mail Settings
• Your email address will be auto-filled in along with your password
• For incoming server, enter imap.gmail.com
• Set security type to SSL/TLS
• The port should be auto updated to 993. If it is not, manually update it.

KeyMail - Adding an Account Cont’

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• You are now placed on the screen where you will enter your incoming Mail Settings
• Your outgoing mail server will need to be set to smtp.gmail.com
• Security type will be set to SSL/TLS
• The port should be auto updated to 465
• The Require Sign In Checkbox should be checked.
• Your email address and password will be autofilled, so you can simply skip down to the Next button.

KeyMail - Adding an Account Cont’

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• You are on the Account Options Screen
• Set your sync frequency to the desired length of time by pressing Enter or a Cursor Routing Key and using Previous/Next Thumb Keys to pick your option.
• You may choose whether to have the unit alert you to arrival of new messages by checking or unchecking the appropriate box.
• You may choose whether to have the account sync with the BrailleNote by checking or unchecking the appropriate box.
• Navigate to the Next button

KeyMail - Adding an Account Cont’

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• This final screen allows you to customize your account
• You may name the account whatever you’d like.
• No one else will see the name, this is for your reference only
• You may add the name you’d like others to see when they receive mail from you.
• Most people choose their first and last name, though you may wish to choose another name such as the name of an organization or only a portion of your name.
• Pressing Enter on the Next button will take you to the main KeyMail Menu

Snapshot Tutorial: Add an Email Account Manually

KeyMail - Reading Mail

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• From the Main KeyMail Menu, choose Read either by pressing R (Dots One, Two, Three, and Five) or using your Thumb Keys to navigate there. Press Enter
• Use your Thumb Keys to navigate the messages in your Inbox.
• When focused on a message you’d like to read, press Enter to open it.
• Any message you open will open in Web View, which allows you to navigate the message by any Headings, Links, Lists, etc using navigation commands (see section on Google Chrome for more information)
• Read your messages using your Right/Left Thumb Keys
• If you do not remember your key commands, press Space + M (Dots One, Three, and Four) or hold your Recent Apps Button for two seconds.

KeyMail - Creating a new Message

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• To compose a new message, press Space + N (dots one, three, four, five) or choose New Message from the Keymail Menu.
• Your focus will e in the To field of the message and you may begin adding recipients here
• Remember to use computer braille!
• To get suggestions, type at least one character in the “To”, “CC” or “BCC” edit box, then press Backspace + E.
• You may also add recipients in your contacts by scrolling to the left and activating the “add contacts” button
• To navigate to different areas of the message, use your Previous/Next Thumb Keys

KeyMail - Creating a new Message

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• Continue to navigate the message area using Previous/Next Thumb Keys and activate the buttons as appropriate.
• Once you reach the Subject area, you may need to press Enter or a Cursor Routing Key to begin entering text.
• Additionally, once you reach the body of the message, you will need to press Enter or a Cursor Routing Key to begin composing your message. All standard editing commands apply
• When you are ready to send the message, press Backspace + S

KeyMail - Mark Message

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• To apply one action to multiple messages in your Inbox, you will need to mark all the messages to which you’d like to apply this action.
• Use your Thumb Keys to navigate the messages in your Inbox. When you find one you’d like to mark press Backspace + L (Dots One, Two, and Three)
• If you do not remember your key commands, press Space + M (Dots One, Three, and Four) or hold your Recent Apps Button for two seconds. Use Thumb Keys to choose the option you want or press Back Arrow to exit the Context Menu.
• Continue to mark messages. When finished, use the key command for the action you’d like to preform or open the Context Menu and choose an action from there.

KeyMail - Attachments

• Open the message with the attachment using the Enter key
• Press Backspace + O (Dots One, Three, and Five). This opens the Attachment View and your focus will be on the first attachment
• Use Thumb Keys to navigate to More Options.
• Navigate to Save and press Enter
• The attachment will save to your device in the Downloads Folder

Note: You may open the message by pressing Enter also if you do not intend to save it.

