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You make cards for all occasions, from Christmas to Valentines Day and Mother’s Day. Each of your cards have striking visuals as well as tactile elements. And of course, you include printed and braille messages inside and on the cover.

What is your creative process for designing the cards? What do you think about when designing them? 

I am interested in colours and always enjoyed tactile art-making throughout school. We make our own watercolour ink paper. When we design new cards, we use traditional representations for different purposes aiming to keep it simple with shapes that are readily identified by people with low vision.
 

When you were only 18 years old you started Braille By Luca, described as a microenterprise. What have you learnt most about running a creative business since then?  

It has been a huge learning curve for me and the whole BBL team. It is still a great experience to come up with unique ideas, find and connect with local creatives and other collaborators and to explore new opportunities to share and sell braille products.
 

You sell your cards at markets and often put up a sign which says, “braille is for everyone”. Is this to encourage everyone to learn braille? What is your advice for people wanting to learn braille, either sighted, with low vision, or blindness?  

We believe the braille messages on our cards and products are accessible with the use of our BBL bookmark (you can download for free). It includes a braille alphabet and common contractions. This helps make decoding fun and increases awareness of how braille works.

Learning to read and type braille does take time and practice. There are online courses and apps available.
 

You’ve run braille workshops for High Schools and Scout groups. What surprises participants the most when you talk to them? And, what is the most important thing you want people to learn in these workshops?   

I want them to know more about the system and importance of braille. But I am also passionate for everyone to understand how to be most helpful in public towards people with low vision. For example, give space to people walking with a cane.
 

You’ve translated a book, Lillian the Tiriki Girl, into braille. What did you learn through that process, and would you like to work on more books?  

I'm always interested in collaborating with writers/ artists/ designers to help include braille in their work and make it accessible.
 

Part of your business is to translate printed materials into braille, such as signs for art exhibitions (including at our own Manly Art Gallery and Museum) and menus for restaurants. Do you encounter much braille text in your day-to-day activities?  

There is not enough braille content available to fully enrich day-to-day civic life for people with low vision/ blindness.
 

Are there local businesses or organisations who are particularly good for people with low vision or blindness that you think we should know about and learn from?

One cafe I love visiting is Market Lane Cafe in Manly. They offer a braille menu, which is fantastic :)

More broadly, Vision Australia has very comprehensive information about low vision and accessibility. I have enjoyed being able to borrow many brailled books over the last 15 years from their library, and would love to see more variety in brailled books at local libraries. 
 
Guide Dogs (St Leonards) have a lot of practical knowledge about orientation and mobility. 

NextSense (formerly Royal Institute for the Death and Blind ) are worthwhile looking up.

I also enjoy Accessible Audio Tours of exhibitions at the MCA, Art Gallery of NSW, and Mosman Art Gallery. This might be an idea for Manly Art Gallery! (editor: we'll be sure to pass that on!)
 

Through your own business and on social media, you’re an advocate for people who have low vision or are blind. You’ve promoted White Cane Day and Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and participated in the Canada Bay Low Vision and Blindness Open Day.

What are the biggest things we can do to improve the experience for people with low vision and blindness?  

Making public places and spaces even more accessible through more braille signage would allow people with low vision to participate more in events and activities. 

Other aspects which make life easier for me are audio descriptions (through apps or head sets), and considerations around safe walkways and surfaces. We would also welcome more micro-grants to help promote and develop micro-enterprises like mine (e.g. to fund stall fees for local creative markets).
 

Scrolling through your Instagram, we learnt a lot from the quizzes you posted. Will these be returning next year? 

So glad you liked the quizzes!! We are happy to create more fun quizzes in the new year.
 

When and where can people buy your cards for Christmas?

To have a look at our offerings visit my online shop at www.braillebyluca.bigcartel.com, or see us at the upcoming Sugarhouse Studios Christmas Market (Thursday 7 December, 4.30-9pm, 2/73 Winbourne Rd, Brookvale) where you can get your name brailled for free!

You can also follow us on Instragram and Facebook: @braillebyluca
 

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