USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, today announced a USB HID (Human Interface Device) standard for braille displays, representing a collaborative step toward greater technological accessibility for people who are blind or have low vision. The standard will make it easier to use a braille display across operating systems and different types of hardware. It will also simplify development, removing the need for braille devices to have custom software and drivers created for a particular operating system or screen reader.
"This is another great example of how USB-IF device class specifications can improve people's lives," said USB-IF President and COO Jeff Ravencraft. "With more than 1,000 members worldwide, USB-IF brings companies together to improve access to technology and provide a seamless user experience."
"We see the opportunity that advancements in technology can create for people with disabilities and have a responsibility as an industry to develop new ways of empowering everyone to achieve more," said Jeff Petty, Windows accessibility program manager lead at Microsoft. "Developing a HID standard for braille displays is one example of how we can work together, across the industry, to advance technology in a way that benefits society and ultimately improve the unemployment rate for people with disabilities."