Blind and deaf people have a very special way in which they communicate.
Sign language is used by deaf people. They use their hands to make certain signs with their hands. This way they can communicate with one another.
Blind people use their fingers to feel letters on a page that is raised dots. This is called braille. In feeling the dots, they can read what they feel. (the order in which the dots are placed will represents different letters.)
Their other senses are very acute and the experience things differently than seeing people. They have to rely on their other senses since they cannot see.
But how did this method of reading come about?
Louis Braille was a boy of three years old when he had an accident and became blind.
He was a very intelligent boy and he quickly learned things even though he could not see. When he was seven he went to a mainstream school in the small town that he lived. He enjoyed school and wanted to learn, but because he was blind, his friend had to read him all his work and he had to memorize it. This made him feel left out, since he wanted to be able to read by himself.
When he turned ten he went to a special school for the blind. Here he could read the books by himself, since the school had 14 books where the letters of each word were raised. It was so easy for him to read it that he quickly finished them all. There were no other books to read and he became bored and frustrated.
He realized that if there were no special books for the blind, they would never be able to read. He decided that he had to think of a better way in which they can make books for the blind.
At 15 years old, Louis Braille developed a special alphabet for the blind. These letters consisted of raised dots which the blind could feel with their fingers.
The braille alphabet is still used today and the blind feel with their fingers and in that way can "see" the letters and enjoy reading and learning in the same way that other people do.
*For enrichment you can get more interesting information on Louis Braille here
Answer the following questions or complete the activities given
- How do deaf people communicate with one another?
- Look at the picture of sign language again - spell your name by using these signs (you can also spell other words)
- Spelling out words take time. Watch the video and see if you can remember a few sign that deaf people us in their sign language
- Name the five senses that most people have.
- Who developed braille and how old was he when he did this.
- How did he become blind?
- What do blind people use to read?
- Watch the videos to get more information on braille.
