Jack and Luke Fechtel, supported by their sister Janie, competed in the Braille Challenge finals. (Photo provided)LOS ANGELES — St. Vincent De Paul faith formation students Luke and Jack Fechtel recently traveled to California to compete in the international Braille Challenge, and Luke captured third place.
The Braille Challenge is an academic competition developed by the non-profit Braille Institute to promote literacy for the blind and visually impaired. The finalists are the top competitors from 66 regional divisions that took place earlier in the year.
“Luke was so happy to win third place this year, and it was Jack’s first time qualifying for the National Finals. They both had an amazing time,” said their mom, Anne Fechtel.
Regionals were held throughout the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia with over 1,500 contestants. From those, 50 continued on to the finals.
After months of practice honing their braille skills, Luke, 11, and Jack, 8, placed in the Western North Carolina Regionals on Feb. 27, competing in spelling, accuracy, comprehension, speed and proofreading
The competition was tough, but with their quick fingers typing away on the braille typewriters and their heightened tactile ability to read the raised dotted texts, they both made the top 10 in their division.
The final round brought the finalists and their families to Los Angeles June 26-29 for the last leg of the competition and a whirl of pool parties, workshops and fun.
“For our family, it’s a great opportunity to be around others who ‘get it,’” said Anne Fechtel. “It’s a rare chance for the kids to compete and enjoy social time with blind kids from all over the world.”
Parents were geared up with resources to help their children flourish. They attended workshops on mental well-being and career guidance for the legally blind.
Anne Fechtel has three blind children due to Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, a rare inherited retinal disease, and feels blessed to be chosen by God to be their mother.
“As a parent, I feel, as most parents do, that I was given a special gift when God handpicked me as the mom of my kids, but I also have gotten the unique experience of seeing people go out of their way to be kind and helpful to us when they do not need to,” she said.
While Luke was delighted with the digital braille device he won, he was equally excited to reconnect with a friend he met last year.
“He made an excellent friend, Isaiah, from Saskatchewan, Canada. They kept in touch with weekly phone calls all year and promised each other to work their hardest to get into the finals again. They both did,” Anne Fechtel said.
Jack and Luke receive braille resources from the Xavier Society for the Blind, a 125-year-old organization that provides audio, braille and large-print books, especially Catholic ones, free of charge.
The New York City non-profit organization, run by six employees and numerous volunteers, serves over 2,800 clients, including 20 in the Diocese of Charlotte, with more than 2,000 available publications.
The organization transcribes books into braille when the need is urgent. Their most recent request was “Hope” by Pope Francis. With one transcriber on staff and a volunteer proofreader – Sister Delores Dean, a blind nun from Virginia – a 300-page book typically takes several months to transcribe and is much thicker than the non-braille book.
“We are so blessed to be able to serve Jack and Luke with the resources they need to practice their Catholic faith,” said Aisling Redican, communication and fundraising manager for the Xavier Society for the Blind. “We are super proud of them. It’s quite amazing that they both got in and they both did so well in the finals.”
— Lisa M. Geraci
Need help?
If you or someone you know is blind or visually impaired and in need of free Catholic resources in braille or large print, contact Xavier Society for the Blind at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 212-473-7800 or xaviersocietyfortheblind.org.