More than 800 million people, in the world today, are blind or so badly visually impaired that they cannot read the Bible.

2009 marked the 200th birthday of Louis Braille; a man whose life was devoted to the creation of the Braille alphabet and the introduction of it into the lives of those who were blind. Becoming blind at the age of three, Louis knew what it was like to not have the ability to read, and he set about creating a new way for blind people to read and write.

Just as Louis Braille had the desire for blind people to experience reading, the Bible Society believes that all of God’s children should have the opportunity to read His Word. It is for this reason that Bibles are being translated into Braille in different languages across the world. At present, a complete Braille Bible has only been published in about 40 languages out of the total of 6,912 active languages in the world today. More people who are blind need to have the opportunity of knowing God’s Word!

In most African countries visual problems are part of the most serious public health issues. In countries such as Mali and Ghana (School’s Braille Bible Pack), figures can rise as high as over a million people who suffer from visual troubles. These people must be made aware that God’s Love is with them, and that they can get closer to him through His Word.

Different translation projects are happening across the world and we need your help to keep these going. The production of a complete Braille Bible is about fifty times higher than a printed Bible, and takes about forty large bulky volumes to make one up. The majority of people who are blind live in less developed countries, and related closely to poverty, blindness is most often found in those who are poor. This high production cost means that people who are blind are less likely to be able to afford a Bible of their own.

Through the publication and distribution of Braille Bibles, people in Mali and other countries will have the chance of reading the Bible in a way that they understand.