Tackling Braille with Visually Impaired Students
Braille is a vital tool for people who are blind or live with a significant visual impairment. According to an October 2019 report by “Good Morning America,” there is a national shortage of educators who know and can teach braille. For now, Western New York’s K-12 schools are holding steady with a reliable system in place to support visually impaired children.
“Right now, as it relates to teachers for the visually impaired, we are fully staffed,” said Patrick Canfield, director for Exceptional Education at Erie 1 BOCES. “However, these are not easy positions to fill. Vision teachers often need to teach, translate, support and be artistic at the same time. Just imagine how difficult it must be to explain a DNA diagram in braille to a blind student.”
For the Ali brothers of the Lackawanna City School District, braille has been a vital learning tool since kindergarten. Sami, grade seven, and Muhamad, grade 12, joke about who can braille faster. These vibrant brothers appreciate the support from their vision teachers and feel ready to tackle college.
Erie 1 BOCES supports local schools by providing vision teachers, teacher aides and braille materials. This year, approximately 85 children receive vision services from Erie 1 BOCES.
“All vision teachers do a certain level of brailling, then they work closely with an aide, like Karen Weickart, to complete the rest,” Canfield continued.
“I volunteered for this assignment; it sounded cool to me,” said Weickart, a teacher aide at Erie 1 BOCES who learned braille 10 years ago with on-the-job training.
While Weickart believes she found her calling, she’s well acquainted with the job’s challenges. “In 2013, braille changed completely as the United States moved to Unified Braille. Math and science use a different braille altogether, it’s called Nemeth.”
Braille is only composed of six dots in various combinations. Ironically, that small number leads to bigger page counts. “Every page in a traditional paperback book equals about two-and-a-half pages of braille, so a 300-page book can easily become 750 pages,” Weickart explained.
There are digital technologies that can reduce the baggage being lugged between classrooms, but as noted by Heather Buyea, Erie 1 BOCES teacher for the visually impaired, that is not every student’s preference.
“The mini laptops are lighter, but it is another voice speaking at them. Many students like the feel of the braille and the experience of hearing their inner voice,” Buyea shared.
Buyea, a teacher with 22 years of experience, coordinates with students’ various teachers to ensure instructional content is translated to braille. She also pre-teaches and re-teaches lessons to help bridge any gaps.
“I work with my students on self-advocacy,” Buyea added. “They have to communicate well and know when to ask for help. Just like all other students, we essentially prepare them to be on their own in college or the workforce.”