Digital Braille and a father’s love

Like any father, seeing his children achieve their dreams is a significant event.

But for Engr. Roger Bajarias, each fruitful and productive episode in the life of his daughter, Charisse Ann, is not just a milestone. It is always beyond special.

Charisse Ann, 22, was born with visual impairment; but she did not stop dreaming and instead, worked hard to achieve her goals.

With the help of the Cebu Braille Center, Charisse Ann studied at the Cebu Normal University (CNU) from pre-school until she graduated from college last 2017.

Using Braille – a six-dot writing code used by visually impaired persons that is equivalent to the alphabet – using a slate (paper) and stylus (pen), she painstakingly studied to read and write.

“It had been very hard for Cha-cha to study using the slate and stylus way. When she answers examinations and writes for her school work, she has to submit it first to the Braille Center where it will be transcribed. Then, the transcription will be submitted to the teacher who will check it. It is a very long and tedious process,” Bajarias said.

Bajarias works as factory manager of KGS Corporation, a Japanese company engaged in the manufacture of different technological products.

He once hoped that technology would help ease his daughter’s life along with other visually-impaired persons.

One of their company’s products is the Braille Display or BMS40 – a computer device that can be used by the blind to download text, information, read, write and send messages among other functions — all in Braille.

Bajarias manages the production plant of the company at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (Mepz) which produces the electronic braille slate, one of the parts of the BMS40.

“It’s ironic because my daughter is blind and we have this product in our company; but we don’t have that at home. I brought this one at home one time but she declined to use it because there was nobody else in school or in the Braille Center that uses it,” Bajarias said.

“Last year, our company president, Mr. Ryoji Kudo, started his vision to open up a digital braille section in the public library. When he visited the library, he talked to Maam Ruth (Rosario Chua).

She was very receptive and right there and then, Mr. Kudo said that we would lease 5 units to the Cebu City Public Library (CCPL),” said Bajarias. Chua is the CCPL librarian.

Although the electronic braille slates are being manufactured in Mepz, the BMS40 is assembled in Japan. The device is also mainly distributed in Japan and has not yet been marketed here in the Philippines.

In July, the five units that Kudo promised to lease were delivered at the CCPL from their factory in Japan and on August 1, the KGS Philippines Corporation staff successfully installed the units in the second floor of the CCPL.

With the new technology available at the public library, Bajarias said he sees a new life for Charisse Ann and other visually-impaired persons who continue to dream high despite their disability.

“It gives them independence and the opportunity to be productive in society, and perhaps live a normal life and participate in the workforce,” Bajarias said.

Charisse Ann has started to volunteer at the Braille Center after she graduated from CNU in 2017. She passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) on her first take last March 2018.

Charisse Ann said she was blessed that aside from her parents, her teachers and classmates helped her in coping with the tasks in school, paving the way for her to complete her degree in Education major in Special Education.

“My teachers were considerate and they even modified the projects to suit my capabilities. I also took their help as a motivation and a challenge to work hard,” Charisse Ann said.

On Monday (August 13), Charisse Ann and six other volunteers from the Braille Center will start their training on how to use the BMS40 in the public library.

Other visually-impaired persons may also come at the library from 10 am to 3 pm during weekdays to practice using the BMS40.

“This is a start. They can come here and they can see how much more they can do with this equipment. It will open horizons for the visually-impaired,” Bajarias said.

Charisse, is excited to explore new functions using the BMS40 as she looks forward to learn more and be more productive.

“When I was young, people would exclude me from trying a lot of things. I would have wanted to try a lot. This time, I hope I can do more,” said Charisse Ann with a lot of hope in her voice.

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