News

From the European Blind Union: New episode of “EBU in Action” available: braille as UNESCO heritage?

EBU is delighted to announce the release of the 16th episode of “EBU in Action”, where we explore braille’s nomination to be recognised as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

In March 2026, France and Germany submitted a nomination to have braille recognised as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO. Coming from the celebration of its bicentenary last year, this recognition would really help with raising awareness of braille’s role in helping blind and partially sighted people lead more independent lives.

We discuss the subject in more depth with Lily Martinet (from the Ministry of Culture of France) and Reiner Delgado (from EBU’s braille Working Group). At the same time, we talk with Susan LaVenture (from ICEVI) and Santosh Kumar (from World Blind Union) about the Global Braille Literacy Campaign driven by both ICEVI and WBU.

The episode is already available on Apple Podcasts, Podbean and Spotify. You can also find the episode’s transcript on our website.

From Blazie Technologies: See What’s Coming in the October Update for BT Speak and BT Braille, Wednesday 7 October at Midnight

Join Blazie Technologies for our October Monthly Webinar, hosted by David Goldfield!

We’ll lift the lid on several huge features arriving in the October software update for BT Speak and BT Braille, including:

  • BT Mail – a full email client that makes managing your email simple, fast, and accessible, directly in Blazie Mode.
  • External Braille Displays with BT Speak – connect a compatible display via USB or Bluetooth and use it across Blazie Mode, Desktop Mode, and even the Linux shell.
  • Control Your Phone, Tablet, or Computer with BT Speak – Use your BT Speak’s Braille keyboard to control your other devices and switch back without losing your place.

And much more …

We’ll walk through the latest features and answer your questions live.

Whether you use BT Speak, BT Braille, or just want to see what’s new at Blazie Technologies, we hope you’ll join us.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89625302468?pwd=AOPm1Qa49RvuWQLlfAMQWbDZte2ivI.1

Meeting ID: 896 2530 2468

Passcode: 807616

Join HumanWare in your Local Area and Enter the Draw for a Brailliant BI20X!

National Braille Week is fast approaching, and as part of HumanWare’s commitment to Braille and Braille literacy, we are delighted to be hosting a series of drop-in events across the UK in partnership with regional and national sight loss organisations.

These events offer a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience with HumanWare’s complete Braille product range. A HumanWare representative will be available at each location to demonstrate our latest solutions and answer any questions you may have.

Featured products include:

  1. Brailliant BI 20X – our compact and portable Braille display
  2. BrailleNote Evolve – a powerful note-taking and productivity solution
  3. Monarch – the world’s first dynamic multi-line Braille device, capable of displaying up to ten lines of Braille simultaneously and presenting both text and tactile graphics on the same display

As a special celebration of National Braille Week, everyone who attends one of the events in person will be entered into a free prize draw to win a brand-new Brailliant BI 20X.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us on 01933 415800 or email [email protected].

We look forward to welcoming you and celebrating National Braille Week together.

Tuesday 6 October

  • 1:00-3:00 pm: RNIB Scotland, 12-14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh, EH7 5EA

Thursday 8 October

  • 1:30-3:30 pm: BASIS Essex, SS16 5BP

Monday 12 October

  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Braille IT, Clitheroe Library, BB7 2DG

Wednesday 14 October

  • 9:30-11:30 am: Sight Support Worthing, BN11 3JT
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Walthew House, Stockport, SK2 6QS
  • 10:30 am-1:00 pm: Sight Support Derbyshire, DE22 1BP
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Croydon Vision, CR0 2AR
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: My Sight Nottinghamshire, 26-28 Heathcoat Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AA

Thursday 15 October

  • 9:30-11:30 am: Vision Norfolk, NR3 3DZ
  • 10:30 am-12:30 pm: Bradbury Fields, Liverpool, L14 2EP
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Suffolk Sight, IP1 3BE
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Somerset Sight, Taunton, TA1 1DG

Friday 16 October

  • 9:30-11:30 am: Coventry Vision Hub, CV5 6TH
  • 10:30 am-12:00 pm: Dagenham & Redbridge Adult Group
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Bucks Vision, HP19 9HH

Monday 19 October

  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: My Vision Oxfordshire, OX1 4XL
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: RNIB, Grimaldi Building, Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JE
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Sight Cymru, Pontypool, NP4 6JH
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Guide Dogs Manchester, Gibfield Park Avenue, Manchester, M46 0SU
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: NAB Northamptonshire Association for the Blind, NN3 6LF
  • 2:00-4:00 pm: Sight Life, Cardiff, CF10 1BR

Tuesday 20 October

  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Sight for Surrey, KT19 8AG
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Herefordshire Vision Links, Hereford, HR4 9EP
  • 10:00 am-12:00 pm: Galloways, Morecambe, LA4 4AH
  • 10:30 am-12:30 pm: The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN
  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Sensory Matters Worcestershire, Worcester, WR1 1LH
  • 2:30-4:30 pm: Portsmouth Adult Group, Portsmouth, PO1 2DX

Wednesday 21 October

  • 1:30-3:30 pm: Sensory Solutions, Plymouth, PL3 5QL

Thursday 12 November

  • 12:00-2:00 pm: Hartlepool Vision Support, 177 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9EQ (Tel: 07379 859420)