ICEVI and World Blind Union Launch Global Braille Survey, Braillists Foundation to Host Sessions

The International Council for Education of People with Vision Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union (WBU) are launching a global braille survey as part of their joint braille literacy campaign, More Braille: More Empowerment.

According to the Braillists Foundation, the survey aims to test some of the common claims people repeat about braille. Statements like braille is dying out, braille is too hard to learn, or braille doesn't matter in the age of screen readers get repeated often. The survey is designed to find out how much truth, if any, sits behind them.

Two Launch Sessions to Choose From

The Braillists Foundation is hosting the launch of the survey in two separate sessions, so people around the world can join at a time that works for them.

The first session runs Friday, August 7 at 12:00 PM. The second runs Tuesday, August 11 at 1:00 AM. Both sessions cover the same launch content, giving people in different time zones a fair shot at attending live.

Why This Survey Matters

Braille literacy has been a persistent topic of debate within the blind and low vision community for years. Advocates have long argued that braille remains essential for full literacy, independence, and employment, even as speech technology and screen readers have become more common.

A global survey backed by two of the largest international organizations representing blind people carries weight. ICEVI focuses on education for people with vision impairment worldwide, while the WBU represents blind people's organizations across more than 190 countries. Together, their More Braille: More Empowerment campaign is pushing to gather real data rather than rely on assumptions about who reads braille, who wants to learn it, and what barriers stand in the way.

Voice of the Blind will continue following this survey as more details on its findings become available.