PEOPLE: The only library, where audiobooks are being recorded and blind books printed

Lőcse (Levoča, Slovakia). We travelled to Lőcse, some 80 kilometres from Kassa, to observe World Braille Day on January 4th. Just over 50 years ago, the Matej Hrebenda Slovak Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired first opened its doors there. It has a history spanning more than 50 years, has been the sole Braille printing firm in Slovakia since 1976, and has hosted the Slovak Braille Authority’s first office permanently since November 2020.  Michal Tkáčik, the head of the Slovakian Braille Authority, which has been in operation for two years, was waiting for us at the building’s gate when we arrived. The man in his thirties moved through the hallways and staircases leading through multiple floors of the building – which looked to me to be a labyrinth – as if he had perfect eyesight although he had entirely lost his sight when he was two years old. It is far from that, but as he stated, his courage and creativity play a major role in his ability to move with such confidence. “The readings and audio materials we make at this library are largely aimed at the blind, the visually impaired, and others who have trouble reading since […]