CNH 2026: A Historic Goal for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Paris, September 8, 2026

The Louis Braille Campus and all of its members, the Valentin Haüy and ApiDV associations, Voir Ensemble, and INJA enthusiastically welcome the announcements made by the President of the Republic at the 2026 National Conference on Disability regarding the creation of the Louis Braille National Institute, the development of France’s assistive technology sector, and the increased consideration of visual impairment in national public policies.

These forward-looking announcements represent a major step forward for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families, and all the professionals, volunteers, researchers, educators, innovators, and caregivers who work every day to ensure their full participation in society. They signify strong recognition, at the highest level of government, of the challenges associated with innovation in the field of visual impairment and of the efforts undertaken over many years by stakeholders in the sector—notably through the creation of the Louis Braille Campus.

He is particularly pleased with the expansion of the National Institute for the Blind Youth’s missions through the announced creation of the Louis Braille National Institute.

This name change symbolizes a strong recognition of INJA and fully highlights its national mission while reinforcing its position as a leading authority in the field of visual impairment.

This name pays tribute to Louis Braille, a French genius and innovator who created the universal code that bears his name.

The INLB will play a key role in establishing a national center of excellence and expertise on visual impairment, in collaboration with the Louis Braille Campus and the National Hospital for 15-20.

The project presented at the CNH outlines a new vision: to bring together expertise in education, training, support, innovation, research, and care in order to build a true national model ecosystem for visual impairment.

The Louis Braille Campus also sees this announcement as an opportunity to strengthen existing collaborations among its members and to develop new ones with all nonprofit and institutional partners who wish to contribute to this goal.

The measures announced to support assistive technologies, artificial intelligence, accessibility, and inclusive innovation offer particularly promising prospects in this regard (notably the widespread adoption of audible traffic signals and the launch of the National Portal for Accessible and Adapted Publishing beginning in 2028). They underscore the need to support research, encourage innovation, and promote the development of solutions designed in collaboration with the people they serve.

The Louis Braille Campus and its members—who represent people with visual impairments and their families and friends—are delighted to be called upon to participate in this collective effort and to write, alongside all relevant partners and with the full support of public authorities, a new chapter in the history of visual impairment in France.