RNIB commends 200 years of braille

‘Braille is as vital as ever’ said the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), as the tactile code reached its 200th anniversary.   

Developed in the mid-1820s by young Frenchman Louis Braille, the six-dot code has empowered millions around the world by unlocking the power of literacy to blind and visually impaired people. 

The RNIB estimated that 7% of blind and partially sighted people used braille, most of them for practical, day-to-day tasks such as identifying medication, food labels and bank statements.  

Sue Marshall from Edinburgh, who volunteered for several years teaching braille with RNIB Scotland, reflected on the French teenager’s legacy: ‘I would hope he would be very pleased.’