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Local Family and MOESC Staff Collaborate for Braille Book Donation

January 03, 2020

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Christine McElfresh (COMS), Sarah Madden (mother), Wyatt Madden, Josh Madden (father), and Molly Ernst (Collection Resources Administrator)

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McElfresh (COMS) works with Wyatt to explore toys provided at the Children’s Department at the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library

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Wyatt, learning to use his long white cane to navigate the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library

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Amber Merrell (developmental specialist), Kim Perrett (occupational therapist), Amy Crager (service coordinator), Christine McElfresh (COMS), Sarah Madden (mother), Wyatt Madden, Josh Madden (father)

On Thursday, December 19 th , a local family generously provided 24 Braille books to the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library. Sarah and Josh Madden of Mansfield donated the books to the library in their son, Wyatt’s name. Wyatt is 2 and has a diagnosis of Peters’ Anomaly, a disorder of the eye that affects the cornea.

Wyatt receives Early Intervention services through Richland County Help Me Grow, including support from developmental specialist Amber Merrell, occupational therapy services from Kim Perrett, and vision services from Christine McElfresh, certified orientation and mobility specialist. Amy Crager supports Wyatt’s family as Service Coordinator. McElfresh, who is an employee of Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, helped to facilitate the donation. She and her Mid-Ohio colleague, Kallie Poast (Teacher for the Blind and Visually Impaired), prepared Braille and print labels to note Wyatt’s donation on each book.

Wyatt’s family hopes to bring awareness to the community about visual impairments and plans to donate one book per month to the library that is accessible to those with visual impairments. “We are very thankful to Wyatt and his family for the generous donation,” says Chris May, Director of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library. “Providing these books to those with visual impairments is a wonderful service.”

The books being donated are as follows:
 

Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Animals Book; Just Critters Who Care; The World of Sharks; Curious George: The Dog Show; Rubble To The Rescue; Big Fish, Little Fish; Anna’s Best Friends; Oh No, Gotta Go; Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon; Night-Night, Forest Friends; Touch and Feel Baby Animals; That’s Not My Tractor; Cloudy With a Chance Of Meatballs; Amelia Bedelia; Here’s Hank: Everybody is Somebody; The Best Teacher in Second Grade; There’s a Wocket In My Pocket; Arthur’s Christmas; Junie B. Junes and The Stupid Smelly Bus; Through Grandpa’s Eyes; Where the Sidewalk Ends; Bridge to Terabithia.