January is Braille Literacy Month, and January 4th marks World Braille Day, honoring the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille code. This month is all about raising awareness of the importance of braille literacy and recognizing how braille supports independence, education, and access for people with visual impairments and beyond.

When many people hear "braille," they think only of blindness, but braille benefits individuals with low vision, dual sensory loss, and multiple disabilities.

Here are 6 things you may not know about Braille:

• Louis Braille was just 15 years old when he invented Braille
• Braille is a tactile code, not a language—many languages can be read and written in Braille
• A braille cell is made up of 6 raised dots
• Braille includes letters, numbers, punctuation, music notation, and even formatting like bold and italics
• Braille takes up more space than print—Webster's Unabridged Dictionary is 72 volumes in braille
• There are two levels of braille: uncontracted (letter-by-letter) and contracted (a shorthand version)

Want to try it yourself? Here's a link to type and see your name in Braille.

As you go about campus this month, take a moment to notice braille on signs, elevators, and other materials. These small adaptations make a big difference in accessibility and independence. Let's celebrate Braille literacy, accessibility, and inclusive learning this month and all year long.