Perkins Brailler Machine
Ullapool Museum

In 1951, David Abraham worked as a woodworking teacher at the Perkins school for the blind and wanted the students to have better equipment to write braille with. His solution was the Perkins Brailler.  

The device allows users to type in Braille using a keyboard with six keys, one for each of the six dots in a Braille cell. The brailler stamps the dots onto the paper through a system of pins. The Perkins Brailler was an improvement over earlier Braille-writing equipment because it was more compact and it allowed for faster Braille production.  

The Perkins Brailler was an important invention because it made it easier for people without sight to write and communicate. It gave them more independence and freedom to express themselves and communicate with others.