Mary wins Lifetime Achievement Award

A TEACHER who devised a world-leading communication system for blind and disabled children has won a major award for her pioneering work. Mary Lee, a Principal Teacher at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, triumphed in the lifetime achievement category of the Scottish Education Awards yesterday (FRIDAY 18th JUNE). A team of senior pupils from Vera's Cafe at the blind school were runners-up in the enterprise category of the awards. Mary said: "I am absolutely delighted to win this award, not just for myself but for the Royal Blind School. It is a tribute to everyone at the school and the brilliant work they do." Mary and former colleague Lindi McWilliam came up with the Canaan Barrie Signing system, a 'language' for youngsters with multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI) now used in countries all over the world. The system was called Canaan Barrie as it was devised for pupils in Barrie nursery at Canaan Lodge in Morningside - now known as the school's Canaan Lane campus, where Mrs Lee works. The 58-year-old, from Newington, Edinburgh, added: "It is a privilege to work with the children and young people who have inspired me and with so many wonderful colleagues, both within and beyond the school, who have enriched my life over the years." Royal Blind School principal Julie Shylan said: "We are absolutely delighted that Mary Lee has won this award. It is a recognition of both her great individual skill as a teacher and of the excellent teaching provided by the school. Mary has made a real difference to the lives of so many pupils in her care, which is what we try to do with all our pupils - every single day that they are here. We are also very proud of the pupils and staff involved in running Vera's. They have learned a wide range of personal and group skills - and some really important life skills too." The Canaan Barrie system devised by Mary allows communication through movement and touch for children with MDVI. It works mainly through touch - most signs have a specific reference point on the body. The signs involve touching - on the body or using hands - or movements close to the child. The aim is to work out a vocabulary of movement, gesture and touch that links in with the everyday routines, needs and interests of the child. The system is based on building up a relationship of trust and understanding between adult and child - by slow, simple, clear communication. Research has shown the mismatch between the communication systems of the two partners is the biggest barrier to learning - not the child's blindness. Mary, who has worked at the school for 27 years, said: "Our children have very unique needs as they are visually impaired, so we have to come from the point of view of children who cannot see. What started us on our path was that we had children who wanted to communicate, but didn’t find it easy to learn signs that were devised for a sighted community, so we started adapting on-body signs they could use and they have really moved forward. Before this, there really wasn't any sort of structured curriculum - and we learned from the children."