Google TalkBack Braille Keyboard For Android To Help Visually Impaired

Google is rolling out a new feature to help the visually impaired. For more than a hundred years, Braille has been helping people with visual impairment and low vision to read. Google is now bringing in Braille to smartphones as well with a new feature called TalkBack. The new Google Braille keyboard is basically a virtual keyboard.

Google TalkBack Feature

The new Google TalkBack Braille keyboard feature splits the user's screen into six zones. Each zone represents one of the six dots that used to represent the different letters, numbers, and characters in the Braille alphabet. By simply touching the six zones to form different combinations, visually impaired users can type and use the keyboard to their comfort.

Also, the feature allows them to format and edit various files. "It uses a standard six-key layout and each key represents one of 6 braille dots which, when tapped, make any letter or symbol. To type an "A" you would press dot 1 and to type a "B," dots 1 and 2 together," notes the Google blog post announcing the new feature.

How To Setup TalkBack Braille Keyboard

The new Google feature for visually impaired can be setup on your Android phone now. To set it up, open the Settings app > Accessibility > TalkBack > Settings. Here, you can select the Braille keyboard and a dialog box appears where you need to select Settings and then turn on the TalkBack Braille keyboard.

Once done, you can try it out on Google apps like Gmail or Google Keep. However, it should be noted that Google is yet to introduce the new Braille keyboard on Google Docs and Messages. Also, the new keyboard can be accessed via gestures. For instance, swiping left deletes a letter, two-finger swiped to the left deletes a word, swiping right adds space, and so on.