Fatima Gias

Indian educator who created the first braille system for Urdu-speaking communities

Fatima Gias (1912-1998) transformed accessibility for South Asian visually impaired individuals through her 1953 invention of the Urdu Braille system. A teacher in Karachi's blind school, she identified the need for a script system compatible with Urdu's complex script. Her adapted braille incorporated 12 additional symbols for Urdu-specific letters, enabling literacy access across Pakistan and India.

In 1965 she established the Fatima Gias Institute, the first South Asian institution offering braille publishing and teacher training. Her 1968 memoir 《Seeing Beyond Darkness》 details her advocacy during Pakistan's formative years. Collaborations with Helen Keller Foundation expanded her system to Bangladesh and Iran. Modern accessibility apps like BraillePlus still use her foundational principles. Recent biographies include 《Unseen Letters》 (2021).