MILWAUKEE -- As Kira Bayer heads back to school, she'll be able to read the same books as the rest of her classmates, thanks to Audrey Hemmer.

Hemmer is a volunteer braillist with ABLE, Audio Braille Literacy Enhancement. For the last 30 years, she's spent her retirement brailling more than 60,000 pages.

"It's been great and rewarding," said Hemmer. "It keeps me happy and keeps me going."

The braillist learned the skill because she was looking for something to do in retirement. It's as if she's made another career out of it: working 20 to 30 hours a week to make sure the children get their brailled books in time.

"Audrey is making sure that children and adults can participate along with their sighted peers so we have the independence that others have," said ABLE Executive Director Cheryl Orgas.

Visually impaired herself, Orgas was a recipient of ABLE's services before becoming executive director and she says the organization and Hemmer are vitial to the community.

"Audrey has been an amazing volunteer," said Orgas. "She is there for whatever we need. Whether it be brailling or mentoring."

There are a number of volunteer opportunities at ABLE and Hemmer points out its a team effort that gets all the work done. She says she brailles the material, someone sorts it, and someone puts the books together.

"I would be sad if Audrey wasn't brailling for me," said fourth grader, Kira.

Hemmer is Kira's transcriber and the two were able to meet and read a story together recently.

"Audrey, Thank you for transcribing my books," said Kira.

"It was my pleasure. I enjoy reading the books," said Hemmer.

ABLE is always looking for volunteers to help out. For more information on the organization, log onto www.ablenow.org