An old German craftsman’s proverb, admittedly, but one that has lost none of its relevance. It reminds us how important it is to choose the right tool or method for every task. Especially in an age of rapid technological and working method developments, this idea is becoming even more important, as Oleg Shevkun will demonstrate in his article today.
Thank you, Oleg, for your great thoughts on such an exciting topic!
Braille In the Booth
Have you ever been to a large international gathering? Or, how about participating in negotiations, where different languages are spoken?
If you have, then you may have benefited from the work of conference interpreters. They may be in the booths, providing interpretation simultaneously. Or, they may even be at the negotiating table, interpreting in the pauses.
These days, interpreters are often replaced by AI. So, to remain in this business, a person must be able to provide something that Artificial Intelligence still cannot. Let’s call that a human touch.
There is some chance that the specialist providing interpretation is blind or visually impaired. And then, it is also quite possible that the interpreter is using Braille.
Personally, I was trained as an interpreter, and I still do conference interpretation once in awhile, as a side job. And let me tell you very frankly: without Braille, my employment in this position would be absolutely impossible. It was true 30 years ago, when I started; but it is even more true today, as we see more and more competition from AI tools.
In my work as a conference interpreter, I’ve developed a list of very strict requirements for a Braille device. Here, I am going to share them with you. Do these same requirements apply to your own occupation, in your employment? Or, are your requirements different?
Stability and reliability. I mean, the device should just work. No slowdowns; no unexpected failures or reboots; no jumping around through the Braille text; no surprises.
It is amazing (and in fact, sad) to see how many existing solutions fail this simple test. Take, for example, a combination of a Braille display with a computer or a smartphone. The display may fail. The computer may crash. The screenreader may throw a tantrum. And besides, the more rechargeable batteries in the equation, the greater your instability.
So, for many years, my preference has been to use a Braille notetaker, or at least a Braille display with notetaker functionality. This device can be with me in the booth, or at the negotiating table, or anywhere interpretation is required. And yes, if the device tends to lock up or to malfunction during normal operation, then it’s just not tolerated.
Support for multiple file formats. Before you interpret, you may receive speakers’ notes or presentations. My ideal Braille device should be able to handle all or most of these formats. Happily, today this is the reality, and most available devices will fit the bill.
Ability to have several documents open at the same time. Strangely, this one is actually hard to find, even in the most advanced Braille devices. Think of the following scenario: you are interpreting during some negotiations, and you have electronic copies of several documents, all of which are going to be on the table. You want to be able to load those documents into your Braille device, and you want to have all of them open at the same time. Then, as the interpretation progresses, you want to be able to quickly switch between these documents, without losing your place. And yes, I mean switching, quickly and seamlessly. And no, having to close one document and open another one just doesn’t fit the bill, as this means losing seconds of your precious time. So, when choosing a new Braille device, I ask myself a question: “Will this device allow me to load 10 documents at once, and let me switch between them quickly and easily?” And you know what? Very often, the answer happens to be a “No”. Or it could be a “Yes, but with serious limitations”. In my life, I’ve seen only a couple of devices that will do the trick.
Multilingual support, ideally with language profiles. Here, the question is: “Can I set the device up for several languages? And then, can I switch between these languages quickly and easily?” Fortunately, most of today’s Braille devices would fit the bill here.
Efficient command structure. As a professional, I must be able to have all of the required commands at my fingertips. Moreover, these commands should be logically clear and consistent. In the ideal world, I want the ability to reassign these commands at will. The latter point, however, is hard to achieve. I’ve seen only one line of devices where the entire command structure could have been totally rewritten by editing some XML files. In fact, for many years, I was using one of those devices, and the command set was entirely my own. I customized it to meet my needs and preferences, and it made all the difference in the world. Recently, however, this device had to be retired, and I must now get used to a very different command set, which cannot be customized.
To understand if the command structure of your device is quick and efficient, ask yourself these questions: “How quickly can I find and open a file in this device? How easy it is to find required information or required position in that file? How easy is it to navigate documents and perform other functions which are essential to my job?”
Quiet operation. This is especially important if you interpret during negotiations or other personal encounters. The less clacking noise is made by your Braille display or your keyboard, the better. Of course, general-market devices also produce some noise. But these days, it’s really nothing compared to the clicking of the Braille display. And of course, if your Braille device has speech capabilities, then under no circumstances should that speech come up spontaneously! But that’s actually for point 1, about stability and reliability.
The feel of the Braille display and keyboard. OK, I agree: this is very subjective. But for each of us, there are Braille devices we find comfortable to use, while others are not so comfortable, and even outright annoying. I would even go as far as to say, paraphrasing a very famous quote, that “The Braille display chooses the owner”. This is hard to explain, but I believe it is even harder to deny.
Service and support. What happens if you are in a meeting, and your device malfunctions? Do you have anywhere to go? In my lifetime, I’ve seen companies, which, if needed, would provide their customers with the tools to completely restore the image of the Braille display firmware, and so the image recovery would help with even the worst software issues. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I’ve seen companies limiting my freedom as a user, even though my purpose was only to make the device better suitable for my needs.
Servicing the Braille display itself is yet another issue to configure. Of course, this cannot be done in an instance. But you still want to understand the company’s practices and policies. And you still need a backup plan in case of a failure.
Once again, let me emphasize this: without Braille, my work as a conference interpreter would have never been possible. And with that, choosing a professional device has always been a challenge. I’ll even put it this way: working with a properly suitable Braille device makes interpretation to be a breeze. However, getting stuck with something unsuitable is like dancing in a new and shiny pair of shoes, which do not quite fit. Ultimately, it’s not about the number of features offered by a particular device. Rather, it’s about whether the device actually does what you need.
Do you use a Braille device in your professional work? If so, what are your requirements? And how easy is it to find a solution that meets or exceeds them? Please let us know at
braille200@livingbraille.eu!
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