Every year on January 4th, we celebrate World Braille Day, Louis Braille’s birthday. He’s the inventor of braille. Louis was born in 1809 in France and became blind after a childhood accident. But he quickly mastered his new way of living. When Louis was only 15 years old, he created a reading and writing system based on Charles Barbier’s night writing system. We know Louis’ system today as braille. Adjusted over time, braille is now easier to read and used all over the world.
Inventor (noun) = Someone who creates something that has never been made before.
Alfred Nobel was the inventor of dynamite.
He is a prolific inventor. He comes up with new ideas easily.
Louis was born à Always in past simple.
✔️ I was born.
❌ I am born.
We know … as … = To know somethings under a specific name.
Is her real name Margaret? I only know her as Sarah.
The film’s original title is “ Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away,” but Western audiences know it as “Spirited Away.”
Master (verb) = To learn to do something very well.
She spent a few years in Italy and mastered the language perfectly.
Over time, he mastered the art of dealing with delicate situations.
Braille is a code that uses bumps and indentation on a surface to represent letters, which can be recognized by touch. Before Braille invented this form of communication, people with visual impairment read and wrote using the Haüy system which embossed Latin letters on thick paper or leather. This was a complicated system that required much training and only allowed people to read, not write.
Bump (noun) = A round, raised area on a surface of something.
Her bicycle hit a bump in the road and threw her off.
He had a huge bump on his head from when he fell down.
Indentation (noun) = A hole or mark on the surface of something.
The heels of her shoes had left indentations in the mud.
He could see a little bit of indentation on the left door of his car.
Represent (verb) = To be a sign or symbol of something.
¼ and 0.25 are different ways of representing the same fraction.
Writers of realist novels try to represent life as it is.
People with visual impairment = People with a decreased ability to see which cannot be fixed by usual means like wearing glasses.
A text-to-speech program allows people with visual impairments to listen to texts on a computer.
The device is used almost exclusively by people with visual impairments.
Emboss (verb) = To use special tools that make a raised mark on a surface.
She handed me a business card with her name neatly embossed on it.
The surface was embossed with various geometrical patterns.
While there are now several different versions of Braille, Louis Braille’s code was arranged in small rectangular blocks called cells with raised dots in a 3 x 2 pattern. Each cell represented a letter, number, or punctuation.
Pattern (noun) = A regularly repeated design arrangement, especially the one made from repeated lines, shapes, or colors.
The frost has made a beautiful pattern on the window.
The curtains had a floral pattern.
While … , … = Despite the fact that … ; although.
While I understand your point of view, I don’t really agree with it.
While I’d like to accept your offer, there are some areas that concern me.
Since Braille is a code, all languages and even certain subjects like mathematics, music and computer programming can be read and written in braille.
World Braille Day is a reminder of the importance of accessibility and independence for people who are blind or visually impaired. Today’s reality is that many establishments such as restaurants, banks, and hospitals don’t offer braille versions of their print materials like menus, statements, and bills. Because of this, people with blindness or visual impairments often don’t have the freedom to choose a meal on their own or keep their finances private.
This day spreads awareness about braille and other accessible forms of communication. Everyone deserves (and is legally entitled to) the same accommodations and service, regardless of ability. Let’s remember that and do our part to make our workplaces more accessible for everyone. Braille literacy is also an important factor in equal opportunities for people with blindness.
Unfortunately, Louis Braille didn’t get to see just how helpful his invention became. He died in 1852; two years before his alma mater, France’s Royal Institute for the Blind Youth, adopted a braille curriculum. By 1916, schools around the United States taught braille to their students with blindness.
Today, Rubix cubes, watches, lego-style bricks, and other innovations are constantly changing the way we use braille and help increase braille literacy, too. That’s why you’ll find braille on objects you use every day — signs, ATMs, elevators, calculators, and more. It’s all thanks to Louis Braille and the schools that adopted and taught his reading and writing system.
References:
- What is World Braille Day? Braille Works.
- World Braille Day. Timeanddate.
