FIMC-VI

Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired
6 different color dots that represent a sim braille cell on the left and Florida Regional Braille Challenge Braille Institute

2024 Dates:

Tampa  - January 19
Orlando  - February 2
Ft. Lauderdale  - February 16
Tallahassee  - March 1

Student reading braille with two hands. 

Stay tuned for the cheesy 2024 Florida Braille Challenge updates!

Nothing is sweeter than braille!


Agenda | Plain Text Agenda 

Student Registration

Student Registration Information

Please pay attention to the registration deadlines for any of the Florida Regional events so that FIMC-VI can order contests, student t-shirts, goody bags, materials, etc. and plan for food and refreshments. Family members, teachers, volunteers, paraprofessionals, administrators, vendors, etc. must register online to confirm attendance. A student permission form only registers the student. It does NOT mean that parents or any other guests are registered.  

The BRAILLE CHALLENGE is a national program of the Braille Institute® hosted by regional schools and agencies that serve blind and visually impaired children. It is the only national braille literacy competition of its kind in the country, and is specifically designed to challenge and reward blind students for their study of braille, which is essential to their future academic and employment success.  Regional students who score among the top 50 nationally are invited to Braille Institute in Los Angeles for a final competition!

Adult/Guest Registration

  • Tampa  - January 19 (register by January 8)

  • Orlando  - February 2 (register by January 22)

  • Ft. Lauderdale  - February 16 (register by February 5)

  • Tallahassee  - March 1 (register by February 19)

How can I help my student(s) prepare for the Florida Regional Braille Challenge competition?

  • Braille Institute can help!  They have several years of past contests available to download for students to practice.  Braille and print files are included so you don’t have to transcribe anything.  You will need an embosser.  TVIs can browse the old contests to help decide which grade level is most appropriate for your student.  Go to the Braille Challenge Archive to view and download practice contests. 
  • For students taking the Sophomore, Junior Varsity, or Varsity contest, make sure they know how to use a digital player (VictorReader Stream) and practice, practice, practice!  They should be able to start/stop, rewind/fast forward, adjust volume, adjust speed, plug into a power source, charge device to full power for testing day.