January celebrates the universal system used to connect the visually impaired, called Braille. “Louis Braille created this system of reading around age 12 after being blinded in a tragic accident at 3 years old,” according to www.NationalDayCalendar.com.

Louis Braille was able to make a functioning system with only six dots. “He assigned different combinations of dots to different letters and punctuation marks, with a total of 64 symbols.” (http://tiny.cc/5ke7tz).

Today, Braille is made in a variety of systems to fit each language’s needs. Along with National Braille Literacy Month, we also celebrate World Braille Day, January 4, Louis Braille’s birthday.

Unfortunately, the National Day Calendar makes a good point, saying that “as audio technology progresses, the use of braille dwindles,” but braille is still needed for the visually impaired in places where audio messages are less likely, like restrooms, hotel rooms, and many public locations. In the hopes of not losing it to technological advancements, January raises awareness to the significance of this system, and teaches people to appreciate it.

To show your appreciation for Braille, the National Day Calendar provides us with trending hashtags to use. Post a photo with the tags “#NationalBrailleLiteracyMonth”, “#BrailleLiteracyMonth”, or “#BrailleLiteracy” to share and see how others are spending it. With just a simple click, you’re already proving the impact braille has made on the world.