Canada Marks Braille Bicentennial
Celebrations Include Initiatives to Promote Braille Literacy
Dec 23, 2008
In 1824, Louis Braille created a simple, effective system for reading by touch. Many had tried, but Braille’s system was the first to meet the needs of blind people. He was just 15 years old.
Braille’s raised dots were to the blind what printing was to the sighted: an innovation that made literacy a reality.
Today, braille touches the lives of tens of millions of blind, deaf-blind, and visually impaired people worldwide, providing endless possibilities for education, achievement, and independence.
Braille’s 200th birthday (January 5, 2009) is being celebrated with across Canada including conferences, scholarships, and awareness and advocacy events, all organized under the Braille200 banner of the World Braille Foundation in cooperation with CNIB, the World Blind Union, the and Canadian Braille Authority.
The Braille 200 web site includes information on the history of braille, stories by braille readers, a schedule of Braille 200 events, and multimedia presentations about Louis Braille and his remarkable system.
Braille200 Special International Essay Competition
The E. Ben and Mary Hochhausen Technology Award are sponsoring an international essay competition that commemorates the bicentennial of the birth of Louis Braille.
Theme: “Technology: a Bridge to Braille Literacy – How evolving technologies will impact or alter braille learning and teaching in 2020 and beyond.”
Essays must be original, written in English (between 3,000 and 5,000 words) and submitted via email on or before April 30, 2009.
Eligibility: Essays will be accepted from any country in the world. Trustees will consider:
- Students enrolled in a recognized College, University or equivalent program
- Researchers from industry, academia or applied science
Awards: Three awards of $3,000 each
Judging: An independent panel will judge the essays; winners will be announced in June 2009
Braille200 reserves the right to publish or distribute the winning entries. For additional information, contact:
Trustees, The Hochhausen Fund
CNIB
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, ON M4G 3E8
416.486.2500 x 7622
Other Braille200 Activities in 2009
- A national braille literacy program focused on schoolchildren and young adults
- Braille accessibility audits for private and public sector facilities, including hotels, schools, and restaurants
- Awards promoting braille literacy named for Winston Gordon, Walter and Wayne Gretzky, and E. (Ben) and Mary Hochhausen
- Collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind in the United States to market commemorative coins, stamps, and bicentennial memorabilia to promote braille literacy
- Major library and museum expositions in Ottawa and Quebec
- Braille200 will be featured at the 2009 World Congress of French Speaking Countries in Montreal as well as the 2009 CNIB Braille Conference.
- Assembly of a small group of academics and professionals to explore the establishment of a permanent chair to promote Braille literacy, the learning, teaching, or researching braille at a Canadian university.
Visit the Braille200 website for details.
Louis Braille lives on through his gift of literacy to the blind. Literacy creates possibilities for living a productive, independent life. Braille's bicentennial, therefore, is more than a celebration of his life--it recognizes and honors the potential all people have when given the tools to succeed.
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