Can you read if you can't see? 

Spotty Dotty didn't think so... until she met Cattarat, a blind rat that lives in behind the shelves at the Braille House Children's Library. Spotty Dotty is a snow white owl, born with low vision who has become the ambassador for the Children's library at Braille House.  All her friends got to enjoy shared reading with parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends but Spotty Dotty was convinced this was a joy she would never experience, and learning to read a reality she would never live. 

The TWIN VISION picture books filling the shelves at the Braille House library have completely transformed Spotty Dotty's life! And she's on a mission to spread the word that reading books is indeed for EVERYONE, no matter how well they do or do not see.

Braille House have Australia's largest Twin Vision and Braille children's library. Twin Vision picture books are books that have both the print and the Braille on the same page so that sharing a book between a person with sight and a person with low vision can be achieved. This means a sighted parent can still share a book with their low vision child and READ TOGETHER, and vice versa, a parent or grandparent with low vision can read a book to their sighted child - TOGETHER.

But here's the rub... as a library Braille House can only loan these Twin Vision books to library members. And from her travels through Primary schools and Kindergartens in Queensland raising awareness of Braille she has seen first hand that there is a keen interest out there for these books. Spotty Dotty would LOVE to see Twin Vision books in all Australian Kindergartens, in junior primary classes, and even on grandparents bookshelves... 

So Braille House asked Spotty Dotty if they could print her story in Twin Vision, and get it out into the world, or at teh very least, Australia! To do that, we need your help!

Our in-house volunteers have drafted her story, they've storyboarded the images, they've planned the book, now all we need is financial support to get them printed so we can emboss them with Braille.

Creating and publishing picture books isn't cheap. That's without the Braille as well! Luckily we have so many passionate volunteers supporting the project that a lot of the toil is being generously donated so that Braille House can maximise the fundraising opportunity the final product will bring as well as being able to generously donate the product where it's needed.

We are asking for $3,500 to assist with the final printing and production of the book. Approximate breakdown is below:

Printing: 

x2           ISBN's (1 for e-book) .                      $100

x500     216x216mm premium colour         $2700

Typesetting & file preparation                        $200

E-Book conversion                                           $200

Braille Tape                                                        $300

Self funded component - estimated costs. All provided by volunteers:

Manuscript             $2500

Editing                        $800

Illustrations               $2500

Graphic Design        $1000

Transcription             $1000

This is the first time Braille House have embarked on a project of this kind. The greatest challenge is the 'learn-as-you-go' nature of it all.

At every phase to date we have planned and planned as best we can to ensure that the time and effort donated by the team can achieve maximum results. The grand plan is to produce a number of books featuring Spotty Dotty that children with low-vision can relate to, as well as provide fun and exciting reading to all children. The success of this first book will dictate the possibility of future books so every effort is being made to produce a Twin Vision book that can rival any book in your local bookstore!

The manuscript has been edited by volunteers who have worked and still do work in the education department, in classrooms, and in 1:1 tutoring environments with primary aged children. They have reviewed the themes and messages and language and give it the thumbs up as appropriate and relevant to the young market. It has also been edited by volunteers who work day to day with people with low vision. So we also know we are on mark with those themes too. Although book 1 only touches on 1 of the many stories that can be told!

The illustrations have been created by a talented volunteer who works with the organisations children's activities and designs and creates all Braille House's current events and marketing advertising. To date the pictures look great!

Braille House transcribers are on standby to turn the printed book into a Twin Vision product and everyone is ready to celebrate Spotty Dotty's release in print and Braille into the world.

We'd absolutely LOVE your support to see AND FEEL this project through!