10 Interesting Louis Braille Facts

Sunday, June 22nd 2014. | People


If you want to know the true information about the French inventor and educator of a reading and writing system for the blind and visually impaired person, you need to read Louis Braille facts.  His contribution is very big for the people who are blind because his system is still used until this present day. Here are facts about Louis Braille for you:

Louis Braille Facts 1: disability

Because of an accident in his early childhood, Louis Braille was blinded in two eyes. Due to his excellent education, he received scholarship to go to France’s Royal Institute for Blind Youth. Learn more about eyes in eye facts.

Louis Braille Facts 2: tactile code

He made the blind people to read and write quickly by developing a system of tactile code. When he made this development, he was still a student in France’s Royal Institute.

Louis Braille Alphabets

Louis Braille Alphabets

Louis Braille Facts 3: Charles Barbier

Charles Barbier is a famous military cryptography. His work influenced Braille much when he wanted to create a method or system used for the blind people to read and write efficiently. In 1824, he presented his work to his peers.

Louis Braille Facts 4: professor

It is a surprising fact to know that a blind person like Braille can be a professor in the institute.   He spent most of his time developing his system which can contribute a lot of the blind people. In some occasions, he enjoyed avocation as a musician.

Louis Braille Book

Louis Braille Book

Louis Braille Facts 5: place of birth

Braille was born in Coupvray, France. This town is located 20 miles east of Paris.

Louis Braille Facts 6: parents

His mother was Monique, while his father was Simon Rene. The family lived in 3 hectares of land in the country area. His father was a successful maker of horse tack and a leatherer.

Louis Braille Coin

Louis Braille Coin

Louis Braille Facts 7: sibling

Braille is not the only child in the family. He had three elder siblings. Those were Monique Catherine Josephine Braille, Louis-Simon Braille and Marie Céline Braille.

Louis Braille Facts 8: Valentin Haüy

Valentin Haüy was a blind committed philanthropist who created a system used for the blind people to read books.  Haüy devoted most of his life to help the people who were blind. He made a library dedicated to the blind people. The books were created with embossing heavy paper.

Louis Braille Facts

Louis Braille Facts

Louis Braille Facts 9: publication

Braille’s system was published in 1829. In 1837, the second edition was not accepted because it was very difficult to read. However, the smaller cells in the system were easy to recognize as a letter when people touch it with a single finger.

Louis Braille Facts 10: Braille system

During his life, his system was never taught to the students in the institute. However, two years after his death, it was taught in the institute in 1854.

Louis Braille

Louis Braille

You can find various memorials and statues of Braille all over the world. In 1992, Asteroid 9969 was named after Braille. Do you have anything to say on facts about Louise Braille?


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