As part of the Braille 200 campaign, RNIB completed research on the impact of braille on the lives of blind and partially sighted braillists. Speaking to adults who know braille, the report looks at experiences of learning and using braille and braille technologies and revealed more about how braille improves independence, employment and education opportunities and enhances social relationships.
Author: Matthew Horspool
From the Forum: Expression of interest for Braille Puzzles in the post
Sean Randall recently posted this message to our Braillists Forum and we thought we would share it here too:
Hello everyone
A recent discussion on social media about the fact that I enjoy doing Braille puzzles on paper prompted a thought about producing them to share more widely. Crosswords, wordsearches, Sudoku and so forth.
If anyone is interested, please feel free to fill and share my expression of interest form. We used to enjoy Conundrum from the RNIB, and I’m sure we’re not alone!
No promises at this stage, but it seems silly to make them for me and not share them more broadly.
Nominate the Braillists for £1000: 12 Days of Giving from the Benefact Group
Every year, the Benefact Group awards donations to UK-based charities through their Movement for Good initiative. During December, they will award £120,000 to 120 nominated charities during their 12 Days of Giving celebrations.
If you like what we do and want to support us, please nominate the Braillists Foundation before 19 December. The more nominations we get, the greater the chances of receiving an award. There is only one nomination per charity per person, so please share far and wide!
Thank you for your support.
BrailleSense 6 Patch Release, V2.5
Selvas BLV wishes to announce this upgrade patch for BrailleSense 6, V2.5.
This patch release fixes several issues discovered since the release of the major 2.5 upgrade. It also adds the ability to OCR image-basedPDF files, just by pressing “Enter” on them in the File Manager.
We would also like to announce that the issues signing in to new Google mail and Google Drive accounts have been remedied. This fix does not depend on the firmware upgrade, but applies universally, as it is implemented via the Google sign in portal.
Please find the complete list of fixes and improvements in the attached release note here.
View the full release announcement
Links to offline installation files:
Braille And Beyond in Clitheroe, Thursday 5 December, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM
The next stop on RNIB’s Braille And Beyond library tour is:
Clitheroe Library, Church Street, Clitheroe, BB7 2DG
No registration required.
The event will feature presentations from Chris Wakefield and Chris Tattersall.
Braille 200: Championing Tactile Literacy, Tuesday 26 November at 7:30 PM
A live stream from the British Library.
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and partners celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of braille and explore its future.
With Lord David Blunkett, Betsy Griffin and Dave Williams.
More panellists to be announced.
Online viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel towards the end of the event.
Leading sight loss charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the British Library invite you to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of braille, the system of raised dots that allows blind and partially sighted people to read with their fingers.
Our distinguished panel will delve into the rich history of braille and debate its promising future. Panellists include Lord David Blunkett and Betsy Griffin. The conversation will be hosted by Dave Williams, RNIB Inclusive Design Ambassador and chair of the Braillists Foundation.
Louis Braille was in his teens in the mid-1820s when he began developing the six-dot tactile reading system that enables millions of blind and partially sighted people around the world to access the power of literacy. From September 2024, RNIB is leading a year of celebrations across the UK to recognise the bicentenary of the braille code; braille continues to unlock access to countless opportunities in education, employment and independent living.
We are honoured to host a distinguished panel of special guests, who will celebrate the past, present and future of braille.
Panellist Biographies:
Lord David Blunkett needs little introduction. Blind since birth, the Labour Party politician served as the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough from 1987 to 2015 and is now a member of the House of Lords. He served as Education and Employment Secretary, Home Secretary and Work and Pensions Secretary in Tony Blair’s Cabinet following Labour’s victory in the 1997 general election. In 2001 he was promoted to Home Secretary, a position he held until 2004. He is Vice President of RNIB. Lord Blunkett will speak about the huge influence braille has had on his political and personal life and work.
Eleven-year-old Betsy Griffin lost her eyesight after being treated for a brain tumour. As she recovered from surgery, she began to discover braille was one of the tools she could use to continue her huge love of reading and writing. Her first book, Out of The Woods, was published in 2022 and in it, Betsy created a cast of friendly animal characters who explain how to live positively in the face of adversity. It was partly based on her popular YouTube videos which explore Betsy’s unique tips for living well.
