Can digital technologies fully replace the Braille system, or will Braille continue to play a central role in the education and literacy of people with visual impairments?
The third episode of the “Unseen” podcast explores this question through a conversation between special education teacher Alla Sahakyan and Senik Muradyan, a student at Yerevan Special School No. 14 for Children with Visual Impairments named after Nikoghayos Tigranyan.
The guests emphasized that modern technologies are already widely integrated into the daily lives and educational experiences of people with visual impairments. While these tools offer significant benefits, they are still far from replacing the Braille system.
“When you read a text, you understand and retain the information more quickly and deeply. I do not deny the effectiveness of listening – both formats are accessible to me, but literacy and the ability to recognize letters represent a completely different level,” said Senik Muradyan.
According to him, it is essential for children to first learn how to read and write in Braille during their early school years before extensively using digital tools.
“Literacy creates a strong foundation for learning. Later, in higher grades, the approach can be guided by each student’s individual effectiveness and the teacher’s recommendations,” he noted.
The episode also highlights modern technological solutions, including screen readers, audiobooks, digital Braille devices and innovative teaching methods. The discussion ultimately concludes that while technology can serve as a powerful support tool, the foundation of literacy still lies in reading and written communication.
The “Unseen” podcast is produced on the initiative of the “Internet Society” NGO in cooperation with the Socrat Shahnazaryan Cultural House of the Armenian Union of the Blind and is coordinated by podcaster Kristian Ginosyan. The project aims to develop media skills among people with visual impairments and create a platform where community members can independently share their experiences, challenges and achievements.
The initiative is being implemented as part of the ongoing collaboration between the “Internet Society” NGO and the “Internet Society Armenia Chapter” PO. One of the key milestones of this cooperation was the technical modernization of the “Menq” internet radio recording studio in 2024, carried out with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
You can listen to the previous episode of the “Unseen” podcast via this link.
