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Introduction to Humanware’s Brailliant BI40X Braille Display, Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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Hello Techstravaganza friends,

Ali and Siena provided a brilliant tutorial of the Brailliant Bi40X Braille Display this afternoon! Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4PEjQt66BwGNkAJ46vETeW

Show Notes

Brailliant BI40X Overview and Menu Navigation

Ali Moosa provided a walkthrough of the Brailliant BI40X’s main menu structure for attendees.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Described the physical layout of the thumb keys (keys 1–4) and the circular menu button. Navigated through the full menu, identifying the following items: Terminal, Editor Keypad (internal note-taking), Braille Editor (Key BRF), Recorder (Key Recorder), Victor Reader, File Manager (Key Files), Calculator (KEYCALC), Date and Time, Options, Online Services, User Guide, and Power Off.
    • Ali Moosa: Noted that several features such as Key BRF, Key Recorder, Key Files, and the Calculator are areas he has not yet fully explored and expressed interest in doing so in future sessions.
  • Conclusion
    • Attendees received a comprehensive overview of the Brailliant BI40X menu structure.
    • The Calculator (KEYCALC) was flagged as a feature to explore together in a future session.

Switching Between Connected Devices on the Brailliant BI40X

Ali Moosa demonstrated how to switch between Bluetooth-connected devices and USB on the Brailliant BI40X.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Explained that the device is connected to three Bluetooth units (iPhone, Mac Mini, iPad) and uses USB for the Windows PC. Demonstrated navigating to Terminal, then Connected Devices, and selecting the Mac Mini from the list.
    • Ali Moosa: Clarified that on Bluetooth, the device does not automatically reconnect to the last-used device upon power-on; the user must manually select the device from the connected devices list. USB, however, defaults to the USB connection when plugged in and powered on.
    • Palmer: Asked for clarification on whether the device would go directly to the previously connected device on power-on.
    • Siena: Confirmed that the process is largely the same on the Mantis Q40, including the thumb button structure.
  • Conclusion
    • To switch devices on the Brailliant BI40X via Bluetooth, the user must navigate to Terminal, then Connected Devices, and select the desired device.
    • USB connection defaults automatically when the device is plugged in and powered on.

Brailliant BI40X User Settings Walkthrough

Ali Moosa navigated through the User Settings menu of the Brailliant BI40X, reading out and commenting on various configuration options.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Read through settings including Format Markers, Cursor Visible (on), Cursor Blink (off), Message Display Time (5 seconds), Sleep Time (5 minutes), Auto Power Off (set to 4 hours), Word Wrap (on), Condensed Blank Lines (on), Confirm Delete (on), Vibration (on), Beep (on), Thumb Key Configuration, Command Keys Configuration, Notifications (on), Wireless Notifications (on), One-Handed Motor (off), Start in Terminal (off), Ask to Open USB Connection (Always Connect), and Disable Perkins in Terminal (off).
    • Ali Moosa: Recommended leaving “Start in Terminal” off unless the user only wants to use terminal mode and does not want to use built-in features.
    • Ali Moosa: Recommended leaving “Disable Perkins in Terminal” off, as having the Perkins keyboard available in terminal mode provides flexibility.
    • Ali Moosa: Noted his dot firmness is set to high.
  • Conclusion
    • Key recommended settings: keep speech on, keep Perkins enabled in terminal, and keep Start in Terminal off unless exclusively using terminal mode.

Speech Settings and Voice Configuration on the Brailliant BI40X

Ali Moosa explored the speech settings and attempted to demonstrate how to change the voice on the Brailliant BI40X.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed speech is on, Speak Menu is on, Speak Word Under Cursor is on, Speak Display Content After Panning is on, Echo Delete is on, and Keyboard Echo is set to characters and words.
    • Ali Moosa: Attempted to change the voice by navigating to Language Profile, selecting English, and using “Change Menu Voice.” This resulted in downloading a new voice (an Australian English voice), which replaced his preferred Canadian English voice (Melanie) after the device restarted.
    • Ali Moosa: Discovered that downloading a new voice via “Change Menu Voice” replaces the existing voice. He then used “Change Additional Voice” to download a secondary voice (Deepa, English India) without replacing his main voice.
    • Lily: Suggested that the “Download Language and Voices” option might allow sampling without replacing the current voice.
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed that the voice cannot be sampled before downloading; it must be downloaded first.
    • Siena: Confirmed the same behavior on the Mantis Q40.
  • Conclusion
    • Changing the menu voice replaces the current voice after a device restart.
    • Using “Change Additional Voice” allows downloading a secondary voice without affecting the main voice.
    • There is currently no way to sample a voice before downloading it; Ali Moosa will contact Humanware to ask if a sampling method exists.
    • Ali Moosa will report back at the next workshop on findings from Humanware.

