Use of braille declining, but it is still needed

BlindSA took the government to court on 7 April over the 1978 Copyright Act that prevents published works from being converted to braille. BlindSA is an organisation based in Johannesburg that equips blind people with the skills they need to independently participate in society. 

However, Mr Cerneels Lourens, an attorney in Potchefstroom who is also blind, said, “to convert published works to braille is not practical”. 

He said that braille takes very long to read and that books in braille are longer than normal books. Published works are normally already thick volumes. In braille, it would be many volumes. The Bible, which is normally one volume in most languages, is 37 volumes in braille. 

Pasha Alden, the national braille consultant at the South African Library for the Blind, said, “In South Africa, the number of braille users seems to be on the decline as braille is mostly used in functional reading”.

With digital technology growing more advanced, more audiobook programmes are being developed for people with visual disabilities. This means that braille is being used less often and audio programmes more. 

Lourens said, “I use audio technology for almost everything except my Psalm book”. 

Braille is still necessary for use on money, in elevators, and on signs. But books and journals of any kind can now be found in audio form. The infographic below provides more information about braille.