1. TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT....................................................................................................
2
1.0 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................3-4
1.1 Overview.................................................................................................................3
1.2 Objectives of the study............................................................................................4
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................5-10
2.1 The history of the device.......................................................................................5
2.2 BrailleNote............................................................................................................6
2.2.1 The Care of BrailleNote...........................................................................7
2.2.2 The Purpose of BrailleNote......................................................................8
2.2.3 The User of BrailleNote...........................................................................8
2.2.4 Advantages of BrailleNote........................................................................8
2.2.5 Disadvantages of BrailleNote...................................................................9
2.2.6 The Future of BrailleNote......................................................................10
3.0 CASE STUDIES.....................................................................................................11-12
3.1 Respondent 1..........................................................................................................11
3.2 Respondent 2..........................................................................................................12
4.0 FINDINGS..............................................................................................................13-16
4.1 Reports from respondent...................................................................................13-14
4.2 Opinion...................................................................................................................15
4.2.1 Observation..................................................................................................15
4.2.2 Reflection.....................................................................................................15
4.3 Future Gadget.........................................................................................................16
5.0 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................17
REFERENCE.....................................................................................................................18
APPENDICES...................................................................................................................19
PROFILE.............................................................................................................................3
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2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express the deepest appreciation to our English II lecturers, Madam Sanisa
Maarop and Mr Abdul Mutalib Embong Eusoff who have shown the attitude and the substance of a
genius: they continually and persuasively conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to research, and an
excitement in regard to teaching. We would also like to express our gratitude to our English II tutor,
Madam Fatima Said. Without her supervision and constant help this dissertation would not have been
possible.
We would like to thank our group members, whose work demonstrated great team work and
always committed in doing this project. The cooperation given were undoubtedly one of the reason we
manage to finish this project on time.
In addition, thank you to our parents for the endless support given. They also gives us financial
support to help with the project. Last but not least, thank you to our classmate who shared their ideas
and comments on our work to help us improved. Without their help, a project with high quality may
not be able to be presented.
1.0 Introduction
2

