2nd-Graders Learn Braille Over Playing Games

Date:   Thursday, April 27th
Time:  1 p.m.
Place:  The Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street - Winnetka, Ill.

Winnetka, IL? The Crowe Island School’s 2nd-grade class had their choice of legos, playing all 
kinds of games, working on the computer or reading and they chose to learn braille. 

This is how kids in Marie Dickey’s class are spending their free time at school these days. With 
two visually impaired classmates, Charlotte and Charlie, the rest of the class has gone to great 
lengths to learn to communicate with their friends. Ms. Dickey says often the kids will write notes 
in braille including recent Valentine’s Day cards that they worked on. “I’ve never heard of any 
kids that didn’t need to know braille that wanted to learn braille,” Marie said.

The class will visit The Hadley School for the Blind where they will be presented with a surprise 
of two new braillers. This will allow students at Crowe Island to take home a brailler and work on 
braille activities outside of school. They will also be given a tour of the school and learn how a 
braille printer and computer technology assist blind people. 

Gail Wilson visits Crowe Island every day and teaches both Charlie and Charlotte through the 
North Suburban Special Education District. She said that in her 23 years as a teacher she has never 
seen such a cohesive group that is out to support one another. “I’ve never seen kids like this,” said 
Gail Wilson, teacher of both Charlie and Charlotte. “I’ve had a few kids over the years here and 
there that were interested in braille but nothing like this where they are so invested in learning 
braille and they really want to be in Charlie’s and Charlotte’s world. These kids love Charlie and 
Charlotte for who they are.”

One of the students in Ms. Dickey’s class even tried bidding on a brailler on ebay. The only 
problem was the child bid in Euro dollars on a brailler in the United Kingdom.

“These children are absolutely amazing and we are thrilled to have them excited about learning 
braille at such a young age,” said Susan Dennison, Hadley’s Director of 
Communications/Development. “Hadley is always happy to open its doors to not only the 
community, but to an extraordinary group of kids.”

“It is a major accomplishment for kids in the 2nd-grade to learn braille in order to assist someone 
who is blind,” said Susan Fisher, Braille Instructor for The Hadley School for the Blind. “When 
the kids have a choice between games or learning braille and they are eight years old, it is a rare 
and amazing achievement