NLS provides refreshable braille e-readers and talking books to eligible patrons, and online services that enable patrons to select and download books from its extensive collection. In addition, NLS works closely with various partners who provide reading materials.

To customize the navigation level while reading a book, press Space with dots 2-4-5 (Dots are in alphabetic order). Choose the option which best meets your needs.

Features

The Zoomax Ereader was developed specifically for use by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). This compact, lightweight device features a standard 6-dot keyboard with space, backspace, enter, cursor routing keys. In addition, there is an attractive 20-cell Braille display as well as wifi, bluetooth and USB connectivity options.

Searching the eReader will enable you to easily locate books stored on it. To open its search menu, press Space with f (dots 1-3-4). Type part or all of a book title you are seeking into your search bar; your eReader will then list any matching titles and allow you to choose by pressing Up or Down thumb keys; for sorting results simply navigate back into its menu options and choose an available sorting option.

Battery life

Zoomax ereaders boast a battery life of four days on full charge, so to charge it simply plug the smaller end of the charging cable into either of the USB-C ports located on either side near the back – either up or down works! They accept it both ways.

Zoomax ereaders automatically enter Sleep mode when not being used to conserve power, with you being able to adjust how long this sleep mode lasts through its device settings. In addition, there’s also a power button located on its front panel which you can press to wake the device back up when necessary.

Wireless connectivity

The Zoomax Braille eReader is an elegant 20-cell refreshable braille device with WiFi, bluetooth and USB connections that provides standard 6-dot keyboard with space/backspace/enter (on dots 7/8) as well as 20 cursor routing keys and 11 function keys – designed specifically to be used by patrons of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) patrons to read books and magazines both online and offline.

This device boasts a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi capability, connecting to your host device through either Bluetooth or USB. The configuration menu offers various settings to personalize your experience – for instance, setting file sort order parameters can help tailor how files and folders appear, as well as choosing whether vibrating notifications should sound out at certain events.

To connect your eReader with another device, choose Add Bluetooth Device from the Braille Display Menu. After a brief period of “loading,” your eReader will display a list of wireless networks it has discovered using thumb keys Up/Down; press Enter when selecting one and you’ll be asked for its password.

The eReader can connect to a host computer or smartphone via its included USB-C cable, making this option accessible via either the Main Menu or by pressing short key combinations p and b (dots 1 and 2). Furthermore, BARD, NLS’s online service for purchasing books and magazines, can also be accessed.

Context menus

Zoomax ereaders feature context menus to assist with navigation of their device. These menus are accessible by pressing Enter with dots 1-3-4 (m), or Space with dots 1-2-5 (h). These context menus allow for accessing information about various processes and applications running on your device as well as finding information that pertains to them.

The ereader features a feature that enables you to highlight specific passages within a book, which can help navigate long passages more easily. To highlight a passage, press Enter with “m” or Space with “h”, select your passage, and use Up or Down thumb keys to navigate through it; alternatively you may also use Left/Right thumb keys to navigate text horizontally.

Bookmark Menu is another key feature, providing access to information regarding where your bookmarks are. From anywhere on your device, press Enter with m or Space with h to access this menu, which also enables setting of starting positions of bookmarks.

From the Main menu, press Enter with either “t” or “d”, which opens the Date and Time application. It shows your current device time as well as options to view the date or return to time by panning left or right. eReaders offer the ability to download books and magazines. To do this, first open up book reader menu before choosing an item from its list before downloading one to your device. Lastly, book reader menu also provides “close app” option which closes ereader and returns you back to Main Menu.

Keyboard

The NLS Zoomax braille ereader boasts an extensive keyboard capability. This includes standard 6-dot keys such as space and backspace (on dots 7 and 8), plus 20 cursor routing keys that allow users to navigate the device as an external keyboard for writing on host devices, including both Bluetooth and USB connections. To connect with host devices via Bluetooth or USB connections, access the Braille Display Menu by pressing Up thumb key until reaching “Bluetooth Connection,” wait a few seconds, then press Up thumb key again until “Bluetooth Connection” appears; after which, screen will read “Activating Bluetooth” until content from ereader is displayed correctly on host device.

The File Manager on an ereader allows users to efficiently organize files and folders, sorting by name, date, size, and type. Using arrows you can change sort order or even reverse results. Furthermore, other features of the device allow you to move by line or condense blank lines while also controlling whether your reader vibrates or beeps to notify of events.

The keyboard of an ereader also includes several shortcut keys that enable you to perform various actions with just one keystroke. These “chords,” commonly paired with either the Space key or Backspace key (dot 7), enable users to quickly complete specific actions – for instance pressing m will bring up the Main Menu.