Express Activity 5: Your Vision for the Monarch in Employment & Transition

Expanded Core Curriculum Mastering the Monarch
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Discussion Prompt

In your post, reflect on the following:

Three ways the Monarch will change or improve instruction, training, or access to employment-related tasks for your students or clients. Consider digital literacy, assistive technology integration, workplace documentation, or professional communication.

I can see where the Monarch can be used not just in the classroom and through employment, but also in every day life. Instruction wise, the Monarch can be used in all core subjects. Graphing as used in Math and Science. Writing papers and reading as in English and History. I can see where the Monarch can be used to teach a Kindergartener how to write their name while also helping a college student find resources for articles. I can also see where the Monarch can teach elementary age students about plants and animals while also teaching middle and high schoolers about plant and animal cells. The Monarch can also teach elementary age students how to read their first bar graph while also help high school and college age students graph quadratic equations.

Two features you are most excited to teach or use with your students or clients in workplace settings. This could include tools like the Tactile Viewer for reviewing workplace maps, the Braille Editor for document creation, or Math Mode for completing job-related calculations.

I am very excited to see how the Monarch will affect tactile maps. My clients that I job coach with almost always need me to create tactile maps of their work areas to help them when they are new to a position. My maps always include the break room, cafeteria, bathrooms, bossā€™s office, work station, and anything that has a priority within the position my client needs. These maps evolve overtime. I cannot wait to see my students and client put these tactile maps to use on the Monarch. I am also excited to see my students and clients save their appointments in the Monarch.

One way the Monarch will help individuals interact with colleagues, supervisors, or team members in a professional environment. Think about note-taking in meetings, reading digital files, or accessing job-related training materials.

I think the Monarch will help with calendars and organization. I can certainly see where it is a great note-taking tool.

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Hi Jason,

I think this would be great too! It would help with learning a new work environment, campus, and also the community. My students and clients often use the city bus so help with bus stops and bus lines would be very effective!

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Hi William,

I think on the file is under used in these discussions because we are not always privileged enough to get materials ahead of time to make them accessible. Sometimes ahead of time means 5 minutes at best. The Monarch can help with a lot of the on the fly stuff.

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A useful feature to note in displaying documents for sighted colleagues is the Preview mode of KeyWord (Enter with V). It is described in the Monarch documentation.

I considered using it to display the text of my slides at a recent in-person presentation. (It wouldnā€™t have been ideal, but nonetheless useful to the audience.) Unfortunately, I didnā€™t have an adapter to connect the HDMI output of the Monarch to the display in the seminar room, which had a USB-C port for video input.

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The Monarch is a powerful tool that has the potential to transform how individuals who are blind or have low vision access instruction, training, and workplace tasks. One of the most significant changes it brings is in digital literacy. Students can interact with the same digital materials their peers use, moving seamlessly between braille and tactile graphics without waiting for transcriptions. This builds confidence and independence in navigating digital environments. The Monarch also enhances access to workplace documentation by allowing users to review complex charts, spreadsheets, and manuals in real time. Finally, it supports professional communication by enabling students to create, read, and edit documents in workplace-ready formats, ensuring they can fully participate in collaborative projects and communication tasks.

Two features I am especially excited to teach are the Tactile Viewer and the Braille Editor. The Tactile Viewer will allow students to independently review workplace maps, organizational charts, and diagrams, which is particularly useful during onboarding or orientation in new environments. The Braille Editor will give students the ability to create polished documents, such as meeting notes or reports, directly in braille, strengthening their ability to communicate effectively in professional settings.

In addition, the Monarch will play a vital role in supporting professional interaction. By giving students the ability to take notes in meetings, review digital files, and engage with agendas or training materials in real time, the device ensures that they can remain active, responsive, and professional in their interactions with colleagues and supervisors. This increased access fosters both independence and confidence, making the Monarch a true game changer for workplace readiness.

