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Posted by Francis Whitehead on January 4, 2024
Since 2019, every year on the 4th of January is World Braille Day, which raises awareness of this great language invented so those with visual impairments are able to read and write.
Braille is a tactile representation of letters and numbers using combinations of six dots to represent each symbol, and even musical, mathematical and scientific symbols.
Braille is named after its inventor, Frenchman Louis Braille.
When he was 3 years old, he ended up losing his eyesight when he accidentally stabbed himself in the eye with his father’s awl. After this, he spent time at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in France, where he came up with this system of raised dots that eventually became the Braille we all know today.
Braille gradually came to be accepted and taught throughout the world as the main form of written information for blind people. Unfortunately, Braille didn’t have the opportunity to see how useful his invention had become. He passed away in 1852, two years before the Royal Institute began teaching Braille.
Marking the tremendous impact on the blind community his invention made, the United Nations decided to mark his birthday, the 4th of January, as World Braille Day.
Braille isn’t just used to transcribe books. It is also used on signage in public spaces, such as lift keypads, door signs and on restaurant menus, and for labelling everyday items like medications.
Braille offers a system for labelling all kinds of items (CDs, DVDs, food packaging, documents and more), which aids independent living in a person who has lost their sight.
As far as accessibility goes, Braille offers some fantastic ways of fun and inclusivity for the visually impaired.
For example, recently LEGO have brought out a Braille construction set that allows people to learn Braille and form their own sentences using the bricks with the raised studs.
Speaking of toys and games, here are some accessible aids that have Braille integrated so everyone can enjoy the fun.
We’ve recently brought in this fantastic Braille UNO playing card set that allows those with visual impairments to be able to join the fun.
Not only that, but we also have a Snakes and Ladders game with integrated Braille too. Each square has Braille numbering and the two game pegs are shaped differently on the top so that each one is easily recognisable.
We often take our sight for granted and don’t understand the unique challenges that those with little or no sight face daily. So this World Braille Day, we can recognise the challenges the visually impaired face every day, as well as learning Braille for ourselves!
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