Visit to the Rock

Our adaptive technology instructor, Ron Hideshima, has some really cool connections! Ron’s good friend Edwin Sera works for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Alcatraz Island. A few years ago, Edwin asked Ron how the Park Service could get their tour information transcribed into Braille for blind visitors. Ron knows that the all-volunteer group called Contra Costa Braille Transcribers is a program under the umbrella of The Hatlen Center’s nonprofit status, so he was able to arrange to have all of the important information about Alcatraz put into Braille. In gratitude, we have received free tours of Alcatraz every year for our students. Check out the pictures on our Facebook page, and you’ll see that on August 19 the weather on “The Rock” was perfect. Ranger Lori Brosnan, who by the way is visually impaired herself, hosted our tour. We are so grateful to Ranger Lori, as well as to Edwin Sera and Alcatraz site Supervisor Amy Brees for providing our students with such an educational and fascinating tour of this historic landmark.