KeyMail Commands

KeyMail Commands

Note that other commands can be found in the Command Summary using the link below:

KeyMail Commands

Snapshot Tutorial: Basic KeyMail Navigation, Opening a Message, and Saving an Attachment

Snapshot Tutorial: Attach a file to an Email

Snapshot Tutorial: Saving and Unzipping Files from Exchange

Note that this tutorial is for the Original BN Touch, it gives you an overview of the hardware (which is identical to that of the Touch Plus. The menu on the Touch Plus will look slightly different, but the two are similar enough that this Snapshot Tutorial is relevant to both units.

Easy Reader + Managing Libraries and Reading Books

Easy Reader + - Getting Started

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• Easy Reader + is based off of the popular app from Dolphin that is available in iOS and Android.
• Easy Reader + replaces the Victor Reader App that had been in the First Generation Touch.
• It is not necessary to have a Dolphin account, though you may choose to create one, especially if you are hoping to sync material across devices.

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Easy Reader + - Signing in

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• The first time you open the app, you’ll be taken to a welcome screen. You may navigate to the Skip button by pressing the letter S (Dots Two, Three, four) or the Right Thumb Key. Press Enter
• You are now on a sign in screen. You may sign in with Google or via a Dolphin account
• If you do not already have a Dolphin account, you can create one.
• For our purposes, let’s log in with a Google Account.

Easy Reader + - My Books and Side Menu

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• The main screen is called the My Books screen. This is where your reading material will be accessed.
• You will notice there is a button at the top labeled Side Menu.
• Space + B will open your side menu from any point in Easy Reader +
• The libraries listed on a new device are as follows:
• Bookshare
• CELA Library
• epubBooks
• Project Gutenberg
• You can add additional libraries or delete those you do not need by pressing the Manage Libraries button.

Easy Reader + - Manage Libraries

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• Once you have pressed Enter on the Manage Libraries button, you will be able to activate switches by many library services from around the world
• Some like CELA Library (which stands for Center for Equitable Library Access and is out of Canida) will not be needed by students in America so it can be switched off.

Snapshot Tutorial: Easy Reader+ Signing in and Managing Libraries

Easy Reader + - Getting Started with Bookshare

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• Open your Side Menu using Space + B (Dots One and Two).
• Use your Right Thumb Key to scroll down to Bookshare OR use first letter navigation by entering the letter B (Dots One and Two)
• If you have not logged into Bookshare from this device before, you will be asked to provide your login credentials. Once they have been entered, you may navigate to the Login button and press Enter.
• Remember, you will need to press Enter so that you can enter text in the Edit Fields.
• Use your Left/Right Thumb Keys to navigate.

Easy Reader + - Getting Started with Bookshare

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• Once you are logged in, you will be placed in the Bookshare Search Area where you can type in specific titles, authors, or ISBNs.
• Enter your text (you do not need to use Computer Braille) and press Enter
• Use Previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate results until you find the book you want.
• Press Enter to open the book information
• Use Previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate or your Right/Left Thumb Keys to read text
• You can read a short paragraph describing the book

Easy Reader + - Getting Started with Bookshare

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• You may also use Previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate to other options including My Reading Lists, My History, Latest, Popular, Browse by Category, and Browse by Grade.
• You’d navigate those exactly the same as you would your search results on the previous slide
• If this book is what you’re looking for, navigate to the Download Button using the Previous/Next Thumb Keys or by typing the letter E (Dots One and Five).

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Easy Reader + - Downloading/Reading Bookshare Books

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• Once you have found a Bookshare book you want, simply navigate to the Download Button as described on the previous slide.
• The book will download and, when finished, the button that had been labeled the Download Button will become an Open Button.
• You may navigate to that Open Button by using the Previous/Next Thumb Keys or by simply typing the letter O (Dots One, Three, and Five)
• Alternatively, you may navigate back to the My Books area from the Side Menu (Space + B) and open the book from there.

