You will need to install and use Perky Duck software for Brailling on a standard computer keyboard. This software comes in Macintosh and Windows versions and can be downloaded free of charge from
http://www.duxburysystems.com/freeware.asp
Please be advised that Duxbury Systems, Inc. does not provide support for Macintosh users installing the Perky Duck software.
You will also need to download and install the SimBraille font on your computer. The file you need is free and located at:
http://duxburysystems.com/downloads/duxbrlf.exe
You will also need Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.
Finally, you will need a keyboard that responds to simultaneous six-key input, in other words, a keyboard that has been manufactured to the original IBM PC specification. If you're talking to a computer tech, you will want to ask for an "IBM PC down/up encoded keyboard with n-key rollover."
Be aware that many newer computer keyboards are NOT suitable. To determine if your keyboard will work, start a new document in any word processing program. Then press the keys sdf jkl all at the same time. Note what appears on the screen. A properly configured keyboard will generate all six letters (sdfjkl) on the screen--but not necessarily in that order.
Each time you press all six keys at once, you should see all six of the letters you pressed on the screen. If this occurs, your keyboard will be perfectly acceptable for braille entry.
If your keyboard generates only three or four letters instead of six, it will not work for Braille entry. Your instructor will be able to suggest affordable replacement keyboards that will meet your needs.