Japanese Embassy Donates Material for Blind People

The Museum of Shapes, Space and Sounds is more accessible after the Japanese Embassy donated more than $20,000 worth of Braille equipment for people with visual impairments. The donation was formalized in an official act at the east San José museum April 28 that included the presence of Japanese Ambassador Yoshihiko Sumi, outgoing Vice-Minister of Culture Amalia Chaverri and the director of the Costa Rican Museum of Art Elizabeth Barquero.

According to a spokeswoman from the Japanese Embassy, the donation comes as part of an embassy cooperation program and is intended to increase the access to information for people with visual handicaps.

The donated equipment includes special printers that print in Braille – a system of raised dots representing the alphabet, numbers and punctuation that blind people can read by touch. The equipment will be part of the museum’s library for people with visual impairments.