The Truth at Hand

In Argentina, there are nearly 900,000 people living with some form of visual disability. For many of them, life is shaped by limits – not just in terms of vision, but also in access to education, employment, and even the Bible.

However, the truth is not out of reach. Since 2015, the Argentine Bible Society have been working to make the Bible, and engagement materials, accessible in Braille to those who need them.

Meet Elba

Elba is 22 and her life has been completely transformed by receiving the Bible in Braille.

“From an early age, I faced challenges due to my visual impairment, but I also experienced moments of profound learning and faith. My journey to Christ and His Word has been a story of transformation and miracles.”

Elba’s education began at four years old. By the age of six, she was learning to read and write in Braille. For those unfamiliar, Braille is read from left to right but is written in reverse, so learning it requires patience, skill, and determination.

Elba’s journey through education was difficult. At that time, resources were very limited: there were no accessible books, and lessons were taught by the teacher writing on the chalkboard. For Elba, she had to listen carefully so that she could transcribe them into Braille herself.

As she grew up, Elba’s relationship with God was always distant.

“I would walk into church… and walk out. There was no relationship”

At the age of 15, everything changed. One of Elba’s friends talked to her about God, but she wanted nothing to do with Him.

“I was confused, aimless, until one night I felt His call, like Samuel in the Bible. I heard a voice telling me: ‘Accept me, I have something beautiful for you.’ From then on, my life changed, and I never turned away from Him.”

That encounter with Jesus marked the start of her journey of faith, but it wasn’t an easy one. For years, Elba longed to read the Bible for herself, to run her fingers across its words and take in the truth of God’s promises.

“I remember having a paper Bible and crying over its pages because, although I held it in my hands, I could not read it. Its letters were invisible to my eyes.”

Finally, after years of praying for a Braille Bible, in 2022, God answered. A woman in her church told her that the Argentine Bible Society was donating Braille Bibles. She got in touch immediately and soon received the first of a 40-volume set of Bible books.

“When I opened them, I wept with gratitude.”

The first book Elba read was Revelation. Within two weeks, she had finished it—and was sharing what she had learned in her church. Elba’s journey has not stopped there.

“Today, not only do I have my Bible, but I have also helped two other classmates get theirs. Just as we receive by grace, we give by grace.”

Though she also listens to audio Bibles, reading in Braille is still her preferred method.

“It’s beautiful to have the Bible in audio and on paper. But on paper... it’s so much better for me! Knowing that I can have it in the system I have always studied is incredible.”

Braille allows her to take notes, re-read passages, and truly meditate on Scripture. It helps her memorise and hold onto the truth, and it gives her the freedom to connect with God at any time.

The Argentine Bible Society’s Braille project is still changing lives like Elba’s. They are opening the door for visually impaired people across the country to engage with the Bible personally, deeply, and without barriers. The truth is no longer out of reach—it’s right at hand.

“The Bible is the mouth of God; it instructs us and guides us in His way. Having it in Braille has transformed my relationship with Him.”