Q1: Why does the ELIA Frames™ font look the way it does?

The ELIA Frames™ font was designed to incorporate familiar elements of the common standard (i.e. Roman) alphabet within a system of frames. The familiar elements make the font easy for people to learn. The frames accelerate learning and enable readers to read the letters quickly and accurately. Similar engineering principles were used in creating Palm Pilot Graffiti.

Q2: At what size is the ELIA Frames™ font presented?

The ELIA Frames™ font uses frames that enable it to be scalable to any size, just like other fonts on your computer. Individual readers can read ELIA Frames™ at whatever size they choose.

Q3: Does the ELIA Frames™ font include contractions?

The ELIA Frames™ font is expected to incorporate contractions in the future. However, readers will have the choice of using or not using contractions. Contractions are known to save space and enhance reading speed, although they can add complexity. Research suggests that contractions may make learning braille more challenging, especially in languages other than English, where there can be a substantial number of abbreviations to learn For example, to learn French braille, a student must learn 1217 abbreviations. This may be why few braille readers in the US know French or other foreign languages.

Q4: How is print in the ELIA Frames™ font produced?

Presently, printed materials using the ELIA Frames™ font are produced one of two ways: either with a modified Xerox / Tektronix Phaser 300X Printer, which can print any text in tactile form from a computer onto standard paper; or, from a Hewlett Packard inkjet printer, which can print any text from a computer onto a special polystyrene paper and raised with a heating unit. Any electronic text or book can now be produced with ELIA Frames™.

ELIA Life Technology is currently developing an affordable tactile printer that will enable users to produce ELIA Frames™ or braille for individualized applications. In the future, ELIA will be developing and producing a tactile tablet. This tablet will be similar to mobile computer devices that the sighted presently use, except that the cells of the display screen will protract and retract from the surface of the table to create tactile images in ELIA Frames™ (or braille). The tactile tablet will enable visually impaired readers to access any computer text and carry volumes of information with them.

Q5: How will ELIA Frames™ and ELIA’s other new technologies benefit people who have a visual impairment, and society at large?

There are 8.4 million people who have a visual impairment in the United States alone. Our goal, in the creation of new technology and the ELIA Frames™ font, is to positively impact the lives of those 8.4 million people, by enabling them to maintain their literacy - and therefore live the full life that literacy affords. Full education, employment, and independence are by-products of literacy. We are neutral as to whether people use ELIA Frames, braille, or another resource to achieve literacy. We are even hopeful that our research will enable braille users to read braille faster and with greater utility.

As evidenced by the high employment rates of braille readers, tactile information is a critical resource. Society will benefit from having 8.4 million people engaged to their fullest potential. Our new technology aims to reduce barriers and improve accessibility by leapfrogging over existing solutions, to a new modern standard that is comparable to those of the sighted - easy, fast, and affordable.

Visual impairment takes a huge toll on society. With ELIA Frames™, people who have a visual impairment will have a new tool with which to gain or retain employment. They will require less care from paid and unpaid caregivers. They will be able to independently maintain better health. They will be able to achieve greater academic success. Additionally, ELIA Frames™ readers will be able to better function within society because sighted co-workers, family members, and friends will be able to easily read and understand ELIA Frames materials.

References

1. Zarit, S. (2006) Assessment of Family Caregivers: A Research Perspective in Family Caregiver Alliance (Eds.), Caregiver Assessment: Voices and Views from the Field. Report from a National Consensus Development Conference (Vol. II) (pp. 12-37). San Francisco: Family Caregiver Alliance.] - Updated: November 2012

2. The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP (2009), Caregiving in the U.S: National Alliance for Caregiving. Washington, D.C.] - Updated: November 2012

3. AARP Public Policy Institute 2008: Valuing the Invaluable: The Economic Value of Family Caregiving] - Updated: November 2012

Q6: How has ELIA Frames™ changed since its first design?

ELIA Frames™ has been refined in two ways since it was originally designed. The outside of the square frames have been altered slightly so that readers can more easily tell whether a frame is a square or a circle. While distinguishing between the two frame shapes was not difficult at large sizes, the distinction between the frames diminished as the letters were reduced in size.