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The three ways that I can think of that will improve employment related tasks are as follows;

Resume and cover letter building, applying for jobs, orientation and mobility of the workspace, notes for work meetings, accommodation request letters and so forth. It is a comprehensive tool and would take extensive training and would not be easy to lug around but ultimately in the end it will be very beneficial.

I think that tactile viewer for workplace maps and braille editor for the document creation for the above mentioned documents are the two areas that I am interested in.

I think note taking, accessing company and departmental notes during meetings through reading digital files and accessing job related materials in files will be the areas in which the Monarch will help support individuals in the workplace.

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Hello,

I am late in responding to this topic. However, like others have mentioned I am not in a rehabilitation teaching career path. I am a Blind government employee. So how I may use the monarch will differ greatly from those in a teaching or client based profession. For example, once I master the calculator that will be quite helpful in my day today as will the notetaking but not so much the tactile graphics or the ability to connect to a physical screen as I am allowed to use this device at work but cannot connect it to any work accessoriesdue to governmentā€™s.

Due to governmentā€˜s.

I do look forward to digging into the victor reader application. I appreciate that Humanware and A.P.H. have added this to the monarch and so far I have utilise it for notetaking. I appreciate for those who may not know braille very well there is the voice feedback. You can also combine the two which I find works well or have one or the other again Depending on oneā€™s situation. I personally also like that you can pick the voice library as I personally am not a fan of the American accent for text to speech and screen reading softwareso I always use Australia. So I do appreciate that and other language profiles are options for the monarch.

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Three Ways the Monarch Will Improve Instruction, Training, or Access to Employment-Related Tasks:

  1. Digital Literacy and Accessibility
    The Monarchā€™s integration of assistive technologies will significantly enhance digital literacy for students and clients with visual impairments. By providing easy access to digital content, including applications, websites, and documents, the Monarch ensures that individuals can complete workplace tasks efficiently. This includes everything from managing schedules to sending emails and participating in online meetings, ensuring that these individuals can fully engage in a technology-driven work environment.

  2. Workplace Documentation
    One of the key strengths of the Monarch is its Braille Editor, which will allow students and clients to independently create, edit, and format documents in Braille. Whether drafting emails, preparing reports, or taking job-related notes, individuals will be able to produce professional-quality documents without relying on others. This functionality will help bridge the accessibility gap in workplaces that rely heavily on written documentation, enabling individuals to maintain independence in their work tasks.

  3. Professional Communication
    The Monarchā€™s Braille display and text-to-speech capabilities will improve the way individuals with visual impairments communicate in professional environments. It enables them to read and respond to emails, participate in chat conversations, and engage in real-time communication with colleagues and supervisors. This feature helps to remove barriers to effective professional communication, fostering a more inclusive work environment.

Two Features Iā€™m Most Excited to Teach or Use in Workplace Settings:

  1. Tactile Viewer for Workplace Maps
    The Tactile Viewer is an exciting feature for helping students and clients understand and navigate workplace environments more independently. With tactile maps, individuals can feel and understand the layout of offices, buildings, or workspaces, which is especially beneficial in larger or more complex work environments. This ability to navigate space effectively is crucial for individuals who may face mobility challenges or need to learn workplace layouts for tasks such as safety protocols or room assignments.

  2. Math Mode for Job-Related Calculations
    Math Mode offers a highly useful tool for individuals who need to perform job-related calculations, such as those in finance, retail, or technical fields. The Monarchā€™s Math Mode allows users to easily perform calculations, from simple addition and subtraction to more complex measurements. This feature ensures that individuals can complete job tasks that require math with confidence and accuracy, empowering them to be more productive in roles that require numerical problem-solving.

One Way Monarch Will Help Individuals Interact Professionally:

Monarchā€™s note-taking functionality will allow individuals to take accurate and efficient notes during meetings or training sessions. By transcribing spoken communication into Braille or text, the Monarch enables individuals to stay engaged in conversations, capture key points, and refer to their notes as needed. This feature will enhance participation in professional environments, ensuring that individuals with visual impairments can contribute meaningfully to discussions and retain important information from meetings.

