Every year on January 4, World Braille Day is commemorated. Louis Braille (1809-1852), the French creator of the reading and writing code for the blind, was born today. They exclusively used the Parisian school for the Blind code, where Louis Braille studied and eventually taught. Today, Braille codes exist for almost every written language in the world, allowing blind people worldwide to become literate and benefit from the benefits that literacy affords.
World Braille Day serves as a reminder that much more needs to be done to prevent the decrease of Braille literacy. Still, one way we can contribute is to raise awareness of how Braille allows blind individuals to turn their ideas into reality.
Thousands of blind individuals use Braille daily for everything from grocery lists to can labeling, from reading books to solving arithmetic and scientific problems, and from learning to compose music.
Braille signs are becoming more widely available, making it more straightforward for blind persons to navigate hotels, business buildings, government institutions, university campuses, and other places. Braille is as adaptable as a print, takes about the same amount of time to master and can be read with the same fluidity.
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History of World Braille Day:
Every January 4, World Braille Day is commemorated to honor the invention of this unique reading and writing system and promote awareness of Braille’s value as a method of communication for blind and partially sighted individuals all over the world.
They chose this date because it is the birthday of Louis Braille, the system developer, who was born on this date in 1809 in France.
Even though Braille was blind in both eyes as a child, he excelled in school and was offered a scholarship at France’s Institute National des Jeunes Aveugles (Royal Institution for Blind Youth) in Paris.
While studying there at the age of fifteen, Braille invented a tactile representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using a set of six dots that may represent letters, numbers, scientific, mathematical, and even musical symbols. Braille based his technique on an older code called “Ecriture Nocturne” created by French countrymen Charles Barbier de la Serre (Night Writing). This older approach was enhanced and simplified by Braille.
Braille is an ingenious and game-changing technology that allows blind and partially sighted persons to read and write the same material printed in visual typefaces in practically any language. Braille lets the blind and partially sighted communicate information, allowing them to be more independent and equal.
In addition to conventional literature, Braille is used on banknotes in several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Israel, Russia, Australia, and Mexico. Building signs must be in Braille in the United States and other nations, and all pharmaceuticals must be labeled in Braille in the United Kingdom and some other countries.
Why Is World Braille Day 2022 Important?
The value of World Braille Day 2022 as a means of communication for the blind and visually handicapped is commemorated on World Braille Day. The day’s goal is to increase awareness of the Braille language, which aims to bridge the gap between regular people and those with disabilities.
World Braille Day 2022 commemorates the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, who is best known for creating a language for the blind and visually impaired. Coupvray, France, is home to the creator of a widely used touch technology that allows blind people to read and write.
After being irreparably blinded at the age of three by a leatherworking awl in his father’s saddle-making business, Braille devised a technique of writing that used an awl-like stylus to punch marks in the paper that could be felt and read by blind people. He largely ignored the approach until Braille died of sickness in poverty on January 6, 1852, in Paris.
In a proclamation released in 2018, the United Nations declared January 4 to be World Braille Day.
You may mark the occasion by posting information on the importance of Braille on social media. Or you can learn more about Braille at home with tools from the Perkins School for the Blind, which include a fun rap song, mnemonics for learning dot patterns, and even free books.
Things to Know About Braille on World Braille Day 2022:
January 4 is World Braille Day, which commemorates the birth of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system. The day honors Louis Braille’s accomplishments in assisting blind and visually impaired individuals in reading and writing.
Here are some Braille facts you may not know (article originally featured on the Perkins School for the Blind website).
- Braille’s life as a military code is known as “night writing.” It was invented by the French army in 1819 to allow troops to communicate at night without talking or using lamps. Louis Braille, a fifteen-year-old French schoolboy, discovered the code and later produced the more practical, simplified form of the Braille alphabet that we know World Braille Day 2022.
- Braille is the name of an asteroid. On its journey to photograph the Borrelly comet in 1999, NASA’s Deep Space 1 spacecraft sailed by an asteroid. NASA named the asteroid “9969 Braille” in honor of Louis Braille.
- Braille books are much larger than print books since it takes up more space than the conventional alphabet. The “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” Braille book is ten volumes long, whereas the “New American Bible” is 45 volumes long and “Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary” is 72 volumes long.
- In the conventional sense, Braille is not a language. It’s a tactile alphabet that allows you to write in almost any language. Braille translations of Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, and many more languages.
- The majority of blind individuals aren’t familiar with Braille. The National Federation of the Blind reported in 2009 that just 10% of blind people in the United States could read Braille. This number is dropping as more visually impaired people use audiobooks, voice-recognition software, and other technology to read and write. Those who are Braille literate, on the other hand, are more likely to be educated and employed, according to the same study.
- The word “Olympics” is written in Braille. The Braille Institute in Los Angeles organizes the Braille Challenge for blind pupils. Over 1,400 pupils from the United States and Canada put their Braille abilities to the test in reading comprehension, proofreading, and spelling. Each age category has a winner who receives a monetary reward.
- You don’t have to study mathematics just because you’re blind. The Nemeth Code is a unique kind of Braille explicitly designed for mathematics. Dr. Abraham Nemeth created it, and they may use it to transcribe arithmetic, algebra, and calculus.
- You don’t have to study arithmetic simply because you’re blind. The Nemeth Code is a unique Braille version designed specifically for mathematics. Dr. Abraham Nemeth created it, and they may use it to transcribe mathematics, algebra, and calculus.
- In the 2010 film “The Book of Eli,” Braille is a surprising narrative twist. Denzel Washington stars as a loner carrying the last known copy of the Bible who journeys through a dangerous post-apocalyptic landscape. The Bible is written in Braille, and Washington’s character is blind.
As most people know, Louis Braille developed World Braille Day after becoming blind due to accidentally gouging his eye out and contracting an infection that impacted his second eye. After discovering a sort of night writing used by the French military, Louis devised Braille.
It’s crucial to commemorate World Braille Day, or at the very least talk about it afterward, since it serves as a reminder of how important Braille is. Braille helps those who have lost their vision to read print and maintain their independence. Louie Braille died in 1852 without realizing the significance of his creation for future generations.
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What is World Braille Day’s significance?
Since 2019, World Braille Day has been observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a communication medium in the complete fulfillment of the human rights of blind and partially sighted persons.
What will the theme of World Braille Day be in 2022?
According to the United Nations, even under normal circumstances, those with disabilities one billion people worldwide are less likely to access health care, education, employment, and community involvement.
When you mention Braille, what precisely do you mean?
Braille is a pattern of raised dots that may be read with the fingertips by blind or have low vision. In the conventional sense, Braille is not a language. Instead, it is a code that enables the writing and reading of various languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and a slew of others.
Who Invented World Braille Day and When Was It First Celebrated?
World Braille Day honors the French educator Louis Braille, who devised the Braille way of reading and writing for the visually impaired.
Why is January 4 designated as World Braille Day?
Since 2019, January 4 has been designated as World Braille Day worldwide. The goal of the day is to raise awareness about the importance of Braille as a form of communication in the full realization of the human rights of blind and partially sighted persons.
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