Lighting 217 Candles for Louis Braille – Global Braille Campaign Update and Call to Action
ph...@sonokids.com
Posted on behalf of Frances Gentle.
Dear friends and colleagues,
Warm greetings. Please find below — and attached — an update on the Joint ICEVI–WBU Global Braille Literacy Campaign, More Braille: More Empowerment.
Our hope is that by 4 January 2026, Louis Braille’s 217th birthday, all 217 candles will be burning brightly on the ICEVI website — one for every year since his birth. The update explains how you can light a virtual candle now by making a donation to the campaign.
May we kindly ask that you share this update through your professional and community networks — with colleagues, organisations, education providers, families, and anyone committed to advancing literacy and inclusion for braille users of all ages. Every share helps us move closer to 217 candles and strengthens the global braille movement.
Thank you in advance for your partnership and support.
The full update is included below and also attached for your convenience.
✨ Light a Candle to Celebrate Louis Braille’s 217th Birthday
On 4 January 2026, we celebrate the 217th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth — honouring the innovator whose tactile code opened the world of literacy, learning, and independence for millions of people who are blind, deafblind or have low vision.
To mark this milestone, we invite you to light a virtual candle on the ICEVI website by making a donation to the Global Braille Literacy Campaign – please visit https://icevi.org/campaigns/icevi-global-braille-literacy-campaign/
Each time a donation is received, a virtual candle appears — symbolising your commitment to braille literacy. Our goal is 217 candles, one for every year since Louis Braille was born — and we hope to have all 217 candles shining brightly on the ICEVI website by 4 January 2026.
There is no minimum donation.
Every contribution — small or large — lights a candle and strengthens the global movement for braille literacy.
Your name or organisation will be added with your candle (optional).
Donate and light your candle:
https://icevi.org/campaigns/icevi-global-braille-literacy-campaign/
🌟 Invitation to Become a Campaign Sponsor
In addition to lighting a candle, we warmly invite organisations and individuals — including institutions, agencies, corporate partners, foundations, and community groups — to become sponsors of the Joint ICEVI–WBU Global Braille Literacy Campaign.
https://icevi.org/icevi-wbu-global-braille-literacy-campaign/#become-a-campaign-sponsor
All sponsorship funds will be used exclusively to support the aims and objectives of the global braille literacy campaign, including:
- expanding information and access to braille resources and technologies
- amplifying global advocacy and awareness
- supporting research to inform policy and investment
- enabling campaign participation from low-resource regions
Sponsorship offers organisations and individuals an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in inclusion, accessibility, and equitable education for braille users of all ages.
If your organisation or you as an individual are interested in becoming a sponsor, please visit the sponsorship page or contact us by email: braille...@icevi.org.
We would be delighted to discuss sponsorship levels and recognition opportunities.
The Three Focus Areas of the Campaign
- Advocacy and Media – promoting visibility, awareness, and understanding of braille and the right to accessible information.
- Information Resources – compiling, adapting, and creating a comprehensive suite of multilingual, accessible braille information and resources.
- Research and Data – generating global, evidence-based insights into braille literacy to influence policy, investment, and practice.
Campaign Launch on World Braille Day
The global campaign will be officially launched on World Braille Day, 4 January 2026.
A key launch activity will be the release of the first online global braille survey to generate regionally informed, evidence-based insights on:
- the number and profile of braille users across WBU and ICEVI regions
- the availability, instruction, and use of braille in early childhood settings, schools, higher education, and workplaces
- the impact of braille on learning, including access to STEM, independence, and employment
Your networks will play a crucial role in promoting this survey across regions.
ICEVI and WBU welcome your support
- Give a small donation and light a candle to celebrate Louis Braille’s 217th birthday: https://icevi.org/campaigns/icevi-global-braille-literacy-campaign/
- Become a campaign sponsor: https://icevi.org/icevi-wbu-global-braille-literacy-campaign/#become-a-campaign-sponsor
- To join a working group for one of the three focus areas (Advocacy and Media, Information Resources, or Research), email: braille...@icevi.org
- To join the mailing list for campaign updates: https://mailchi.mp/d40431a724d9/icevi-wbu-global-braille-literacy-campaign
Together, we can ensure that the right to braille becomes a reality for every child, young person, and adult who uses touch to read and communicate. ICEVI and WBU deeply value your partnership, your advocacy, and your belief that braille is literacy — and literacy is empowerment.
With thanks for your commitment to braille literacy,
On behalf of the Joint ICEVI–WBU Global Braille Literacy Campaign Steering Committee
Frances Gentle & S.K. Rungta
Co-Chairs
email: braille...@icevi.org
November 2025
Frances Gentle AO, PhD, DLittAO | |||||||||||||||||||||
Past President, ICEVI, and Conjoint Lecturer, | |||||||||||||||||||||
NextSense Institute and Macquarie University (Australia)
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Ramona Mandy
Hi All,
Thanks for sharing the below notice. I was very happy to make a donation AKA light a candle.
However, please note two things:
- When you make a donation, even if you use the custom option, it interprets your amount as US dollars, even if you have put your address as Australia. That is ok with me but it is worth noting in case you find yourself donating more than you expected.
- Is there a way as a blind screen reader user to know how many candles have been lit so far? I could not find any reference on this page to that and wondered if it is just graphical, not shown or shown on a different page. It would be nice to be able to track how many candles are sparkling on the cake at any one time.
Thanks
Ramona
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Frances Gentle
Dear Romana
Thank you very much for supporting the braille campaign and for lighting a candle in honour of Louis Braille’s birthday. Your contribution to the campaign is appreciated by ICEVI and WBU.
Thank you also for sharing your helpful feedback. I will pass your comments to our website developer, as you have raised two important points.
Regarding the candles, each new donation generates a new candle on the page. We have been working with the developer to ensure that every candle includes alt text so that screen readers can identify and count them. I had thought this feature was already in place, but your experience shows that we still have some work to do. Thank you for bringing this to our attention as we want to ensure the braille campaign information on the ICEVI website is fully accessible.
Warm regards,
Frances
| Frances Gentle | | |
| AO, PhD, Hon DLitt, Lecturer | ||
| NextSense Institute | ||
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