World Braille Day

World Braille Day honors the genius who made it possible for the blind or visually impaired to explore the world around them. Millions of people use his invention and cannot imagine life without it. Join the celebration to support them!

History

Louis Braille was born into a shoemaker’s family in 1809 in France. He was destined for a difficult fate, but he overcame all obstacles. It all started with an accident when four-year-old Louis played with leather in his father’s workshop, trying to pierce it with an awl. Due to infantile carelessness, the point slipped and landed right in the eye. Of course, it was not perfectly clean, and the baby got infected. Over time, the disease spread to the other eye, and at the age of 5 Braille became blind.

Blindness did not prevent him from getting an excellent education: the boy studied well at school, and then entered the Paris Institute for the Blind. The teaching was based on tactile sensations so that each student could explore the world on their own. The Night Alphabet, invented in 1821, was also used. However, it was not perfect, so Louis, who had already received a position as a junior teacher in the same institution, decided to create a more practical font.

He conducted dozens of experiments in search of the ideal solution, he had practically no free time. In 1824, the guy compiled an alphabet, consisting of 63 combinations of dots, by which the blind could read. After some additions, he presented the invention to the council of the institute, but the management found it inconvenient. In 1837, the final version appeared and conquered the world.

Interesting facts

Did you know that:

• an asteroid is named after a genius;
• the font is used in almost all languages ​​of the world;
• “Braille Challenge” takes place in Los Angeles, it involves students competing in spelling system and reading;
• there is a street in honor of the inventor in Riga, it was renamed in 2016.

How to celebrate

Learn to read according to the system in World Braille Day! If you know how, tell others about it. Give the visually impaired a gift with this font or make a donation to charities.

When is World Braille Day celebrated in 2023?

World Braille Day is observed on January 4 each year.

Observations