3. 1.1 An overview
Based on the Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, 8 th edition (Turnbull, 2010), a
gadget is defined as a small tool or device that does something useful; in this case, to help the
disabled in carrying their daily tasks easily and more efficiently. For example, the hearing aid
devices can be used by those who are challenged in term of their hearing to listen better.
Meanwhile, according to Cambridge Dictionary Online (1999), gadget is defined
as small tool or piece of equipment that does something useful or impressive
On the other hand, Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, 8 th edition
(Turnbull,2010) defines disability as a physical or mental condition that means
you cannot use a part of your body completely or easily, or that you cannot learn
easily. Based on WordNet Offline Dictionary (2001) disability is defined as the
condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental
unfitness. These conditions may occur to a person either naturally from birth or
may be caused by accidents or diseases. For instance, a person may be born with
dysfunctional body parts which cause him or her to become crippled. In other
cases, they can also suffer from disabilities due to accidents, which cause
permanent injuries to their body parts or due to diseases such as high fever, stroke
and etc.
Holistically, gadget for disability can be defined as a tool or device which
can be used by those who are disabled to overcome their challenged states and
ease their daily works. An example of a gadget for disability is the walking stick.
Furthermore, the definition for visual disability based on The Free
Dictionary Online (Farlex, 2013) is a severe reduction in vision that cannot be
corrected using glasses or lenses and reduce a person’s ability to function at
certain or all tasks.
1.2 Objectives of the study
In compliance with the matters stated, we have come up with a few
objectives for our study. The main aim of this study is to investigate how
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4. technology improves people with disabilities to ease their life. As stated, we are
studying about gadgets which may improve and ease the lives of the disabled.
Our next objective is to study how the disabled deals with his disabilities
in the daily life by observing their daily activities and how they cater with their
problems despite their unfortunate conditions. Of course, they have their own
ways of coping with their daily problems as they have their disadvantages.
Last but not least, we also want to understand the hardships of the
disabled. As a human being, we should be thankful to God for creating us with
complete functioning parts. However, there are those who are not as lucky as us.
They are those who had more tested and challenged. Hence, this is a great
opportunity for us to reflect ourselves and be thankful for what God has given us.
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 History
A long time ago, before Braille was invented, mankind had already assigned a
way for the blinds to read printed text by touch. This method includes carving words onto
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5. pieces of wood and using wax. This method, however, was not uniform back then. Later
on, another uniform method was invented by Valentine Hauy. He developed a system of
embossed printing and a writing frame which enables the blinds to read but yet, this
method was difficult as the letters were rather bulky, difficult to read, hard to create and
the student could not unable to write. Then, James Gall invented a kind of Roman, linetype, embossed print for the use of St. John to publish The Gospel and this technique
quickly expanded and was widely used in the United States (D’Andrea,2009).
D’Andrea (2009) said that not long after that in Scotland, a competition was held by
the Society of Arts to encourage people to invent many kinds of tactile alphabets for the
blinds. Dr. Fry Alston had won the contest with his tactile alphabets based on print. Later
on, the Lucas type and the Moon Code were invented. These, somehow, contribute to the
development until Braille was discovered. Later on, a Captain of the French Army,
Captain Charles Barbier presents a system of 12 dots which represent sounds syllables for
soldiers to send and read messages in the dark. This method requires the sender and
recipient to memorize the sound of each combination of the dots.
Based on the brilliant communication method developed by Captain Charles Barbier,
a student who saw the presentation from him had an ingenious idea of how to improve
the method so that it can be utilized by blind students. The student was none other than
the famous Louis Braille, the man who came up with the Braille system for the blinds.
Unlike Captain Charles, Braille changed the system from 12-dotted into 6-dotted
(D’Andrea,2009). Hence, it is easier to be learned especially by those who are visually
challenged at that particular time. In addition, instead of the dots representing phonetic
sounds, he altered the system so that they represent real alphabets. By doing so, correct
spellings of words can be maintained.
Louis Braille had published his tactile system in which bears his name in 1829. In the
year 1834, he published the revised version of the system. 3 years later, in the year 1837,
he published it once again. The revised version was better than the original one as it
includes numbers and also music code symbols. Unfortunately, Louis Braille had lost his
life to tuberculosis at the age of 43. The method was not recognized in France until 1854
although it had been used in L’Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles, the school which he taught
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6. in. Braille’s clever idea was then adopted and used in schools for the blinds in other European
countries. The Braille code was popularized in England by Dr Thomas Rodes Armitage
(D’Andrea,2009).
Eventually, Braille’s code spread throughout the world. It was acknowledged by the
Americans which had used it in many of their schools for the blinds. American Braille code was
developed. It then developed more and more, and spread wider across the globe. Nowadays, we even
have Braille codes for Arabic. More people can use this method to ease their lives. Now, we can see
how a simple idea from a student can bring the visually disabled into a whole new level and
perspective.
2.2 BrailleNote
According to Mason (2012), the BrailleNote are the updated model of the longstanding BrailleNote line of notetaker. They are based on a system of applications known
as “KeySoft,” which have their own rich history in the market and are very popular and
well-known devices. The BrailleNote line is a fairly long-standing and regularly updated
product line, which gives it both advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other
products in the market.
The BrailleNote is a compact portable Personal Organizer with an ergonomic
Braille keyboard, a Braille display and a scroll wheel. The Braille display has 32 cells,
with each cell comprising 8 dots, allowing for both the display of 6 dots and 8 dots
Braille. Each cell of the Braille display has an associated cursor routing button. Four
thumb keys on the front of the BrailleNote BT supplement the Braille display and provide
convenient navigation control.
You will also find an audio output socket for earphones and an input socket for a
microphone. A VGA port is also included. The BrailleNote also has synthesized speech
output that can be used in conjunction with the Braille display or on its own. The
BrailleNote runs on AC power or batteries. Indications of battery and charger status are
displayed on the Braille display and spoken.
Joslee claims (2013) that the BrailleNote BT has USB 2.0 host and client ports, a
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7. Bluetooth transceiver, WI-FI capability, and ethernet port. It also has 8 GB of flash
memory that retains information indefinitely, even if the batteries run flat. The Secure
Digital (SD) card slot allows for additional storage, and the 3 USB host ports can be used
to plug in devices such as keyboards, embossers, printers, card readers, external hard
drives and USB thumb drives.
2.2.1 The Care of BrailleNote
The BrailleNote Apex BT can operate from its internal removable rechargeable
battery or from its AC adapter. The length of time you can run the BrailleNote BT from a
fully charged battery is typically over 12 hours before it becomes flat. Activities like
embossing, e-mailing and using ports or wireless connectivity increase the drain on the
battery. Storage cards and USB devices that draw their power from the BrailleNote BT's
battery also reduce the available battery life.
To ensure that the battery charges correctly, only charge in ambient temperatures
between 41 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, 5 to 35 degrees Celsius. If the ambient
temperature is too high, there is a risk that the battery will not charge. Like all
rechargeable batteries, as the BrailleNote BT battery ages, its capacity reduces. The
battery is designed to provide approximately 300 charge cycles before seeing a noticeable
reduction in capacity. To optimize battery life, it is recommended that you only recharge
when the battery is nearly depleted, followed by a full recharge. Note: to protect the
battery and reduce the number of charge cycles, the battery will not recharge if you start
recharging a battery that is almost fully charged (above 90%). (Joslee, 2013)
Apart from cleaning the case, the BrailleNote BT needs no special maintenance.
The internal battery should last typically 18 months before needing replacement. Keep
beverages like tea and coffee away from the BrailleNote BT. Periodically wipe the case
down with a warm damp cloth. Don't use any cleaning compounds.
2.2.2 Purpose of the BrailleNote
According to Christensen (2009), the BrailleNote are built to be convenient.
Unlike a Braille display and android device or laptop, they are one single, portable unit.
Their battery life is generally far superior to those of laptops or other electronic devices.
They are simple to use and allow for an instant-on experience. Second, they are the
primary option available for people who want to read and write electronically in Braille.
7

