BATON ROUGE — Thanks to a donation from the Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group of the Blinded Veterans Association, the State Library of Louisiana now offers a new resource for visually impaired visitors. On August 5, the State Library and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser unveiled new braille flag displays.
The bronze and acrylic displays feature the American flag rendered in raised braille dots, along with the Pledge of Allegiance also written in braille.
These braille flags play a vital role in ensuring patriotic symbols and civic engagement are accessible to all Americans, regardless of visual ability. According to a news release, there are an estimated 7.3 million Americans with visual disabilities. The raised dots allow individuals who are blind or visually impaired to physically connect with one of the nation’s most iconic symbols.
The State Library was chosen as the location for these braille flag displays as it’s also the home for the Talking Books and Braille Library, Louisiana’s only library dedicated to providing library services for the visually impaired. The TBBL offers more than 164,000 audio and braille books, 25,000 large-print books, and playback machines to anyone with permanent or temporary disabilities.
There is no charge for TBBL, and more than 6,000 Louisiana residents use the service, according to the State Library.
This donation is part of the BVA’s ongoing commitment to supporting accessibility initiatives across the country. The BVA is the only national Veterans Service Organization chartered by the United States Congress and exclusively dedicated to assisting America’s blinded veterans and their families.
“They’re an incredible group of men and women who have been blinded in combat,” Nungesser told UWK. “They’re very passionate about this.”
The Lieutenant Governor expressed excitment about making the plaques available to visitors, giving everyone the opportunity to experience the American flag, even if they’ve never seen it before. He added that efforts are ongoing to raise funds to install additional braille flag displays throughout the state.
“Our nation’s flag has long served as a unifying symbol, but for too long, those who are blind or visually impaired could only experience it through description,” he said.
Placing these flag displays in the library will allow all those who visit the building to have a personal connection with the iconic emblem, he continued.
“Braille flags serve as both a symbol and teaching tool, helping sighted individuals better understand the braille system while providing blind and visually impaired community members with direct access to this important patriotic symbol,” said State Librarian Meg Placke. “The displays are a wonderful addition to our facility and will certainly be a point of interest for our visitors.”
The displays are installed in the State Library’s first floor lobby and reference areas and are available for public interaction.
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