For 25 years, Dave Williams has been championing inclusive design principles to ensure equal access and opportunities for blind and partially sighted people. His work has driven change, enhancing accessibility across a wide range of industries, including technology, product design, the built environment and public services. Blind since birth, Dave is a huge advocate for the use of braille to enable blind and partially sighted people to gain access to literacy, education and employment. He also uses it extensively in everyday life having proposed to his wife on a braille scrabble board. Dave hosts RNIB Tech Talk, the UK’s leading radio show and podcast for blind and partially sighted technology users, which airs on RNIB’s Connect Radio. He is Chair of the Braillists Foundation, a community passionate about promoting independence and opportunity through braille literacy and sits on the European Blind Union Braille Working Group. He is a UK delegate to the International Council on English Braille and has recently joined the board of the DAISY Consortium.
The RNIB would like to thank event sponsors Dot, Humanware and People’s Postcode Lottery, which support RNIB through funds awarded by Postcode Care Trust.
This is an online event streamed on the British Library platform. Bookers will be sent a viewing link shortly before the event and will be able to watch at any time for 48 hours after the start time.
Rare Braille Book in Oxford: Read it for Yourself!
Robert Bolick has been collecting artists’ books since 2012. His collection ‘Books on Books’ contains over 1200 items, and a selection of over 150 works featured in an exhibition curated by Robert, Alphabets Alive! which toured from July 2023 to January 2024.
He has recently procured a new book from artist Masoumeh Mohtadi, which modifies and transcribes into braille the Persian fable called “The Little Black Fish” to teach the reader how to make an origami fish. He is working with MyVision Oxfordshire and Oxford University to set up a workshop to enable blind people to handle and explore the book for themselves.
If you would be interested in taking part, please email Nathan Tree, Community Engagement Lead for MyVision Oxfordshire, on [email protected] by Friday 29 November. Lunch will be provided.
Introducing BUOC: Braille, User-Oriented Code, Tuesday 19 November at 7:30 PM
The latest in our occasional series showcasing historical braille shorthand codes which you might still find useful today:
Braille, User-Oriented Code (BUOC) was a code written by the late Australian, Rebecca Maxwell, with the support of Australian Braille Literacy Action (ABLA), formerly the Australian Guild of Business and Professional Blind. It was last revised in 1998 and includes a number of useful devices for making braille shorter.
In this session, we are delighted to be joined by Jordie Howell, a great proponent of BUOC and a contemporary of its author. Jordie will introduce us to the principals of BUOC, describe how some common words and phrases can be shortened and explain how we can find out more about this grass roots code.
Register for Introducing BUOC here.
To join by phone, please use these details:
- Phone number: 0131 460 1196
- Meeting ID: 857 0013 1529
- Passcode: 123456
Braille And Beyond at The Hive, Worcester, Wednesday 20 November
The next Braille And Beyond event from RNIB will be taking place on Wednesday 20 November, 10am-3pm at The Hive, Sawmill Walk, The Butts, Worcester, WR1 3PD.
You do not need to register in advance. The event is taking place on floor 0.
Live Demo of Braille Music Translation Using Sao Mai Braille (SMB), Thursday 21 November at 7:00 PM
As a follow-up to their MuseScore Studio demo last month, Sound Without Sight is excited to announce their next Monthly Meet-up, which will feature a live demo of Sao Mai Braille (SMB) and its ability to translate MusicXML files to braille! They will again welcome James Bowden, Braille Technical Officer at RNIB, whose feedback has been influential throughout the development of SMB so far.
The demo will cover a range of topics, including:
- Overview of the SMB app.
- Download and installation.
- The transcription process, beginning with a MusicXML file and converting to a BRF file, ready for embossing to hardcopy braille or reading on a braille display.
- Important options and settings to be aware of, including music profiles.
- Considerations for common types of score (single line, keyboard, vocal, orchestral).
- Selecting an individual part from an ensemble score.
- Music navigation mode.
The demonstration will last around 60 minutes, with a further 30 minutes for questions. This will be a relaxed, informal discussion and audience participation is encouraged. They will be prioritising questions submitted in advance of the event, so please use the field on the registration page or contact Sound Without Sight in advance with any questions you may have so that they can ensure that they are included in the discussion.
Please note that this session will be recorded and published on podcasting platforms, so if you contribute during the session, you are consenting to appearing in the recording. This session is open to all ages, but they advise that children or young people wishing to attend the session should be accompanied by an adult.
We hope to see you there!