Pyramid Braille: Yes or no? Braille vs. pyramidal writing? No!

Guide to Pyramid Script / Relief Script / Profile Script Comparison of Reading Speed and Other Aspects:

How extensive is reasonable? Who benefits, and who is hindered by it? How fast can Pyramid Script be read compared to Braille? We investigated this question with blind and visually impaired participants in our own studies.

What is Pyramid Script?

Pyramid Script, also known as Relief Script or Profile Script (though not exactly the same), is a writing system where Latin letters are made tactile through raised contours. Unlike Braille, which is based on a completely independent systematic dot pattern, Pyramid Script consists of Latin letter shapes and Arabic numerals familiar to sighted people. The idea is to enable later-blinded individuals to recognize shapes of letters they already know. This basic concept was developed over 200 years ago, even before the significant contributions of Louis Braille. For Louis Braille and other blind individuals of his time, Relief Script was the only means to read written material. However, the reason why Braille was so desperate for an improvement (leading to his invention of the “dot script”) was that the raised letters of the Latin alphabet were tedious and difficult to read. This difficulty was compounded by the use of mixed uppercase and lowercase writing at that time.

Major Barrier: Reading Speed

Deciphering the raised letters was such a struggle back then that it led to what is arguably the most important invention for blind people worldwide: the Braille script by Louis Braille. To examine the readability of Relief Script from a modern perspective, we revisited the issue using contemporary Pyramid Script (set exclusively in uppercase letters). Our studies with blind participants (2020–2022, Steffen Zimmermann) yielded revealing data: To decipher one word with 12 letters in Pyramid Script, blind readers require an average of 30 seconds. In comparison, blind users can read 30 to 75 words in Braille during the same time (depending on their proficiency).

Average Reading Speed in 60 Seconds

  • Approx. 2–3 words in Pyramid Script (read by blind individuals)
  • Approx. 60–150 words in Braille (read by blind individuals)
  • Approx. 150–300 words in standard print (read by sighted individuals)

Practical Example:

A floor plan in an elevator with 10 words listed vertically requires:

  • Approx. 4–5 minutes in Pyramid Script (read by blind individuals)
  • Approx. 10 seconds in Braille (read by blind individuals)
  • Approx. 5 seconds in standard print (read by sighted individuals)

Conclusion: Proficient Braille readers approach the reading speed of sighted individuals. Using Pyramid Script, however, is more akin to deciphering than reading.

Why the Differences?

The primary reason lies in the method of perception:

  • Standard print is perceived visually as words or even groups of words, rather than as a sequence of individual letters.
  • Braille is based on distinct dot patterns that can be quickly and clearly identified by fingertips. Each letter’s dot pattern is recognized „as a whole.“ Proficient fingers „scan“ dot rows in a continuous motion—similar to how eyes scan text in print, creating pattern recognition for groups of letters or words through practice.
  • Pyramid Script, on the other hand, requires tracing the contours of each individual character. To recognize the shape of a letter, fingers must explore the entire form, which takes considerably more time. Practice can only speed this up to a limited extent.

Implications for Practical Use

The significant time required for deciphering Pyramid Script has practical implications:

  1. Fewer words—no sentences! Pyramid Script is only suitable for extremely short texts, such as a single word or number. A full sentence is already too much, as the time required becomes disproportionate.
  2. Orientation maps—a test of patience If an orientation map with 20 terms were labeled solely in Pyramid Script, a blind person would need to explore each term individually. Assuming that deciphering 12 letters takes about 30 seconds, reading 20 terms would take around 8 minutes. Additionally, analyzing the actual graphic or map requires further exploration and understanding, adding to the time. Often, the effort is abandoned early, rendering the map ineffective.
  3. Short titles instead of descriptions Even for museum exhibits, it is unrealistic to use lengthy Pyramid Script texts. Visitors would take far too long to read descriptions. Therefore, only a brief title in Pyramid Script should be used—such as the exhibit’s name or a short label. For further information, a digital solution (e.g., QR codes) for audio descriptions is recommended.
  4. Consideration for visually impaired individuals: Even sighted individuals—especially those with visual impairments—struggle with the readability of Pyramid Script because it is written in uppercase letters. While uppercase may appear „distinctive,“ it is a clear disadvantage in terms of readability.

Recommendation: In most cases, additional audio description should be provided. Audio description offers an additional layer of orientation for the map or graphic. Pyramid Script should be limited to 2–3 words at most, so that no more than 1–2 minutes are spent deciphering it.

Fact Check: Who Can Actually Read Braille?

It is a widespread myth that blind individuals no longer read Braille. This is simply false.

  • Every blind person who has attended school as a blind student has learned to read and write in Braille.

However, differences arise among individuals who lose their sight later in life:

  • Those who become blind in middle age learn Braille more slowly, partly due to reduced learning ability and tactile sensitivity.
  • People who lose their sight in older age rarely learn Braille, relying on alternative support systems instead.

Readability of Pyramid Script: Why Uppercase Letters Are Problematic

Pyramid script exclusively uses uppercase letters, which makes sense from a tactile perspective, as uniform letter shapes are easier to distinguish. However, for sighted users, this creates a disadvantage, as studies show that uppercase text is significantly harder to read compared to mixed-case text.

What Do Studies Say?

1. Legibility of Uppercase Letters: – Studies such as Tinker (1963) and more recent research by Arditi and Cho (2005) indicate that uppercase text leads to slower reading speeds. – People with visual impairments are particularly affected, as they often rely more on letter shapes and word forms. 2. Why Is This the Case? • Familiar “word shapes” created by mixed-case text are lost in uppercase. Words appear as uniform “blocks,” making them harder to differentiate. • Sighted individuals read uppercase letters approximately 13–20% slower than mixed-case text. • For people with visual impairments, this reduction could be even more significant. 3. Alternative Approaches: • Pyramid script could be supplemented with Braille to provide more efficient navigation for people with visual impairments.

Conclusion: When Is Pyramid Script Useful?

Pyramid script has its place but should be used sparingly: Well-suited for: – Single words (e.g., „EXIT,“ „ELEVATOR“) – Numbers (e.g., floor numbers) Not suitable for: – Sentences or paragraphs – Complex orientation texts such as maps Recommendation: Combine pyramid script (for brief labels), Braille (for all labels and texts), and audio (for context or additional information).

Accessibility Means: Finding the Right Medium for Everyone

The choice of medium should match users‘ abilities. Blind individuals clearly benefit from Braille and audio, while people with visual impairments and sighted individuals often prefer printed or digital text. Pyramid script remains a helpful supplement for very specific use cases but should not be considered a replacement for efficient media like Braille.

References and Sources

1. Arditi, A., & Cho, J. (2005). Serifs and font legibility. *Vision Research*, 45(23), 2926–2933. 2. Tinker, M. A. (1963). *Legibility of Print*. Iowa State University Press. 3. Studies and Analyses: Zimmermann, S. (2020–2022). Comparison of Pyramid Script and Braille.