World Braille Day 2021: 10 Things to Know About Late Louis Braille, Inventor of Reading & Writing System for Blind, on His 212th Birth Anniversary

World Braille Day is celebrated every year in January 4, across the globe to mark the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the man behind Braille System– a language system of reading and writing universally accepted as a language and means of communication of the blind and visually impaired people.The first Monday of 2021 marks the 212th birth anniversary on Braille. His contribution towards the welfare of visually impaired people is unmatched.  Brain Implants Might Soon Help Restore Rudimentary Vision for Blind People.

In 1841 Braille said, “If we are not to go on being despised or patronized by condescending sighted people. We do not need pity, nor do we need to be reminded that we are vulnerable. We must be treated as equals – and communication is the way we can bring this about.” Braille Edition of Exam Warriors, Book Authored by PM Narendra Modi, Released by Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot.

On the occasion of his birth anniversary, here are 10 things you should about Louis Braille:

• Braille was not blind by birth but at the age of 3, while playing in his father’s workshop, Louis Braille injured his eye. The infection spread so fast that when Braille was 5, he had lost complete vision in both the eyes.
• As a child, he was taught to read by feeling upholstery studs hammered into pieces of wood in the shapes of letters and numbers.
• In 1819, he was accepted to the Institute for Blind Children in Paris. Braille was 10 years old then.
• He had created his six dots system in varying patterns of domino-like ‘cells’, providing a total of 63 permutations for different letters and numbers at the age of 15 in 1824.
• In 1826 Braille published thirty-two-page book, entitled Method of Writing Language, Plain Chant and Music, by Means of Raised Points for the Use of Blind Persons. It was printed in embossed text.
• It was in 1829 when Louis Braille published the first system of Braille language. However, it wasn’t until his death in 1852 that the Braille language wasn’t implemented until 1854.
• It is a little-known fact that Louis Braille held the position of organist in Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs and Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul between 1834 and 1839.
• He became a teacher is the Institute of Bland Child in Paris, the same school where he was taught.
• Louis Braille died in 1852 at the school in Paris two days after his 43rd birthday. His brother took his mortal remains back to Coupvray.
• On June 20th, 1952, Louis Braille’s remains were disinterred at Coupvray and taken to Paris to be deposited with honor in the Panthéon. The bones of Braille’s hands, however, were separated and kept in a concrete box on top of his empty tomb at Coupvray.

Louis Braille's contribution in the development of systemic language for blind people are highly valued,till the date. As a mark of respect, various around the globe celebrate Braille's birthday, January 4 as the World Braille Day every year and promote awareness about the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2021 07:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).