Braille Live

Commemoration of the Bicentenary of
Louis Braille’s Birth

4th to 8th January 2009
Under the Sponsorship of

Mr. President of the French Republic
Supported by :

UNESCO

the World Blind Union

the International Committee for the Commemoration of the Bicentenary of Louis Braille’s Birth (CINAL)


the National Committee for the Social Promotion
of Blind and Partially Sighted People
(CNPSAA)
 
Sunday January 4th, 2009

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Events organized by the World Blind Union and the International Committee for the Commemoration of the Bicentenary of
Louis Braille’s Birth (CINAL)

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10.00 am : Commemorative mass in the chapel of the National
Institute for the Young Blind, followed by a reception
given by the Institute. (by invitation only)
03.00 pm : A wreath will be laid on Louis Braille’s tomb in the
Pantheon in Paris, by the French and the international Authorities.
09.00 pm : Recital on the organ of Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral,
 in homage to the great blind organists, by Jean-Pierre
 Leguay, a blind organist, at Notre-Dame-de-Paris
 Cathedral. (this concert is open to the public)
 

January 5th to 8th, 2009
International Conference organized by Valentin Haüy Association
and the National Institute for the Young Blind
“Braille 1809 – 2009”
Writing with 6 dots and its future

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UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy
75007 Paris

Metro Station Ségur or Cambronne
 
            
Program of the International Conference

January 5th to 8th, 2009

Conference languages : French and English

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Monday, January 5th

08.30 – 09.00 am : Welcome to the participants.
09.30 – 10.30 am :

Inaugural session presided over by the Chairman  of the CNPSAA

 official speeches :

• UNESCO representative
• French government representative
• Paris city representative
• Chairman of the Valentin Haüy Association
• Chairman of the National Institute for the Young Blind
10.30 – 11.00 am : break

11.00 – 12.45 am : Plenary Session  “Louis Braille and his time”

Session Chairman : Tommaso Daniele, Italy

• Euclid Herie, Canada
• Françoise Madray-Lesigne, France
• Michael Mellor, USA
1.00 – 2.15 pm: LUNCH

Session  Chairman : to be announced
 2.15 – 3.30 pm :  Round Tables “The braille system and its applications”

 3 options : music, mathematics, information technology
 
 
• Music :
Chairman : Kicki Nordström, Sweden
William McCann, USA
Antonio Quatraro, Italy
Nadine Baptiste-Jessel, France

• Mathematics :
Chairman : Jean-Marie Cierco, France
Françoise Magna, France
Mateja Jencic, Slovenia

• Information Technology :
Chairman :  Judy Dixon, USA
Christian Coudert, France
Pierre Ferland, Canada
Frédéric Brugnot, France

3.30 – 4.00 pm : feedback of the 3 round tables in plenary session.

4.00 – 4.30 pm : break

4.30 – 5.30 pm : Workshops – 3 Options :

• Workshop (A)  : Cartography, relief drawings and children’s books :
Presenter : Philippe Claudet, France
Catherine Feignez, France
Kim Charlson, USA
Pierre Ferland, Canada

• Workshop (B)  : Tactile handling of line,  Space,  Works of Art
Presenter : Hoëlle Corvest, France
Michel Bris, France
Cyrille Gouyette, France
Christian Bessigneul, France

• Workshop (C)  :  Braille and games
Presenter : Tommy Théberge, Canada
 ONA, Belgium

Tuesday, January 6th

Session Chairman : Vincent Michel, France  

09.00 – 11.00 am : Plenary Session “Braille in the world and in various languages”

• General statement : Pedro Zurita, Spain
• Braille in Japanese : Tetsuji Tanaka, Japan
• Braille in Arabic : Naser A. Al Mosa, Saudi Arabia
• Braille in Slavic languages : Vlasdislav Stepanov, Russia

11.00 – 11.30 am : break
11.30 – 12.30 am : Round Table  “Braille unification : success and obstacles”
Presenter : Lord Colin Low, United Kingdom
Jean-Marie Cierco, France
Joseph Sullivan, USA
Wiraman Niyomphol, Thailand
Otto Prytz, Norway

1.00 – 2.15 pm :  LUNCH

2.30 – 4.00 pm : Round-table “Users perspectives over the world :
braille in the developing countries”

Session Chairman : to be announced

Presenter : Richard Lavigne, Canada
Paul Tézanou, Cameroon
Imed E. Chaker, Tunisia
Bouraïma Asmanou, Togo
Boniface Gnonlonfoun, Benin

4.00 – 4.30 pm : break

4.30 – 6.00 pm : Inauguration of the new media library of the Valentin Haüy Association
Wednesday, January 7th

What future prospects for braille ?

Session Chairman : Françoise Sabotier-Grenon, France 

 9.00 – 10.30 am : Plenary Session “Braille in the context of new technologies,
addition or competition ?”
• Braille and school integration : Marie-Renée Hector, France
• Braille and professional integration : Philippe Chazal, France
• Braille and scientific research : Joana Belarmino, Brazil

10.30 – 11.00 am : break

11. 00 – 11.45 am : Round-table “Braille in our daily life”  
Presenter : John Helbrunn, Denmark
Monica Maiorano, Italy
Tonny van Breukelen, Netherlands
Agathe Douvry, Séverine de Bock, France

11. 45 – 12.30 am : Round-table “Social integration and Employment”  
Presenter : Fred Reid, United Kingdom
Hervé Cochet, France
Chuji Sashida, Japan
Roger Cosandey, Switzerland

1.00 – 2.15 pm : LUNCH

2.30 – 4.00 pm : Workshops ”Let’s play with braille”
ONA, Belgium
Tommy Théberge, Canada
Alain Plourde, Canada

4.00 – 4.30 pm : break

Closing Session – World Blind Union Chairman
4.30 – 5.00 pm : Contests results :

 “Le Poinçon Magique” (“The magic stylus”, a Braille dictation), organized by      the Valentin Haüy Association and Union Francophone des Aveugles (the French-speaking Union for the Blind)

 “Siaka Diarra”, a literary contest of  short stories, organized by Union
Francophone des Aveugles
Closing speech : William Rowland, South Africa

Synthesis of the sessions  : Françoise Madray-Lesigne, France

 8.00 pm : CLOSING BANQUET
Thursday, January 8th

Following the footsteps of the brilliant inventor
Historical exhibition : “Louis Braille, his life and his works”
The National Institute for the Young Blind, 56, boulevard des Invalides, 75007 Paris.

(Items from the Louis Braille Museum, Coupvray, from the National Institute for the Young Blind Museum and from the Valentin Haüy Association Museum)

Taking the route of Louis Braille’s ashes

• visit by groups of Louis Braille’s tomb at the Pantheon

• and/or visit to the house where Louis Braille was born in Coupvray (contribution : 10 euros).
Evening : Opera Oratorio in homage to Louis Braille (to be confirmed)