Braille is a system of raised dots that allows blind people to read and write by touch instead of sight. Each letter, number, and punctuation mark has its own pattern of dots arranged in a small rectangle. By running their fingertips over these tiny bumps on a page, readers can feel which letter each pattern represents.

A French teenager named Louis Braille invented the system in 1824 after an accident left him blind as a young child. Before braille, blind people had few ways to read independently. Braille's invention opened up the world of books, learning, and written communication to millions of people.

You'll find braille on elevator buttons, restroom signs, and medicine bottles. Libraries have books printed in braille, and modern technology can display braille electronically on special devices that refresh the dots as someone reads. Students learn to read braille quickly with practice, reading as fast as sighted people read regular print.

Learning braille takes dedication, but it gives blind readers the independence to explore any subject they choose, from adventure stories to scientific journals.