Neregių Martynas Mažvydas – Pranas Daunys ir jo veikla
Martynas Mazvydas of the Blinds – Pranas Daunys and His Work

Summary/Abstract: In historiography of Lithuania still where is no place for personality of Pranas Daunys, however his merits for the history of the blinds, deaf, and merits for the social and educational history are uncountable. Pranas Daunys, warrior volounteer, lost his eyesight in the battle in 1923, but he was not satisfied in living in the dormitary for war invalids or perspective to live in alms-house. Gen. Vladas Nagevičius organized studies in Riga Insitute for the blinds for some blind war invalids and Pranas Daunys was among them. There he learned Braille and on the basis of Latin, German and Latvian alphabets he adapted Braille for Lithuanian language. He wanted Lithuanian blinds to have an oppurtunity to learn, to gain some craft, and was is the important – to earn for the living. Pranas Daunys was one the main initiator to arrange the Lithuanian Union for the blinds (1926) and to establish the Lithuanian institute for the blinds (1928). He was the first in Lithuania who wrote articles to the newspapers wanting to educate the society that blind people can be not the burden, but the full member of society. He also wrote fiction, but it has no great artistic value, but it is important because it expresses the feelings og the blind man. The greatest passion of Pranas Daunys was music. He played by 5 instruments, taught music other blinds, composed famous solist of Lithuania and arranged the establishment of student‘s orchestra ir Lithuanian institute for the blinds. The deaf in Lithuania can also be grateful to Pranas Daunys – he initiated the establishment of the Lithuanian deaf-mutes care society and Lithuanian deaf-mutes school. But during Soviet era Pranas Daunys was kept as an enemy to the regime. His reabilitation in the eyes of society came only when Lithuania gained independence.

• Details
• Contents