Use and teaching of braille
| Use and teaching of braille |
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Practitioners and people who know the tradition well
Braille is the literacy system used by blind and severely visually impaired people, and its users live throughout Finland. However, there are no exact statistics on braille readers in Finland. According to the Finnish Register of Visual Impairment, there are approximately 55,000 visually impaired people in Finland. For a blind or severely visually impaired person, braille literacy is the key to independent access to information.
Visually impaired people use braille for reading and writing. In addition, it is used in various communities of visually impaired people or of both visually impaired and sighted people, such as families, groups of friends and artistic communities, enabling shared activities such as games and play, more informal music-making and the creation of new forms of performing arts.
In addition to visually impaired people, braille is used by a wide range of people who work with them: relatives and family members, teachers and early childhood educators, braille teachers, ICT instructors and those working in braille production. Not all blind and partially sighted individuals use braille, but for those who are blind or severely visually impaired from birth or childhood, braille literacy is taught in school. Some people who lose their vision later in life learn braille in rehabilitation or through independent study.
The Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (Näkövammaisten liitto ry) maintains discussion platforms for visually impaired people, where issues such as the availability and quality of braille books and the significance of reading them are discussed. The Library Association for the Visually Impaired (Näkövammaisten kirjastoyhdistys) also brings together braille readers. The leisure and camp activities organised by The Association for Parents of Visually Impaired Children (Näkövammaiset lapset ry), an organisation of visually impaired children and their families, promote braille literacy and the enjoyment it brings through communal and encouraging methods. In this way, they contribute to the transmission of the tradition and a reading culture in addition to the technical literacy skills taught at school.
Organisations producing braille include the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired’s braille printing house Taktiili, the Accessibility Library Celia (Saavutettavuuskirjasto Celia), as well as private individuals and organisations of the visually impaired. Organisations providing braille teaching include Valteri schools Onerva and Skilla, as well as the Live Vocational College.
Practising of the tradition
Braille is a tactile writing system read with the fingers. It is not a language but a writing system with a common foundation worldwide, although there are language-specific variations.
Braille is the basis of education and professional and social participation for blind people. It is used and taught worldwide in numerous languages. Different languages may have their own contraction systems, where commonly used letter combinations are represented by a single character to save space and speed up reading and writing. No standard contraction system exists in Finland.
Mastering braille is essential for learning language, since correct spelling can only be learned through independent reading. Braille also plays a key role in subjects such as mathematics.
Braille is used to read printed books and magazines. It also enables access to websites and electronic publications via braille displays and allows to produce text in accessible electronic formats. In educational and work environments, braille is used for preparing and reading various materials and documents, but it also serves everyday needs such as writing notes and shopping lists. Braille is also used for music production, gaming, and labelling objects such as food items and storage containers.
In public spaces, braille markings assist with navigation and interaction. Examples include braille on elevator buttons, train seat numbers or door signs. Braille is also used on commercial products, restaurant menus and aircraft safety instructions. All medicine packaging includes braille marking.
Braille characters are formed by using a combination of six raised dots called the braille cell. Depending on which of the six dots are raised, different combinations are formed, each representing a symbol such as letters, punctuation marks, numbers and capitalisation. Additional symbols can be created using two extra cells. The spacing between dots and the size of the markings are standardised. The braille converter (Pistekirjoitusmuunnin) of The Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired illustrates the nature of braille. There are also braille systems for mathematics, chemistry and chess, as well as codes for knitting patterns and musical notation. Braille can also be used in toys and games (such as braille-marked playing cards, board games and LEGO® Braille Bricks).
Some braille symbols have been updated over time. When new symbols are introduced into the writing system, corresponding braille symbols are created (for example, the @ symbol). In Finland, decisions on braille symbols are made by the braille council Pistekirjoituksen neuvottelukunta.
Braille is read from left to right and top to bottom, like printed text. When writing by hand, a slate is used to hold the paper, and a stylus is used to punch dots into the paper, which then form readable raised dots on the reverse side. This requires strong perceptual abilities, as the text is written from right to left and the letters appear in mirror image. Writing braille is faster with a braille typewriter (the Perkins Brailler is the most common in Finland) or modern digital devices. Many users now employ computers with braille displays, smaller braille notetakers or smartphones. Smartphone applications have been developed that allow users to type braille directly onto a touchscreen divided into six input areas. This braille typing method is widely used even by visually impaired people who do not otherwise use braille regularly, as it enables efficient writing of messages such as social media posts and emails.
