Global Bicentennial Events

Celebrations throughout 2009 are being planned around the world to honor Braille's 200th birthday.

If you have an event to include, send a description and details (around 100-200 words) to tgrima@nbp.org.

AUSTRALIA
www.quantumtechnology.com.au
Adaptive Technology company Quantum Technology, is celebrating the bicentennial of Louis Braille by hosting three events across the country, in the major cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, in early February 2009.

BRAZIL
www.fundacaodorina.org.br

A National Commission (Brazilian National Commission for the Celebration of Louis Braille's Bicentennial - CBBLB) has been working under the motto: "2009, Louis Braille's Bicentennial: in the fingertips, the building of a history of independence and citizenship."

On January 4th, 2009 a commemorative postage stamp had the words "Louis Braille" in relief printing.

The Brazilian Club of Brazil, in Louis Braille's honor, the so highly gifted inventor, is issuing gold, silver and bronze commemorative medals.

It is expected to be approved by the Brazilian National Congress a law by which the 8th of April be considered "Braille's National Day".

CANADA
www.braille200.ca
Braille 200 is the Canadian banner for special events which are being planned and organized by the World Braille Foundation in cooperation with CNIB, the World Blind Union, the Canadian Braille Authority, and other literacy groups in Canada. Activities are planned across Canada, including conferences, dedicated scholarships, and awareness and advocacy events.

FRANCE
www.avh.asso.fr
In January 2009, we will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille's birth. We are especially proud that the brilliant inventor of the system of writing that bears his name lies in the Pantheon, alongside the most symbolic figures of France's greatness. It is for this reason that AVH and INJA were anxious to make the 200th anniversary of Braille's birth a unique event by hosting a conference about braille and the future of braille under the patronage of the President of the French Republic, with the support of UNESCO, the World Blind Union (UMA), the National Committee for the Social Promotion of Blind and Partially Sighted People (CNPSAA), and the International Committee for the Commemoration of the Bicentenary of Louis Braille's Birth (CINAL).

INDIA
www.bpa.org.in
On January 4, 2008 we set up a library at Bidyapalli, Malancha-Mahinagar, Kolkata-700145 to mark the commencement of the birth bicentenary of this great personality. The said library consists of braille, ink print and cassette sections. We are pledged to evaluate his life and to present before the society his struggle through a series of programmes all through the year.
For details write to us at:
Blind Persons' Association
10/2 Samsul Huda road
Kolkata 700017
Phone: +9133-22903379, +9133-24377206
Email: bpaindia@vsnl.net and bpaindia@gmail.com

India has also announced a new annual award, "Best Braille Press," to be presented on Louis Braille's Bicentennial (January 4, 2009).
Read the press release here:
pib.nic.in/release/realase.asp

IRELAND
www.ncbi.ie
NCBI in Dublin, in collaboration with An Post, has produced a commemorative braille stamp, which was launched on 23rd January. Braille characters have been used on the face of the 55 cent stamp, which also contains the dates of Louis Braille's life (1809 to 1852). NCBI has also called on the government for new investment in funding for our Braille library services, and has a high-profile awards ceremony planned for February 25th. Read more about all of NCBI's activities at www.ncbi.ie.

NEW ZEALAND
www.rnzfb.org.nz
The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind will mark Louis Braille's 200th anniversary and celebrate his achievements with a parliamentary event, co-hosted with the Minister of Education on Tuesday 28 April. Guests will include government ministers, parliamentarians and key figures in the disability sector. Braille will be an integral part of the event, with invitations produced in braille and print formats. The event will include activity to ensure guests experience how important braille is and hear personal stories from braille users. Speakers will also address how the lack of information available in braille impacts the lives of blind New Zealanders.

The Foundation has also developed a "Louis in Libraries" programme to mark the historic occasion. Public libraries will "host" Louis Braille through displays, competitions and guest speaker events.

A street which is part of a new housing development in Auckland has been named Louis Braille Lane. The street sign contains both print and simulated braille so the general public will link Louis Braille with the code he invented.

A Louis Braille Trail is being created in the Wellington City Botanic Gardens. The trail features native New Zealand plants and scented herbs and flowers with braille signs by each. A print or braille brochure will be given to visitors, giving details about each plant and key facts about Louis Braille's life.

In addition, a braille measuring device is being launched to help blind people identify New Zealand bank notes. The device has been sponsored by the New Zealand Reserve Bank.

SCOTLAND
www.nationalbrailleweek.org
National Braille Week: To coincide with the birthday of Louis Braille and World Braille Day, Royal Blind is launching the very first National Braille Week, which runs from 4-10 January 2008. The week also marks the beginning of a campaign by Royal Blind that will develop over the following year to support the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. The website features braille facts, games, and an invitation to "decode the mystery of braille" by sending braille messages to friends via the internet.

