This Friday, we present the last two speeches from the Braille panel at the World Blindness Union General Assembly—and they are truly remarkable!
With powerful words and thought-provoking ideas, they impressively demonstrate how important Louis Braille’s invention was, is, and will remain for the next 200 years.
Yaw Ofori Debra
Ladies and gentlemen, we have come to the realization that braille is still relevant. Braille should continue to be our companion.
It is our tool for education, and it is our tool for communication, and our tool for social inclusion.
I know that braille is suffering, especially with our youths. I, as a person that took some conversation with youths across Africa,
what they told me was that they are not likely to be concerned with braille, especially paper braille, but they want to progress with digital technology in braille.
And for that matter, e-braille is likely to sustain the usage of braille. So I’m happy our presenters also laid emphasis on digital technology in braille.
And I hope that we will do more investment in digital technology in braille if we all want braille to continue to be in existence.
So my appeal to all users of braille is: Let us continue to hang on to braille.
And we should also find ways of digitalizing the use of braille so that our younger generation will continue to favor braille as a means of communication.
Again, my appeal to all national organizations is that we should not leave the fight on WBU and ICEVI alone.
At our national levels, we should intensify the advocacy for the use of braille, especially our children who are in schools.
Because sometimes I ask myself that if we did not introduce braille to our children with blindness, sometimes there are so many things they would not be able to conceptualize.
A blind child will only see a page, he will only see a paragraph, and he or she will not be able to know exactly what a paragraph is.
And it is also going to affect their spelling ability if they only listen to scripts on soft devices.
So ladies and gentlemen, we thank WBU and our host organization for accepting to make braille an important aspect of this conference.
And I believe all of us who are leaving here will surely embrace braille and glorify Louis Braille.
On this note, ladies and gentlemen, I thank all the presenters for the knowledge and experiences they have shared with us, and I hope it is going to guide us.
A speaker whose words will be remembered, even if her name is not known.
Good morning, dear friends.
I’d like to say good morning in the language of every attendee today, but unfortunately I don’t know all the languages. I’m not that of an expert.
We may not share the same language. However, we do share a common feeling, and it’s on behalf of this feeling that I’d like to ask you something today.
I’d like to ask you to say, long live the braille system. You can say it in your language. Long live the braille system. Come on, say it.
I am thrilled to be joining you today, celebrating 200 years of the braille system, such a brilliant system that is for sure a guide in the lives of every attendee today.
I am the last one to speak, so I might sound repetitive. However, I want my words to reinforce everything that has been said earlier on.
May braille continue to open up the path for young, blind people.
So what is the braille system? It’s a universal system. It’s been adapted for 200 years to all alphabets of the world.
The only natural reading and writing system that can be used by blind people.
And only braille can help blind people to have direct contact with written text.
And that’s why it is indispensable in the education of children that are born blind or that lose their sight in the infancy age.
This logical system, all its combinations were thought of to be memorized at ease and also to adapt to the ever-changing evolution of writing.
It allows to expand images and it can expand the universe of blind people because it allows them to touch forms and representations that would not be accessible to them because of their lack of vision.
It is brilliant because it can be recognized by one touch at the most sensitive part of the index finger.
So it means when a blind child uses the reading techniques properly, their education output is much better and that increases their opportunities for education and for the job market.
As they develop in schools, children may and can use other resources, but only braille will help them read charts, tables, maps and mathematical equations and chemical structures properly.
But even in face of all those advantages, many people worldwide insist upon saying that braille is going to be replaced by new technologies or has been replaced.
There’s no doubt that the technological resources available today will open up horizons that were never thought of before, but blind people and blind young people should be able to use braille because that’s their best resource in the education area.
So who is to prevent our children from becoming functional illiterates?
Our families should learn about and be proud of the reading and writing systems used by the blind children and take an active part in their literacy process, just like they do with the children that have sight.
So they must be aware of how important braille is in the education of blind people and should be prepared to teach them effectively.
That includes using the reading techniques properly for parents.
So Braille should not be seen as folklore, but rather as resource that can offer blind children the same opportunities that are offered to children that see.
In the academies, especially those responsible for teaching and training professors, these academies should give braille the space necessary to teach blind children.
For specialized institutions that should raise awareness among fathers, mothers, and those in charge of the importance of braille activities to be conducted in a playful manner without prejudice.
Governors should ensure access to quality books adapted to the blind children’s needs and also allow or provide access to modern technologies that have been used in several parts of the world to those children, just like braille displays and lines.
For book publishers, when creating books, they must be aware that those books are going to be shared amongst stakeholders with different needs before striving to get rid of any type of discrimination.
For braille editors and text producers, they should learn about text transcription and adaptation rules.
For braille experts and enthusiasts, keep up with the progress in writing in all areas of knowledge.
If each one of those industries take over their responsibility, then braille will be offered and used at most.
It’s a 200-year-old system that has been allowing blind people to live with independence and autonomy.
So each country’s reality will define public policies and actions for strengthening braille.
I’d like to talk about an experience we’ve had at Fundação Durina.
At this foundation, we’ve been using a program called Lego Braille Bricks.
This program was developed in 2021 worldwide, and it has reached many countries already.
It’s a toy comprising braille symbol bricks that can be fitted in for building forms.
The system was developed in Brazil in 2017, and thanks to the efforts from Fundação Durina members and other partners,
it is now being produced, manufactured by Lego, and provided to many children through the Lego Foundation.
And there’s also a program being developed.
In addition to the distribution of braille bricks to kids, we are also training professors in the public education system in several parts of the country.
And you can check this toy at the foundation’s booth, and also take part in the workshop we are providing.
And before we wrap up, I’d like to talk about an international movement that’s taking place in several countries
for recognizing the braille system as human heritage.
So, there are many countries signing up for this movement, including France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Japan, Spain, Portugal.
And this movement is based on UNESCO’s convention in 2003 that talks about immaterial heritage.
So, let’s combine our efforts towards reaching this goal.
And I’d like to repeat the words of Pedro Zurita, who wrote a letter to Luis Braille that says the following.
If one day a system is created, and such system allows blind people to have access to reading in a more sophisticated manner than the braille system has,
we will all be pleased, including Louis Braille.
And the best way for us to celebrate those 200 years is to continue fighting to make sure that braille is going to be accessible by all those that need it.
So, thank you.
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