Moon type

Moon
Type	Alphabet
Spoken languages	English
Creator	William Moon
Time period	1845 to present
Parent systems	Latin alphabet Moon
ISO 15924	Moon
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols.

The Moon System of Embossed Reading (commonly known as the Moon writing, Moon alphabet, Moon type, or Moon code) is a writing system for the blind, using embossed symbols mostly derived from the Roman alphabet (but simplified). It is claimed by its supporters to be easier to understand than Braille, though it is mainly used by people who have lost their sight as adults, and thus already have knowledge of the shapes of letters.

History

File:Moon-type-chart.jpg

Dr Moon's Alphabet for the Blind, from his Light for the Blind, published in 1877

Moon type was developed by William Moon (1818–1894), a blind Englishman living in Brighton, East Sussex. After a bout of scarlet fever, Moon lost his sight at age twenty-one and became a teacher of blind children. He discovered that his pupils had great difficulty learning to read the then-popular Frere-type, and devised his own scheme in response: he first formulated his ideas in 1843 and published the scheme in 1845. Moon is not as well known as Braille, but it is a valuable alternative touch reading scheme for blind or partially sighted people of any age.

Rather than the dots of Braille, Moon Writing is made up of raised curves, angles, and lines. As the characters are quite large and over half the letters bear a strong resemblance to the print equivalent, Moon has been found particularly suitable for those who lose their sight later in life or for people who may have a less keen sense of touch. It has also proved successful as a mode of literacy for children with additional physical and/or learning difficulties.

Moon books for fluent readers can be borrowed from the RNIB National Library Service and books for children from Clearvision Project.

Letters

Moon alphabet

Numbers

File:Moon-prayer.jpg

Specimens of Dr Moon's Type for the Blind as applied to foreign languages, from his Light for the Blind, published in 1877

Start	File:Numeral sing moon abeceda.png
1	File:1 moon abeceda.png
2	File:2 moon abeceda.png
3	File:3 moon abeceda.png
4	File:4 moon abeceda.png
5	File:E moon abeceda.png
6	File:F moon abeceda.png
7	File:G moon abeceda.png
8	File:H moon abeceda.png
9	File:9 moon abeceda.png
0	File:0 number moon abeceda.png

External links

• "Moon Alphabet"
• "William Moon"
• National Library for the Blind
• The Moon System of Embossed Reading
• Omniglot: Moon alphabet
• Online Moon Type Generator
• Learning Moon

de:Moonalphabet