Louis Braille – Braille is Knowledge

On January 4^th we celebrate World Braille Day in honor of Louis Braille’s birthday.  He was born on January 4, 1809, and became blind after an accident in his father’s workshop.  He attended the National Institute for Blind Children and then went on to teach there.  In 1829, he published his system for writing for the blind which consisted of a six-dot code. 

The first Braille writing machine was invented in 1892 and since then Braille technology has improved greatly.  Beyond a simple slate and stylus, technology for reading and writing Braille now includes a brailler and a digital braille display.

One of Louis Braille’s most famous quotes is “Braille is knowledge, and knowledge is power.”  By making printed text accessible for the blind, it gives them the ability to access information independently and to gain knowledge through reading.  For over 20 years, Freedom Scientific, a Vispero Company, has been developing assistive technology for the blind to make braille and digital content more accessible.