Encyclopedia - Braille

How was Braille developed?
For what is Braille used?
Where is Barille taught?

Braille is the standard writing and reading system for blind people throughout the world. The Braille system uses a six-cell dot pattern for letters of the alphabet, punctuation marks, numbers, and music. The six dots of the Braille cell are arranged in two vertical rows of three, numbered one through six, starting in the upper-left corner, going down.

There are a total of 189 contractions and short-form abbreviations for common words. For instance, "alm" is short for "almost." Other dot combinations represent commonly recurring letter combinations. In addition to these Braille symbols, the Braille system contains equivalents for all the other punctuation marks and special symbols such as the italic sign and the general accent sign.

How was Braille developed?

Braille was developed in the 1820s by Louis Braille, a 15-year-old boy who lost his eyesight early in life as the result of an accident involving his father's saddlemaking tools. When he was just 10 years old, his family took him to HaYy's school for the blind, one of the first schools of the blind in the world. Initially, the blind were taught to read by using wooden letters to form words. Then the pupils began learning words from faint impressions on the backside of printed pages. Eventually, with a print shop in the school, the students created their own embossed books.

Eventually, Louis Braille crossed paths with a former soldier of the Revolution who had published a table for quick, secret writing, so soldiers could be safe while reading messages in the dark. Because the system used 12-dot cells, which were more than a fingertip could cover and too big to write with a stylus, Braille came up with a six-dot cell, the same system still used today.

For what is Braille used?

There are many products and services available for the visually impaired population, including translation services that convert documents and books into Braille, computer fonts, and Braille toys for blind children. Local libraries, bookstores, and online book sellers offer best-selling books and other popular publications in Braille. For many years, the National Braille Press in Boston, Mass., and the American Printing House for the Blind have offered translation and other services. (See Eye Health Organizations in Resource Center. )

Computer printers, available in a wide range of prices, output documents in Braille. Also on the rise in popularity are "talking" keyboards and software that speak the typed document. There are even Braille labels for clothing, kitchen products, and other household items to simplify daily living.

Where is Braille taught?

Although there are schools for the blind located in numerous communities across the United States, advancements in teaching methods and materials have enabled many blind students to attend mainstream public and private schools. Braille is taught at many schools, including the Blind Institute of America with regional centers throughout the United States.