The Brief

The simple activity of reading is often taken for granted. The joyful experience of reading on a daily commute or to a child, is lost on a group of people – the visually handicapped. It is estimated that only one in 10 visually impaired people can read Braille, a startling high statistic. Many blind people are excluded from learning Braille through the lack of funds and awareness. Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) wanted to raise the awareness on this situation and to help raise funds to help the underprivileged blind get access to Braille learning opportunities.

How the final design was conceived

We designed a special book on a stand stand, placed in bookstores and public libraries. The centre-spread of two facing blank pages are actually made of a white thin material that allows 3D letters under to be felt. As one approaches the book, he or she will see the blank centre-spread, with a cryptic message “Touch to read”. By touching the page, like how the blind read Braille, the reader will feel an impression underneath the page which reveals the message, “It’s hard to read like this. But harder if you can’t even read." A tagline at the end of the page invites the reader to "Help the blind read Braille.”

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

While results are still being collected, the installation is very well-received by the public, with those who interacted with it pledging to help in various ways. SAVH has also received a spike in public enquiries on how to help the blind read Braille.