SD73 Participates in Welcoming Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) Public Library Print/Braille Books

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Story by Mary Anderson, SD73 Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments

The Kamloops-Thompson School District is committed to the literacy development of every student as part of the Intellectual Development Priority in the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan.

On January 4^th, 2024, students and staff celebrated World Braille Day. This important day marks the birthday of Louis Braille, the man who developed the braille code making print materials accessible for partially sighted and blind people. Louis Braille was born 215 years ago in France on January 4, 1809. To learn more about Louis’s important contribution click this link. 

Friday, January 12^th, 2024, Michael Barrett from RLC Elementary School with his SD73 Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, Mary Anderson, helped to celebrate Braille Literacy month and the new collection of print/braille books recently brought in by the public library. The event took place at the North Kamloops Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) Public Library. Michael and Ms. Mary Anderson provided a brief presentation on braille, followed by Michael doing a braille read aloud for story hour. To finish off the event, Michael created braille bookmarks for all those attending. The attendees then had the opportunity to decorate their bookmarks with craft materials and print. Michael joyfully advocated for braille in the community.

Michaela Rye, the TNRD library Accessibility Interim, organized this event with her team and Mary Anderson. We are extremely excited and grateful that the TNRD library branches now have braille books in the collection. This new collection provides accessibility opportunities for both print and braille readers in our TNRD communities to gather at libraries, have like-minded conversations and celebrate literacy. To learn more about the braille collection and events offered at the TNRD libraries click this link.