On the recordJune 23, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1034, which recognizes the importance of braille in the lives of blind people. We know that education is the key to success and that every American deserves an equal opportunity to a good education. Literacy, or the ability to read and write, is the key to this education. Braille has been a recognized reading and writing code for the blind since its invention by Louis Braille in 1821. Braille translates to most written languages, and it is even used in converting figures in the areas of math, science, and music. Braille code has improved the lives of blind people by facilitating quick access to information and technology resources. It has even given blind persons the ability to read and write simultaneously. Despite the freedom that comes from learning braille, fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million people who are legally blind in the United States are braille readers. According to the American Printing House for the Blind, there are approximately 58,000 legally blind children in the United States, but only 10 percent of these children are learning the code. This resolution honors, celebrates, and encourages the learning of braille, but it also recognizes the need for more education in the teaching of braille so that America's blind children can learn this important code.
