In 1824, the son of a shoemaker, who lost his sight at an early age, invented a system by which the blind could read books. The embossed tactile font of Louis Braille quickly came into use. On its basis, a system for reading musical notations was subsequently created. Since then, people with visual impairments remember the French inventor with gratitude.
Louis Braille: facts from the biography
The future typhlopedagogue was born in the suburbs of Paris on January 4, 1809. The Braille family was not wealthy. His father was a shoemaker (according to other sources, a saddler). At the age of three, Louis began to go blind. The reason is an inflammation of the eyes after being wounded with a saddle knife, which he played in his father's workshop. At the age of five, the boy became completely blind.
However, he did not accept his fate. Parents taught Braille to weave horse harness ornaments and home shoes. Louis also studied violin. At the local school, the boy studied the alphabet with sticks.
Years of study
Koda Louis was ten years old, his parents assigned him to the Paris Institute for Blind Children. In this state educational institution, they taught literacy, knitting, weaving and music.
The teaching methodology was based on the perception of information by ear. For classes, special books were used, in which a relief-linear font was used. However, there were not enough such books for everyone; textbooks on a number of subjects were missing. Braille has earned the reputation of one of the most talented students of the institute. Upon graduation, he was offered to work in an educational institution as a tutor.
Braille
During his years of study, Braille studied the "night alphabet" of Charles Barbier. He was an artillery officer and invented his own system for military purposes. With the help of his alphabet, it was possible to transmit information at night. Holes were punctured in a piece of cardboard to record data. The reading was performed by touching the perforated surface.
At the age of fifteen, Louis developed an embossed-dot typeface intended for visually impaired and completely blind people. This system is used all over the world today.
Braille has perfected its type for a long time. In 1829, Louis presented his invention to the council of the institute. However, the Academic Council members found Braille to be very difficult for sighted teachers. The council returned to the consideration of the Braille system only a few years later.
The first book published using the Braille system was The History of France (1837).
In subsequent years, Louis improved his system and expanded the scope of its application. A talented musician, Braille was involved in teaching music to the blind. On principles similar to the principles of constructing his type, Louis created a system for recording notes. People with visual impairments were given the opportunity to engage in musical creativity.
Louis Braille passed away on January 6, 1852 in the capital of France. Buried in his hometown of Couvray. Later, the remains of Braille were transferred to the Pantheon of Paris. Braille's contribution to world culture is highly appreciated. There is a museum in the house where the famous French citizen spent his childhood. The street leading to the museum house is named after the inventor of the typeface for the blind.
