World Read Aloud Day

Blind SA in conjunction with SA Braille authority and Nali’Bali hosted a successful World Read Aloud Day with fourteen Schools for the Blind on 21 February 2019. 646 blind and partially sighted learners participated in reading the story Where are you by Ann Walton illustrated by Rico, and also participated in the spelling and comprehension quiz and a braille treasure hunt. The learners read the story in 7 South African languages;

 

The schools that participated included:

• Athlone school for the blind
• Arthur Blaxall School for the Blind
• Bartimea School for the Deaf & Blind
• Christiana School for the Blind
• Ethembeni school for the Physically Disable and Blind
• Efata School for the Blind & Deaf
• Khanyisa School for the Blind
• Prinshof School for Partially Sighted & Blind
• Pioneer School for the Blind
• Rivoni school for the blind
• Sibonile School for The Blind
• Thiboloha School for the Blind
• Tshilidzini School for the Blind
• Zamokuhle school for the Blind

 

The schools and learners received the prizes listed below:

• All participating schools received a “Certificate of Participation”
• 1st Prize: Tatrapoint Mechanical Braille Writing Machine
• Awarded to Arthur Blaxall school which had 76 learners and Prinshof School which had 215 Learners

 

The highest percentage of participating learners – 100% of learners from Grade 4 to 7.

Participating in all the categories;

Participating in the most number of languages – 5 plus 4 languages respectively.

 

All schools received library books in braille and print for their school library for publishing photos and articles in the media and social media.

Learners received Prizes for participating in the quiz and braille treasure hunt.

Our congratulations to all the participating schools and learners and our appreciation to Nali’Bali, Via Africa Publishers, SA Braille Authority and Svec a Pol Tatrapoint Mechanical Braillers for sponsoring the prizes.

 

The objective of the event was to commemorate International Braille Day, International Mother-tongue Language Day and to promote the culture of reading and writing for blind and partially sighted learners. The reports received from the schools certainly attests to the event being a resounding success and the next event will be held on 21 February 2020.