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How Braille was invented | Moments of Vision 9 - Jessica Oreck

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  • TEDEd Animation

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Today, Braille is the universally accepted system of writing for the blind, translated into almost every language in almost every country across the globe. But it didn’t actually start out as a tool for the blind. Jessica Oreck details the surprising wartime origins of Braille.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Jessica Oreck
  • Director Jessica Oreck
  • Animator Jessica Oreck
  • Composer Eli Janney, Nate Shaw
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Jessica Oreck
    • See more creators
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Visit here to for more information about Louis Braille and here to learn more about his writing system. If you're really curious about Braille and its use around the world, World Braille Usage has much more detailed information. Once braille was invented, further inventions had to be created so people could write in braille. Learn more about the history of braille writing devices here. Today, screen readers help people with visual impairments to navigate and read online.

Charles Barbier came up with a creative answer to a battlefield communication problem. There are many challenges, and equally as many innovative solutions, to sending messages in a war. Visit here to learn more about the history of military communication. In the digital age, it is more difficult than ever to manage secret information, but people are always coming up with new ways to hide messages. 

Customize This Lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Jessica Oreck
  • Director Jessica Oreck
  • Animator Jessica Oreck
  • Composer Eli Janney, Nate Shaw
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Jessica Oreck
    • See more creators

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