January Is Braille Literacy Month

Sorry for the long lag time between blog posts but it's been busy lately!  While I was occupied with other commitments, a colleague pointed out to me that January is Braille Literacy Month.  (Yes, I have a great sense of timing!) BLM basically promotes the importance of learning and using Braille to visually impaired people, despite widespread belief (which I don't share) that audio technology is a more essential tool. 

As noted here in this article from Online Colleges, "(a)udio technology may have curbed Braille usage in the classroom and workplace, but that doesn't dilute its significance or usefulness any".  The article goes on to list important facts about the aforementioned significence and usefulness of the language, including noting that only 27 states require legally blind children have access to Braille resources, and that those visually impaired readers who were educated through Braille have a lower unemployment rate than those readers used to print media.  More facts from the article can be found online by clicking here.  (Thanks JH!)

What are your thoughts on this?  Let me know.