LOUIS BRAILLE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26639, 26 January 1952, Page 3

LOUIS BRAILLE

[From the "DaUy Telegraph", London, of January 1.1 Blindness may still be for many, as it was for Milton, “worse than chains, dungeon or beggary, or decrepit old age." Yet the lives of many blind people to-day would seem to give Milton the lie; and, in. so far as these lives have been active, fruitful and happy, almost every one is. a monument to Louis Braille, who died a hundred years ago yesterday. Since his death, enlightened legislation and private charity, not to speak of the invention of broadcasting, have done much to make blindness more bearable Braille did more than this. By giving them eyes in the tips of their fingers, he enabled blind people to lead Hyes which were not merely bearable but positively creative. Braille himself was blind almost from birth. His career isi a.most movIng example of what could be achieved by a blind man of superb character and intelligence, wen before his system was perfected. His alphabet is based on various combinations of six 'dots in ah oblong. At first it met with neglect and strong opposition often because sighted cAt cs were bewildered by an alphabet which bore no resemblance to ordinary letters. But time has ratified Braille’s great work.