IMPACT GEORGIA MAGAZINE
Beyond t
Article and video by Kasandra Ortiz | [email protected]
From a Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) offender to Georgia Tech Braille Manager, Guy Toles
has turned the skills he learned while incarcerated into a career. Toles was an offender at Central State
Prison, which is where he learned to transcribe braille. He says he was motivated to work for Georgia
Tech’s Center for Inclusive Design & Innovation (CIDI) through another transcriber’s story. He had his first
interview for the job at a Transitional Center, and within two weeks of being released he had a job.
“I feel like at this point I’m meant to do what I’m doing. It was just too crazy of a journey for me not to
think this is meant to be,” says Toles.
He has now been working for CIDI for nearly 10 years now and he is using his experience to start more
braille programs at other facilities and helping former offenders start a career.
“I believe heavily in the difference it makes because I know how it helped me,” explains Toles.
He has assisted with braille programs in Texas and even Emanuel Women’s Facility (WF) here in Georgia.
Their first braille class graduated in December 2019. He was one of the people who helped launch that
program and was even their first graduation speaker. The offenders participating in that new program
are grateful for the positive feeling it has given them.
“It really feels good to know that not only am I adding to my value as a human being, I feel like I can
finally have the opportunity to give back to the community when maybe before I was only taking from
it,” says offender Meghan Slappey.
Many of the braille students from Emanuel WF’s first class are moving on to different certifications.
Those additional certifications and a passion for braille is what Toles said set him apart from other
candidates for the CIDI job. The offenders at Emanuel WF share that same passion for braille.
“It allowed me to meld my passion for grammar and language arts and service. Once I became proficient,
I fell in love with it and discovered it was beyond a skill, it’s an art,” said offender Joksan Morgan.
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