8. Notetaker generally have better Perkins keyboards than do Braille displays that allow
users to write in six- or eight-dot Braille and most back-translation-via-screen-access
software, including what is available on other software now a day , introduces some level
of added complexity to the process of typing Braille.
2.2.3 The Users of BrailleNote
As we know, BrailleNote is used by the blinds. They are really pleased with the
function of this machinery has many very flexible functions. They can also do some
adjustments to the settings to suit their conditions and favors. “The prompts are simple
and adequate” (Joan-Paul Ryan, N.D). The device is convenient and very practical to be
used by the users.
2.2.4 Advantages of BrailleNote
Advantages of this device is that in the world of notetaker it is the simplest to
learn and use for many consumers because of the very comprehensive context-sensitive
help available at any point in this suite of programs. Furthermore, its functions are
extremely consistent. Things work the same way from one program to the next with quite
reliable functionality, which cannot always be said for the competition. It’s very popular
in schools for a number of reasons, but one of the greatest is this consistency in its layout
and functionality as well as its sheer longevity in the marketplace.
One of the BrailleNote’s standout features, which may not be recognized for its
brilliance at first, is the book reader application. It allows a user to open a file for review
and know that he or she won’t damage it. It almost always remembers the user’s place,
and it allows a user to set options for reading the file that will stay with that file whenever
it is opened in that application. It is that simple, which may not sound like much, but for
serious readers or those who are often interrupted in their reading, it’s very convenient,
and it’s pleasant to know that you will not come back to see surprises in your file because
of unintentional key presses. The book reader is also the application used for reading
DAISY books, and it allows a user to bookmark and even leave text notes in the book for
later perusal. These features are useful for anyone, but students or others who are
studying material for later examination will find it extremely useful.
The hardware is fairly competitive since it offers much of what users would
8

