WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has introduced bipartisan legislation to honor the founder of Braille with a commemorative coin valued at $1.  There are more than 4 million Americans who are blind or who have severe visual impairments.

Louis Braille, the creator of Braille, was born in France in 1809.  He lost his vision at age three after an accident in his father’s leather shop.  Wanting desperately to read, he heard about a code that was used by the French army to communicate at night.  In 1829, Louis Braille improved the army’s code of raised dots, creating an alphabet comprising six dots   and arranged in two vertical columns.

“Literacy is the foundation of our society and Braille has made it possible for millions of people with vision impairments to attend school, find employment and communicate more effectively,” said Rep. Cardin.  “This commemorative coin is a fitting tribute to the work of Louis Braille and his perseverance in creating an alphabet for the visually impaired.”

Only two commemorative coins are approved by the House each year.  Rep. Robert Ney, R-Ohio, joined Rep. Cardin in sponsoring the commemorative coin bill that would honor Louis Braille in 2009, which will mark the bicentennial of his birth.

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