ULouis Braille—Waletha Ukukhanya Ezigqileni Zobumnyama

ULouis Braille—Waletha Ukukhanya Ezigqileni Zobumnyama

ULAZISA kangakanani ikhono lokufunda nokubhala? Abanye bangase balithathe kancane, kodwa ukufunda nokubhala kuyisisekelo sethu sokuzuza ulwazi. Uma ususa ikhono lokufunda, kulahleka isihluthulelo senqolobane enkulu yolwazi.

Sekungamakhulu eminyaka izimpumputhe zingakwazi ukufunda. Nokho, phakathi nekhulu le-19 ukukhathazeka ngesimo sazo kwashukumisela insizwa ekhuthele ukuba isungule indlela yokuxhumana eyayivulela amathuba amasha yona kanye nezigidi zabanye abantu.

Ucilo Akafi Izidubulo

ULouis Braille wazalwa ngo-1809 edolobhaneni laseCoupvray eFrance, ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-40 ukusuka eParis. Uyise, uSimon-René Braille, wayephila ngokwenza amahanisi. Mhlawumbe uLouis omncane wayevame ukudlala eshabhu likayise. Kanti langa limbe uzovelelwa umshophi. Ebamba ithuluzi elicijile—mhlawumbe usungulo—uLouis wazigwaza ihlo. Walimala ngendlela engelapheki. Okubi nakakhulu, ukulimala kwalelo hlo kwadlulela nakwelinye. Emncane eneminyaka emithathu, uLouis waba yimpumputhe.

Bezama ukwenza okusemandleni kulesi simo, abazali bakaLouis kanye nompristi wesonto labo, uJacques Palluy, bahlela ukuba uLouis abe khona lapho kufundwa esikoleni sendawo. ULouis wabamba okuningi kwalokho ayekuzwa. Eqinisweni, ngeminye iminyaka wayephuma phambili ekilasini lakhe! Kodwa zazilinganiselwe izinto impumputhe eyayingazifunda isebenzisa indlela eyayihloselwe abantu ababonayo. Ngakho-ke, ngo-1819, uLouis waya eRoyal Institute for Blind Youth.

Umsunguli walesi sikhungo, uValentin Haüy, wayephakathi kwabantu bokuqala abasungula uhlelo lokusiza izimpumputhe zikwazi ukufunda. Isifiso sakhe sasiwukuqeda umbono owawudumile wokuthi ubumpumputhe buvalela umuntu izinzuzo zokuthola imfundo. UHaüy waqala wahlola ngokunyathelisa izinhlamvu ezinkulu, eziwugqinsi ephepheni eliqinile. Nakuba yayifufusa, le mizamo yatshala imbewu eyayizomila kamuva.

UBraille wafunda indlela yokufunda izinhlamvu eziwugqinsi ezincwadini ezazisemtatsheni kaHaüy omncane. Nokho, waqaphela ukuthi le ndlela iyabambezela futhi ayisebenziseki. Phela, izinhlamvu zaziklanyelwe amehlo—hhayi iminwe. Ngenhlanhla, kwase kuzovela omunye umuntu owayekuqaphela lokhu kulinganiselwa.

Isu Elivela Emthonjeni Ongalindelekile

Ngo-1821, lapho uLouis Braille eneminyaka engu-12 kuphela ubudala, uCharles Barbier, ukaputeni webutho lombayimbayi owayesethathe umhlalaphansi, wavakashela lesi sikhungo. Lapho wachaza indlela yokuxhumana ebizwa ngokuthi umbhalo wasebusuku, kamuva eyabizwa ngokuthi i-sonography. Umbhalo wasebusuku wasungulelwa ukusetshenziswa empini. Kwakuyindlela yokufunda ngokuthinta, usebenzisa amaqhuqhuva ahlelwe aba unxande wamaqhuqhuva ayisithupha ukuphakama namabili ububanzi. Leli su lokusebenzisa umbhalo omelele ukuphinyiswa kwamagama labashukumisa kakhulu kulesi sikole. UBraille wayisebenzisa ngenkuthalo le ndlela entsha futhi waze wayithuthukisa. Kodwa ukuze ayenze isebenziseke ngempela, uBraille kwakudingeka abekezele. Encwadini yakhe yezenzakalo zansuku zonke wabhala: “Uma amehlo ami engangitsheli lutho ngabantu nezenzakalo, imibono nezimfundiso, kufanele ngithole enye indlela.”

