Image of Henry holding one of his 3-D model kits for children with blindness or low vision

November 4, 2022

Reading books is an enjoyable experience for children.  Print-braille books incorporate printed and braille pages embossed on see-through plastic for young readers with blindness or low vision.  Parents who are blind, as well as sighted parents, can read along with their child who reads in braille.  Innovative technology has also made it possible for children to experience storytelling through braille and touchable 3-D models.

With your support, opportunities are possible for creative-minded students, like University of Cincinnati graduate student Henry Levesque, to design and produce 3-D model kits for children with blindness or low vision in the United States as well as other countries, like Africa.  He has also created 3-D models for art exhibits, like a Big Boy Statue model for the American Sign Museum.

“I like to create things and to be able to use my experience with 3-D printing.  This internship has been a fantastic opportunity for me and it’s very rewarding to be able to apply what I have learned to help others,” said Henry.

Henry’s passion and expertise for model design produced model kits at an astonishing pace of two to three books per week over the summer.  Overall, he created a dozen model kits for print-braille storybooks available in several different languages.

“Collaborating with Henry and UC has pushed this initiative forward about two years.  I can’t thank Henry enough,” said Sam Foulkes, Clovernook Center’s Director of Braille Production & Accessible Innovation.

Your support makes it possible for internships and ensures that Clovernook Center remains on the cutting edge of technology by creating new ways for children with blindness or low vision to have more enjoyable reading and learning experiences.

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