9. expect in a modern mobile device. Wireless, Bluetooth, and compatibility with a fairly
large number of third-party peripherals (keyboards, monitors for visual use, and storage
cards) make it a fairly flexible device in spite of the fact that this class of devices is
limited by its hardware and software.
Another feature which may be of interest to some users is that the BrailleNote
offers a game application that allows users to play text-adventure games. It’s not strictly
necessary, but games are certainly a nice touch, especially since notetaker are often used
as much for entertainment as for educational or vocational pursuits. (Mason, 2012)
2.2.5 Disadvantages of BrailleNote
Having looked at the advantages of the BrailleNote family of devices, it is time to
turn our attention to some of the less positive aspects of the device. First, though the
consistency of the brand is mostly positive, in one area it is less so. The BrailleNote
devices are all the same shape and size. Therefore, if all you have is a BrailleNote 18, or
even a VoiceNote, it will weigh nearly as much and be just as large as a 32-cell notetaker.
A number of people are interested in the pocket-sized notetaker, but HumanWare does not
offer anything to suit such a user. Another area where consistency can work against a
BrailleNote user is that occasionally the global exit and help commands can override
commands intended for the host device when the BrailleNote is being used as a Braille
display. This is especially apparent in iOS devices.
Next, the BrailleNote is not able to open .DOCX files. Since programs that create
these files have been around for five years now, this is becoming an increasing problem
for BrailleNote users. Finally, an important point to consider when purchasing a
BrailleNote is the fact that as of now HumanWare is the only company still charging for
software upgrades for its notetaker. This may change as the landscape shifts, but for now
it is an important factor to consider. Having said this, students who need access to
NIMAS files, those who wish to take notes on DAISY material, or those who have been
using a BrailleNote product for a long time and who are happy with the features and
functionality provided by the device will find the BrailleNote Apex a strong competitor
for consideration as a new notetaker.
9

10. 2.2.6 The Future of BrailleNote
The BrailleNote is an extremely portable, versatile organizer designed with blind
users in mind. The keyboard is quick and responsive and KeySoft is highly intuitive,
particularly for a braille user. You can read and write documents, e-mail messages, and
even iPhone texts in the comfort zone of contracted braille and have them translated for
you on the fly. You can read books encompassing a variety of formats and sources, listen
to music and podcast, record lectures, listen to the radio, search the Web, keep your
calendar, and manage your contacts. With available additional packages, you can have a
fully function GPS device, dictionary, and tutorial on the Nemeth mathematics code but if
all these features could be combined together in more variety of size , it could attract
more visual impaired to use it , for example a lot number of people are interested in the
pocket-sized of notetaker.
In addition, the BrailleNote has been produced by only few companies, resulting
in the price of BrailleNote is more expensive for the consumer to afford. Therefore, with
a lot of cooperation from others company in producing the BrailleNote , it could help the
users to own the BrailleNote itself with affordable price. Last but not least, with
development of the BrailleNote toward the technology, someday the BrailleNote could be
produced in touch screen, so that the visual-impaired people could experience better
technology like us.
3.0 CASE STUDIES
Respondent 1
10

11. 11

12. Name
: Md Lazim bin Bidin
Date of Birth
Age
: 8 May 1955
: 58
I/C Number
: 550508-08-5487
Contact Number : 012-5448119
Qualification
: SPM
Time
: 11.30am
Date
: 2/11/2013
Respondent 2
12

13. Name
: Sarida binti Aziz
13

14. Date of Birth
Age
: 23 July 1967
: 46
I/C Number
: 670723-07-5528
Contact Number : 012-5448119
Qualification
: SPM
Time
: 11.34am
Date
: 2/11/2013
4.0 FINDINGS
4.1 Reports from Respondents
Respondent 1
14

15. The person we interviewed is the visually impaired person himself; Md.
Lazim bin Bidin. He was born normal, but fall ill which caused him to lose both
sight forever. He realized his life would not be the same anymore, thus, struggles
to live as normal as he can. He was also the Chairman of the Association for the
Blind in Kulim back in 1990’s.
He was schooling at St. Nicholas School for the Blind. There, he learned
how to read Braille. Braille is divided into two; normal and contraction. The
normal Braille is where they write each letter to spell a word while the
contraction are words and affixes that are shortened so that they take up fewer cells.
He uses a Brailler to aid him in his daily life. The white cane is used when
15

16. he wants to take a walk at unfamiliar places. The Perkins Brailler is used to type
in Braille. It costs about RM2000 but luckily for him, it was provided by an
association. He learned the typing skill during his school time.
For him, the gadgets are really helpful as they become medium of
communication not only between the blind but also with other normal people.
Respondent 2
16

