Blindness no obstacle for Trinity

Trinity Kriven is just like any other three year old. She loves to sing, knows exactly who the Wiggles are, loves her rocking horse and plays with her sister. The only difference is she’s blind.

Although Trinity s life will be somewhat harder than most there will be no holding her back after she was selected for a Braille Literacy Scholarship, which means she will receive a Mountbatten Learning System - an electronic Braille writing system.

'Trinity was born fully blind and we didn’t find out until she was two months old. It was an absolute shock because you think you have a healthy baby and than to find out there s something wrong, it s like losing a member of the family. It was horrible realising that she'd never get to see her own face,' Trinity s mother, Anna said.

'Initially I was just so shocked and didn’t know what to think but I wanted to know about her condition and how I could help her.

'And I think that really helped with the grieving process. You don’t know what it’s like unless it happens to you.'

Although Trinity's development is a lot slower then other children her age she attends the Clinton State School Kindergarten Special Education Unit and will be able to go to school.

'Her teachers at Clinton are great but there isn’t any funding or services in Gladstone. Every month a Braille specialist comes up to teach her teachers Braille and a Braille book costs between $80 and $100,' Mrs Kriven said.

'So to receive the scholarship was huge. I was crying tears of happiness when I found out; it's just going to help Trinity so much. I honestly didn’t think we d get it. It will help her learn to read and write Braille which is the most important thing in her education.

'Trinity and I will be flown to Sydney for two nights, where we’ll get to accept the scholarship and also attend the Schools and Students Technology Day and will get to learn more about the technology and meet other people who are in the same situation.'

Australian owned company, Quantum Technology, launched its Braille Literacy Scholarship, valued at $5000, earlier this year and offered a system to one child in both Australia and New Zealand between the ages of three and eight.

'She has excelled so much over the last 12 months and it s my job to make sure she s strong enough to deal with what life throws at her.'

Courtesy of Gladstone Observer 11/10/2007