Press Release: MSDE Joins Students And Families In Celebration Of Braille Literacy

Maryland Regional Braille Challenge is Saturday, February 7

For Immediate Release                                                       Contact: Bill Reinhard, 410-767-0486

Baltimore, MD (February 6, 2015)

Blind and visually impaired students from across the state will meet at the Maryland School for the Blind in Baltimore to test their braille skills in an academic competition on Saturday, Feb. 7.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) will be hosting the Maryland Regional Braille Challenge, a national program of the Braille Institute, on the MSB campus, 3501 Taylor Avenue, Baltimore, from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Braille Challenge is the only academic competition for blind students in the United States. It was developed by Braille Institute of America 15 years ago to encourage blind children of all ages to fine-tune their braille skills. More than 1,000 students participated in 2014.

During the competition, students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 will compete in five challenging categories requiring them to read and type braille. Each category is designed to test their braille skills in several areas — reading comprehension, braille spelling, chart and graph reading, proofreading, and braille speed and accuracy.

The daylong event also features informational workshops for parents, a vendor fair, and awards ceremony.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21.

To learn more visit www.marylandschoolfortheblind.org.

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