Note from the editor: Jessie Kirchner is a bright, enthusiastic college student who possesses a great deal of warmth and intelligence. She is a member of the Connecticut affiliate and has been active in promoting the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act, sponsored by Senator Christopher Dodd. Jessie was awarded a national scholarship at convention in July 2003 and continues to be an active part of the Federation movement, both locally and nationally. Below, Jessie describes the difference Braille has made in her life.

In 1829, a young Frenchman published a remarkable book about his invention which would help the blind soar to heights they could only have imagined before. At last, the ability to read and write was no longer an impossibility, but a tangible reality -- literally. Louis Braille's self-titled writing system, which he invented at age fifteen, has enabled millions of blind people to realize their potential and achieve their goals. I am one of those individuals.

Memories flit through my mind -- of a timid five-year-old whose insatiable desire to learn helped her master the Braille code quickly and easily under her instructor's tutelage whose passion for literature and vocabulary later materialized into rows of enthralling novels that crowded her bookshelves and often figured in her childish conversation. By age eight, she was indulging in clandestine nocturnal forays into other worlds with no need of light to guide her. Talking books were delightful, and were devoured with almost equal voracity, but the little girl preferred to see the words in front of her, the better to learn them, an advantage that tapes could never provide.

Meanwhile, she distinguished herself in class with her ability to spin outrageous yarns of considerable length for a youngster whose friends were still perfecting their penmanship. She would spend nights on end with her word processor or Braillewriter, even through junior high, experimenting with the feel and the music of the words before her until the combination was absolutely perfect. The acquisition of a portable notetaker with a refreshable Braille display sophomore year was a dream come true. It was an improvement over her speech-based equipment and facilitated writing as well as reading novels.

I have grown older and left that girl behind, but Braille is still essential to me. Reading for pleasure is now a luxury, as reading for class consumes most of my time; and instead of composing stories and poems, I write expository essays. The Braille code also helps me do complex math and communicate in French. It enhances my study of music, my other great passion, by allowing me to read flute and vocal scores rather than learning them simply by ear. I will always be grateful to the French teenager who invented the system so long ago, little knowing how it would shape my life and the lives of so many others for generations to come.

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