Research shows as many as 90 percent of the blind community is illiterate and cannot read Braille. But one Texas woman is out to change that.

Leslie Ligon is the founder of At First Sight jewelry, which designs unique bracelets built around tiles that contain a letter written in Braille.

The bracelets have the full alphabet and can help anyone learn Braille quickly. She got the idea after her son went blind when he was just two-months old.

"Since Ethan was immersed in Braille for his first year, it was always around us. And I started thinking about creating a fun, funky line of Braille fashion jewelry," Ligon said.

"It's just easier to sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesn't matter," she said. "I think that every piece that gets worn raises more questions and elicits more curiosity, she continues. It really is my Braille cheat sheet, this thing has a mission. This is not just about jewelry."

The jewelry also serves as a conversation starter to help raise awareness. Now, after ten years of hard work, the Smithsonian's Museum of Design honored Ligon with a major award.

*Originally aired on Jan. 21, 2011.