National Braille Week

National Braille Week organised by the charity Royal Blind is held in the second week of October every year and coincides with World Sight Day.  This year National Braille Week will be celebrated from 8-14 October 2018 – more than 200 years after the birth of Louis Braille.

It’s amazing to think that the system of reading and writing for use by the blind and visually impaired invented by Louis Braille in 1824 remains virtually unchanged today!  In a world where communication is everything, living without it would be impossible.

So who uses Braille?  Millions of blind, deafblind and visually impaired people worldwide.  Braille allows people to read books, exam papers and other important documents that need to be understood to get through life and the working world.  It also lets people use computers in a society where technology is used nearly everywhere we go.  Even some mobile phones are fitted with Braille coding!

Although helping people with braille has been a huge success, there is still lots more to be done.  Braille on mobile phones is miles away from developing countries who just can’t afford enough braille books. Some facilities like bank machines and button panels on elevators still don’t have Braille.  These are basic tasks that should be easy to come by when you’re getting through the day.

So when the important week comes around, visually impaired people, along with their family and friends, will be taking part in events all around the country.  In the past people have celebrated by taking part in essay competitions or Braille readings.

It really is happening everywhere.  Postage stamps with Louis Braille’s picture have been published in many places and an asteroid called Braille orbits our planet in space!

If you’re interested in finding out more about Braille, visit the National Braille Week website.