Strategy
BrailleSense Polaris: Check Spelling
Not a perfect speller/typist? Learn how to use this spell checker tool!
BrailleSense Polaris is a braille notetaker with a 32 cell refreshable braille display, Perkin’s style keyboard with a backspace and enter key, and a small LCD Display.
One of the features I like about the word processor of the Polaris is check spelling. This summer, I introduced my elementary student to using check spelling as a tool to assist her when editing written work. Just like spell check in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, it is by no means perfect. However, check spelling is an additional tool that nonvisual learners benefit from using as their peers have access to spell check in most word processing documents. I want to note that all students with visual impairment need to know how to spell words correctly. If the student’s attempt to spell a word is extremely off, check spelling will not provide accurate suggestions for the misspelled word.
This video demonstrates how to use check spelling in the word processor. The command for check spelling is Enter + K. It opens the check spelling dialog and begins checking the document for mistakes once the user selects this option. Tab, also known as F3 moves you to the next control, while Space + F3 moves you to the previous control in check spelling. Press Tab until you get to “suggestions.” Space + Dot 1 and Space +Dot 4 move you through the list of suggested spelling words.
By R Saladino
