Title:
Braille profiling project
Authors:
Amy Phillips of RNIB and Lucy Beesley of Frank Research Ltd.
Publisher:
RNIB
Year of publication:
2011
Background:
One of RNIB's key strategic priorities is to support independent living for blind and partially sighted people. Braille is a fundamental tool to enable independence for many blind people, and provides a gateway to the rights of education, work and social and cultural inclusion. RNIB recognises that the world is changing quickly and the way in which we access information continues to rapidly evolve. RNIB therefore, wanted to explore the context of braille reading today and identify the characteristics and needs of different market segments. This report outlines the findings of both the quantitative and qualitative research.
Key findings:
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Braille customers are a distinct group of customers who differ in profile to the average RNIB customer:
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Braille is highly valued among RNIB braille customers for the independence it provides them. For many, there is a strong emotional connection to braille and they genuinely feel that they would be lost without it.
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Views on the future and availability of braille are more polarised.
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Braille tends to be used more for reading than writing (although the majority of customers use it for both these purposes at least once a week).
Downloads:
Braille profiling project report (Word, 524 KB)