Recommendation to Keep Speech Enabled on Braille Displays

Ali Moosa explained his reasoning for recommending that users keep the speech feature enabled on their braille display.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Explained that speech provides an extra layer of confirmation, particularly when entering complex sequences of characters such as usernames and passwords, where back-translation in Braille can be ambiguous.
    • Siena: Agreed, noting she uses speech and Braille together, especially when concentrating is difficult (e.g., late at night).
    • Lily: Confirmed the reasoning made sense.
    • Ali Moosa: Acknowledged that deaf-blind users who cannot use speech would rely solely on Braille, but noted that since he can hear, he uses speech to his advantage.
  • Conclusion
    • Keeping speech enabled on the braille display is recommended for sighted-blind users who can hear, as it provides confirmation of what is being typed or read.

Victor Reader and CELA Direct to Player Setup Attempt

Ali Moosa attempted to demonstrate the Victor Reader feature and set up a CELA Direct to Player account on the Brailliant BI40X.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Navigated to Victor Reader from the main menu. The device froze on “Loading.” Ali Moosa demonstrated how to perform a hard reset by holding the power button until full cells appear, then lifting.
    • Ali Moosa: After restarting, successfully loaded Victor Reader, which showed a Search option. Navigated to Online Services and found the CELA Direct to Player option.
    • Ali Moosa: Attempted to enter his username (which contains numbers) but could not determine how to enter numbers in Braille within the internal features of the device.
    • Siena: Suggested that Nemeth/dropped number signs may be required, but this was not confirmed.
    • Palmer: Also noted difficulty entering number signs on his device.
  • Conclusion
    • The Victor Reader feature was demonstrated, including a hard reset procedure.
    • Entering numbers in the internal features of the Brailliant BI40X for login purposes remains unresolved; Ali Moosa will contact Humanware for guidance.

Braille Code and Language Profile Configuration for Entering Usernames and Passwords

A document prepared by Matthew Horace Poole for the Braillist Foundation was referenced, outlining challenges and solutions for entering login credentials using a Braille keyboard.

  • Details
    • Siena: Read key excerpts from the document, which identified two main challenges: knowing which Braille code is expected, and knowing which dots correspond to which symbols.
    • Siena: Highlighted the universal solution of copy-and-paste: typing the username or password in a text editor first, verifying it with speech or Braille, then copying and pasting it into the login field.
    • Siena: Noted that using an external QWERTY keyboard (such as the Matthias keyboard used by Ali Moosa) is another universal solution supported by many Braille-specific products including the Brailliant.
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed he relies on the Matthias keyboard for typing tasks where Braille input would be ambiguous, and uses speech for character-by-character verification.
    • Palmer: Walked through the Language Profile configuration on his Brailliant BI40X with guidance from Siena, setting the Braille grade to uncontracted and the Braille table to English UEB Duxbury Grade 1.
    • Siena: Clarified that in terminal mode, the Braille code used is controlled by the screen reader (e.g., JAWS), not the device’s internal settings.
  • Conclusion
    • Copy-and-paste and external QWERTY keyboards are the most practical universal solutions for entering complex login credentials via Braille.
    • Language profile settings on the Brailliant BI40X and Mantis Q40 allow configuration of Braille grade and translation tables for internal features, but terminal mode Braille code is governed by the screen reader.

Calculator Feature on the Brailliant BI40X and Mantis Q40

Ali Moosa and Siena briefly explored the Calculator (KEYCALC) feature on the Brailliant BI40X.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Navigated to the Calculator, which displayed “Computer Braille is required.”
    • Siena: Confirmed the same message appears on the Mantis Q40 calculator. Demonstrated that in computer Braille, numbers are entered using dropped number positions (e.g., number 2 = dots 2 and 3; number 1 = dot 2 alone; plus = dots 3, 4, 6).
    • Ali Moosa: Noted that while the calculator works with computer Braille input, this does not resolve the broader issue of entering numbers for usernames and passwords in terminal mode.
  • Conclusion
    • The calculator requires computer Braille input and functions correctly when the correct dot combinations are used.
    • This does not solve the username/password number entry issue in terminal mode.

