When I was 3, while playing in my father's workshop, an awl slipped and went into my eye. Both eyes eventually became infected, leading to my total blindness. My parents encouraged my continued exploration in the countryside, and sent me off to Paris to a school for the blind. It was there that I eventually came up with the Braille system, and became a teacher to share literacy with others. I also became a pianist, a cellist, and an organist as well.