Today, 4 January, is World Braille Day. This honours the birth of Louis Braille in 1809. 2025 marked 135 years since the founding of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind. In 1890 formal services to blind New Zealanders began with the establishment of what was then called the Jubilee Institute for the Blind … Read more
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You can help: Essentials of Braille Formatting
BANZAT is updating Essentials of Braille Formatting. We want requests for proposal from New Zealand Transcribers to lead this task by 23 January 2026. We will be engaging with Braille readers prior to completing the update by September next year. Here's the link to the RFP document.
2025 Call for Applications to Become an Accredited Braille Producer
The Braille Authority of New Zealand Aotearoa Trust is calling for applications to become an Accredited Individual Braille Producer. All the details are in the Word document you can download from here. We look forward to receiving applications.
Applications now open to sit the Certificate Exam
You are warmly invited to apply to sit the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille. All the details about the Certificate, including the linnk to the application form, are on the BANZAT website at https://www.banzat.org.nz/trans-tasman-certificate-of-proficiency-in-unified-english-braille. The Certificate in UEB is an open book examination which should be completed without conferring with others. The … Read more
Braille: Drop My Hand and Spell!
Mary Schnackenberg writes: Today we celebrate World Braille Day on the birthday of Louis Braille. As a lifelong Braille reader I find myself defending literacy through Braille very often. Surely, people tell me, with today's technology Braille is not needed! And I am frequently told today's society does not care they can't spell. Oh really! … Read more
Show Your Knowledge of Braille and Your Commitment to Accuracy and Standards
Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille Jointly administered by The Braille Authority of New Zealand Aotearoa Trust and The Australian Braille Authority 2024 Invitation Closing Date: Friday, 30 August 2024 Attention Braille users and professionals: You are warmly invited to apply to sit the Trans-Tasman Certificate of Proficiency in Unified English Braille. All … Read more
Does Braille Matter to You, Now and Into the Future?
Do you want to serve as a trustee on The Braille Authority of New Zealand Aotearoa Trust? Are you able to read uncontracted Braille by touch or by sight? Are you interested in Braille promotion, teaching, codes, and production? Are you able to attend usually four meetings per year with travel costs met? Are you … Read more
ICEB General Assembly Programme Updated
A number of changes and additions have been made to the programme of the ICEB General Assembly. People are urged to look through the latest programme to stay right up to date with developments.
Update ICEB Eighth General Assembly
The programme is now live on this website and a Word version is also available for download. Click here to read or download the programme. Click here for the General Assembly's main information page.
Two Centuries of Braille
On 4 January we are celebrating the birth of Frenchman Louis Braille in 1809. 2024 marks two centuries of Braille, the writing system developed by Louis Braille that blind people still need and use today. Indeed we will continue to read Braille until sighted people stop reading print. The way we use Braille has changed … Read more