Celebrating Louise Braille

In February 2003, I got a call from Children’s Mercy Hospital informing me that my son needed immediate eye surgery. My son was already in the hospital, having been born sixteen weeks early the previous November. We knew that there was a possibility that our son would suffer from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a condition that causes the retinas to detach, which is common in premature babies, but we didn’t know what the call would mean for him. Was the eye surgeon going to be able to “fix” his eyes? Did this mean he was going to lose some of his vision? Was our son going to be blind? Needless to say, my wife and I were frantic. After the surgery, the doctor explained that she was able to reattach my son’s retinas and that although there would be some vision loss; the goal was to fight to save as much vision as possible. Eight years and six eye surgeries later, we are still fighting to save what vision he has left and we are still faced with the question of whether our son will be blind.

Although our son is not blind (he has vision in his right eye, but little to none in his left), my wife and I decided early on that our son would need to learn Braille, the six-dot system that enables blind people to read and write. The decision made sense at the time (and it still makes sense today), but learning to read and write in Braille has been difficult. One of the reasons that it has been difficult is that many people think that Braille is obsolete. With the advances in audio books and talking computers, many, including low-vision doctors, no longer see the need for Braille. I disagree.

Louise Braille started working on the Braille system in 1821, at the age of twelve, and had a working system by the time he was 15. He developed the system of one simple reason: as someone who was blind, he still wanted to be able to learn. He wanted to be able to read and write, and he wanted to be able to communicate independently, without relying on print. Although Louise Braille developed the Braille system in a time before talking computers and audio books, the importance of Braille has remained constant. I want my son to learn Braille for exactly the same reason that Louise Braille developed the system in the first place: I want my son to be able to learn, to read, to write, and to communicate independently. This was the exact point I made to a low-vision specialist when she asked me why I was wasting my time teaching my son Braille. She said, “Computers talk now so your son doesn’t need Braille.” After I got over my initial shock at her comment, I explained to her that I actually wanted my son to be able to need, not just listen to the computer. She didn’t buy my argument.

Although I didn’t need another reason for continuing my son’s Braille instruction, one was provided to me last month in an article by Mike Hendricks in the Kansas City Star. In a commentary titled For Blind Students, Braille Is Key to Getting Jobs; Hendricks points out that 7 out of 10 American adults who are blind have no job or work only part time. He also highlights the fact that 30% of those who do find full-time employment, all read and write in Braille. I want this for my son. What parent wouldn’t?

Although it has been a challenge to teach my son Braille, I don’t regret it for one second. I want the best for my child and I want him to have every opportunity in life. If that means he needs Braille to get a job as an adult, then he is going to learn Braille. Why would I deprive my son of reaching his full potential by taking this “tool” out of his toolbox?

So, as we mark Louise Braille’s 202nd birthday (he was born on January 4, 1809), let’s celebrate Braille and the freedom it gives those without any sight. Let’s celebrate Braille because it allows those with visual impairments become independent and productive members in our society. Let’s celebrate the 12 year-old boy who was impatient because he didn’t have the opportunity to learn.