Generating access to equitable literacy resources for those with disabilities
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This month, we recognize National Braille Literacy Month. As we begin a new year, Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Agenda specifically discusses the importance of new administrative and legislative initiatives to increase early childhood education access, affordability and expansion to bolster K-12 literacy efforts. However, as we have seen through our programming offered at Bosma Center for Visionary Solutions, learning doesn’t stop at K-12.
National Braille Literacy Month was created as a celebration of the creation of Braille code, a system of writing used by people who are blind or visually impaired. The system is used by touch and has been a largely unchanged tool since its creation in the early 1800s. Braille literacy is vital for empowering those with blindness or visual impairment to process information on their own, helping them find a new sense of confidence and independence.
As we look to bolster employment and education efforts in the state of Indiana, I encourage you to take a moment to think of those who have a visual impairment or experience blindness.
There have been several Braille technological advances including updated software, computer screens, Braille-detecting cursors and Braille-integrated keyboards. While such advancements have opened the doors to greater accessibility, there is still a shortage of people teaching Braille. Currently, less than 10% of blind children are being taught Braille and, according to the National Federation of the Blind, fewer than 10% of the 1.3 million legally blind individuals in the United States are Braille readers.
With an unemployment rate of over 70% for those who are blind or visually impaired, 90% of those with employment are able to read Braille. By providing access to these resources, we can directly impact the sense of pride, self-satisfaction and financial independence of those who experience vision loss.
There are many technologies and tools that people who are blind use every day to be able to live, work and play in our communities. At Bosma Center for Visionary Solutions, we are leaders in teaching and integrating Braille into modern technology, contributing to our mission to help people with vision loss regain their independence. Our center-based and community-based programs, as well as virtual learning, provide several ways for Braille instructors to make a difference in the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. Learning Braille opens new doors to experiences that people with vision loss would not be able to participate in otherwise.
There is ample work to do to ensure there are more opportunities for this population. As we start 2024 with an improvement and strategic lens in mind, we need to remember the importance of providing equitable resources for those with disabilities. This January, I am calling on you to take responsibility as a community to increase inclusion and accessibility.