Four students from Iowa recently participated in the National Braille Challenge in California. Gail Stricker of the Iowa Department for the Blind says students from Adel, Blakesburg, Carlisle and Polk City took part.
Stricker says the Braille challenge is a contest that highlights the importance of reading and writing and provides motivation for students, teachers and families to used Braille. Stricker says it’s important for blind students to use Braille.
She says studies show many blind students are not using Braille. Stricker says Braille is essential to a student’s future as Braille has a positive impact on academic success, income and employment for students. Stricker says making it to the Braille challenge was a big accomplishment.
Stricker says the Braille challenge is a two-part contest and there are only 60 spots nationally. She there were 650 students who took the preliminary test, so Iowa students ended up in the top ten in the country. Iowa’s students did not advance to the finals of the challenge.