Overview Braille is a code of letters and symbols that is read by fingers moving across a series of raised dots. The Braille code that is used today is based on one that Louis Braille developed in the mid-1800s. There are several forms of Braille, including the most common, Literary Braille. Additional codes have been developed for musical notation, work in math or science, and computers. Foreign languages have their own codes as well.
Braille code is made up of Braille characters called cells.
Each cell consists of varying configurations of six individual dots, two dots wide and three dots high. Using a combination of these dots, letters, math symbols, or music symbols may be written. Grade 1 Braille consists of the alphabet, numbers, and standard punctuation. Grade 2 Braille has the preceding with contractions in order to save space and time. In contracted Braille, frequently used words or combinations of letters can be represented by a single Braille symbol.