Sensitivity: Braille alphabet

Reading Without Seeing

Did you know that blind people can read books? Even

though the can't see, they do have a special system for

reading that allows them to feel books and papers.

Close your eyes and feel a book. You probably can't

feel the letters and words, can you? It would be impossible

to read one of your books if you couldn't see. But what if

the book has small dots that were bumps in the paper?

You would be able to feel those. Now imagine the bumps

are a code for letters.

Braille is the special alphabet that blind people use to read. Each character is made of

small dots that rise out of the paper in a special pattern. Blind people read braille by using

their fingers to feel each letter.

Here is a picture of what the patterns in the braille alphabet look like:

The braille alphabet was invented nearly 200 years ago by a blind man Louis Braille. He

wanted to be able to read and write just like everyone else. Since he couldn't see, he

invented an alphabet made of dots.

Today, braille letters are found in books, on elevator buttons, on medicine boxes, and

there are even braille computer keyboards. There are braille Monopoly boards.

Disneyland has braille maps. Most McDonald's restaurants even have braille menus

available for blind customers.