January is Braille Literacy Month, celebrated in honor of Louis Braille’s birthday on January 4, 1809. Each year, we take this opportunity to reflect on subjects related to braille, either on our blog or, previously, in the January issue of AccessWorld magazine. Since the spring quarterly issue now comes out in February, this content has moved to the blog, allowing us to continue the tradition of highlighting braille during this special month.
This year, I wanted to focus on the history of braille, particularly how we came to use the system we know today in the United States. The braille system we use today is, in many ways, still similar to the one Louis Braille developed in the late 1820s. However, the journey to its adoption was not straightforward. Throughout the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th, there were multiple competing tactile systems vying for dominance in what is often called 'the war of the dots.'
For a deeper understanding of this period, I encourage you to read the chapter on the “war of the dots” from As I Saw It by Robert B. Irwin, which is available on our website. Irwin, who was blind himself, served as the executive director of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) from 1929 to 1949 and was previously the director of research and education for the organization starting in 1923. His firsthand knowledge of the events and the individuals involved makes his account invaluable. The chapter provides an exceptional level of detail, describing not only the codes themselves but also the personalities, politics, and advocacy efforts that shaped the development and adoption of tactile systems. Revisiting his work reminded me of how insightful and compelling his writing is, offering a rare glimpse into the history of braille literacy.
Among Irwin’s many contributions to the blind community are the development of an interpoint braille printing machine, which made books more compact and efficient to produce, and his advocacy for the creation of the talking book. His historical accounts remain one of his most valuable legacies, and I strongly recommend reading this chapter to better appreciate the challenges and triumphs that brought us to the braille systems we know today.
The War of the Dots: Competing Codes in the 19th Century
Although Louis Braille developed his tactile system in 1829, it wasn’t officially introduced to the United States until 1860, when a member of the Missouri School for the Blind's board of directors brought it to the school. At that time, people who were blind in the U.S., much like in Europe, were taught to read using raised-line printed letters. These letters were difficult to discern, hard to produce, and couldn’t be written by blind individuals themselves due to the complexity of their production. Braille revolutionized literacy by not only being easier to read but also allowing blind individuals to write independently.
Despite these advantages, braille’s adoption in the United States was slow. William Bell Wait, superintendent of the New York Institution for the Blind, struggled to convince others to adopt braille. Frustrated, he created his own tactile system, New York Point, which was published in 1868. New York Point was eventually adopted by several schools for the blind, and books in this format were produced by the American Printing House for the Blind. However, with hindsight, New York Point was less efficient than braille. Its complexity, particularly in handling capitalization and punctuation, often led to their omission in printed materials.
Around the same time, Joel W. Smith of the Perkins School for the Blind developed American Braille. This system retained Louis Braille’s two-column, three-cell structure but reassigned letters to prioritize the most frequently used ones, reducing the number of dots per letter. Smith also introduced contractions to save space.
Interestingly, whenever New York Point and braille-based systems were evaluated side by side, braille was consistently deemed superior by those without prior biases. Despite this, New York Point gained widespread adoption, monopolizing book production and dominating schools for the blind during the late 19th century. The reasons behind this likely included the influence and authority of figures like William Bell Wait, who was sighted, compared to advocates like Joel Smith, a blind piano-tuning teacher.
Toward a Unified System
In the early 20th century, efforts to establish a single tactile code for the United States gained momentum. Advocates of American Braille and New York Point fiercely defended their respective systems, but no consensus was reached. Even Helen Keller weighed in on the debate, supporting American Braille.
Eventually, a committee was formed to scientifically determine the best tactile system. This study included evaluating the horizontal style of New York Point versus the two-column, three-cell style of American Braille, among other codes. Surprisingly, the system with the greatest efficiency and usability turned out to be the British Braille system, based on Louis Braille’s original alphabet and supplemented with contractions to save space.
After recognizing the superiority of British Braille, the committee recommended abandoning both New York Point and American Braille in favor of what was called the Standard Dot System. However, this decision came with a condition: the system would only be adopted in the United States if it was also accepted in Britain. This requirement led to 18 more years of transatlantic negotiations. Finally, in 1932, the British Grade 2 Braille system was adopted in the United States. For those who learned braille before the adoption of Unified English Braille (UEB) in 2012, this is the system they were taught.
The Legacy of Braille
Revisiting this history highlights the genius of Louis Braille’s original system. While his choices for specific letters might have seemed counterintuitive to some, his design provided the foundation for the most effective tactile reading and writing system. The adoption of British Grade 2 Braille further underscored the enduring value of his work.
Today, advancements in electronic braille technology have further enhanced accessibility. With braille displays capable of translating text into different braille codes, users can read and write using the system they find most efficient. For instance, I personally use Unified English Braille when reading physical braille but continue to use Grade 2 Braille on my braille display.
As multiline braille displays become more common, students may have more choices for learning and using braille. However, updating braille codes remains a slow process. The decision to transition from Grade 2 Braille to Unified English Braille, for example, was made in 1991, but UEB wasn’t adopted by non-American English-speaking countries until 2005, and the U.S. didn’t follow suit until 2012.
Reflecting on this history deepens my appreciation for the effort and thought that went into creating and refining the braille systems we use today. Louis Braille’s ingenuity, along with the work of countless advocates and developers, has provided a lasting gift to the blind community?one that continues to evolve and empower.