Optional Extension:

While I have not yet had the opportunity to work with the Monarch in a competitive integrated employment (CIE) setting, I can already see how these features could significantly enhance workplace participation and independence. The tools provided by the Monarch would help individuals navigate, document, and communicate in a way that fosters inclusion and maximizes their ability to perform job tasks.

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I think the Monarch will really help my students by teaching them how to organize their work and save files on their own, which builds independence. It also makes math and science more accessible since they can explore graphs and tactile graphics in a way thatā€™s hands-on. On top of that, it gives them practice with professional communication, like creating and sharing documents, which is useful not only in school but also in future jobs and daily life.

The two features I am most excited to teach are the Tactile Viewer and the Braille Editor. The Tactile Viewer makes it possible to explore workplace maps, charts, and diagrams, while the Braille Editor lets students create and format professional documents, resumes, or notes at will.

One way the Monarch will help individuals interact in a professional environment is by supporting note-taking during meetings. Students can type notes in braille as the meeting happens, save them, and then email them directly to a supervisor or team member. This shows they can participate actively, stay organized, and share information just like their sighted peers, which builds confidence and independence in the workplace.

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Thank you! Your points, and those of everyone so far, are hard to add to, but I especially appreciate your emphasis on those entering CIE being able to do so confidently. The Monarch is a powerful tool, useful for many important tasks in any job such as more quickly than ever before viewing graphics important in onboarding, taking notes and presenting fluently, and more than ever before being able to quickly produce professionally formatted documents. Being able to do mathematics and graphics in real time using the employeeā€™s Braille code of choice is powerful in both STEM and not-so-apparent STEM CIE settings.

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The Wing-It app is indeed a powerful tool in education settings at every level. In so many subjects, including math and science, it would allow for quick creation of on-the-fly drawings without the need for raised-line drawing kits and copious amounts of paper. In education and CIE settings, I can imagine a presenter drawing on a tablet connected to a projector for sighted viewers and also connected through the Wing-It app to a Monarch for a blind viewer.

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(3)

-Integrating accessible document access with online access for equal access in the workplace.

-Digital literacy for understanding panning/zooming, and point and click or tap interfaces.

-Notetaking and graphical image viewing related to workplace learning.

(2)

-I am excited to use the braille editor to take my own notes and see how creative I can be with multi line braille notetaking.

-Using tactile viewer to test viewing work related diagrams (and browsing science education diagrams)

(1)

-The Monarch will help read digital files in the workplace. (I just transferred to a new job in a different lab, and have been going through onboarding modules, being given digital documents of protocols, and needing to take lots of notes, so the example considerations in the prompts mentioned exact situations I was already thinking of)

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Three ways the Monarch will change or improve instruction, training, or access to employment-
related tasks for your students or clients:

As a CIE STEM professional, I regularly mentor students at the college level and those pursuing CIE; improvements that the Monarch will bring are

  1. the multi-line Braille display for writing, reviewing, and most efficiently formatting documents, including math equations and graphs fully usable by sighted colleagues using commercially available software such as MS Word
  2. the tactile viewer for viewing graphics, including those produced in work settings
  3. the Internet browser as another option for viewing websites with accessibility challenges and the ability to view graphics on websites with a simple point-and-click into the tactile viewer

Two features you are most excited to teach or use with your students or clients in workplace settings:

  1. the ability to write a document in a userā€™s Braille code of choice that can seamlessly include math equations and graphs

the Wing-It app for creating graphics with commercially available tablets. Iā€™ll conclude by emphasizing that this app is a powerful collaboration tool in work, and education, settings.

