Coorparoo State School recently raised more than $500 for Vision Australia’s Feelix library by holding a Crazy Sock Day.
The school, which borders Vision Australia’s Queensland head office, was awash with bright colours and patterns as students from Prep to Year 6 got creative with their footwear.
Feelix is a unique library that caters for children aged seven and under, who are blind or have low vision. It enables young borrowers to enjoy the same stories as their sighted peers, while being introduced to braille and tactile materials, all essential for early literacy development.
Each kit in the library contains a traditional picture storybook annotated with braille and an audio recording of the story. It also contains a handbook with tactile graphics that enables the child to tell the story to themselves, and to share it with others. Tactile aids that help the child journey into the world of the story are also included, for example, an enamel tea set is included in the kit for the book, The Tiger Who Came To Tea.
With each kit costing around $450, Vision Australia’s General Manager Queensland and Northern Territory, Karen Knight, said that the school’s effort will help to build the library’s collection.
“I would especially like to thank the Student Council for donating the proceeds raised from this fun day to Vision Australia," said Karen.
“Feelix kits provide children, who are blind or have low vision, with the opportunity to explore braille, and lose themselves in a story. They, and their families, are able to enjoy the world of words and children’s literature. This makes an invaluable difference to the life, and education, of a child who is blind or has low vision."