Girl Scout sisters make lasting contribution to East Bay museum

Two sisters, one of them blind and partially deaf, have made what figures to be a lasting contribution to other blind children who visit the Hayward Area Historical Society.

Milagro Sato is 17-years-old. She was born almost three months prematurely with lifelong disabilities and complications.

But Friday, she and her 14-year-old sister Kotomi presented the historical society with three binders they made.

The binders contain pages that  explain each of the exhibits in the children's display section of the museum, in braille.

"Completing it was great. Because it felt like all our hard work was going to have a payoff for all kinds of people who come here," said Kotomi Sato.

The two sisters spent hours working together on it as part of a girls scout silver award project Kotomi would read the facts of each display.

Milagro would type into a special computer that translates into braille.

They say it took months and brought them closer together.

"I know she is proud of her self. Now she knows people like her can come here and get the knowledge out of being here that she wasn't able to," said Kotomi.

The idea for the project actually began years ago. Milagro had come here t the children's exhibit on a class field trip. But nothing was in braille. And basically, she says she got nothing out of it.

"I was frustrated and sad," said Milagro.

The sisters decided to do something about.  And the historical society says it's glad they did.

"We weren't serving a segment of our population that come to visit here. And the girls stepped up and said hey we see a need and want to do it for you," said Diane Curry of the Hayward Area Historical Society.

Graciele Tiscareno-Sato, the mother of the two girls, says the project was good for both her daughters.

"They learned a lot about each other and about themselves. That was beautiful to watch," she said.