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A tactile alphabet is a system for writing material that the blind can read by touch. While currently the Braille system is the most popular and some materials have been prepared in Moon type, historically, many other tactile alphabets have existed:
- Systems based on embossed Roman letters:
- Moon type
- Valentin Haüy's system (in italic style)
- James Gall's "triangular alphabet", using both capital and lower-case, which was used in 1826 in the first embossed books published in English
- 's system (capital letters only)
- John Alston's system (capital letters only)
- 's system, using rounded letters similar to Haüy's system, which was used in a publication of the Gospel of Mark in 1834, the first embossed book in the United States.
- Samuel Gridley Howe's Boston Line using lowercase angular letters, influenced by Gall's system but more closely resembling standard Roman letters
- Julius Reinhold Friedlander's Philadelphia Line, using all capital letters, similar to Alston's system, used at the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind (now the Overbrook School for the Blind) in Philadelphia
- William Chapin (also at the Pennsylvania Institution)'s system, combining the lowercase letters of the Boston Line with the capitals of the Philadelphia Line, forming the "combined system" (used by 1868 in books printed by )
- 's ELIA Frame tactile alphabet/font system includes the major characteristics of the Roman alphabet letter within a frame. The frame denotes where the letter begins and ends and allows for systematic exploration. The use of the Roman alphabet's features in the design helps previously sighted people learn it. And its similarities to standard Roman fonts helps sighted caregivers to learn and share the alphabet with people who have a visual impairment.
- Systems based on arbitrary symbols:
- Night writing
- Braille
- Thomas Lucas's system, based on shorthand and phonetic principles
- James Hatley Frere's system, similar to Lucas's in that it was based on shorthand, but written in a boustrophedon manner
- New York Point, a system of points invented by William Bell Wait, that competed with braille for some time before braille won out
- Decapoint
See also Vibratese.
See also
- Tactile graphic
- Tangible symbol systems
External links
- Constance Frederica Gordon Cumming (1892). Work for the blind in China. Printed by Gilbert & Rivington, Limited, St. John's House, Clerkenwell, E.C.: Gilbert & Rivington, Ld. p. 79. Retrieved 23 April 2012.[Original from Columbia University Digitized Aug 18, 2009][GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LD., ST JOHN'S HOUSE, CLERKENWELL ROAD, LONDON, E.C.]
- A Critical Evaluation of the Historical Development of the Tactile Modes and Reading and an Analysis and Evaluation of Researches Carried out in Endeavors to make the Braille code Easier to Read and to Write
- chapter 3: Early British Codes
- Virtual Exhibition "Signs - Books - Networks" of the German Museum of Books and Writing: Braille
This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Tactile alphabet news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2014 Learn how and when to remove this message A tactile alphabet is a system for writing material that the blind can read by touch While currently the Braille system is the most popular and some materials have been prepared in Moon type historically many other tactile alphabets have existed Systems based on embossed Roman letters Moon type Valentin Hauy s system in italic style James Gall s triangular alphabet using both capital and lower case which was used in 1826 in the first embossed books published in English s system capital letters only John Alston s system capital letters only s system using rounded letters similar to Hauy s system which was used in a publication of the Gospel of Mark in 1834 the first embossed book in the United States Samuel Gridley Howe s Boston Line using lowercase angular letters influenced by Gall s system but more closely resembling standard Roman letters Julius Reinhold Friedlander s Philadelphia Line using all capital letters similar to Alston s system used at the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind now the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia William Chapin also at the Pennsylvania Institution s system combining the lowercase letters of the Boston Line with the capitals of the Philadelphia Line forming the combined system used by 1868 in books printed by s ELIA Frame tactile alphabet font system includes the major characteristics of the Roman alphabet letter within a frame The frame denotes where the letter begins and ends and allows for systematic exploration The use of the Roman alphabet s features in the design helps previously sighted people learn it And its similarities to standard Roman fonts helps sighted caregivers to learn and share the alphabet with people who have a visual impairment Systems based on arbitrary symbols Night writing Braille Thomas Lucas s system based on shorthand and phonetic principles James Hatley Frere s system similar to Lucas s in that it was based on shorthand but written in a boustrophedon manner New York Point a system of points invented by William Bell Wait that competed with braille for some time before braille won out DecapointSix principal systems of embossed type in use c 1900 Hauy Gall Howe Moon Braille Wait See also Vibratese See alsoTactile graphic Tangible symbol systemsExternal linksConstance Frederica Gordon Cumming 1892 Work for the blind in China Printed by Gilbert amp Rivington Limited St John s House Clerkenwell E C Gilbert amp Rivington Ld p 79 Retrieved 23 April 2012 Original from Columbia University Digitized Aug 18 2009 GILBERT AND RIVINGTON LD ST JOHN S HOUSE CLERKENWELL ROAD LONDON E C A Critical Evaluation of the Historical Development of the Tactile Modes and Reading and an Analysis and Evaluation of Researches Carried out in Endeavors to make the Braille code Easier to Read and to Write chapter 3 Early British Codes Virtual Exhibition Signs Books Networks of the German Museum of Books and Writing Braille http abstracts iovs org cgi content abstract 46 5 4590 dead link http abstracts iovs org cgi content abstract 46 5 4590
