Tunisian Engineers Develop First Personal Braille Printer Made in Tunisia, Africa, and the Arab World
In a groundbreaking achievement, three engineers from Mahdia, Tunisia, have designed and developed the first personal Braille printer made in Tunisia, Africa, and the Arab world. The printer, which took three years to develop, is priced at 3,000 dinars and comes with a free, locally-developed software. The goal is to democratize access to writing for the visually impaired and blind, a community that has long relied on expensive and inaccessible institutional equipment.
Montassar Moussa, co-inventor of the project, discussed the project's details on national radio on May 2, 2026. Moussa explained that the project originated from a chance encounter with a local resident who needed to repair a Braille printer imported from abroad for his son. With his background in robotics and electronics, Moussa and his two associates not only resolved the technical issue but also realized the extent of a structural void: the lack of a local, compact, and affordable solution for the general public.
This realization led to the birth of the TunBraille project in 2023. The key innovation lies in the printer's portability and ease of use. Unlike existing Braille printers, which are often bulky and confined to libraries, schools, or institutional settings, the TunBraille printer is compact, transportable, and designed for daily use at home. Moussa explained that the printer works without ink, using a hammer-embossing technique to create the raised dots characteristic of Braille writing. It connects to a computer via a USB cable and accepts common paper types, including recycled paper, which aligns with the project's sustainable development goals.
Locally-Developed Software for Automatic Braille Translation
The software, entirely designed by the team, is a central component of the device and is provided free of charge with the printer. It consists of two modules: a text input interface and an automatic translation engine that converts text into Braille without requiring prior knowledge of the Braille system. Moussa explained that the software can import PDF and Word files, restructure the layout, and produce a clean, readable Braille document. The printed page features two columns: the original text on one side and its Braille translation on the other. The software also includes voice assistance in Arabic.
Relief Graphics for Maps, Schemes, and Educational Content
Moussa confirmed that the printer can produce relief graphics, a feature that distinguishes it from many competitors. This capability is particularly useful for creating maps, educational schemes, and adapted materials for visually impaired students. Parents of blind children are already using this feature to create autonomous adaptations of games and educational content, filling a significant gap in the available offerings for this community.
Ambition to Make Tunisia a Reference Point for Disability Technology
Moussa emphasized that the team's ambition extends beyond the Braille printer. A Braille-themed board game is currently in development in partnership with a Tunisian company, aiming to stimulate the emotional and sensory intelligence of visually impaired children. Other assistive technology devices are also in the design phase. Moussa expressed a broader ambition: to make Tunisia a reference point, at the African and Arab levels, for the design and production of aids for people with disabilities, in all forms.
The startup, labeled under the Startup Act, is one of the twelve companies represented in the Ministry of Communication's pavilion at the El Kram International Fair, which runs from April 23 to May 3. After receiving national recognition from the ANPI in 2024, the team participated in the GITEX in Marrakech, Morocco, which confirmed the widespread need for such solutions in the Arab world and Africa. Moussa highlighted that financial constraints remain the most frequent obstacle in these regions, and the team's pricing model addresses this challenge. Orders are already being processed, and the team is working to increase production capacity, with discussions underway with partners to offer payment facilitations.
