Braille Literacy Canada commemorates World Braille Day and ushers in new initiatives to celebrate BLC’s 30th anniversary
TORONTO, ON, January
4, 2020 --- In celebration of World Braille Day,
commemorating the birth of Louis Braille whose system of tactile
reading and writing brought literacy to those who are blind,
Braille Literacy Canada is unveiling the launch of the Braille
Zoomers group – a new initiative that will provide
peer-support, information and resources to adults and seniors
with sight loss who pursue braille training in Canada.
“Reading-related difficulties are among the most common reasons
for referral to sight loss rehabilitation services. With the
prevalence of sight loss expected to double by 2050, there is a
growing need to support adults and seniors who pursue braille
instruction to regain their independence,” explains President
Natalie Martiniello.
The Braille Zoomers group will provide adult braille
learners – both those learning and those who have completed
learning – with a virtual platform to come together to provide
and receive peer-support and mentorship, share tips, resources
and experiences related to learning braille in adulthood. In
future, BLC also hopes to provide braille starter kits to adult
learners containing items to support their braille learning and
independence, such as braille reading materials for adults and
labeling tools. As Martiniello explains, “Even with the
proliferation of technology, braille provides Canadians who are
blind with a means to read household labels, make lists and
engage in leisure reading, and functions as a bridge between
vision and sight loss to maintain spelling and other writing
skills.”
The Braille Zoomers group is one of several new
initiatives that Braille Literacy Canada will undertake during
2020 (which marks the organization’s 30th anniversary) to
promote the use of braille for Canadians who benefit from it. In
May, the organization will celebrate its anniversary year during
a special Annual General Meeting and reception to take place in
conjunction with the Canadian Vision Teachers conference.
Individuals who wish to learn more about the Braille Zoomers
group, or the upcoming 30th anniversary celebrations can write
to info@blc-lbc.ca or call Braille Literacy Canada at
1-877-861-4576.
Braille Literacy Canada / Littératie braille Canada, founded in 1990 as the Canadian Braille Authority, is a national charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of braille as the primary medium of literacy for those who are blind or visually impaired. BLC is recognized by the International Council on English Braille as the authority for the development, adoption, and establishment of standards relating to braille in Canada. With a membership comprising organizations and individuals, educators, braille transcribers, braille producers, parents of braille users and braille users themselves, BLC represents a broad cross-section of those working with or impacted by braille and is lead by a volunteer board of directors elected by the BLC membership.
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