Students take on the Braille Challenge

Alex Calderon sat and watched attentively as a panel of blind and visually impaired adults talked about their transition from childhood. Alex, 15, a student at W.T. Clarke High School, is visually impaired. His parents and teachers decided that it would more valuable for Alex to listen in on the conversation rather than join his peers for a test in a nearby classroom.

"One of the reasons he needed to be here is so he hears from others like him," said Atilio Calderon, Alex's father.

Thirteen area students were at Clarke on Saturday to participate in the annual Braille Challenge. Clarke is the only public school in the nation to host the event.
The Braille Challenge is a program that gives students an opportunity to compete in a series of five skills, including the demonstration of braille reading and comprehension, speed and accuracy, spelling, proofreading and tactile graphics.

Those who are successful during the regional round have a chance to move on to the national competition in California. Michael Taylor, a fifth-grader at Bowling Green, advanced to the national finals in Los Angeles as a second-grader in 2007.
Taylor, Calderon and Parkway third-grader Daniel Castro represented the East Meadow School District in this year's contest.

According to Dr. Sheila Amato, the districtwide teacher for students who are blind or visually impaired, Castro has an eye condition that could lead to major sight loss or blindness. As a result, Amato said Castro is being groomed at a young age, learning the Braille methods in elementary school.

It was Daniel's first attempt at the challenge.

"I was a little bit nervous," Daniel said. "I felt I was going to lose because the others are probably better."

But as he practiced in between stages of the test, Daniel nodded when asked if he felt good about his progress.

Educators explained that the event was an important day for blind and visually impaired students to celebrate their skills and use them in competition.