‘Braille is still as vital as ever for those with sight loss’

Dawn Hopper, 42, who was diagnosed with glaucoma three years ago and is now registered as severely sight impaired, has started to learn to read and write braille as her level of sight loss makes it very difficult to continue reading or writing print.

Dawn, who lives with her husband Simon, said: “I’m learning braille at the moment and I’m really enjoying it.

"For me, my goal is to be able to read in silence again.

"Don’t get me wrong, audio books are great but for me there’s nothing like enjoying a book in peace and quiet.

"I suppose it’s just what I’m used to having used my vision to read up until my glaucoma diagnosis.

"I use a Perkins Brailler to write braille. It’s very different from using a pen.

"It’s a bit like an old fashioned mechanical typewriter only it punches raised dots in the paper which you feel, rather than using ink.

“I started learning braille before the Covid-19 pandemic but when the lockdown restrictions came in, it was a choice of stopping the lessons or switch to learning braille remotely which was quite a challenge. But I knew I really wanted to master it so I persevered. It’s important to me.”

Sight loss charity RNIB NI (The Royal National Institute of Blind People in Northern Ireland) said braille, the system of raised dots that has enabled blind people to read and write, is as vital as ever, despite the advances of new technology.

Earlier this week the charity marked the anniversary of the birth of braille’s inventor, Louis Braille (1809-52), the Frenchman who himself became blind at the age of four.

The braille system is based on variations of six dots, which represent the letters of the alphabet, punctuation, numbers and groups of letters.

Robert Shilliday, country director of RNIB in Northern Ireland, said: “For people who are blind or are unable to read or write print because of sight loss, the invention of braille is often compared to the invention of the printing press for sighted people.

“For thousands across the world, braille means independence, knowledge and freedom.

"Braille also lets you read a bedtime story to children, a presentation at work, read music from braille music sheets, or play games such as braille Monopoly, Scrabble and cards.”

He added: “Even though so much of what we do these days depends on computers and smartphones, technology now enables braille users to work with those too.

"The anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, I think gives us a moment to not only reflect on how much technology has opened doors and made the world a more equal place for people living with sight loss but also reminds us that some of the older methods and tools of doing things still have a place in modern society.”

RNIB has 10,400 braille library master-files it can produce a book from.

It also has electronic braille master-files for braille music scores and various maths and science books and codes, as well as maps (including one of the nearside of the moon).

RNIB also transcribes magazines into braille - TV guides are the most popular.

Dawn, who volunteers RNIB Connect Community team arranging speaking events to share her lived experience of her own sight loss journey, added:

“I’ve just recently got my new guide dog Micky.

"He’s just amazing, we’re getting to know each other and I’m really looking forward to working with him in the years ahead.

“Since the changes in my eyesight, learning braille and becoming a guide dog owner has really helped me stay positive about the future.

"Just because my eye sight has changed that doesn’t mean I have to stop doing the things I enjoyed like reading and writing.”

She added: “I’m registered severely sight impaired so I feel lucky to be able to bring some of what I’ve been through to those who might know nothing about it.

"Hopefully as people get to know more about sight loss, society will change and the barriers faced by blind and partially sighted people will come down.

*For more information about the services and support provided by RNIB in NI and across the UK, call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 1239999 or email [email protected]. Visit the RNIB website at rnib.org.uk/northernireland. Twitter.com/RNIBNI

*Meanwhile, a BBC report recently highlighted that due to the lockdown, the Guide Dogs breeding programme had to be paused for the first time ever in the charity’s 90-year history, with a five-month gap.

A spokesperson for Guide Dogs NI said there are enough trainers in the province, but there is a lack of volunteers to do basic training with the puppies.

He added: “Currently, in Northern Ireland, we have approximately 90 guide dogs. Our waiting list is below average for the UK and as a charity we are very reliant on the general public's generosity through donations, fundraising efforts and signing up to be a volunteer through our website at guidedogs.org.uk/volunteer.

Puppy raisers bring up the puppy from eight weeks until they are approximately 14 months and ready to begin formal training in our Belfast centre.

"This can be extremely emotional for many of our volunteers to hand the puppy over, but most reapply to do it again, knowing that the dog will go on to change someone's life," he added.