What day is January 4th? That's right, it's 'World Braille Day.'
World Braille Day commemorates the birth of Louis Braille, a French educator, and serves as a day to recognize the importance of Braille and contribute to advancing the rights of visually impaired individuals.
World Braille Day is an international day on 4 January and celebrates awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and visually impaired people.[1][2] The date for the event was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly via a proclamation in November 2018, and marks the birthday of Louis Braille, creator of this writing system.[3] The first World Braille Day was celebrated on January 4, 2019.
A statue of Louis Braille
Braille is a special system of raised dots that lets blind people read and write using their fingers. Louis Braille, who became blind after an accident in his childhood, wanted to create a way for blind people to learn. He came up with Braille in 1824, inspired by a system used by the French army at night. Braille has been super important because it helps blind people all over the world learn, read, and join in social activities.
How has Dot contributed to raising awareness about Braille?
Braille is a special system of raised dots that lets blind people read and write using their fingers. Louis Braille, who became blind after an accident in his childhood, wanted to create a way for blind people to learn. He came up with Braille in 1824, inspired by a system used by the French army at night. Braille has been super important because it helps blind people all over the world learn, read, and join in social activities.
Introducing the Featured Product Lineup by Dot
#1_ Dot Cell
All starts from this tiny braille cell: that's where every journey at Dot begins.
First and Second Generations of the Dot Cell.
The 'Dot Cell,' which is the size of an adult's fingernail, plays a crucial role in printing braille in all Dot products. The first-generation braille cell used in the Dot Watch consists of six braille pins. Meanwhile, the Dot Pad, which utilizes the second-generation braille cell, is composed of eight braille pins. With two additional braille pins of the same size, the Dot Pad played a significant role in composing graphics.
After nine years of extensive research and development efforts, Dot succeeded in preparing for independent production without relying on foreign products and successfully mass-producing tens of thousands of cells. With the core component for the braille display in place, Dot is ready to start making its products.
#2_ Dot Watch
Dot's first-ever product, the 'Dot Watch,' was the world's pioneering braille smartwatch. It is connected to smartphones via Bluetooth, allowing users to effortlessly access basic smartphone info in braille. Although production has been discontinued, many people are still eagerly awaiting the next version, as evidenced by the emails we receive. It seems like the Dot Watch has left behind some special memories!
In 2017-2018, visually impaired individuals in the UK and Canada chose the Dot Watch as their number one Christmas gift!
Especially, Playground feature of the Dot Watch has been big helpful for those who want to learn numbers or braille. Numeric braille is composed of combinations representing numbers from 0 to 9. Louis Braille's 6-dot braille system, which he invented, is used as the standard numeric braille in many countries. By learning this numeric braille, individuals can read information encountered in daily life, such as elevator floor indicators, ATM machines, various buttons, and more, in braille.
Dot's braille postcard. Check out the Number Braille!
Unlike conventional smartwatches that require sound for confirmation, many have found the Dot Watch useful for checking in mute mode in daily life. Additionally, numerous users have practiced braille by sending their names or curious words through the Dot Watch. Some have even used it to review braille abbreviations. The more you use it in daily life, the better you'll get at using braille, right?
What are Braille Abbreviations?
Braille abbreviations, often referred to as "Grade 2 Braille" or "2nd Grade Braille," are one of the terms used in Korean Braille. Unlike the representation of Korean characters in braille, they offer a more concise way of expressing, primarily used for everyday documents or simple sentences. While building upon the basic braille, they enable much faster reading and writing speeds. Similar to English, there are abbreviations used for the same purpose, divided into Grade 1 and Grade 2. Some braille systems, like French, also mention Grade 3, although it's not officially standardized and mainly used for personal purposes.
#3_ Dot Pad
The Dot Pad isn't just about showing braille—it can also display graphics. For example, as seen in the explanation of the letter 'd' in the image below, it can convey information in different ways.
- Drawing the shape of 'd' on Dot Canvas and checking it on Dot Pad
- Zooming in to see the 'd' and its 6-dot braille
- Checking the shape of the 'd' along with its braille
With both drawing and braille learning capabilities, learning braille has become even easier. All these functions are realized through the Dot Canvas app. By drawing with your hands and feeling it on the Dot Pad, you can intuitively learn braille more effectively.
대체텍스트 필요
Using the Dot Pad to understand the meaning and form of drawings can be a great way to grasp abstract ideas of words and images more easily. This technology is being tested in schools for the blind and rehabilitation centers in Korea and globally. Teachers are coming up with different ways to use this display to teach new concepts.
For students who are visually impaired from birth or those who have both visual and hearing impairments, Dot Pads help them understand concepts about objects and things using various drawings, making it easier for them to learn.
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#4_ Dot Public
"Dot Public" is an innovation for creating barrier-free urban environments. The "Dot Cell" technology brings innovation to enable visually impaired individuals to access the world's information more easily in everyday life. For example, through kiosks at highly accessible places like airports or train stations, the information provided in Braille can be accessed more accurately and easily. Moreover, this technology will be highly beneficial in places frequently visited in daily life, such as city halls, public buildings, banks, and stores.
Enhanced digital accessibility like this helps visually impaired individuals live more independently in their daily lives and contributes to making cities gradually more inclusive and accessible spaces.
대체텍스트 필요
After a city's infrastructure is fully established, adding accessibility features later can be quite costly. However, if digital braille accessibility is integrated into various urban amenities right from the beginning, it can save a significant amount of time and money.
This makes it much easier and quicker to create a city that's accessible to everyone. Dot, starting from small components, evolving into a single product, and eventually becoming a vital part of urban infrastructure, continues to play a crucial role in breaking down barriers globally.
Making our world accessible, dot by Dot.