“We introduced Living Paintings books to her and it changed everything” – Moazma and Bowe’s story

Moazma Mahmood supports visually impaired children of all ages as part of Trafford’s Vision Impairment Team. She’s worked with 5-year-old Bowe, who is completely blind, since nursery, and it’s through Living Paintings books that she has been able to adapt to school, learn and grow.

“Bowe lost her vision completely at age four. She used to throw books away because they meant nothing to her – she couldn’t access them,” says Moazma. “We introduced Living Paintings books when she lost her vision and it changed everything. Now, she’s reading, learning Braille, and telling stories from memory.”

Bowe, who has since moved to a special school, is thriving. She loves stories and recreates them in play, often remembering whole books word for word. When she first arrived, the school was waiting for a paid subscription for Braille books, a process that was delayed due to funding.

“Living Paintings stepped in when we needed it most. There’s no fee, no wait, and the books arrive quickly. It’s completely free and they’re always happy to help. That was a game-changer for us,” says Moazma.

“Bowe is now at the stage where she’s learning braille, so we read the stories and she follows along with the braille. But the books also help with her Math’s, special projects and motor skills – they are fantastic for her learning.”

Moazma now has a great relationship with the Living Paintings team and knows she can rely on them for the resources she needs for Bowe.

“Bowe’s teacher will let me know what is needed for the term and we try and resource the books ourselves. The Oi Frog book was one that the class was reading and I was able to get the same book from Living Paintings so Bowe could read it and feel the raised tactile pictures. It means she’s part of it and not getting bored. It means that the learning is inclusive and that’s so important,” says Moazma.

“The team at Living Paintings are always great with providing books to match the topics of class. This term we’re reading Handa’s Surprise and Living Paintings sent a version of it straight away. Bowe always asks questions when reading and she wanted to feel Akeyo’s house, asking where he is in Handa’s Surprise, what fruits are in the basket and which animal took the fruits out of the basket. She couldn’t do this without the tactile books, as it allows her to understand and apply concepts well.”

Using the Living Paintings service for one child is beneficial for the whole school, who now use the service for other visually impaired children.

“There are around five or six children that have a vision impairment. The school weren’t aware about Living Paintings but now have the contacts and have been ordering for the children who need them – it’s so much easier without the wait for funds to be released,” says Moazma.

“I work with another child in secondary school who uses the contracted version of the books and he is more advanced with his learning. Through Living Paintings, there are always books available for him to read. We depend on Living Paintings service as local libraries don’t have braille or tactile books. They keep our students busy with so much to read.”

As well as being hugely beneficial for her learning, Bowe loves to read and feel the books.

“Bowe loves stories and audio books don’t give the full picture so these books are perfect so she can read the braille and feel the pictures. She’s always asking when the new books will arrive and she has her favourites,” says Moazma.

“She really enjoyed the book, Ruby’s Worry, and she’s been feeling the worry crowd and can picture in her head how it’s growing over time and we can use that to explain what a worry is. She really thinks about it and giving her the concept of something growing by feeling it is so helpful for her. She understands much better.”