World Braille Day

So the two-year campaign was first introduced internationally at the World Blindness Summit in São Paulo, Brazil, in September 2025.

It was officially launched on World Braille Day, 4th of January 2026, under the theme More Braille, More Empowerment.

So we established a steering committee, which is the governing body and operates under a terms of reference, co-chaired by SK Rungta, President of the World Blind Union, and myself as past president of ICEVI, and the steering committee provides strategic direction and oversight of the campaign.

The campaign translates its vision into action through three complementary focus areas, each area designed to strengthen braille literacy in a different way.

[upbeat music] Hello, and welcome back to BrailleCast, connecting the dots for braillists everywhere.

My name's Matthew Horspool, and in this episode, we're going back to World Braille Day, the 4th of January, 2026, when the Braillists Foundation was delighted to host the launch event for the ICEVI/WBU Global Braille Campaign: More Braille, More Empowerment.

[upbeat music] A very Happy New Year to everybody, and a very happy World Braille Day.

Wherever you are in the world, welcome to this very special event to launch the Global Braille Literacy Campaign brought to you by the ICEVI and the WBU.

My name is Matthew Horspool from the Braillists Foundation.

Actually, we might have slightly more than 210 now, but at half past nine UK time this morning when I checked, 210 registrants from 67 countries.

Uh, lots of European countries, lots of African countries, a big contingent from India, quite a few from Australia and New Zealand, even some from the US where it's gotta be, you know, five o'clock in the morning or even earlier than that.

Um, we, we pick this time because wherever you are in the world, it is still World Braille Day.