• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Science & Environment Medical Research

200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in

March 20, 2025
in Medical Research
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
3
SHARES
7
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
Amadou Ndiaye holds a Braille tablet in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

Amadou Ndiaye meticulously ran his fingers across bumps in a piece of paper, making sense of the world he can no longer see.

Two hundred years have passed since the invention of braille, the tactile writing system that has transformed the lives of many blind and partially sighted people by offering a path to literacy and independence.

“Braille helped me live my life,” said Ndiaye, a social worker in Mali who lost his eyesight as a child. “Before, people asked themselves the question: Here is someone who can’t see, how will he make it? How will he integrate into society?”

The West African country, with a population of over 20 million people, has long struggled to integrate blind and partially sighted people. According to eye care charity Sightsavers, around 170,000 people in Mali are thought to be blind.

The 47-year-old Ndiaye was fortunate to attend the institute for the blind in Mali, where he learned to write in braille, and told himself: “Really, everything that others do, I can do too.” He later attended university.

He said braille has allowed him to develop his main passion, playing the guitar, which also emphasizes the importance of touch.

200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
Blind artists Mariam Doumbia and Amadou Ndiaye perform in Bamako, Mali, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

“Each pressure on the strings, each movement of the finger on the neck, becomes a living note, loaded with meaning,” Ndiaye said.

The guitar is an integral part of Mali’s griot tradition, the cultural practice of storytelling through music. Musicians adapted the guitar to emulate the sounds of traditional string instruments like the kora. Local artists such as Ali Farka Touré have fused Malian melodies with elements of the blues, creating a soulful, hypnotic sound that has gained international acclaim.

Iconic Malian musical duo Amadou and Mariam awakened Ndiaye’s passion for the instrument when he was a boy.

“One day, near a photography studio, I heard their music resonating through the window, which pushed me to discover this universe,” he said.

Known as “the blind couple from Mali,” the duo of Amadou Bagayoko, who lost his vision at age 16, and Mariam Doumbia, who became blind at age 5 as a consequence of untreated measles, rose to international fame in the 1990s with their fusion of traditional Malian music, rock, and blues.

200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
A Braille alphabet on display in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

The couple met at Mali’s institute for the blind, where Doumbia was studying braille and teaching classes in dance and music.

At such places, braille has allowed students to overcome educational barriers such as taking longer to learn how to read and write. They can then take the same exams as anyone else, which allows them to seek employment, said Ali Moustapha Dicko, who teaches at the institute for the blind in the capital, Bamako.

Dicko is also blind. Using a special typewriter, he can create texts in braille for his students. But he says his students are still at a disadvantage.

“We have a crisis of teaching materials,” Dicko said. He has one reading book in braille for his entire class of dozens of students.

But with the development of new technologies, some blind and partially sighted people hope that educational barriers will continue to fall.

  • 200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
    Ali Moustapha Dicko, who teaches at the institute for the blind, shows the use of a Standard Perkins Braille machine in Bamako, Mali, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo
  • 200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
    Ali Moustapha Dicko, who teaches at the institute for the blind, shows the use of a Standard Perkins Braille machine in Bamako, Mali, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo
  • 200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
    Amadou Ndiaye holds a Braille tablet in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

“There is software, there are telephones that speak, so there are many things that are vocal,” said Bagayoko of the musical duo. “This allows us to move forward.”

But Moussa Mbengue, the Senegal-based program officer for inclusive education at Sightsavers, said such advances still don’t make the leap that braille did two centuries ago.

“It cannot replace braille. On the contrary, for me, technology complements braille,” he said.

© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Citation:
200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in (2025, March 20)
retrieved 20 March 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-years-creation-braille-people-mali.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.



200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
Amadou Ndiaye holds a Braille tablet in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

Amadou Ndiaye meticulously ran his fingers across bumps in a piece of paper, making sense of the world he can no longer see.

Two hundred years have passed since the invention of braille, the tactile writing system that has transformed the lives of many blind and partially sighted people by offering a path to literacy and independence.

“Braille helped me live my life,” said Ndiaye, a social worker in Mali who lost his eyesight as a child. “Before, people asked themselves the question: Here is someone who can’t see, how will he make it? How will he integrate into society?”

The West African country, with a population of over 20 million people, has long struggled to integrate blind and partially sighted people. According to eye care charity Sightsavers, around 170,000 people in Mali are thought to be blind.

The 47-year-old Ndiaye was fortunate to attend the institute for the blind in Mali, where he learned to write in braille, and told himself: “Really, everything that others do, I can do too.” He later attended university.

He said braille has allowed him to develop his main passion, playing the guitar, which also emphasizes the importance of touch.

