Hanwha to distribute 2027 braille calendar to mark 100th anniv. of Korean braille system
The 2027 Hanwha braille calendar / Courtesy of Hanwha Group
Hanwha Group said Monday it will produce and distribute 40,000 copies of its 2027 Braille calendar for visually impaired people.
Hanwha Group has been producing braille calendars every year since 2000, when Chairman Kim Seung-youn received a letter from a visually impaired person and launched the project with the belief that people with visual impairments should also be able to share in the joy of welcoming the new year.
Starting with 5,000 copies in the first year, the group has distributed about 1 million calendars through last year.
The 2027 calendar features braille alongside printed text, allowing both visually impaired and sighted people to use it. Users can check essential information in braille, including dates, days of the week, lunar calendar dates, seasonal markers and public holidays.
The calendar also reflected visually impaired users’ feedback to adjust text size and contrast to improve readability. Social enterprise Braille Publishing participated in producing the calendar.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the introduction of “Hunmaengjeongeum,” the Korean braille system named after “Hunminjeongeum,” which introduced the native Korean alphabet. Developed by Park Du-seong in 1926, Hunmaengjeongeum was the first six-dot braille system based on Hangeul and laid the foundation for the standard Korean braille system used today.
There are approximately 250,000 visually impaired people in Korea, but only around 50,000 copies of braille calendars are produced every year. Hanwha Group accounts for 40,000 of them, distributing the calendars free of charge.
At a ceremony marking Korean Braille Day in November last year, the group received a plaque of appreciation from the Korea Blind Union for producing and distributing 1 million Korean Braille calendars.
“The braille calendar project was launched to help visually impaired people check dates and schedules independently and plan for the new year on their own,” a Hanwha Group official said. “We will continue producing and distributing the calendars free of charge to make everyday life more convenient for visually impaired people.
Applications for the 2027 calendar will be accepted now until Nov. 13. Organizations and institutions serving visually impaired people can apply through Hanwha Group's website, while individuals can request a calendar by calling the Hanwha Braille Calendar Office at 02-3426-7500.