Who Invented Braille?

Answer: Braille was invented by French educator Louis Braille in 1824.

Braille is a tactile reading and writing method for the blind and visually disabled. The development of braille ranks among the most significant in the history of reading. One of the numerous examples of how people have sought to bridge the gap between the wealthy and the underprivileged by developing a form of communication that is approachable is Braille. 

People who are blind or have poor eyesight can read Braille, a system of raised dots, with their fingertips. Those who are not blind or visually challenged typically read braille with their eyes, such as teachers and guardians. Braille is not a language. Instead, it is a system of writing and reading that allows for the use of numerous languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese, and hundreds more. Braille offers a means of reading for everyone and is used by thousands of people worldwide in their original languages. The braille writing and reading method, still in use today, uses raised dot symbols to represent words.

History of Braille

The invention of printing paper as a method of impaired reading was made by the Frenchman Valentin Haüy. With one exception, they are no longer in use because of his relief printing of regular characters, which inspired others to create more straightforward copies. The Moon type, created in 1845 by Brighton, England’s William Moon, stands out as the lone exception because it still partially preserves the Roman letter shapes and is simple enough for people who went blind later in life to learn. Only a small percentage of old people still read books in this category, especially in Britain.

In 1819, Louis Braille enrolled in the Paris school for the blind, where he first heard about Charles Barbier’s invention of a dot-based tactile writing system. Long believed to have been created for use in the nocturnal communications on the battleground, it was known as night writing. However, it appears from Barbier’s writings that he thought the method could be used by those who were deaf or hard of hearing, as well as anyone unable to pursue a formal education. At the age of just 15, Braille created a six-dot “cell” method in 1824. He began with Barbier’s method and divided its 12-dot arrangement in two. A more thorough elaboration of the method first emerged in 1837, after which it was first published in 1829.

Most Common Types of Braille

Uncontracted and contracted braille are the two most popular types of braille, respectively known as Grade 1 and Grade 2.

Grade 1 or Uncontracted Braille

The most fundamental type of braille is Grade 1 or Uncontracted Braille. It makes use of every letter in the alphabet (all 26 of them), and kids and people just beginning to read and write in braille frequently use it. Uncontracted braille spells out sentences letter by letter. Uncontracted braille takes up a lot of room, so papers written in it will be very long. Uncontracted braille is the simpler version of contracted braille, also known as Grade 2 or Literary Braille, which is more complicated. It is the type of braille that is most frequently used. 

Grade 2 or Contracted Braille

It is a method of “shortcuts” in which a single letter may stand in for a complete word. Without writing out each character in the phrase, certain letter combinations, or contractions, can stand in for entire sentences. By using this technique, fewer cells generally and fewer pages are needed to produce novels and other written material. Contracted braille takes up less room and increases a person’s viewing and writing efficiency. This is the type of braille that is used in public situations.

How Does Braille Read?

Braille is typically viewed in physical form, as with paper books written in braille, paper documents created in braille, and braille signs or public signs. Additionally, it can be viewed on a refreshable braille monitor that can be used independently or in combination with a computer or smartphone. Refreshable braille displays use a sequence of pins that rise and descend to create braille characters to translate what is visibly displayed on a computer or smartphone screen into braille. Currently, physical braille versions of more than 1% of all printed texts are available.

The quickest braille readers use two palms and a light touch, though reading braille with one hand is also feasible. The brain processes braille at a higher level, understanding words one digraph, root, or suffix at a time, even though the finger can only recognize one braille character at a time. The visual brain is where most of the thinking happens.

Advantages of Braille

For youths who are visually impaired, learning braille early has many advantages. Braille is a much superior method for understanding punctuation, grammar, and writing than audio, so it can aid reading. Various advantages of braille are mentioned below:

1. The growth of easy and effective reading and writing is assisted by braille.
2. Because braille can be read in complete darkness, it is possible to learn it there.
3. The learner can use Braille to access the same written resources in the classroom as their sighted classmates.
4. Braille aids in the teaching of proper written language utilization, including phrase structure, spelling, paragraph style, and editing.
5. Braille literacy can be essential for success and potential jobs.

Way forward

For those who are blind or visually challenged, Braille continues to be a crucial learning aid in today’s digitally advanced society. Reading and writing in Braille is the practical equal of reading and writing in text for the sighted individual, whether it is embossed on paper or viewed through a refreshable-screen electronic Braille device. Although the blind and low-vision population has more auditory choices than ever before, in some situations the written word must still be used.