World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4th, every 12 months to honor the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille writing system. This day holds extremely good importance in elevating recognition approximately the significance of Braille as a technique of communication for people who are blind or visually impaired. The first World Braille Day was celebrated on January 4, 2019.

What is braille?

The Braille system has been devised to enable visually impaired individuals to read and write through touch. These include alphabetic, numeric, musical as well as mathematical and scientific symbols. The blind people or those with sight problems can use braille (given the name of its originator who lived in France in the 19th century) for reading books and journals that are printed using normal fonts. It includes raised dots organized in particular styles representing letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and even musical notation, allowing blind individuals to study and write independently. Braille is vital when it comes to education, expression and social inclusion as partially seen on article 2 of UNCRPD.

World braille day theme 2024:

World Braille Day 2024’s theme, “Empowering through Inclusion and Diversity,” stresses the dedication to a universe which accepts that the existence of visually challenged individuals should not only be recognized but as well they must be incorporated in every sphere of human life. It highlights the importance of unity within blind communities, pointing out that an inclusive environment is meant to allow all people irrespective of their capacities to live useful lives.

History:

The UN states, “In November 2018 (Resolution A/RES/73/161), the General Assembly decided to proclaim 4 January as World Braille Day, recognizing that the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms relies on an inclusive written promotion.” The first World Braille Day was celebrated and recognized worldwide the year after.

It is also Louis Braille's birthday on which the UNGA chose it as a commemoration day. When he was still a child, Louis Braille poked his own eye accidentally with his father’s awl and this led him to lose his sight. He started staying at France's Royal Institute for Blind Youth at age ten where he invented what is now commonly known as Braille. Unfortunately, he died in 1852, two years before the Royal Institute started teaching braille.

Importance:

World Braille Day serves as a platform to suggest for the rights of people with visible impairments, promote accessibility, and spotlight the significance of inclusive training and equal opportunities for all. It additionally celebrates the achievements and contributions of individuals who are blind or visually impaired to society.

Interesting facts:

• The French army developed Braille in 1819 as a means of nonverbal and non-luminary communication among soldiers during the night.
• In 1999, NASA’s Deep Space 1 spacecraft flew past an asteroid on its way to taking a photo of Borrelly’s Comet and called it “9969 Braille” after Louis Braille.
• Braille is a system of raised dots that can be used to write almost any language and comes in different versions such as Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Spanish and many others.
• Every word is spelled out in uncontracted braille while contracted braille contains familiar words written using shorthand notation.
• There is also Nemeth Code which is another form of Braille for mathematics and science alone.
• Braille versions of family favorites like Uno, Monopoly and LEGO are available.
• This annual contest hosted by the Braille Institute attracted over 1,400 students from Canada and the United States who came to examine their knowledge of braille.
• 300 words per minute can be read by a sighted person whilst some rapid brail readers can race through whole books at about four hundred words per minute speed.
• According to VFO (Vision Foundation Organisation), "braille takes up more space in literature."

Significance:

World Braille Day is a time when we can talk about the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, prevention and identification of eye diseases, as well as their cure. People with partial blindness and total blindness get to know how tough their lives are on a daily basis through World Braille Day. The governments’ negligence towards the blind also gets exposed by Braille Day.

However, today’s World Braille Day is not only dedicated in memory of Louis but also enlightens people on how important it is to use Braille for those who cannot see. Braille literacy and inclusion are promoted worldwide through events, workshops, and educational initiatives.