World Braille Day

World Braille Day History

World Braille Day is an international observance advocated by the United Nations (UN), aimed at raising awareness about the rights of visually impaired and partially sighted people for equal opportunities in education and means of communication. The observance recognises Braille, a tactile representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using six dots, as a crucial medium that promotes the educational progress, social inclusion, and economic independence of people with visual impairments.

The history of World Braille Day traces back to the birth date of Louis Braille, a Frenchman who became blind as a result of an early childhood accident and later invented the Braille system when only 15 years old. For Australians, World Braille Day holds particular significance as Australia is home to around 350,000 people who are either blind or have low vision, according to Vision Australia. Many of them rely on the Braille system for daily life activities, education, and employment. The day serves as a reminder for Australia's commitment towards building an inclusive society where everyone has equal opportunities.

World Braille Day is observed in Australia through a variety of educational events, awareness campaigns and public speeches, organised by institutions like the Australian Braille Authority and Vision Australia. These programs are tailored towards promoting the importance of Braille in achieving equality for the visually impaired, and also to inspire the sighted community to learn and support the use of this system. World Braille Day in Australia falls on the same date as the global observance, which is January 4th, each year.

Facts about World Braille Day

• It is a myth that Braille is a language. It is actually a code that can be adapted to almost any alphabet-based orthography, or other system relating to writing.
• Tilly Aston established the first Braille library in Australia in 1894 in Melbourne, which was later renamed The Braille and Talking Books Library of the RVIB (Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind).
• Australian law requires that people with disabilities have access to information and services on an equal basis with others. This includes the provision of Braille format materials, such as utility bills, bank statements, and other important documents.

In the News and Trending in Australia for World Braille Day

Top things to do in Australia for World Braille Day

• Explore Writing Peace, an informative manual that allows you to discover contemporary writings by introducing you to various languages. Braille is one of them featured in the manual. Learn more about its history and how it is used.
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