Brazil's FNDE delay threatens Braille textbooks for 2027 school year

Producers of Braille textbooks warn that the Federal National Development Fund for Education (FNDE) has not yet issued the procurement call required for the 2027 edition of the National Textbook Program. Because manufacturing a Braille volume takes six to nine months, the missed May‑July window could leave blind and low‑vision students without materials at the start of the school year.

The Brazilian Association of Assistive Technology (Abridef) called the situation “an unprecedented institutional and pedagogical crisis,” estimating that about 45,000 school‑age students could be affected. FNDE, an agency of the Ministry of Education, says there is no delay and that the tender follows the normal PNLD schedule, though it did not clarify when the call will be published. For 2027, around 30,000 Braille copies are planned for early elementary grades.