Braille. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of braille from a drug packet. The braille writing and reading system was devised by the French teacher Louis Braille (1809-1852), who himself was blinded at the age of three. It is a universally accepted system that enables blind people to have access to written language. It consists of a sequence of cells, each of which contains a pattern of raised dots that can be sensed by touch through the fingers. Different patterns of dots represent letters, numbers, punctuation marks and several short words. Magnification x 6 at 10cm wide.