1995.1

VersaBraille System

(a) VersaBraille unit; (b) power supply.

H-4.625 W-13.5 D-9.75 inches

ca. 1982

Telesensory Systems, Inc.

Mountain View, CA

Versabraille was a portable braille word processor that stored and recovered data on cassette tapes. When introduced by Telesensory in December 1979, it became the first refreshable braille device designed in the U.S. It was inspired by the Elinfa Digicassette invented by Oleg Tretiakoff in France 1975-1977. Input was by braille keyboard, output used a 20-cell refreshable braille display. "The first piece of computer equipment for the blind and the first refreshable Braille system. It was 20 years in the development stage and was a real breakthrough in technology for the blind." --donor's letter. Telesensory Systems was a leading accessibility technology firm founded in 1970 at Stanford University.

Gift of Mary C. Kozy, 1995.1