The background and history of the tradition
The name of the French blind schoolboy Louis Braille (1809–1852) has become synonymous with braille. Braille developed his six-dot system in 1825, when he was only 16 years old, and expanded it in 1829 to include mathematical notation and musical notation. His system revolutionised the possibilities for visually impaired people to read and write at a time when written culture was largely dependent on reading aloud and oral transmission of information. Braille opened the way to more independent access to information and participation in modern society.
An international conference of teachers of the blind held in France in 1878 recommended the adoption of the Braille system in all schools for the blind, marking the international breakthrough of braille. After the Second World War, UNESCO took on the task of developing braille and standardising its use across different languages.
In Finland, the establishment of schools for the blind in Helsinki and Kuopio in the late 19th century strengthened the position of braille. A major turning point was experienced in the 1890s, when braille began to be used in practical contexts and the first handwritten braille periodicals, Tomten and Peikko, were created. Publications produced by the student society of Helsingin sokeainkoulu, the school for the blind in Helsinki, formed an early literary community, whose members were the first generation to use braille as a means of creative expression and the transmission of knowledge. The young people who participated in producing the convent newspapers later became otherwise well known in their communities. The literary community functioned for them as a means of self-education and as a springboard for societal participation. As adults, they later helped found the first associations of visually impaired people in Finland in the early 20th century and were involved in creating Sokeain Airut (published since 1912) and other newspapers for the blind, which served as member publications for associations and as a voice for issues concerning visually impaired people.
The Accessibility Library Celia was founded in 1890 under the name Kirjoja sokeille (“Books for the Blind”), and since then braille literature has been produced in Finland. The first braille printing presses were introduced in the 1910s, but they became more widespread only in the 1950s. The first mechanically reproduced braille book was published in 1912, and around the same time production of the journal Sokeain Airut also began. The production of educational materials in braille began in 1936.
Systematic teaching of braille began in the 1880s in schools for the blind. The first school for the blind, Blindskolan i Helsingfors (Skilla), began operating in 1865. A Finnish-language school for the blind opened in Kuopio in 1871 and continued its activities until 1972. The activities of the Kuopio and Helsinki schools continued in Jyväskylä from 1973 under the name Jyväskylän näkövammaisten koulu.
The literary culture and community of visually impaired people have been challenged over the decades. In the 1950s, audiobooks and new sound recording technologies offered alternatives to traditional braille books. In the 1990s, computers and speech synthesizers were feared to entirely replace braille. Despite this, braille has remained a living practice: associations and communities of visually impaired people, the Valteri school, and the Accessibility Library Celia have maintained its position by publishing braille magazines and books, organising courses, and promoting the use of braille markings, for example on product packaging. The State and the postal service have also supported the tradition by providing free postal delivery for braille materials.
The transmission of the tradition
The integration of visually impaired pupils into local schools began in the 1970s, when Jyväskylän näkövammaisten koulu began to provide guidance services, including guidance visits, support periods and orientation training for teachers and assistants. Since 2016, the same services have been provided in both Finnish and Swedish by Valteri, which operates under the Finnish National Agency for Education and has several units. The former Jyväskylän näkövammaisten koulu and Skilla are part of Valteri, whose activities support the principle of attending a local school. The shift from boarding institutions for blind children to living at home and attending local schools also affected braille culture. Earlier, the children’s immediate community used braille exclusively, whereas today visually impaired children are often the only people in their everyday lives who primarily use braille. The importance of families and, for example, camp activities for children and young people in the transmission of braille and the development of braille culture has therefore become more pronounced.
Blind children begin learning the basic skills of braille in day care, and actual braille instruction begins in pre-primary education and the early years of school. Valteri centre for learning support supports the learning of braille skills for blind pupils. Braille skills are also maintained, for example, through camps organised by The Association for Parents of Visually Impaired Children (Näkövammaiset lapset ry). For young people, braille instruction is also available in preparatory teaching at special vocational institutions. Braille reading and writing skills are transmitted to people who lose their sight in adulthood through peer-supported braille clubs and study circles led by visually impaired braille instructors. Visually impaired children, in turn, often learn braille already before starting school with the help of their parents, thanks to the active involvement of parents and grandparents. Braille is practised, among other things, using various self-made learning boards for braille symbols.
In recent decades, technological development has created new opportunities for using braille. The first digital braille display came into use in Finland in 1981. Electronic books became established in the 1990s, and online lending of them began in the late 1990s. The development of assistive devices and the spread of smart devices have made it possible to use braille through, for example, small braille displays or smartphone screens. Alongside digital developments, the printed braille book still retains its own role.
