January is Braille Literacy Month, and January 4th marks World Braille Day, honoring the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille code. This month is all about raising awareness of the importance of braille literacy and recognizing how braille supports independence, education, and access for people with visual impairments and beyond.

When many people hear "braille," they think only of blindness, but braille benefits individuals with low vision, dual sensory loss, and multiple disabilities.

Here are 6 things you may not know about Braille:

• Louis Braille was just 15 years old when he invented Braille
• Braille is a tactile code, not a language—many languages can be read and written in Braille
• A braille cell is made up of 6 raised dots
• Braille includes letters, numbers, punctuation, music notation, and even formatting like bold and italics
• Braille takes up more space than print—Webster's Unabridged Dictionary is 72 volumes in braille
• There are two levels of braille: uncontracted (letter-by-letter) and contracted (a shorthand version)

Want to try it yourself? Here's a link to type and see your name in Braille.

As you go about campus this month, take a moment to notice braille on signs, elevators, and other materials. These small adaptations make a big difference in accessibility and independence. Let's celebrate Braille literacy, accessibility, and inclusive learning this month and all year long.

This free ORCID webinar on Feb. 18, 2026 at 3pm Eastern is for new ORCID users.

Are you applying for a grant? Submitting a manuscript for publication? Want to make your professional activities and contributions visible? With research organizations increasingly requiring and using ORCID, knowing how to get and use your free ORCID iD and ORCID record will help you save time and get recognition for your work and contributions.

In this webinar, we will cover:

• What is ORCID and the Benefits of ORCID for Users
• How to populate your ORCID record
• How to keep your ORCID record up-to-date
  

No prior experience with ORCID necessary. The session recording will be sent to all who register. See you there!

Please note that the Office of Graduate Student Life (Commons 308) is closed today due to ongoing construction in the area.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Regular operations will resume once construction is complete.

For updates or questions, please check myUMBC.