200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
Blind artists Mariam Doumbia and Amadou Ndiaye perform in Bamako, Mali, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

“Each pressure on the strings, each movement of the finger on the neck, becomes a living note, loaded with meaning,” Ndiaye said.

The guitar is an integral part of Mali’s griot tradition, the cultural practice of storytelling through music. Musicians adapted the guitar to emulate the sounds of traditional string instruments like the kora. Local artists such as Ali Farka Touré have fused Malian melodies with elements of the blues, creating a soulful, hypnotic sound that has gained international acclaim.

Iconic Malian musical duo Amadou and Mariam awakened Ndiaye’s passion for the instrument when he was a boy.

“One day, near a photography studio, I heard their music resonating through the window, which pushed me to discover this universe,” he said.

Known as “the blind couple from Mali,” the duo of Amadou Bagayoko, who lost his vision at age 16, and Mariam Doumbia, who became blind at age 5 as a consequence of untreated measles, rose to international fame in the 1990s with their fusion of traditional Malian music, rock, and blues.

200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
A Braille alphabet on display in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

The couple met at Mali’s institute for the blind, where Doumbia was studying braille and teaching classes in dance and music.

At such places, braille has allowed students to overcome educational barriers such as taking longer to learn how to read and write. They can then take the same exams as anyone else, which allows them to seek employment, said Ali Moustapha Dicko, who teaches at the institute for the blind in the capital, Bamako.

Dicko is also blind. Using a special typewriter, he can create texts in braille for his students. But he says his students are still at a disadvantage.

“We have a crisis of teaching materials,” Dicko said. He has one reading book in braille for his entire class of dozens of students.

But with the development of new technologies, some blind and partially sighted people hope that educational barriers will continue to fall.

  • 200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
    Ali Moustapha Dicko, who teaches at the institute for the blind, shows the use of a Standard Perkins Braille machine in Bamako, Mali, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo
  • 200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
    Ali Moustapha Dicko, who teaches at the institute for the blind, shows the use of a Standard Perkins Braille machine in Bamako, Mali, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo
  • 200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in
    Amadou Ndiaye holds a Braille tablet in Bamako, Mali, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Moustapha Diallo

“There is software, there are telephones that speak, so there are many things that are vocal,” said Bagayoko of the musical duo. “This allows us to move forward.”

But Moussa Mbengue, the Senegal-based program officer for inclusive education at Sightsavers, said such advances still don’t make the leap that braille did two centuries ago.

“It cannot replace braille. On the contrary, for me, technology complements braille,” he said.

© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Citation:
200 years after the creation of braille, blind people in Mali say it has allowed them to fit in (2025, March 20)
retrieved 20 March 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-years-creation-braille-people-mali.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.


Tags: Health ResearchHealth Research NewsHealth ScienceMedicine ResearchMedicine Research NewsMedicine Science
Previous Post

Pentagon restores histories of Navajo Code Talkers, other Native veterans after public outcry

Next Post

‘Dump the bill, not the Skate’: Albanese goes all out for wildlife extinction

Related Posts

cold sore

Could cold sores increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease? A new study is no cause for panic

May 23, 2025
4
Infographic: The Rising Prevalence of Autism | Statista

‘Has to Be Something on the Outside’

May 22, 2025
4
Next Post

‘Dump the bill, not the Skate’: Albanese goes all out for wildlife extinction

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
3 music agency employees dead after plane crashes into California neighbourhood

3 music agency employees dead after plane crashes into California neighbourhood

May 23, 2025
Heavy Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon

Alleged shooter of Israeli embassy staff cites Israel’s war on Gaza as motivation, court documents say

May 23, 2025

Thermon’s Backlog Rises on LNG Growth todayheadline

May 23, 2025
Asia must not succumb to tariff retaliation, Singapore cbank official says

Asia must not succumb to tariff retaliation, Singapore cbank official says todayheadline

May 23, 2025

Recent News

3 music agency employees dead after plane crashes into California neighbourhood

3 music agency employees dead after plane crashes into California neighbourhood

May 23, 2025
1
Heavy Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon

Alleged shooter of Israeli embassy staff cites Israel’s war on Gaza as motivation, court documents say

May 23, 2025
4

Thermon’s Backlog Rises on LNG Growth todayheadline

May 23, 2025
5
Asia must not succumb to tariff retaliation, Singapore cbank official says

Asia must not succumb to tariff retaliation, Singapore cbank official says todayheadline

May 23, 2025
5

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Trump's image of dead 'white farmers' came from footage in Congo, not South Africa, says report

Trump’s image of dead ‘white farmers’ came from footage in Congo, not South Africa, says report

May 23, 2025
3 music agency employees dead after plane crashes into California neighbourhood

3 music agency employees dead after plane crashes into California neighbourhood

May 23, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co