4th January: World Braille Day

4th January: World Braille Day

 

I started learning Braille 8 years ago. Since then, I've become fluent in reading and writing Braille. Braille has opened up an  entirely new world for me! Exploring things by touch became an integral part of my life, since I use every oportunity I get to sharpen my sense of touch. 

COVID-19 has brought about many changes in our lives, but it has made things particulary difficult for blind and visually impaired people. When you lose your sight you learn to  rely primarily on your sense of touch (of course other senses play an important role, too, but touch prevails). COVID-19 measures such as social distancing, avoiding touching things (doors, handlebars on the bus, etc.) and hygiene make daily life extremely difficult, when you have to touch things in order to "see" and recognize them. Acoustic traffic lights need to be activated by pressing a button, Braille is on public signs, Braille books in the library... - all these things become healthrisks. Then there are the disinfectants in shops, on buses, etc. They are often difficult to locate when you can't see, and yet they are even more important for you when you explore the world through touch. 

I hope that this pandemic ends soon and that life returns to some sort of normality! But since we have lots of time on our hands during the lockdowns and quarantines, perhaps learning Braille will be a nice challenge for some of you! And don't worry: you can learn Braille visually, too, and become fluent in it! There's one thing I can guarantee: Braille will definitely  enrich your life and open up new horizons for you!

More about World Braille Day here .