Celebrate Braille Literacy

"Reading Braille really is important. I mean, we can listen, hear things being said. But to be able to have the privacy of only your fingers and your mind being able to know what's going on, it's a good thing".- Stevie Wonder. It is estimated that 1 billion people live with some form of disability. Unfortunately, these individuals are less likely to access health care, education, employment and to participate in their community. Such persons are more likely to live in poverty, experience higher rates of violence, neglect and abuse, and are among the most marginalized in any society. For the visually impaired, life can be rather restricted given that there is limited access to information. This reality oftentimes leads to isolation and depression. World Braille Day is a reminder of the importance of accessibility and independence for people who are blind or visually impaired. World Braille Day has been observed since 2019 on January 4. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights and areas where their rights have been violated, and where protection of rights must be reinforced. Braille is a tactile representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using six dots to represent each letter and number, and even musical, mathematical and scientific symbols. Braille (named after its inventor in 19th century France, Louis Braille) is used by blind and partially sighted people to read the same books and periodicals as those printed in a visual font. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy . Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) has not received much attention in the education of students who are blind or visually impaired. CRP was originally conceptualized by Dr. Gloria Ladson Billings, who used the term Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to describe a way of teaching that promotes the academic success and critical consciousness of African American students by using cultural referents to impart knowledge. To what extent do we use representation in our textbooks of the visually impaired community? Culturally responsive literacy instruction centers students’ lived experiences and cultural ways of being. Monique Coleman suggests that one way to routinely do this with students who are learning Braille is to replace monolingual and monocultural contraction practice sentences and reading passages with student-generated narratives. This approach not only helps learning come alive, but also sends the message to students that their diverse cultures, languages, and literacies are an important and valued part of their education. Regrettably, education systems globally tend to cater to students who fall in the middle of the learning schemas. Among the inequalities of global education systems are that of social class and income levels. As a result, members of the upper and middle classes have more cultural capital than families of lower-class status, and they can pass it on to their children. Braille Literacy. Braille is beneficial because it offers blind people independence, confidence, and flexibility in their daily lives. Braille is essential in the context of education, freedom of expression and opinion, as well as social inclusion. Thankfully, Caribbean candidates for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams can request Braille question papers and other special assessment arrangements. Literacy is the key to independence. Undoubtedly, with independence, there is freedom and inclusivity. It is easy to see why literacy is vital for personal freedom. However, a form of inequality in literacy occurs when businesses and organizations fail to provide written materials in an accessible format for people with disabilities. This practice is problematic in that it removes choices and limits human rights. What is needed is a cultural revolution globally to foster a culture of Braille literacy. On this World Braille Day let us celebrate the achievements of individuals with visual disabilities and support efforts to create a more accessible society for all. Let us join the movement in calling for Braille Literacy which provides an important factor in equal opportunities for people who are visually impaired. In the words of Kim Fiebig, there is a wonder in reading Braille that the sighted will never know: to touch words and have them touch you back. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WorldBrailleDay #BrailleLiteracy