The "head elf" at the VisionCorps non-profit organization in Pennsylvania is working hard to ensure children who are blind or visually impaired can communicate with Santa Claus in Braille.
Erika Rothermel from Lancaster County, known as VisionCorps' head elf, helps answer the letters sent to Santa, NBC affiliate WGAL reports.
The new tradition began last year when VisionCorps invited children and anyone who wished to participate to write a letter to Santa in Braille.
"It's a long-standing tradition that people have been doing for years, but opening it up to the blind and visually impaired population is pretty new," Rothermel said. "The children write a Braille letter to Santa, and I will hand the letter off to Santa personally. I will check his Braille. I will check it twice."
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Though Christmas Day is nearly here, Rothermel said letters will get answered no matter when they're sent.
"We wanted it to be when you have time, send it. It's a good opportunity to practice, and we didn't want to limit that," Rothermel told WGAL. "People that are blind or visually impaired find it as an opportunity to be included and people that aren't blind and visually impaired just think it's a really cool tradition to start."
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VisionCorps says its mission is to empower people who are blind or vision impaired to attain independence. The CEO of the organization said the letter program is a great opportunity to practice writing and reading in Braille.
"We invite children to send their letters to Santa and tell him why they deserve to be on the 'nice list,'" Steiner said in a statement last year. "Each letter will receive a response from Santa, also in braille, and a reward for their hard work."
If you or someone you know wish to send Santa Claus a letter in Braille, here's the address:
Letters to Santa
VisionCorps (Erika Rothermel, head elf)
244 N. Queen St.
Lancaster, PA 17603
Reporting by WGAL's Anne Shannon contributed to this story.
