Waroona District High School encourages blind student’s independence by adding Braille to classroom signage

A Waroona high school has bolstered accessibility and encouraged one of its blind students to become more independent after implementing Braille signage outside each of its buildings. The new initiative is the first of many future upgrades for Waroona District High School set to encourage and enable blind student Lily Harrison to become more independent. Eager to show off the new signs the Year 7 student said she could manage without them but it was helpful to have the Braille up on the wall and was filled with pride, describing the new signage as “cool”. “I use my cane to get around and have been learning to read and write in Braille since I was five years old,” she said. “(The signs) help show which room I am at and it’s nice to show off Braille.” Deputy principal Gareth Smith said there are still further works to do around the grounds that will help Lily become more independent. “We want Lily to be included fully and be supported as a member of the community but give her that independence as well so she is not reliant on us and is able to find her way comfortably and safely around the site,” he said. “The signs will allow Lily to reassure herself when she gets to certain parts of the school, whereas at the moment occasionally she can get a little bit disorientated.” Having recently graduated from Waroona District Primary School, Lily had to make herself comfortable with the new surroundings and spent semester four of last year familiarising herself with the high school’s hall ways. Education assistant Tania Jones said the new signs and future upgrades have helped Lily feel included as part of the school community. “I think it’s certainly nice to have inclusive schooling and these Braille signs show other students and people that (inclusive schooling) is important,” she said. “It is an excellent thing to implement, anything that makes schooling inclusive is a good thing.” Further works to the high school are due to include kickboards to identify steps, tactile paving and more hand railing to aid Lily on her schoolyard travels.