Braille is not a simple symbolic language. It is the best communication source for people with low vision or blind people. It translate words and numbers into specific dots making it accessible for millions of people. Braille opens a world of knowledge and entertainment for people without sight.
Louis Braille was born in the French village of Coupvray on January 4, 1809. Louis was a special child from a very young age. He developed a writing and reading system for blind people which was called Braille. This system was the transformation of Charles Barbier’s night writing. It was a military code used by soldiers for communication in the dark.
Braille system was not just a simple system of raised dots. It was a language that opened the boundaries of information and communication for blind people. Louis Braille left a life-changing impact on millions of lives. People celebrate his legacy every year on his birthday which is called Word Braille Day.
The braille system was built with a simple but amazing method, which is called the Braille cell. These cells are fundamental components of the Braille system. It consists of six raised dots arranged in two vertical columns. Dot positions vary between one to six. Three dots on the left side and the remaining three dots on the left.
Each Braille character, whether it’s a letter of the alphabet or a number, corresponds to a unique combination of raised dots in the Braille cell. Braille symbols include not only letters and numbers but also punctuation marks, which have their designated dot combinations. For example, a period is depicted by dots 2, 5, and 6. It is the beauty of the Braille system. It enables blind people to read and write. It leads their lives to comprehensive communication and information.
The braille system represents the alphabet in a very fascinating manner. The first ten letters of English from A to J are represented by dots in the upper two rows of the Braille Cell. Next ten letters from K to T, are represented using dots at position 3 to the transformation of the first 10 letters.
The letters of the alphabet from U to Z add dots 3 and 6 to the configurations of letters A to E, with ‘W’ being an exception due to historical reasons. But that’s not all. Braille also has specific signs to indicate numbers and capital letters. If you want to check it by yourself you can use our online Braille Translator, which will help you convert English text into Braille symbols.
By the looks, Braille looks like a simple arrangement of dots, but when we analyze them we find out it is a well-thought and detailed system. It empowers blind people and connects them with the world. Make communication and information easy and accessible for them.