World Braille Day: All you need to know about Louis Braille's birth anniversary

Pic Credit: File Photo

New Delhi: World Braille Day is an annual observance that takes place on January 4th to honor Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system of reading and writing. The Braille system is a system of raised dots that enables people who are blind or visually impaired to read and write through touch. Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France in 1809. When he was only three years old, he accidentally poked his eye with a needle while playing with his father's tools. The injury became infected and eventually led to his complete loss of sight in both eyes.

Louis Braille lost his vision when he was a child

Despite his blindness, Braille excelled in his studies and was a brilliant student. When he was ten years old, he was accepted into the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, which was the only school for the blind in France at the time.

While at the institute, Braille became aware of a system of reading and writing for the blind that had been developed by Captain Charles Barbier, a French army officer. Barbier's system, known as "night writing," used a series of raised dots to represent different letters and words. Braille recognized the potential of this system, but he believed that it could be improved upon.

Louis Braille developed Braille system around 1824

In 1824, Braille developed his own system of reading and writing for the blind, which he called the Braille system. His system used a combination of six raised dots arranged in a cell of two columns and three rows. Each dot had a specific meaning, and by using different combinations of dots, Braille was able to represent all the letters of the alphabet, as well as numbers and punctuation marks.

The Braille system quickly gained widespread acceptance, and today it is used by millions of people around the world who are blind or visually impaired. It has also been adapted for use in many different languages, including English, Spanish, French, and German.

Braille is still used to interpret books and make life easier for those with visual impairments even after 200 years. Braille is frequently used in everyday products including payment terminals, shampoo bottles, and prescription packets in order to interact with blind people.

World Braille Day is an important opportunity to recognize the impact that Louis Braille has had on the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. It is also a reminder of the importance of accessibility and the need to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to education, information, and communication.

(With ANI inputs)