World Braille Day

January 4, 2021 is World Braille Day. In 2018, the UN General Assembly officially designated World Braille Day as a day to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of human rights for blind or partially sighted people. World Braille Day marks the birthday of Louis Braille, born in France in 1809, who is credited with creating Braille, a widely used touch-reading and writing system for the blind. This is a special code made of 6 raised points on the grid. There are 63 combinations of these points, which means they can be translated into many languages, including music. Braille is essential for the literacy and lifelong learning of the blind, their freedom of expression and opinion, and social inclusion. This is in line with Articles 21 and 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on inclusive and equitable quality of education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. Celebrating World Braille Day, the World Union of the Blind calls on all countries to ratify and implement the Marrakesh Agreement, which allows the distribution of Braille and other accessible reading material without the threat of copyright infringement. This is a great way to ensure that Braille remains relevant with new technology. This is especially important given that in less developed countries, Braille production is expensive, which limits the availability of reading materials for the blind. Moreover, as the world struggles to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, access to information and reading material in accessible formats is essential for blind and partially sighted people. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to invite governments, policy makers and all other stakeholders to ensure that reading materials are available in accessible formats, including Braille, so that no one is left out.

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