Kaleigh Brendle, a partially sighted New Jersey collegian and visual impairment rights advocate, will speak about her experiences and perform her own music at the Ocean County Library Jackson Branch at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 13.
Brendel, who is a Villanova University student and a Howell High School alumnus, will recount her struggle with the College Board over conditions under which blind and deafblind students were administered advanced placement tests during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a press release from the library.
Her complaint alleged that the College Board’s virtual test format failed to address tactile Braille tests and graphs that she and other students requested.
Brendle’s advocacy led to College Board policy changes and to ongoing consultations with the National Federation of the Blind, according to the press release.
The experience led to feature articles in leading print and digital publications including
Bold Blind Beauty and Villanova Magazine, and the National Federation of the Blind website.
Brendle will perform original selections from her album “Karma” and songs by other popular artists. Individual tracks from “Karma” are posted on YouTube.
In addition, Brendle will discuss her role as director of Sing for Serenity, the international
online choir she founded at age 14 for blind and visually impaired singers.
Registration at www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events is required for the free Aug. 13 program. For more information, visit the Jackson Branch, 2 Jackson Drive, or call 732-928-4400.