Calendar Snapshots

4 January – World Braille Day

Celebrated every 4 January since 2019, World Braille Day marks the invention of this writing system for blind and visually impaired people. It is held on the birthday of its inventor, Louis Braille. 

From Braille to Screen readers

Over the last 100 years, communication support for blind people has made huge advances. Audio content is much more accessible now, thanks to the enormous strides technology has taken, and screen readers, audio books and audio descriptions all help make the written word more available.

We at tls now offer Braille translation (creating documents in Braille for your blind and visually impaired service users) and support for Deafblind people.

Make your interactions count

If you have blind or visually impaired service users, there are a number of ways to make your meetings with them more accessible and comfortable.

• Introduce yourself, especially when entering a space.
• Speak directly to the blind or visually impaired person, and use their name so they know you are addressing them. 
• Use normal language, at a normal volume, and hand gestures. Blind and visually impaired people often use language such as ‘see you later’, so don’t worry about causing offence with that. 
• If you have to give directions, remember to be very descriptive; eg instead of saying ‘the room you need is down there’, describe the journey: ‘walk straight ahead and it’s the third door on the left’.

In your diary

FREE Diversity and Inclusion online talk

18 January – join a free 50 minute online talk about what’s on the horizon in 2024, from D&I Leaders. Click here to register or find out more. 

January’s dates at a glance

Religious/cultural

1 – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Catholic Christian

Gantan-Sai (New Year), Shinto

5 – Twelfth Night, Christian

6 – Epiphany, Christian

7 – Feast of the Nativity, Orthodox Christian

7 – Baptism of the Lord Jesus, Catholic Christian

8 – Seijin No Hi, Shinto

13 – Lohri/Maghi, Hindu and Sikh

14 – Old New Year, Orthodox Christian

15 – Makar Sankranti, Hindu

15-18 Pongal, Hindu

17 – Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, Sikh

18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christian

20 – Timkat, Ethiopian Orthodox Christian

25 – Conversion of Saint Paul, Christian

25 – Thaipusam, Hindu

25 – Tu Bishvat, Jewish

25-27 Mahayana New Year, Buddhist

Awareness And Events

4 – World Braille Day

15 – Martin Luther King Jr Day

21 – World Religion Day

24 – International Day of Education

25 – Robert Burns Night (Burns Night)

27 – Holocaust Memorial Day