
The Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCBVI) Short Course team recently took to the road to provide opportunities for students in CESA 10 to participate in a regional Braille Challenge Event, group activities, focusing on Expanded Core Curriculum skills.
The Braille Challenge is an academic contest for any blind or visually impaired student in first through twelfth grade, who can read and write Braille. The Braille Institute of America contests test students' fundamental Braille skills including reading comprehension, spelling, speed and accuracy, proofreading, and interpreting charts and graphs.
All students can compete in the preliminary Braille Challenge events, which are held from January through mid-March throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Then the top 50 students (ten in each category) with the highest scores are invited for the final round hosted by the Braille Institute of America for two days of competition, camaraderie and fun! The Challenge motivates students to learn and practice Braille skills and increase their speed and fluency. Congratulations to Matthew Heesen of Janesville who made it to the international Braille Challenge Competition and will travel to California in June to compete against the rest of the top 10 in their age group.
After the Braille Challenge, students prepared English muffin pizzas for lunch. After lunch, students learned how to make tie blankets which will be donated to different organizations in their schools.

On Saturday, students and families had the opportunity to learn how to play Goalball. Goalball is a unique, fast-paced team sport played specifically by individuals who are blind and vision impaired. There are two teams of three players each and the object of the game is to “roll” a ball (about the size of a basketball) past the opposing team. This is a great opportunity for students who are blind and visually impaired to learn a recreation and leisure activity that they might never get the chance to learn in their communities.


Everyone had a great time at both events and learned lots of new skills!