William Moon

Background

Moon was born in Horsmonden, Kent.

Education

Doctor of Laws, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, FRGS (December 18, 1818 – October 9, 1894) was an Englishman who created Moon type, the first widely used practical reading alphabet for the blind.

Career

As a small child, he lost sight in one eye from scarlet fever, and by the age of twenty-one he had become totally blind. He became a teacher, and taught boys how to read using the existing embossed reading codes. Moon realised that the boys found these reading codes difficult to learn.

He devised a new system, Moon type, based on a simplified Latin alphabet, which he designed to be easier to learn.

He first formulated his ideas in 1843 and they were published in 1845. Moon type was subsequently replaced in popularity by Braille but it is still important for people who have difficulty reading Braille.

Achievements

• Moon achieved several distinctions during his lifetime: he was elected to fellowships of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Arts in 1852 and 1857 respectively. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Philadelphia in 1871.