About Braille code Persons with visual impairment use Braille code for reading and writing with the help of traditional and modern devices. Braille is a script of raised dots. Persons with visual impairment read by moving their fingertips over the lines of embossed Braille dots. Louis Braille, a French educator and inventor, developed the revolutionary tactile writing system known as Braille. Born in 1809, Louis Braille lost his sight at a young age due to an accident. Despite his blindness, he excelled in academics and sought to create a better method for the visually impaired to read and write. Drawing inspiration from a military code used for silent communication, he developed the Braille system only at the age of 15. This system uses patterns of raised dots to represent letters, numbers, and punctuation, allowing blind and visually impaired individuals to read through touch. The Braille system has become a fundamental tool for accessibility and literacy for people with visual impairments worldwide. To begin with, it is essential to understand that Braille is a code and not an independent language. Each letter or the alphabet is represented by a unique Braille character. It is fitting to highlight the key features of this system. The Braille system is constructed from six raised dots arranged in two vertical lines in rectangular spaces known as Braille cells. Each combination of dots and blank spaces occupies a cell. The six dots are organized in two columns (three dots in each vertical column) to form the Braille cell. To assist in identifying the positions of dots that form various Braille characters, the dot positions in a cell are numbered: Dots 1, 2, and 3 are downward on the left, while Dots 4, 5 and 6 are downward on the right. The Braille cells are the fundamental building block of Braille system. These 6 dots of the Braille cell forms 63 different combinations and represents different letters, symbols or characters. For the sake of symmetry and ease of learning, Louis Braille grouped the 63 symbols in symmetrical 7 lines. In the long run this arrangement of 7 lines evoked more controversy of modifying, remodifying the script later on as long as it was not universally accepted. Braille Grades Braille comes in a variety of “grades”and variations. There are three grades of braille: Grade 1:- Braille Grade 1 consists of the Braille alphabet, numbers, and punctuation, which correspond directly to their printed counterparts. Grade 2:- Grade 2 Braille includes the same letters and punctuation as Grade 1, along with contractions and abbreviations for frequently used words and letter combinations. These contractions help in saving space and time. Grade 2 also speed up the process of reading and writing in Braille. Most Braille materials, such as books and other documents are written in Grade 2 Braille. These abbreviations are also employed to minimize the amount of paper required for printing/embossing Braille books and to simplify the reading process. Grade 3:- Grade 3 Braille is mainly used for personal correspondence, diaries, and notes. It functions as a form of shorthand where whole words are abbreviated to just a few letters. Bharati Braille Bharati Braille is the Braille script used for writing the languages of India. It was developed to standardize the various Braille scripts that were in use across the country before India's independence. Before India's independence, there were eleven different Braille scripts in use for various Indian languages. This diversity made it challenging for visually impaired individuals to communicate and learn across different regions. By 1951, a single national standard, Bharati Braille, was established. This standardization was crucial for creating a uniform system that could be used across the country. The standardization of Bharati Braille has made it easier for visually impaired individuals to access educational materials, official documents, and literature in their native languages. This inclusivity has played a significant role in their educational, social and economic integration. The development of new technologies, such as Braille translation software and Braille production devices, has further enhanced the accessibility and usability of Bharati Braille. National Institute for Visually Handicapped - NIVH (Now, National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities) was evolved from National Centre for the Blind in 1979 and activities related to Braille development were also taken up by the Institute. Braille Development Unit was also set up in the institute to undertake the developmental activities related to Braille. A supervisory body to oversee and enhance Braille development in India, the Braille Council of India (BCI) was established in the institute in 2008. Standard Bharati Braille Codes with Unicode Mapping Chart The book ‘Standard Bharati Braille Codes’ symbolizes a significant step towards promoting accessibility and empowerment for persons with visual disabilities. It redefines the development and utility of Braille by offering a comprehensive guide to standardized Braille unicodes in India. For Indian languages this document provides standard Braille codes mapped with Unicode. Standard Bharati Braille Codes with Unicode Mapping Chart Manual of Bharti Braille This book is useful for special educators parents and other practitioners to know and understand Bharti Braille. The braille chart of Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali and others are presented in the Manual. The manual also includes writing and transcription rules along with teaching of Bharati braille.. Manual of Bharti Braille Source : National Institute for the Empowerment of the Persons with Visual Disabilities, Divyangjan