Women's History Month 2023 Part 1

On this episode of Change Makers, we are celebrating Women’s History Month, by talking to some women who are making history of their own. We’ll hear from two trailblazers, and then hear from LEGO Foundation representatives about their Braille Bricks at Council for Exceptional Children convention that was recently held in Louisville, KY. 

In this Podcast (In Order of Appearance)

• Sara Brown, APH Public Relations Manager
• Kaiya Armstrong, Pilot
• Olaya Landa-Vialard, APH ConnectCenter Director, AER President
• Marc Angelier, LEGO Foundation
• Marie Oddoux, LEGO Foundation

Additional Links and Numbers

• Blind pilot flying across the country lands at Bowman Field in Louisville
• APH ConnectCenter
• AER: Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
•  APH ConnectCenter phone line: 1-800-232-5463
• LEGO Braille Bricks
• Learning Through Play
• LEGO Braille Bricks Kit Request Form
• LEGOs designed for the blind and visually impaired are distributed exclusively from Louisville

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Narrator 0:00

Welcome to Changemakers, a podcast from a p h . We're talking to people from around the world who are creating positive change in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision. Here's your host.

Sara Brown 0:16

Hello and welcome to Change Makers. I'm APH's Public Relations Manager, Saras Brown. And today we are celebrating Women's History Month by talking to some women who are making history of their own right here, right now, in today's time. We'll hear from two trailblazers and then hear from the LEGO Foundation representatives about their Braille Bricks. They were recently at the Council for Exceptional Children's Convention, that was held right here in Louisville, Kentucky. Up first we're talking to Kaiya Armstrong. She made headlines late last year from flying from Phoenix, Arizona, all the way to Washington D. C. In honor of World Sight Day. Hi Kaiya, and welcome to Change Makers.

Kaiya Armstrong 1:05

Hi. It's great to be here.

Sara Brown 1:08

All right , Kaiya, so you made headlines for flying from, what was it ? Is it Phoenix? All the way to Washington D. C. Which is huge. That's a big deal. But before we get into that experience, talk about your background and your vision and everything in between.

Kaiya Armstrong 1:31

I was 14, I was a month into my freshman year of high school, and at the time I was doing online school, so I was usually done with my school day by noon. And my routine was to always go for this really long bike ride just around our community, just to enjoy the weather and have fun. Well, one day I had left the house, not even five minutes later I was back because my vision was just really, really blurry. And you know , I'd had mom look at my eyes and, you know, they were a little red and we just figured it was allergies out in the weather. And then the very next day my pupil had blew and we didn't know what was going on. It was really funny shapes. And we went to the hospital and they sent us to a retina specialist who told me that I had an autoimmune disease called uveitis. And so from there it was really just a long battle of keeping what eyesight I did have, because for years they promised me that I would get my eyesight back. And at 19, after I had gone through surgeries and so many rounds of all these different medications, I was told that I could see, you know, they gave me glasses, they gave me a learner's permit. So I was driving a car <laugh> , which was beyond stressful <laugh> . Wow. But there , there was just something not right. And they weren't really, they didn't seem worried cuz they figured it was just getting used to new glasses. But I'd been wearing glasses for years and so had everybody else in my family. So we knew what getting used to new glasses was like, and something just wasn't right. And it finally all came to a head when it was middle of the day, broad daylight. I tripped over a two foot tall paper shredder in our own home. And we had called the very next day because my dad had heard of this place called the Foundation for Blind Children. And they said, we can get a, an evaluation there and figure out, you know, what was going on. And, you know, they got us in and they said, "we're sorry, but your peripheral vision is gone and chances are you're never gonna get it back." And fast forwarding from 2019, which was when we found out to today, we still have absolutely no idea why I lost my eyesight or, you know, everything that led up to it.

Sara Brown 4:23

So it's not an autoimmune issue is it? It's just No, no, no rationale behind it. It's, yeah . So you never got your answers. Wow.

Kaiya Armstrong 4:35

We're still looking, I mean, we're still going to doctors all the time. <laugh> mm-hmm. <affirmative> . It's a never ending visitation. Yeah. But They have no idea.

Sara Brown 4:45

Just one of those things. Wow . That's, that's so interesting. Wow. And oh , you go for a bike riding , you come right back. Yeah. So it is out of the blue.

