Tsang Tsz-Kwan is unlike any blind student the world has ever seen. This 20-year old girl is living proof that the inability to see cannot hold a person back from achieving whatever she wishes to accomplish. Tsang is not only blind but she also has a severe hearing impairment. In addition, her fingertips lack the necessary sensitivity to feel the embossed dots of Braille text. With almost no other alternative, Tsang’s prospects at learning to read seemed quite dismal. And yet this extraordinary girl discovered a unique technique that now allows her to enjoy reading materials in Braille. Tsang Tsz Kwan uses her lips to read.
Against all odds
Attending primary education in Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired gave Tsang the opportunity to develop her self-taught technique. This is the only institution in Hong Kong that caters to the needs of visually impaired students.
Using her lips to read the Braille books was viewed by others, even her peers as a somewhat strange practice. However, according to medical science this practice of reading with her lips has a very logical basis. According to Field’s Anatomy, Palpation and Surface Markings, the lips, tongue and fingertips are very adept at spatial discrimination, a skill that is important in reading Braille. It has been known after many years of study that these body parts are sensitive sensory organs with discriminatory capacity that allows a person to decipher two points even at a distance of 1-3 millimeters.
Rare and successful
Tsang’s Braille lip reading ability cannot yet be confirmed as a truly singular ability that no one else in the world is capable of. However, Professor Diane Wormsely of the North Carolina Central University, who specializes in instituting proper education to the blind, declares Tsang’s case as rare. Tsang is also the first person she has encountered who successfully uses the lips to read Braille.
Not easy
Reading Braille with the lips is not as easy as it sounds. What makes it more difficult is that other people find it really odd. According to Tsang, there are cases when she feels embarrassed when reading with her lips, especially if she is in a public place. Tsang also pointed out there are also practical problems when using her lips. Since Braille books are heavy and large, it is very hard for her to lift them up so she can read properly. Despite the inconveniences, Tsang remains thankful that she can read. Reading is her past time, her sanctuary and a source of intellectual stimulation.
Leaving the comfort zone
Tsang decided to leave Ebenezer and continue her studies on a regular secondary school upon reaching Form 1 (Grade 7). She chose Ying Wa Girl’s School in order to finish her studies and get work in the future.
The transition was not easy due to the huge difference in the school system. Classes were larger books and books were not always in Braille. She had to send her reading materials to Ebenezer or the Hong Kong Society for the Blind to have it transcribed. Despite all the hardships Tsang excelled in her academics. She got the highest grades in subjects such as Chinese, English and Liberal Studies.
Caption: Using the fingers to read Braille
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