January 2024: Braille Literacy Month in Michigan

WHEREAS, Braille is a system of reading that was created by Louis Braille in 1821 and became an official option for people who are blind or visually impaired to use in 1824; and,

WHEREAS, Braille is a code that enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to read with their fingertips using a system of six raised dots; and,

WHEREAS, Braille is used all over the world in many different languages; and,

WHEREAS, the Braille system is critical to people who are blind or visually impaired, especially in the workplace and the classroom; and,

WHEREAS, Braille assists individuals who are blind or visually impaired to learn about grammar, spelling, and punctuation allowing them to engage in a lifetime of learning; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan provides services and resources to support individuals who are blind or visually impaired to learn and enhance their Braille skills through the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons; and,

WHEREAS, those services and resources aim to help individuals who are blind or visually impaired achieve employment and independence;

WHEREAS, the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons’ Training Center in Kalamazoo provides valuable independent living and workplace readiness skills, serving 248 Michiganders during fiscal year 2023; and,

WHEREAS, the Braille and Talking Book Library, located in Lansing, provides books and magazines in both audio and braille formats as well as specialized playback equipment, including over 200 eReader refreshable braille displays, to all Michiganders unable to read standard print, serving more than 8,700 patrons and disseminating nearly 450 braille books and 690,000 audiobooks during the fiscal year 2023;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim January 2024 as Braille Literacy Month in Michigan.