About Us

The Giuseppe Paccini Association ETS is a non-profit cultural organisation based in Verona, primarily active in developing software solutions for blind students. It originates from the decades-long experience of its founders, Giuseppe Nicotra, Luciana Formenti and Giovanni Bertoni, who had previously promoted European projects on visual impairment through the former organisations ARCA Progetti s.r.l. and Veia Progetti s.r.l. In particular, from 2000 to 2006 Bertoni led ARCA Progetti, coordinating pioneering EU initiatives such as the PLAY2 and LAMBDA projects, while Nicotra contributed as an expert at Veia Progetti and other academic institutions. The current association is named after Maestro Giuseppe Paccini (1876–1945), a blind pianist and composer from Bozzolo, in tribute to whom a project for the recovery and transcription of his works into Braille was carried out in 2008. The Paccini Association continues this path, formalising a network of skills and collaborations built over the years to promote the inclusion of visually impaired people through technology.

Research and Development Projects

Throughout its history, the association has coordinated numerous national and European projects that have led to widely used accessibility tools. Key initiatives include:
– PLAY and PLAY2, which led to the Braille Music Editor and the first online music libraries for blind musicians;
– VISUAL and TeDUB, focused on accessible e-learning and access to charts and technical drawings;
– LAMBDA, which introduced the 8-dot mathematical Braille code and a dedicated editor, now adopted as the Italian national standard;
– CONTRAPUNCTUS, which created the BMML Braille music XML format and an international digital library of Braille scores;
– educational projects such as Toccare i Numeri, Learning LAMBDA, Mus4VIP, MatHelp and OER4Lambda, producing accessible learning materials;
– DDMATH, awarded Best National Erasmus+ Project 2023, which developed digital tools for remote mathematics teaching.

Technologies Developed

Notable technologies created by the association include:
– Braille Music Editor, an international reference tool for reading and writing Braille music;
– LAMBDA, a complete system for accessible mathematics, now taught in all Italian schools;
– BMML, a standardised XML language for Braille music notation;
– additional tools such as EBKey, VisualLambda and Lambda 2.0 for blind and low-vision students.

Collaborations

The association collaborates with schools, universities, conservatoires, technology companies and blind organisations across Italy and Europe (UICI, ONCE, ACAPO, EBU, RNIB). These networks, built through major EU projects, have fostered international exchange and the adoption of the association’s solutions in several countries.

Training and Support

Each year, Paccini ETS organises training courses for teachers, educators and musicians, promoting the use of digital Braille tools. It also provides personalised technical and educational support, currently assisting more than 2,000 blind students worldwide. The association produces digital Braille transcriptions of music scores and school books — a service that became crucial during the 2020 shift to remote learning.

Publications and Materials

The association produces guides, manuals, accessible schoolbooks, digital music archives and scientific publications presented in international conferences. Its websites — braillemusiceditor.com and lambdaproject.org — offer free software, tutorials and resources.

Impact and Recognition

The association’s technologies are now reference standards in many European schools for the blind. The LAMBDA code has renewed Italy’s national guidelines for mathematics education, while BMML has been considered in international ISO standardisation processes. Award-winning projects such as DDMATH further confirm the association’s leadership in inclusive digital education.