The effect of a high illiteracy rate is not just that it disadvantages the people involved, there are also disadvantages for wider society. Lack of literacy skills becomes a social barrier that advantages some people over others. Illiteracy can become a mechanism that identifies a class of people who are cut off from the benefits of effective citizenship, a society that is striving for the democratic participation of all its citizens has to address the fact that many of them might be disadvantaged through being illiterate. For blind people, literacy hinges on being able to effectively read and write in Braille. Braille , for blind people, is the channel through which they gain access to the world around them.
Braille is a universal form of communication for many language and any culture.
It is not enough however for a blind person to read Braille, they also need to write it to be truly literate. A Brailler is as essential to a blind man or woman as a pen is to a sighted person. Every blind person has the right to access written communication. Being able to read and write braille empowers blind people to become active communicators, to receive an education and to have access to employment. The occasion which we recognize by gathering here today is another of several initiatives whereby all South Africans find themselves challenged by the example of their fellow citizens with disabilities.