Hats off to National Braille Literacy Month. It’s the perfect occasion to examine what communities are doing to promote braille literacy and uncover the wealth of Knowledge Network resources that relate to visually impaired persons. Start with the following visual impairment-related documents to ensure that your community is up-to-speed in promoting accessibility and braille literacy.

• In 2009, the National Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped recognized Virginia Beach’s Special Services Library as the Network Subregional Library of the Year for outstanding service to the blind and physically handicapped. Learn what braille-related feats warranted the library’s distinction in this article.
• As a part of a larger effort to innovate their accessibility services, the City of Durham, North Carolina,incorporated a system of providing meeting agendas and notes in braille as well as through assistive listening devices, such as portable amplification systems.
• Christchurch, New Zealand, recently opened a bus exchange designed specifically to offer the same experience to sighted and visually impaired users. Read about their results in this case study.
• The Knowledge Network has many city guidelines that deal with federal imperatives, such as the City of Cincinnati’s manual for compliance with ADA.