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Snapshot Tutorial: Easy Reader+ Search for Books

Easy Reader + - Reading Books

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• Open a text or book file using whatever method you choose.
• Use the Left/Right Thumb Keys to navigate the text.
• Remember, the Left/Right Thumb Keys pan the braille display. When they reach the end of a paragraph or item, they will automatically jump to the next item.
• If speech is turned on, the BNT+ will read the first line of each paragraph as the braille displays the text. It will NOT read aloud farther than that unless the user activates the correct command
• Though many users may find the tendency of the unit to read only the first sentence of the paragraph it navigates, it is a helpful tool for sighted teachers to be aware of where the student is when reading.
• The speech can be turned off at any time with Space + Previous Thumb Key

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Easy Reader + - Reading Books

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• For those who prefer audio, there are two methods to have your book read to you:
• The Action Button (the square button on the front of the unit) will start/stop the TTS from reading the text of the book
• Pressing Space + G (Dots One, Two, Five, and Six) will also cause the TTS to read the book aloud. Pause speech by pressing Enter and Backspace together.

*NOTE These tips apply to any book or file opened in Easy Reader Plus, not only to Bookshare books.*

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Easy Reader + - Navigating Books

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• Backspace + B will open up the navigation area.
• Use the Previous/Next Thumb Keys to choose whether to navigate by Headings, Pages, or Bookmarks.
• Once you are focused on your navigation method of choice press Enter or a Cursor Routing Key.
• If navigating by heading, simply use Previous/Next Thumb Keys to choose the heading you’d like to jump to and press Enter
• If navigating by page, you may use your Next Thumb Key to find the Edit Box, press Enter to place your focus in the box, and enter the page number you’d like to jump to.
• Use the number sign and literary numbers in this search box

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Easy Reader + - Navigation Settings

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• Navigation setting are another way to navigate a book. These are more consistent settings since they are hard-wired into the BNT+ and not dependent on the file you are reading/navigating.
• Use Space + T to choose a navigation settings.
• Options here are 15 Seconds, Two Minutes, Five Minutes, Book Default, Page, or Heading One Only.
• Choose your settings with the Previous/Next Thumb Key and pressing Enter on your choice.
• Navigate by your chosen settings:
• Space + Dots Four and Six to move forward
• Space + Dots One and Three to move back.

Easy Reader + Commands

Easy Reader + Commands

Note that other commands can be found in the Command Summary using the link below:

Easy Reader Commands

Snapshot Tutorial: Easy Reader+ Navigate in a Book

Webinar Featuring Easy Reader + Walkthrough (Starts at 2:35 and runs until 27:00)

Navigating the Web using Chrome

Chrome Web Browser - Getting Started

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• From the Main Menu, navigate down to Internet using Previous/Next Thumb Keys or by pressing the letter I (Dots Two and Four). Press Enter
• You are placed on a new page.
• To navigate to a webpage:
• Use Enter + O (Dots One, Three, and Five) to open a web page
• You MUST use Computer Braille to enter the URL of the page you want to visit
• When finished, press Enter to navigate to that page

Chrome Web Browser - Getting Started

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• When using the internet on the BNT+, just like anywhere else, we need to be efficient and effective
• This means using navigation elements such as heading, link, button, etc
• It takes a lot of time and effort (not to mention patience) to navigate a page line by line because, as we know, the device will literally read you everything on the page..
• All content in this section is designed to increase efficacy and efficiency,

Work smarter not harder!

Chrome Web Browser - Getting Started with Help

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• From any point, press Space + H (Dots One, Two, and Five)
• This opens context sensitive help
• Use your Next/Previous Thumb Keys to find the various navigation elements
• Take advantage of the Context Menu
• Space + M (Dots One, Three, and Four)
• Keyboard commands are listed in these menus
• Navigate the menus using Previous/Next Thumb Keys

Chrome Web Browser - Navigation Elements

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• All pages are made up of elements. There are different kinds of elements such as headings, buttons, links, tables, etc.
• It is these elements that make navigating websites with screen readers and other AT devices easier.
• Single letters (such as H for Heading and B for Button and L for Link) help navigate by that element
• To navigate to the next element, type the single letter that relates to each element (note: see the shortcuts for Chrome in the coming slides and the link to the Chrome navigate keys)
• To navigate to the previous element of that type, add a Backspace and Enter to the element command.