17. 17

18. The person we interviewed is the caretaker for the disabled. Her name is
Sarida bt Aziz, the wife of the disabled. She is partially blind as she is suffering
from cataract.
She said that her husband is very independent. It is not hard to take care of
him. She is able to use all the gadgets in their house, so she can monitor her
husband when he uses them. Similar to her beloved husband, she is also able to
use the Brailler. She learned it back when she was at school as she studied in an
Integrated School for The Blind.
When her husband was the Chairman of the Association for the Blind in
Kulim, she used to help her husband to type letters using the Brailler addressed
to the other members of the association. She also helps her husband to put the
papers in the Brailler and check what his husband had written. Although she is
only partially blind and able write like normal people, she is more skillful in
using the Brailler.
Her hope is to ease her husband and children as much as she could. She
wants her husband to have a normal life in spite of his disability.
4.2 Opinion
4.2.1 Observation
From the interview, we realized that the inventions of different types of
gadgets are very useful as they give aid to the disabled. It gives them the chance
to live a normal life and be a part of our community without being discriminate.
However, most of the gadgets were invented in the old days by different
people. Each gadget have its own function, thus, it creates problem for the user
as they need to be equipped with different gadgets to utilize its function.
Nowadays, the gadgets has been developed and upgraded so that it they
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19. become more user friendly and usable by everyone. It is no longer a problem for
the blinds to use the Brailler / BrailleNote.
4.2.2 Reflection
We have seen the fate of the disabled. Thus, we should be very grateful
because God had created us without any defections whatsoever. Next, we should
not whine and complain about things that we have now because there are people
who are less fortunate than us.
Furthermore, we also should not discriminate and insinuate the disabled
people because who knows, we might suffer from the same fate as they are
suffering now and only then, we will know what they feel. We should treat
everyone, no matter how that person is, disabled or not, rich or poor, equally and
never mistreat them.
4.3 Future gadget
The innovation or improvement for BrailleNote in the future is there will be mini
sized BrailleNote that is easier to carry anywhere. There is also a place to insert SIM card
and the BrailleNote can be used to make calls. The BrailleNote has the function to
recognize the voice of the user for safety and ease of usage. The BrailleNote also will be
improved in term of the random access memory. The BrailleNote also can receive radio
signal, so, the user of the BrailleNote can receive news updates through the radio and also
the user can spend time listening to the radio. The BrailleNote will come with a detector in
bracelet form. It is used to detect the whereabouts of the BrailleNote so, if the users do not
remember where they put the BrailleNote, they still can find it. The detector will be water
19

