author
Valentin Haüy
1745–1822
A pioneering French educator, he devoted his life to proving that blind students could learn to read, write, and take part fully in society. His work opened the way for modern education for blind people and helped shape the world Louis Braille would later transform.
1 Audiobook
Essai sur l'éducation des aveugles
by Valentin Haüy
About the author
Born in Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, France, in 1745, Valentin Haüy became known as one of the earliest and most influential advocates for the education of blind people. He was a professor of calligraphy, and his deep concern for people who were excluded from learning led him to challenge the assumptions of his time.
In 1785, he founded what is widely described as the first school for blind children in Paris, later known as the National Institute for Blind Youth. Haüy also developed raised-letter books so blind students could read by touch, a major step forward before the invention of braille.
Remembered as the "father" of education for the blind, Haüy helped show that blindness was not a barrier to literacy or intellectual life. He died in Paris in 1822, but his influence lived on through the institutions he built and the generations of students and reformers who followed.