Newsletter 
As a part of the 2025 edition of the Night of Science, the French Institute of Finland is pleased to invite you to an event celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Braille writing system. During the evening, we will explore the life of Louis Braille, the writing system itself, and the role of braille in the social inclusion of blind and visually impaired persons.
The event is composed of various parts that approach braille and visual impairment from scientific, societal, and artistic perspectives:
As the opening part of the event, the documentary “Louis Braille, a Genius 6.0” will be screened. The screening is followed by a discussion hosted by the director of the film, Hélène Jousse. Also the author of the novel “The Hands of Louis Braille”, Housse will share her insights on the invention and its legacy.
We will then welcome Professor Hisayo Katsui from the University of Helsinki, who will present her research on disability, the rights of persons with disabilities and their role as agents of change.
We will also meet Tiina Borgman and Susanna Halme, two visually impaired students from the University of Helsinki. They will talk about their disability and the skills they have developed to overcome it.
Finally, the French artist specialized in Braille graffiti, “The Blind,” will showcase his work designed to make art accessible to visually impaired persons.
We will conclude the evening with a friendly gathering, accompanied by wine and cheese. The event will be in English and in French. The event venue is accessible to all.
Admission is free but requires registration via the link below.
Programme of the event
- 17:00 – Welcome address
- 17:05 – Projection of documentary “Louis Braille, a genius 6.0” – In French with subtitles in English
- 17:30 – Comment by Hélène Jousse, director of documentary and writer of “The hands of Louis Braille” – In French (and a little of English)
- 18:00 – Science insights: Happiness, disability rights movement, and persons with disabilities as agents of change, by Hisayo Katsui, professor in disability studies at Helsinki University – In English
- 18:20 – Insights from students with visual impairment, by Tiina Borgman and Susanna Halme from Helsinki University – In English
- 18:40 – Graffiti for people with visual disabilities, by artist The Blind (Jean-Charles Souliman) – In French (and a little of English)
- 19:00 – Wine and cheese reception