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The Monarch puts the blind, visually impaired and sighted on a more equal playing field. Whether it is graphing, multi-line text or tactile graphics these will improve productivity in the educational and work settings. Equations can be instantly graphed, maps can be instantly made and forms and resumes can be developed quickly. The format of a document can be better understood with the multi-line display. Cursive can be taught to those who are congenitally blind. Any chart, graph, grand staff for music can be shown quickly on the Monarch either with the Wing It app or the TGIL. Also, teaching braille techniques for reading with one hand then with two hands using the accordion method and changing the amount of spacing between the lines can be done instantly. This will be so much more efficient for my present students.

Two features you are most excited to teach or use with your students or clients in workplace settings. This could include tools like the Tactile Viewer for reviewing workplace maps, the Braille Editor for document creation, or Math Mode for completing job-related calculations.

I am most excited to teach using the Wing It app and TGI: and the Braille Editor together. As a long time braille teacher to adventitiously blind adults, so much of my work is done with the apps and tools on the Monarch. Also, being able to sign your own name on documents rather than using an X is important to me so the person is not perceived as an illiterate person. The Monarch has so much potential beyond what I can say here and even the Monarch is ā€œyoungā€. I foresee interior designers who become blind could develop and design plans using the features on the Monarch. I have remodeled my kitchen. My designer showed me a plan of the new kitchen. I can see this could be put on the Monarch by the designer or the consumer can feel the design of the future kitchen as a tactile graphic. In music, there are so many symbols such as notes, rests, slurs, dynamics and the grand staff itself that can be drawn with the Monarch.

I would like the day documents do not have to be altered so much before they are transcribed into braille. This will result in better communication and understanding during presentations. The person does not have to feel ā€œdifferentā€ and set apart from the other co-workers or peers.

I have so much to learn. Everyone has such eloquent answers that I am sure I can give a better answer to these thought provoking questions.

Some questions I have considered is the Wing It app needs to be learned by the presumably sighted person, if the graphic is done on the fly. I can see this app being used by TVIs and O&M instructors more than people in other fields. Of course, this may change. How effective the tactile graphic is depends on the experience of the person reading tactile graphics and the quality of the graphic. Years ago I was taught the uglier the graphic was visually the better it was tactually.

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When I think about how the Monarch will impact instruction and employment prep, three areas come to mind right away: digital literacy, workplace documentation, and professional communication. For students and adult clients, having a device that blends braille access with tactile graphics raises the bar for what they can do independently. Instead of relying on verbal or alt descriptions, they can directly explore materials like charts, spreadsheets, and diagramsā€”skills that directly transfer to tasks theyā€™ll encounter on the job.

Two features Iā€™m especially excited about are the Braille Editor for document creation and the Tactile Viewer for workplace-specific graphics. The Braille Editor gives clients the chance to practice producing professional documents in braille while also learning how to share them in formats that sighted colleagues can access. The Tactile Viewer opens the door to understanding things like floor plans, workflow charts, or even seating layouts in training sessions. Both tools make it easier to bridge the gap between classroom preparation and workplace expectations.

Another way the Monarch will support transition and employment is in how it helps individuals participate fully in professional environments. Note-taking in meetings, reviewing training materials, or accessing digital files can all be done more efficiently on this device. That kind of independence builds confidence. The Monarch is a device that I think can really change the mindset of the folks who are of the opinion that braille is becoming ā€œobsoleteā€. Instead the Monarch introduces a modern, professional method of accessing and producing information in braille and other tactile formats.

Overall, I see the Monarch as a way to raise the expectations for whatā€™s possible in employment settings through increased and more efficient access. It gives students and adults the tools to be more independent and confident as they enter or even return to the workplace.

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For taking notes on the MOnarch itself, you could consider a QWERTY keyboard (USB or Bluetooth). Obviously, this wouldnā€™t be very portable, but if youā€™re in an office setting it would be a viable choice.

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The Monarch is a comprehensive access and learning tool that redefines what is possible for people who are blind. From early literacy to advanced career readiness, the Monarch empowers users through tactile, auditory, and digital engagement.

Unlike traditional single-line Braille devices, the Monarchā€™s 10-line refreshable Braille display combined with tactile graphics capabilities, allows users to interact with charts, maps, math content, and other complex information in a far more intuitive and engaging way.

