Invention of Braille system
In 1829 Louis Braille published a dot system which would later be named Braille. It consists of six dots used in 63 combinations. Originally, the idea of using raised dots for tactile writing and reading came from Charles Barbier, a soldier, to allow soldiers to write and read at night. His method consisted of 12 raised dots to represent different sounds rather than spelling. Louis adapted Barbier’s basic idea and developed a 6-dot system based on spelling. This system became the Braille method for presenting reading and writing materials for the blind. In 1829, he published the first book written in braille entitled, Method of Writing Words, Music and Plain Song by Means of Dots, for Use by the Blind and Arranged by Them.
The History of Reading Codes for the Blind
Warning to Pental, Bic, Ticonderoga:
According to William Crossman in Futurist Magazine, founder of the Institute for the Study of Talking Computers and Oral Cultures, voice activated computers will replace reading and writing by 2050. Does this mean that all pen, and pencil companies will be out of business and more unemployment in 2050?