Lisburn City Library has played host to RNIB’s Braille and Beyond event, which marked the 200th anniversary of braille with the Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh, Councillor Kurtis Dickson, joining in on the celebrations.

It’s 200 years since Louis Braille developed the six-dot tactile reading system that would become known as braille and RNIB is leading a year of celebrations in Northern Ireland and across the UK to recognise the bicentenary of the braille code and to highlight its importance in helping blind and partially sighted people access education, employment and live their everyday lives independently.

Visitors were treated to fascinating insights from a number of local braillists, including Jackie Brown from our Digital Skills team, Joe Kenny from RNIB Northern Ireland PR team, former RNIB NI Campaigns Manager David Mann and his wife Margaret Mann, who both live in Lisburn.

A real highlight was a class of children from Brownlee Primary School, who enjoyed a lively discussion on not only braille, but many other aspects of living with sight loss.

Lara Marshall, RNIB, David Mann, Mayor Kurtis Dickson, Margaret Mann, Jackie Brown RNIB, Karen Moreland, and Jim O'Hagan - Chief Executive, Libraries NI celebrate 200 years of braille at a special event at Lisburn City Library. Pic credit: Michael Cooper

placeholder image — Lara Marshall, RNIB, David Mann, Mayor Kurtis Dickson, Margaret Mann, Jackie Brown RNIB, Karen Moreland, and Jim O'Hagan - Chief Executive, Libraries NI celebrate 200 years of braille at a special event at Lisburn City Library. Pic credit: Michael Cooper

In the afternoon, the Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh, Councillor Kurtis Dickson, met with exhibitors and speakers and was fascinated to learn about how braille is used in everyday lives.

Speaking at the event was Margaret Mann, who is blind and live in Lisburn.

Reflecting on her use of braille, Margaret said: "I could not imagine myself without braille in my life. I am so thankful for the gift of braille which I learnt as a child when I started school. Braille has shaped my life in many ways and it's essential to everything that I do.

"Braille gave me the joy and the love of holding a book physically in my hand and shaped my career as a short-hand typist.

Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh Kurtis Dickson discovers the beauty of braille with Lisburn local Margaret Mann. Pic credit: Michael Cooper

"Braille gives me the pleasure of not only reading to my children when they were much younger and my grandchildren, and now I have the joy of reading braille books to my little four-year-old great granddaughter."

Margaret’s husband David Mann continued: “I used to have some useful residual vision, so for a while I didn't really use very much braille but as my sight deteriorated, I needed to make the switch to braille and have been eternally grateful that I learnt braille at the age of five rather than having to learn it at the age of 50.

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“People will tell you that braille is bulky and, yes, hard copy braille is bulky, but it doesn't have to be produced on paper.

Something like a small SD memory card can hold over 2000 books and I read them using a little portable device known as a Braille Display.

"It’s just like a laptop that produces refreshable braille from a text file. I can also use that for writing braille notes in meetings or whatever.

“Another more personal way braille makes a real difference in my life is with medication. I have two sets of tablets which I take regularly. How do I know which is which? Because they have braille on the packaging.

“Whether it’s reading books or writing notes, playing your part in community life, or providing confidence in your medication, braille makes so much possible for me and other blind people.”