I’m Christina, and this is my Perkins Brailler story.
I was born blind due to congenital cataracts and glaucoma and I started school as the Rehabilitation Act went into effect – so I was the first blind child to enter public school in my area.
And that’s where I first met my Perkins Brailler: 1977, at 7 years old in public school. I used it for school work, learning braille, of course, all through my school years.
In middle school, I put a braille label with my name on it. It was pretty sturdy because I carried it everywhere, dropped it on occasion, and it was moved often from class to class.
But, when I graduated high school in 1988, I had to give it back to the school system that it belonged to. I was heartbroken that I had to part with it.
My Perkins Brailler: an incredible reunion
From there, I attended college as a psychology major – without a brailler, I relied mostly on audio and other tech to navigate through. But I often thought about my old braille writer.
Then I began my career at the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living, where I currently serve as Executive Director.
One Fall day in 2015, a gentleman came into the Center to donate an item – a Perkins Brailler! It was brought back to my office so that I could test it.
And when I took the cover off, the most incredible thing happened: my hand brushed against an old, peeled label, with my name on it! I told the staff, and they told me to keep my Brailler.
Today, it’s in my office helping me with work – and over the years, I have advocated for the rights of people with disabilities at the White House and all over the country. I also use it to teach braille to others.
The brailler has an easier life these days – it’s not getting moved and banged around as much as it did when I was a child. And I’m still amazed that this lifelong friend returned to me!
About the author
Christina Holtzclaw is the Executive Director of Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living (NWGACIL). She is married with six children and two grandchildren. She loves exercising, yoga, modeling and music.
Christina is also a guide dog user and on her fourth guide dog. For more perspective from Christina, read her previous #MyBlindStory post, The Braille Trail: making the outdoors inclusive.
About the Perkins Brailler
The Perkins Brailler has been the most widely used mechanical braille writer in the world since its invention in 1951. With over 70 years of craftsmanship, the brailler stands the test of time – resilient, reliable and ready to support reading, writing, math, music and more.
Learn more about the Perkins Brailler.
Share your Perkins Brailler story
Do you have a Perkins Brailler? When do you use it? What’s the best thing about it? What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever used it for?
We’re collaborating with Perkins to collect stories about this classic tool – and whether your story is ordinary or extraordinary, we’re so interested in learning more about what the 400,000 Perkins Braillers out in the world are up to.
Share your story or tag us on social with #MyPerkinsBrailler.