Kaiya Armstrong 4:55

Yeah, it was just within a period of 24 hours. Oh

Sara Brown 4:59

My goodness. So this is happening to you. How did, how did flying come into play? Where did that come from?

Kaiya Armstrong 5:07

That sort of came out of the blue too. <laugh>, <laugh> , another thing. Mm -hmm . <affirmative> , I , um, I was able to attend the adult comprehensive classes , at the Foundation for Blind Children to, you know, adjust and learn how to live without my eyesight in 2021 . I got, I was able , I got into the program at the end of the year and we were just, you know, I was getting into the classes and, you know, I was learning and I was getting close to the end. And one of my instructors said that something was coming up that was hosted by the Foundation for Blind Children that they thought that I would be interested in doing. And I found out a few weeks later that they were gonna host a challenge event called Flight for Sight <laugh> . And literally the week before I found out all of the details in talking with my mom about things that I didn't think I would ever be able to do, which was, you know, driving a car, flying a plane. And then a week later this opportunity came up to pilot a plane from Arizona to Washington DC And it was, it was unbelievable at the time, you know, I didn't believe it the first time I heard it. And then it became a reality and applying for the position, I was just so excited. I had never ever dreamed of fly in a plane before. And then this opportunity came up and I told my mom, I have to do this because it's not just proving to the world that people with people that are blind or people with visual impairments can do anything. It was proving it to myself. Cause I had that as myself. And this was, this was a wake up call. I guess you could say that, you know , impossible isn't a word. You know, sometimes you just need to wait until the opportunity comes up.

Sara Brown 7:17

I like that. And that's really good. Or that, impossible is not a word. Just have to wait for the opportunity. And that's the thing, you know, you might not have the best sight , but there's another way to get around it. There's another way to do things and, yeah. Yeah . Wow. So talk about the training and what that process was like.

Kaiya Armstrong 7:42

A lot of extensive training.

Sara Brown 7:44

<laugh> I bet I was,

Kaiya Armstrong 7:46

I was working with a certified, or a certified flight instructor three times a week. And then I was working with an instructor from the foundation that would help sort of translate everything that was in like the pilot's book. I had to read , not really translate, but put into perspective because I couldn't see the pictures and what it was doing. They were making it, making it available for me, I guess you can say. And they were able to emboss the entire book in braille for me, which I loved. But it was so big, <laugh>. It was a very big book when it was done. Yeah . It fills up like an entire suitcase. <laugh>, oh

Sara Brown 8:37

My gosh. <laugh>

Kaiya Armstrong 8:38

And, oh , just carrying that around everywhere, you know, thankfully <laugh> , I didn't have to carry the entire thing with me anytime I left. But yeah, we did that for eight months, every single week I was working them , uh, book-wise. And then I also had a flight instructor, the one that every other week to learn essentially how to pilot the plane. You can only really learn so much from the books.

Sara Brown 9:14

That's true. Yeah.

Kaiya Armstrong 9:16

And so every other week we were up in the air, early in the morning on a Saturday, and it was, it was an amazing experience the very first time we met, you know, I thought it was just gonna be sort of an introduction, figuring out, you know, ways that we can get around it. But no, he threw me right in the pilot seat, you know, <laugh> threw me in , threw me in the deep end <laugh> . But it was such an amazing experience. I was just so excited. And I don't think he really ever doubted me from the beginning. He stuck me in the pilot seat and he told me what we needed to do, and we got in the air that very first day and that very first day he was having me , um, pilot the plane. I wasn't doing all the little minor , um, details because I didn't know all the little minor things, but he gave me the controls once we were up in the air and it was, there are no words.

Sara Brown 10:21

I bet. Just, just takes your breath away.

Kaiya Armstrong 10:25

It really does. Yeah. It doesn't matter how many times I went up, there really are no words to describe what being up in the air felt like.

Sara Brown 10:35

Okay. So you've gotten, you've gotten the hours, you've logged the hours, and you're in there getting comfortable. <laugh> how did the decision come about for a a , a trek from, from Phoenix to Washington for World Site Day? How, what made was that you, what made you decide to do , decide to do that? Or what, how did that come to be?

