VISUALLY impaired schoolchildren from across Surrey and Berkshire are gathering at Woking High School for an international competition to test their Braille literacy skills.

Around 14 students are due to be at the school for the UK round of the International Braille Challenge today. A further six students are taking part virtually.

Woking High School, which has around 12 visually impaired students, has been taking part in the competition informally for a couple of years but this year is the official host of the UK round.

The results will be submitted to the organisers, the Braille Institute in the US, along with those from rounds in more than 30 states and Canada. 

The British students have the chance to qualify for the two-day final round in Los Angeles in June if they finish in the top 10 in one of the five categories.

The school’s involvement is thanks to Sophie Lock, who organises resources for the visually impaired students.

“A couple of years ago I was looking for a competition for the students to challenge themselves and to broaden their exposure to different activities,” Sophie said. 

“I did a bit of research and found the Braille Institute and their Braille challenge.”

The students at the Woking High School event will be competing for prizes donated by national and local companies, including the Woking branch of Seymours estate agents and Deli Class in Horsell.

They include devices to help visually impaired students, money and vouchers. Sophie said: “We are so excited to be hosting the UK Regional for the International Braille Challenge. Our students are really looking forward to competing and demonstrating their Braille skills and knowledge – and the amazing prizes.”

“’Access to learning’ and ‘learning to access’ are the central themes of our approach to supporting students with a vision impairment and it has proved an effective way of including students with visual impairment in mainstream education.”