Good Help for the Blind
Being blind makes it hard for people to do many things. However, thanks to the invention of the
Braille system and guide dogs, blind people are no longer helpless or hopeless.
In 1824, the Braille system was invented by Louis Braille, a 15-year-old French boy who has been
blinded in a childhood accident. His invention has allowed blind people to enjoy the pleasure of reading.
They read by running their fingers over the raised dots used to create the letters and words. In fact, this
idea came from a system developed by Charles Barbier. Barbier system was for soldiers to be able to
communicate silently in the dark. However, it was too difficult to learn. Young Braille took it and made
it simpler by decreasing Barbier’s 12 dots to 6. With his invention, blind people could read more quickly
than before.
Guide dogs have also helped improve blind people’s lives. Golden retrievers, Labrador, and
German shepherds are the most common breeds used for guide work. Some of them are bred and raised
by guide dog schools, others are adopted and raised by foster families until they are ready for formal
training, and still others are saved from shelters. Every dog heading for as a guide dog must be
physically and emotionally fit for most public situations. After three months of training, the guide dogs
are teamed up with their visually impaired partners. They learn to work with each other over two weeks,
and once that’s done, they are on their own. If they don’t, the whole training will be repeated with other
partners.