Meadowbank student Jacob Butler writes books with braille
St Michael’s Primary School Meadowbank student Jacob Butler has used braille to show his fledgling skills as an author.
At the age of six, bright youngster Jacob Butler can boast to writing a series of books that even vision-impaired peers can devour.
The St Michael’s Primary School, Meadowbank, Year 1 student was born with aniridia, making him legally blind.
The Ermington resident also has an involuntary eye movement but his setbacks have not stifled his imagination — he has released four books using braille since mid last year.
Using a braille machine, he produced Mr Onion Goes to the Movies, about a character (inspired by the Mr Men series) whose outing to the movies ends with popcorn flooding the cinema.
His 10-year-old sister Lizzy illustrated the books while his proud mother Lesleigh translated braille into words for able-visioned classmates.
His braille support teacher Adrinee Vartanian, classroom teacher Adrinee Vartanian and principal Brian Story supported the fledgling author’s project.
Mrs Butler could see a bright spark in her son from an early age.
“We call him joyful,’’ she said.
“He’s just a happy child. He finds reason to be happy. He tends to take life in his stride; he’s resilient and not much fazes him.
“He’s pretty much willing to give anything a go and he just loves life.”
Not only does Jacob have a good turn of phrase, he excels in maths.
“He’s what the school calls twice exceptionally gifted,’’ Mrs Butler said.
“He wants to be an author and he also wants to be involved in writing and making movies. He does rely on technology as well, and he has become quite proficient in that and makes iMovies.”
Mrs Butler said St Michael’s Primary School’s support helped her son thrive in a mainstream school.
“We’ve been fortunate the school has become a wonderful school with a lot of nurturing from the principal-level down,’’ she said.
When he’s not creating new storylines for Mr Onion’s mishaps, Jacob hits the dance floor with his hip hop classes.
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