Accessibility Library Celia produces both learning materials and fiction and non-fiction literature in braille. Tactile books for small children have been produced since 1984. In addition, the library also has Luetaan yhdessä (“Let’s read together”) books, in which braille texts have been added to picture books with adhesive plastic, making it possible for visually impaired and sighted adults and children to share reading moments together. Since 2019, Celia has produced Luen itse (“I read by myself”) books for children, which contain both braille and printed text as well as tactile pictures. A small number of braille magazines are also published in Finland, helping to maintain literacy among both children and adults. Reading literature is common among visually impaired people, and braille books have their own strong readership, which discusses braille books, their availability and the quality of braille printing on various discussion platforms and in associations.
The braille council Pistekirjoituksen neuvottelukunta, operating since 1998, serves as an expert body on learning materials for visually impaired people. It brings together expertise in the pedagogy of visual impairment, the field of education, the braille writing system, and braille and tactile materials. It is an important body in national and international cooperation and in policies related to braille.
Peer learning plays a central role in learning to use new technologies. For example, braille input on smartphones is most often learned from other visually impaired people through hands-on guidance. Advice on the use of new technologies is also shared in various social media groups.
Among visually impaired young people, braille symbols are used and taught especially in shared activities such as card games. Young people who do not otherwise use braille in their daily lives may also learn to use braille playing cards. Motivation for learning is strengthened when it enables shared activity. For visually impaired professional musicians, braille is not only a means of reading musical notation, but also a tool for creating new performing arts, and is therefore part of Finnish performing arts.
However, braille literacy is threatened by the same trends that affect and reduce the reading of printed text: digitalisation, especially the availability of various audio contents, and different ways of communicating through speech synthesis or voice messages.
Documentation of the tradition
The heritage and history of the visually impaired community are documented in the museum of visual impairment, Memona. Memona is a specialist museum of education for visually impaired people and of the history of visual impairment, founded in 1991 and maintained by the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired. The museum is in Eastern Helsinki, in the Iiris Centre at Marjaniementie 74, 00930 Helsinki, a building completed in 2003 and designed by architect Rainer Mahlamäki.
The museum’s collections include objects, photographs, documents, audio, speech and video recordings, as well as membership magazines and braille books. These provide a broad view of the history and development of education for blind people, traditional occupations, access to information, everyday assistive devices and disability work organised by associations from the mid-19th century to the present day. The museum operates under the guidance of the Helsinki City Museum. It is also a member museum of the Finnish Museums Association.
Under the Copyright Act, Accessibility Library Celia has the right to produce accessible versions of published literature for the target groups defined by law. Celia produces and lends literature in accessible formats for people with reading disabilities, that is, people who cannot read a printed book because of a disability or illness. Celia lends braille books to blind and partially sighted people.
Celia’s collections include approximately 5,000 braille books in total. Around 150 new braille books are produced for the collection each year. The lending of braille books takes place on demand, meaning that each borrower receives their own copy of the book.
Sustainable development
The use and teaching of braille are directly linked to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as braille enables literacy and, through that, participation in society for blind and severely visually impaired people.
Above all, braille supports inclusive and equitable education. It is still essential for enabling genuine literacy, independent agency and social participation for visually impaired people, even in the era of digital audio tools. Early and high-quality instruction strengthens learning outcomes and supports lifelong learning. It enables equal access to literature, music, science and mathematics alongside sighted people. The United Nations emphasizes the importance of braille for freedom of expression, access to information and social inclusion. Braille is also part of cultural sustainability, as it secures the participation of visually impaired people in cultural life and the transmission of knowledge.
Braille literacy is a prerequisite for access to working life for blind and severely visually impaired people. Braille enables independent access to information and ensures, for example, the possibility of receiving and recording information independently. This is important from the perspective of a good and balanced life. A visually impaired person who is literate is an active member of society. Without braille, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal principle of “Leave no one behind” cannot be realised.
The economic effects of braille are twofold. The improved level of education made possible by braille is also reflected in the employment of visually impaired people, which improves their livelihoods and reduces poverty. On the other hand, technological development in recent decades has introduced numerous high-quality assistive devices to the market, and these are very expensive. In Finland, such devices are often available only to visually impaired people who are studying or in employment, because KELA grants assistive devices for study and work use. For other visually impaired people, access to assistive devices depends on the granting practices of the wellbeing services counties, their financial situation, and the expertise of the officials making decisions on assistive devices. An important task of the visually impaired community is therefore to ensure through advocacy that the modern and effective possibilities of using braille do not remain available only to educated and employed visually impaired people.
