Two students from Alpine School District’s Vision Special Education Services program, are earning recognition for their outstanding achievements in the Braille Challenge, a national academic competition designed to promote braille literacy among students who are blind or visually impaired.
Duke, a 3rd-grade student, and Skylee, a 5th-grade student, both took first place in their respective divisions at the state level. While the division names, Freshman and Sophomore, can be misleading, they are specific to the Braille Challenge and refer to grade levels rather than high school levels. Freshman includes students in grades 3–4, while Sophomore includes grades 5–6.
The Braille Challenge, organized by the Braille Institute of America, evaluates students across multiple skill areas critical to literacy and independence. Participants complete a series of rigorous tasks, including reading comprehension, spelling, proofreading, speed and accuracy, and interpreting charts and graphs in braille. Students may also be asked to listen to audio passages and transcribe them into braille using proper contractions, or identify errors in braille text, demonstrating both technical proficiency and attention to detail.
Unlike traditional competitions, students are not racing against one another in real time; instead, they are scored individually based on accuracy and performance across these categories. Regional winners are determined by the highest composite scores within their division. At the regional level in Utah, students compete against peers from across the state, highlighting the significance of Duke and Skylee’s accomplishments.
Duke described the excitement of hearing his name announced: “I was excited when they announced, ‘And the first place winner of Freshman is… Duke Mundy.’ It was great!” Skylee added, “I’ve always looked forward to the Braille Challenge. Everyone is so nice, and it’s so much fun to compete.”
Beyond the competition itself, the impact of braille literacy is deeply felt at home. Duke and Skylee’s mother Kimberly Mundy stated, “We’re so thankful for the amazing teachers who built strong braille skills from a young age. Watching our children grow in independence at home, and now compete and succeed, makes this journey so rewarding.”
Advancing beyond regionals is a significant milestone. Only top-performing students are considered for national finals, where competitors from across North America are invited to participate in an elite and highly selective event. Duke has been invited back to participate as one of 50 candidates in the national competition. We are proud to celebrate the hard work and perseverance of these students.
While the number of competitors varies due to the low-incidence nature of visual impairments, the level of rigor remains consistently high. Each participant must demonstrate mastery of braille as a functional literacy system, one that directly supports academic success and lifelong independence.
Duke and Skylee’s achievements reflect not only their individual effort, but also the strength of the district’s Vision Special Education Services program. Through targeted instruction and early skill development, students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed both academically and in daily life.
Their success underscores a simple but powerful truth: strong foundational skills open doors—and in this case, they are paving the way for confident, capable futures.