World Braille Day [4th January]

World Braille Day is celebrated annually on 4th January to commemorate the birth of Louis Braille. Louis Braille was the inventor of the braille system of reading and writing used by blind people throughout the world. UNESCO declared 4th January as World Braille Day to raise awareness about the importance of braille as a tool for inclusion in the education and life of persons with visual impairment.

On World Braille Day, people honor Louis Braille and raise awareness about accessible means of communication for all. Know more about the theme, history and significance of this day here.

World Braille Day 2023

Braille Day is celebrated in honor of Louis Braille, the inventor of the braille system of reading alphabets. Braille literacy is of utmost importance for blind people so that they can navigate life more easily. World Braille Day not only spreads awareness about braille as a system of reading but also calls for inventing more accessible forms of communication for disabled people.

World Braille Day was established by the United Nations in November 2018. Here, we have shared a brief overview of this day:

Louis Braille Day - What is Braille?

World Braille Day is celebrated every year on 4th January. But what is braille? Braille is perhaps the most critical tool in allowing blind and partially sighted individuals access to information, education, and employment. It's a tactile writing system that can be used by people who are both blind and have low vision and enables them to read and write independently.

Through World Braille Day, people campaign for braille to be made available globally so that everyone can benefit from this simple but powerful literacy tool. They want governments worldwide to recognize braille as a fundamental human right that will allow blind or partially sighted individuals to make their mark on society just like everyone else.

Why Is Braille Literacy Critical?

• Irina Bokova, the former UNESCO Director-General, said that braille literacy is a fundamental human right and a crucial factor in achieving the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Braille is a fundamental tool for literacy, independence, and employability. It can be used to learn any subject from science to literature and includes music, maths, money, and social media.
• It enables blind and partially sighted people to have the same access to education as their sighted peers, improving access to work and social activities.
• Therefore, World Braille Day is a significant occasion and learning braille is critical.

World Braille Day 2022 Theme

The campaign for World Braille Day 2022 was to raise awareness of braille and encourage more blind and partially sighted people to learn braille and educate others about its importance. The theme of this year's celebration emphasized the importance of braille as a key that unlocks opportunities for persons with disabilities to gain literacy skills and education, compete in labour markets and contribute to society on an equal basis with others.

History of Braille Day

The history of World Braille Day can be traced back to November 2018, when the United Nations officially recognized the day. Since then, the day has been celebrated each year around the world to raise awareness about the importance of braille literacy. Here are more details about Braille Day history:

• Louis Braille was born in 1809 in Coupvray, France. At three, he injured his eye with an awl, and the injury got infected and spread to his other eye. Within a year, Louis was completely blind.
• Louis attended the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, where he became frustrated with the available communication methods.
• Braille developed his new method at this school in 1824 when he was only 15 years old. A night watchmaker named Charles Barbier visited the school and described a code called "night writing" that he had developed for soldiers to communicate silently at night without a light.
• Inspired by his method, Braille discovered his own method, which is used worldwide today.

Significance of World Braille Day

Braille Day is significant because of many reasons, such as:

• This day raises awareness about alternate methods of reading and communicating.
• This day is an occasion to advocate for braille literacy to make the lives of blind people easier.
• World Braille Day is important because it honors Louis Braille, the person who invented the braille system of communication.
• It is a day to acknowledge the struggles of blind people and to show them support.

How is World Braille Day Celebrated?

Braille Day is a special occasion marking the birth anniversary of the inventor of the braille system, Louis Braille. The braille system is important for visually-impaired people to communicate and read. Here is how World Braille Day is celebrated around the world:

• People raise awareness about the braille system.
• People teach others the braille system and advocate for braille literacy.
• People remember and honor Louis Braille.
• People participate in online campaigns on World Braille Day.

FAQs on World Braille Day

Q1. What is Braille?

Braille is a system of communication made for the use of visually-impaired people. It is scripted on embossed paper. To mark the important of this system of communication, World Braille Day is celebrated on 4th January every year.

Q2. When is World Braille Day celebrated?

World Braille Day is celebrated on 4th January every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of the braille system, Louis Braille. This day was founded by the United Nations in November 2018.

Q3. Why is World Braille Day important?

World Braille Day is important because it commemorates Louis Braille, who invented the braille language, and raises awareness about the importance of improving access to braille books and systems.

Q4. When was World Braille Day celebrated for the first time?

World Braille Day was celebrated for the first time in 2018, when it was founded by the United Nations. Prior to this, in 2019, the 200th birth anniversary of Louis Braille was celebrated by the World Blind Union and its partner organizations around the world.