Barbara Roden
Free Press
For almost 200 years, people who are blind or have low vision have been able to read and write using braille.
It’s a tactile alphabet system of six dots in a three-times-two grid used to represent letters, numbers, and symbols.
It was invented in 1824 by 15-year-old Louis Braille who lost his sight in childhood but wanted to be able to read and write like other children. He created a system that would allow him to do both, and changed the lives of millions in the process.
Every year Jan. 4 – the birth date of Louis Braille – is designated as World Braille Day.
However, does the system that he invented still have relevance in the 21st century, with all the technological advances that have been made?
“There are mixed opinions about that,” says Lori Fry, National first vice-president of the Canadian Council of the Blind. “Some say it’s just as important as ever in this world of technology, while some say it’s dying out.”
She notes that braille has adapted to new technology. There are software programs that convert text to braille, and braille printers that can be hooked up to computers. In the past, braille had to be punched out by hand.
Fry frequently refers to braille as a language, and says she definitely feels that it’s one.
“I’ve never regretted taking it.”
It’s not just "language" that can be translated into braille: mathematics, music, and computer programming can all be written and read in braille.
Louis Braille’s second revision of his system, in 1837, is the first binary form of writing in the modern era, says Fry.
“It’s still a very valuable language and used around the world.”