Ligue Braille | Brailleliga

What Ligue Braille | Brailleliga does

Ligue Braille | Brailleliga is a Belgian non-profit association (asbl/vzw) founded in 1920 and headquartered in Brussels, with 12 regional offices covering the Flemish, Walloon, and Brussels-Capital communities. It supports more than 16,000 blind and visually impaired persons in Belgium through a combination of direct services (orientation and mobility training, guide dog provision, braille transcription, employment placement), cultural and educational programming (an adapted library of approximately 40,000 books, a ludotheque of more than 700 adapted games, BrailleWeek campaigns, BrailleTech annual exhibitions, a museum, and a podcast channel), and advocacy on accessibility and inclusion.

Its product and service surface spans the BrailleShop retail operation, BrailleBox subscription programs, greeting-card sales, a magazine, podcasts, and digital accessibility guides, supported by a national distribution footprint. Revenue is generated through a diversified non-profit mix: individual donations and legacies, retail and greeting-card sales, lottery proceeds, corporate sponsorship, and government subsidies channelled through agencies including CELMA (federal), AVIQ (Wallonia), GGC (Brussels), Actiris, and Phare. The organization holds regulated guide-dog training and licensing authority across Belgium's three language communities.

Strategically, Brailleliga is broadening from direct beneficiary support toward employer-facing employment intermediation (Werkperspectief), cross-disability coalition advocacy (joint campaigns with Info-Sourds de Bruxelles and open letters co-signed with peer organizations), and digital content distribution (podcasts, accessibility guides), while maintaining its century-old institutional position in Belgium's blindness and visual impairment sector.

Name

Ligue Braille | Brailleliga

Legal name

Ligue Braille asbl

Website

https://braille.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Belgian non-profit founded in 1920, supporting over 16,000 blind and visually impaired persons through 12 regional offices. Provides adapted library and gaming services, assistive technology retail, guide dog training, mobility and employment support, and accessibility advocacy across Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Impairment Support Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Vision & Screen Access (Screen Readers, Magnification, Braille Displays/Notetakers) (EDAFAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH), Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services (EDAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Visual disability services
• Braille education support
• Assistive technology retail
• Orientation mobility training
• Social welfare nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Sint-gillis

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Legacies: The organization is primarily funded through charitable donations from individuals and companies. Legacies (bequests) from supporters form a significant revenue stream, with the organization soliciting legacy gifts through dedicated information brochures.
2. Greeting Cards (Cartes de voeux): Sale of greeting cards for end-of-year holidays and thematic occasions. Cards are sold with envelopes and paper inserts, some with braille inscriptions. Revenue supports the social service. Volume-based pricing from €0.75 to €1.00 per card.
3. BrailleShop Product Sales: Sale of technical aids and adapted materials including white canes, braille watches, adapted games, magnifying glasses, braille slates, reading devices, and smartphones/laptops with accessibility software. Available in Brussels headquarters and via online catalog.
4. Lottery (Tombola): Annual lottery (Grande Tombola) generating revenue to support the organization's activities. Running its 75th edition.
5. Sponsorship and Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship for events including 20 km de Bruxelles, the national Braille Week campaign, and fundraising events. Corporate donations are tax-deductible under Belgian law.
6. Government Subsidies and Grants: Funding from Belgian regional and community governments including Actiris, AVIQ, Bruxelles Formation, COCOM/GGC, Cocof, Equal Brussels, European Social Fund, Handicap.brussels, and Iriscare.
7. Podcast and Magazine: Canne Blanche Magazine and LBL Mailing distributed to members; podcasts launched in 2022 covering topics related to visual impairment and the organization's activities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Ligue Braille / Brailleliga is a Belgian non-profit organization that supports blind and visually impaired persons through social services, an adapted library of nearly 40,000 books, an adapted game library of 700+ games, the BrailleShop retail catalog of technical aids (white canes, braille watches, adapted games, magnifiers, accessible phones/laptops), orientation and mobility training, guide dog services, an annual BrailleTech technology fair, and employment support, delivered via a Brussels headquarters and 11 regional offices across Belgium.

Product overview

Ligue Braille | Brailleliga is a Belgian non-profit organization (asbl/vzw) providing comprehensive services for blind and visually impaired persons. The organization operates a multi-service platform centered around accessibility and inclusion. Core offerings include the BrailleShop (catalog of assistive devices), an Adapted Library (nearly 40,000 books), an Adapted Game Library (700+ games), BrailleTech (annual technology fair showcasing assistive technologies), BrailleBox (accessible content service), the Braille Museum, and greeting cards with braille inscriptions. Additional services encompass mobility training including white cane instruction and guide dog programs, support and guidance for social integration, a magazine publication, podcasts, Lego Braille Bricks educational program, and various guides and brochures. The organization also operates regional offices across Belgium for localized support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BrailleShop: Shop selling technical aids for visually impaired persons
• BrailleTech
• Witte Stok Magazine / Canne Blanche Magazine
• BrailleBox
• Fondation pour les Aveugles / Stichting voor de Blinden

