The COVID-19 pandemic has shown however captious it is to guarantee indispensable accusation is accessible to everyone, including radical surviving with disabilities.  On World Braille Day, observed connected 4 January, UN agencies person been highlighting however they are promoting a disability-inclusive effect to the crisis. 

Braille is simply a tactile connection utilized by unsighted and partially sighted people. Combinations of raised dots correspond each missive and number, and adjacent musical, mathematical and technological symbols, truthful that books and periodicals tin beryllium work done touch.    

There is nary substitute for the quality to read. On #WorldBrailleDay, let’s admit the publication of Braille arsenic a instrumentality for ‘freedom of expression, entree to accusation and societal inclusion’.

This has ne'er been truer than successful the times of isolation brought connected by #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/bkhWp2DgMz

— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) January 4, 2022

The strategy was invented by Frenchman Louis Braille astir 200 years ago. 

In a station connected Twitter, the President of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, commended Braille arsenic a instrumentality for state of expression, entree to accusation and societal inclusion.

"This has ne'er been truer than successful the times of isolation brought connected by #COVID19," helium wrote.

Access for all 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates astatine slightest 1 cardinal radical globally person a adjacent oregon region imaginativeness impairment that could person been prevented, oregon has yet to beryllium addressed. 

Life nether lockdown has posed challenges for the visually impaired, including successful presumption of independency and isolation, according to the UN.   

COVID-19 has besides revealed the value of having accusation disposable successful Braille and audio formats, different galore persons with disabilities could look higher hazard of contamination. The pandemic has besides underscored the request to ramp up integer accessibility for each people. 

Disability-inclusive response 

During the pandemic, respective UN agencies person been implementing bully practices towards a disability-inclusive effect and disseminating accusation successful Braille. 

For example, successful Malawi, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has produced much than 4,000 braille materials connected consciousness and prevention of COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, successful Ethiopia, the UN quality rights office, OHCHR, disseminated audio information, arsenic good arsenic acquisition and connection materials, to media professionals, and developed Braille versions of the acquisition messages.  

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has besides produced guidance notes successful aggregate languages and accessible formats, including Braille and ‘easy-to-read’ versions.  

Its enactment on COVID-19: Considerations for Children and Adults with Disabilities addresses issues that see entree to information; water, sanitation and hygiene; healthcare, education, kid protection, and intelligence wellness and psychosocial support. 

Awareness of quality rights 

The UN General Assembly established World Braille Day successful 2019 to rise consciousness of the relation Braille has successful the afloat realization of the quality rights and cardinal freedoms of the unsighted and partially sighted. 

Braille is indispensable successful the discourse of education, state of look and opinion, arsenic good arsenic societal inclusion, arsenic outlined nether nonfiction 2 of the Convention connected the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.