RoboBraille as a UDL Tool: Evaluation of the Service Converting Printed Materials into Speech and Braille in Poland

RoboBraille is a free-of-charge online service used to convert black-printed texts into an audio or Braille format. After its creation in Denmark, it has since been implemented in many other countries. The aim of the research conducted in Poland was to clarify the performance of the service in a Polish context (a web-based questionnaire was created). The main group of examined users consisted of students and teachers of pedagogy. Results RoboBraille proved to be a tool of high usability. The availability of the service free of charge was an important reason to test it. The service was used both by people with visual and reading impairment and by those without dysfunctions. Over 93% of the recipients wish to use it again, although only 9.5% were visually impaired. The utility of RoboBraille for different groups makes it not stigmatizing. In the cases of visual and reading impairments, RoboBraille is a necessity in converting text to alternate formats, while for people without disabilities, RoboBraille can serve as an assistive learning tool or be of entertainment purposes. Attracting the attention of teachers and students to RoboBraille may promote the use of the service among a larger user group of dyslexic, blind, low-vision and old-age people.