Kaiya Armstrong 11:02

It was all really hosted by the Foundation for Blind Children. They host what they call challenge events. They've had a group of blind people hike Mount Kilimanjaro. They've had a group of blind students sail the Spanish Virgin Islands, I believe it was where it was. And all of this is just aimed at proving to the people that are blind and to the entire world, that we shouldn't be limiting ourselves to what society thinks we can do. We have the capabilities, we have the tools, and if we don't have the tools, maybe they're in development and a few months or a few years. But all of this was aimed at just proving to everyone that our capabilities are endless.

Sara Brown 12:00

So I met you when you stopped here in Louisville , um, Louisville, Kentucky, during your journey, and you had quite the fanfare, and it was really cool to see, really great to see news organizations out , um, welcoming you into town. And hopefully that was something, oh , I actually followed you as you made your way across <laugh> and saw all the news coverage, so that was really cool. Now, when they're interviewing you and you're telling your story and you're talking about what you're doing in this journey, what are you hoping people, what are you wanting people to take away when they hear your journey and your story?

Kaiya Armstrong 12:35

Well, for people that are blind or visually impaired, I want them to understand that, you know, we don't have limits. If you have a dream that people say is crazy, don't, don't let them stop you. You know, it may not be tomorrow, it may not be next month, it may be a few years from now, but you keep pursuing your dream. And for us, it is a lot of extra work, a lot of extra hours that we have to put into doing what most sighted people can just do. But in the end, it's all worth it. And then for the rest of society, all of the sighted <affirmative> society all sighted people, I want them to understand that it takes us a little bit longer. You know, we can't see. Yes. But we have the tools to be successful just like everybody else.

Sara Brown 13:31

That's so true. Yeah. You have the tools, the tools are there to help you be just as successful as anybody and everyone else. Do you have any more flights planned in the future? What's next? What's next for Kaiya Armstrong?

Kaiya Armstrong 13:43

<laugh> No flights right now, although eventually I love to get back up in the air. Right now I've just really been focusing on school. This is my first year in college and that's been an adventure of its own.

Sara Brown 13:57

Now talk about that. Where are you going? What are you studying or thinking about studying? How's that been?

Kaiya Armstrong 14:02

I'm going to Estrella Mountain Community College right now. And I'm in my second semester <laugh> and I'm pursuing a, an Associates in Criminology and Criminal Justice. And I'm hoping to eventually one day get to law school. I wanna be a lawyer. It's a few years down the line, but, you know, those few years are gonna be one big adventure.

Sara Brown 14:32

Are there , what are your final thoughts are ? What would you say, you know, I always like to ask, you know, what are your final thoughts? Is there anything else you'd like to say? Or is there anything you'd like to say to Kaiya, you know, when she first started, experience vision problems or anybody out there that's worried they can't, you know, set goals and achieve big things like you just did because they're, they're, they're blind or low vision.

Kaiya Armstrong 14:57

I think for those out there that are going through something similar to what I went through that are going through just vision loss in general, that's unexpected. That's sort of just come outta nowhere. It can be really hard. I know for a few years there, when I was still in high school, I had a really hard time accepting what was going on, but it gets better. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. There's a reason that everything has happened and you can't lose hope. Sure. Life isn't gonna be the same as it was when you could see, but maybe it could end up being better <laugh>. You never know. There's always gonna be opportunities ahead of you.

Sara Brown 15:39

All right . Kaiya, thank you so much for joining me today on Change Makers.

Kaiya Armstrong 15:43

Thank you for having me.

Sara Brown 15:47

Now we have APHs very own Connect Center Director, Olaya Landa-Vialard. She is the first Latina president of AER. Hello, Olaya and welcome to Changemakers.

Olaya Landa-Vialard 16:00

Thank you. Glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Sara Brown 16:04

Okay, so this podcast is celebrating women's history and we're talking to people who are making history right here, right in present day. So you are the first Latina president for AER. Can you talk about how, how big of a deal that is? Because it really is?

Olaya Landa-Vialard 16:25

I think it's a , it is a big deal. Um, you know, I think , uh, at least it is for me and for my family , uh, you know, being, being second generation American , um, and, you know, having gone to, to school and , um, speaking mainly Spanish when I was younger , um, and , uh, you being bilingual , uh, and then, you know, making it to where you're the president of a, an international organization that , uh, that that its mission is to serve , uh, individuals who are blind or low vision mm-hmm . <affirmative> .

