Kelsey Trevett (2018-2020)

On World Braille Day 2022, Kelsey tweeted about why Braille was so important to him. This is what he had to say:

'Braille is a vital medium for blind and visually impaired people everywhere, opening up a world of literature, and increasing the independence of millions. It's crucial that amongst the rapid development of text-to-speech, Braille isn't forgotten.

As a child, Braille was my key to reading and writing: I used to refuse to engage in 'Big Writing' - writing short stories and the like - in primary school. It was a surprise to everyone (including me!) when one day, my two or three word contributions turned into paragraphs.

Learning Braille gave me the confidence and ability not just to write, but to access a universe of stories that could inspire me, and spark my imagination. Going forward, Braille enabled me to engage with maths, with music notation, with foreign languages.

These days, Braille is integral to my studies and beyond: It's how I note-take, how I read quietly, how I refer to notes and bullet points when presenting or giving a speech. It's how I read agendas whilst chairing meetings, and how I take minutes before writing them up in full.

It's how I determine which one is paracetamol after a particularly heavy night out, and how I figure out which one is the first floor button in the lift, and which is the emergency alarm... usually.

Braille is my day-to-day, and I know what a massive impact it's had on my life. I am determined that Braille is made accessible to all who could benefit from it. In the UK, that means reversing education cuts to SEND budgets, to retain expertise and ensure adequate provision.

That means ensuring that electronic Braille equipment is affordable and accessible - today, a standard electronic Braille display to connect to a computer costs upwards of £2,500.

That means making sure that visually impaired young people receive a holistic education, including orientation and mobility training, on top of all this, to guarantee that they can make the most of the independence that Braille promotes.'