W.T. Clarke High School hosts the Braille Challenge

The fifth annual East Meadow Unified School District Long Island Regional Braille Challenge was held at W.T. Clarke High School on Feb. 4. Nearly 30 visually impaired students from throughout New York attended the event, including three local student.

Former Braille Challenge participant Caitlin Lynch, of Smithtown, spoke during the opening ceremony. The students and teachers alike were inspired by her actions and words. Lynch started learning Braille at four years old and is now a college graduate and engaged. Sharing advice she said, “Maybe you’ll use your Braille skills one day to write a letter to your girlfriend or your boyfriend, maybe you’ll use them to give a speech at your high school graduation, maybe you’ll use it to write your doctoral dissertation. I’m not really sure how you’ll use your Braille skills, but I do know that you can do anything you want to regardless of what others say.”

Among the competitors was W.T. Clarke High School senior Alex Calderon who enjoys playing guitar and videogames when he’s not in school and is looking into colleges. Calderon said, “I go through every single problem everyone else does.” When asked to share advice for other teenagers with a disability he simply said, “Do what you always feel is right and trust in your own judgment.”

Seventh-grader Michael Taylor, who attends W.T. Clarke Middle School, was accompanied by his mother, Carolyn Taylor. Carolyn said that her son has a very small amount of usable vision, but was never able to read or write. He was introduced to Braille at three years old. When asked why she thought it was important he learn Braille she said, “The same reason why it’s important for anyone to learn to read and write.”

Carolyn also shared advice for other parents with visually impaired children. She said that the blind can do everything a child with good visual can do, but social skills, daily living, self care and independence do not come as easily. She said the key for parents is, “Do your best to treat them and expect from them the same thing you would expect from a typical child.” She added that good teachers, like Michael’s one-on-one teacher Rochelle Roberts, are essential for success.

Michael said a common challenge he faces is not knowing what a teacher is writing on the front board in class. When he is not at school he enjoys playing basketball and baseball outdoors. “I like the way it feels to be free in the nice, cool air,” he said.

Woodland Middle School student Daniel Castro was more nervous than his peers. “I have a special eye problem,” he said. “We try to get me ready for what could happen . . . In a couple of years I could lose my vision.”

Christine Castro, Daniel’s mother, who is a teacher at Woodland Middle School, said that her son has X-linked juvenile retinoschisis. She said Daniel’s vision will continue to worsen until he reaches about 15 years old.

“We pray that he doesn’t completely lose his vision,” said Christine. “He’s worried about what is going to happen to him.” However, after initially feeling depressed, she started looking for experts in the field who can offer answers. Christine also took proactive steps and had Daniel start learning Braille at six years old. He also attends Camp Helen Keller in the summer.

Petra Tarrant, a teacher for students with visual impairments in the East Meadow Unified School District, organized the Braille Challenge this year. She said 29 students from Long Island, New York City and upstate New York were represented. “It continues to grow,” she said.

The Braille Challenge includes tests on reading comprehension, speed and accuracy, proof reading and charts and grafts, and each test is 25 minutes long. About 60 out of 850 competing students will move on to nationals in Los Angeles in June.