Sara Brown 17:01

And that's a huge deal. And I'm sure your family's so proud of you too. I could just imagine what they , what they've been thinking and what they've said too, and support of

Olaya Landa-Vialard 17:09

You. Yes . <laugh> yes. And I mean, it, it is , it's just really exciting to, to be at the helm of such a, such an awesome organization. And then knowing that I'm the first Latina, I just feel like, you know, I'm making, we're making inroads. Um, and that that's really important to me , um, to help diversify the field , um, so that more of us are serving , um, in leadership positions, serving, serving the kids who, who look like us. You know,

Sara Brown 17:38

You know, that's a really big deal too. Representation is very important. And when you're serving people that look like you, you know that that makes a difference. And Yes. You know, so I, that's, that's such an amazing thing to , to, to spotlight too . Yes . For those who don't know , can you talk about what AER is?

Olaya Landa-Vialard 17:58

So, AER stands for the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. And we are a professional membership organization , um, that is comprised of , uh, individuals who are teachers of students with visual impairments or blindness. Um, we've got vision rehab therapists, certified low vision therapists , um, who are also part of our organization, certified orientation and Mobility Specialists, orientation and mobility specialists. So all the, all the vision professions , um, belong to AER , um, as a membership organization. And so we , um, we serve our members by providing , um, training, by providing , um, we have two different journals. One that is more research based and one that is more practitioner based . So our journals are available for our members to learn from and then take what they learn from those , um, from, from the journals to implement them out in the field with their clients, with their students. Um, and so we, we are, we are about 3,000 strong in the organization, and we're very, very proud to be out there , uh, affecting change for kids of, of students of all ages into adulthood.

Sara Brown 19:26

And not only are you president of AER, you're also director for the APH ConnectCenter. Would you like to explain for those who just have missed every opportunity in every podcast that you've been on, would you like to explain for those who don't know what the A p H Connect Center is and the services it offers?

Olaya Landa-Vialard 19:42

Sure. So the APH ConnectCenter is , uh, comprised of websites and an Information and Referral line. Um, our Information and Referral line is staffed by two individuals who are blind themselves. And so anybody can call with questions , uh, about blindness, questions about resources for individuals who are , uh, maybe recently diagnosed with blindness or low vision. Uh , a lot of times we get , um, phone calls because people get , uh, get a diagnosis and , um, then they're just sent along their way and they're not given any resources or any know-how on, you know, how to live with this new , um, this , you know, with this new condition that they may have. And , uh, just so that people know, the a p h information and referral line, the phone number is 1-800-232- 5463. And like I've said before, it's staffed Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Standard time. Um, and so that is one big piece of what, what we have in the APH ConnectCenter. We also have a directory of services that has about 2, 000 , um, agencies listed , um, where you can find resources that are , um, near you in your state, in your region. So that's another big part of the Connect Center. We also have , um, the three websites. We have , uh, family Connect, Vision Aware , and Career Connect. So our Family Connect website is for families of, of individuals who , uh, are blind or low vision, mainly , um, school age . Um, and then we have our vision aware , uh, audience, which is adults with vision loss , uh, or people who are new to living with vision loss. And then we have our Career connect site, which is for job seekers who are blind or low vision . And so in with the Career Connect, we have , um, we have webinars that feature individuals from different careers. Um, we've had a blind embalmer, we've had blind , um, finance bankers. Um, we've had blind producers , um, you know, media producers, movies and tv. Um, and so we, we really have spanned the gamut of individuals who are blind , um, who come on and talk to our , uh, our job seekers who may be looking for jobs in any particular sector that's out there. And so I think so far we've had about 12 , um, we call them career conversations. And , um, and so we are able to offer that , um, to our youth who are in the transition period and to older, older individuals who might be looking for a career change. Um, we offer the same , uh, we offer webinars as well for Family Connect. And the Family Connect webinars are typically more geared towards , um, parents and guardians of children who are blind or low vision. Um, talking about how to work with your child or your, your loved one at home , uh, helping them with concept development , um, helping them with, with , um, uh, independent living skills, things of that nature. The thing, the other thing too, with Vision Aware , we have , um, lots of webinars on independent living , uh, on diabetes care with , if you are visually impaired or blind, how do you manage your diabetes , um, you know, giving insulin injections , um, also, you know, taking your , uh, measuring your blood sugar, all those things that, that people tend to do every day that seem like everyday tasks. But when you're blind or low vision, you just have to have a different way of doing it. And so we try to help you figure that out.

