Paddy Wallace with his my Kristy. Paddy enjoys reading tactile books in Braille in the school library. Photo: Supplied/ ABC - Shannon Corvo
By Emily Doak of ABC
Like most kindergarten children, Paddy Wallace is learning to read. But unlike the other kids in his class, he's blind and uses Braille.
Paddy's learning journey prompted his hometown of Temora in Australia's southern NSW to do the same.
Vision Australia believed Temora was the first regional town in the country to be "Braille bombed", with stickers put on most businesses to raise awareness of the experiences of people who are blind or vision impaired.
Behind the push was Paddy's mum, Kristy Wallace, who said her son had embraced the challenge of learning the code of dots used to create letters and numbers.
"He is a type of child that rises to any challenge that life has thrown him or we set him, and Braille is no exception," Wallace said.
"Week by week he's able to write more words, or when we do home readers, suddenly he's not sounding out anymore because he's just learned that combination of words or letters.
"It's just been such a rewarding journey."
Paddy Wallace reads Braille stickers that his home town's shops have put up. Photo: Supplied/ ABC - Emily Doak
Braille still vital
Technology has come a long way since Braille was invented nearly 200 years ago.
NSW Department of Education vision support assistant principal Lynette Wilson said despite the advent of audiobooks and speech to text, Braille was still important.
"It's still the primary way for people who are blind to communicate on paper," she said.
"We continue to teach all students the value of reading and writing and that's just the same for a blind person.
"It allows for creativity, it allows for imagination, and it makes whatever is on the page more personal."
Starting conversations
The idea for Temora's "Braille bombing" came after a similar event in Melbourne in May, gaining the support of the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, Temora Shire Council and more than 100 local businesses.
"With a team of vision specialists and community members within one day, we were able to bomb the entire town," Wallace said.
Volunteers took part in a workshop to learn about the language and make temporary stickers for shops and public buildings.
Business owner Debbie Davidge said it was a "no-brainer" to put a Braille sticker at her front door.
"People have noticed, they come in and ask me what it is," she said.
"You tell them the story and the response is quite amazing.
"We claimed to be the friendliest town in New South Wales. And I feel like this is just another arm of what we do."
High school students made special tactile books that Paddy can read by feel. Photo: Supplied/ ABC - Shannon Corvo
Temora Mayor Rick Firman said the council was pleased to be part of the initiative but said making the stickers permanent would require government funding.
"Council are very open to such a notion, particularly if it's assisting our community, but we have a very limited budget," he said.
Steps toward independence
It will be some time before Paddy will be able to walk down the main street by himself, but Wallace said the signs had given him more independence as he could tell which shop he was visiting.
"So many kids interact with literacy on a daily basis but Paddy needs to feel to be able to engage in signage," she said.
"To stop and feel each of the letters and put the words together to know he's at the right place for his milkshake, or his haircut, or whatever it might be.
"It's a gift that keeps giving for us every time we interact and walk down the main street."
-ABC