Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille

Louis Braille (1809-1852) invented the eponymous raised-dot alphabet for the blind. Braille became blind as a very young boy, when an infection damaged both his corneas after an accident in his father’s workshop. Braille proved himself to be intelligent and capable, navigating around his town of Coupvray, outside of Paris, and participating enthusiastically in school lessons.

At the age of ten, Braille started to attend the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. Whilst there, he was exposed to Captain Charles Barbier’s system of sonography, a system of raised dots and dashes which detonated sounds and phrases. Braille was inspired to create a more accessible system for reading and writing which could be used by people who are blind, such as himself. He created this system, which was striking in its accessibility and simplicity. After initial reluctance from the school director and government officials, the braille system spread to other schools for the blind in France, and eventually internationally.

At the age of 43, Braille died of tuberculosis. He continued to advocate for braille’s use until his death and was well-known by his friends and family for his selfless kindness and generosity. Braille was also a talented musician; he played the piano and organ with great mastery.

Captain Charles Barbier was a captain in the French army. He developed a simple system of communication via dots and dashes printed onto cards. This enabled soldiers to communicate simple commands, such as “retreat” or “advance,” even in darkness. Barbier felt that his idea would be useful for people who are blind to read and write; he extended his system to include sounds and phrases which could be combined into words or sentences. Barbier’s system, called sonography, inspired Braille to create his more simplified version, braille. Braille realized that representing letters of the alphabet would be more accessible and efficient than using sounds.

Barbier was reluctant to hear Braille’s suggestions on modifying his system of sonography; he was confident that the system was an excellent means of communication for the blind, despite the fact that people who are blind found it onerous and inaccessible.