Adventures of Brazil blind superhero told in comic book

The adventures of a Brazilian blind superhero are now told in a comic book written in Braille.

The plot centers around Luís, a Brazilian teenager who finds out he has the power of transforming common texts into Braille—which is why he has a secret identity named Super Braille.

Teacher Hylea Vale, one of the authors of the story, talks about one of the difficulties in the process. “The biggest challenge in Super Braille is the fact that it’s a comic story where we have to adapt the descriptions of the drawings into Braille.”

The production is made by the Benjamin Constant Institute, linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Education. The institute has been making materials in Braille for at least 63 years, including magazine Pontinhos, where Luís’s story is told.

In the comic book, Vale pointed out, Luís’s power comes from a magic white cane his grandpa gave him. “A sighted boy finds a magic cane. He’d hold it with his other hand and go blind. That’s when he could touch texts and see them. He could turn what was written in ink into Braille,” she said.

The publication will be distributed quarterly in Portuguese, free of charge.

People and institutions may request the Super Braille comic books as well as magazine Pontinhos after submitting a form on the Benjamin Constant Institute’s website.

*Trainee supervised by Paula de Castro