Braille is a worldwide program that allows blind people to be able to read and write. There are books, menus, ATM’s, phones, and even watches available today in Braille. All of these items allow blind people to be more independent and to continue doing normal activities the rest of us enjoy. The Braille system is named after the name that developed it, Louis Braille. The system was introduced in 1821.
The Braille system involves a basic system with sixty four different combinations of patterns using dots. They system was initially developed for military purposes so that soldiers could communicate in the dark silently. However the military quickly decided the Braille system was not going to work because it was too complicated for the soldiers to learn.
Braille is considered to be the first binary encoding scheme. It can be used to create written material in a variety of different languages making it a very universal program model for blind individuals to use. The system uses raised dots that the blind person runs their fingers over.
There are three different grades of Braille used in the world of the blind. Grade 1 involves the basic letters of the alphabet and the basic punctuation marks. This is generally the first grade that people learn when they are being taught the Braille system. Grade 2 is more advanced. It included contractions. Grade 3 includes Braille shorthand that makes it faster to read materials.
The Braille Institute is continually searching for new ways to remove the learning barriers for those who are blind. The Braille system has also been widely used to teach blind individuals music and mathematics. Using Braille, individuals who are blind can still enjoy may areas of the arts that the rest of us enjoy. It is a universal system that has proven to be a very valuable tool in our society.
While there is no known cure for blindness there are plenty of good schools and programs to assist those who are blind go on with their lives. Being able to effectively communicate with others is very important to many who have lost their sight. Learning Braille allows them to do this. Technology helps make that connection possible as well. For example there are Braille computer keyboards so blind people can use the internet. There is voice activation to help them read the information.
