TAMPA, Fla. — A group of some of the sharpest, braille reading students in West Central Florida recently put their skills to the test at the 2024 West Florida Regional Braille Challenge.

What You Need To Know

  • On Jan. 19, 28 of the sharpest, braille reading students in West Central Florida competed at the West Florida Regional Braille Challenge

  • The competition was a chance for local students who are blind or visually impaired to showcase their talent for braille reading

  • Students have a chance to win one of 50 spots to go to the international competition in Los Angeles this June 

  • For one student, the competition was a chance to connect with friends and have fun

On the line is a chance to win one of 50 spots to go to the international competition in Los Angeles this June. There are three more regional challenges still to take place in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee before the winners are determined.

It's a competition that holds a special meaning for Temple Terrace fifth grader Aniyah Purvis.

“Just enjoy it," she said. "Don’t worry about who’s going to win. Just enjoy."

On the surface, she may seem like any ordinary young teen. But go a little deeper and you realize she’s anything but.

“I started taking braille when I was three," she said.

Aniyah is visually impaired, and having learned braille at an early age, she quickly developed a knack for deciphering the language of raised dots. So quick, in fact, she has become a regular at the West Florida Regional Braille Challenge.

The competition is a chance for local students who are blind or visually impaired to showcase their talent for braille reading. It includes students competing from first through 12th grade in a variety of categories.

“My favorite, actually, is speed and accuracy, because I think it’s so fun to braille stories," Aniyah said. "I like writing, so that’s my favorite. Making new friends is fun, too.”

In the past, she has even qualified as a nationwide finalist, and has competed at the national level several times already.

“In 2023, I got a call that was saying I went to the nationals in (Los Angeles) and it might have been my favorite memory ever,” Aniyah said.

Those events have not only helped her and others sharpen their skills but also make lifelong friends along the way.

“We can just relate to different topics, different topics about blindness and how people interact with us," Aniyah said. "It’s just really cool to see other people go through the same thing I go through.”

Win or lose — Aniyah said it doesn’t matter to her. What matters is the experience and having some fun at the same time.

“If you have a competition, it doesn’t even matter if it’s a soccer game or anything, just stay positive," she said. "Don’t worry about who’s going to win, because I struggled with that a lot last year. Just stay positive."

Aniyah placed second in the sophomore category during the Jan. 19 competition. She will have to wait until after the other state-level competitions have taken place to find out if she will be competing in Los Angeles.