BrailleBuddy
Features
Everything you need for accessible classrooms
BrailleBuddy handles the entire workflow — from uploading a classroom document to delivering braille output to a student's embosser or display.
Bidirectional Translation
Convert English text to braille for students, and convert braille back to English for teachers. No need to learn braille to support your students.
How it works
Upload any supported document, select your target braille code, and BrailleBuddy translates using Liblouis — the industry-standard, open-source braille translation engine. For reverse translation, paste or upload BRF files and receive readable English text.
Why it matters
Teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) support multiple students across schools. General education teachers rarely know braille. Bidirectional translation lets every teacher participate in a blind student's education without specialized training.
Multiple Format Support
Upload PDF, DOCX, PPTX, EPUB, TXT, or scanned images. BrailleBuddy extracts text and structure from each format.
PDF & DOCX
Text extraction preserves headings, lists, and document structure for accurate braille output.
PPTX & EPUB
Slide content and e-book chapters are processed slide-by-slide or chapter-by-chapter.
Images (OCR)
Scanned worksheets and handouts go through optical character recognition with quality guidance to ensure accurate results.
Interline Output
Print and braille on the same page. Teachers read the print line; students read the braille line directly below it.
Why it matters
Interline documents let teachers and students work from the same physical page during class. The teacher points to a print line, and the student finds the corresponding braille line — no separate materials, no confusion about which page everyone is on.
Math Support — Nemeth Code
Mathematical content is translated using Nemeth Code within UEB, following BANA recommendations for technical material in educational settings.
How it works
BrailleBuddy detects math content in documents and applies Nemeth Code translation for equations, expressions, and mathematical notation. The surrounding text remains in UEB. This follows the BANA (Braille Authority of North America) guideline for embedding Nemeth within UEB documents.
Device Profiles
Configure output for your specific embossers and braille displays. Export in BRF or PEF format, or stream to connected devices.
Embosser Support
Set page dimensions, margins, and braille cell spacing for your embosser model. Save profiles for quick reuse.
Display Streaming
Send converted content to refreshable braille displays for real-time reading without printing.
Classroom Workflows
Assign materials to individual students or entire classes. Track distribution and completion across your caseload.
Teacher Dashboard
Upload once, assign to multiple students. See at a glance which students have received materials and which assignments are pending.
Student Access
Students log in to access their assigned materials independently. Download braille files or read on connected displays — on their own schedule.
Real-Time Preview
See the braille translation as it happens in the conversion wizard. Verify output before printing or distributing.
Why it matters
Catching errors before printing saves time and paper. The preview shows both the braille dot patterns and the ASCII braille representation so teachers can verify formatting and structure before committing to a print run.
Compliance & Security
FERPA-compliant by design with encryption, audit logs, role-based access, and configurable data retention.
FERPA
Student education records encrypted at rest and in transit. Audit trails on every action.
WCAG 2.2 AA
Screen reader tested, keyboard navigable, high contrast. Built for the students who use it.
Section 508
Meets federal accessibility requirements for educational technology procurement.
Activity Reporting
Track usage across your school or district. See conversion volume, active users, and material distribution reports.
Audit Trails
Every action — upload, conversion, assignment, download — is logged with timestamps and user identity. Required for FERPA compliance and useful for demonstrating service delivery to administrators.