Sara Brown 23:24

So talk about representation in the field. Do , I mean, I , you don't have to give any specific hard finance finite stats, Uhhuh , <affirmative> . Is there a lot of diversity in this field that you're in?

Olaya Landa-Vialard 23:39

We don't have a lot of diversity in the field. Um, well, for one , um, the field is dominated by women, so that's one, one area , uh, we need to, we need to diversify , uh, gender. Um, but also there are just not a lot of people of color in the field. And so it's, it's hard , um, when you are trying to reach students who don't look like you, not that it's impossible, but remember, we're trying to inspire and we're trying to motivate kids and, and, and , and adults who we work with. And, you know, we really want to be able to diversify the field regarding ethnicity, regarding gender , um, so that we are serving the kids who, who look like us. Um, and so that is an issue that we, we have in the field right now. We're trying to address that , um, by doing some outreach to historically black colleges and universities , um, to see about recruiting some of those, those students into programs that are in , uh, other universities. Um, because most of our programs are master's level. And so if we can go and target , um, a historically black colleges and universities and also Hispanic-serving institutions, we may be able to start breaking that barrier and really , um, you know, diversifying our field by bringing in more , um, African-American, black , uh, Hispanic, Asian , um, you know , LGBTQ+ , um, into the field so that our students can see themselves in the people who are serving them.

Sara Brown 25:36

Because just like we just said, in the end, representation really does matter. And that's a really cool thing that you all are doing, especially with the HBCUs. And, you know, it makes it, it just makes such a big difference.

Olaya Landa-Vialard 25:49

Oh yes. It's, it's gonna make it , we're hoping it makes a huge difference by doing that outreach. I know we have one program at an HBCU, North Carolina Central University. We'd love to see a program like that replicated in other HBCUs. Um, and so that is something that AER is taking on right now. We have , um, recruitment chairpersons , um, and, and the different , um, uh, state level AER chapters and they are charged with outreach. And some of the charges are to reach out to some of these colleges and universities , um, Hispanic serving and historically black colleges and universities to talk to them about this field in particular and letting people know that this is a career choice. Um, that , and that there's a lot of these , uh, programs that we do have , um, in the vision world are grant funded, so there's money there as well to incentivize people to come into this field. And so AER's really looking at taking that on. I'm , you know, we've never had a , um, diversity committee for AER and as the president, as the first Latina president , um, I made sure that we created a diversity, equity and inclusion committee , um, for the first time. And so we just had our first meeting in , uh, a couple weeks ago in , uh, mid-February. And , um, we are , uh, right now our charge is to identify people of color who we can name some awards after. One of the things that I noticed , um, you know, when you talk about representation, one of the things that I noticed at our last international conference in 2022 , um, when the awards were being given, I started notice . I , I just noticed the names or, or the people who these awards are named after, none of them were people of color. And I just thought, you know, that we are not being represented , um, when it comes to, you know, high accomplishments where people can be, have , uh, an award named after them. So , um, one of our, our, our first charges is to identify people of color who have, who are trailblazers themselves in this field. Either they themselves are blind or low vision or have done something innovative in the field , um, to affect change , uh, positive change in the lives of individuals who are blind or low vision. So , uh, representation really does matter. We have to see ourselves , uh, out there just like we want our clients and our students to see themselves in us.

Sara Brown 28:37

Okay . I just got chills, so I'm just thinking that maybe one day there's gonna be an award named after you

Olaya Landa-Vialard 28:43

That No.

Sara Brown 28:45

That's so true. I didn't even think about that. For those who don't understand the importance of having diversity, whether it be just in a program or an organization, can you explain the importance of having a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds in a variety of colors, with a variety of experiences?

