On January 4, 1809, Louis Braille was born into the world. When he was three years old, an accident resulted in the boy becoming blind. Yet he proved to be a person who had the character to overcome his disability. A priest recognized the boy’s potential and began to teach him, and succeeded in getting Louis admitted into the Royal institution for Blind Youth.
At the Institute the boy manifested admirable aptitude. At that time a certain Captain Barbier had developed a system of raised dots as a reading tool for the blind. But it had serious flaws. Louis, who was just a student, offered suggestions for improvement, but Barbier was not open to receiving suggestions from a mere lad. So Louis started to experiment and develop a system on his own. By age fifteen, his system—the Braille System—became the standard, a standard that still stands today.
Yet, throughout the whole process Louis maintained a humble and godly attitude. He continually acknowledged his debt to Barbier, even though Barbier constantly resisted Louis’ system and fought to establish his own as the standard in the school. But the better system prevailed. And many blind folk have benefitted greatly from his selfless work.
Louis contracted tuberculosis that resulted in his demise. He died on January 6, 1852. It is said that as he lay dying, he commented: “God was pleased to hold before my eyes the dazzling splendors of eternal hope. After that, doesn’t it seem that nothing more could keep me bound to the earth?” For me this reveals that Louis had a faith that sustained him through his life. Despite his blindness, he “saw” the hope of the gospel. And it affected the way he lived his life. It appears that he was not attached to this world, yet his faith allowed him to live a life that benefitted many in this world. His disability did not rob him of the ability to bless others.
–Keith Y. Jainga