BuddyBooks for Braille Readers helps kids read more Braille
Official title: BuddyBooks for Braille Readers (BB4B)
Funded at Objective Ed, INC. · NIH-11379632 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH-funded project uses AI-powered BuddyBooks to help blind and visually impaired students in grades 4–12 practice Braille reading outside classroom time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Objective Ed, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Wellington, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $306,872 |
| NIH project number | 1R43EY038508-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379632 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
BLR students in grades 4–12 who use Braille and have access to the BB4B system in participating schools.
✕Less likely to help
Students without access to the BB4B system or who do not participate in the reading practice sessions may not benefit.
What this research studies
BB4B offers an AI-assisted Braille literacy system that combines refreshable Braille displays with speech recognition to give BLR students feedback on their reading. It expands access to a large library of books and provides an instructor dashboard so teachers can tailor instruction based on AI insights. The project aims to show whether BB4B can feasibly be used in real schools and whether it improves reading fluency and comprehension beyond limited TSVI-led sessions. Participation would involve students using the BB4B tools to practice reading Braille in school settings and teachers monitoring progress through the dashboard.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, BB4B could boost Braille reading fluency and independence for BLR students, supporting better academic outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: This approach combines AI-assisted feedback with Braille literacy practice, an area with promising but emerging evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Objective Ed, INC.
Wellington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schultz, Marty — Objective Ed, INC.
- Study coordinator: Schultz, Marty
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.