Did you know?
The first ever Braille Challenge took place on Febraury 26, 2000 in Anaheim, California with the theme “The World of Braille.”
Today, Braille Challenge is an international competition taking place on three continents. But twenty-five years ago at the first ever Braille Challenge event, the only part of the competition going around the world was the theme!
The competition started off as a single event on February 26, 2000 at our Braille Institute Anaheim Center with the theme “The World of Braille.” Participating students were split into competitor groups named after various countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, and England. There were five competition categories: reading comprehension, proofreading, spelling, speed and accuracy, and a braille word search. Over seventy students from across California participated—some even traveled hundreds of miles to attend.
2000 was also the first and only year with a single Braille Challenge event. Since then, Braille Challenge has grown to over 50 regionals with more regions joining every year. As of 2025, there are even regionals in the U.K., Ireland and Australia!