Additionally, some of the letters' interiors were simplified to be more distinct from one another. For the letter "K", by moving the two lines inside the "K" from the far right of the frame to the far left, the accuracy for that letter improved by nearly 50%.

Q7: Where can someone learn ELIA Frames™?

If you are sighted, you can learn ELIA Frames™ on this site. If you are visually impaired, email ELIA Life Technology at info@theeliaidea.com and we will send you an introductory learning package. If possible, we will also arrange personal assistance.

Q8: Why does braille look the way it does?

There are many theories on why Louis Braille designed his code the way he did. One belief is that he embraced the use of dots because they were the most technologically feasible and least expensive method of producing tactile texts with the technology of his day (1824). A major advantage of the braille code over alternative existing alphabets was that blind people could produce their own texts with readily available inexpensive technology. Braille users' independence from sighted helpers, expensive presses, and complicated tools was unique among existing codes. (We believe that if Louis Braille was alive today, he wouldn’t limit his invention solely to the use of dots, as technology allows for almost any design today).

Q9: What evidence is there that braille positively impacts the lives of those who use it?

Many individuals with visual impairments credit braille as a primary factor in their ability to achieve high levels of independence, employment, continued literacy, and psychological well-being (reference 1). Braille readers who typically have little residual vision often outperform non-braille readers with significant residual vision, exemplified by their higher estimated employment rate (85%) (reference 2) compared to those who do not read braille and have severe visual impairment (34%) or non-severe visual impairment (43%) (reference 3).

This strong trend within the visually impaired population, where the degree of vision loss is closely linked to functioning and employment, doesn't extend to braille users. Even those with minimal or no residual vision tend to enjoy higher employment rates than individuals with more vision but without braille skills, despite having access to the same technology (with the exception of braille). If ELIA Frames™ were embraced by those with visual impairments who don't read braille, it has the potential to lead to significant improvements in employment rates and independence.

References:

1. Schroeder, F. (1989), Literacy: The key to opportunity, Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 83, 290-293.

2. Library of Congress www.loc.gov/nls/other/futureofbraille.html

3. Americans With Disabilities: 2010. By Matthew W. Brault, Issued July 2012 Brault, Matthew W., “Americans With Disabilities: 2010,” Current Population Reports, P70-131, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2012. www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf

Q10: Have braille readers always represented such a small percentage of the visually impaired population?

The shifting demographics of the country have brought about changes in the visually impaired community. According to the 2010 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 9.8% of individuals over the age of 65 have a visual impairment (reference 1). This statistic reflects the growing population of seniors, resulting in a significant increase in the number of visually impaired elderly individuals. It's important to note that this demographic group is typically less inclined to learn braille.

Furthermore, the prevalence of non-braille readers has been steadily increasing over the years. This trend can be attributed to a decline in braille literacy rates since 1963 (reference 2). Several factors contribute to this decline, including the integration of students with visual impairments into mainstream educational settings and advancements in voice generation and audio technology. Additionally, improved medical care has allowed individuals who develop mild visual impairments at a young age to retain the majority of their vision into adulthood. However, these individuals often face challenges when attempting to learn braille as adults.

References:

1. Americans With Disabilities: 2010. By Matthew W. Brault, Issued July 2012 Brault, Matthew W., “Americans With Disabilities: 2010,” Current Population Reports, P70-131, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2012. www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf

2. The Braille Literacy Crisis in America: Facing the Truth, Reversing the Trend, Empowering the Blind. A Report to the Nation by the National Federation of the Blind. Jernigan Institute, March 26, 2009

Q11: Is there a need for an alternative to braille?

The need for an alternative to braille is evident in the United States. With approximately 8.4 million people having visual impairments, including 2.1 million with severe impairments (reference 1), it's surprising that only 59,000 are proficient in braille (reference 2). Challenges exist for those who lose their vision later in life, making braille difficult to learn. This is reflected in the yearly number of new braille learners, which is fewer than 1,500 out of over 750,000 newly visually impaired individuals (0.2%).

While braille offers substantial independence and opportunities for those who can use it, a significant portion of the visually impaired community cannot read braille, either by choice or due to difficulties. ELIA Frames™ seeks to fill this gap by providing an alternative tactile reading system, potentially improving the independence and quality of life for a broader segment of the visually impaired community.