Olaya Landa-Vialard 29:05

Um, I think, I mean, you , you kind of nailed it. People from different backgrounds, different experiences bring so much richness to the table. Um, you know, there , it's, it's hard to create , um, policies and programs if you only have one point of view. And, you know, people from different background, I mean, me, myself , uh, you know, I grew up in, in, in Houston , um, uh, in a, in a Mexican neighborhood , um, where, you know, everything that we needed was within our in two, you , you know, within like a two to three mile radius. And we never really had to leave , um, the neighborhood in order to, you know, go buy groceries or go to the doctor or those kind of things. And so our worlds are sometimes very limited. And so , um, when you bring that to the table where someone else was, you know, had different experiences or more vast experiences, you're able to learn from each other and then be able to , um, how do I wanna say, kind of like respect and be open to the experiences and needs of other individuals who may have a different , uh, experiential background than you. Um , I mean, there are, there are so many things that are conceptual , um, that individuals from different backgrounds may not know because , uh, you know, we grew up in a more limited environment than others. And so when you're able to bring that to the table, you're able to make policies and programs so much richer , um, because you're having those different opinions and points of view. Um, sometimes people can't imagine a scenario if they've never had the experience of a particular scenario, if that makes sense. And so , uh, you know, there, there, there may be a , uh, a situation where someone can't imagine that a student in a, in a middle school wouldn't have access to current information in a textbook because their high school or their school always had the most current textbooks available. Well, sometimes the high schools or the middle schools or elementary schools that other kids go to who are from different, who are from different neighborhoods, different backgrounds, they don't have access to the newest available textbooks around or the newest information, but some of them don't even have access to internet still. So, you know, you, you think about those experiences coming through and helping to inform , uh, policies and programs that are being developed for those very people who we're trying to serve. So that's why it's so important to have that, that mixture, that representation to know that others exist. Otherwise, it's always gonna be one-sided, and it's always gonna be me not meeting the needs of the kids who we are actually serving, because we're only listening to the small 1% of the, of the population that we do serve. So that's why we really need that mixture. We need the diversity because it just makes the, it makes it so much richer for everyone.

Sara Brown 32:37

Olaya, is there anything else you wanna say before we wrap up this interview?

Olaya Landa-Vialard 32:43

I'm just trying to think , you know, don't let the color of your skin, the language or languages that you speak, hold you back. Um, don't let people's perceptions of you , you know, color your world and hold you back. Don't let numbers that we tend to use numbers so much to represent who we are. Um, numbers, meaning like test scores , um, grades, things like that . Don't let those things hold you back because you are so much more than what is, what a number represents or what a person might , um, perceive how they might perceive you. Um, especially if you have an accent , um, people will perceive you as, you know , uh, as illiterate or uneducated when sometimes those are the most, those are the smartest people in the room. Um, because I know myself, if, if I was solely judged on the numbers on a piece of paper , um, I wouldn't be where I am today. I , I can tell you that right now , uh, I, with, with the help of my family and the, the confidence that my parents had in me to, to, to rise above , um, those, those particular things in life that, that tend to make you feel you're, you're not worthy. Um, you know, I wouldn't be here today if I let those things define me. Um, you know, and so I define myself and my, and who I surround myself with define me as well. And so I think that's important for people, young people, women who are, who are trying to, to make a difference, to, to know that , um, you are far more than what, what people think of you. And sometimes you're far more than you think of yourself. Um, you just have to give yourself a chance and believe in yourself enough to continue to push forward and, and know that you are worthy.

Sara Brown 34:58

All right . Olaya, you're about to start preaching right now. <Laugh> .

Olaya Landa-Vialard 35:00

Oh girl. Full .

Sara Brown 35:01

Love that. That's so true. All right , Olaya, thank you so much for joining today on Change Makers.

Olaya Landa-Vialard 35:09

Sure. Thank you for having me.

Sara Brown 35:14

Now we're gonna shift gears and talk to some members from the LEGO Foundation. As I said earlier, they were recently here in Louisville for the CEC Convention. I spoke with Maria Oddoux, who is the LEGO Foundation Braille expert and Marc Angelier, he's also a LEGO Foundation Braille Bricks expert as well. During this interview you might hear some noise in the background. That's just part of the wonderful renovations that are currently underway at APH. You're, you all are here in Louisville, Kentucky right now. Can you talk about what you're doing here in town?

