On Feb. 1, 25 students from across the region gathered at W.T. Clarke High School in the East Meadow School District for the seventh annual Braille Challenge.
The Braille Challenge, a program developed by the Braille Institute of America, was designed to motivate school-aged visually impaired or blind children to continue their study of Braille. Contestants completed a number of grade-level exercises to demonstrate their proficiency in Braille reading, writing, reading speed and comprehension, spelling, proofreading and use of tactile graphics.
This year, students had the opportunity to meet members of the Long Island Bombers Beep Baseball team, a group which demonstrated their version of baseball using a ball and bases which beep. Third Eye Insight, an organization that offers martial arts, meditation and yoga classes for the visually impaired and blind community, was also on hand and introduced students to martial arts.
Of the regional participants in the Braille Challenge, Michael Taylor, a W.T. Clarke High School student, participated in the competition.
The regional event is the first step on the road to the national competition, which will be held in June at the Braille Institute’s headquarters in Los Angeles. Students from across the nation are in the process of completing preliminary testing in the hopes of qualifying for the 60 spots available in the national competition. The top scorers in the preliminary round will advance to the nationals to represent their state as they compete against the top blind students from across the U.S. and Canada.
Dr. Donald Sturz, director of special education and pupil personnel services for the East Meadow School District, said the Braille Challenge is a paramount event for the district, and one it hosts with great pride each year.
“It highlights students’ talents and capabilities,” he said. “When you see what they’re capable of, you can’t help but be inspired by them. They’re so engaged and so diligent. It’s an amazing day.”
The district thanks Petra Tarrant, teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired, for coordinating the annual event. In addition, the district extends its appreciation to the Special Education Institute of New York, Pizza Supreme and East Meadow’s Special Education PTA for their donations and all the event volunteers for making the day possible.
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