Braille
Your research paper could begin: Braille is a tactile writing system that uses a series of raised bumps in order for teach visually impaired individuals to be able to read. Braille was created by Louis Braille, who lost his sight in childhood. By the age of 15, Braille had begun developing his writing system. First published in 1829, Braille's second revised edition in 1837 proved to be the world's first binary form of writing.
Specifics of Braille
As listed by The National Braille Association, the individual characters in Braille are arranged in rectangular blocks, called cells and are used in hearing impaired education. Each cell contains the raised bumps that code which letter is being represented. Braille can be produced by hand using a slate and stylus system which creates the dots on the back side of the paper. However, technology introduced the Braille typewriter, also known as the Perkins Brailler, first invented in 1951 by David Abraham, a teacher at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Braille consists of the following elements that are essential to learn:
- Braille Letters
- Braille Formatting
- Braille Punctuation
- Braille Contractions
- Braille Unicode Rendering Table
- Braille Page Dimensions
Braille and Computers
Computers have revolutionized the printing of braille, coupling a braille embosser with the computer's printer. Visually impaired individuals can now use screen-reading computer software or braille displays. A braille display uses a refresh able display to raise and lower the cells in order to translate written text into Braille for the operator. The use of braille has declined significantly since the introduction of computers, but braille literacy is still regarded as an essential skill.