Braille Institute's Blind Poster Child to Lead Local Vision Awareness Rally

Anony MouseProvided by the Winning Kids Club PUNTA GORDA — By the time 18-month-old Cameron Petersen leaves for China next month, he will have already impacted the future of Florida's blind children. The Port Charlotte toddler's first public appearance is at the press conference and Vision Awareness Rally to be held in conjunction with the Beginning Braille Summer Camp in Punta Gorda. Earlier this week, Cameron was named the poster child for the Braille Institute of Florida, who is sponsoring the camp and rally on Tuesday at the Bayfront YMCA Center, 750 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda. The public is invited, and both events are free, with tax-deductible donations accepted. Camp begins at 9 a.m. with bag lunch at noon. The rally in the parking lot starts at 11 a.m. Congressman John Lewis, a strong supporter of independence for the blind, is expected to travel to Punta Gorda and speak on behalf of blind children. Other invited guests are Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind; John E. Jordan, practicing blind attorney from Orlando, as well as the United States' lead nurse in the stem cell treatment to correct some forms of blindness. Cameron was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia, an underdevelopment of the optic nerve, during pregnancy. It is one of the three most common causes of visual impairment in children. He is traveling to China because there is currently no treatment in the United States to help Cameron. Studies show that vision disorders are the most prevalent handicapping condition for a child, because not being able to see alters how a child understands and functions in the world, and affects their emotional, neurological and physical development. According to the Braille Institute, in Southwest Florida alone, there are about 10,000 5-year-olds who have not had an eye exam; and 180,000 children failed an eye test, yet were not referred to an eye specialist. On the educational spectrum, even when a child is diagnosed and treated for blindness, only 6 percent ever learn to read Braille. The other 94 percent remain illiterate their entire lives. That's why the Braille Institute is on an intense campaign to teach beginning Braille and to raise money to purchase a mobile coach. According to the institute's president, Gail Ghigna-Hallas, they are in the process of negotiating for the mobile unit, which will be called "Good Bumps on a Roll," that would travel throughout Southwest Florida to conduct free eye exams for children. "We will offer free eye exams to children at birth, 6 months of age, and again at 2 years and 5 years," says Ghigna-Hallas, whose is a registered nurse and holds a doctorate in education and psychology, with an extensive advocacy background for people with disabilities, especially children. An injury three years ago took the sight in Ghigna-Hallas' left eye. "To promote vision education and blindness prevention among the public, (the mobile coach) will also contain a braille library and museum, braille book/toy store, and a classroom to teach beginning braille and guitar to blind children, as well as employ blind individuals," Ghigna-Hallas said. The Braille Institute currently operates in Lee, Charlotte, Collier and Hendry counties, and has received significant donations toward the project and grants from Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, Duxbury Braille-Writing Systems, Enabling Technologies, local individuals and businesses, and continues to write grants to the Florida Department of Education, Division of Blind Services, Zonta Club of Bonita Springs, Kiwanis Club and others, until they have raised the $500,000 necessary to purchase the motor coach and get it up and running. Donations will also go towards the cost of Cameron's treatment and expenses. The Braille Institute of Florida is a United Way agency and division of the Winning Kids Club, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization offering children in Southwest Florida of all abilities and backgrounds instruction in beginning guitar, song writing, music, art, creative writing and rollerskating, as well as braille literacy and guitar lessons for blind and visually impaired children and braille for sighted slow readers to increase reading and other academic scores.