SOUTH AFRICA
From Sunday, 4 January, through the rest of 2009, the South African blindness sector as well as many companies, schools, church and religious groups, libraries, and braille users are celebrating the courageous life, selfless work and life-changing legacy of Louis Braille. Highlights include:

• 4 January 2009: Open day at the Addo Nursery, Gauteng, South Africa, beginning with a religious service by a blind minister, music by blind musicians, and fun braille activities for all;
• Braille Services of Blind SA (the largest braille printing house in South Africa) in conjunction with RSG (our national Afrikaans broadcaster) launch the first braille and large-print recipe book printed in South Africa;
• 6-15 March 2009: "Word and Literature Festival" in conjunction with the University of Stellenbosch;
• Exhibits at national and local libraries throughout South Africa during National Library Week (3rd week of March);
• The launch of the Afrikaans version of Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius, by Michael Mellor.

For more information please contact Marieta van Royen, National Co-ordinator of the South African Louis Braille Bicentenary Planning Committee at marieta@sancb.org.za. Telephone: 27(0) 12 452-3811

SRI LANKA
The Special Needs Resource Centre of the University of Peradeniya, jointly with the Central Province Branch of the National Federation of the Visually Handicapped, is organizing a celebration on the morning of Saturday, January 17th, 2009, at the Arts Theatre of the University of Peradeniya. His Excellency Monsieur Michel Lummaux, Ambassador for France in Sri Lanka, will be the chief guest. We are expecting around 600 guests including many blind persons. All blind visitors and their escorts will be provided lunch by courtesy of the Peradeniya University Alumni Australia Victoria Chapter.

Other activities include: a drama competition among special schools depicting the life of Louis Braille; braille writing competition (in both English and Sinhala); and two debates among university under graduates at the University of Colombo.

UNITED KINGDOM
www.rnib.org.uk
On 4 January 2009, we'll be celebrating Louis Braille's 200th birthday by launching a year of special events commemorating not only the life of this remarkable man but also his great legacy. We want to raise awareness of braille and its place the twenty first century and encourage more people, particularly older blind and partially sighted people to learn braille. Here's a taster of some of our plans:

• An amateur radio project connecting braille enthusiasts around the world
• The launch of a new website with up to date information, podcasts and videos
• The results of new RNIB research on issues faced by adults learning braille will be published in late spring
• We'll launch exciting new products to help adults learn and write braille
• A signature event in early March celebrating braille - its past, present and future
• Braille: The World at My Fingertips, published in conjunction with the EBU (European Blind Union), is a collection of inspiring essays by braille users. We'll also encourage new writing with our RNIB Cymru children's essay competition in Wales
• We will join with a number of other organisations to arrange a Louis Braille thanksgiving service to be held at St. Martin's in the Fields, London on Saturday March 21.

UNITED STATES

National Plans

• Chapters of the National Federation of the Blind nationwide will be holding events on or around Jan. 4, 2009 to commemorate Louis Braille's birthday and promote braille literacy. In Stockton, CA, the San Joaquin Chapter NFBC will be running a table in the local Barnes & Noble bookstore handing out literature, demonstrating the importance and usefulness of braille and interacting with the public via "secret code" messages typed at the bottom of braille alphabet cards. The Louis Braille coin will be released early in 2009, and we want to make everyone aware of what an important cause proceeds will be benefitting. Visit www.braille.org for the latest news!


• The January 2009 issue of The Educator, the journal of of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) will feature the theme, "Braille: Past - Present - Future." The July issue will focus on the use of the code with Dr Cay Holbrook, University of British Columbia as the guest editor. The Educator can be read and downloaded free of charge from our website www.icevi.org.

California
The Braille Club started this year at the local high school in Jackson, CA is having a birthday celebration on the first day back after Christmas break - January 5, 2009. We'll be serving cookies with braille letters on them. One of our 9th grade braille readers helped deliver the first invitation for the party during the daily bulletin presented verbally over the school public address system. A teacher of visually impaired from a nearby County will be joining us!

Illinois
On Sunday, January 4, the Chicago Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois will host a celebratory event in honor of Louis Braille's birthday and braille literacy at the Barnes and Noble dePaul Center bookstore in downtown Chicago. Teens and adults will demonstrate braille reading and writing, and will hand out literature on braille and the value of braille literacy for blind people.

Kansas
Hutchinson Middle School, 7th and 8th grade classes: Every trimester we learn about Helen Keller and Louis Braille and this year during all trimesters, the students are making posters using Skittles candy as braille dots to say "Happy Birthday Louis Braille" and they will be posted in our hall. The students are also wearing die cut circles (braille dots) on certain days and when asked what the dots are for, they will need to tell the story about Louis Braille and how he became blind.

