"And remember to dot your A through Zs"

          Navigating the world with low vision can be a real challenge, and while the white cane is a crucial tool, mastering braille is equally essential for literacy among the blind. Although voiceover and assistive reader technologies offer support, they can't replace the unique experience of reading with braille. Braille opens the door to phonetic awareness, grammatical skills, and even an advantage in subjects like math and science. It's the key to handling complex materials as you control your reading pace. Moreover, braille empowers individuals to express their thoughts and ideas in the written form.

An example of how braille and other tactile methods can be used to represent a graph.

Braille’s Beginnings

         While many are somewhat familiar with what braille is, its origins and intricacies often remain a mystery. Initially, it emerged as "night writing," a French military code allowing soldiers to read covertly during the darkness of night. This original system used the possibility of twelve raised dots, each representing a sound, not a letter, making it overly complicated for military or practical use. However, it found new life when Louis Braille encountered it at a school for the blind. He ingeniously transformed the twelve dots into six, aligning each dot configuration with a letter rather than a sound. This six-dot two-column configuration provides 64 different permutations. While Braille's system is still universally used, it's important to note that braille itself is not a language. Different languages like Spanish, English, Arabic, and even Chinese can all be expressed in braille, with each language adapting the six-dot configuration uniquely. You can find braille in most public places, from ATMS to elevator buttons.

Progressing Present

         In the past, writing in braille required poking holes in paper with a stylus, and you had to write your message in reverse so that others could read it by feeling the raised dots on the back of the paper. Fortunately, modern technology has revolutionized braille communication. Braille embossers now translate text into raised print that can be read by touch. Braille note takers feature six buttons for quick typing, and paperless braille readers or displays can be connected to electronic devices for real-time braille text. There are even ongoing developments to create a braille tablet.

From left to right: braille slate and stylus, braille embosser, braille displayer. 

          Presently, Lionel is using an electronic magnifier to enlarge print while simultaneously learning to read braille. Thankfully, we've discovered a fantastic tool to pique Lionel's interest: braille Legos. These Legos have injected fun into learning phonics and spelling, subjects that may not be as captivating as cars and trucks. They offer a hands(fingers)-on learning experience, with numerous games and activities to develop finger sensitivity, letter orientation, and hand strength. Whether Lionel reads with his eyes or fingers, he is going to read.

Lionel really enjoys building staircases and homes with the braille Legos. He has learned the the "a" brick is not suitable to put on the bottom as it only has one dot on top. He also really enjoyed teaching his grammy how to read the braille letters. They now write each other messages using braille. Lionel uses a DIY magnet board to write. Can you understand what is being communicated?

Feeling the Future

         You might notice some braille letters and Chinese characters under my "Hope in Motion" logo. The braille is in Chinese and translates to "touch the future." We've incorporated this into our logo because we're collaborating with Chengdu's children with low-vision community to raise awareness and elevate expectations for these young individuals. Currently, volunteers in the community are transcribing books into braille using a stylus. The process can be slow and tedious. With the generous contributions from our Chinese donors, we aim to purchase a braille embosser, allowing these children to "touch their future" by becoming proficient braille readers.