First developed by Charles Barbier, the Braille writing system was founded on a communication structure created in compliance with Napoleon Bonaparte’s call for encrypted text that could aid his soldiers in sending secret messages. This method of writing was to be done at night without the aid of light, thus called night or blind writing. The system consisted of 12 dots that were embossed with corresponding 36 various sounds. The soldiers were expected to differentiate the symbols by feeling the embossed dots with the tips of their fingers while at the same time listening to the identifying sounds that gave meaning to the dots. Many soldiers did not take the system well and so Barbier’s communication code was rejected.
But Barbier was not to be easily disappointed by the rejection of his writing system. He went to the Paris National Institute for the Blind in 1821 and got acquainted with Louis Braille whom he consulted about his rejected writing code. Braille examined the code system and realized that the system was defective in two ways. One, the code was limited only with the sound identification hence failing to establish the correct spelling of words. Two, the fingers had to move often in order to decipher the symbols in which case they had to be moved quickly from one dot to another, hence causing the person to lose connection with the code. Braille suggested that the number of dots be reduced to six with each dot representing certain letters of the alphabet. This innovation of Barbier’s writing code gave birth to what is now known as the Braille reading and writing systems.
The Braille method was originally centered on Latin alphabet. Eventually however, more signs, abbreviations, letters and numerical symbols were assigned to each point or dot. Today, Braille method of communication for blind people has advanced further with the aid of computers.