Braille

Lore & Background

Louis Braille, who lost his sight as a result of a childhood accident, developed the braille code in 1824 at the age of fifteen. He based it on the French alphabet as an improvement on night writing, a tactile code created by Charles Barbier. Braille identified three major defects in Barbier's system: the symbols represented phonetic sounds rather than letters, the 12-dot symbols could not easily fit beneath the reading finger, and the code lacked numerals and punctuation. Braille's solution used 6-dot cells with specific patterns for each letter, and he also developed symbols for numerals and punctuation. He published his system, which subsequently included musical notation, in 1829, with a second revision in 1837 that refined the code into the efficient tactile system we know today.

Reader's Guide

Braille remains crucial for literacy, education, and employment among the blind, despite the evolution of screen reader software. It provides access to spelling, punctuation, and other aspects of written language less accessible through audio alone. Technological advancements such as braille displays have continued to make braille more accessible and available. Braille users highlight that braille remains as essential as print is to the sighted. Today, there are braille codes for over 133 languages. In English, Unified English Braille (UEB) has been adopted in all seven member countries of the International Council on English Braille as well as Nigeria. Braille characters are formed using a combination of six raised dots arranged in a 3 × 2 matrix, called the braille cell, with 64 possible combinations. The system follows a logical sequence derived from the Latin alphabet, with dot patterns assigned according to the alphabetic order of the French alphabet.

Did You Know?

• Braille was based on a tactile code called night writing, developed by Charles Barbier.
• A full braille cell includes six raised dots arranged in two columns, each column having three dots.
• There are 64 possible dot combinations in braille, including no dots for a word space.
• Braille can be written using a slate and stylus, a braille writer, an electronic braille notetaker, or a computer connected to a braille embosser.