Braille programme launched at Prospect Primary

THURSDAY, NOV. 3: I am pleased on this special occasion, to represent the Ministry and Department of Education, as we celebrate the official launch of the Braille Programme.

As you have heard, there are more than thirty visually impaired students in our public school system and it is on their behalf - as well as ours - that I take this opportunity to publicly thank our generous community-minded private sector entities who so graciously accepted the call to help.

This programme which will help to give visually-impaired students the ability to be successful in both school and in the community would not have been possible without contributions from the following individuals and organisations:

• Philip Butterfield CEO HSBC

• Dennis Tucker from Bank of Bermuda Foundation

• Roseann DeCouto of ACE, and

• Ernest Morrison from Cox, Hallett and Wilkinson

Their efforts have been selfless and stand as a prime demonstration of community spirit.

I also want to thank Education Officer for Special Education Mrs. Donna Edge Bean for spearheading this programme.

And Principal Shangri-La Durham-Thompson for welcoming this programme to her school - Prospect Primary School - when we were looking for a convenient location.

On behalf of the Ministry of Education and the Bermuda public school system - I thank you all for your support of the visually-impaired.

For so long, I have heard about the benefits of technology in this area; it is just wonderful to be able to launch this programme which will see braille books provided at each level, so that all students will be exposed to the printed word and the participation of visually impaired students in classroom activity will be greatly increased.

I am pleased that - with your help - we have been able to bring this programme to fruition.

Thank you.