Activities French inventor of the Braille writing system for the blind. Until the early 1800s raised letters had been used, which were very difficult to distinguish. The soldier, Charles Barbier, had devised a writing system of raised dots intended for use in military communication at night, but the army had rejected it. The young Braille realized how useful the idea would be for the blind, if simplified. The first Braille book was published in 1827.
Braille is now almost universal for writing for the blind.