Palmer’s Outlook.com Account Setup Issue on Mac

Palmer’s issue with his Outlook.com account not syncing properly in the native Mac Mail app was discussed and troubleshot.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Explained that he had walked Palmer through removing and re-adding the Outlook.com account in the Mac Mail app earlier that morning, but the issue persisted.
    • Siena: Reported that during her own testing, she encountered a similar error after 2FA but successfully added the account on a second attempt. She noted she had not yet verified whether all emails were showing correctly.
    • Lily: Suggested that Microsoft may be pushing users toward the dedicated Outlook app rather than supporting third-party mail clients.
    • Palmer: Downloaded the Microsoft Outlook app from the Mac App Store and attempted to set it up. The app initially showed a keychain access dialog that could not be bypassed with either Allow or Deny.
    • Palmer: Successfully added his Outlook.com account to the Outlook app after completing the 2FA flow, pressing Escape to dismiss the passkey prompt, and accepting the privacy settings. All emails appeared in the inbox.
    • Palmer: Noted that VoiceOver’s interaction with the Outlook app feels more Windows-like compared to the native Mac Mail app, with more verbose output and a different navigation model.
  • Conclusion
    • The native Mac Mail app has compatibility issues with Outlook.com accounts; the Microsoft Outlook app is the recommended alternative.
    • Palmer successfully set up his Outlook.com account in the Outlook app.
    • The Outlook app’s VoiceOver experience is more verbose and Windows-like; Palmer noted some navigation preferences differ from the native Mail app.
    • The native Mac Mail app will be covered in the August 19th Techstravaganza session, which may address Palmer’s remaining questions.

JAWS Braille Settings and 8-Dot vs. 6-Dot Braille Configuration

Palmer and Siena explored JAWS Braille settings to address Palmer’s preference for 6-dot Braille over 8-dot (computer Braille) output.

  • Details
    • Palmer: Noted that JAWS was defaulting to 8-dot computer Braille for both input and output, and he wanted to use 6-dot (grade 1 or uncontracted) Braille.
    • Siena: Guided Palmer through the JAWS Settings Center under Braille, identifying the Translation section where output and input tables are configured.
    • Palmer: Found that JAWS was set to computer Braille for both input and output. Enabled “Display Text in 8-Dot Mode” and “Active Cursor Follows Braille Display,” which resulted in the capital symbol becoming visible on the display.
    • Siena: Noted she has JAWS set to English U.S. Uncontracted (6-dot) and confirmed this option exists in JAWS 2026.
    • Palmer: Is running an older version of JAWS and noted that JAWS 27 is expected in October; he plans to purchase the annual license at that time.
  • Conclusion
    • JAWS Braille translation settings can be configured under Settings Center to change input/output tables.
    • Palmer enabled 8-dot mode as a temporary measure, which at least made the capital symbol visible.
    • Palmer plans to upgrade to JAWS 27 when it is released in October and will call the Canadian support line to set up an annual license.

NVDA as an Alternative Screen Reader for Braille Display Use

Siena and Palmer discussed NVDA as an alternative to JAWS for use with the Brailliant BI40X, noting its cleaner Braille output.

  • Details
    • Siena: Recommended NVDA for Braille display use, noting it does not produce the underline dashes beneath text that JAWS generates to indicate selection or cursor position, which Palmer found distracting.
    • Palmer: Set up NVDA with the Brailliant BI40X and confirmed that the cursor underline dashes were no longer present. However, he found that the Brailliant’s thumb keys (used for up/down navigation) did not function under NVDA, limiting navigation to the Windows keyboard.
    • Siena: Confirmed the same limitation with thumb keys under NVDA on her Mantis Q40, noting that pan keys work but the outer navigation keys do not.
    • Palmer: Noted that NVDA correctly displayed the number sign, which JAWS had not been showing.
    • Siena: Walked Palmer through NVDA Braille settings, including output table (Unified English Braille Grade 1), input table, expand to computer Braille for word under cursor, cursor shape, speak character when routing cursor (recommended), and avoid splitting words when possible.
  • Conclusion
    • NVDA provides cleaner Braille output than JAWS for the Brailliant BI40X, without distracting underline indicators.
    • Thumb key navigation does not function under NVDA with the Brailliant BI40X; this is a known limitation.
    • NVDA is a viable alternative, particularly for users who find JAWS Braille output too verbose.

