World Braille Day: Every year 4th of January is celebrated as World Braille Day to raise the importance of Braille, which is a communication medium for blind and partially sighted people. Braille is a tactile writing system that can be read on both embossed paper and by using refreshable braille that displays connections to smartphone devices.
Braille Day was first initiated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2019 and January acts as Braille Literacy month. To bring the importance of Braille and Braille literacy, the event is celebrated throughout the month.
World Braille Day 2024: History
A French person named Louis Braille innovated the Braille system and was also blind from a very young age because of a car accident. Before the existence of this system, blind and visually impaired people used the Hauy system.
The Hauy system was a Latin system that was designed on leather or thick paper. This method allowed people only to read but not write. These shortcomings led Braille to develop a user-friendly Braille system.
Basically, the Braille system was code consisting of symbols and written raised dots. People touch it to recognize the Braille code for their communication.
World Braille Day 2024: Significance
This day plays a significant role in raising awareness among visually impaired people. WHO (World Health Organization) reports also suggested that visually impaired people are experiencing higher poverty rates and end up with inequality.
How Braille came into effect
The day also marks Louis Braille’s birth anniversary. He was the inventor of the Braille language and was born on 4th January 1809, in France.
World Braille Day 2024: How to read in Braille
The Braille typewriter does not have any bulged keys, rather it has six tactile keys that relate to each of the six dots in the braille cell which contains a space key, the entire button, and a backspace button.
People who have impaired vision use the touch to find out the Braille code to relate to understanding the text and messages.