The integration with Screen Readers and External Monitors is critical for collaborative environments. Teachers, parents, and peers can visually follow along with what a blind user is reading or interacting with on the device. This real-time connection improves communication, instruction, and shared learning experiences.

The Educational & Productivity Apps like KeyMath and Victor Reader, as well as the potential for web-based Android app integration, the Monarch supports essential digital literacy and productivity skills.

The Monarch plays a vital role in preparing blind students for competitive integrated employment by Expanding Access to Learning Materials: Students gain full access to textbooks and literature in both Braille and audio formats, including tactile illustrations. This inclusive content delivery fosters deeper understanding and engagement. Many blind students struggle with spelling and grammar due to limited feedback from traditional tools. Monarchā€™s Braille input and output, combined with language learning apps, can help students develop stronger foundational writing skills. Devices that include tactile graphics and interactive feedback can make learning more engaging. Recently, when a young blind student at a Disability Expo experienced the Monarchā€™s tactile rendering of a butterfly, the interaction sparked both curiosity and excitement in him and his mother. She immediately recognized its potential to support her childā€™s literacy and learning at home and in school. By connecting the Monarch to external monitors, family members and educators can follow along with the studentā€™s reading or writing in real time. This fosters collaboration and allows caregivers to provide meaningful support at home.

Historically, people who are blind have been excluded from many careers due to inaccessible content, especially fields requiring visual analysis. The Monarch helps break down those barriers in fields that include but are not limited to:

ā€¢ Financial and Data Analysis

With access to multi-line Braille and tactile charts, users can review spreadsheets, graphs, and reports that were previously inaccessible opening careers in accounting, finance, data science, and business analysis.

ā€¢ Geography, Urban Planning, and Navigation

The ability to read and interact with tactile maps enables blind individuals to participate in fields related to orientation and mobility instruction, and urban planning.

ā€¢ Technical Writing and Document Review

With the Monarchā€™s document navigation and note-taking tools, users can efficiently draft, review, and edit complex documentsā€”essential for roles in content creation, law, education, and administration.

ā€¢ Customer Service and Office Support

The Monarch enhances productivity in roles that require multitasking between documents, emails, and other systems. Faster navigation and comprehension lead to better job performance and confidence.

As we continue exploring and sharing the Monarchā€™s full potential, we must continue advocating for broader access, innovative applications, and inclusive training to ensure that all individuals can benefit from this groundbreaking technology, and affordability so more Monarchs can reach more peopleā€™s hands.

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This is a good summary of the Monarchā€™s capabilities and potential. Anyone whose basic literacy skills (spelling, punctuation, grammar) are not well developed at primary and secondary school is very likely to be excluded from knowledge-intensive careers - in short, most of the work that modern society highly values. Whether this is fair is another question, of course, but I think it is a present reality.

Thus, I agree that the preparation at primary and secondary school levels is essential, hence the importance of acquiring braille proficiency as early as possible in a studentā€™s trajectory. Beyond this, the Monarch promises to be a superb access device in higher education and employment, especially as its screen reader compatibility improves (largely a software development issue for screen reader providers at this point), and as further application development takes place.

