That Blind Woman said "Why Not?!" to the 7-day challenge!

By Julie Woods | Posted:

When the 7-day challenge was first mooted, my ears pricked up... 

Pitching myself against myself was something I had become used to since going blind. Beginning something, wishing I hadn’t, carrying on anyway, getting frustrated with my progress, finally getting on top of it and, in the words of Helen Keller, realising “I can do anything if I stick to it long enough” – this had become my new way of being.

So I said “why not?” to reading aloud for 7 days. Not having read aloud for over 30 years, I really found it a challenge to face my fear of reading aloud for 7 days straight!

However, it was working with the talented Events Co-ordinator Kay Mercer from the Dunedin Public Library that made this challenge really possible. “Would you like to visit the Community Libraries around Dunedin?” Kay asked. It was the genius this 7-day challenge needed. Beginning in the storypit at Dunedin Public Library on Sunday 2 October, the first day of Blind Week 2016, we then went on to visit Blueskin Bay, Mosgiel, Port Chalmers and Waikouaiti libraries, including a visit to a school holiday programme at Elm Grove in Mosgiel. The welcome from the community librarians was huge – everyone was pleased to have us come to their space in what was the second week of the school holidays.

Building the blanket huts, wearing my polar fleece pyjamas, writing the children’s names in braille, feeling the items in Kay’s touch box, using the TapTapSee app on my iPhone to identify print labels – these all became integral parts of the challenge, as well as of course reading in braille my one book a day, Hairy MacLary from Donaldson’s Dairy. The kids also loved the collage aspect of the braille book, touching and feeling the pictures of the dogs and Scarface Claw – the toughest tom in town!

By writing each of the children’s, parents' and librarians’ names in braille and focusing on them as individuals, I had the chance to appreciate all the following human beings who turned up and were touched by my challenge:

Kayesha, Nigel, Wendy, Amanda, Elden, Ollie, Jari, Rebecca, Megan, Molly, Neve, Jaime, Matt, Gus, Lulu, Belle, Beatrix, Austin, Nathan, Louise, Averil, Jacob, Ava, Nanni, Rachael, Colin, Colleen, Dianne, Gwen, Heather, Gabby, Jack, Max, Caleb, Casey, Tilly, Talitha, Hunter, Irene, Sharyn, Anthony, Coco, Io, Nico, Rosa, Yana, Bruno, Katiya, Ashaieia, Flynn, Kate, Matthew, Heather, Maya, Livi, Jari, Fleur, Heather, Emily, Eryn, Mary, Zoe, Georgia, Ziana, Hana, Emily, big Ruby, Samantha, Amelia, Belinda, Anna, Lucy, Aine and Selma.

One by one, I was touched by you all!

Big braille hugs,

Jx