Monarch is Making a Difference: Emma Olech’s Homeschool Story

The Monarch was created to drive students forward and make learning easier throughout their education. No matter the schooling method, the Monarch was built to make learning more accessible and to foster independent workers. 

Emma Olech is a 17-year-old high school student who is blind and is completing her junior year of high school at home in Texas. Thanks to the Monarch Student Pilot Program, Emma received her Monarch in the fall of 2024. For Emma, the Monarch transition was a simple one. A lot of students like Emma are used to using devices like the BrailleNote Touch, which, like the Monarch, is manufactured by Humanware. This means that the navigation systems and directional keys are similar and make for a smooth transition from one device to another.  

The most academically useful part of using the Monarch for many students like Emma is the unparalleled access to tactile graphics. “I think the most beneficial part of using the Monarch is being able to easily access the tactile graphics. Although it is necessary to zoom in and out to acquire a complete graph on occasion, it is much easier than flipping through unwieldy hardcopy books,” said Emma.  

Often for students completing work in a braille textbook, the tactile graphics are located in a completely separate book or document. While sighted students have the ability to simply look at the figure or graph next to the question, students who are blind or low vision endure a seek and find through pages of braille to locate the correct graphic. With the Monarch, locating tactile graphics has become much quicker and easier for students. We are excited that with the release of eBraille later this year, the ease of access will only continue to grow.  

Thanks to Emma’s access to assistive technology and dedication to her learning, a lot of the work she does is completed on her own with ease. “Emma is very independent in her technology usage, and I do not really have any day-to-day dealings with her braille devices,” said Emma’s mom, Jean Olech. Even though Jean does not often interact with the Monarch directly, she saw the benefits early on. “Seeing the prototype of the Monarch in 2023 and then the near ready Monarch in 2024 I was very excited for the possibilities it would offer to students who are blind or low vision. I know tactile graphics are a big issue for students and any help that can be offered for these students is a win. I applaud APH and their work to enhance the Monarch and any other devices in the future,” said Jean. 

Outside of schoolwork, Emma has also found the Monarch useful for exploring more of her hobbies and independent growth. “My favorite app on the Monarch is Victor Reader. The variety of available libraries is impressive, and it is wonderful to read more than one line of a book on a braille device,” said Emma. For readers like Emma, the Monarch makes online reading more realistic. Instead of reading one line at a time on a traditional braille display, the Monarch creates space for users to read full paragraphs at a time and to explore the book formatting, all on a portable digital screen. 

 Alongside digital access to reading, the Monarch provides a new level of accessible mobile gaming as well. “I have played Monarch Chess a few times. The interface was easy to understand and navigate, and the game was fun. It is nice to have an accessible version, as online versions are usually difficult to use,” said Emma. The Monarch provides an opportunity for users like Emma to dig deeper into their studies, hobbies, and all of the work they do, while making it easier than ever to build independence and confidence.