Everyone who knows me understands how important literacy is to me. The dissemination of information is vital for an educated society and the written word is the most powerful tool for that job. The UNESCO website states it this way: “The ‘multiplier effect’ of literacy empowers people, enables them to participate fully in society and contributes to improve livelihoods.” More so, reading is vital for the health of your brain and its proper functions. Yet, so many remain illiterate – some for political reasons, others for social-economic, and others for physical limitations.
Braille was invited by Louis Braille after he’d lost his sight at a young age. He based it off the “night writing” system that Charles Barbier created. These two men are responsible for allow the blind and visually impaired community enjoy reading.
There is still a struggle with literacy among the blind and visually impaired. Unfortunately, there’s also a proven correlation between unemployment and braille illiteracy. That becomes more frightening when you realize that it’s estimated that only about 10% of students can read braille. So, on this day, let’s reach out and see what we can do to help raise those statistics.