Main content

Reading books from NNELS Using the QBraille XL

Last Updated: February 5, 2025

There are two ways to read books in Braille on the QBraille XL Braille display: Open the book on a computer or mobile device with the Braille display paired, or transfer the title to an SD card and open it directly on the QBraille XL.

Downloading Titles

Before reading books with the QBraille XL Braille display, we need to download them. If you are unfamiliar with the process of finding and downloading books, please check out the following tutorials:

When you find titles available in multiple formats, you may be wondering which is the right one for the display, we recommend e-text format, such as EPUB, DOC, RTF, or PDF. 

Reading on a computer or mobile device with the QBraille XL paired

If you're already comfortable reading ebooks on your PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device, you can read on the QBraille XL while still having access to all of the features of your favourite screen reader and ebook reading app.

Steps to start reading 

  1. Connect the QBraille XL to your computer or mobile device using Bluetooth or USB. If this is your first time using the QBraille XL, the instructions to do this can be found in the user manual, located at https://selvasblv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/QBraille-XL-User-Manual-Rev-190614-1.pdf. Under section 4. Connectivity, follow the instructions for the type of device and screen reader you are using.
  2. Download a book from NNELS in an e-text format, such as EPUB, DOC, RTF, or PDF.
  3. Open the downloaded book in a compatible app such as Thorium Reader, Microsoft Word, Dolphin Easy Reader, Apple Books, or any other app you're already comfortable using to read ebooks.
  4. You're all set!

Text will appear 40 cells at a time on the Braille display. The up and down buttons located on either side of the display area will navigate to the next or previous 40-cell line. You can also use the keyboard to input any navigation command supported by your screen reader or ebook reader app; pressing 1-2-5 to send the letter H, for example, will jump to the next heading in Thorium for Windows, while ctrl and dots 1-2-4 is the same as pressing ctrl-F and will activate the find feature in any supported app.

Images will be identified with the letters 'img', followed by the image description if one is provided.

Headings will be identified by the letter h followed by a number corresponding to the heading's level. This will appear after the text of the heading.

Links will be identified with the text 'lnk' after the text of the link.

Reading directly on the QBraille XL

Using an SD card, you can open and read books directly on the QBraille XL. This removes the need to remain connected to another device, so this method is ideal when travelling, reading in bed, or other situations where having two devices nearby is inconvenient. It is also the ideal method for reading books in BRF format, as ebook readers on other platforms cannot open Braille files. Do be aware that navigation options are more limited in the on-board document reader: table of contents navigation is not supported, and common screen reader quick navigation options such as jumping to headings and links are not available. It also does not support books in EPUB format.

Steps to start reading

  1. Download a book from NNELS in a supported format. Supported formats are BRF, TXT, RTF, DOC, DOCX, and PDF.
  2. If the book you downloaded came in a zipped format, you will need to unzip it. Open the .zip file, copy the contents and paste them outside the .zip file. If you prefer to use an alternative program for handling .zip files, feel free to use that instead.
  3. Transfer the book file or files to an SD card. There are two ways to do this:
    1. If your computer has an SD card slot, insert the SD card and paste the files onto it. Insert the SD card back into the QBraille XL when you are done.
    2. If your computer doesn't have an SD card slot, or if you just prefer not to have to remove the SD card, press mode+space on the QBraille XL to enable mass storage. This allows your computer to access the SD card as if it was a flash drive. Copy and paste the files into this drive, then press mode+space on the QBraille XL again to disable mass storage mode.
  4. In the main menu of the QBraille XL, locate Notepad using the up and down arrow keys and press enter.
  5. Locate the file you'd like to open by using the arrow keys, and press enter. If the file is within a folder, press enter on the folder, and continue navigating until you select the desired file. If you prefer, you can press ctrl-R, which is ctrl and dots 1-2-3-5, instead of enter to open the file in read-only mode. This lets you read a document without the risk of a wrong button press accidentally inserting rogue letters or symbols into your perfectly nice book.
  6. You're all set!

Text will appear 40 cells at a time on the Braille display. The up and down buttons located on either side of the display area will navigate to the next or previous 40-cell line.

Other document navigation commands are as follows:

  • Jump to the next paragraph: ctrl+down arrow
  • Jump to the previous paragraph: ctrl+up arrow
  • Move back by 25 lines: page up
  • Move forward by 25 lines: page down
  • Jump to the start of the file: ctrl+home
  • Jump to the end of the file: ctrl+end
  • Find text: ctrl and dots 1-2-4, type the text to search for and press enter. Press enter again to search for the next occurance, or press dots 1-2 to search for the previous occurance.
  • Set a bookmark: ctrl and dots 1-3-4, then enter a letter from a-z to name the bookmark.
  • Go to bookmark: ctrl and dots 2-4-5, then type the letter of the bookmark to jump to.