1、 Introduction

This article introduces the origin and development of Braille, from the invention of woodblock engraving by Spanish explorer Lucas in 1517, to the dissemination of Braille by French officer Charles de Gaulle in the early 19th century, and finally the completion of the Braille system by French blind man Blair in 1824. Braille, as a tactile reading system, is of great significance to blind people worldwide. However, there is a significant difference in the structure of Western Braille and Chinese characters, and there has always been controversy over how to adapt it to Chinese language studies.

2、 The heated debate among Westerners

Braille, as a universal language for the blind, was introduced to China shortly after its invention. Rong Hong recalled teaching the Braille reading method to blind children in Macau in the late 1930s, but this was a simple transfer and not a Sinicization. Later on, there was an increase in the introduction of Western Braille, and literature such as the "Sea Kingdom Atlas" mentioned that blind people read Braille books by touching them with their hands. The priest explained that the Western script was concise and easy to understand, and the wise and benevolent created protruding characters to train the blind. Ding Weiliang specialized in the method of hand eye touch reading, while Joseph listed the application of Taixi's training for the blind in various disciplines. But these braille are all phonetic letter structures.

3、 The debate is evolving towards nationalization

In the second half of the 19th century, with the spread of Western learning and the introduction of special education to China, Western missionaries became the main creators of Braille in China. Before the 1920s, Western missionaries led the transformation of Chinese Braille, such as the "David Hill Method". However, with the rise of nationalism, the creation of Chinese Braille has gradually been dominated by countrymen, such as Wang Xiangyuan's improvement of "mind and eye" and Ye Binghua's creation of "national accent Braille". Chinese Braille has always been the result of the combination of Chinese and Western languages. Westerners understand the situation of international Braille and countrymen are familiar with their own national language. The combination of the two is a perfect match for creating Chinese Braille. From Westerners to countrymen, the replacement of the creative protagonist is an epoch-making turn in Chinese Braille history. Teaching aids and teaching materials have also changed from imports to self production, and publishing has also changed from church monopoly to countrymen dominance. Non religious Braille books have begun to be printed, with diversified categories and quantities, making Chinese Braille gradually break away from the western church monopoly and take on a new look.

4、 Self sharpening of Chinese Braille

The development process of Chinese Braille was discussed, including the issue of Braille inconsistency caused by the diversity of Chinese dialects, as well as the necessity and possibility of unifying Chinese Braille. The Christian assemblies in 1890 and 1907 promoted discussions on the unification of Braille, and the Shanghai Conference in 1913 formulated the "Mind Clear" Braille system, but the unification process was slow. In 1948, the Ministry of Education held a symposium to discuss the issue of Braille unification, but Braille teaching remained chaotic. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Huang Nai promoted the reform of Braille and launched the "National Language New Braille" in 1952, which was promoted nationwide in 1954 and 1955. In 2018, the "National Universal Braille Plan" was released, emphasizing accurate pronunciation, seamless connection between old and new, time-saving and convenient, easy to read and write, marking the basic completion of cultural transformation in Braille.

5、 Conclusion

Emphasizing the diversity of mutual learning among civilizations, it is pointed out that writing is a symbol of civilization progress, and the emergence of Braille has added a new chapter to the history of Chinese character evolution. Chinese Braille combines pictographic characters and pinyin letters, which is of great significance in promoting barrier free communication and education for the visually impaired. Education is seen as the key to achieving democratic equality, and the right to language equality for the blind is a prerequisite for sharing other social rights. The development of Braille in China reflects the achievements of technology and democracy, and is a result of international cooperation in Sinology. The mutual learning of civilizations is multidimensional. Chinese Braille has borrowed from the West in terms of technology, but maintains openness and inclusiveness in culture. The innovation route of Chinese Braille is to start from scratch, establish first and then break through, and keep up with the new trend, seeking innovation in inheritance and self discovery in reference. The creation of Chinese Braille has shifted from Westerners to countrymen, reflecting that the improvement of national languages will ultimately depend on themselves. The development of Braille in China has undergone continuous exploration and debate, with the core demand being to explore how to integrate Sinology Chinese with international advanced Braille to better serve disadvantaged communities.