Chilton County board honors two teacher assistants who became certified literary braille transcribers

The Chilton County Schools board on Feb. 17 recognized two teacher assistants who support students with visual impairments after they completed national certification in literary braille transcription.

At the visitors portion of the meeting, Miss Coppich introduced Teresa Mims and Haley Logan and said, “They have done a manuscript that they turned into the Library of Congress and they are certified nationally literary braille transcribers.” The board invited the assistants to stand and congratulated them.

Chantal Mayes, identified in the meeting as the district’s teacher of the visually impaired, described the certification process and her role as an instructor. Mayes said the certification course included multiple lessons and practical trials and noted that “there’s less than 600 certified [literary braille] transcribers” nationally, adding that Alabama does not require certification in braille for educators the way some other states do.

Mayes said the two assistants were among the first local students to complete the training she offered and that the in‑county instruction helped overcome the lack of widely available state training. The board’s recognition did not include any formal action beyond the acknowledgement and congratulatory remarks.

The board did not specify next steps tied to the certification or whether the district will expand training; meeting materials and comments indicated the manuscript was submitted to the Library of Congress.