UN General Assembly Affirms World Braille Day
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to adopt World Braille Day on January 4th. The World Blind Union describes the purpose of the World Braille Day "to raise awareness of the importance of braille to converting the written word to tactile form for the benefit of blind and partially sighted persons worldwide."
In the video below, Dr. Fred Schroeder, who is the President of the World Blind Union, share his thoughts. on this significant achievement.
Transcript:
The United Nations has just affirmed that January 4th will now be World Braille Day. This is a wonderful, wonderful achievement. It is important because braille really is the means to literacy for blind people and literacy is the foundation of an education, and the foundation of full integration of employment, and active participation and community life. By establishing World Braille Day, the United Nations has recognized that blind people can contribute to the welfare of their communities. This is a wonderful recognition. It is one that we intend to celebrate on January 4th, 2019, as the first World Braille Day and we will celebrate it every year thereafter. We will use it as an opportunity to bring awareness to the ability of blind people to learn and to work and to live as others. This is a day of true celebration for blind people throughout the world.