SAN GABRIEL – Students in San Gabriel are working on a project that will give blind students access to books.

Sixth graders are converting pages of a book into 3-D images for blind students.

RELATED l Braille Institute’s “Best in Tech” Conference Gives Hope to Blind

“We’re helping other people so they can have the same feeling that we have when we read the books,” said student Krystal Osorio. “But instead of reading they are going to feel with their hands.”

The company 3Doodler donated blue pens to the school. No 3D printer is needed. The students simply place the ink—or the filament—into the pen, and press start. Then, they trace the lines along each drawing. Once the ink dries, the pictures can be felt.

“I can’t believe we’re in such an era at this point where we can just trace around a picture so that people who cannot read or see can feel the image,” said student Tarah Cazun. “They can feel it and that just feels really amazing to me.”

The teachers want their students’ work to show them something they can’t see.

“Technology is meant to help people to make the world better. And so for these 6th graders, they need to learn that technology is not just about consumption but producing,” said Yoko Obata, Educational Technology Teacher. “To be able to help people, that’s the main lesson that we’re wanting to teach.”

Students will complete several copies of one book. All the books will be donated to a group that works with visually-impaired kids.