Discovering the Monarch braille display at the CSUN conference
My name is Scott Erichsen, and I am a lifelong braille user. When I first saw the Monarch Multi-line Braille Tactile Display at the CSUN Conference for people with disabilities in March 2023, I was seriously excited. There had been other attempts previously, such as the Canute 360 from Bristol Braille, but these had limitations.
How the Monarch braille display enhanced my legal training experience
The Monarch has the ability to open a standard Word or PDF file and display the contents effortlessly. I am currently studying a 15-week intensive course related to the legal profession, specifically practical legal training. The course equips you with the skills required to apply to become a practicing solicitor. As part of the first week of this course, I had to participate in an advocacy workshop and be part of a mock trial. There was an intense amount of reading, including statements from witnesses, police reports, and other background information for the case.
My task was to be one of the witnesses, and I had to read out my statement of facts. I could have used a 40-cell display, such as the Brailliant BI40X, the Mantis Q40, the Braille eMotion from Selvas, or the Focus 40 from Vispero. I could have embossed the document on paper and seen the formatting, layout of paragraphs, and other specifics to speed up my reading. However, for this task, I chose to use the Monarch.
The power and elation I felt standing in front of the group, having been given the most updated document seconds before I had to present, was incredible. Single-line displays still have their place, and I use one every day for both my personal and professional life. However, the ability to truly explore what you are reading in detail—seeing formatting and being able to skip to sections quickly and efficiently, just like you can on paper—is amazing.
The future of braille technology: from education to workplaces and beyond
I had many people from the course come up to me, asking how the device worked and what it could do. Once I explained its other interesting feature of being able to display tactile graphics, I had even more people around me. I displayed a picture of the Opera House and a picture of the Eiffel Tower. I unfortunately did not have any files with graphics and text in the same file. Nevertheless, everyone was impressed with the device.
The Monarch has a bright future, not just for education. I see it being used in workplaces for specific jobs that require a lot of reading and where braille is the preferred medium, libraries filled with books, museums, and universities, allowing students access.
This product is version 1. With the wonderful collaboration between HumanWare and the American Printing House, it will only get better from here. I can’t wait to see the enhancements that will be delivered in the future.
The braille revolution starts with the Monarch
If you would like a demonstration of the Monarch, please contact us or visit our microsite to learn more!