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This is the most exciting post in all the five activities for me, and something I have been shouting about since the day I got my hands on the Monarch, and even before, when the inception of the device was anounced, and it finally hit, I knew it would have some huge potential.I havenā€™t had the opportunity to teach a student in using this in a workplace yet, but, I am currently the student for all intents and purposes, because I use this in my workplace. I have gotten connected to our email account here at work, and I am currently working with jaws and other features getting used to navigating and working with spreadsheets in excel, something that I need to do on a monthly basis with statistics in our department, so I am leanring as I go. I hope to grow in the use of the Monarch over time as I go and my goal is to give a presentation using the Monarch. I would love to see a Power Point app, or something equivalent, even though now I can connect to Jaws using the mOnarch in Terminal to navigate,and that may be something I follow. I also canā€™t wait for the ability to connect the Monarch as a termianl to IOS devices and utilize some of those feautres, as I know that multiline braille is going to be supported in IOS soon as well. This product is the best of its kind, and even though other things advertise strongpoints, the MOnarch seems to be able to walk the talk as it were and do exactly what it says, and not what it claims and being someone who relies on assistive echnology, daily to do my job and perform my duties, both at home and at work, itā€™s a huge ability and I canā€™t wait to see where it goes from here. Iā€™m excited to be able to teach my patrons, and students more about the Monarch and the many things it will be able to open up, from reading freely, and getting everything exactly formatted as it should be, to navigating maps, graphics and images in a way that will be intuitive for the student, and a lot more engaging than conventional braille displays. I hae used many, the Braile Note Touch Plus, the Brailliant line ofproducts, the Chamelion, the Nls EReader and even freedom scientificā€™s line of displays over time. And, I have to say, the multiline display is what puts the mMonarch heads and shoulders above everything else. I am excited to be a part of this program, and riding toe forefront of this tech and canā€™tw ait to see where it leads. Hopefully weā€™ll see some slimmed down models soon, a lighter body weight, a more portalbe unit, and an even more intuitive line of apps, and integration of some third party apps that will come into play. I can envision this being a huge tool in music production, and creative writing as well. I have used this in my writing daily now for the past few months and plan to use it even more and will more than likely start composing my blog using the monarch now that I am getting more and more used to the unit. that has been my goal ad I am working daily to achieve that as an employee, and slowly becoming, a power user. I am excited for the chance to push this beyond the limits. Thanks again for the opportunity, I canā€™t express my excitement enough, and canā€™t wait to ge tthe chance to talk toand meet everybody else on this cohort. Iā€™m on facebook, and instagram, and all the things, so Iā€™m easy to find and will be osting more Monarch goodness soon there, and will possibly be doing an article in our library newsletter concerning the mOnarch when possible. So, I look forward to where it will take things. I ahve officially put the Braille note touch plus to the side, and have started replacing it, and other things with the Monarch and can be able to do that more, the more it continues to devleop. So, there it is. My initial ending thoughts on where weā€™re headed. I hope the excitement continues. Letā€™s take flight!!

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Tactual digital literacy is hereā€”and itā€™s a game changer for blind learners of all ages. My work, however, focuses primarily on blind adults who are learning technology and assistive technology to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to gain and maintain employment.

Three of the skills Iā€™m most excited to share or facilitate instruction on are word processing, virtual conferencing and tactual graphics using the APH Monarch. For years, Iā€™ve relied on and taught others to use single-line braille displays. The Monarchā€™s multi-line display takes this to a new level. It allows blind users to view not only the line theyā€™re currently writing but also the previous lines, which greatly improves their note-taking efficiency and overall effectiveness.

Even more importantly, the ability to perceive spacing and formatting on the display gives learners a much clearer understanding of how to structure and format their documents properly. This helps bridge the gap between writing and producing professional, well-formatted work.

Zoom and Teams meetings with the Monarch Multi-line Braille display will finally allow Braille users to participate equally in video conferences. Here to for we have had to listen to the discussion and also here the chat 2 cacophonous streams of audio which we had to decide to live with an endure or not using speech on demand. With the use of the Monarch and JAWS we can now split the display and view the chat in one segment and have access to the main interface window in the other segment. Now we can enjoy actively participating in the chat rather than waiting to harvest what we can when the conference has completed.

The Monarchā€™s tactual graphics library is another powerful tool. With access to thousands of tactile graphics, adults can explore and understand concepts that were previously difficult to grasp. Many adults who lose their vision also lose confidence in their abilities. Tactual graphics can change that. By giving them new ways to perceive and learn, we help restore confidence and open doors back into the workforce. Tactual digital literacy isnā€™t just about accessā€”itā€™s about empowerment, independence, and overall effectiveness.