Braille Pad Pro for iPad

Braille Pad Pro

Introducing Braille Pad Pro for the iPad

Braille Pad Pro (iTunes Link) is a word processor for the iPad that handles Grade 1 (uncontracted) and Grade 2 (contracted) Braille.  If you are looking for Braille Software that handles UEBC, try Braille Pad Student.  Braille Pad Pro comes complete with translation capability and  was designed to be helpful for both visually impaired and sighted people in learning and working with Braille.  The beauty of this iPad app is that the Braille needs no special software to appear in emails such as: ⠺⠑⠇⠉⠕⠍⠑ ⠞⠕ ⠠⠃⠗⠇ ⠠⠏⠁⠙
For those looking for a Grade 2 Brailler Word Processor for Apple’s Mac Platform, we just released Braille Writer Pro for the Mac.

 Features & Benefits

• No special software to email braille – as in ⠠⠺⠑⠇⠉⠕⠍⠑ ⠞⠕ ⠠⠃⠗⠇ ⠠⠏⠁⠙.  The braille simply appears right in the body of email.
• Handles Grade 1 and Grade 2 Braille – Contracted and Uncontracted.
• Load, edit, save, email, and print files.
• DXP Read and Write File Support: Natively supports files in the popular .DXB format so you can seamlessly import or export Perky Duck files in and out of Braille Pad Pro.
• Files can be opened in BraillePad Pro directly from web links or from your email.
• Several resources exist on the web that have complete Braille Books.  Download them for free directly into the app and use the translation tool if you get stuck.  To find them, search for “dxb contracted Braille book files” in Google.
• Braille & English Dictionary: In-app dictionary that allows you to look up the Braille letters, numbers, symbols, and contractions by English or by Braille. Important Note: This is NOT a dictionary of every word in English converted to Braille, rather it is a complete listing of the symbols and combinations of symbols you may find in a Grade 2 Braille document.  The dictionary shows each of the multiple meanings where applicable (see screen shot).
• Braille to English: Includes translation functionality to convert Braille to English and identify the contractions used.  Translation from Grade 2 Braille to English is not easy and this functionality in the app is about 98% correct and still evolving.  If you find an error in a translation, PLEASE email it to us using the contact form on our website.

How are Grade 1 and Grade 2 Braille Braille different?

Grade 1 Braille is a literal 1 to 1 translation of printed letters to Braille symbols. Grade 2 Braille employs a very smart utilization of the symbols and  combinations of symbols  to represent multiple letters or words.  There are only 64 possible configurations of a standard Braille cell so most symbols are reused in various contexts to have many meanings.  This allows Grade 2 contracted Braille documents to be much shorter than the uncontracted Grade 1 equivalent.  Learning to read contracted Braille requires some patience and practice.  In the end, the effort is well rewarded.

Screenshots (click to Enlarge)