[Colorado-talk] Campus Middle School student heading to National Braille Challenge

[Dan Burke]

I'm passing this along because Ty has been in the CCB's FAST and
Confidence Camp programs, and because it's a great article. Kudos to
Cherry Creek Schools for putting this out there for the public!
Denver Post, please forgive any copyright violations!

Braille whiz to compete at national challenge..

"All I can see is light and dark. That's how 12-year-old Ty Gillespie
describes his vision, or lack thereof. Though he was born with sight,
he lost most of his vision by age 2. Doctors initially believed Ty had
Leber congenital amaurosis, an eye disorder that primarily affects the
retina, or retinal pigmentosa, a genetic disorder. Both cause loss of
vision. Now they believe that Ty has cone-rod dystrophy/retinitis
pigmentosa, a condition in which the retinal cells that detect light
and colors deteriorate. Regardless of the cause of his vision loss, Ty
has learned to deal with it. A sixth-grader at Campus Middle School,
he navigates the crowded hallways with confidence and a cane, and
wears a sporty pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes from bright
lights. He's also discovered he has many talents that don't require
perfect vision, such as mental math. "I can do fractions in my head
really easily," explained Ty, who also loves art. "I get to make
things I can feel. Technology is another of his passions. "I love to
tinker with technology and computers," he said. So it's really no
surprise that this young man who can do math in his head, make art
with his hands and handle technology without vision is a wiz at
braille. Braille is a system of raised dots that can be detected and
read with the fingers. According to the American Foundation for the
Blind, braille is not a language, but rather a code by which many
languages can be written and read. Ty can read, write and do math in
braille, and he can do those things so well that he is one of only 50
students from across the country to qualify for the National Braille
Challenge, which will be held June 15-16 in Los Angeles. It's the only
academic competition of its kind in North America for students who are
blind or visually impaired. During the challenge, Ty will be tested on
fundamental braille skills such as reading comprehension, spelling,
speed and accuracy, proofreading and reading tactile charts and
graphs. For much of the competition, he will use a machine called a
braille writer, which looks like a manual typewriter. Ty has been
preparing for the competition with a little help from Jeannie Lei, a
teacher for students with visual impairments and blindness who
supports Gillespie in his regular classes. "We get class materials
transcribed into braille, we braille the teachers' notes on the board
and just make sure he has access to the curriculum," Lei said. She
also explained that teachers for students with visual impairments also
specialize in accommodations and adaptations so that students like Ty
can access the curriculum, use an abacus for computations and use
assistive technologies, like the Braille Note Touch and screen
readers, for other coursework. In addition to supporting his regular
schoolwork, Lei is helping Ty prepare for the national competition.
"We do some of the dictation. We're working on reading speed, getting
his fingers faster, just working on those things," she said. Lei is
looking forward to joining Ty and his mother in Los Angeles for part
of the competition and she knows he will represent Colorado well.
"It's just a great privilege." she said. "We're going to have fun.
Anna Osborn Dolan is communications coordinator for Cherry Creek
Schools.

-- 
Dan Burke
President, NFB of Denver

"Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"
My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal