“I come from Vada village, two hours from Palanpur. My father is a farmer, and I’m the eldest of six siblings,” Vishnu shares. “When I was a baby, I was sitting in my grandmother’s lap when my eyes suddenly turned white. The doctors said a nerve was damaged.”
Till Class 4, Vishnu had partial vision. After that, he became fully blind. His parents spent scarce resources seeking treatment, travelling from one clinic to another. When nothing helped, Vishnu asked them to stop. “I said, ‘I’ll live life as a visually impaired person — and I’ll make the best of it.”
For someone who cannot rely on sight, most public spaces speak a language they cannot access. Signboards depend on vision, elevators move without tactile cues, and platforms, counters, and corridors offer no wayfinding support. In crowded, fast-moving Indian cities, this turns everyday movement into a constant search for help.
The absence of Braille doesn’t just reduce convenience; it takes away independence. Without tactile signage, a railway station becomes intimidating, a hospital confusing, and a government office overwhelming. What should be routine spaces instead demand reliance, guesswork, and repeated assistance.
With Braille, learning begins early, giving children the tools to read their world with confidence, independence, and joy. Photograph: (Disability Insider)
Braille changes this. It allows blind and low-vision people to read their surroundings, navigate confidently, and make choices on their own. Yet across India, Braille remains missing from the very places people access daily — transport hubs, public buildings, healthcare spaces, and cultural sites.
On World Braille Day, 4 January 2025, this gap becomes impossible to ignore. Let’s identify the everyday spaces in India where Braille can make the biggest difference.
Railway stations
India’s railways are its lifeline, but for visually impaired travellers, stations can feel overwhelming. Platforms change, signage is visual, and ticket counters are hard to locate without help. Without Braille maps or tactile signboards, even finding a washroom or the correct coach becomes uncertain.
For someone like Vishnu, a train journey isn’t just about travel — it’s about trust. Missing a platform announcement or taking a wrong turn can mean missing a train altogether. Braille signage at entrances, platforms, and restrooms could allow travellers like him to navigate stations independently, instead of relying on constant assistance.
Government offices
Government offices are where citizens access essential services — from pensions to disability certificates. Without Braille signage, these buildings often turn into confusing mazes of corridors and counters for blind visitors.
A visually impaired person visiting a collector’s office may need to ask multiple people just to find the correct department. Each question chips away at privacy and independence. Braille signs outside rooms, elevators, and help desks could let citizens access public services with dignity.
Public parks
Parks are meant to be open, relaxing spaces for all — yet for visually impaired visitors, they often feel off-limits. Without Braille or tactile cues, navigating winding paths, locating benches, restrooms, or play areas can be confusing and stressful. A space that should invite exploration can instead become a place of hesitation and dependence.
For a blind child visiting a park with family, this can mean watching others play while sitting on the sidelines, missing out on laughter, discovery, and independence. For adults, it can mean constantly asking for guidance or risking disorientation.
Simple Braille panels, tactile maps, and directional cues can transform these experiences, letting visitors move confidently, enjoy nature, and feel truly included. Parks should not just be green spaces; they should be spaces of freedom, joy, and belonging for everyone, regardless of sight.
Museums and monuments
Museums and monuments tell stories, but for visually impaired visitors, those stories often remain locked behind visual displays. Without Braille descriptions, plaques, or tactile models, cultural spaces become passive experiences.
Braille can turn museums and monuments into spaces where history is felt, explored, and understood. Photograph: (Indulge express)
Imagine standing before a centuries-old monument and not knowing its name, story, or significance. Braille panels can turn visits into moments of connection rather than exclusion. They allow visitors to engage with history independently, not through second-hand explanations. More importantly, they ensure that cultural memory is accessible to everyone, not just those who can see.
Public libraries
Libraries represent learning and curiosity, but without Braille signage or collections, visually impaired readers often struggle to navigate shelves or access resources independently.
A student entering a library should be able to find sections, issue desks, and reading rooms without assistance. Braille labels and directories make that possible by restoring privacy, confidence, and the freedom to explore knowledge at one’s own pace.
Braille labels and catalogues in libraries can help readers locate books and access knowledge on their own. Photograph: (GlobalGiving)
They ensure that a library remains a place of discovery, not dependence, allowing visually impaired readers to move, choose, and learn on their own terms.
Small Dots, Big Impact
Braille is more than just a system of dots — it paints a bigger picture of freedom, confidence, and inclusion. Expanding Braille across railways, government offices, parks, metros, museums, and libraries can turn India’s public spaces into truly welcoming places for everyone.
With small changes like tactile maps and signboards, independence and dignity become accessible to all, proving that inclusivity is not just possible, it’s beautiful.
