A recent gift to Eastern Michigan University will enable
visually impaired students to experience a world beyond
their classrooms. The Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund
(MBTF) has given $20,000 to fund a new program that pairs
K-12 students from Metro Detroit with EMU students who
are studying special education.
Eastern Michigan offers the only undergraduate program
in Michigan that trains teachers of the visually impaired,
and is one of the few universities nationwide offering
this special training.
"Through this program, our student teachers will have
an opportunity to work directly with visually impaired
students in various settings. It will give our student
teachers a chance to work outside the classroom in real-world
settings," said Alicia Li, an associate professor
in EMU's Department of Special Education. "This will
greatly enrich their learning experience."
Special-needs students living in Metro Detroit face several
challenges. Many visually impaired students from low-income
families, for example, are not able to obtain needed educational
programs because of a lack of funding.
To date, MBTF has given EMU nearly $145,000 to support
students with visual impairments. Founded in 1962 as
a volunteer effort by inmates at the State Prison of Southern
Michigan, MBTF has grown to be the largest Braille production
facility in the nation, transcribing "hard to Braille" projects
such as bus schedules, menus and textbooks.
This new EMU program will work in partnership with a group
of teachers in Detroit who volunteer their evenings and
weekends to improve the students' learning opportunities
outside the classroom. The gift will provide funds to take
visually impaired students into real-world learning situations,
such as a weekend trip to Chicago or an overnight trip
to a museum. The grant also will support a Monthly Adventure
Club, offering ice skating, camping, arts and crafts, swimming,
dance classes and daily living lessons.
"Students with visual impairments learn like other students;
through life experiences," said Li. "This program
will help them improve cognitive skills, learn social skills
and expand their interests." — Contributed
by Kimberly Wilcox, public relations intern, EMU Foundation
