The benefits of Braille

The Braille alphabet has been around for a long  time. It was developed in France, by a little blind boy, in 1825. At that time, there were basically no books for the blind. The few that existed were big and bulky, using a system with raised letters, each letter of word being spelled out.
Louis Braille, who had a quest for knowledge and very little opportunity to quench it, met an officer from the French army. He showed him a system with raised dots that had been used during the war to communicate secrets. The system was difficult to use, but Louis Braille had found his inspiration.
From this system he developed an easy-to-use system with six raised dots. The positions of the dots determined the letter intended. He even improved it so it could be used for mathematics. Finally- a way of writing and reading for the blind!
In time, this alphabet was refined. Grade One Braille is basically the alphabet and the numbers. Today, most people use grade two Braille. This includes a number of abbreviations, making the books printed less enormous. For example, the letter a means and, the letter b but, and so forth. The English grammar form -ing, has its own sign, etc. Grade Three Braille is highly abbreviated and usually only used for personal note-taking.
Braille has made it possible for many blind people to use computers. There are Braille displays that can be connected to the computer, showing in Braille what is on the screen.
Little did the blind boy in France know what an impact he would have on people, hundreds of years after his death. Sadly, although he continued using his alphabet as a teacher for the blind, he was not really recognized until after his death. The alphabet was named after him, and many are the people who have blessed him for his invention!

Help for blind people

Millions of people in the world are blind or visually impaired. Sometimes it is difficult for these to achieve an independant living. Transport, education, work- all is affected by the fact that a person does not see well. There is a lot that can be done to help, though.
Fortunately, a lot of technology has been developed to help the blind. Talking watches or Braille-watches. Computers with a Braille display or synthetic speech. Special embossers which convert normal text and prints it out in Braille. Hand-scanners that allow a person to read a document through the computer. These are just a few products for the blind that are on the market.
Many city planners and architects also take into consideration the blind and visually impaired. A voice announcing the floors in the lift and Braille on the number-buttons. A different type of tile just before an edge, often with a rough surface. Or contrasting colours on the steps of a staircase. These things can mean a lot to a blind person, even though we might not think much of it.
Guide-dogs are an excellent way for a blind person to move around. Literally it means having a pair of eyes helping out! Many people take in puppies and train them to be guide-dogs, it is not always done in a center. Others raise funds or adopt a puppy at a distance. All of this to help those who really need them.
Sometimes it is difficult to know how to help a person with a visual disability. It is so easy to go ahead and just take over the situation. Instead, it is good to ask them "What can I do to help?" and let them tell you what they need help with. Often it is more dignifying to them if you explain what you see and allow them to do things by themselves. It is also good to remember that all of us need help in one way or another!