Today we are celebrating World Braille Day 2019.
World Braille Day marks the anniversary of the birthday of Louis Braille, who invented the reading and writing system for people who are blind or visually impaired.
After campaigning by the World Blind Union, World Braille Day has been declared as an international day to commemorate the importance of braille by the United Nations.
So it gives us all the chance to highlight the rights of people who are blind or visually impaired to have access to braille and to raise awareness about Braille.
Braille evolving
Braille works by representing letters of the alphabet and numbers in a series of raised dots and symbols that people who are blind or visually impaired can run their fingers over.
Braille is now used on everything from signs and lifts to cashpoints and bank notes.
As well as printed braille materials like books there are now a range of electronic braille reading devices available, in line with the growth of digital technology, and in particular assistive technology.
Electronic braille is produced using an electronic braille display, also known as refreshable braille displays, which work with a screen reader.
Devices like Canute 360, a standalone desktop multi-line Braille e-reader, are being developed to make reading digital Braille books affordable and practical.
Bristol Braille Technology
Canute 360, the world's first multi-line digital Braille e-reader, is currently being developed with, by and for the blind community by Bristol Braille Technology.
Canute 360 is compatible with all six-dot Braille codes and it can condense an entire Braille library into one device.
And Bristol Braille Technology efforts to build the revolutionary and radically affordable Braille e-reader have already been recognised.
We know first-hand because the initiative won the AbilityNet Accessibility Award at the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2017, and we are a proud sponsor of the awards.
Other devices available include the RNIBs revolutionary Orbit Reader 20, which has been created for people who are blind and offers them an easy and affordable way to read books and take notes.
These devices and others are revolutionizing braille and breathing new life into it using twenty-first century technology, which Louis Braille would surely love.
On World Braille Day 2019 we are proud to highlight how important developing new braille technology is to help people who are blind and partially sighted to access the world around them.
100’s of organisations already use Recite Me to make their websites more accessible for people who have disabilities like sight loss – call 0191 4328092 to find out more or book your free demo now.
