Dareth is a bright teenager who learns quickly. She came to our school at age five, but learning has been a challenge each step of the way because she has almost no sight. Learning Braille is a slow process, so we are thankful that her teacher, Alfonsa, is putting a lot of effort into helping her with Braille, and Dareth is progressing slowly.

 

In the process of starting to learn Braille, she listens to many stories while running her fingers over the corresponding Braille. She often memorizes the stories, much as a small sighted child memorizes stories that are read to her before she can read on her own. So Alfonsa and her mother read to her daily as she works her way towards actual Braille literacy.

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With our deaf students we develop almost all our teaching material, because we have not found anything adequate for their needs that is in Mexican Sign language. We also develop a lot of our own material for our blind students (currently, Dareth is our only Blind student). For years, their teacher, Alfonsa, has used a hand held Braille label maker, or a slate and stylus to make strips of Braille to add to Spanish children’s books.

 

A few years ago, interns from Tufts University raised funds to purchase a Perkins Brailler which has been donated to the school. Two teachers are actively learning to use the Brailler and can now produce more Braille material. In this way, Dareth’s family can read the Spanish to her, as Dareth uses her fingers to learn to read the same words in Braille. 

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Each school day Dareth listens to a Bible story, and memorizes a verse. It is a joy to watch her grow in their knowledge of the Word.She has a couple of audio Bibles, but we hope one day she will be able to read the Brialle Bible the school has.