𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 4 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴🕒
Braille is a tactile reading and writing system used primarily by people who are blind or have low vision. However, please do note that being blind does not automatically mean a person uses braille.
Braille uses patterns of raised dots that can be felt with the fingertips, rather than visual symbols, to represent letters, allowing someone to read and write through touch.
Each braille character is composed of a cell with six dots arranged in two columns of three.
Different combinations of raised dots within that cell represent letters, numbers and punctuation. Readers move their fingers from left to right across lines of embossed dots to interpret the text.
It is also important to note that braille in itself is not a language. Instead, think of it more as a way to transcribe and represent many different languages.
For example, you can have braille represent English, Spanish, French and others.
The origins of braille
In our opinion, although we are perhaps biased as a company interested in linguistics, braille has a very interesting history worth knowing about.
The system was named after Louis Braille. From France, he lost his sight during his childhood and developed the system in the early 19th century. Inspired by an earlier system, Braille first presented his new (more efficient) system at the age of just 15.
By his mid-teens, he had developed the six-dot cell structure that underpins braille as we know it today. That core idea has endured for nearly two centuries, enabling greater literacy and independence for people with sight loss.
How braille actually works in practise
Braille is read by touch, with readers typically using the pads of their fingers to feel dot patterns as they glide along a line (American Council of the Blind).
Basic braille represents text in a one-to-one letter format, while other types of braille may use abbreviations and special codes to save space and increase reading speed.
Common use cases for braille
Braille plays an important role in ensuring equal access to information, particularly in environments where independence, safety and compliance are critical. While digital accessibility has expanded significantly, tactile formats remain essential in many contexts.
Below are some of the most common use cases for braille:
- Signage
- Lift buttons
- Room numbers in offices, hospitals, etc.
- Public building directories
- Toilet doors
- Traffic light buttons
- Prescription labels
- Pharmaceutical packaging
- Consent forms
- School books
- Library resources
- Health and safety documents
- Training materials
- Personal case products
In the UK, braille signage and documents often form part of inclusive design standards and accessibility compliance requirements.
While, as we mentioned, not every blind person uses braille, it remains a vital accessibility format across public services, education, healthcare and consumer environments.
Organisations that provide braille alongside other accessible formats demonstrate a clear commitment to inclusion and equitable access to information.
UK Government rules on braille and accessibility
Equality Act 2010
In the UK, the central legal framework that relates to braille and accessible information is the Equality Act 2010. This legislation protects people from discrimination and requires organisations to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing services or information.
Under the Equality Act, businesses and service providers must consider whether providing information in alternative formats, such as braille, alongside other accessible formats, is a reasonable adjustment.
This can be something you do straight away, like packaging or signage. Or, for example, there are cases where you might give people the option to request alternative formats on your website, say for a sales quote, and you go from there once a request comes through.
Importantly:
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Braille signage and accessible formats are recognised as ways to remove barriers and improve inclusion
If a person requests information in braille, organisations should assess and meet that need where reasonably possible
The duty to make reasonable adjustments applies to service providers, employers, public sector bodies and other organisations operating in England, Scotland and Wales
The UK government also provides guidance on accessible communication formats, which explicitly includes braille as one of the recognised alternative formats that should be offered to make content accessible.
Public bodies, particularly in health and social care settings, are also subject to the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) — a mandatory framework that requires NHS and adult social care organisations to identify and meet people’s communication needs, including provision of accessible formats such as braille where necessary.
Conclusion
Braille remains a vital accessibility format within the UK and the globe, supporting independence and equal access to information.
Businesses and public sector bodies have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments and remove barriers to communication. In many cases, this includes offering information in alternative formats such as braille.
At Wolfestone, we deliver professionally produced braille as part of our fully managed accessible document services.
Every project is supported by dedicated account management and ISO-certified processes, giving you confidence in both quality and governance.
Contact us today for a free consultation or quote, and explore how our braille services can support your accessibility obligations.
𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2021 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
