Kim Barraclough
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 14/99) - Maureen O'Hagan, a classroom assistant and the organizer of the Braille Club at Weledeh school, didn't want her other grade six students to exhibit any special treatment when a blind student enrolled in her class.

O'Hagan wanted them to know that their peer is just like everybody else. Despite the fact that she lacks the ability to see the world in the same way as her peers.

O'Hagan thought a good way to educate the school community would be to start a club.

"(The Braille Club) is a vehicle for public education within the school community," said O'Hagan.

Currently, the Braille Club consists of fifteen Grade 6 students. All of the students are in a class with a blind student. Many of the students have known the student for many years and enjoy learning about those things that challenge her and how they can help her.

The students meet every Friday at lunch hour.

Next year, O'Hagan hopes to open the program up to the entire school. She wants to offer the program to groups of several students on six week cycles. She wants to give each grade level the opportunity to participate.

The current program has been up and running since september and O'Hagan thinks it has been a great success so far.

"We've just all benefited so much," said O'Hagan.

O'Hagan, who has managed to learn much about literary and mathematical braille, works with the blind student on reading, geography, math and several other subjects.

The students involved with the program are just as enthusiastic about it as O'Hagan.

"You learn how to do braille and everything,"said club member Sara Reid.

Reid said the skills taught to them at the Braille club are important and useful. The skills enable them to help out their classmate.

"We use it pretty much every day," said Reid.

The students are taught many things about what it is like to be blind, they have even had lunch together blind. They have also learned that they must not discriminate against someone who is not sighted. They have been taught that all should have equal opportunity.

They can often be found at lunch hour on Fridays blind folded and working on white cane or sighted guide technique. They are also learning how to read braille and how to create braille. They play games blind folded such as sound bingo and tactile dominoes.

All of the students in the club are friends with their blind class-mate and enjoy learning about what life is like for her and how they can help to improve things for her.

Many of the members agree on one thing about the Braille Club.

"We'll all be in it as long as it exists."