Producers Of Braille Are Touching Lives

by Kevin Burton

   Today we touch on two stories about braille being produced from unexpected sources.

   NBC Connecticut ran a story about female inmates at York Correctional Facility becoming certified as Braille transcriptionists.

   Five inmates completed the program Aug. 24. I wish NBC had quoited some of them. But here is part of the story nevertheless:

   “The women’s state prison has developed a program to certify inmates in braille transcription, and the work is helping visually-impaired kids across Connecticut,” wrote reporter Jane Caffrey. “Five women graduated from the program on Thursday.”

   “The incarcerated women are making the braille books that are going out to students.”

   “We get inmate workers in. They go through a course and they get trained, and they learn how to turn print to braille,” said Patrick Hill, Correctional Industry Supervisor.

   Hill runs the program, which started in 2018. Fifteen women have completed the York Braille Program. The first cohort graduated in 2020.

   “It’s pretty hard” he said about learning braille. “We start everybody off on the Perkins Brailler. So with these you load it in. Load your paper in. And you go with six keys. And you go. This is how they learn. Typing the braille.”

   “Completion of the program means getting certified from the National Library of Congress in Literary Braille Transcribing,” Caffrey wrote.

   “Friends and families supported the grads at their ceremony, along with state officials.”

   “The chances for these young ladies to be successful once they re-enter society,” Angel Quiros, the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, said.

   “It’s really important for anyone who’s incarcerated,” Hill said. “You want them to learn and grow. And this gives them a great opportunity when they get out to be able to start their own business.”

   “Mastering the certification also means the inmates get to transcribe print books into braille books using computers and an embossing machine. It brings words and images to life, even something as intricate as the Taj Mahal.

   “Once they get graduated and fully certified, that’s when they’re allowed to hop over to the computer,” Hill said.

   “When the books are done, the Bureau of Education Services for the Blind distributes them to students.”

   “I get anywhere from beginning reader books, to novels, to math books, to social studies, books,” Nancy Mothersele, Department of Aging and Disability Braille Coordinator, said.

   “Mothersele said there are 458 blind and visually impaired kids in Connecticut and 90 braille readers benefitting from the materials.”

   “This year, they’ve done over 100 books for several students in Connecticut that were needed in Braille,” she said.

   “The raised dots are a way to bridge gaps for blind children — new connections at their fingertips.”

   In our second story, Lego announced it is making the Braille Lego bricks developed in 2020 available to the general public. 

   The story comes from Virgin Radio.

 “Lego, the renowned Danish toymaker, is set to launch a groundbreaking educational tool to aid blind and partially sighted children in learning braille.”

   “These specially-designed bricks, which feature studs corresponding to braille letters and numbers, have already been distributed to select schools and organizations catering to vision-impaired children since 2020. However, beginning in September, these braille-coded bricks will be available for purchase by the public at large.”

   “Each pack of the braille bricks includes 287 pieces in five different colors, and they will retail for £79.99 in the UK ($100.65 US).”

   “The set comes with both braille-coded studs and a printed version of the symbol or letter, making it accessible for both visually impaired learners and their sighted family members.”

   “The European Blind Union emphasizes the importance of braille literacy in enhancing spelling, reading, and writing skills, ultimately contributing to better educational and employment prospects for the vision-impaired.”

   “While some view braille as old-fashioned, given modern technology that can turn written text into spoken word, blind adults say they like the freedom to multitask by reading with their fingers while listening to other things.”

   “David Williams, an inclusive design ambassador for the RNIB, explained how braille is still incredibly relevant: “Who would want a greetings card read to you? And there are things like board games, labels and being able to read your kids a bedtime story – that’s hard to do with a computer talking in your ear,” he said.

   “Learning braille through Lego not only makes the process engaging but also helps eliminate stigmas and barriers often associated with traditional learning methods.”

   “Lisa Taylor, mother to a seven-year-old vision-impaired child named Olivia, praised Lego’s initiative: “Olivia first discovered Lego braille bricks at school and they had such a big impact on her curiosity for braille. Before then, she found it hard to get started with the symbols but now she’s improving all the time.”

   “Taylor believes that the Lego braille bricks have transformed Olivia’s engagement with braille and made it a family activity.”

   “Olivia, who lost her sight due to a brain tumor at the age of 17 months, added: “I can play with my sister. I like writing, building and playing games.”