Of Magnus Eze, Enugu
A estimate by the Resource and Recreation Center for the Blind, at the Bina Foundation for People with Special Needs, a non-profit organization that works for the enhancement of personal development, economic empowerment, social inclusion and the human rights of people with special needs in Nigeria, indicates that about two million Nigerians are blind while about three million are visually impaired.
One of the challenges faced by these audiences, especially the youngest, is access to books and audio teaching aids, especially bbraraille.
The availability of Braille books, especially children’s and young adult fiction, is important in fostering the creativity and learning experience of visually impaired children, a vulnerable subset of the country’s population.
Unfortunately, limited access to Braille books, especially reading, learning and educational materials, increases the number of children out of school and unable to receive adequate education to prepare them for adulthood and enable them to reach their full potential.
Smart devices like phones and computers have come a long way in creating an alternative reading experience for the visually impaired, however, the lack of easy accessibility to these often expensive electronic devices limits their use as alternatives to traditional Braille books. Although audio books are on the increase, many books, especially fiction, needed by visually impaired children and young adults are not available or accessible in audio format.
However, the good news is that, thanks to the Bina Foundation, authored books have been made available in braille and audio with full license and authorization. To encourage greater inclusion, the foundation also donates licensed braille novels to centers for the blind across the country to add to their library for students.
Bina Foundation’s Director of International Affairs, Adaeze Atuegwu, is committed to enriching reading materials for blind children. His ‘Bina series’ – along with some of his other books for children and young adults are the few Nigerian children’s books available in Braille, a writing system that allows books to be read either on embossed paper or in using updatable braille displays connected to computers, smartphones and other smart devices.
Atuegwu is considered Nigeria’s most prolific youngest author, having published 17 books at age 17 between 1994 and 1995.
His books, published by Fourth Dimension Publishers and Cika Publishers, available in Braille include: ‘Tear’, ‘Fate’, ‘Chalet 9’, ‘The Magic Leaf’, ‘The Adventures of Nnanna’, ‘Bina and the Birthday Cake’ , “Bina and the sailboat”, “Bina at the beach”, “Bina at the supermarket”, “Bina at the airport”, “Lizzy’s first year at school”, “Lizzy’s second year at the School”, “Lizzy’s Third Year at School” with the corresponding “Lizzy” workbooks.
The foundation, which trained and sponsored the Nigeria men’s blind football team at the IBSA African Men’s and Women’s Blind Football Championships 2022 between September 14 and 26 in Morocco, is also teaching Braille to interested students, especially the children.
Braille is not only a means of ensuring disability inclusion, a fundamental human right, but it is also a means of encouraging visually impaired people of all levels to develop a love of learning.
Unfortunately, several complex copyright laws, high cost of production and low demand affect the availability of braille books for the visually impaired, especially in Nigeria.
Experts say more Braille books are needed, especially for young creative minds who are in the developmental stage where a solid foundation of learning would nurture a love for further education and prepare them for a more successful adult life.