World Braille Day

Join the Workshop entitled '' Getting Started with NVDA Screen Reader '' to Learn how NVDA, a free screen reader, can help you perform common tasks on your PC computer. Wednesday, January 7, 2026 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM PT Online / Laguna Hills

  Teaching braille involves understanding the Unified English Braille (UEB) code , focusing on fine motor skills and early literacy concepts (language, touch, rhythm), Using multi-sensory games like LEGO Braille Bricks , and providing consistent, developmental practice, often starting with simple dot patterns before introducing contractions and advanced rules. Key tools include Perkins Braillers , apps , and online resources like Braille Brain or UEB Online , while consistency and making lessons fun (e.g., Braille clubs, songs) are crucial for student engagement and mastery. Foundational Steps Develop Fine Motor Skills : Activities like buttoning, cooking, and manipulating different textures build the dexterity needed for reading raised dots. Master the Braille Cell : Start with the 6-dot cell (dots 1-6), teaching the left column (1, 2, 3) before the right (4, 5, 6), and progress from symmetrical to asymmetrical patterns. Introduce Concepts Early : Focus on language, concept de...

  According to W.H.O, there is an estimated global population of approximately 2.2 billion individuals with visual impairments, and China alone accounts for around 20 million, representing 18 % of the worldwide total. However, the current publication of Braille materials in China falls significantly short in meeting the reading demands of this community, with only 1,540 titles and 470,000 copies being produced annually. This paper proposes a Braille device that utilizes a camera to convert printed materials into Braille format for storage , as well as the capability to transform existing e-books into Braille for display purposes . Furthermore, the system incorpo-rates networking functionalities enabling the conversion of web pages into Braille format and facilitates touch-based interactions . Additionally, individuals can also perceive and control smart furniture through IoT . The experimental results demonstrate that the device effectively caters to the requirements of blinde...

  Introduction  The framework of this report has been defined with precision. Modern techniques are obviously the utilisation of data processing and electronics, and traditional methods are the embossing of sheets of paper or plastic. However, we will recall some characteristics of the traditional techniques and, at the end, we will mention briefly the non-traditional methods, such as the elimina tion of braille paper and the utilisation of the normal method of printing embossed characters for the production of braille. According to traditional techniques, the cooperation of a non-blind person is used. This person should have, according to his abilities, the knowledge of grade 1 braille, contracted braille, braille music or mathematical notations. The instruments used are the LOUIS BRAILLE writing frame or slate, the 6 key braille writer and the stereo typing machines. These latter permit the embossing of aluminium plates, indispensable for the press printing of a large number...

  It is nigh impossible to estimate the braille-reading population in the United States. Louis Goldish has made H a couple of stabs and so have others including the Library of Congress, Division for the Blind and Physically «) Handicapped. Neither Mr. Goldish nor we have done much ' more than scratch the surface: the sources for his figures « were secondary sources, and DBPH's most recent effort in i assessing braille readership arose from a loosely constructed survey with limited objectives. If one attempts an honest estimate or projection of **] this readership by looking at a variety of national sources, one can see, I believe, that the braille reader- **] ship appears to be at a plateau in terms of numbers. -> There have been many efforts, however, to provide improved ^ reading services to braille readers, some coming from the J United States and some from other countries. It is these efforts to meet braille readers' needs that have taken up a good deal of my time in...

  A Hewlett-Packard desktop computer has been pro grammed to output speech with a 64 word vocabulary. The vocabulary consists of the numerals, the alphabet and special symbols for punctuation and upper and lower case letters.  This speech output system has been incorporated into three devices:  (i) a word processing system which permits inputting, editing, printing and formatting. The speech, normally operating only during proofing and correcting, is acti vated whenever the cursor is positioned over a character. The system prices start at $14,000.  (ii) an automatic data entry system which vocally prompts the blind operator to enter data on a typewriter keyboard. Data entered can be proofed and corrected by speech output which is activated by cursor keys on the keyboard. The system can be programmed to prompt the operator for data to fill out almost any form. The system starts at $14,000.  (iii) a talking computer terminal can communicate with virtually any c...

  Introduction  The Nederlandsche Blindenbibliotheek (Dutch Library for the Blind) has been lending books to the blind since 1895. We started off with braille books only. In 1958 talking books on open-reel tapes were introduced and the number of readers increased rapidly. Nowadays we mainly lend talking books on compact cassettes. The talking book on compact cassette is by far the easiest to use and especially many elderly people benefitted from it. Since we introduced the compact cassette in 1972 the lending figures raised from 0.6 million to 2.2 million in 1978. Evidently this rapid growth imposed great changes on our library. In the early days a team of a few people registered the books in the catalogue, lent them to the blind and put them back on the shelves when they were returned. At the moment three departments are in charge of all this: The catalogue department registers books in the catalogue and selects books to be added to our collection. The lending department sele...

  Introduction  A set of programs oriented to natural language pro cessing have been designed and implemented. These programs were first applied to French language analysis and led to creation of the PIAF system (Programmes Interactifs dfAnalyse du Fran§ais). Some applications are operational mainly in automatic information retrieval where the PIAF system performs two tasks in parallel: 1. Data acquisition and control, 2. Production of simple or compound key words. Following a request from the Centre National des Arts et Metiers, we have developed the contracted braille transla tion and editing of French texts with respect to typo graphic codes from programs and basic algorithms of the PIAF system. General Principles of the PIAF System  We propose to the average user a set of tools to define and handle textual datas, under the control of an editor: i) The definition tools are facilities to create and perform interactive updating of the dictionaries and models of the selec...