The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1922-05-05
BRAILLE TYPE
MOST POPULAR
Work of Schools for the Blind Is
SimpIified by Adoption of
~.Wniform System.
D0TSyTAKE PLACE OF LINES
Enables Blind TO Receive Training
Thr5aeH Which They May Become
Seff-Sapporting-Many Books
Published


~
New EOrk-r-1The Braille system of
embossed type has now been adopted
by all schools. for the blind in this
country, and since 1919 no new bOOl
has been embossed i'm any other type
Dozens of embossed types for readine
by the finger have been designed
from time 70 time; the first practica
one was devised in France 1856 years
ago by Valentin Hauy. Three sys
TENS iretained popularity for many
years. but as this made ii necessary
for the blind to learn three different
types, the leading educators of the
country decided to make one system
universal, and unanimously decided
on the Braille.
Much ingenuity, effort and money
have been expended in devising these
systems 10. enable the blind To read
and receive training through which
they may become self-supporting. All
may be divided into two groups
those composed of lines and those
composed of points. In general the
line types, which came first, were imi-
tations of characters that had sur,
vived as best adapted to reading by
the eye.
The point types. the characters of
which are merely different arrange
ments and numbers of similar points
or dots, represent arbitrary systems
justified both as being generally mort
tangible than the lines. and as being
writable as well as readable by the
blind themselves. The point systems
have gradually driven out the line
types, with the exception of the Moon
type, which is so large and coarse
that anybody having the least pa
tience can learn to read with the
finger.
Agreed on Midway Type.
The type adopted is called the Re.
vised Braille, 112, as the British
have been using this type in two
forms, one in full spelling and other
highly contracted with many arbi-
trary authorizations. AS textbooks
and literature should be models of
good alsage, the leading educators of
the Mind in this country agreed or
type between the two This Ameri
can grade is a simplified type and car
be read by anyone who knows either
type.
The music nOtations for the blind
are now the same everywhere. as are
the mathematical and the chemical
notationS wherever English is used. In
this way duplication of scores and
tables may be avoided through inter
national exchange Already POS diff
ferent books have been published in
this uniform type.
The printing OF embossed books for
the blind began with the founding of
the first school in this country in 1890.
Books were made as funds were avail
able until 1879. when congress granted
the American Printing House for the
Blind at Louisville an annual subsidy
of $4,000. This house at once be
came the greatest producer of its
kind in the world, and continued 10 be
such into the present century. when
the number of blind pupils in the
schools drawing upon this source for
books had more than doubled.
The cost of production and the in
crease in demand eventually made the
output of this house insufficient, and
in the emergency several of the
schools put up emergency printing
presses and assisted one another. one
endowed enterprise set about manu-
featuring writing appliances anC
table games for the blind and selling
| them AT less than cost. In 1919 how
ever. congress increased its grant Il
the American Printing House from
$4,000 10 $4,000. which made pos
sible the enlargement and improve
ment OF the plant and the increase in
the number of books 10 each school.
Spreading knowledge. ~
In a report on the work To educate
the blind and distribute books among
them, Edgar f. Allen, director of tht
Perkins institute and Massachuse::
School for the Blind. writes:
Most schools are glad To circulate
their embossed books beyond their
own pupils and do so as far as they
can But the reading hunger of ths
blind outside Of institutions is chiefly
I satisfied by circulating libraries 10
Gated here and there throughout the
country. Libraries and schools inter
ested have collected much literature
and some authors have been induced
10 meet the cost of publishing a boob
/ 81 two in Braille.
"By far the largest number of blind
| and partly blind pupils in the CniteS