On Tuesday, June 17, KnoxTNToday, FirstBank, Wallace Real Estate, Food City and Covenant Health were honored to present our first Hero Kid Award to an outstanding young individual, Mia Warren, who has made a remarkable difference in our community.

We held her recognition ceremony at the East TN History Museum along with the museum’s board of directors who likewise celebrated her spirit of determination, compassion and leadership shown by what it means to truly care for others and to strive for excellence.

The location was meaningful because Mia was selected based on her Girl Scout Gold Award project, allowing visually impaired people to experience museums independently.

Mia’s goal was to make the museum entirely independent for someone who can’t see, so they don’t have to rely on a sighted guide.

All of the signs at the same height so the reader know where to scan it.

Taking two and half years to complete, Mia developed this complicated project after being inspired by a family friend who was born blind. Mia typed up every sign and bit of text in the museum’s exhibits before creating a text tour giving visual descriptions of each exhibit, including all of the signage around the exhibit. The text tour was then linked to a series of QR codes placed around the museum.

Mia Warren explaining how to use the QR coded signs

The visually impaired user can scan the code with their device and follow along at their own pace, either through listening to their screen reader or making the font large enough so they can read it. The tour navigates the user around the museum, giving instructions on which way to walk and look and where to find the next QR code.

Mia was presented with gifts from each sponsor along with an engraved award. She gave us a tour of her amazing work after the ceremony.

Mia says, “The hardest part for me was navigation. Trying to figure out how to get the flow to make the most sense for someone who can’t see.”  Mia’s blind friend was her controller to understand the process. “I think working with her in the museum, we figured it out. And she approved it. She said that it makes sense and it actually works really well.”

The museum has put together a kit that they can give to other museums to help them. with the QR code system in it, the logo and instructions on how to implement it.  Mia says, “I mean, we started from scratch, they have the blueprint. So hopefully that with that, they can make it faster and again, make it more standardized.”

Mia’s dream from her inspiring project: “I am hoping in five years, I’ll go to New York or the Smithsonian, and I’ll see Mia, you know, when I get there.”

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