Braille also has environmental impacts. Because of its standardised size and the thick paper it requires, braille takes up more space than black print and therefore consumes more paper. Previously, braille volumes were stored in the library for the visually impaired Näkövammaisten kirjasto (now called Accessibility Library Celia), from where they were posted to the user and returned there at the end of the loan period. Braille books are subject to mechanical wear when read, and the volumes therefore need to be replaced regularly. Accessibility Library Celia has moved to a system in which braille books are printed and posted to each individual borrower, who then recycles the book in paper recycling after reading it. The position of printed products has also changed among braille readers, and reading different electronic publications on a braille display connected to one’s own device has become more common. This reduces paper consumption but requires energy in the form of electricity used both by the devices themselves and by the servers used by digital environments. The ecological benefits of digitalisation can only be realised, however, if devices are durable, reasonably priced and accessible to everyone.
The field is actively working towards more sustainable and equitable practices. A key measure is strengthening teachers’ continuing professional development to ensure the quality of braille instruction. Sustainable development in the use and teaching of braille is built on improving accessibility, reducing inequality, strengthening teachers’ expertise, and introducing ecologically and economically sustainable solutions.
The future of the tradition
Braille remains the best way of representing written language in situations where printed or digital text cannot be seen. It illustrates the correct spelling of language, and the eight-dot system also enables signs used in specialised fields such as information technology and mathematics. Correct spelling in one’s mother tongue remains an important skill both in education and in working life, and braille music notation supports the practice and production of music. Braille is also used in social contexts, such as candidate lists in elections.
New tools for producing and reading braille have been developed, including braille embossers, braille displays and note-taking devices. These have made the use of braille faster and easier and have expanded its possible uses. Braille input on smartphones also makes note-taking reliable and private.
Safeguarding braille literacy requires that children who are blind from birth be guaranteed equal opportunities to learn to read. The opportunities offered by information technology must be made familiar to everyone. Braille is especially useful for deafblind people and people with combined hearing and visual impairments. Learning braille literacy is also affected by technological and demographic changes: the number of people who become visually impaired in childhood has decreased due to advances in medicine, while the number of people who lose their sight in adulthood is increasing as the population ages. Learning braille in adulthood is slower and may be made more difficult by loss of tactile sensation. Education for adults is provided mainly by rehabilitation services, non-formal adult education and self-study. Braille literacy is threatened by digitalisation and by the increase in audio content.
Internationally, the cultural significance of braille is being recognised ever more widely. In Germany, France and Slovenia, braille has already been included in national inventories of intangible cultural heritage. In addition, similar processes are under way in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Tunisia. In spring 2026, the German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) and the French association La Culture de l’Art are applying for braille to be included in UNESCO’s international list of intangible cultural heritage.
The community/communities behind this submission
The Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired
Cultural Services for the Visually Impaired
The Library Association for the Visually Impaired
the Accessibility Library Celia
Finlands svenska synförbund rf
The Finnish Deafblind Association
Näkövammaisten liikkumistaidon- ja näönkäytönohjaajat ry
Bibliography and links to external sources of information
Videos
Näkövammaisten liitto ry: Pisteet elämässäni.
Online
Yle Areena, Elävä Historia -podcast: Kuinka sokeiden pistekirjoitus synnytti vastustusta ja kirjarovioita: sokean ja sinnikkään teinipojan tarina.
Websites of braille-related organisations
Pistekirjoituksen neuvottelukunta.
Fimea: Pistekirjoitus ja pakkausselosteet näkövammaisille.
Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband, DBSV.
Literature and articles
Halme, Susanna 2025. Pistekirjoitus lukutaidon, arjen ja osallisuuden rakentajana Diskurssit ja asenteet näkövammaisten ihmisten kyselyvastauksissa. Maisterintutkielma, Helsingin yliopisto.
Huuskonen, Kari 2013. Pimeyden puolelta. Modernisaation kokemukset näkövammaisten kerrontayhteisössä. Helsinki: Unigrafia Yliopistopaino.
Keravuori, Kirsi 1990. Siannahkataulusta digitaalitekniikkaan. 100-vuotta näkövammaisten kirjastotoimintaa. Helsinki: Näkövammaisten kirjastoyhdistys ry.
Kuotola Urpo, Tsokkinen Anja & Vartio Eero 1988. Suomen näkövammaisten ja näkövammaistyön historia. Helsinki: Näkövammaisten keskusliitto ry.