Dear Editor,

In 2021, my uncle died at age 50. He had a prolonged and painful battle with Type 2 diabetes, which resulted in the amputation of his legs and progressive blindness. His lost vision was his greatest sorrow, as he was unable to independently “take in” the world’s vividness. Often, he had to experience his surroundings through the Creole-rich narrations and descriptions his family and friends shared orally.

Fortunately, there are approximately 2.2 billion people globally who are partially sighted or blind, like my uncle, but can still engage with the world through Braille. Hence, World Braille Day, which is celebrated annually on January 4, should be a big deal. The occasion, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, commemorates the groundbreaking work of Louis Braille and the Braille communication system he invented.

Braille, according to the United Nations, 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”. Louis developed this system after he lost his sight. At only three years old, he accidentally pierced one of his eyes with a sharp tool while playing in his father’s workshop. Soon after, the infection spread to the other eye, rendering him completely blind by age five.

Louis spent years at the National Institute of Blind Youth in Paris, “poking holes in paper” until he was inspired to use embossed dots to represent letters and communicate complete thoughts tactually. He was barely 16 years old at the time of his life-altering invention. He later published a Braille-written book titled Methods of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots, for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them. Unsurprisingly, Braille was resisted at its inception, but over the years, it has been accepted and appreciated.

Today, Jamaica and the Caribbean, by extension, have made commendable strides in Braille-facilitated communication. The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), for example, offers Braille versions of their examinations. The Salvation Army School for the Blind, founded in 1927, also provides Braille-printed textbooks. And, just last year, January 2024, JMMB’s Joan Duncan Foundation, in partnership with the Digicel Foundation, donated $765,000 to the school to assist with the purchase of five more Braille machines. Other institutions, through the support of the Ministry of Education, provide large-print books to increase educational access and inclusion for students with low vision.

Additionally, Jamaica’s Registrar General’s Department (RGD) introduced Braille birth certificates so the visually impaired can independently access and maintain an essential, personal document. In 2024, the National Health Fund gifted the Jamaica Society for the Blind Braille brochures with instructions on applying for an NHF card. Our polymer banknotes now feature Braille-like tactile markings for easier identification and distinction.

More can certainly be done for the 81,279 adults and the 2,589 children in Jamaica who, according to the Jamaica Society for the Blind, have low vision. For instance, basic food products could carry Braille labels; text-to-speech assistive tools could be made more widely available to increase information access and sustain communication between the visually impaired and the sighted. More job opportunities could also be created for qualifying members of the blind community.

Nonetheless, Jamaica’s progress in supporting and including the blind through Braille communication merits a grand celebration this year. As we proceed, let us continue to uphold the 2014 Disabilities Act, which urges us to recognise, accept, and protect the inalienable rights of people with disabilities. In so doing, we will afford them the dignity, freedom, choice, and access they deserve.

Together we can build a more inclusive society and enhance our collective quality of life in the process.

Shawna Kay Williams-Pinnock

shawna201@gmail.com