Braille Institute of America
Braille Institute of America | 4,555 followers on LinkedIn. Positively transforming the lives of those with vision loss. | Braille Institute is a nonprofit organization that for more than 100 years has been positively transforming the lives of those with vision loss. 

We empower individuals who are visually impaired to live fulfilling, active and independent lives. We offer a variety of free programs and classes at seven centers and hundreds of community outreach locations throughout Southern California, as well as online through our distance learning and teleservices.
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We LOVE volunteers at Braille Institute of America. I was delighted to greet these 5 volunteers from Tierra del Sol Foundation this morning at our Los Angeles Library. The volunteers were labeling cartridges to be sent, free of charge to blind and visually impaired readers across Southern California. To volunteer with us, simply visit https://lnkd.in/gWFdbW7m or call 1800-BRAILLE. Tierra Del Sol champions inclusion and value for all people with disabilities through creative pathways to employment, education, and the arts. Donna Wager Michael J. Lusardi Matt Chambers, Ed.D. William Nelson Sandy Shin Debra Martin Lester Sussman Michael Corley Patricia Bramhall Madalyn Spangler Lisa Lepore

Accessible, creative, and fully unique to each creator—it’s no surprise that we love zines! Zines are handmade self-publications featuring text, imagery, or a combination of the two. This year, the Braille Institute Library launched a brand-new zine making class, where students learned to assemble their very own zines. Giselle H., who has been a Los Angeles Center student for the past nine years, created a zine titled “Jumbo: The Pros and Cons of a Seeing Eye Elephant" inspired by her friend Wendy. Giselle uses colored paper and yarn to add lively illustrations to her zine. Watch and follow along with Giselle's zine and enjoy the humorous story of Jumbo’s new job as a seeing eye elephant! This Sunday, August 25th, from 11am to 4pm, Giselle's zine will be on display along with other Braille Institute students' work at the Armory Zine Fest in Pasadena. Check out our students’ work, support other local zinesters, and enjoy free arts and crafts activities at this inaugural event hosted by the Armory Center for the Arts. Thank you to the Radical Librarianship Institute at UCLA and the Mellon Foundation for making this program possible! To learn more about the Braille Institute Library’s zine program, check out our latest edition of the Scene Newsletter on our website here: https://bit.ly/3WS2GCb

Breaking barriers and winning medals! Stephen Nedoroscik, the U.S. men's gymnastics pommel horse specialist, helped end a 16-year medal drought with an incredible bronze medal performance. Last Monday, Nedoroscik nailed his routine without his glasses, relying on the feel and flow of his movements. “The thing about pommel horse is like you’re using your hands the whole time,” Nedeoroscik tells CNN. “You’re feeling how your center of mass sort of swivels around. I don’t see. I don’t need to see to see what I’m doing… I’m just doing it by how it feels.” Nedoroscik has strabismus, or misalignment of the eyes, and coloboma, a loss of tissue in a part of the eye. Read more about athletes with vision impairment here: https://cnn.it/3LTpoVG #NoBoundariesInSight #LowVision #Paris2024 #Olympics Jim (Dimitri) Kales

This fall, we're thrilled to kick off our Braille Challenge Writing Workshop for Braille Challenge students in grades 10-12. In this virtual eight week program, students will join a community of passionate braille readers to level up their writing skills. We offer two tracks: Academic and Creative Writing. Participants will learn directly from experts in the fields, collaborate with their peers, and renew their excitement for the famous six-dot system! In the Academic track, students will learn from researchers like Professor Simon Fischer-Baum. We’ll tackle personal statements, undergraduate admissions, accommodation requests, research, and more. In the Creative Writing track, led by an Antioch University Masters of Fine Arts candidate with experience writing different genres, students will be delving into everything from screenwriting to poetry. Students will develop their own unique writing voice, practice workshopping their pieces, and learn to bring their characters to life. To register, just complete this form: https://lnkd.in/g6Z-uz35 While the Writing Workshop is only open to Braille Challenge participants in grades 10-12, the survey is open to students in grades 7-12. By the way, participants who complete the survey by August 16th will be entered for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Image Description: Graphic with white text on an ink blue background that reads: "Braille Challenge Writing Workshop. Level up your writing skills in our new virtual program for Braille Challenge participants in grades 10-12!". At the bottom of the image is a close-up of a youth's hands using a blue Perkins Brailler with the Braille Institute logo on the side. #BrailleChallenge #Braille