Why would a blind person learn braille as opposed to using audio books?

Short Answer
Reading is an immersive experience that provides better comprehension, while listening is a passive activity with lower comprehension. Braille represents competency, independence, and equality.

Detailed Answer
Those who have the opportunity to learn how to read and write braille attain better literacy, receive a better education, and have increased employment opportunities when compared to those that don’t know braille or whose learning has been primarily supported by spoken word technology. A blind person not learning braille is the same as a sighted person not learning to read, which is the equivalent to being illiterate.
Literacy is essential in today’s world – whether it’s education, reading the numbers on an elevator, working on a computer, etc. Being literate means being an integral part of society.