In the latest heart-touching episode of The Repair Shop, Dominic Chinea was nearly at a loss for words. The programme on Wednesday evening introduced viewers to Lynda Brook and her daughter Jemma, who brought in a cherished item in need of repair.
Jemma shared with Dominic the significance of their Braille typewriter which her mum utilized during her school days, highlighting it as one of the first mass-produced Braille typewriters. This revolutionary device empowered thousands of visually impaired children to achieve literacy on par with their sighted peers.
Jemma expressed how crucial this invention was, saying: "That was something really new for at the time. For me, I feel like it's a really important piece of our cultural history."
Clearly moved, Dominic remarked: "This machine really changed thousands of people's lives. I've never seen one of these before. I can only really relate it to a typewriter."
As Jemma demonstrated the workings of the Braille typewriter, her mother illustrated to the BBC expert the need for various combinations of six keys to form different letters. Reflecting on the complexity, Dominic said: "It sounds like, I mean, even more complicated than learning another language."
During the show, it emerged that the mother-daughter duo were keen to have the typewriter mended because Jemma was progressively losing her sight. Having been partially sighted since birth, she learned at 21 that she would eventually lose her vision completely.
Jemma revealed the personal importance of this endeavour, stating: "There's a lot of things in my life that I'm kind of future-proofing and I wanted to still be able to read because I'm a total book nerd."
Jemma expressed her desire to have a functioning typewriter to hone her Braille skills at her leisure, reports .
She also mentioned: "I'd also really love to be able to write mum Mother's Day cards and Day cards and all of those things."
The challenge was then passed to the skilled hands of husband and wife team Walid and Joujou Saad, who faced a significant task. Upon examining the typewriter, they discovered it was jamming in several places.
However, the diligent duo succeeded in repairing the machine for Jemma and Lynda.
At the moment of the big reveal, Jemma pointed out the noticeable improvements, including the mended case.
Excitedly, she said to her mother: "It looks brand new! I've never seen it so shiny."
Lynda tested the typewriter with fresh paper and was delighted to find it worked smoothly without any jams.
In a heartwarming gesture, Walid and Joujou surprised them by adding a Braille label with Jemma's name next to her mum's on the case.
Grateful for the restoration, both Jemma and Lynda thanked Walid and Joujou for reviving such an important item, enabling them to use it together.
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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