Refreshable Braille Displays and Reading Fluency: A Pilot Study in Individuals with Blindness

The purpose of the present report was to evaluate the time individuals spent in reading using the 6-dot braille code versus the 8-dot braille code. Twenty individuals with blindness participated in a series of experiments using refreshable braille displays. Each participant was invited to read structured texts by touch and then to answer to reading comprehension question. Each text had different font style (such as bold, italic, underline) and was rendered differently by the 6-dot and 8-dot braille code. Data were evaluated on a quantitative context in conjunction with qualitative elements in a within-subject design. Results indicated that the participants dedicated less time in reading texts through the 6-dot braille code rather than reading equivalent texts via the 8-dot braille code. On the contrary, participants needed significantly more time to answer reading comprehension questions when they read the texts via the 6-dot compared to the 8-dot braille system. Results are discussed into the context of assistive technology, reading comprehension, and literacy skills.