References:

1. Americans With Disabilities: 2010. By Matthew W. Brault, Issued July 2012 Brault, Matthew W., “Americans With Disabilities: 2010,” Current Population Reports, P70-131, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2012. www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf
2. Russell JN, Hendershot GE, LeClere F, Howie LJ, Adler M. Trends and Differential Use of Assistive Technology Devices: United States, 1994 Advance data from vital and health statistics; no. 292. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 1997.
3. Nemeth, A. (1988), Braille: The Agony and the Ecstasy, The Braille Monitor, 324-328.

Additional links: NCHS estimates on braille usage report in pdf format: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad292.pdf

Q12: Why do people who have a visual impairment need a tactile font? Can't they use voice technology and audio books to do all their reading?

Voice technology and audiobooks are invaluable tools for individuals with visual impairments, but there are limitations to relying solely on such technology. Certain activities, like a teacher reading lecture notes to a class or distinguishing between different medications and canned goods, as well as reading printed materials with complex structures such as tables, are not efficiently accomplished through voice alone. Additionally, audio technology doesn't facilitate literacy development. Students who depend solely on listening for learning often face deficiencies in areas like spelling and composition (reference 1).

Clearly, a tactile font can significantly enhance the independence of individuals with visual impairments in their daily activities and education.

References:

1. Source: National Federation of the Blind www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf

Q13: What other tactile alphabets are available, and how do they differ from ELIA Frames™? Additionally, why wasn't the ELIA Frames font design created before now?

Apart from braille, other tactile systems like the Moon Alphabet and the Fishburne Alphabet exist. The Moon Alphabet, in use in the UK since its 1845 creation, is preferred by late-onset vision loss individuals for its ease of learning compared to braille. Similar to ELIA Frames, many Moon Alphabet characters resemble the standard alphabet. However, like braille, its design was influenced by 1800s technology limitations, rather than solely ease of learning and use.

The Fishburne Alphabet features symbols on rectangular backgrounds, akin to dominoes, dividing the alphabet into five sections for deductive reading. Its simple shapes, different from the standard alphabet, can be produced using a custom label maker.

Producing scalable fonts like ELIA Frames™ was challenging and costly before modern computer printers. Historical technological constraints may have limited innovative thinking. Moreover, the field of Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics, relevant to tactile reading, is relatively new and has gained momentum in recent decades. This limited the application of its theories to tactile reading until more recently.

For more information on the Fishburne Alphabet contact: Fishburne Enterprises, 140 E. Stetson Ave., #319, Hemet, CA 92543-7139; phone: (909) 765-9276

Q14: Why didn't someone create the ELIA Frames™ font design before?

Prior to modern computer printers, printing a scalable font like ELIA Frames™ would have been expensive and difficult. Perhaps the limitations of past technology limited people's imaginations. Also, the field of Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics is a new field that was only born 50 years ago and only gained momentum over the past 20 years. Perhaps the professionals in the field had not had time to apply their theories to tactile reading.

Q15: Will braille readers stop reading braille and start reading ELIA Frames™?

Braille readers will likely not change over to ELIA Frames™. Most braille readers have been reading braille for years, if not decades.

Q16: Will braille readers have less access to braille materials and aids if an alternative tactile font is introduced?

With a greater number of tactile readers, more aids and materials will be available for both braille and ELIA Frames™ readers. New production methods will be economically feasible because of the larger market. Additionally, new competition for tactile reading customers will improve the quality of the products and the responsiveness of the present companies in the field. All of our printers and tactile displays are being designed to support braille, so our work is likely to increase their access to braille materials, as well as graphical information that they currently cannot access.

Q17: Is ELIA Frames™ meant to replace braille?

No, braille will always be in use, as it is the most efficient way for braille readers to get important information. ELIA Frames™ is for those who choose not to or are unable to read braille.

Q18: What is the copyright on ELIA Frames™? Can I use it?

The ELIA Frames™ font is accessible for global use, available for personal use and educational institutions free of charge. However, businesses producing products for commercial purposes may incur a nominal usage fee. Businesses can also explore exceptions to this rule by contacting ELIA Life Technology.