On its 200th anniversary, braille remains vital for literacy, yet only 7% of the UK's 322,638 registered blind people read it, and the RNIB predicts a 27% rise in people with sight loss by 2035. For World Braille Day, we built Sight and Sound Technology's broadcast PR campaign around championing braille and showing how refreshable braille technology opens up access to content. We put the company's chief executive and its head of digital content, a lifelong braille user, on air across a radio day of interviews, explaining why braille teaches spelling, punctuation and grammar better than audio alone. The campaign secured 10 items of radio coverage reaching 6.8 million listeners, including BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Essex and BBC Radio Norfolk.
10Items of coverage
6.8 millionCombined reach
1h 21mTime on air
Coverage highlights
BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC radio
BBC Radio EssexBBC radio
BBC Radio NorfolkBBC radio
BBC Radio Hereford and WorcesterBBC radio
BBC Radio Three CountiesBBC radio
BBC Radio ShropshireBBC radio
BBC Radio NorthamptonBBC radio
BBC Radio SuffolkBBC radio
BBC Radio CambridgeshireBBC radio
Listen
BBC Radio 5 Live · 5m 49s
0:00 / 5m 49s
BBC Radio Essex · 8m 30s
0:00 / 8m 30s
BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester · 9m 04s
0:00 / 9m 04s
The story
Sight and Sound Technology, World Braille Day
The aim
Sight and Sound Technology wanted to champion braille on its 200th anniversary and show how refreshable braille technology opens up access to content.
The message
Braille is a fundamental literacy tool for education, work and independence, teaching spelling, punctuation and grammar better than audio alone, and it works best alongside mainstream technology.
The angle
As braille marks its 200th anniversary, it remains vital for literacy despite advances in audio and screen-reader technology, yet only 7% of the UK's 322,638 registered blind people read it, and the RNIB predicts a 27% rise in people with sight loss by 2035.
On air
Sight and Sound Technology's chief executive and its head of digital content, a lifelong braille user
The result
10 items of coverage reaching 6.8 million, including BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Essex, BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester.
About World Braille Day
World Braille Day falls on 4 January, the birthday of Louis Braille, who invented the reading and writing system. It was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2018 and first marked in 2019, to highlight braille's role in education, access to information and inclusion for blind and partially sighted people. For brands and charities with something useful to say, it gives radio and TV producers a timely reason to book an interview.
Planning World Braille Day for 2027?
World Braille Day next falls on Monday 4 January 2027. Talk to the team about a broadcast PR campaign that gets your spokesperson on radio and TV.
