Louis Braille School

Last week, a long-time friend of the Louis Braille School stopped by with a unique gift, a Louis Braille bicentennial silver dollar. The coin commemorates the 200th birthday of Louis Braille, inventor of the raised dot method of reading and writing used by those who are blind.

The “heads” side of the coin features a portrait of Louis Braille and the inscriptions “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” “Louis Braille,” “1809,” and “2009.”

The “tails” side features a child sitting at a table reading a braille book. The word “Independence” is depicted on a bookshelf behind the child. “BRL,” the braille contraction for the word “braille,” is shown in the upper part of the coin. This side of the coin also has the inscriptions “United States of America,” “One Dollar,” and “E Pluribus Unum.”

The Louis Braille silver dollar is the first US coin to bear readable braille. The Alabama state quarter, issued in 2003, features a portrait of Helen Keller and her name in print and braille, but the braille is too small to discern by touch.

Mintage of the Louis Braille coin, which is 90% silver, is limited to 400,000, and is available in proof and uncirculated versions.

We will be happy to show visitors to the Louis Braille School our bright, shining Louis Braille silver dollar. We think it is quite special.

The Louis Braille School invites you to stop by the Edmonds Public Library during the month of January, which is National Braille Literacy Month. Visit the main lobby display case to see our exhibit.

You will learn about Louis Braille, the Frenchman who invented the raised dot system of reading and writing. January is his birth month. A slate and stylus, the primary means of writing braille during Louis’ time, are there for you to view along with a brailler and a chart of the braille alphabet and numbers.

Several tactile items are on exhibit including three pictures created especially for our school by the Seattle Area Delta Gamma Alumnae Group, a talking puzzle of the United States, a braille watch, a ruler, a measuring tape, and a popular children’s book in braille and print.

Beautiful tactile flags of the United States, Canada, and Mexico made by volunteers are proudly hanging for all to see. There is a talking world globe which is particularly popular at Louis Braille School summer braille camps.

The Edmonds Public Library is located at 605 Main Street, Edmonds, WA 98020. Visit the library website at http://www.sno-isle.org/or call 425-771-1933 for more information or directions.

When a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, adult new reader book club selected Out of Darkness, Russell Freedman’s biography of Louis Braille, to read little did they know the subject would lead to a study of the braille alphabet. Eager to learn more, members went online, discovered louisbrailleschool.org and our offer of a free braille alphabet card in exchange for a self-addressed, stamped envelope. We were pleased to fill their request and even more pleased to learn that the book club members studied the braille alphabet and translated some simple braille sentences. Hooray for Braille!

If you would like to receive a free braille alphabet card, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Louis Braille School, 10130 Edmonds Way, Edmonds WA 98020.

When Jesse selected Louis Braille as the subject for a school report, his parents visited the Louis Braille School for assistance. We were happy to give him a braille alphabet card and a braille calendar to share with his classmates. Jesse presented his report to the class but did not mention Louis Braille’s name. It was up to the students to figure that out. The class was puzzled until Jesse spoke of the six-dot system of reading that is read with the fingertips. That was the clue that brought the correct answer: Louis Braille.

The Louis Braille School website has information about Mr. Braille and the braille code especially for students working on school reports. Go to louisbrailleschool.org and click on Resources to explore FAQ about braille and Louis Braille, pictures of where Mr. Braille was born, and a braille alphabet chart.