Mom creates Braille clothing patches to help son with visual impairment

Local mother creates Braille patches to help her son dress himself

Gracie Benedith-Cane launched Braille Code Brands to help children like her son live independently.

PHILADELPHIA - A mom was determined to give her son, who is visually impaired, a sense of independence and took it into her own hands to see that dream come true.

To do so, she launched her own company that is now not only making a positive impact in her son's life but also other families who may be facing the same challenges.        

The family's story began with a diagnosis that Gracie Benedith-Cane was not prepared to receive.

Her firstborn child, Wani, was just 12-months-old when he was diagnosed with a rare condition that causes serious visual impairment. 

Doctors told Gracie that Wani would not have 100 percent of his vision.

As a result, she feared for her son and what his future would be.  

Gracie did not want Wani, who is about to begin seventh grade, to lose his sense of independence due to his visual impairment.        

Inspired by this concern, Gracie got the idea to create Braille patches to help Wani be able to get dressed by himself without asking for help.

The patches have Braille stitched into them that can be adhered to various clothing items.

Each patch features directional cues to inform the individual whether they are grabbing a "left" or "right"-based item. Even more so, the patches are able to be washed. 

She knew other families could also benefit from her patches, and so, she launched her own company, Braille Code, Inc.

Gracie and Wani do school visits to teach students about what it means to be visually impaired while showing Gracie’s “What's Cool about Braille Code School?"

Now, at age 12, Wani is thriving.

And through her company, Gracie is bridging the gap between the visually impaired and what she calls 'the sighted world'.

Translating books into Braille is extremely expensive and as a result, Gracie and Wani are looking for funding or investments to get their books to more people with visual impairments.

To find out more about Braile Code, Inc., you can visit their website and even help donate to their mission.