
Creative Outlooks - Louis Braille - A Vision for the Future
Jan, 21 2025
Have you ever wondered where the term braille came from to help blind people? It actually was the brainchild of Louis Braille a French man who was an educator and inventor of the reading and writing system, braille. It was intended for visually impaired people. In the modern era his system is used worldwide and remains virtually unchanged to this day.
Louis became blinded in one as a child from the age of three due to an unfortunate incident with a stitching awl at his father’s harness making shop. An infection set in and spread to both eyes, resulting in total blindness.
As he became an adult, he capitalized on his disability and came up the with the creative idea to help blind people, like himself with a reading and writing formula commonly known as braille.
Braille was determined to invent a system of reading and writing that could bridge the gap in communication between the sighted and the blind. In his own words: "Access to communication in the widest sense is access to knowledge, and that is vitally important for us if we [the blind] are not to go on being despised or patronized by condescending sighted people. We do not need pity, nor do we need to be reminded we are vulnerable. We must be treated as equals – and communication is the way this can be brought about."
In his lifetime, his creative vision allowed more people to gain reading and writing skills by means of his concept. Even after his death, blind pupils benefitted from the practical input Braille left behind thanks to his original design.
In popular culture, a musical which tells the story of Louis Braille, directed by Thom Southerland and starring Jérôme Pradon, debuted at the Charing Cross Theatre in April 2017. Take a look at the rehearsals of ‘The Braille Legacy’ in this 1 minute 34 second film –
Blind people are eternally grateful for what he created. The legacy he left behind is reflected in statues, memorials and even stamps bearing his name. In response to his accomplishments as a young boy, Braille holds a special place as a hero for children and he has been the subject of a large number of works for juvenile literature.
It’s only apt then that we thank him or as the French would say – Merci. The Terry Kelly song – ‘Merci Louis’ – is an affectionate tribute to what he did for the people, not just for France but for the world. Take a listen to the song and lyrics here –
https://www.terry-kelly.com/special-projects/merci-louis/
Once again, Merci Louis – Thank you Louis Braille.
^Alex Ashworth CCG Art Blogger