Even 200 years after its invention, Braille remains indispensable for blind people - even in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). "Of course, Braille is still here to stay, even in the age of AI," said Thomas Kahlisch, Director of the German Center for Accessible Reading (dzb lesen) in Leipzig. Although there are many digital alternatives today, such as voice output, these cannot replace everything. "I can't learn spelling with voice output alone. I need Braille for that," emphasized Kahlisch.
Braille consists of six raised dots in different combinations and enables blind and visually impaired people to read and write with their fingers. It is still taught in schools around the world, used in books and on everyday objects such as medicine packaging, elevators and banknotes.
New possibilities through technology
According to Kahlisch, the combination of traditional Braille and digital technology opens up new perspectives. The dzb lesen in Leipzig is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Germany. A total of around 80 employees work there, most of them in the production of books, sheet music and audio books for blind and visually impaired people. "Today, we don't just print books on paper, we can also show digital content on displays," says Kahlisch. In the future, devices will not only display lines of text, but also tactile graphics - such as the curve of a mathematical formula. The first models for this are already available.
AI is also already being used, for example to transfer texts into Braille more quickly and automatically and to save on corrections, says Kahlisch. Publishing data can be converted into Braille "more or less automatically", which increases the range of services available.
Backlog demand in public institutions
Accessibility in everyday life nevertheless remains an ongoing issue. Kahlisch praised Deutsche Bahn, which is equipping new trains with Braille lettering on the seats. However, there is still some catching up to do in many other areas - for example at public authorities or in public spaces.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than 23,700 blind and visually impaired people live in Saxony (as at the end of 2021). This includes a good 4,000 blind people and around 3,000 severely visually impaired people. The vast majority belong to the group with other visual impairments. "Other visual impairment" refers to people with residual vision of between 6 and 30 percent - i.e. not severely visually impaired, but significantly more impaired than normal vision.
A guide dog that doesn't need to be walked
Kahlisch is open to technology and optimistic about the future. "There will be a robot guide dog that provides digital assistance in road traffic like a guide dog." You won't have to feed it - "except with electricity", he jokes. Although this has nothing directly to do with Braille, it shows how much digital assistance systems could make life easier for blind people.
New glasses that read out signs or describe environments using voice output could also make everyday life easier. It is also to be expected that smartphones or tablets will be equipped with haptic displays in the future that make Braille directly tactile. With models such as Apple Glasses, the first devices are already pointing in this direction.
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