Nineteenth-century tactile code revolutionized independence for people with visual impairments by providing access to knowledge through literacy, liberating them from centuries of dependence and social marginalization. However, competing codes in the United States impeded the adoption of a standardized, reader-centered code because non-blind administrators reacted with reluctance, prioritizing institutional preferences over the experiences of blind readers. Blind voices challenged this control by advocating for Braille, the code that best supported their independence, driving the 1932 uniformity agreement that reformed publishing, education, employment, and accessibility by establishing a standard code that was shaped around the needs of blind users.