Chrome Web Browser - Headings

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• As noted on the previous slide, navigation by heading can be done by pressing H (or Backspace + Enter + H to navigate backward by heading)
• Headings are multi-leveled - much like a textbook is organized with headings at the higher level (heading one) being the most general and those at the lower level (heading 6) being more specific.
• Headings can be navigated by number (i.e. headings at level one can be navigated by typing one). This can be useful if you are trying to “skim” for a topic.
• You can navigate by headings at a given level by pressing the corresponding key on the Perkins Keyboard
• i.e. heading level one - Dot One, heading level two with Dot Two, etc

Chrome Web Browser - Find

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• It is often more efficient to use Find commands to find something you know is on a page.
• To open a Find Dialogue, press Space + F (Dots One, Two, and Four)
• Type in your search term and press Enter
• You will be focused on the first occurance of that word presented in context.
• Go to the next result by pressing Space + N (Dots One, Three, Four, and Five)
• Go to the previous result by pressing Space + P (Dots One, Two, Three, and Four)
• Once focus is on the result you want, press Enter to navigate there.

Chrome Web Browser - Tabs

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• Create a new tab with Backspace + N (Dots One, Three, Four, and Five)
• Creating a new tab allows you to have more than one tab open at once
• Jumping between open tabs
• Enter + K (Dots One and Three) will take you to the upper left area of the screen
• Use Previous/Next Thumb Keys to move between tabs. Press Enter to place focus on that tab.
• To close a current tab, press Enter + C (Dots One and Four)

Chrome Web Browser - Bookmarks

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• Bookmark a page using Enter + M (Dots One, Three, and Four)
• Enter + Dots Two, Three, and Five, opens a bookmark list.
• Navigate the bookmarks with First Letter Navigation or using Previous/Next Thumb Keys

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Chrome Commands

Chrome Commands

Note that other commands can be found in the Command Summary using the link below:

Chrome Commands

Humanware Webinar: Working with Google Chrome (note that this excerpt starts at 3:03 and ends at 26:35)

Snapshot Tutorial: Copying Text from the Internet (Chrome Browser)

Google Classroom

Google Classroom - Getting Started

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• Please note that Classroom does NOT come pre-installed on the BrailleNote Touch Plus, you must get it from the Play Store
• When focused on the Main Page, you can navigate to a desired class by using first letter navigation (typing the first letter in the first word of the class title).
• Use previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate to the Class Options and press Enter to open that submenu if you’d like to check those in the main page
• Press Enter to get into the classroom area

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Google Classroom - The Classroom Tabs

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• There are three main tabs once you enter the Classroom:
• You may use first letter navigation to bring focus of your BrailleNote to the desired tab. You must then press Enter to go to that tab.
• Stream Tab - shows announcements and communications from instructors and students. It also contains assignments
• Classwork Tab - shows assignments for the class
• People Tab - shows all those enrolled in the class as well as instructors

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Google Classroom - Finding Assignments

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• Press C to navigate to the Classwork Tab and press Enter
• The Classwork Tab is much easier to navigate when you know you are looking for an assignment. By default, assignments are arranged in chronological order (unless changed by the teacher)
• Previous and Next Thumb Keys will navigate the assignments in the Classwork Tab
• To enter an assignment press Enter
• Use Previous/Next Thumb Keys to navigate the parts of each assignment

Google Classroom - Finding Assignments

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• Links, attachments, directions, etc can all be found in each assignment and navigated with the Previous/Next Thumb Keys
• Attachments, including PDFs can be opened by pressing Enter
• When first opening an attachment, you will be taken to a Preview Area that is inaccessible. We must bypass it
• Press the letter O to open the file in Drive. Press Enter to activate it.
• Expand Button - Some files will be found when you activate the Expand Button. You may also need to activate this button to add attachments.before submitting them.

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Google Classroom - Opening Text PDFs from Classroom

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• PDF Files cannot be read in Drive, Docs, or Classroom. We have to move them to KeyWord.
• Locate the attachment in your assignment that is a PDF and press Enter
• Press the letter O to open the file in Drive. Press Enter to activate it.
• Navigate to the More button by pressing the letter M then press Enter.
• Press O to go to Open With and press Enter
• You will be prompted to choose the method of opening the file.
• IMPORTANT: Choose KeyWord and select “Just Once”
• The BNT+ will give you a dialogue indicating it will be importing the file into a new document in KeyWork. Press OK
• You can check the “don’t show me this again” if you wish.
• You can work with the file as though t it were originally a keyword file.

