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Perkins Products and American Printing House for the Blind Launch the Next Generation(TM) Perkins Brailler(R)
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-(Business Wire)-October 3, 2008 - Fifty-seven years after the original Perkins Brailler® was introduced by Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, a newly designed version of the most widely-used braille writing machine in the world is being launched by Perkins Products and American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Its name is the Next Generation™ Perkins Brailler®.
This year APH celebrates 150 years. Next year sees the 180th year of Perkins School for the Blind and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. Perkins president Steven Rothstein welcomes the newly designed brailler. "What an inspiring way for APH to honor its 150th year. APH and Perkins share the mission of finding new ways to bring literacy to people who are blind, deafblind or multiply disabled," he said. "It is rare for a single product to have such an impact. The Next Generation Perkins Brailler is a huge step forward for greater literacy – and, therefore, greater employment possibilities – which will help more people who are blind to live more independently. Thanks to the vision and unparalleled support of Tuck Tinsley and the APH team, the Next Generation Perkins Brailler will be part of a brighter future for so many people."
Tuck Tinsley, APH President, says, "We are proud and thrilled to present the Next Generation Perkins/APH Brailler to the world today in Louisville. This sleek, lightweight, quiet version of the much-loved Classic Perkins Brailler will make writing in braille much easier and more accessible." APH, which provides products to the blindness community, helped significantly to fund the re-design and will be the first outlet for the Next Generation Perkins Brailler distribution in the U.S.
"The time has come for a re-imagining of the Perkins Brailler," according to Perkins Products general manager David Morgan, who orchestrated the re-design. "In the developing world, a braille writing machine is as high-tech as it gets for many students who are blind." Millions are still writing braille by hand with a metal writing slate and stylus. The Next Generation Perkins Brailler weighs 25% less than its predecessor, so it's much more portable than the Classic brailler. That means that youngsters will be able to carry it home to do their homework. The keystroke is lighter, and the operation is much quieter, too. "Essentially, the Next Generation will increase the possibilities for learning," Morgan adds. "That's what we're all about."
The new design, created in conjunction with Product Development Technologies, Inc. (Chicago), updates tradition while retaining the attributes that make the Perkins Brailler the most commonly used braillewriter in the world. Extensive international user research and focus groups drove the process. Perkins alumna and braille transcriber Judi Cannon was impressed with the responsiveness to concerns of people who are blind. "Every time they asked us what we needed in a new brailler, we said, 'Make it more portable, smaller, lighter.' And that's just what they did." The Next Generation Perkins Brailler with its Easy-Grip handle is lighter, smaller, easier to carry and quieter than the Classic. Its Gentle Touch keys require a lighter stroke, making brailling more accessible for young children and people with physical limitations. The tactile-friendly, virtually indestructible polycarbonate shell – in high-contrast, contemporary colors – houses a metal frame and the same durable metal inner workings of the time-tested Perkins Brailler. Initially, the Next Generation Perkins Braillers will be distributed only in the U.S., exclusively through APH for a cost of $650.00. An international launch is planned for early 2009.
Braille literacy is essential to productive, independent living for people who are blind. In the United States, 70% of citizens who are blind are unemployed or underemployed. However, 80% of those who use braille are employed. In other words, literacy reverses the numbers. It follows that people with low or no vision can be more self-sufficient and financially independent with an easier-to-use braillewriter like the Next Generation Perkins Brailler.
Rob Hair, a former teacher who now heads the Lower School elementary program at Perkins, supervised students testing the Next Generation Perkins Brailler. "Kids are crazy about machines, that's a given," Hair comments. "But seeing the surprise and delight on their faces when they picked up a Next Generation Perkins Brailler was way beyond fun. The kids were especially excited about the lighter touch of the keys and the Easy-Erase Button."
Perkins School for the Blind, the nation's first school for the visually impaired, provides education and services to help build productive, meaningful lives for more than 90,000 children and adults who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired with or without other disabilities in the U.S. and more than 60 countries worldwide. Founded in 1829, Perkins pursues this mission on campus, in the community and around the world. Learn more online at www.perkins.org.
The American Printing House for the Blind, Inc., in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world's largest non-profit organization devoted to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are blind or visually impaired. Products include books and periodicals in accessible formats as well as educational, recreational, and daily living products. Now celebrating 150 years of building independence, APH is the oldest organization of its kind in the United States. For more information, call (502) 895-2405 or visit www.aph.org.
| Photos available for this release: |
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| Design of Perkins Next Generation Brailler was driven by user need and input. |
| Perkins Products GM David Morgan (L) and Manufacturing Engineer Jude Jonas realized the design. |
| The design of the Classic Perkins Brailler remained virtually unchanged since 1951. |
| Perkins Products Features & Benefits |
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| To view photos, go to www.enr-corp.com/pressroom and enter Release ID: 169297 |
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