Today is World Braille Day! An occasion to remember the life and contributions of Louis Braille, who invented the raised six-dot system that allows the blind and visually impaired to read texts. It was a game changer almost two hundred years ago, and it remains vital today. Happily, The Braille Encyclopedia, a recent memoir, brings us a fresh look at its current relevance, and so much more.
Braille is ubiquitous in my family, because my sister has been blind since infancy. When we were growing up, a braille book required multiple large bound volumes, ordered from various libraries for the blind and stacked high in square cartons on our front step by the US Postal Service. The digital revolution created more efficient delivery of braille material, but the system developed in the 19th century by Louis Braille remains its basis.
Naomi Cohn, author of The Braille Encyclopedia, developed a retinal condition gradually as an adult and is now legally blind, a term which merits its own entry in the book, under “Legal.” The Braille Encyclopedia is a collection of interwoven essays, organized by alphabetical terms, that describe her progressive vision loss and adaptive learning, as well as reflect on reading, language, family, and disability. The writing is lyrical and evocative.
Visually, the book also uplifts braille. The top right of each entry shows the configuration of braille dots designating the initial letter of the term, from A to Z, while the book cover shows the title in slightly raised dots under the printed text.
Though already familiar with braille, I learned so much from this book. As a writer, I admire the concreteness of the entries, which include scientific information and history along with the author’s personal story, and the skillful repetition of themes and terms throughout. Clinical and anatomical details convey her progressive loss unflinchingly, while other entries portray her lifelong immersion in words, evoking grief. The reader can’t help wondering, “What if I lose an ability that I treasure, that defines me?” Cohn’s story of resilience inspires without romanticizing.
The subtitle’s “altered sight” refers to the author, but the reader is invited to see differently too. To regard others’ abilities and adaptations as just that, without demeaning or idealizing. To recognize the barriers that differently abled people experience in American society. To enjoy the sensory pleasures of reading and writing in whatever mode you use.
This device translates text from my sister’s phone to raised dots on this device. The bumps go up and down as it moves through the text., which is pretty wild to observe. This technology allowed her to read my memoir, The Art of Reassembly, from a pdf!
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