January 4th is World Braille Day, and I have asked Christopher Sabine to share his perspective on living with blindness, using Braille, and participating as a full member of the Catholic Community. Christopher is an amazing advocate and loves being Catholic; however, there are barriers, and our office is working on building awareness of those needs and a culture of Belonging for all.
Blindness, Braille, and the Church by Christopher Sabine
First, I would like to say that Braille is absolutely essential for the majority of Blind people to be successful in the workplace. Unfortunately, only 10% of Blind people are literate in Braille, and many Blind people are essentially functionally illiterate. Seventy percent of Blind people are unemployed, but of those who are employed gainfully, 90% are Braille readers, according to data from the National Federation of the Blind and other sources.
Unfortunately, churches and other religiously affiliated organizations are exempt from laws protecting people with disabilities in the United States, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. To date, St. Xavier Society for the Blind is the only resource for Catholic materials in Braille or other alternative formats for the blind. It is my experience that discrimination and lack of knowledge and resources have created artificial barriers to the participation of members of the Blind community in religious life. What would Jesus think of this?
Despite this, there are members of the Blind community involved in all aspects of the Faith, from lectors and Eucharistic Ministers to several priests who read Braille and use Blindness skills to function, including the white cane and assistive technology. Though we celebrate the life of Louis Braille and the code that enables us to read as Blind people, we need to ensure that all members of society can access the faith to fulfill our mission as Catholics to serve Christ and live a Christian life.