What Is Braille?
Braille is a system of touch reading and writing for blind
persons in which raised dots represent the letters of the alphabet. Braille also
contains equivalents for punctuation marks and provides symbols to show letter
groupings.
Braille is read by moving the hand or hands from left to
right along each line. Both hands are usually involved in the reading process,
and reading is generally done with the index fingers. The average reading speed
is about 125 words per minute, but greater speeds of up to 200 words per minute
are possible.
By using Braille, blind people can review and study the
written word. They can become aware of different written conventions such as
spelling, punctuation, paragraphing and footnotes.
 Most
of all, blind individuals can have access to a wide range of reading materials
including educational and recreational reading and practical manuals. Equally
important are the contracts, regulations, insurance policies, directories,
appliance instructions and cookbooks that are part of daily adult life. Also,
through Braille, blind people can pursue hobbies and cultural enrichment with
such materials as music scores, hymnals, playing cards, Scrabble boards and
other games.
Various other methods had been attempted over the years to
enable blind people to read, many of them raised versions of print letters. It
is generally accepted that the Braille system has succeeded because it is based
on a rational sequence of signs devised for the fingertips, rather than
imitating signs devised for the eyes. In addition, Braille can be written by
blind people and can be used for any notation that follows an accepted sequence,
such as numerals, musical notes or chemical tables.
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