San Bruno 6th Grader Heads to National Braille Challenge

Luke Pilar, sixth grader who is blind from San Bruno has just made the huge accomplishment of advancing to the 2018 National Braille Challenge sponsored by the Braille Institute!

Luke, participated at the Sophomore level in the 2018 Northern California Braille Challenge hosted by Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in early March. In June he will head, for the second time, to Los Angeles to the University of Southern California to compete in the national finals! His TVI (Teacher for the Visually Impaired) Jane Unger, who will travel to see him compete.

Unger says, "We’re so excited and so proud of Luke's accomplishments.”

"Braille Challenge has been an exciting time for me,” Luke says. “I was happy that I won 1st place most of the time in the past. I hope I will keep doing good for the rest of my years as a participant."

Unger also stated the importance of Braille. "Even with the rapid growth in other ways to access materials, thanks to technology, Braille continues to play an important role in literacy development for people who are blind, as the most efficient tool for reading and writing. And, the great news is that E-braille technologies are being integrated into mainstream products for education, work, daily living and other information making it easier than ever to access."

Image: Luke walking down aisle to receive 1st place for the 2018 Northern California Braille Challenge from Stuart Wittenstein, Ed.d, retired Superintendent of California School for the Blind (CSB) and member of the Northern California Braille Challenge Planning committee.

For more information, contact Bronwyn O'Malley, Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired at bomalley@vistacenter.org