Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Audience members Jessica Franklin and her son Henry Franklin attempt to decode a Braille sentence using cards punched with the Braille alphabet during the Kenai Peninsula School District's Celebraille event on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Soldotna Public Library.

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Audience members Jessica Franklin and her son Henry Franklin attempt to decode a Braille sentence using cards punched with the Braille alphabet during the Kenai Peninsula School District's Celebraille event on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Soldotna Public Library.

Blindness awareness month held at Soldotna Public Library

River City Academy sophomore Maria Maes is one of three students in the Kenai Peninsula School District who are blind or visually impaired. Although she said that most of her sighted classmates interact with her confidently, the social environment outside of school is different.

“Blindness is such a low-incidence thing that I don’t think everybody encounters a blind person,” Maes said. “For me, it’s something I live with, but for most other people around me, it’s not a part of their life. So I don’t think awareness is very good because they just don’t know.”

Spreading that awareness was the goal of Celebraille, an event Maes participated in Friday at the Soldotna Public Library. About 20 individuals and families gathered for Celebraille — a name combining “celebration” with Braille, the tactile script read by the blind.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“At the end of the event, you’ll feel very comfortable talking about blindness,” said Jordana Engebretsen, the Kenai Peninsula School District’s teacher for the visually impaired. Engebretsen, who is blind herself, hosted the event along with Maes and Malachi Hansen, another blind student, and teachers Violetta Strait and Granger Nyboer.

Nyboer, a Kenai Peninsula School District special education teacher, addressed etiquette for sighted people to use in interactions with the blind. He said one common mistake is failing to make eye contact or looking away while speaking to a blind person, assuming they won’t be able to notice — in fact, a blind person can tell a speaker has turned away by a softening in their voice.

Granger said another faux pas sighted people commit is self-consciously avoiding vision-related words out of exaggerated concern for a blind conversation partner’s feelings. Maes gave the example of a well-meaning acquaintance who asked her “have you listened to this movie?”

“You don’t have to walk on eggshells as you’re talking to someone with visual impairment,” Nyboer said.

In addition to speeches and question-and-answer sessions, Celebraille also included games and interactive events.

Engebretsen lead the audience in a lesson on Braille script, challenging them to read Braille sentences — visually, since Engebretsen said finger-reading Braille can be a difficult skill to learn without training. Engebretsen also demonstrated how she chooses her outfits using a color-sensing device, and challenged an audience volunteer to use the device to select a color-coordinated outfit while blind-folded. Another blindfold challenge had two volunteers navigating through an obstacle course of chairs and benches using white canes.

Engebretsen said Celebraille was similar to other events she put on throughout October, which was recognized as National Blindness Awareness month. She hopes to make Celebraille an annual happening.

As for Maes, she said that outside of awareness events such as Celebraille, the subject of blindness doesn’t occupy much of her attention or social time.

“I wouldn’t be sure how to start (talking about blindness),” Maes said, when asked if she attempts to educate people on the issue. “It’s probably the most boring subject that comes up in my life. Aside from math and stuff. Actually math is more interesting than this. But it’s important. People need to know so they don’t treat us like infants.”

Reach Ben Boettger at ben.boettger@peninsulaclarion.com

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Malakai Hansen, demonstrating sports skills he learned with his visual impairment, jumps rope during the Kenai Peninsula School District's Celebraille event on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Soldotna Public Library.

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Malakai Hansen, demonstrating sports skills he learned with his visual impairment, jumps rope during the Kenai Peninsula School District’s Celebraille event on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Soldotna Public Library.

More in News

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof to close Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in