Ngakho, eminyakeni emibili eyalandela, uBraille wasebenza ngokuzimisela ukuze ayenze lula le ndlela. Ekugcineni, wasungula indlela elula nenhle esekelwe ohlamvwini olungamaqhuqhuva amathathu ukuphakama namabili ububanzi. Ngo-1824, lapho uLouis Braille eneminyaka engu-15 ubudala, waqeda indlela yokubhala enohlamvu olungamaqhuqhuva ayisithupha. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uBraille waqala ukufundisa kulesi sikhungo, futhi ngo-1829 wanyathelisa indlela yakhe evelele yokuxhumana namuhla eyaziwa ngegama lakhe. Ngaphandle nje koshintsho oluncane, indlela yakhe isenjengoba yayinjalo kuze kube namuhla.

Ukwenza I-Braille Itholakale Emhlabeni Wonke

Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1820 kwanyatheliswa incwadi yokuqala eyachaza indlela kaBraille yokubhala ngamaqhuqhuva; kodwa le ndlela yephuza ukwamukelwa kabanzi. Ngisho nakulesi sikhungo, le ndlela entsha yaze yamukelwa ngokomthetho ngo-1854—uBraille eseneminyaka emibili ashona. Noma kunjalo, le ndlela enhle yagcina isithandwa.

Izinhlangano eziningana ziye zakhiqiza izincwadi ze-Braille. I-Watchtower Society yaqala ukukhiqiza izincwadi ezinjalo ngo-1912, lapho le ndlela yayisalungiswa ukuze iqondakale kubantu abakhuluma isiNgisi. Namuhla, iNhlangano isebenzisa izindlela ezithuthukile zokunyathelisa nge-Braille, inyathelisa izigidi zamakhasi unyaka ngamunye ngezilimi ezingu-8 bese izithumela emazweni angaphezu kuka-70. Muva nje, iNhlangano yandisé isilinganiso sezincwadi ezinyathelisayo ngokuphindwe kabili ukuze ihlangabezane nesidingo esikhulayo sezincwadi zeBhayibheli ze-Braille.

Namuhla, indlela elula neyenziwe ngobuciko yombhalo we-Braille yenza izigidi zabantu abayizimpumputhe zithole okubhaliwe—ngenxa yemizamo yokuzinikela yomfana omncane eminyakeni engaba ngu-200 edlule.

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 15]

UKUQONDA UMBHALO WE-BRAILLE

I-Braille ifundwa kusuka kwesobunxele kuye kwesokudla, ngesandla esisodwa noma ngazo zombili. Kunezindlela ezingu-63 zokuhlelwa kwamaqhuqhuva ezinhlamvu ze-Braille. Ngakho-ke, zonke izinhlamvu nezimpawu zezilimi eziningi zingabhalwa ngendlela ethile yokuhlela amaqhuqhuva. Izilimi eziningana zisebenzisa indlela efingqiwe yombhalo we-Braille, onohlelo lwamaqhuqhuva oluthile olumelela izinhlamvu ezivame ukuhambisana noma amagama athile. Abanye abantu baye bachwephesha kakhulu kuyi-Braille kangangokuthi bangafunda amagama angu-200 ngomzuzu!

[Izithombe]

Izinhlamvu eziyishumi zokuqala zisebenzisa amaqhuqhuva asezinhlwini ezimbili ezingenhla kuphela

Izinhlamvu eziyishumi ezilandelayo zenezela iqhuqhuva elingezansi kwesobunxele ohla-mvwini ngalunye lwalezi eziyishumi zokuqala

Izinhlamvu ezinhlanu zokugcina ziwenezela womabili amaqhuqhuva angezansi ezinhlamvwini ezinhlanu zokuqala; uhlamvu u-“w” luhlukile ngoba lwenezelwa kamuva ezinhlamvwini zesiFulentshi

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 14]