RNIB makes Channel Islands stop on UK ‘Braille and Beyond’ library tour to celebrate two hundredth anniversary of braille
Blind and partially sighted people will gather at the Guille-Allès Library in Guernsey on Tuesday May 20, to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the invention of braille.
The event, which runs from 10am-3pm, is being organised by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and is a stop on a year-long RNIB ‘Braille and Beyond’ UK tour of libraries to mark the landmark anniversary.
Staff and representatives from RNIB, the Guille-Allès Library and the Guernsey Blind Association will be on hand to discuss the importance of braille, share reading tips, highlight accessible books and reading technologies, and connect blind and partially sighted people from the local community.
RNIB staff will talk about the history and development of braille and how its use is being transformed by modern technology. There will also be a chance for local blind and partially sighted people to share their experiences, as well as a braille demonstration for children of all ages, and a story time for under five’s with vision impairment, and their families.
James Bowden, RNIB’s Braille Technical Officer who is blind and a lifelong braille user, said: “Braille is reading designed for our fingers, just like print is designed for our eyes. It’s a vital tool that helps blind and partially sighted people lead fulfilled lives. Braille readers are more likely to be employed than blind people who don’t read braille, and this highlights a critical need to expand braille education, ensuring that more children with vision impairment and adults with sight loss can benefit from this powerful tool.
“Supporting braille education and resources is a crucial step towards an inclusive society. We’re doing the RNIB Braille and Beyond tour to celebrate the story of braille so far, and it will be up to blind and partially sighted people across the UK to write the next chapter.”
Jackie Burgess, the Library’s Community & Wellbeing Lead, said: “We’re proud to be hosting this event to celebrate 200 years of braille – a system that has transformed literacy, education and opportunity for blind and partially sighted people. At the Library our team works hard to make sure that our collections and services are accessible to all – because libraries are for everyone. We’re passionate about ensuring that blind and partially sighted people can stay connected to reading, whether that’s through large print and audiobooks, our Stories on USB postal service, or through our partnerships with organisations like the RNIB and the Guernsey Blind Association. This event is a chance to showcase the full range of services on offer for blind and partially sighted people at the Library, at the same time as celebrating the amazing legacy of braille.”
For more information about the event please contact Jackie Burgess on 720392 or email [email protected]
Notes to editors
All media enquiries for the RNIB, including interview requests, to 0207 391 2223 or [email protected]. For urgent enquiries out-of-hours, please call 07968 482812.
For more information about the Braille and Beyond tour contact RNIB's Library Liaison Officer, Lara Marshall on [email protected].
More information about the braille courses and resources RNIB offer.
The Braille and Beyond events are made possible thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, which supports RNIB through funds awarded by Postcode Care Trust.
About Braille 200
Louis Braille was in his teens in the mid-1820s when he began developing the six-dot tactile reading system that enables millions of blind and partially sighted people around the world to access the power of literacy. From September 2024, RNIB is leading a year of celebrations across the UK to recognise the bicentenary of the braille code; braille continues to unlock access to countless opportunities in education, employment and independent living.
Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, RNIB and its partners will highlight braille’s versatility for representing written language and technical subjects, enabling blind and partially sighted people to learn, work and play.
Despite its proven benefits, misconceptions about braille persist. Braille 200 affords us an opportunity to dispel some of those myths. Braille remains crucial in a world increasingly reliant on digital information. It complements audio technology and ensures independent and efficient access to detailed and personal information such as recipes, medication packaging, and greetings cards. You do not have to be blind from birth nor super intelligent, braille can be empowering at any age.
About RNIB
We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.
RNIB. See differently.
Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
About the Guille-Allès Library
The Guille-Allès Library has been at the heart of life in Guernsey for more than 140 years. Founded by lifelong friends Thomas Guille and Frederick Allès in 1882, their original vision was for the Library to become a hub for culture, learning, and community – and more than a century later, our goal remains the same.
Through our vast collection of books, films, digital resources and other media, as well as frequent events for adults and children, we enrich lives and boost well-being throughout the community, with equality of access for all. For more information about the Library visit www.library.gg