From the Editor

Spring is here! The Iowa Department for the Blind spent much of its winter talking about Braille and Braille literacy, so we decided to focus on the topic for this issue of the White Cane.

Braille is an integral part of a blind individual’s development. Studies have shown that those who are taught Braille skills from an early age go on to be more successful academically and professionally than those who do not learn Braille.

Braille allows a blind person to understand language as a sighted person would with printed language. Braille fluency allows a reader to learn grammar, spelling and punctuation, sentence structure and other nuances of written language.

This issue includes articles on the Iowa Braille Challenge and some of our clients who have become successful Braille readers in their later years.

— Shoshana Hebshi