The Braille Challenge® Reading, Writing & Spelling Contest
A Record 900 Contestants Participated, Top 60 Named for 2012 Finals
(pictured above) More talented students participated in this year's regional events than ever before! Congrats to all of them!
CLICK HERE for more great photos from this year's regional events!
Congratulations go to this year’s finalists, who were selected out of more than 900 preliminary round contestants from 42 states and two Canadian provinces. These 60 Challengers are invited to compete in the Braille Challenge® Finals in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 23, 2012. Finalists represent the 12 top-ranking scores from each of the 5 age groups nationally. Preliminary contests are taken during the winter months and scored according to our national guidelines by volunteer transcribers from across the country. Contests are checked by transcribers at Braille Institute then ranked by total scores earned. Click here to view the list of Finalists.
Forty-one teachers for students who are visually impaired proctored the preliminary contest for their students individually, plus, full-day Challenge events were held in January through March at 38 different agencies and schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. Notification packets, including a brailled certificate of appreciation and general feedback on each student’s performance, are sent to families and educators beginning the first week in May.
Thanks go to our generous 2012 sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor: The Braille Institute Auxiliary
Major Prize Sponsor: Freedom Scientific, providing six Focus 40
Blue refreshable braille displays as prizes for the five Finalists and
the Teacher of the Year
Major Sponsors:
- Savings Bond Sponsor: Walter Lantz Foundation
- Welcome Dinner Sponsor: Dot and Rick Nelson
- Opening Ceremony Sponsor: dot.dat.inc
Braille Institute is pleased to receive generous support from many individuals, foundations and corporations who make The Braille Challenge possible:
- The Dockweiler Foundation in Memory of Marcus E. Crahan
- City National Bank
- Delta Gamma Foundation
- Los Angeles Breakfast Club Foundation
- Florencine Gerard
- Sally and Frank Jameson
Sponsors providing prizes at Preliminary Regional Events: Humanware, Seedlings Braille Books for Children, National Braille Press and Perkins Products.
For a complete list of all of our Braille Challenge Sponsors for 2012, please visit our Challenge Sponsors page.
What Is The Braille Challenge?
It's Braille Institute's national reading and writing contest in braille and a great way to motivate blind and visually impaired students to practice their literacy skills. Contests include reading comprehension, braille speed and accuracy, proofreading, spelling and reading tactile charts and graphs. More than 800 students from first through twelfth grades participated in the Preliminary Round last year. The top-scoring 60 came to Los Angeles in June for the Final Round—two days of competition, camaraderie and fun!
For more information about The Braille Challenge, please call Christine Pak toll-free at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1321, or send an e-mail to cgpak@brailleinstitute.org.