Products and services

• BrailleShop A retail catalog and physical shop offering simple technical aids for blind and visually impaired persons, including white canes, braille watches, adapted games, magnifying glasses, braille slates, reading devices, and smartphones/laptops with accessibility software.
• Bibliothèque adaptée (Adapted Library) A lending collection of nearly 40,000 adapted books (braille, audio, large-print) accessible to blind and visually impaired members of the organization, available at the Brussels headquarters, regional offices, and via online catalog.
• Ludothèque adaptée (Adapted Game Library) A lending library of more than 700 adapted games available free of charge to members, including a game-of-the-month feature.
• Canne Blanche Magazine (Witte Stok Magazine) A magazine publication featuring articles about the organization and current news for blind and visually impaired persons.
• BrailleBox A service providing accessible content and reading materials for the visually impaired community, including the LBL Mailing distribution to members.
• BrailleTech Annual Exhibition An annual free technology fair organized in October at the Brussels headquarters, where Belgian distributors of adapted materials present assistive devices such as adapted phones, optical magnifiers, screen magnifiers, magnification software, speech output systems, and braille display units for blind and visually impaired persons to discover, compare, and test.
• Lego Braille Bricks An educational initiative using LEGO bricks imprinted with braille characters to help visually impaired children learn braille through play.
• Cartes de vœux (Greeting Cards) Seasonal greeting cards with envelopes and paper inserts (some with braille inscriptions), including a main holiday catalog and a Varia catalog with thematic cards featuring art reproductions, Japanese prints, and Belgian city views. Volume pricing from €0.75 to €1.00 per card.
• Musée Braille (Braille Museum) A museum dedicated to Louis Braille and his invention, showcasing the history of braille writing and its alternatives.
• Social Support and Guidance Free social support services that inform visually impaired persons and their families about available options and guide them through administrative and social procedures.
• Orientation and Mobility Training Training teaching blind and visually impaired persons safe and confident travel techniques, including white cane skills, public transportation use, sensory development, and use of mobility aids (guide dogs, electronic white cane, pedestrian GPS, and apps), delivered by certified instructors.
• Guide Dog Service Guide dog services including training programs, puppy training, handler matching, and ongoing support, recognized by CELMA, GGC, and AViQ.
• Je lis pour toi (I Read for You) A volunteer reading service where volunteers read aloud for blind and visually impaired persons.
• Annual Tombola (Lottery) An annual lottery (Grande Tombola) generating revenue to support the organization's activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% of blind and visually impaired persons in Belgium know braille; of those, 57% use it regularly and 45% daily (Brailleliga survey, end 2024)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, strategic and minor.

• ActiriscoreOthersBrussels employment service supporting the organization with funding and employment programs for persons with disabilities.
• AViQ (Agence pour une Vie de Qualité)coreOthersWalloon agency for quality of life supporting the organization through funding for services for persons with visual disabilities in Wallonia.
• Bruxelles FormationsupportingOthersBrussels vocational training body providing training support and funding for professional inclusion of persons with visual disabilities.
• COCOM/GGC (Commission communautaire commune / Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie)coreOthersCommon Community Commission of Brussels providing funding and recognition for services including guide dog certification.
• Commission communautaire française (Cocof)supportingOthersFrench Community Commission providing funding support for the organization's activities serving the French-speaking community.
• Equal BrusselssupportingOthersBrussels agency promoting equal opportunities providing support for inclusion programs.
• European Social Fund (FSE)coreOthersEU funding program supporting the organization's employment and training programs for persons with visual disabilities.
• Handicap.brusselssupportingOthersBrussels hub for disability matters providing resources and support for accessibility initiatives.
• IriscarecoreOthersBrussels health and social care agency providing funding for care and support services for persons with disabilities.
• Info-Sourds de BruxellesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for employment inclusion campaigns targeting both visual and hearing disabilities. Joint campaigns in 2024 and 2025 to demonstrate that sensory disabilities are not obstacles to employment. Co-publishing of open letter with multiple disability organizations.
• Koning Boudewijnstichting (Fondation Roi Baudouin)supportingOthersManaging endowment funds supporting the employment inclusion campaigns (e.g., Schaillie - Deceuninck, Simonne and Jacques, Van Loock - Van Pottelsberghe, De Beule - De Coster funds).
• Stichting TotalEnergiessupportingOthersCorporate foundation providing financial support for the employment inclusion campaign 'Samen naar meer inclusie op de arbeidsmarkt'.
• TVH Parts Holding NVsupportingOthersCorporate sponsor supporting the 'Werkperspectief' (Work Perspective) inspiration day event for employment of persons with visual disabilities in November 2025.
• Van der Valk Hotel MechelensupportingOthersVenue partner hosting the 'Werkperspectief' inspiration day on November 26, 2025 in Mechelen.
• CELMA (Cel Machtiging Assistentiehondenscholen)coreOthersFlemish licensing body for assistance dog schools; Brailleliga's guide dog service is recognized by CELMA in Flanders.
• Anna Timmerman vzwsupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter 'Iedereen aan het werk! Echt iedereen?' advocating for professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• APEDAFsupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Les Ateliers de l'AvenirsupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Blindenzorg Licht en LiefdesupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Centre Comprendre et ParlersupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Doofblind VlaanderensupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Fondation I seesupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Sint-Rafaëlinstituut vzwsupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• SymfoonsupportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• VeBeS (Vereniging van Blinden En Slechtzienden)supportingOthersCo-signer of open letter on professional inclusion of persons with sensory disabilities.
• Den BrillenmanminorOthersCollects old glasses to give them a new life; partnering with Brailleliga's Werkperspectief event to collect glasses as a sustainability initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LigueBraille
• Facebookfacebook.com/liguebraille
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gob-brailleliga
• Instagraminstagram.com/ligue_braille_asbl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ligue Braille | Brailleliga