The Lorm Alphabet

The tactile alphabet for deaf-blind people (deaf-blind alphabet)

lormende Hände

The Lorm alphabet (hand alphabet or tactile alphabet) is used in deafblind people. The letters or sound characters are stroked or typed into the (usually left) palm.

The Dresden deaf writer Hieronymus Lorm developed his tactile alphabet in 1881 for communicate with family members because of his increasing blindness. After his death, the alphabet was published by his family and sat down quickly because of its ease to learn and efficiency in the deafblind in the German-speaking countries. This form of communication is also called Lorming and can easily reach dictation speeds among experienced staff. Today, the alphabet is used in addition to the German-speaking countries in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

the print version of the Lorm Alphabet [text version ]

However, the native language of the deafblind is usually not the Lorm Alphabet, but depending on the occurrence of deafness the spoken language or the sign language. If sign language is the native language of the deafblind, it will prefer a modified form of sign language, tactile gestures, in which the deafblind scans the gestures of the sign language with his hands. Lorming will be more difficult for such deafblinds as it uses the letters of the spoken language.

If the deafblind knows the phonetic language, he will prefer lorming as a form of communication. An alternative to Lorming represents the dactylate, in which the finger alphabet is scanned. It works almost as fast as the Lorming. So if you want to communicate with the deafblind, should in addition to the Lorm Alphabet also master the Finger Alphabet.

Exercises / additional pages:

convert your own texts into Lorm Alphabet and print them out
test if you can assign the alphabet to the touches (for printing)

Downloads / Prints:

with the font Lorm Alphabet TTF you can print on your computer texts in Lorm Alphabet
the Lorm Alphabet as a graphic print version [Text version of the Lorm alphabet (new window)]

The template for a Lorm glove can be found in the print version of the Lorm alphabet

At the service ITM you

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Deafblind is a unique disability!

In 2010, Alexander Fakoó designed his own logo, which shows very well what deafblindness is all about: the hand replaces the eye and the ear!

different print versions

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Helen Keller

Can-not-see separates from matter, can-not-hear separates from man.

These words are from the US Deafblind writer Helen Keller.

Helen Keller became deafblind at the age of 1 ½ and did not learn to dactylate until age 6 (not Lorm). Nevertheless, she later studied and learned several languages.
Helen Keller und Ann Sullivan

Helen Keller and the square script (not Quadoo)
Helen Keller Kids Museum
Helen Keller birthplace

Further informations

Communication with Deafblind:
A good idea from the Czech Republic and England:
Cane red-white

The red-white cane for deafblind people should avoid confusion with the blind. By the way: In 1931 Madam Guilly d'Herbement came up with the white stick.

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Neunauge FAKOOSY im Zickzack liegend, Beschriftung: Das Neunauge FAKOOSY vertritt fakoo.de, die Lernseite um Alphabets of disabled people (Beschreibung siehe fakoosy.txt)

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