20. proof so, user can where it anytime and anywhere.
In the BrailleNote, the software should be increase for the use of the BrailleNote’s
user. There is also a higher capacity of storage to store documents, files, songs and other
things that want to be stored by the user. There also iNavigator that will be installed in the
BrailleNote that can act as GPS for the users. Games also will be stored in the BrailleNote.
The game is mainly based on the sense of sound and touch, so, although the user’s sight is
not functional, they can still play the games and also improve their sense of hearing and
touch.
5.0 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, gadgets for disability are invented to help the disabled to perform tasks
in their daily life independently. Nowadays, there are many different types of gadgets in
the market depending on its function such as BrailleNote, hearing aid, and the step-hear.
The invention of BrailleNote is very convenient especially for the visually impaired
person (Christensen, 2009). The BrailleNote is invented to assist the disabled to read and
write in Braille (Joslee,2013). The BrailleNote provides a medium for the visually
impaired people to get involve in writing and literature.
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21. In the future, the development of the gadgets will allow disabled people to have a
life like a normal person. To the society, the development of visual aid in the future will
improve the communication and understanding of a visual impairment person to read any
information. This will leads to the increase of global economy as more source of man
power is available. The development of this device will also cause a lot of new company
to rise and compete in creating a better quality of visual aid device. Meanwhile, the
hearing aid device business such as visual device factory, visual device shop and visual
device repair service will improve greatly. Thus, providing the job opportunities to the
society in the future.
REFERENCES
Christensen, L, B. (2009). RoboBraille - Braille Unlimited. Retrieved October 8, 2013 from
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?
q=cache:http://194.250.9.196:8080/sites/default/files/article_-_robobraille__braille_unlimited_synref.pdf&safe=strict
D’Andrea, F, M. (2009). The Braille Code: Past-Present-Future. In The Educators. Retrieved October
9, 2013 from http://www.icevi.org/pdf/educator_january_2009.pdf
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22. Joslee. (2013). Technical Specification of various BrailleNote models. Retrieved October 8, 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/introductory-material/Technical-specificationsof-the-BrailleNote
Joslee. (2013). Hardware Compatibility List for BrailleNote. Retrieved October 8 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/introductory-material/Hardware-CompatibilityList-for-BrailleNote
Joslee. (2013). Scroll Wheel Explained. Retrieved October 8 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/introductory-material/Scroll-Wheel-explained
Joslee. (2013). Supported File Types under Word Processor. Retrieved October 8 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/wordprocessing/Supported-File-Types-underWord-processor
Joslee. (2013). File Types Supported on the BrailleNote. Retrieved October 8 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/file-and-folder-management/File-typessupported-on-the-BrailleNote
Joslee. (2013). Storage Devices that work with BrailleNote. Retrieved October 8 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/introductory-material/Storage-devices-thatwork-with-BrailleNote
Joslee. (2013). BrailleNote Command Summary. Retrieved October 9 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/help/BrailleNote-Command-Summary
Joslee. (2013). Recording and Playing Voice Memos. Retrieved October 10 2013 from
http://www.braillenoteusers.info/articles/media-player/Recording-and-playing-VoiceMemos
Mason, A. (2012). Braille Notetakers-Determining Your Perfect Fit. Retrieved October
10 2013 from
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120604.html
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23. (2010). Gadget. In Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, 8th Edition. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
Oxford University Press.
Disability. (2013). In Cambridge Dictionary Online. Retrieved October 7, 2013 from
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/disability
Visual Impairment.(2013). In The Free Dictionary. Retrieved October 7,2013 from
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Visual+Impairment
APPENDICES
Respondent 1
Can you tell me about yourself?
My name is Md. Lazim bin Bidin. I am 58 years old.
Where do you live?
I live at No 52, Kg Baru, Ayer Panas
You were schooling at?
I went to St. Nicholas School for the Blind in Penang. I also went to Sekolah Menengah Khas Setapak,
Kuala Lumpur.
What is your current profession?
Reflexology massager
What is your previous profession?
I used to be the Chairman of the Association for the Blind in Kulim. I also used to work in box factory,
Kulim Packaging Sdn Bhd. But now, I am too old to do that kind of work.
Do you have kids? Are they also facing the same disability?
I have five children. Two boys and three girls. All of them are perfectly normal.
Are you blind from born?
No, I was born normal. Just like other people
What makes you become disabled? Is it an accident or illness?
I become ill, and it caused me to lose my sight.
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24. Can you tell us more about the incidence?
When I was four, my right eye was infected. It turns white. My parents took me to the hospital. The
doctor wanted to perform operation on me to prevent the disease from spreading to my left eye.
However, my parents disagree. At the age of eight, the disease starts spreading to my left eye. It turns
all red but we did not go to the hospital. One day, I followed my sister for rubber tapping. After that, I
took a bath in a hot spring near the estate. Suddenly, my eyes began to swollen. My parents rushed me
