Louis Braille 1809-1852
NCBI Celebrates 200th Anniversary of Louis Braille
Louis Braille, a brilliant innovator whose adaptation of a reading and writing system opened a world of learning and advancement for blind people throughout the world.
NCBI is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille, the founder of the touch reading system used by people who are blind. Born in Paris in 1809, Louis Braille was blinded by an accident at his father’s workshop at the age of 3. At just 15 years old he developed the tactile system of reading, building upon a system of “night writing” which was initially utilised by Napoleon’s army. This system of reading did not catch on immediately and it wasn’t formally taught until after Louis Braille’s death at the age of 43, from tuberculosis. However, the simplified raised dot alphabet which bears his name is now used in virtually every country around the world. Braille works by basing every character in the Braille code on an arrangement of one to six raised dots. Each dot has a numbered position in the Braille cell which corresponds to letters and numbers.
As part of its bi-centenary celebration, An Post in collaboration with NCBI has produced a commemorative Braille stamp, which was launched on 23rd January. Braille characters have been used on the face of the 55 cent stamp, which also contains the dates of Louis Braille’s life (1809 to 1852). A commemorative first day collectors envelope is also available. Further information on the stamp and envelope can be viewed at www.irishstamps.ie. In addition to various forthcoming events planned for the 200th anniversary celebration of Louis Braille, NCBI is also calling on government to recognise the importance of Braille by providing funding to its library service. NCBI is calling on government to bring the funding of library services for people who are blind and vision-impaired into the funding stream for public libraries.
Des Kenny, NCBI’s Chief Executive said, “Braille enables people who are blind to read and write independently. Thanks to the provision of the Disability Act a person who is blind can request in Braille any document published by any of our government departments. This is a significant recognition of the place played by Braille in the lives of people who use the touch reading system,” Kenny says.
Funding for NCBI’s Library Services
“It is now time for Government to take one more significant step in this year of Louis Braille’s bi-centenary by elevating the funding status of NCBI’s library services for people who are blind from a health provision to a status similar to that which funds the national and public libraries services.”
While most of NCBI’s collection of titles loaned out every year to the over 5,000 people who use the library, are in audio format, the charity nevertheless continues to promote the use and retention of the national Braille collection of titles for the many people in Ireland who use this touch reading system in the course of their work, studies and leisure. The national lending collections of Braille and audio titles are held by the NCBI at a purpose built centre in Finglas, Dublin.
NCBI’s call on government for new investment in funding its library services for people who are blind and vision impaired comes 150 years since the first lending service of books in touch reading in Dublin commenced in 1858.
To find out more about the 200th anniversary celebrations of Louis Braille, log on to our website at www.ncbi.ie.
Ireland Wins Louis Braille Chess Tournament
On January 2nd, Sean Loftus, Philip Doyle, Eamonn Casey and Martin Keane, members of the Irish Braille Chess Club represented Ireland in the Louis Braille Bicentenary Chess Tournament at Edinburgh. The tournament took place during National Braille Week, arranged by the Scottish organisation, Royal Blind, as part of the bicentenary celebration. The Braille Chess Association of the UK organised the tournament.
Teams from Ireland, the UK, France, the Netherlands and Sweden competed. A sixth team was made up of 2 players from Belgium and 2 from England. An unusual feature of the tournament was that it was restricted, not just to blind players, but to Braille users. On this occasion tape recorders were not allowed and the medium for noting down the moves played had to be Braille.
The Irish team got off to a good start and narrowly maintained their advantage with a series of draws and close victories but found themselves in joint place with the Netherlands going into the final round. Philip Doyle got an early win. Martin Keane drew but Sean Loftus could not maintain the momentum and his loss meant that it was all up to Eamonn, who came through to leave Ireland first on 9 match points, the UK on 8 and the Netherlands on 7. There were outstanding individual performances by Philip with 4 wins and a draw and by Eamonn with 3 wins and 2 draws.
We are most grateful to Royal Blind and the UK Braille Chess Association for giving us the opportunity to take part in this most enjoyable tournament.
—Sean Loftus.