Braille
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
105 languages
Braille is a writing system read by touch using raised dots on paper. It was developed by Louis Braille, a French man who lost his sight as a child. The system enables blind and visually impaired people to read and write.
The basis of the system is a unit called the Braille cell, consisting of six dots arranged in two columns of three rows each. By varying which dots are raised and which are flat, it produces enough combinations to represent different characters: letters, numbers, and punctuation marks.
History
Louis Braille developed the system in the early 19th century while a student at a school for the blind in Paris. He adapted a military method using raised dots designed for reading documents at night without light. After refining it, the system gradually spread through schools for the blind and then to other continents.
How it works
The dots are numbered 1 through 6: the three dots on the left are 1, 2, 3; the three on the right are 4, 5, 6. Each letter has its own pattern of dots. When writing a number, a symbol indicating that what follows is a number is placed before it. There is also contracted braille, which uses single dots to represent common words, allowing faster reading and saving paper.
Languages and adaptation
Each language has its own Braille table, mapping the letters of that language to dot patterns. Languages using the Latin alphabet, such as Somali, use essentially the same basic table. Other languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, and Hindi, have adapted tables suited to those languages' sounds and writing systems. There are also Braille codes for mathematics, science, and music.
Writing and technology
Braille can be written by hand using a slate and stylus, or by special machines with keys. There are also Braille embossers connected to computers, and devices called Braille displays with electronically controlled raised dots for reading screen text. Screen reader software that speaks text aloud is also used, but Braille remains important for direct reading, especially for learning to write and grammar.