Kentucky
Louis Braille's 200th Birthday Celebration at the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind (1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY). Louis is turning 200 and we're celebrating with all things French! Come to the museum on Saturday, January 3 from 12:30-3 p.m. to explore the tastes, sights, and sounds of Louis Braille's Paris home. Experts on Braille's life, and the music, food, and literature of France in the 1820s will share some of the influences that helped shape this boy genius and hero of book lovers everywhere. Call 899-2365 by for more information.

Maryland
On January 4, 2009, representatives of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland will conduct a demonstration of reading and writing braille and distribute braille literacy literature in the lobby of the Howard County Central Library from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Michigan
On December 4th, 2008, the faculty and students in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo will hold a gala public birthday party for Louis Braille - one month early - featuring braille birthday cake, prizes, games and a variety of braille code learning activities for area school children and their families. In addition, the Portage Michigan Lions Club will kick off its new program to assist all restaurants in providing braille menus to diners who read braille.

New Jersey
In Hamilton Township we are sponsoring a Braille Commemorative Coin Event at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore located on 425 Marketplace Blvd. Route 130, in Hamilton, NJ. The event will take place on January 19, 2009 from 11:00am to 3:00pm. We will discuss braille literacy, read to people in braille, and write names in braille. This is under the sponsorship of the National Federation of the Blind Braille Readers are Leaders Campaign.

New York
On Saturday, January 10, 2009, the East Meadow/Long Island Regional Braille Challenge will be held at W.T. Clarke High School (740 Edgewood Drive, Westbury, NY) from 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM (snow date: Jan 24). This is a regional event designed to enable students in grades 1-12 to "challenge" themselves in braille reading, writing, speed reading, interpretation of graphs and charts, spelling, and proofreading. Their goal will be to try to qualify to participate in the National Finals of the Braille Challenge sponsored by the Braille Institute of America. Workshops for parents and TVIs will be ongoing throughout the day. Activities for siblings will be provided, as will breakfast, lunch, prizes and a birthday-cake celebration in honor of Louis Braille's 200th birthday. There is no fee for participating in any of the activities of this exciting day. For more information, contact Dr. Sheila Amato at (516) 457-1990.

North Dakota
At the North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind, we plan to celebrate Louis Braille's birthday throughout the year of 2009, beginning with a birthday party in January at which we will serve a cake that the students will decorate with braille dots made with either chocolate chips or M&M's. We will also play braille games, such as braille Bingo and Braille-O. We also plan a braille reading competition in which children will keep track of the number of pages they read and will earn incentive prizes, such as braille bookmarks and braille wrist bands. We plan to get the word out about Louis Braille by speaking at local service organizations and appearing on local radio shows. A braille refresher course for our staff and other interested persons is in the works. During our summer camps for children and teens we plan to highlight Louis Braille and read a biography of our hero. We are putting up posters around the school and wearing the Louis Braille pin from NBP. It will be an exciting year!

Oregon
Blindskills will sponsor a public celebration of Louis Braille's 200th birthday, on January 7, 2009. The celebration will feature public readings from braille documents, and the creation of custom samples of written braille as a gift for each person who attends. O, and there will be refreshments as well. The free celebration will take place from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday January 7, 2009 in the Anderson room of the Salem, Oregon Public Library.

Texas
The Greater Fort Worth Chapter of the American Council of the Blind Texas is planning a "Braille Awareness Day" in conjunction with 10 cities in the State of Texas. Three blind students will read braille books at a Barnes & Noble bookstore at three different times during the day, 11:00, 1:00 and 3:00. The President of our council, Anjie Cook, will use a Braille Writer to demonstrate how it works. Mayor Mike Moncrief has signed a proclamation declaring January 31st as "Braille Awareness Day" honoring Louis Braille. The proclamation will be read at the bookstore by either the Mayor or a City Councilman. Also, the Fort Worth Cats (a minor league baseball team with a rich history in our city) will be in attendance.

Wisconsin
The National Federation of the Blind/Rock County chapter members will be at the downtown library in Janesville on Louis Braille's birthday. We'll have a table displaying various braille tools, such as the Perkins Brailler and the slate and stylus. We'll also hand out braille alphabet cards, and will braille children's names on the cards. We will also show the many uses of braille (from can labeling, to games, to books and magazines), answer questions, and pass out information about the commemorative Louis Braille coin.

In Eau Claire, first and second grade students from Meadowview Elementary School celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille by hosting visitor Katherine Schneider. Along with Fern (her seeing eye dog), Dr. Schneider talked with the kids about how she is able to read many things thanks to the system invented by Louis Braille. Thanks to Katherine Schneider, the American Library Association now has a book award that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. It's called The Schneider Family Book Award.

Did you know?

Only 20% of blind kids read braille?

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