5 Interesting Facts About Braille in Honor of Braille Literacy Awareness Month

January is known as Braille Literacy Awareness Month in honor of Louis Braille who originally developed the Braille Code. Lois Braille was born on January 4, 1809 and this year marks his 205th birthday! Braille Literacy Awareness Month focuses on raising awareness of the blind and vision impaired.

As a tribute to Braille literacy, here are 5 interesting facts about Braille:

1. Braille is not considered a language: It’s a common misconception that Braille happens to be a language. However, there is a Braille Code for almost every foreign language you can imagine! Even math, computer science, and music all have their own unique Braille systems.

2. 6-dot Braille cells can create 64 unique combinations: Braille characters are based on a 6-dot Braille cell having two parallel columns of three dots each. If the empty cell is counted, 64 unique dot combinations are possible with a 6-dot Braille cell. A standard Braille page is 11 by 11 inches and typically has a maximum of 40 to 42 Braille cells per line and 25 lines.

3. Braille for feet exists: In order for businesses to meet the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Tilco Vanguard developed a veritable “Braille for feet” that assists the visually impaired in knowing the boundaries of dangerous areas. Technically referred to as “truncated domes,” these bright yellow strips spell out a universal message in order to keep store and restaurant patrons safe.

4. Most legally blind people can actually read print: With corrective lenses, magnification, large print, and other accommodations, 75% of the legally blind do just fine with books.

5. There are various versions of Braille in existence today: There are three grades, each representing a different skill level. Grade 1 consists of the 26 standard letters of the alphabet and punctuation, and is only used by people who are first starting to read Braille. Grade 2 adds contractions, which are used to save space because a Braille page cannot fit as much text as a standard printed page. Books, signs in public places, menus, and most other Braille materials are written in Grade 2. Finally, Grade 3 is only used in personal letters, diaries, and notes. This grade is a type of shorthand, with entire words shortened to only a few letters.

Unfortunately, the use of Braille has dwindled dramatically and only 10 percent of blind children are taught to read and write Braille. Why is the use of Braille diminishing if it offers literacy and literacy doubles a blind person’s chance of becoming employed? The sad fact is that there is a shortage of trained teachers and many teachers of blind children have so many students assigned to them that they can only spend a few minutes with each child a week. Adding to this decline is the development of different technologies, including software that can quickly read back a text.

Fortunately, there are still organizations out there helping youths to get ahead by teaching them Braille. One of these amazing non-profit organizations is Camp Marcella – New Jersey Camp for Blind Children, Inc. Camp Marcella consists of dedicated volunteers working relentlessly all year long to welcome visually impaired children each summer to enjoy a fun vacation among their peers with different programs and activities. With the resurgence of interest and importance of the use of Braille by the visually impaired, the staff at Camp Marcella includes several instructors quite proficient in teaching Braille. Their program has always included Braille instruction, but interest by the campers had been waning in recent years due to the introduction of many instruments provided by modern electronic technology. However, it has been found that learning Braille is not something that can be replaced by these instruments and this past summer an enhanced program of Braille instruction was provided for the campers and will continue to be provided in seasons to come!