Describes how a braillewriter can be used as a calculation tool for students with visual impairments who are learning mathematics. Provides strategies for teaching students to use the braillewriter in the addition and subtraction of whole numbers and numbers with decimals, multiplication, division, and fractions. (CR)

This historical study describes the development of braille and non-braille devices designed to aid the blind in arithmetic computations. Several such devices are described and evaluated. The author concludes that documentation of the development of arithmetic devices is unavailable, especially about the nature of 17th and 18th century devices…