Blind Alexandria Boy Is A National Braille Champion

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Noa Hottin, who's blind and selectively mute, struggled to communicate when he first moved to Alexandria at age six. Three years later, he not only overcame that hardship but is a national braille champion.

The Mount Vernon Community School fourth-grader placed first in his age group among 50 other finalists from the U.S. and Canada at a competition at University of Southern California. He was named a finalist in the Baltimore regional, chosen among 1,100 contestants in 51 regional competitions.

Hottin hadn't talked at school in three years when he came to Alexandria. He had spoken French and Thai in his home country but struggled with braille.

Today, he uses a BrailleNote computer, which is designed for those with visual impairments. It may be heavy at times, but it helps him read, write and do homework. He explained how to use it in a school district article: "So, when I press on this button, do you see how these dots change? When I press this button, I go to the previous line, and when I press this button, I go to the next line. It’s not necessarily a sentence, it’s just what can fit. You run your fingers across these dots. If you see two extra buttons underneath, that’s a cursor. If I move this way it goes to this cell."

He's also accustomed to getting around well with his white cane. He's been to over 20 countries, and one of his favorite places is the London Tube system.

As for navigating around Mount Vernon Community School, that was a challenge at first. "There are probably six different stairways and six different exits, so it gets kind of confusing at first, but then you get the hang of it. It takes a couple of months," he told the school district.

As part of his national braille championship, Hottin won a check for $400, a Brailliant (a lighter type of BrailleNote) and a new iPad. He still prefers the familiarity of the trusty BrailleNote.

You can't argue with a national champion.

Look out for Hottin at the Del Ray Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 28. He's been invited to be Grand Marshal.

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Image via Alexandria City Public Schools