Today, Svetlana Vasilyeva from Russia is not only presenting the book The Invisible Elephant, which she contributed to, but also sharing the story of how it came to be.
We thank Svetlana for this wonderful example of what can emerge from friendship and shared interests.
Introduction
My name is Svetlana. I was born blind and use Braille since first grade in elementary school.
I was taught Braille with slate and stylus. When I went to university, I used to take notes in class using my slate and stylus. Other students were curious and they approached me and asked questions about the way I write. One girl asked me to teach her Braille. So, I did. She learned to write with slate and stylus and read with her eyes.
We became true friends and we still are 25 years later.
When we got bored in class we played a little game. She would write something to me in Braille and I would reply to her in my huge crooked print letters.
The Invisible Elephant
My friend’s name is Anna Anisimova.
After graduation, she became a children’s writer.
During our university years, I shared with her many stories from my childhood: how I played hide and seek, explored the world, and, of course, learned Braille.
So, she wrote a book about a little girl who happened to be blind. It’s called “The Invisible Elephant” and is available in English now.
The book
The girl explores the world around her, uses her imagination like any other child.
When the time came for her to learn Braille, she was not enthusiastic to learn the “bumps” at first but her dad involved her sighted friend and together they learned Braille and used it as a secret code for communication with each other. The girl in the book was taught Braille with slate and stylus and she imagined that writing Braille sounded like a woodpecker.
The whole Braille alphabet is in the book. Any sighted child could learn it while reading this book or at least get an understanding on what Braille is and how it helps blind people to read and write.
Anna lives in Finland now. My name is on the acknowledgements page in her book.
this is a story of how from one true friendship a wonderful, helpful and kind book was born.
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