Register for a Preliminary Contest

Registration to Take the 2010 Preliminary Challenge Contest Now Available!

Teachers Registering Individual Students

Teachers, please fill out the form below to register your individual students to take the 2009 preliminary contest. Registrations must be received by December 18, 2009. 

Teachers Registering Individual Students Form

We recommend that students participate in a regional event, but if they cannot attend an event in their area, their teacher may also administer the preliminary exam for the Braille Challenge. Please register all of your students on one form. Students must be registered by their teacher or attend a regional event. All Challenge contests must be proctored by a teacher for the visually impaired.

If you have any problems submitting the online contest request form, please call Braille Institute at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553).

Teachers, Here’s How to Get Your Students Involved

STEP ONE: Review the Sample Contests

Download the sample contests listed on our site for each academic level to help you decide whether The Braille Challenge is appropriate for your students. These samples are representative of the difficulty level of the preliminary round contests. When you've decided on which of your students would benefit, start talking it up!

STEP TWO: Order Your Preliminary Round Packets or Register Your Students at a Preliminary Regional Event

Our finalists are determined through the Preliminary Round Contest, which is held each winter from January through the first week of March. Complete a Preliminary Contest Request Form, listing each student who will be participating. They are available online from November through December. Preliminary Contest Packets include details about the contest, guidelines for teachers serving as proctors and further information about The Braille Challenge for the families.

Packets for each student must be requested by December 18, 2009, for contestants who plan to take The Braille Challenge individually. Regional events are held on various dates during that time, with varying deadlines for registration.

For information on hosting a regional Preliminary Round event at your school or agency, contact Christine Pak toll-free at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1321.

STEP THREE: Round One: The Preliminary Round Contest

You can administer the contests individually, or build up enthusiasm by conducting them in a group setting. The packet will tell you how. If you would like additional information on hosting your own regional event for the Preliminary Round contact, contact Christine Pak toll-free at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1321.

All students are welcome to participate in the contest—however, only those tests given according to the guidelines and certified by a VI teacher will be eligible to compete in The Braille Challenge finals in June.

Teachers must administer the contest exactly as specified in the guidelines, paying strict attention to the time allowed for each, and the equipment to be used. Teachers then collect all completed contests in an envelope and mail them to Braille Institute for scoring. Every student who completes a Preliminary Round Contest will be acknowledged with a certificate and a special prize, so everyone is a winner.

STEP FOUR: Get Ready for the Big Day!

We'll notify the finalists and their teachers in May and send them detailed instructions regarding their participation in the upcoming finals of The Braille Challenge held annually in Los Angeles each June.

Blind service agencies and state schools for blind and visually impaired children throughout the United States and Canada host their own fun-filled Braille Challenge regional events each year between January and mid-March.

A regional event offers students of all reading levels a broad and enriching experience. Most include parent workshops, entertainment, speakers, or access technology demonstrations. But more importantly, the regionals give parents of blind children the opportunity to meet each other and set the stage for students to experience the exhilaration of live competition and receive acknowledgement for their hard work.

Regional Contest Registration Form for Hosting Agencies

Hosting Agencies, please fill out the form below to register your regional contest:

Regional Contest Registration Form

If you have any problems submitting the online contest request form, please call Braille Institute at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553).

Completing the Registration Log (MS Word document) - All students taking the Challenge contests must be listed in the log, with all contact information completed. Download and print out this form on our Challenge Resources page. Please e-mail your completed log to Christine Pak at cgpak@brailleinstitute.org no later than one working day following your event.