Marc Angelier 35:52

Yeah, we are very happy to be here in Louisville, Kentucky because uh , we are visiting APH framed at APH and we are organizing , uh, two workshops on in CEC 2023. So the first workshop will be an introduction to learning through play to all the people who are interested in learning more about learning through play with LEGO Braille Bricks, mainly practitioners. So it can be teachers, it can be OT, PT and educators, whatever. And that's free , that's organized by APH. And the second purpose is also presenting at CEC for a shorter , uh, presentation on learning through play, but with for children with an autistic issue and for children with visual impairment.

Sara Brown 36:42

Okay. So another question. Do you mind just explaining a little bit what you do here, what you do at LEGO?

Marc Angelier 36:48

Yeah , so Marie and I are working for the LEGO Foundation. We are experts . So I was previously a TVI and Marie, an occupational therapist. And we are working on the LEGO Braille Bricks concept. Uh , that is to say we have prepared a lot of activities related to learning through play skills that can be developed using LEGO Braille bricks.

Sara Brown 37:12

Talk about learning through play, that's a big deal with LEGO and especially the LEGO Braille Bricks. And sounds like both of you all come from the blind and low vision world. Talk about how learning through play is so integral with these Lego braille bricks.

Marie Oddoux 37:25

Okay, so at the LEGO Foundation, we truly believe in learning through play and Lego Foundation is here to redefine play and reimagining learning. And it means also reimagining learning for children with visual impairment. So what we try to do with the LEGO Braille Bricks project is to include learning through play with the braille bricks for children with visual impairment. We know we truly believe that brail is , uh, really , um, powerful tool that we need to use with the children. And it can be really fun to teach and learn braille through play with the brail bricks.

Sara Brown 38:04

Okay. And then my final question, talk about the training. What the , what type of training goes in to either getting the student to understand and learn the how to use the LEGO Braille Bricks with that? Or just how to explain it to an adult that's teaching a student or their child how to use the LEGO Braille Bricks.

Marie Oddoux 38:23

So we try to adopt the same philosophy with our trainings for the teachers. So it means our training are also including learning to play. We will , you will have trainings that are joyful where people will enjoy the activities we hope , uh, so we'll have fun. We'll also participate actively in the activities. They are all socially really interactive and we try to uh , explain the meaning and purpose of each activity for the teachers because if you have fun , um, learning about this method, then you will have fun using it with the children and everyone will enjoy. And yeah. And

Sara Brown 39:06

I understand sounds like if you're learning and you're having fun where there , there's learning and everybody won . So I understand. Is there anything either one of you all wanna say about LEGO Braille Bricks or your time at CEC By the time this podcast episode airs, CEC will be over, but is there anything you all wanna say?

Marc Angelier 39:23

Yeah, may uh , we are also very happy to be in the U. S. Because we are having like a LEGO Braille Bricks tour over the U. S. So we, yeah, we will be in both sides of the U. S. East and West and finish in the middle. And we are very happy because we have a lot of practitioners using Lego breads or new to LEGO Braille Bricks. But we would like to know more about the Bricks and they are all coming and attending the workshops and are really passionate of learning more and using LEGO Bricks with their students.

Marie Oddoux 39:54

So if they are not, if you are not aware or if you cannot attend any of the next conferences, we will have this month , uh, there is a huge community of practitioners in the Facebook group. So all you have to search is LEGO rubrics on Facebook. But we also have a YouTube channel where we record most of our sessions online or physical. And we also have the website where everything is written. So it's legobraillebricks.com and we are really happy to share all these events with APH. And we also have lots of , uh, webinar online on the APH.

Sara Brown 40:33

Awesome. Thank you both so much for doing this interview with me and enjoy your time here at Louisville at CEC and traveling across the U.S.

Marie Oddoux 40:41

Thank you. Thank you. Are really happy to be here and have the chance to visit APH.

Sara Brown 40:47

Wonderful. Thank you again. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Change Makers. I've put links to the local Louisville headlines that covered Kaiya's journey into town and the recent local news story that covered the LEGO Braille bricks. There's also a link in there to the Lego Foundation. As always, be sure to find ways you can be a change maker this week.