4Blind

Next week is the DeafBlind Awareness Week!

It is a time to recognize and celebrate the DeafBlind community and raise awareness about their unique needs and challenges.

Organizations like the Helen Keller Services, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, National Braille Press, and the CNIB play a crucial role in supporting and empowering individuals who are deafblind by creating technologies, safe environment for deafblind, teaching and learning contitions.
CNIB offers a variety of services that allow members of the deafblind community to better engage with the world around them, Helen Keller Center supports deafblind to reach greater independence, meaningful employment, and achieving their personal milestones, MCB conducts assessments to understand the specific needs and challenges faced by individuals who are deafblind. National Braille Press annually inspires innovators to continue the promotion of braille literacy for blind and deafblind people worldwide.
We thank them for their dedication and impactful work in making the world a more inclusive and accessible place for everyone.

4Blind continues to be a part of this ecosystem by creating devices for deafblind, taking part in conferences to raise the awareness of unique needs of deafblind and hopes to bring it to new level of publicity.

4Blind was invited to AIMday Interactive and Immersive Technologies to explore new challenges and opportunities.

4Blind's CEO, Fedor Belomoev, will be taking part in a discussion at the University of Waterloo on April 23rd to address industry challenges in hardware, software, and the design of immersive experiences using XR technologies like Augmented, Mixed, and Virtual Reality.

Topics of discussion will include AI for diverse content creation, immersive content and legal and ethical considerations surrounding the application of generative AI in entertainment industries.

Discussed technologies will have practical impact for our solutions and will be implemented to the new upgraded version of our Braille PAD.

The event will be held at the University of Waterloo located at 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3G1.

We look forward to engaging with event participants, visionaries, and inspired individuals for a productive discussion.

[Image description: Image of a person wearing VR glasses with lines of code in the background]

Great news from our friends! On February 10th, The Carroll Center for the Blind hosted the 24th New England Regional Braille Challenge, a national program of the Braille Institute that celebrates excellence in braille literacy and encourages students who are blind and visually impaired to hone their Braille skills. The top 50 students with the highest scores in the nation will qualify for the Braille Challenge finals later this year.

We are proud to have collaborated with Braille Institute and Bay State Council of the Blind who sponsored this meaningful event!

The Carroll Center for the Blind is a non-profit agency empowering people who are blind or visually impaired to lead a fulfilling life. Its vision rehabilitation services help thousands of people of all ages and stages of vision loss each year, empowering them to build skills and confidence.

[Image description 1: A group of visually impaired children, participants of the 24th New England Regional Braille Challenge, taking a group picture]
[Image description 2: A little boy learning to use Braille printer]

Source of the pictures: the Carroll Center for the Blind

Last week, we participated in two conferences that took place in beautiful, sunny Florida: the FAER Conference and Getting In Touch With Literacy.

As noted by Liz Anderson, FAER President, "FAER provides opportunities to meet and learn from others who are working toward the same goal." The conference successfully served this purpose by bringing together professionals from various locations, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas, sharing findings, numerous stories, and fostering the establishment of new collaborations.

Following the FAER conference, the Getting In Touch With Literacy conference, led by Janie Blome and Cay Holbrook, showcased a diverse range of sessions and technical solutions aimed at supporting visually impaired individuals in their literacy journey.

We were truly inspired by the individuals who gathered at these two wonderful events!

[First photo description: Conference photo with the location and date
Second photo description : 4Blind company stand]

Join us at the "Getting In Touch With Literacy" conference, which will take place from November 29 to December 2, 2023 in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

The Getting In Touch With Literacy conference has been held every two years since 1993 and promotes the exchange of information on literacy for blind and visually impaired individuals. The upcoming conference will be the 15th GITWL event in the past 28 years.

This year's conference promises to be an exceptional event, bringing together the latest advancements in literacy education, including print, Braille, auditory, tactile graphic perception, and technology usage. With over 90 parallel seminars, poster presentations, and demonstrations dedicated to the needs of different age groups and ability levels, GITWL will provide a comprehensive exploration of literacy in the visually impaired community.

Visit the 4Blind booth, where you can familiarize yourself with our technologies for deaf-blind and blind people. We look forward to seeing you in St. Pete Beach.

[ Photo description: "Getting In Touch With Literacy" conference logo]