# Background

In the world of reading and learning for people who are blind or visually impaired, braille has always been an essential medium. However, braille transcription has long been limited by inadequate tools and outdated systems. This becomes especially challenging when Chinese text is mixed with English, symbols, or proper nouns, often requiring repeated manual judgment and correction. The process is time-consuming and prone to ambiguity.

DotExpress was created in response to these challenges. It is a practical text-to-braille translation tool designed to convert Chinese, English, and multilingual content into fixed-width braille layouts that can be printed directly, serving as the foundation for producing braille teaching materials and documents. Its core strengths include accurately handling English embedded in Chinese text, as well as supporting both UEB Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille rules, significantly improving consistency and professionalism in braille reading.

For braille transcribers, DotExpress represents more than just a new tool—it marks a shift to a modern workflow. Transcription work no longer needs to be confined to legacy systems. Transcribers can now operate within a Windows graphical environment and complete professional braille transcription tasks independently, efficiently, and with greater freedom.

For special education teachers and braille professionals, DotExpress reduces the burden of preparing teaching materials while improving transcription accuracy and efficiency. For parents and teaching assistants, it enables classroom content, handouts, and supplementary materials to be converted into braille immediately, helping students with visual impairments stay on pace without delays.

More importantly, DotExpress was designed from the outset with “shared use by blind and sighted users” and accessibility as core principles. Whether users are visually impaired or sighted, everyone can work within the same software environment and collaborate effectively, fostering truly inclusive learning and professional settings.

DotExpress is not merely a text-to-braille tool. It is a bridge—connecting educational materials with access, professionalism with efficiency, and empowering people with visual impairments in the digital age to carry out braille transcription independently and apply their expertise with confidence.
