The Royal Institute for the Blind was merely an institution of detention

The Royal Institute for the Blind may have been a first in the world, but the structure was a run-down, dingy old jail. But it appears that not only the structure but also the rules were taken from the previous jail. Only once a month was allotted for students at the Royal Institute for Blinds to take a bath. They received severe punishment and scant nourishment. A fairly large set of regulations has to be followed. Despite all of these challenging circumstances, Braille and other blind children were able to live and learn there.

Louis's experience at school wasn't all negative, though, as he was able to learn a variety of new disciplines (such as grammar, music, and science) and get the books he had been longing for.

Even reading was taught to him by tracing elevated letters in books produced specifically for him. The books, however, were a bit disappointing because the font was so large and each line took up an entire page, making the narrative extremely brief. Louis also wanted to write because reading wasn't enough for him. He consequently acquired an alphabet made from chunks of heavy leather. He started writing by tracing these leather letters in ink, which was a tedious and time-consuming technique.