Lauren Lee | March 3, 2025 - Macon, GA

It was a breezy, spring-like morning as students from all over state of Georgia descended onto the campus of the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB). Parents, teachers, and staff all cheered as their students went off to prove their Braille skills. 

In the back of the auditorium, CIDI staff cheered the kids on as they prepared to judge the contest. CIDI staff were joined by numerous volunteers from across the state who serves as proctors.

Every year, GAB hosts the regional Braille Challenge, where students from first through twelfth grade go toe-to-toe in a competition judging five different braille skills categories: 

• Reading comprehension
• Braille spelling
• Chart and graph reading
• Proofreading
• Braille speed and accuracy

Children competed in different categories by age, testing their mettle against other students by typing away on their braillers.

For children with low or no vision, braille literacy predicts higher life satisfaction, self-esteem, and job satisfaction as adults. Promoting braille literacy through a state-wide challenge like this encourages students to practice and hone their braille skills, which will influence their future success. 

Not only does braille literacy ensure future successes; it also makes students with low or no vision feel welcome in the present. 

“It is nice to feel like you’re the norm, every once in a while,” says Robert Irwin, a blind high school student participating in the challenge. “These are the people I’ve grown up with. We’re a tight-knit group.” 

“Braille is our way of seeing the world, and Braille Challenge gives us the chance to hone our skills and make connections,” adds Christopher Morgan, another blind high school student participating in the challenge.

In the background, members of the CIDI Braille team, alongside additional teachers from various districts, gathered around a table to start grading the tests coming in. 

In 2024, the CIDI Braille team produced over 150,000 pages of braille, binding over 16,000 volumes.  Some of the foremost experts in the field were gathered to grade the next generation of braille experts. 

Guy Toles, Associate Director of Research Operations and Braille Services Manager, loves that the team is involved. “[This] event is an opportunity for us to support braille and its importance for students who are blind in becoming literate. The challenge gets kids excited about reading and writing in braille. Being able to read braille impacts their educational advancement and increases employment opportunities for them down the road.”

Who knows? If they come to Georgia Tech one day, they already have a place to call home at CIDI.