by Krystal Guillory
The Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) is thrilled to announce the success of our “I Would Rather Be Reading” themed Braille Challenge sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana and hosted at the the LCB.
This is an outreach weekend that not only celebrates braille but also educated families on nonvisual skills by providing opportunities for everyone to participate in fun activities.
Jessica Turner, a parent of one of the residents and Vice President of the Louisiana Organization of Parents of Blind Children (LOPOBC), said how appreciative she was for Roland Allen, Cane Instructor at LCB. Allen teaches techniques on how to travel confidently through indoor and outdoor settings using the long, white cane.
“As a parent of a blind child, having the opportunity to work with Roland on cane techniques and basic travel instruction has been invaluable to me,” said Turner. “He has the ability to instill calm and simultaneously encourage bravery to facilitate a true understanding of traveling with a cane. I leave sessions with Roland with tips, tricks, and a better understanding of how to help my son and what life is like as an independent blind person.”
While the parents learned cane and braille skills, thirteen talented students ages 5-18 from throughout the state participated in rigorous, 25-minute timed tests covering Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Proofreading, Charts and Graphs, and Speed and Accuracy.
“Braille has shown me that uniqueness is always a key to success and learning braille inspired me to be more open to learning new things,” said Amarion Rushing, a senior at Ruston High School who chose to participate in the contest even though braille is not her primary reading media.
This year’s winners were:
- Apprentice Division: Charity Boney (1st), Ruston; Emerson Thom (2nd), Lafayette; Amelia Guilbeau (3rd), Lafayette; Sophia Schuttler (Honorable Mention), Ruston
- Apprentice 1 Division: Chasity Martin (1st), Monroe; Amarion Rushing (2nd), Grambling
- Freshman Division: Sadie Guedry (1st), Harvey; Caroline Benoit of Carencro & Gracelynn Chaplain of Metairie tied for 2nd place
- Junior Varsity Division: Narjis Karimipour (1st), New Orleans; Kayleigh Horst (2nd), Downsville; Passion Augustus (3rd), Ruston
- 1st Place Varsity Division & Overall Regional Winner: Jordan Young, West Monroe
Students came to compete in the testing, but they could also perform in the talent show and participate in the BEE-tastic activities, including a Worker Bee Scavenger Hunt, making honeycomb trail mix, learning about honeybees’ life cycles, and creating a bee hummer craft.
Additionally, David Freeman and Donna Fergusson from Lincoln Parish Beekeepers provided an engaging and hands-on presentation for everyone. Students learned so much and loved being able to explore the hive boxes, a frame with foundation, a drawn comb, propolis, discarded beeswax, beekeeper suits, and a model of cells in a hive.
The honey samples were also BEElicious! And each student loved taking home a plant courtesy of Sammy’s Plant World in West Monroe. Community partnerships are so important to us at the Center.
“Having real beekeepers there to explain and let me explore everything was a dream come true,” said Jordan Young, a junior at West Monroe High School. “I love bees and am interested in maybe having bees of my own one day.”
Even though our event is called “The North Louisiana Regional Braille Challenge”, LCB invites all families of blind children from across the state each year. We often have southern families participate.
“Braille Challenge is the perfect opportunity for Amelia to be around blind peers and mentors as well as participate in a friendly braille competition,” said Amber Guilbeau, Amelia’s mom and LOPOBC board member. “Traveling from Lafayette to Ruston is worth the time our family gets to connect with the blind community and catch up with our NFB family. It is a weekend that gets us excited for the upcoming Bell Academy.”
Pam Allen, LCB director and a lifelong Braille reader, expressed how grateful she was to the incredible LCB team and other volunteers who helped make the event a success.
“We look forward to hosting this event each year which celebrates the importance of Braille for readers of all ages! Literacy is key to success in school and beyond,” said Allen. “It is also wonderful for families to come together to share with each other and learn from blind role models. We are proud to have such a dedicated team of educators and star students in Lincoln Parish to celebrate.”
