Charles Barbier

Charles Barbier
Born	18 May 1767 Valenciennes
Died	22 April 1841(1841-04-22) (aged 73) Paris
Occupation	Inventor

Charles Barbier de la Serre (18 May 1767 – 22 April 1841) was the inventor of several forms of shorthand and alternative means of writing, one of which became the inspiration for Braille.

Barbier was born in Valenciennes and served in the French artillery from 1784 to 1792. He left France during the Revolution and lived for several years in the United States, returning to France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. He did not rejoin the military.^[1]

Barbier was interested in shorthand^[2] and other alternative writing forms. In 1815, he published a book titled, Essai sur divers procédés d'expéditive française.^[3] In this book, Barbier explains that conventional writing is a barrier to universal literacy because it takes too long to learn, and people who must earn their living (farmers, artisans) cannot devote the necessary time to education. Barbier was also concerned about the barriers to literacy faced by people with visual or hearing impairments.