to the hospital. There, the doctor told me that both my pupil were already blown up. Now, I’m totally
blind.
So, how do you feel about this disadvantage?
At first, it feels like my life is already over. I was in deep grief. However, everything happens for a
reason. After some times, I realized that God have better plan for me. I am becoming more grateful
with my life and how I live it. I don’t think my disability as disadvantage, but I took it as a challenge.
Are you using any tool or gadget to help you in your daily life?
Yes, I use quite a few. I have the white cane. I can use Brailler, hand phone, and also a customized
laptop.
Can you tell me about the usage of the white cane?
Well, I got this white cane from my school. They provide each of the students there with white cane as
it is a symbol for the blind.
Do you often use the white cane?
Previously, not that often. I can walk without the white cane at the usual place I used to go. For
instance, in this village, I can take a tour independently around the village without getting lost. But
now, with the cars and the entire vehicle, it is dangerous to walk around without the white cane.
What are the advantages of using the white cane?
Of course, it helps detecting any obstacles in front of me. It prevents me from knocking onto the walls
and other objects. When civilians saw a person holding the white cane, they would give help to us. It
is very helpful.
Can you tell me about the Brailler?
In my school, they taught us Braille and provide each student with Perkins Brailler. It looks like a
typewriter; the function is the same, except that it is in Braille. It cost more than RM2000. I got this
from the welfare because I could not afford it.
What about the customized laptop?
That laptop, I bought it for my wife. It cost us RM1600. It is similar to the normal laptop but the
difference is, when you type a letter, it will produce the sound. In our school, we also learn the typing
method. When the sound is produce, we can detect any mistake that we made easily. Toshiba launched
it few years ago.
You said that you also use hand phone. How do you manage to do so?
It’s actually pretty easy. I just memorized the number on the keypad. I used the old design hand phone
which has keypads, not the touch-screen, because it is easier to detect the keypads with my finger.
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25. Respondent 2
Could you tell me about yourself?
My name is Sarida bt Aziz. I am 46 years old.
What is your relationship with Respondent 1?
I am his wife.
Is it true that you are half-blind?
Yes, I am.
How is it possible?
Well, I suffered from cataract. Before this, I cannot see at all. After I had a surgery, I am able to see
well, but not as clear as others.
What is your occupation?
Massaging, same as my husband.
Where were you schooling at?
I was schooling at Integrated School for The Blind. I learned how to write and read Braille there.
Do you get help from any association?
Yes, since we both have our disable (OKU) card, some associations provides help to us. For example,
my first daughter is in a boarding school. So the government support all her expenses there.
How do you feel about your life?
Well, I am very grateful to meet my husband. We met during work. He is very independent person. It
is not hard to take care of him. We are also blessed with children and all of them are perfectly normal.
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26. They understand our situation and help us. Truthfully, I am very happy with my life.
So, basically you know how to use all the gadgets that help your husband?
Yes, I know how to use all of them. I used to write letters for my husband back when he was the
Chairman of the Association for the blind. I also help him to put the papers in the Brailler and check
what my husband had written.
What do you think about the gadget used by him?
All the gadgets are very useful. The Brailler helps us to communicate with blind people from all
around the world. If there is a formal occasion, my husband can use it to type a letter to the blind. The
customized laptop from Toshiba helps us to communicate with normal people. Of course, those who
are not blind do not understand Braille. So, in order to prevent any miscommunication between the
blind and the normal, the laptop is very effective gadget.
What about the hand phone?
Hand phone is one of the most important gadget in our daily life. People cannot live without a hand
phone. Even, children have their own phones. Hand phone can becomes really handy whenever we
need to contact each other. If he got lost in his way, he can call me and informed it to me. The phone is
also used for work. When he was the chairman of Association for the Blind, he needs to contact a lot
of people. Every day, he had meetings with different people. So it is very useful to have a hand phone
of his own.
Is it hard to get the gadget?
For the Brailler, my husband had to send a request letter to the welfare association asking sponsorship
for the Brailler. He then has to write a letter of gratitude to the association for the Brailler as a proof
that they had accepted it. Most of the gadgets are costly. So I would say, it is pretty hard to get.
Furthermore, most of them are imported from other foreign country, so it is hard to find in Malaysia.
From your point of view, do you think the gadgets have any lacking that can be improved?
Well, the Brailler is very big. It’s really hard to bring it from place to place. Both my husband and I are
old, so it consumed a lot of energy from us.
Other than that, is there any lacking in the gadget?
If someone text my husband, he could not read it. So he has to call other people to read it for him. If
hand phone can produce sound and read the text for him, it would be great.
What is your hope?
I hope that I can ease my family so that they can live a normal lives although my husband and I are
disabled.
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27. The Alphabets written in Braille using Perkins Brailler
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