VICTA Parent Workshop: Supporting your vision impaired child to learn braille
Sorry, this workshop is now closed for applications.
How as parent/carers we can help to develop this skill in the home. Delivered in conjunction with The Braillists Foundation.
- When: Tuesday 23 January 2024
- Where: Online/Zoom
- Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Cost: £5
Reading and writing are key skills in a child’s development and essential in education, work and everyday life. Choosing the right reading medium as early as possible is therefore critical for your child’s independence and success.
In this workshop, we will explore whether braille is an appropriate reading medium for your child and give you the tools to support you and your child on their braille learning journey. Topics will include:
- when and why children should be taught braille
- how children and parents can learn braille
- where to obtain braille books and resources.
The session will be co-delivered by Matthew Horspool and Melanie Pritchard from the Braillists Foundation. The Braillists is a globally recognised organisation, supporting current and potential braille users to use the braille code to its maximum potential, and working with braille producers and product manufacturers to ensure their products are of the highest quality and meet user needs effectively.
Matthew has over ten years’ experience working with children and young people with a visual impairment. He started his career at Exhall Grange School, where he was responsible for the production and procurement of braille and assistive technology and taught primary and secondary aged pupils to use their braille and technology to best effect. He is now a freelance braille and assistive technology consultant and works closely with visually impaired University students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as delivering workplace training for visually impaired people in employment. He also supports Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVIs) to deliver braille and technology training in schools, and is a lecturer in braille for the Mandatory Qualification for Teachers of Children with a Visual Impairment at the University of Birmingham.
Mel has a wealth of experience in the visual impairment sector and most recently devised the Braille for Beginners course for the Braillists Foundation, where she is currently the Lead Tutor. Prior to this, she worked for many years as a teacher of braille in the West Midlands, delivering braille courses at Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind and Henley College Coventry under contract from Coventry City Council. Her career has seen her work with people at all stages of their visual impairment journey, from children born with a severe visual impairment to adults losing their sight later in life, and these experiences form an integral part of her teaching practice.
Both Matthew and Mel are life-long braille users and visually impaired themselves. Find out more at www.braillists.org
