Hasta La Ideas

Winners of the Philips Innovation Award, the Hable One is a tactile keyboard that lets the visually impaired send out texts by using Braille as an input. The wireless keyboard connects to the smartphone, using a series of 8 specialized keys that let the user type in Braille, while the keyboard itself translates the Braille input into an alphanumeric output that’s then sent to the phone.

The Hable One was designed to enable a faster, safer, more intuitive, and private texting experience. Designed around the Braille keyboard, the Hable One comes with eight easy-to-locate bumped tactile buttons that let you input everything from alphabets to numbers, spaces, and even punctuation. The keys even allow smartphone navigation, letting users cycle through and select apps from menus using the same 8 keys. Through the Hable One, visually impaired users are offered a more private messaging experience, rather than relying on voice-memos or voice-to-text features to send messages.

The keyboard is currently up for pre-order. There’s no mention of a price yet since the product’s still under development, but the Hable One could cost anywhere from €200-€300 depending on shipping and taxes. Hable Accessibility claims the cost could be brought down further if supported by insurance programs.

Designer: Hable Accessibility