Braille Without Borders

BWB is a developmental organization that creates training programs and Braille book printing houses for visually-impaired people. The organization aims to work anywhere in the world as it does not intend to set any borders and boundaries for blind people. It is important that every individual is given opportunities in society. BWB intends to use the Braille script to give visually-impaired people to use the script and be able to get access to literature and knowledge. Once these individuals know how to use the script, this will give them the opportunities to learn and perform a profession that enables them to be integrated in society. One of the goals of BWB is the realization of an International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE) in Triviandrum, Kerala, South India.

Values and Beliefs

• There are no borders within the possibilities of people with blindness.
• Blindness is no reason for social exclusion.
• Blindness ought to be viewed free of bias, not as a strain or a deviance.
• Blindness is not a disability when: (1) society accepts blindness as an equal form of life and should not discriminate people for being visually-impaired; (2) people with blindness have access to opportunities that allow them to learn techniques and methods that compensate for them not being able to see; (3) people with visual impairments can organize themselves and work for equal opportunities.

People with blindness and visual impairments, regardless of race, creed, national origin, sex, age, ability, social status, financial status, religious affiliation.

Activities and Goals

• Focus on help for self-help.
• Train visually-impaired people from all over the world so they are able to set up their own Braille Without Borders training centers for the blind, social projects for other marginalized groups of people or environmental projects in their own regions /countries (the training includes: Management, Project planning, Fundraising skills; English, speech and debate training; Computer hard & software, use of special equipment for the blind; Administration and bookkeeping skills; Communication and PR; Practical training in existing development projects).
  

Source of information and photos: http://www.braillewithoutborders.org/ENGLISH/index.html.