Google, which values accessibility features, has announced the launch of a virtual Braille keyboard for Android created to allow visually impaired or blind people to type on their smartphone without additional hardware.
This keyboard can be used with all applications including social media and messaging applications.
Until today there were physical keyboards, which were very cumbersome and had to be plugged and unplugged each time they were used.
Google has announced TalkBack, a virtual Braille keyboard for Android that is currently only available for English-speaking users but additional languages are to come.
This keyboard supports Braille grade 1 and grade 2 and can be set up and activated like any other international keyboard.
It will be deployed on devices running Android 5.0 or later via an Android update on the Google Play Store.
The keyboard uses a standard 6-key layout and each key represents one of the 6 Braille dots which, when typed, form any letter or symbol.

For example, each key represents one of the 6 Braille dots which, when typed, form any letter or symbol:
Press dot 1 to type the letter A.
Press points 1 and 2 to type the letter B.
Press points 1 and 4 to type the letter C.
Press points 1, 4 and 5 to type the letter D.
A scan to the left deletes a letter, while a scan to the left with two fingers deletes a word. Dragging to the right adds a space, while a two-finger drag to the right or upward inserts a new line or text, respectively.
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