Google Classroom - Opening Image PDFs from Classroom

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• Image PDFs must be opened differently
• Locate the attachment in your assignment that is a PDF and press Enter
• Press the letter O to open the file in Drive. Press Enter to activate it.
• Navigate to the More button by pressing the letter M then press Enter.
• Press O to go to Open With and press Enter
• You will be prompted to choose the method of opening the file.
• IMPORTANT: If you choose KeyWord, it will fail and tell you the PDF is empty
• Choose KNFB Reader using the Thumb Keys. To open the file and press Enter. It will open in KNFB Reader

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Google Classroom - Opening an Assigned Doc

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• When sharing an assignment, the teacher has two options:
• Create a new editable copy for each student
• Share a View Only copy, meaning that each student has to manually save a copy of the Doc so they can edit and share it with the teacher when it is time to turn it in
• If the teacher creates a copy for each student:
• You will need to navigate to and open the Expand Button for the assignment to be accessible to you. At that point, you may use your Previous.Next Thumb Keys to locate the assignment and press Enter.
• Remember, once Enter is pressed to open the Doc, the preview area must be bypassed by pressing O then Enter to open the file in Google Drive.
• Once opened, press the Next Thumb Key to find the Edit Button and press Enter. Changes can now be made to the Doc.

Google Classroom - Opening an Assigned Doc

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• If the teacher shares a View Only Doc, the student will need to make a copy to work with
• NOTE: Braille readers cannot read documents to which they do not have edit access! A editable copy must be made for the student’s drive
• Press Enter on the document you wish to open
• You are now in the inaccessible preview area, which must be bypassed by pressing O then Enter to open the file in Google Drive.
• Once opened, go to the More Options menu by pressing M, then Enter.
• Press S twice until you hear Share and Export. Press Enter
• Press the letter M until you hear Make a Copy and press Enter

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Google Classroom - Opening an Assigned Doc

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• When renaming, it is best to put your name in the filename so when you share it with your teacher, it is easily identifiable.
• You may choose to save your file in a specific location at this point or simply press Enter and move the file later
• Now that you have your own copy, you may use your Previous/Next Thumb Keys to locate the Edit Button and press Enter.

Google Classroom - The Stream Tab

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• Press S to navigate to the Stream Tab and press Enter
• Previous and Next Thumb Keys will navigate the announcements
• As you move up and down, with Previous/Next Thum Keys, you there is a slight focus issue.
• If you need to open an announcement, use your Next thumb key to go to the assignment AFTER it, then use the Previous Thumb Key to navigate back up to the desired announcement. Press Enter to open it.
• You will be able to read the content with Previous/Next Thumb Keys as usual.

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Webinar: Google Classroom

Explore by Touch and TouchBraille

Explore by Touch

• Activate Explore by Touch: press the previous and next thumb keys at the same time to turn on/off
• Your gestures will only be recognized if your fingers are working within the visual part of the screen; use the tactile markers (two on the top of the screen and two on the bottom of the screen)
• Select item: Touch item with one finger
• Activate selected item: Double tap screen with one finger
• Long press an item: Double tap and hold your finger on the screen
• Navigate to next item: Swipe right with one finger on the screen
• Navigate to previous item: Swipe left with one finger on the screen
• Scroll list: Slide up or down with two fingers on your screen

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Touch Braille

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• To activate Touch Braille, place your wrists on the front edge of the device, then place all ten fingers on the screen. You will feel a short vibration, letting you know it has been activated and that it recognizes your finger position.
• Slightly lift your fingers off of the screen, then you are free to type!
• Note: if you move your hand placement, you will need to restart the finger recognition!

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Resources for Math on the BrailleNote Touch Plus

Math Resources for the BrailleNote Touch Plus Math Application (KeyCalc)

• KeyCalc Key Commands
• BNT Online Training Module 8: Science and Math
• BrailleNote Touch in the Math Classroom (Microsoft Word Download)

Snapshot Tutorial: KeyCalc Part 1

Snapshot Tutorial: KeyCalc Part 2

KeyMath Webinar

Thank You for Attending!

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact the author of this presentation.

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Amy Snow

Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist

Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Phone: 608 758 6157

amy.snow@wcbvi.k12.wi.us

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