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By Nicholas Osei-Wusu The Bible Society of Ghana has launched the braille version of the Holy Bible for the visually impaired community within Christendom and beyond in Ghana. The braille Twi Bible is the first translation of the complete Holy Bible into any of the many Ghanaian languages. However, unlike the conventional translations, the braille Twi Bible is in 82 volumes, with each of the 66 books translated into separate volumes instead of a complete single divinely inspired document. “Whereas you can put the regular Bible in small letters, this has to be bold because they’re using their fingers to read, touch, feel it and tell what God is saying. And so you need a larger space to put those things there. And that means that you’ll need more pages. That is the only reason we do not have it in one complete book,” General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana, Very Rev. Dr. John Kweku Addo Jnr, explained to GBC. The braille Twi Bible becomes one of the major accomplishments of the Bible Society of Ghana as it commemorates its 60th anniversary. It took the Bible Society of Ghana nearly three years to complete the translation of the complete Bible. Very Rev. Addo Jnr explained, “We believe that our people, no matter what, deserve to have the Word of God in their mother tongue.” It has become the latest accomplishment of the Bible Society of Ghana, established exactly 60 years ago to advance the Kingdom of God through translation and production of the Holy Bible into various local dialects to ensure its affordability and accessibility to all. The national launch of the braille Bible at the Calvary Methodist Church at Amakom in Kumasi brought great relief to the visually impaired, not only the Christians among them but the church in general, since it gives an impetus to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to his followers to preach the Word to every person regardless of geographical, socio-economic or health status. Speaking at the launch of the Bible at the Calvary Methodist Church in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Coordinator of Special Education of the Ghana Education Service, Gideon Asante, described the braille Twi Bible as a symbol of equality, hope, belongingness and a reminder that inclusivity must go beyond the classroom to the church, workplaces and communities. “True inclusion must go beyond the classroom. It must be seen in our churches. It must be seen at our workplaces. It must be seen in our communities. The church, as a moral and spiritual guide, has a vital role in demonstrating inclusion, not just through words but through action. As we witness today with the launch of the braille Twi Bible, this Bible is more than a book. It is a symbol of hope, equality and belonging,” he said. An Associate Pastor of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Ghana, Rev. Joseph Appiah, himself a visually impaired person, who spoke as the guest preacher at the church service, gave testimony to buttress the theme: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight.” “But who am I that I should mount the pulpit of God to speak! If today, through the Methodist Church, the opportunity is available for some of us to stand in the pulpit to share the Word of God with His children, it’s enough evidence of the grace of God,” the visually impaired Associate Reverend Minister exhorted the worshippers. The Ashanti Regional Coordinator of the Blind Association, Charles Owusu Boakye, also commended the Bible Society of Ghana for the innovation and called for the support of all to enable the special schools and visually impaired persons to access the divine document. Copies of the braille Twi Bible, the second of such translations in Ghana after the one in the English language, are to be given out at no cost to libraries and special schools to serve the people who need it. The national launch was witnessed by traditional leaders from the Ashanti and Bono regions as well as representatives of some of the Christian denominations.
