Visible Braille/Invisible Blindness

Abstract

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, braille signage began to appear in many public sites across the country. In many instances, however, the braille seems merely to refer to blindness rather than to aid blind people. Often, designers, though well-meaning, seem unaware of how braille is read or of the decline in braille literacy in recent decades. The use of braille serves as a visible gesture toward tolerance of difference but blind people who might derive meaning from it do not seem to be the intended audience. In some extreme cases, braille functions as a visual metaphor equating blindness with ignorance, prejudice, loss or despair, thus reinforcing negative stereotypes. This article examines the use of braille in several public sites and analyzes its effectiveness at promoting a more inclusive society. How will the use of braille in public places change as the blind continue to progress from the margins of cultural consciousness and become more visible in the public sphere?