“So many movie on the OTT but do not know what to do
It was better when the channels were just one or two!
You complain all the time even when it is time to cheer!
Think of this when you see someone smile even when he or she cant hear…”
In the early days of news reading when a tele prompter was not available, you might have noticed the readers used to ‘read’ with their finger tips! It was possible because of this pioneering system or invention.
Let me tell you first about Charles whose inventions and initial work inspired this invention which is universally used everywhere!
Charles Barbier de la Serre Barbier was an inventor and interested in shorthand and other alternative writing forms. In 1815, he published a book titled, Essai sur divers procédés d’expéditive française.
In this book, Barbier explains that conventional writing is a barrier to universal literacy because it takes too long to learn, and people who must earn their living (farmers, artisans) cannot devote the necessary time to education. He introduced a system with dots and alignment of dots which were not supposed to be printed but punched! They were pressed into thick paper with a blunt punch so that they could be read with the fingers! He also invented three tools to make this possible: a grooved board (or tablette) to receive the impressions, the punch itself, and a guide to ensure that the dots lined up!
Now let us come to the point and learn about Louis…
Louis was blinded at the age of three in one eye as a result of an accident with a stitching awl in his father’s harness making shop. Consequently, an infection set in and spread to both eyes, resulting in total blindness.
In spite of this major tragedy he nevertheless excelled in his education and received a scholarship to France’s Royal Institute for Blind Youth. While still a student there, he began developing a system of tactile code that could allow blind people to read and write quickly and efficiently which was of course Inspired by a system invented by Charles Barbier.
Louis’s new method was more compact and lent itself to a range of uses, including music. It went unused by most educators for many years after his death, but posterity has recognized this as a revolutionary invention, and it has been adapted for use in languages worldwide! This system of course is now used all over the world not only by the visually impaired but many others.
The full name of Louis was Louis Braille! and yes, you would have probably guessed it now, the system is called Braille! In everyday life, braille is used to annotate public signs like bathroom placards and elevators buttons!
Next time you get into an elevator with these small bumps which you can feel with your finger tips, try to ‘read’ with them! And maybe thank the inventors like Charles and Braille who make our life so wonderful everyday! Our life is also made great by explorers and astronauts and aerospace engineers who try to see beyond earth and get information for us to learn and grow! Remembering one of the first Indo American astronaut on her birthday week; Kalpana Chawla, you may have left us but your legacy will inspire many!
Think how fortunate you are and sleep with a smile…
Shubh Ratri…
ramadocblog 