Louis Braille: Father of Literacy For The Blind

Alex Brown's Presentation of the Life of Louis Braille

Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France on January 4, 1806. Louis had four siblings; three sisters and one brother. Louis’ father owned a saddle and harness shop when Louis was three his father left him unattended in the shop. Louis tried to poke a hole through a piece of material with a sharp tool, he did not have the strength to pierce the leather and he accidentally stabbed his eye. The wound became infected due to delayed professional medical attention. The infection soon spread to his other eye causing Louis Braille to lose his sight.

A priest named Jacques Paully voluntarily taught Louis until he was afforded a scholarship to a school called, The Royal Institute for the Blind. Louis found great pleasure in the outlet of music; he was also skilled at knitting and slipper making. In 1836 Louis invented a writing called raphigraphy which used raised dots that formed the letters of the alphabet. Louis got the idea in his school system through an art form called embossing. He was able to simplify reading for the blind with his six dot system. Louis even wrote a few books with his new system to add to the school library. Sadly, his invention was suppressed by the head master of the school. Through the persistence and demand of the students, Louis’ system was kept alive. Despite opposition, Louis was faithful to his school through his devotion to adding more books to the library as well as teaching.

Louis was dedicated to his work and he spent his life giving the gift of literacy to the blind. Due to his constant work pace and poor living conditions he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of forty-three.

            Louis’ legacy made it to the United States when Braille was first introduced in1860 at the Missouri School for the Blind.

Source: The World at His Fingertips: A Story about Louis Braille, by Barabara O'Conner.