HehelpedtheBlind

　　Blindandwantingtoread-thoseweretherealitiesofLouisBraille'slife.ThedesiretoreadeasilyledtotheBraillesystem.January4isBrailleDay.Thatdayhonorstheblind.ButweshouldalsorememberLouisandwhatheachievedbyage15.

　　LouisBraillewasbornonJanuary4,1809,inFrance.Helivedwithhisparents,twooldersisters,andoneolderbrotherinasmall,stonehouseinCoupvray.

　　Three-year-lodLouiswenttothefather'sworkshop.Louis'sfatherwasasaddlemakerwhomadeitemsoutofleather.Imitatinghisfather,Louistriedtocutapieceofleatherwithasmallknife.Hishandslipped,andthepointoftheknifewentintohiseye.Thedoctorstookcareofhimthebesttheycould,buttheinjuredeyegotinfected.Thentheinfectionspreadtohisgoodeye.Louisbecameblind.

　　Louiswenttoapublicschoolandlearnedbylisteningtotheteacher.Todohishomework,hissisterandafriendreadtheassignmentstohim.SoonLouiswasatthetopofhisclass.

　　Oneday,thepastorofLouis'schurchcametoLouis'shouseandtoldhisparentsofaschoolfortheblindinParis.Louis'sparentsdecidedtosendhimtotheschoolwhenhewasnineyearsold.

　　Louiswantedverymuchtoread.Theschoolhadonly14booksforblindpeople;thebookswerebigandheavy.Theletterswerelargeandraised;onebooktookalongtimetoread.Louisthoughttheremustbeabetterwaytoread.

　　WhenLouiswas12,CharlesBarbier,aFrenchArmyofficer,cametotheschool.Barbierdevelopedanalphabetcodeusedbyarmysoldiers.Thecodewasusedtodelivermessagestothesoldiersatnight.Itwasmadeupofdotsanddashes.Itkeptthemessagessecreteveniftheenemywouldseethem,butthecodewastoocomplicatedfortheblind.Louisthoughtthecodewasslowandthedashestookuptoomuchspace.Onlyoneortwosentencesfitonapage.

　　Overthenextthreeyears,Louisworkedtosimplifythecode.Onavacationathome,Louis,age15,pickedupabluntawl.Aha!Anideacametohim.Hemadethealphabetusingonlysixdots.Differentdotswereraisedfordifferentletters,Later,hemadeasystemfornumbersandmusic.

　　Today,Brailleisinnearlyeverylanguagearoundtheworld.Louisbraille,atage15,changedthelivesofblindpeoplewhenhecreatedthesix-dotBraillesystem.ItisfittingthatJanuary4,Louis'sbirthday,isconsideredBrailleDay,inhonoroftheblind.