For October’s National Disability Awareness Month, Ms. Alfonso talked about disabilities including people with visual impairment or low vision. As a class enrichment activity, she brought braille writing machines, or “braillers,” and white canes into Library classes for students to try.

Braillers lent to Ms. Alfonso for students to use to type their names.
Braillers
Ms. Alfonso taught the PTO Library Committee parent/caregiver volunteers how to use the braillers and they in turn helped students to use them during classes. Students first learned that each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding braille cell that is comprised of comprised of six dots arranged in two columns and three rows. They figured out what the braille letters in their name looked like, mapped it on a worksheet, and then put that knowledge to use by typing it out on a brailler with the help of PTO volunteers.

Samples of braille cells for letters A-J
The braillers had six buttons labeled with the numbers 1-6; students pressed the numbers of the dots in each letter simultaneously to create a letter. For example, a student named “Deb” a would press the numbers 1, 4, and 5 together (for the D), then 1 and 5 together (for the E), and then the numbers 1 and 2 together (for the B) to create her name (see sample braille cells in picture).
White Canes
Students also learned about white canes and how canes with different tips are useful in a variety of situations and terrain; one type of tip might be preferred for navigating indoors on smooth floors vs. a different tip for traversing rough terrain outdoors. The tips looked very different from each other, ranging from large tips shaped like balls or marshmallows to more compact metal discs. Students enjoyed trying the various types as they used them to navigate the library.
Braille Books
At the end of class, students could choose to explore some of the braille books that are found in the Brackett Library. As they left the library, they each were given a braille alphabet card that were donated to Ms. Alfonso by the Perkins School for the Blind.
A big THANK YOU to all of our awesome PTO volunteers that helped make this special day run smoothly and to our AMAZING Ms. Alfonso for making this all happen!

Cards with the braille alphabet were generously donated by the Perkins School for the Blind. Every Brackett student received one to take home.