CHENNAI: Centuries after the birth of Louis Braille, his invention of a tactile code helps visually impaired community navigate their everyday lives. Braille is seen as freedom, a means of expression, and a tool towards accessibility.
While Braille has entered train stations and libraries, the community highlights the need to of Braille to be well integrated into public and educational spaces. On World Braille Day, its users share their experiences.
Raghuraman Kalyanraman, professor, Government Arts College, Nandanam
Braille is a wonderful support system, a beautiful way of communication with confidentiality. It goes to a level of being called a language. Braille has also come a long way of taking a form of an electronic media. Instead of typing out in a typewriter, or using the regular Braille pads, we have a Braille refreshable system, which is type-free to some extent.
The need is to now make all the books digital and have accessible e-publishing. Publishers usually ignore the accessibility part when it comes to e-book production. If the book complies with all the accessibility guidelines, that book will automatically comply with the Braille reading support system.
This accessibility needs to be given to the visually impaired, maybe for free or in a subsidised way. This way, they can access to the reading materials in their phones. It has to reach all the locations, all the spaces. Wherever I touch upon — a name board or a signboard — it should be tactile.
The harmonious building code talks about being tactile. But they are all done for the sake of it. It should go into the system as a natural thing. The tactile that we see in metro stations are a mockery. The visually impaired should also be taught drawing, which helps them learn the abstract into concrete.
Dipti Bhatia, CEO of National Association for the Blind’s (NAB) Tamil Nadu chapter
Braille is a script rather than a language. It is a formation of six dots. As an ordinary person would read written alphabets, they use eyes to read, Braille is read by fingers. I read Tamil and English. If I did not have Braille, I would not have been as good with spelling, or as good as anybody who reads.
When you are a reader, your vocabulary is different from someone who doesn’t read. Today, people are stuck to higher technology (audio). I don’t subscribe to audio; one is losing a whole lot of things. It just helps you in listening. Braille helps you read whenever you want, it makes you more independent. I can write my own notes — from college notes to minutes of the meeting where I am holding a position of executive officer.
K Kumar, associate professor of Tamil, Presidency College
I learned Braille in Poonamallee Braille School, understanding that there are six dots and there’s a stylus to write in both Tamil and English. In 8th, 9th, and 10th standards, my question papers and answers were in Braille but in college, there was a situation where we did not have access to the Braille book as it was hard to find the syllabus.
This mode empowers us to read and write, and now the teaching has reduced in schools. The blind community reads a lot with audio formats, however, it is inaccurate as there may be spelling mistakes. The reason I was able to move forward in life, move higher and secure a position in this college. I now take classes on Tamil literature, Nannul, Tolkappiyam and so on. In any situation, Braille is not merely an important language; it is a tool with an identity of its own and is crucial whether in education, navigating train stations, platforms, lifts, or metro.
It allows a person from the community to be independent, where we need not take help from others, and empowers us to travel around the world. We see Louis Braille as a god. The Modi government has mentioned that money notes would have Braille, but this is yet to happen, and it is hard for the community to use the currency.
M Ramesh, associate professor of Tamil, Presidency College
In 1989 in Dharmapuri, I started using Braille in the third standard. They taught us the six-dot system using a hammer. It changed everything for me. Braille has been a great help in reading and writing. One can learn grammar and various aspects of literature. Listening alone isn’t enough. Before I learned Braille, I used to learn songs, but I can’t remember much from that.
Once I started using Braille, it became fascinating to read and write letters. I especially enjoyed writing letters to my friends. We even used to send letters to Reader’s Digest magazine. My teachers, Selvapandian and Duraiswamy, were instrumental in guiding me during those years. In ninth grade, I faced challenges because science materials weren’t available in Braille.
To cope, I would record my classes and work through the night to take notes in Braille. By the time I reached 11th and 12th standard, I had moved to Chennai and continued to rely on notes. Things became easier after 2008 with advancements in technology. Software like screen reader, developed by a professor at IIT Madras, changed the game as it helped read regional language.
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA), another software that supports 136 languages, can be used to read word files and web content. E-speak mobile software, which converts text to speech, has also been very helpful. We read Braille a little less now as PDFs and other digital formats are more accessible.
Even today, Braille remains vital. At the stall in Chennai Book Fair, we see books written by visually impaired people, and many classic works have been converted into Braille. Books like Thirukkural and Manimegalai are available, thanks to efforts by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil.
Dr Raja, president, Thaaikarangal Charitable Trust for Blind and Visually Impaired Community
Braille is a communication tool for us. If a visually impaired wants to be independent, they must learn Braille. Technology might fail, but Braille won’t. It is a basic necessity. Technology needs to include Braille. If there are more e-books, we can convert the text into Braille format, and we can read that.
(Inputs by Anusree PV, Archita Raghu & Diya Maria George)