At the beginning of the school year, 6-year-old Shianne Ramsey sat in front of her kindergarten class and fielded questions from her classmates.
She confidently explained why she uses a white cane, what braille is and how she was born without any eye sight.
Ramsey was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, a rare condition where the optic nerves in the eye don't develop properly.
Her mother, Sierra Todd, said there aren't any direct links to it being hereditary or caused by something in her pregnancy.
"We were shocked, but we weren't devastated," Todd said. "She's typically developing other than her eye sight. She doesn't know anything different."
There are two other students at East Elementary School who are visually-impaired, but Ramsey is the school's first student who is completely blind, said Principal Julia Martin.
On Friday, Rita Lynch, the president of the National Federation for the Blind of Jefferson City, came to Ramsey's class to read braille books to the students.
It's an important part of showing the students and the teachers there are successful blind adults who are just as capable as sighted people, Lynch said.
"I struggled through school myself," Lynch said. "I didn't have the same opportunities as Shianne does now. It's important for children to feel mainstream. With a little assistance, they can be."
Ramsey has a para-educator who is with her all day to help with in-class learning, and the district's braille instructor meets with her every day.
Todd said the transition into kindergarten has had its challenges, mostly because Ramsey isn't used to being in a classroom all day, but she loves going to school.
While the curriculum is adapted for Ramsey, she's on the same path as every other student.
Louise Whitworth is the only full-time certified teacher for the visually impaired at the Jefferson City School District and works with 22 visually-impaired students, six of whom read braille.
Ramsey's course work needs to be gathered a year in advance to have it all translated to braille, and Whitworth is already readying Ramsey's books for first grade.
Lesson plans that are heavily visual need to be adapted for Ramsey so she can learn by feel instead of sight. Instead of learning to add by counting circles on a worksheet, Ramsey will count physical blocks.
"In some ways Shianne is more observant," Whitworth said. "She associates things differently. So for instance, green is a leaf, or it's grass or a watermelon. Green has a taste, a texture a smell. That's something you have to teach someone."
Sometimes the most difficult learning curve isn't for the student, it's for the teacher. Whitworth said teachers are often nervous about having a blind student, but it's all about working together to make sure the teacher and student have everything they need to be successful.
Angela Adams, Ramsey's kindergarten teacher, said she plans her lessons farther in advance so worksheets can be translated to braille. She also added braille versions of things hanging in her classroom, including a calendar and the number chart.
And, she has to be much more descriptive. Instead of asking Ramsey to look at the whiteboard, she has to explain the lesson with lots of detail.
"She does everything we do," Adams said. "The students love her and just want to help. Sometimes a little too much and she's good at saying when she doesn't need help."
Todd said she never had plans to send Ramsey to a school for the blind. She was part of the district's Early Education Center and a preschool before that to ready her for grade school.
"We've always had high expectations for her independence," Todd said.
Ramsey's blindness hasn't slowed her at all. She takes piano and ice-skating lessons and loves to swim. She said her favorite part of school is going to recess and likes to play on the swings.
Ramsey and Lynch recorded a school announcement on Friday to promote White Cane Safety day on Oct. 15, which raises awareness about why blind people use canes. It's also a day that symbolizes how the white cane is a sign of independence, Lynch said.
There's a common misconception that blind people are helpless, Lynch said.
"Instead of grabbing someone and pulling them along, politely ask them if they need assistance instead of assuming they need help," Lynch said.
Ramsey is a spunky, outgoing and outspoken child with a vocabulary beyond her years, Todd said.
She's at the age where she's starting to notice she's different than some of the other children, but her family tries to instill confidence in her.
"It's been a blast raising her so far," Todd said. "Her future is certainly going to be interesting to see where she goes."
The National Federation for the Blind of Jefferson City is hosting a Walk-A-Thon from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday at McKay Park. It's the federation's main fundraiser for the year.
Lynch welcomes anyone who's interested in coming.