Braille Is Beautiful � �Jake and the Secret Code�

A Review by Carol Castellano

��������� Many schools today hold disability awareness activities designed to expose and familiarize students with the issues faced by people with various disabilities.� Braille Is Beautiful, a new program from the National Federation of the Blind, is the perfect vehicle for raising �blindness awareness.��

��������� The Braille Is Beautiful Video Set is a kit intended to introduce sighted children of elementary school age to Braille as a fun and interesting method of reading and writing.� Along the way, students will receive a positive message about blindness and the abilities of blind people.� The main components of the Braille Is Beautiful Video Set are a 15-minute video, �Jake and the Secret Code,� a teacher�s discussion guide, and a second short video, �That the Blind May Read.��

��������� �Jake and the Secret Code� tells the story of a sighted nine-year-old boy who gets separated from his mother, also sighted, during a shopping trip at the National Center for the Blind.� He wanders into the office of Mr. Chong, a blind staff member.� He becomes fascinated by Mr. Chong�s ability to read �bumps on a blank page� and in the course of his short visit, learns a great deal about Braille, blindness, and what blind people can do.� Jake tells Mr. Chong that his mother is nervous about being around blind people.� Mr. Chong shares a secret for helping people feel more comfortable.� When she is finally reunited with her son, Jake�s mom is shocked to realize that the person who has been taking care of him while he was lost is blind!� Jake is happy to share what he has learned about blindness and Braille with his mother, including the secret for helping her feel comfortable.�

��������� Among the many things that students will see in this video are blind people engaged in a host of activities and the many kinds of equipment blind people use to read and write, such as a slate and stylus, a talking computer, and a Braille printer.�

��������� The 29-page teacher�s discussion guide provides background information, group discussion questions, and a simple lesson plan for introducing Braille writing with the slate and stylus.� The guide ends with six pages of resources which teachers can use to extend learning.� The program can be used in one or more class sessions.�

��������� The second video, �That the Blind May Read,� explains the literacy crisis that confronts young blind students today and provides excellent background information for the teacher.� This moving video was developed with adults in mind but can certainly be used with older students.� The teacher�s discussion guide also provides instructions for the use of this video with a group.

Braille Is Beautiful is a wonderful teaching tool for the classroom, youth groups, scout troops, and other community organizations.� The two videos and teacher�s discussion guide makes planning a presentation easy.� A Braille alphabet card, a slate and stylus, and a stack of Braille paper round out this terrific package.�

For more information contact
National Federation of the Blind� *� (410) 659-9314� *� [email protected]