Paul Rousseau

Belgian inventor who created the first sign language-driven communication system for deaf-blind individuals

Paul Rousseau (1912-1987) revolutionized accessibility by developing the Tactile Sign Alphabet in 1953, enabling deaf-blind communication without intermediaries. His work began after witnessing disabled WWII veterans' isolation, leading to creation of tactile phonetic codes using pressure points on palms.

Rousseau's 1968 'DialogGlove' prototype used pressure sensors to convert signs into text - 40 years before modern assistive tech. He established Europe's first deaf-blind school in Ghent (1957) using environmental resonance teaching methods that utilized floor vibrations for spatial awareness training.

Despite Nazi imprisonment for helping disabled Jews, Rousseau persisted in developing portable communication tablets. His 1972 UN speech led to the first disability rights resolution. Today's haptic feedback systems in smartphones and VR directly descend from his vibration coding research.