June 17, 2020
During the Covid-19 shutdown, many Clovernook Center employees continued working remotely, including braille proofreading teams. These two-person teams are comprised of a sighted individual and someone who is blind or visually impaired. These teams are a critical link in Clovernook Center’s Braille Printing House operations – they work together to ensure that braille produced by Clovernook Center is in correct form and error-free.
Laura Goodridge and Lisa Hall are one proofreading team and have worked together for nearly 15 years in the Braille Printing House. At this point, the two are an unstoppable duo! Laura reviews the original print copy while Lisa reviews the transcribed braille version in real-time to review for any errors made. The two take turns reading passages aloud to each other and noting differences so they can be reconciled before production can begin.
During quarantine, the team worked on proofreading the book Money Smart for Adults, using FaceTime. Money Smart for Adults is a newly updated, instructor-led curriculum, which provides participants with practical knowledge, skills-building opportunities, and resources they can use to manage their finances. The curriculum, produced by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), consists of 14 modules that cover basic financial topics.
Even though Clovernook Center was closed, Laura and Lisa worked diligently to complete this project and many more from home. Laura would travel to Clovernook Center and get the boxes of materials while Clovernook Center’s Braille Print house manager, Samuel Foulkes, would deliver the braille material to Lisa. Both Lisa and Laura agreed that they didn’t feel like they slowed down or missed any work throughout the pandemic, thanks to quickly shifting how they work with the help of technology.
Laura recently celebrated her 20-year anniversary with Clovernook Center. She started out as a scanner, did some transcribing, and now works as a copyholder. Laura says that her job is to make sure that what she has in print matches the braille.
Lisa Hall moved to Cincinnati from San Antonio, Texas in 2006 after she accepted a position at Clovernook Center. Lisa learned braille at an early age and feels fortunate to have been able to attend a job readiness program through the Louisiana Center for the Blind, a chapter of the National Federation for the Blind. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, roughly 70% of people with vision loss are either unemployed or are not a part of the workforce. In recent years, the advancement of technology has helped to lower this statistic. Lisa feels fortunate to be comfortable using technology and thinks that all BVI people should use all aspects of technology as much as they can because it’s not only helpful in everyday life but it’s critical to finding employment.
Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired prides itself on providing life-enriching opportunities while empowering people who are blind or visually impaired to be self-sufficient and full participants in their communities. This includes providing meaningful employment opportunities. Today we remain a fully integrated workforce with over 50% of our staff consisting of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
Thanks to our employees, including Lisa and Laura, Clovernook Center has grown to become one of the largest global producers of braille. Thank you for your dedication and hard work, Lisa and Laura!
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