The Power of Braille Touches Lives
Medium | 16.01.2026 03:32
The Power of Braille Touches Lives
Celebrating Braille Literacy Month in January, and championing Braille Throughout the Year
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Braille is a powerful tool for literacy and independence that has transformed the lives of blind people around the world. Both print and Braille are codes that represent letters that are combined into words and sentences. Braille letters are formed with a combination of dots, and print letters are formed with lines and shapes. Each writing system serves the same essential purpose helping readers comprehend the written word.
Louis Braille, a blind teacher and musician, developed a writing system that can be read by touch, and the Braille code is named in his honor. Note that I capitalize B in Braille as a sign of respect for him.
Louis Braille’s birthday, January 4th, marks World Braille Day, a global celebration established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. Many organizations also recognize January as Braille Literacy Month. I am glad to add my voice to these global celebrations of the Braille code that gives literacy to blind people who read by touch.
Braille readers learn the relationships among dots that comprise each letter, number, or punctuation symbol. The American Foundation for the Blind describes the Braille code this way:
