22-02-2025
25th annual Braille Challenge kicks off in Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa – The 25th annual Braille Challenge kicked off in Des Moines Saturday morning.
The Braille Challenge is the only academic competition of its kind in North America for students who are blind or have low vision. The Braille Institute developed this challenge to motivate students to practice their braille literacy skills.
Any student in grades 1 through 12 who is blind or has low vision and who can read and write braille is eligible to participate. This year there are 14 students from across Iowa that are taking part in the challenge.
Students are tested in five categories:
Reading comprehension
Spelling
Speed and accuracy
Proofreading
Charts and graphs
Hundreds of students throughout the United States and Canada will be testing between January and March. Only the top 50 students (10 from each category) will be invited to the two-day national competition in Los Angeles.
While this is the 25th year the challenge has been taking place in Iowa, this is the 19th year the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled is hosting the event.
Denise Bean is the Youth Services Librarian who said the best part is seeing the students enjoy the challenge.
Iowan Nathan Deeds has won the competition the last five years. This year, he is in college and won't be competing in the challenge, but he is the keynote speaker at the event.
The theme for the 2025 Braille Challenge is Blast Off with Braille and it is included on this year's t-shirt design. The design was created by one of the students competing in the challenge.
The Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled is selling the t-shirt and all of the proceeds will help benefit the library and future Braille Challenges.
On Saturday, they are also celebrating 100 years of the Iowa Department for the Blind.
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