Discover the Unseen: Top 11 Amazing Fun Facts About Braille You Never Knew!

1. Slimming Down the Braille Cell

When Louis Braille first tried his hand at "night writing" it was like trying to fit an entire alphabet on the head of a pin, dot by dot: until he had an "eureka" moment and slimmed down the raised 12-dot cell to a sleek six-dot version, turning blind readers into finger-speeding-literary-sherpas, zipping through words at an average of 125 per minute!
Source => brailleworks.com

2. Braille: Night Vision Superpower

Who needs night vision goggles when you have Braille? This nifty language will have you reading like a Marvel superhero at the darkest of times: Braille is a versatile skill that not only benefits totally blind individuals, but also those with various degrees of visual impairment, helping them achieve improved reading speed, easy reading in dim light, and greater independence in daily life and work.
Source => nfb.org

Did you know that Morse code played a crucial role in the Titanic disaster, helping communicate distress signals to nearby stations and ultimately leading to the rescue of survivors? Discover this incredible story and more fascinating Morse code facts!

=> Fun Facts about Morse-Code

3. Eight-Dot Braille Mastery

Braille went to the school of eight dots and graduated with a music degree, stenographer's license, and a mastery of Kanji: The eight-dot braille cell has been employed in special purposes like the Abreu code for music notation in Spain, a stenographic code used by blind stenographers in Austria and West Germany, and an eight-dot kantenji code in Japan to represent Kanji, the Chinese characters in modern Japanese writing.
Source => brailleauthority.org

4. Fast and Furious Finger Racers

Move over, speed racers: some Braille readers have so much need for speed, they could leave Lightning McQueen in the dust with their fingertips! That's right, folks: practiced Braille readers can achieve reading speeds of up to 400 words per minute, with many maintaining this impressive pace effortlessly. Even those who fell behind in the finger race as children may still speed up with practice and persistence, showing us that the true Fast and the Furious doesn't always happen on the road!
Source => nfb.org

5. Harry Potter and the Braille Chronicles

Wingardium Braille-yo-sa: All seven Harry Potter books have been magically transcribed into contracted braille, available for purchase between $71.95 to $179.95 per enchanted tome, with "Quidditch Through the Ages" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" available for blind wizards and witches too!
Source => braillebookstore.com

6. Bookish James Bond in the Dark

Ever wish you could read in the dark without a flashlight or sneaky phone screen, like a literary ninja lurking between the covers after hours? Well, learning Braille might be your chance to stealthily stroll through stories and code your secrets like a bookish James Bond: Braille literacy not only allows sighted individuals to read in the dark without disturbing others but also strengthens connections with the text, helps empathize with the visually impaired, and even provides a sneaky way to keep private notes in a language not easily deciphered by others!
Source => nfb.org

7. Brain-Boosting Braille Superpower

Brace your neurons for a wild ride, because learning Braille isn't just for the blind – it's also a brainy-boosting superpower: Practicing this tactile reading method can strengthen neuron connections, hike up self-confidence, and even potentially delay Alzheimer's disease and dementia onset. Strum those Braille bumps and let your mind roar, unstoppable like a lion in a meme factory!
Source => nfb.org

8. Revolution of Six Dots

When six dots walked into a bar and started a revolution: Braille is a tactile code invented by Louis Braille in 19th century France, using six-dot clusters to represent letters, numbers, and even musical, mathematical, and scientific symbols, opening up worlds of education, expression, and social inclusion for blind and partially sighted people, and earning its own worldwide celebration, World Braille Day.
Source => un.org

9. Elevator Fashionistas: Braille Button Plates

Ever pondered the fashionable aspect of elevator rides? Well, it turns out even braille button plates have their own flair: Available in various colors and sizes, these stylish acrylic/polymer plates measure 1.23" high x 1.45" wide, boasting a snug curved side for button-adornment, and utilizing self-adhesive double faced tape for that seamless look. Keeping it classy and compliant, the 5/8" tall News Gothic font numbers are a mere 1/32" thick, with customizable symbols to boot. So, next time you're in an elevator, give a knowing wink to the chic braille button plates – their fabulous design is elevating us all!
Source => justbraillesigns.com

10. HaptiRead: Braille's Galactic Frontier

It's a bird, it's a plane, no... it's Braille floating in midair! Get ready for an out-of-this-world experience, as HaptiRead beams Braille lettering right into your fingertips from the great beyond: Utilizing cutting-edge ultrasound technology, HaptiRead projects up to eight haptic points to accurately represent Braille characters up to 70 cm in the air, allowing visually and physically impaired users to access information from a whole new tactile universe. This sci-fi wonder not only displays text but can transmit complex data like charts and graphics, proving that the sky's the limit when it comes to making information accessible for all.
Source => newatlas.com

11. Blindfolded Love in the Kitchen

Who says you can't find love in the kitchen when blindfolded: Braille kitchen helpers, such as talking or raised-marking timers, Braille salt and pepper shakers, and adjustable measuring cups and spoons, are available to help visually impaired chefs cook up a storm without needing to lay their eyes on their culinary concoctions!
Source => braillebookstore.com