World Braille Day is celebrated on 4 January of every year around the world and it also marks the birth anniversary of Louis Braille; thus it is a perfect day to recognise his efforts. 4 January has been recognised as the official day of celebration for World Braille Day by the United Nations since 2019. Louis Braille was the inventor of the Braille writing system.
The Braille writing system is used by people who are blind or have low vision, and they read and write using raised dots on a page. Braille device helps blind people easily recognise letters. There is a wide range of electronic devices to meet the needs of blind people and these devices use different technologies to transmit various types of graphic information such as images, maps, graphs, text, etc.
There are various ways to celebrate this day like learning Braille with resources like charts and Braille translation software. You can even promote the work of blind or low-vision artists, writers, and other creative individuals.
Let's have a look at the theme, quotes, history, and significance of World Braille Day 2023.
World Braille Day 2023: Theme
The World Blind Union (WBU) is an international organisation that chooses the theme for World Braille Day every year and the theme for the year 2023 has not been announced yet.
World Braille Day 2023: History
World Braille Day was first celebrated on 4 January 2019 on the 210th anniversary of Louis Braille. The Braille system was first published in 1829 and was adopted by the National Institute for Blind Youth.
Braille was invented by Louis Braille, a French educator who lost his eyesight at the age of 3 due to an accident with a sewing machine in his father’s harness shop. He developed the present-day Braille system by modifying Charles Barbie’s Night Write system.
World Braille Day 2023: Significance
Braille’s system was a revolutionary invention since it helped the blind and people with low vision to learn and write independently. In earlier times or before the invention of Braille, blind people had to be dependent on others to read and learn about things.
Now, Braille is used in many different languages and is considered a standard form of communication for people who are blind or have low vision. This day also celebrates the achievements of Louis Braille as well as the blind people, and it helps advocate for their equal rights and opportunities.
World Braille Day is a day to acknowledge the contribution of Louis Braille and raise awareness of the importance of Braille.
World Braille Day 2023: Posters & WhatsApp Status
World Braille Day 2023: Quotes
"Braille is not a language but a code which can be translated into many languages." – Louis Braille
"Braille opens the door for thousands of blinds to become independent." – Louis Braille
"Access to communication in the widest sense is access to knowledge, and that is vitally important for us if we are not to go on being despised or patronised by condescending sighted people." – Louis Braille
"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." – Hellen Keller
"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." – Hellen Keller
"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." – Mark Twain
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