Islamabad (Web Desk): World Braille Day was observed on Thursday across the globe including Pakistan to highlight the significance of improving access to knowledge for persons with visual disabilities.
The theme of the Day for 2024 is 'Empowering Through Inclusion and Diversity'.
In his message on the occasion of World Braille Day, President Dr Arif Alvi has reiterated the commitment to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
He said that said Pakistan has endorsed the Marrakesh Treaty for visually impaired persons which would help them access millions of books in Braille.
“Pakistan has initiated advanced training programs benefiting students, educators and parents, to facilitate an inclusive environment in public spaces where persons with visual impairments can smoothly access vital information and education,” President Alvi said.
According to the United Nations (UN), World Braille Day, celebrated since 2019, is observed to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.
Braille 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. Braille (named after its inventor in 19th century France, Louis Braille) is used by blind and partially sighted people to read the same books and periodicals as those printed in a visual font.
Braille is essential in the context of education, freedom of expression and opinion, as well as social inclusion, as reflected in article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.