In his “Literature and Disability” course taught last spring, Professor Marc Shell noticed Katie Sevier ’25 taking notes on her HIMS QBraille XL display, a device that connects to her laptop and allows her to type in braille.
A discussion between Shell and Sevier on the importance of the history, theory, and practice of tactile writing systems used by the visually impaired led the pair to create a course not seen at peer institutions. Now the professor and the student are both the teachers. Their class is called “Why Braille Matters.”
Founded as a graduate program in 1904 and joining with the undergraduate Literature Concentration in 2007, Harvard’s Department of Comparative Literature operates at the crossroads of multilingualism, literary study, and media history.
© 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College
Sign up to receive news and information about upcoming events, exhibitions, and more
