Activity summary since the Inception of Braille200
- 12 person National working group established, chaired by Euclid Herie, CM, World Braille Foundation President.Web-site launched July 2008
- Web-site linked to web-sites and organizations involved with the 200th anniversary, in a dozen countries in addition to the World Blind Union web-site.
- Promotion materials produced include: Braille200 logo, commemorative pins, post-it notes, logo stickers, bilingual brochures describing the Braille200 project, embossed Braille200 chocolate bar, Canadian maple syrup, tee shirts for sale and presentation; publication in French and English of “Six Dots that Changed the World” presented by Euclid Herie to the 7th General Assembly of the World Blind Union in Geneva, August 22, 2008, and also to be presented to launch an international congress on the Future of Braille in Paris, January 5, 2009.
- “Merci Louis”, written and performed by Terry Kelly as the signature song for the bicentennial.
- Invitation to the Governor General to spearhead the Braille200 national celebration on January 16, 2009 in every Canadian community.
- Correspondence to major government and private sector literacy groups outlining the Braille200 project with a challenge to develop cooperative programs.
- A small group of academic and professional Canadians exploring the establishment of a permanent Chair to promote Braille literacy, the learning and teaching of Braille with a major research component at a Canadian university.
- Revision of existing materials, e.g. Parents’ Braille Kit, Braille Literacy Media Kit, and availability on WEB site of “Young Heroes” the Canadian film on the life of Louis Braille.
- Braille200 to be promoted at the CNIB Braille Conference – 2008 and to be a major initiative for the 2009 conference.
- Braille Ambassadors to be appointed across Canada modelled on the CNIB Ontario Division initiative.
- Development of a national program to focus on school-age children and young adults that will feature Braille literacy in the form of essays, contests and quizzes and hands-on experience in writing Braille.
- Collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind in the United States and other organizations for those who wish to access commemorative coins, stamps and other memorabilia for the bicentennial.
- Consideration to have streets, tree plantings, parks or other permanent tributes designated to Louis Braille.
- In both Ottawa and Quebec, major library and museum expositions are in progress expected to be replicated in other provinces.
- Braille200 to be featured at the World Congress of the French speaking countries to feature Braille literacy to be held in Montreal in 2009.
- Named awards will be made in 2009 to promote Braille literacy to include the Winston Gordon Award, the Walter and Wayne Gretzky Scholarship Program for Blind Youth, the E. (Ben) and Mary Hochhausen Technology Award, and the Canadian Braille Authority.
- Braille200 will conduct Braille accessibility audits for private and public sector facilities to include hotels, schools, restaurants, etc.
- Braille200 will develop a prestigious one-time-only award to be made in 2009 to feature Braille literacy to recognize the contribution of a very limited group of outstanding personalities either in Canada or elsewhere.
- A communication strategy including a PSA will be developed to capture media interest throughout 2009. The personal Braille stories (on the web-site) will form a focus point for human interest stories.