To celebrate the 200th anniversary of braille, the UK’s top braille artist is having a summer of love for braille, blindness and coffee.
Clarke Reynolds, also known as Mr Dot in recognition of his incredible career creating braille-inspired art, has teamed up with Pepita Coffee and The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to create a limited-edition braille coffee tin.
Clarke used his unique braille art concept to design the tins for the high-end coffee brand which feature a tactile braille representation of the word ‘Love’ on the front, with ‘Mr Dot’ in raised braille on the back.
The tins are 100 per cent reusable, environmentally friendly, and packed with the best luxury coffee blends from Colombia, Guatemala, and Ethiopia.
A limited number of tins are now on sale in the RNIB online shop priced at £29.99 with Clarke Reynolds donating a share of the proceeds to RNIB, the UK’s largest sight loss charity.
Explaining the inspiration for the design, Clarke said: “Even after 200 years, so many products still don’t have braille on them which makes them difficult for blind and partially sighted people to find in stores.
“Braille is 200 years old, but let’s bring it into the 21st century, let’s not hide it away. All brands have great typography, great art, so let’s celebrate them and make them easier for blind people like me to find and enjoy.
“I treat braille like type and when I got the chance to combine braille with coffee it was a no brainer. I love being blind, and I love braille and on this tin you can feel the most important word of all, ‘love’, in big raised dots. What better way to celebrate braille than with Mr Dot, Pepita Coffee in partnership with Fatboy Slim , and RNIB. This summer I’m feeling the love.”
RNIB’s Director of Retail Abby Walker, said: “Braille is a vital skill that helps blind and partially sighted people access aspects of society such as gaining qualifications, job applications or independent trips to the supermarket.
“In the 200th year of braille we are asking all organisations and businesses to review their use of braille to make it more widely available. We’d like to say a huge thanks to Clarke and Pepita for their inspired design which will help to draw attention to the ongoing importance of braille in the 20th century.”
Andrew Puentes, CEO at Pepita Coffee, said: “Pepita Coffee has once again demonstrated its commitment to innovation and social impact by partnering with Clarke Reynolds, the UK’s top braille artist, and the RNIB. Clarke has poured his passion for braille and art into the design of the tin, creating a tactile masterpiece that speaks volumes. By combining high-end coffee with collectable art, Pepita Coffee has created a product that appeals to coffee connoisseurs, art enthusiasts, and advocates for accessibility alike.”
The products are on sale in the RNIB shop at www.shop.rnib.org.uk
To find out more about braille including training courses and resources visit https://www.rnib.org.uk/about-us/braille-200
