Feelix Library
On this page:
Sigrid Thornton is our Feelix Library Ambassador, she has captivated our young clients at many events.
Young clients like Andrew love recieving and opening their Feelix Library kits.
Each kit contains the original picture storybook annotated with braille, an audio CD and all the tactile aids necessary for bringing the story to life.
A braille book library for children
The "Feelix Library" for children is Vision Australia's response to the increased interest in parents and siblings wanting to learn braille. The echidna, called "Feelix" is the symbol of the library, chosen because the echidna has poor vision with very good olfactory and tactual skills.
The name Feelix refers to the feeling of braille dots and the Feelix logo includes the words "I can feel the words" in print and braille. Each child receives a small plastic echidna as their borrowing card - a tag is attached with their name and number brailled on it.
This symbol of Feelix has proven very successful in communicating to the community the importance of pre-literacy skills and story reading to the very young child who is blind or vision impaired.
The patron of the project is well-known Australian actor, Sigrid Thornton.
About the kits
Each kit contains the original picture storybook annotated with braille, an audio CD or tape of the story, some tactual aids to help the child enter the world of the story and a little handbook with tactile graphics so that children can tell the story to themselves or others.
In producing these kits, simplicity is the essence. The project co-ordinator looks for the main idea in the story and includes things in the kit for the child to investigate.
Often it is something simple and interesting to feel. For example, a real teapot and enamel cups were included in the kit for The Tiger who came to Tea rather than a soft toy replica of a tiger, which would tell a child who is blind or vision impaired nothing about "tigerliness" anyway.
Each kits also contains a tape or CD recording of the story, read by a talented voice actor.
A number of well-known Australians have also read for Feelix including Sigrid Thornton, Kick Gurry (Garage Days and Looking for Alibrandi), Jon Faine (ABC 774 talkback), David Treddineck (The Secret Life of Us), Deborah Conway and children's author Hazel Edwards.
"Kindergarten Kits" are now available for preschoolers, as are kits in other languages (Chinese, Vietnamese, Turkish Arabic and Somali).
These alternative language kits allow non-english speaking parents to read to their children in their native language. The braille is in English but the recording is in the home language. The tactile materials and handbook remain the same.
Kindergarten Kits are for children to take to kinder to show their peers how they best access information and have something that is special at kinder. These also educate staff in how best to prepare and provide tactual materials for a child who is blind or vision impaired.
Feelix kit contents
- Small black suitcase
- Print/ braille storybook
- Tactile book
- "Hands-on" materials
- CD
- Black suitcase
Tactile book (handbook)
- Designed to get children searching for tactual information in order to tell themselves a story.
- A vital step in developing literacy.
- Designed to follow the story of the print book, but can be interpreted in a made up story, just as a child with vision does when they flip through the pages of a story book.
Hands-on materials
- Relate to the real experiences in the story, eg. in "Strega Nona and the Magic Pasta Pot" there is a metal colander and a pasta spoon; in "Maisy goes shopping" there is a fold down shopping cart.
- To hold something that relates to the story also increases the child's ability to attend for longer periods.
- The inclusion of these hands on materials also models to parents how they can extend their child's experiences e.g. to pour some pasta through the colander or fill the cart with some groceries.
Library membership
Membership of the Feelix library is open to all young children (aged 0-6 years) living in the States where Vision Australia operates, who are blind or have low vision.
Please contact us for membership application forms.
The history of Feelix
The Feelix project started as a response from the family of teacher Helen Smith.
Helen had a longstanding dream to create beautiful tactile books for children who are blind and vision impaired. She started a book project with a group of skilled volunteers, but early prototypes revealed their production to be time consuming and costly.
Sadly, Helen passed away before her dream was realised. However, in her honour, a memorial fund was set up and this was the beginning of funding for the Feelix project.
Feelix catalogue
Feelix currently consists of over 450 kits which are housed at Vision Australia's Kooyong centre.
The Feelix library includes a wonderful range of classic, entertaining and much loved children's stories. Just some of the titles include: "Old Mother Hubbard", "The very hungry caterpillar", "Harry the dirty dog" and "The cat in the hat".
To obtain a full copy of the Feelix catalogue, please contact us.
Sponsorship and support
Vision Australia's Feelix Library relies on support received from corporate and individual donors for its continued development.
Tattersall's and the Myer Community Fund have significantly helped fund Feelix, as have individual donors and memorial funds for both Helen Smith and Keith Glover.
This vital support helps fund the ongoing expansion of titles and kits available.
You too can show your support by making a donation via cheque or simply spreading the word about Feelix.
Guidelines for parents
Parent's testimonials
"Thanks for 'Owl Babies'. Percy and Bill have been dragged all over town and Bill even had a whisker of a bath one night. Sorry we have had the book and case so long but Jo has become quite attached and every time we packed everything up to head down to the post office, tears and tantrums have followed, so I have posted this secretly today. We love receiving our new case every couple of weeks. Thanks for the wonderful surprises and we look forward to our next case full of interesting books and things."
"Tess loved receiving her first kit. In fact she calls it her "special stuff" and insists upon dragging (literally as she is only a tiny girl) the suitcase to the supermarket, shops and out in the car, which proves to be rather frustrating at times. She seemed more interested in the bits and pieces that came with the book, however we read it, listened to the CD and wondered how any of us will ever learn braille. Perhaps for the next kit, have you got a story about either ducks or stars-she seems very interested in both at the moment. We look forward to receiving our next kit."
Feelix print and radio advertisements
Our full page advertisement features one of our Feelix Library suitcases on a table. The suitcase is slightly open and the yellow felt hand of a popular Dr Seuss character, Sam from "Sam I Am" is seen emerging from the suitcase, inside two eyes peer out.
The advertisements, like the Feelix Library Borrowing kits themselves, are intended to capture the imagination of the viewers and to take them on a journey.
Feelix facts
- Purpose: Provide stories to young children who are blind or have low vision, in braille and tactile form that are also accessible to print readers, ILS service for young children.
- Offerings: Books in contracted and uncontracted braille, bi-lingual stories in Chinese, Vietnamese, Turkish Arabic and Somali, Feelix kits, including kindergarten collection of Feelix kits.
- Users: For children from birth to 7 years who are blind or have low vision.
- Access: Referrals to Feelix are made by Case managers.
- Delivery: Kits are sent out free by post
- Borrowing period: 3-4 weeks.
- Opening hours: 8.30-5pm, Monday-Friday
Contact us
Louise Curtin
Feelix Project Coordinator
Phone: 03 9864 9547
Fax: 03 9684 9210
Email: louise.curtin@visionaustralia.org