MEDIA RELEASE
18 September 2009
Guide Dogs' staff to help braille Manly Beach with a secret message
Guide Dogs staff will be hoisting buckets and spades on Manly beach this Sunday
20 September, helping to create a secret braille message in the sand. Their efforts will
be in aid of the Braille on Manly Beach project, which aims to create a message 50
metres long on West Esplanade Beach.
Braille on Manly Beach is a world-first, braille sand-sculpture conceived by artist Anne
Walton and Braille advocate Bruce Maguire. The project is a Manly Arts Festival event
celebrating the Bicentennial of the birth of Louis Braille; the young French boy who
invented the Braille code.
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, and Chair of the Australian
Braille Authority Bruce Maguire, will unveil the meaning of the secret braille message,
as the tide begins to lap the giant dots at 6pm.
Guide Dogs Manager Ewa Borkowski says “It will be lots of fun creating the last of the
giant dots on the day and I’m looking forward to discovering what the secret message
is!”
“But there is a serious side to our involvement as well. Guide Dogs Instructors have
worked with more than 600 children with impaired vision in the last year. We wanted to
draw attention to the services that help these children become more independent and
confident. Braille literacy is a very important part of this” she continued.
Dennis Massoud, a well-known sand sculptor who has impaired vision, will direct
teams of volunteers in sculpting the message in sand. Each braille dot will be 1 metre
in diameter and half a metre high. It will take several teams of blind and sighted people
to create the giant message throughout the day.
Guide Dogs provides its free services to children and adults with impaired vision,
teaching them a range of skills which enable them to travel more independently and
safely. Guide Dogs receives no government funding, instead relying on support from
ENDS
PHOTO / FILMING OPPORTUNITY:
Date: Sunday 20 September
Time: Between 3-6pm
Location: West Esplanade Beach, (beside Manly Wharf)
Talent: The team from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
(One of the team is a Manly resident and Guide Dogs Instructor).
MEDIA: For interviews contact Natasha Webb, Media Coordinator, 0413 753 241,
nwebb@guidedogs.com.au
NEWS 
