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Paraeducator demonstrates BrailleSense tablet as classroom tool; visually impaired student reads to Huron Board
Summary
At the Huron School District 02-2 board meeting, paraeducator Casey Trowbridge demonstrated a BrailleSense 6 tablet that helped student Malia participate with classmates; Trowbridge said the device, paired with OCR and AI tools, has reduced prep time and increased classroom inclusion.
Casey Trowbridge, a paraeducator and braille instructor at Madison School, demonstrated how a BrailleSense 6 tablet enables a visually impaired student to work alongside classmates and submit assignments electronically.
Trowbridge told the Huron School District 02-2 Board of Education that “The BrailleSense 6 has several features, the most prominent ones being a 32 cell refreshable braille display at the bottom,” and described how the tablet connects to a classroom monitor so a sighted teacher can view the student’s work in real time. He said the device operates on Android and can access Google Classroom so the student can “participate in group work” and send work directly to teachers.
Nut graf: The demonstration was presented as part of a longer Madison 2–3 Center report. Board members praised the student’s progress and the district’s efforts to increase accessibility; the presentation included a live reading by the student and a description of how the device and supporting workflow reduce preparatory labor for staff.
Trowbridge described operational benefits and workflow changes the device enabled, including converting image PDFs to searchable text and using AI to clean OCR output: “I upload that into Chat GPT, and I say, okay. This document has has been converted from an image to a searchable PDF. Now I need you to fix all the OCR errors,” he said, describing how that step shortens the time needed to prepare materials. He estimated the device’s purchase cost when discussing advocacy for equipment, calling it “a $4,300 piece of equipment.”
The presentation included concrete classroom outcomes. Trowbridge said the student, Malia, has moved from one-on-one testing with a Perkins brailler to completing spelling tests and other exercises alongside peers, with immediate grading or electronic submission possible. Malia read a short story she had written for the board and later told a joke aloud: “Stop going around in circles and get to the point,” which drew applause.
Board members and the superintendent commended the paraeducator and the student. The superintendent noted district coordination with the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and described transition planning as Malia moves to Washington next year.
Ending: The board did not take formal action on the demonstration; members expressed appreciation and the meeting continued to other agenda items.