Windows Narrator Braille Support

Palmer and Siena briefly explored Windows Narrator as a third option for Braille display support.

  • Details
    • Lily: Suggested checking whether an app is iOS or Mac by pressing Command-I in Finder and checking the “Kind” field.
    • Palmer: Navigated to Narrator settings and attempted to add the Brailliant BI40X as a Braille display via USB.
    • Siena: Confirmed that Narrator showed Braille output on her Mantis Q40 because it was connected via Bluetooth, not USB.
    • Palmer: Confirmed that Narrator does not appear to support terminal mode via USB; Bluetooth pairing is required for Narrator Braille output.
  • Conclusion
    • Windows Narrator supports Braille displays via Bluetooth but does not appear to support terminal mode via USB connection.

Reading Books on a Braille Display (CELA/BRF vs. Word/EPUB)

Lily asked about the best method for reading books from CELA on a Braille display.

  • Details
    • Lily: Asked whether it is better to download Word format files or BRF (electronic Braille) files from CELA for reading on a Braille display.
    • Siena: Explained that both the Mantis Q40 and Brailliant BI40X support Word and EPUB formats natively. Word files can be opened directly in the internal editor, which tracks reading position. BRF files also work well.
    • Siena: Recommended Microsoft Word copies as a reliable format, noting EPUB is also an option worth trying.
    • Ali Moosa: Encouraged Lily to try reading a book on the Braille display and report back on the experience.
  • Conclusion
    • Word and EPUB formats are supported natively on the Mantis Q40 and Brailliant BI40X and can be read directly in the internal editor.
    • Microsoft Word format is recommended as a reliable starting point; BRF also works well.

Braille Display Hardware Comparison and Future Device Interest

Palmer and Siena discussed their current Braille displays and interest in future devices.

  • Details
    • Siena: Uses the Mantis Q40 (obtained through ADP), chosen for its QWERTY keyboard. Still has her older Focus 40, which had connectivity issues.
    • Ali Moosa: Uses the Brailliant BI40X, chosen because he prefers Perkins-style input over a laptop-style keyboard.
    • Palmer: Has had his Brailliant BI40X for about a week and is waiting for a demo of the BrailleNote Evolve (priced over $9,000).
    • Siena: Expressed interest in requesting a demo of the BrailleNote Evolve for portability and travel use, and interest in multi-line displays such as the Canute and the Humanware Monarch.
    • Palmer: Noted that the Brailliant BI40X is approximately $4,000 and the BrailleNote Evolve is over $9,000.
    • Siena: Recommended Humanware devices as top-notch for connectivity and standalone reading functions.
    • Palmer: Discussed the possibility of testing and recommending devices through programs like CNIB, and how to access those opportunities.
  • Conclusion
    • Humanware devices (Mantis Q40, Brailliant BI40X) are highly recommended for connectivity and standalone features.
    • Both Siena and Palmer expressed interest in trying the BrailleNote Evolve, Canute, and Humanware Monarch in the future.

Upcoming Sessions and Closing Remarks

Siena provided announcements for upcoming Techstravaganza sessions and closed the formal portion of the workshop.

  • Details
    • Siena: Announced a Techstravaganza Evenings session on August 13th, 2026 (7–9 p.m. Eastern), covering Part 2 of setting up an iPhone from scratch (the phone has been wiped and will be set up as if new).
    • Siena: Announced the next regular Techstravaganza session on August 19th, 2026, covering the native Mac Mail app on Mac, which will also address Palmer’s remaining Outlook-related questions.
    • Siena: Noted she will report back before the next session on the CELA login test using Perkins mode on the Mantis Q40.
    • Siena: Confirmed the calculator on the Mantis Q40 also requires computer Braille and works correctly when the correct dot combinations are used.

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