Today we’d like to introduce you to Janie Desir.
Hi janie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey began with motherhood. When my son was born, I quickly realized that raising him would require me to advocate in ways I never imagined. As a blind mother navigating systems not designed with disability in mind, I was constantly searching for resources that reflected our reality—especially when it came to early learning and independence.
As my son grew, he was diagnosed with autism, and at the same time my own vision continued to decline due to keratoconus, later linked to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Those moments could have been isolating, but instead they became clarifying. I saw firsthand how early access, representation, and inclusive education could change a child’s confidence and trajectory—yet those resources simply did not exist for blind and neurodivergent children at the earliest stages.
So I created what I couldn’t find.
Teaching Your Baby in Braille began as a mother teaching her child at home, long before it became a business. I wanted my child to grow up seeing Braille as natural, empowering, and joyful—not something introduced later as an accommodation. What started at my kitchen table evolved into accessible, sensory-friendly books and programs that support families raising blind, visually impaired, and neurodivergent children from birth.
As the work grew, so did my role as an educator and advocate. I began teaching parent Braille classes, hosting inclusive community events, and speaking openly about disability, motherhood, and accessibility. I also founded the A.L.I. Foundation to expand this mission beyond books and into community support and advocacy.
Today, I lead Teaching Your Baby in Braille with the same purpose that started it—love, resilience, and the belief that disabled children deserve access from the very beginning. Every step of this journey has been about turning lived experience into impact and showing families like mine that their stories, their children, and their futures matter.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No—it hasn’t been a smooth road at all. It’s been meaningful, but it’s definitely been challenging.
Some of the biggest struggles have been navigating systems that weren’t built with blind parents, disabled educators, or disabled entrepreneurs in mind. When I started Teaching Your Baby in Braille, there were very few early-literacy resources designed for babies and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired, and even fewer that centered families, culture, and inclusion. That meant I often had to create what didn’t exist—without a clear roadmap or funding.
On a personal level, losing vision while parenting and building a business brought emotional and practical hurdles. I was learning Braille alongside my child, advocating for his needs while also confronting my own health realities. There were moments of exhaustion, grief, and self-doubt—especially when people underestimated what I could do because of my disability.
Financial barriers were another struggle. Accessing capital, grants, and publishing support as a disabled woman entrepreneur has required persistence, rejection tolerance, and constant self-advocacy. I also had to learn how to explain why accessibility matters before people could even see the value of the work.
Despite all of this, the challenges shaped the mission. Every obstacle reinforced why this work is necessary—not just for my family, but for so many others who are navigating blindness, disability, and early education without adequate support. The road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been purposeful, and each struggle has strengthened my commitment to opening doors that were once closed to families like mine.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Teaching Your Baby in Braille is more than a business to me—it’s a movement built around access, early literacy, and family connection.
I’m Janie Desir, a mother, educator, and disability advocate. I created Teaching Your Baby in Braille after seeing how few early-learning resources truly supported families with mixed abilities learning together. Too often, blind and sighted family members are given separate tools, separate expectations, and separate paths. My work exists to change that.
I specialize in early Braille literacy for families with mixed abilities—including blind or visually impaired parents with sighted children, and sighted parents with blind or visually impaired children. My books are designed so everyone in the household can learn at the same time. Blind parents can confidently teach their sighted children foundational concepts like letters, numbers, colors, and early language while naturally introducing Braille. At the same time, sighted parents are learning how to read and understand Braille as they teach their blind children, strengthening independence and connection within the home.
What sets Teaching Your Baby in Braille apart is that it is built for shared learning, not separation. The materials are created from the ground up with accessibility at the center, allowing print concepts and Braille to coexist naturally. Braille is treated as a first language, not a secondary skill, and parents are positioned as capable teachers—regardless of whether they are blind or sighted.
I’m also the founder of the A.L.I. (Autism Loves Independence) Foundation, which aligns closely with my mission to promote independence, confidence, and dignity for children with disabilities and their families. Both efforts exist to close gaps that have been overlooked for far too long.
What I’m most proud of is the impact. Families feel empowered instead of overwhelmed. Parents gain confidence instead of hesitation. Most importantly, children grow up experiencing literacy as something shared, inclusive, and woven into everyday family life.
What I want readers to know is that Teaching Your Baby in Braille is about equity, not charity. It’s about keeping families connected, giving children early access to literacy, and proving that accessibility strengthens learning for everyone
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The quality that has mattered most to my success is persistence rooted in purpose.
I didn’t build this work just to help myself or my own family. I built it for the many families who fall into the gap—the gray area where resources don’t quite fit, systems don’t quite serve, and people are often told to wait or figure things out on their own. Once I realized how many families were navigating mixed abilities without support, I knew this work had to extend beyond me.
That purpose is what keeps me persistent. When challenges arise, I stay focused on the families who need access, confidence, and tools that actually meet them where they are. I’m motivated by the idea that no family should feel overlooked or excluded simply because they don’t fit a traditional category.
That combination of persistence and responsibility to a broader community is what has allowed me to keep building, advocating, and growing a brand that fills a real gap—and continues to do so with intention and impact.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.TYBIBraille.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teaching_your_baby_in_braille
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AU7B14eX2/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janie-desir-540a9b238
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@teaching_your_baby_in_braille
- Other: https://youtu.be/fR1pG0SLAt0
