First Taste of Braille

I was born with a visual impairment. Some members of my family have a rare genetic condition that results in us having detached retinas, glaucoma, cataract, poor night vision and sometimes, like in my case, really poor peripheral vision. 

Because of this, I’ve been around braille my whole life, there wasn’t a time when a huge stack of braille books wouldn’t be lying around our house, they used to make great walls for our den building! My mum is an avid reader and overall braille whizz, and I remember her using the Perkins Brailler to help me do homework sometimes. 

When I started secondary school, they thought it would be a good idea to teach me braille. I’d already had a detached retina when I was nine and they were concerned if I had another, I may lose my sight. I must say, I had very little interest in learning braille at that time. None of my friends were made to learn it and I just wanted to be “normal” – I went to a mainstream school, I was very shy, and I didn’t want to stand out because of my poor vision.

Fast forward 29 years to 2023 and I found myself between businesses. I’d been self-employed since 2018 after being forced to leave my job as a Buyer due to having a condition called POTS. I’d run a business called Happily Rustic from 2018 – 2022, and my new business ideas weren’t taking off. I was struggling with my mental health because I love to work, I didn’t like not contributing and I felt like a failure. Unfortunately, due to having POTS, I’m not able to go out and get a regular job, and I didn’t realise home based jobs were really a thing until my friend recommended that I look for one.

How I Became Dotty About Braille

To my great surprise, there were quite a few home-based jobs available, so I applied for a part-time role with the RNIB but you needed to know braille, I did vaguely know some braille, the job didn’t close for about 6 weeks and I had nothing else to do so I spent all my time learning braille and I became obsessed, I made and printed off flashcards, reference guides and test sheets. I got my husband to quiz me in the evening, I phoned my mum 10 times a day to ask questions and to check if something was right. She said I was “mad about braille”, which I guess I was! I didn’t get the job with the RNIB but it didn’t matter, it had set me on my path. 

Being a typical entrepreneur, I knew I wanted to try and turn this into a business idea, at first, I wasn’t sure what I could do because I didn’t have access to anything to write braille on, but my mum very kindly gifted me her Perkins Brailler (a typewriter for braille), so I could get started. 

My first thought was braille greetings cards, I knew from my own experience the options were so limited, not always accessible and sometimes quite expensive. So, I went to a local craft shop, bought some card blanks, made samples, took some super basic photos and opened my Etsy shop.

And I called my Etsy shop Dotty About Braille, remembering my mum had said I was “mad about braille” – I thought it was fitting and a nice play on words. 

Plans For the Future

Dotty About Braille has taken off beyond my wildest dreams, and that’s saying something because I dream big! Some amazing opportunities have come my way since launching the business, including being invited to 10 Downing Street and the House of Lords!

I’ve been on live TV (Steph’s Packed Lunch) and received orders from big names like the BBC and Mattel. I’m also a steering board member for The Lilac Review, an independent review into the barriers disabled entrepreneurs face. I’m so pleased to be part of a team that’s very focused on removing those barriers.

My goal now is to become the “go to” place for braille, whether that’s braille cards, braille documents or braille gifts. I’ll very soon be launching a range of brand new to market braille products. I can’t wait to share them with you!

I also hope to build my disability advocacy work on the side, as this is something I’m so passionate about and I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to speak about important issues and work towards making positive changes. 

Learn more about The Lilac Review or visit the Dotty About Braille website.