Gourt > Health > Conditions and Diseases > Eye Disorders > Blindness > Braille
The braille system, devised in 1821 by Louis Braille, is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write. Each braille character or "cell" is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each. A dot may be raised at any of the six positions to form sixty-four combinations, counting the space in which no dots are raised. For reference purposes, a particular combination may be described by naming the positions where dots are raised, the positions being universally numbered 1 through 3 from top to bottom on the left, and 4 through 6 from top to bottom on the right. For example, dots 1-3-4 would describe a cell with three dots raised, at the top and bottom in the left column and on top of the right column (ie the letter 'm').
The braille system was based on a method of communication originally developed by Charles Barbier in response to Napoleon's demand for a code that soldiers could use to communicate silently and without light at night called night writing. Barbier's system was too complex for soldiers to learn, and was rejected by the military; in 1821 he visited the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, France, where he met Louis Braille. Louis identified the major failing of the code, which was that the human finger could not encompass the whole symbol without moving, and so could not move rapidly from one symbol to another. His modification was to use a 6 dot cell — the braille system — which revolutionized written communication for the blind.
The Braille alphabet
Braille can be seen as the world's first binary encoding scheme for representing the characters of a writing system. The system as originally invented by Braille consists of two parts
- A character encoding for mapping characters of the French language to tuples of six bits or "dots".
- A way of representing six-bit characters as raised dots in Braille cell.
Braille, Louis :: Inventors
Low Vision Aids :: Assistive Technology
Braille :: Books
Vision Impairments :: Magazines and E zines
@braille lil bit, why?
Mattahl (Matthew Linder) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:51:13 -0000
@braille lil bit, why?
Brilliantly Braille: http://wp.me/pKrB8-21
exettra_inc (Samira Khan) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:42:32 -0000
Brilliantly Braille: http://wp.me/pKrB8-21
@Mongoose_Q My teachers always pointed out what contractions meant. My spelling was fine until I began using recordings more than Braille.
jekis (Justin Ekis) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:41:22 -0000
@Mongoose_Q My teachers always pointed out what contractions meant. My spelling was fine until I began using recordings more than Braille.
RT @DialogueSG: Create your own Braille documents with this fun website from PBS Kids. http://bit.ly/7mqz1a
2elf (elsie lee) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:40:46 -0000
RT @DialogueSG: Create your own Braille documents with this fun website from PBS Kids. http://bit.ly/7mqz1a
@Mongoose_Q contractions aside, though, even some Braille is better than all recorded text and synthetic speech.
rstrunk (Ryan Strunk) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:34:19 -0000
@Mongoose_Q contractions aside, though, even some Braille is better than all recorded text and synthetic speech.
@Mongoose_Q As a Braille reader and teacher, I think it helps spelling a lot. Students do need to learn to spell contractions, though.
rstrunk (Ryan Strunk) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:33:31 -0000
@Mongoose_Q As a Braille reader and teacher, I think it helps spelling a lot. Students do need to learn to spell contractions, though.
Blindness Related Learning - Braille School provides web-based communication learning tools for the visually impaired, their friends and family.
Meta Description: [ free braille instruction for sighted and visually disabled people. Learn Braille at your own pace NOW! ]
Braille Authority of North America - Facilitate the uses, teaching and production of braille. It publishes rules, interprets and renders opinions pertaining to braille in all existing and future codes.
Braille Book Review - A publication describing recently produced books in braille from the United States' National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
Meta Description: [ An index for Braille Book Review issues. ]
Braille Bug - Designed for children in grades two through six. It features an assortment of games and activities that are both fun and educational.
Meta Description: [ American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Braille Bug
is a kids' site that teaches sighted children grades 3 through 6 about braille,
and encourages literacy among sighted and visually impaired children in a fun environment
packed with facts, information, games, graphics, and activities. ]
Braille Institute of America - Offering services of all types to vision-impaired citizens of southern California, USA.
Meta Description: [ Our mission is to eliminate blindness and severe sight loss as a barrier to a fulfilling life through education and support services. ]
Braille through Remote Learning - An online instructional program that provides courses in reading and transcribing.
Braille Works - Provides Braille, large print and audio cassette reading materials. Includes the services available.
Meta Description: [ One of the major producers for accessible materials: menus, documents, statements, conferences, billing. We make your timely schedules happen. Call Braille Works 800-258-7544. ]
Dotless Braille - Introduction for sighted persons, new ideas for learning, faq's and general information.
Meta Description: [ Ideas to help sighted persons learn braille. ]
Free Braille Font - Provides the 6-dot and 8-dot braille font. New 8 dot unified braille code allows all Latin based alphabets and computer data to be displayed using one 8 dot Braille cell.
Meta Description: [ Free Braille Font. 6-dot Braille Font. 8-dot Braille Font. 8 dot Unified Braille Code allows all Latin based alphabets and computer data to be displayed using one 8 dot Braille cell. 8 dot Unified Braille Code displays letters, capitals, numbers, punctuation, symbols, monetary symbols, math symbo... ]
Hebrew Visions - Designed to help blind individuals gain access to digital texts in Hebrew Braille.
Meta Description: [
Free Hebrew Braille Translation Program as well as a Hebrew Braille Digital Library in accepted Hebrew Braille format. HebrewVisions.org is a website dedicated to making Jewish Hebrew texts accessible to Braille users in Hebrew Braille. Many texts have been preformatted, can be downloaded in ... ]
Libbraille - A computer shared library which makes it possible to easily access Braille displays and terminals.
Meta Description: [ Libbraille is a computer shared library which makes it
possible to easily develop for Braille displays. It provides a simple
API to write text, directly draw dots or get the value of keys pressed
on the Braille display. ]
M2B - MathML to Braille Translator - M2B is open-source application which translates XML documents including MathML into Braille. Second application - SSGraph - is graph calculator with audio support.
National Braille Association - Provide continuing education to those who prepare braille, and to provide materials to persons who are visually impaired.
National Braille Press - Publisher, self-help and computer access books and children's books. Provider of transcription and pressing services.
Meta Description: [ National Braille Press offers blind children the power of literacy and blind adults access to the printed word. ]
Volunteer Braille Services of Minnesota - Trains and supports volunteer braille transcribers and provides transcribed materials for braille readers.
Meta Description: [ Volunteer Braille Services of Minnesota trains and supports volunteer braille transcribers, improving the accuracy and effectiveness of their braille transcriptions through continuing education, and provides transcribed materials for braille readers. ]
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