by Lisa Hartford, National Communications Coordinator,
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Our ability to communicate, especially to read and write, is one of our most valuable tools as humans beings. Thanks to Louis Braille’s «six magic dots», individuals who are blind and visually impaired also enjoy this most essential freedom. Braille has been a successful reading and writing system since it was developed by Louis Braille in 1829, and has provided a world of opportunity for people who are blind and visually impaired to enjoy intellectual freedom, entertainment, and equality.

Louis Braille was blinded at the age of three after an accident with an awl in his father’s harness-making workshop. He soon became frustrated with the large raised letter alphabet he used while learning to read and write as a young student. While attending a school for the blind years later, Louis met a French artillery officer who gave him the idea of reading by tactile code. After much experimentation, Louis improved on that method and developed a reading and writing system that is used around the world today.

The braille system is based on groupings of dots, or «cells». Each braille cell is comprised of six dots arranged in a specific order. Numbers, punctuation marks, and even musical notes are also represented in braille. Like any language, it takes time and practice to learn braille, but the rewards are innumerable. Studies have shown that Canadians who are blind and visually impaired who read and write braille have achieved higher levels of education and employment than those who can’t.

The importance of braille can be easily measured by imagining a world in which print is inaccessible to you. How would you order your meal in a restaurant or buy food in a grocery store? Could you read your bank statement or play cards with your friends? Financial institutions, restaurants, government agencies, and even playing card manufacturers have responded to the need to provide their products and services in braille. However, less than 3% of published material is accessible to print-disabled Canadians. Advancements in technology have facilitated a greater access to information, but technology will never replace basic literacy skills. Braille literacy is essential to a productive and vibrant life for an increasing number of Canadians, whether they’ve been blind since birth, or whether they’ve grown increasingly visually impaired over the years.

There is still much to be accomplished if we are to face the challenges of Canada’s looming crisis in vision loss. As our population ages, the demand for accessible products and services for individuals who are blind and visually impaired will reach unprecedented proportions. To help promote braille literacy and increase awareness of these important issues, the Honourable Herb Gray, Deputy Prime Minister, and The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) declared February 9, 2000 as the first Braille Day in Canada. This proclamation will help ensure that braille literacy continues to be promoted and supported in Canada, and that one day, individuals who are blind and visually impaired have the same access to published material as sighted people.

For more information, contact CNIB, 1929 Bayview Ave,. Toronto, ON M4G 3E8, Tel. (416) 480-7021, Fax: (416) 480-7019, Website: http://www.cnib.ca/