World Braille Day
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World Braille Day

Context:

World Braille Day is celebrated since 2019, and is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights of blind and partially sighted people.

  • World Braille Day is observed on January 4th.
  • It commemorates the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system.
  • Braille is a tactile script that helps blind and partially sighted people communicate.
  • It emphasizes the importance of Braille in helping visually impaired people:
    • Access education and information.
    • Participate fully in society.

What is Braille?

Braille is a tactile system of raised dots representing letters, numbers, and symbols, designed for blind and partially sighted individuals. Invented by Louis Braille in 19th-century France, it allows users to read books, periodicals, and even musical, mathematical, and scientific content, providing access to the same materials as those in visual fonts.

Significance of Braille

  • According to the 2011 Census, 50,32,463 people in India have visual impairment.
  • Over a billion people worldwide live with disabilities, facing barriers to healthcare, education, and employment.
  • Persons with disabilities often face higher rates of violence, neglect, and poverty.

 Important Initiatives for the Empowerment of Visually Impaired Persons

The government of India has undertaken a comprehensive array of initiatives to empower visually impaired individuals, emphasizing their rights, education, employment, and overall well-being.

Key initiatives include:

  • Collaboration for Accessible Information:
    • Partnered with the National Association for the Blind to make 10,000 pages of documents (including government schemes and legal relief) accessible to persons with visual disabilities.
    • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Inclusive Science, Mission Accessibility, and National Association for the Blind to enhance mobile app accessibility using AI technology.
    • MoU with Vision Divyang Foundation to use AI for guiding PwDs on eligibility for government schemes.
  • National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD):
    • Working since 1943 in the fields of education, training, rehabilitation, and empowerment for visually impaired individuals.
    • In 2023-24, 2,94,388 people benefited from various services.
  • Model School for the Visually Handicapped (MSVH):
    • Provides education from Bal Vatika to senior secondary for visually impaired children, with free facilities like boarding, lodging, uniforms, books.
    • In 2023-24, educated 243 children.
  • Braille Development Unit:
    • Contributed to the development of Braille codes in various Indian languages.
    • Developing a ‘Manual on Bharti Braille’ to promote Braille literacy.
  • National Accessible Library:
    • Offers learning materials in Braille, large print, audio, and E-pub (a file format for eBooks) formats.
    • Serves 55,000+ members, with 1,58,901 Braille volumes, 20,784 print books, and 7,100+ audio titles.
    • Hosts an Online Braille Library (Sugamya Pustkalaya) with 6,79,120 titles.
  • Braille Production:
    • Infrastructure includes the Central Braille Press (1951), Regional Braille Press (2008), and 25 other Braille Presses.
    • Publishes Braille literature in 14 languages, including Assamese, Bangla, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Urdu, and more.

Conclusion:

India made progress in ensuring that visually impaired individuals could live with dignity, independence, and equality. Indian Government aims to build a society where everyone can thrive, regardless of abilities.

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