The blind will (finally) have access to books in Braille for the price of a single library

This is great news that ends decades of unequal access to reading. This Wednesday January 4th 2,000 Braille books have been put on sale for the price of a classic print.

2000 braille books accessible between 11 and 30 euros

It was more than 40 years that blind and visually impaired people were discriminated against when it came to reading. On August 10, 1981 it was established the law on the single price of the bookaccording to which the price of a book must be between 11 and 30 euros. An essential law to ensure equal access to reading, but that excluded people with vision problemsWhy these were not books in Braille.

At least until Braille Transcribing and Editing Center (CTEB), Toulouse bookshop, publishing house e leading braille printer in France ad the inclusion in this law of books intended for the blind.

Making a book in Braille would cost 700 euros

Prior to this announcement, Braille readers had to pay sometimes they are colossal afford a book. Their price can be included between 60… and 120 euros. Indeed, the cost to create a book in braille is much higher compared to the others – the CTEB anticipates the sum of 700 eurosdivided between the remuneration of specialists in charge of the transcription as well as the rates of specialized machines and a special thicker paper.

The sale of books in Braille at bookstore prices represents “ a bold bet »Adeline Coursant, the director of the CTEB, confided to AFP, specifying however that this bet was worth it because by lowering the price of these books, ” is finally doing justice to the blind ». The center-right has no illusions: it will have to rely AIDS because the present tense, it can only finance this measure for one or two years.

January 4, a symbolic date

Blind and visually impaired people would be 1.7 and 2 million in France. Between them, 255,000 and 300,000 read braille according to the president of the French Federation of the Blind Bruno Gendron. Contacted by AFP, the latter was delighted:

” This is an excellent initiative since access to Braille reading allows it blind and visually impaired who practices it have direct access (to the book) unlike audio reading where we have the prism of someone reading a book. »

The announcement of this price reduction January 4 is no coincidence as this date marks the World Braille Day. The latter was established in 2001 by the World Blind Union, in homage to Louis Braille, the Frenchman born on January 4 1809 to whom we owe the invention of this writing system in the salient points.

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