In this warm and wide-ranging episode of Podcasts by Dr. Kirk Adams, Kirk welcomes Rachel Antoine, Senior Director of International Operations at Braille Institute, for a conversation about Braille literacy and the programs that sustain it. Kirk opens with his own Braille history, losing his sight at five, learning to read and write Braille from Mrs. Summers at the Oregon State School for the Blind, and depending on Braille books through long hospital stays, then traces his three encounters with Braille Challenge: a regional in Tampa, a 2019 keynote at the Braille Challenge gala, and a return visit in 2026 where he met Rachel. Rachel explains that Braille Challenge has grown from one Southern California regional in 2000 to over 80 regionals worldwide, reaching around 2,200 students a year and over 26,000 since it began, with the competition as the vehicle and Braille literacy as the mission.
The second half covers the documentary Brailled It, filmed at the 2024 Braille Challenge Finals with GoPros worn by competitors Salome, Isaiah and Christopher Morgan and now touring US cinemas; the program’s first African regional in Kenya, where more than 1,000 students took part and many competed with slate and stylus because there were not enough Braillers to go round; and plans to build an East Africa model spanning Uganda and Tanzania, with three Kenyan students due at the 2027 Finals. Rachel also describes the free, non-competitive foundational category any parent, teacher or grandparent can order year-round, and Cane Quest, Braille Institute’s orientation and mobility program, whose SoCal regional runs October 3rd at the Los Angeles Zoo.
TRANSCRIPT:
Podcast Commentator: Welcome to Podcasts by Dr. Kirk Adams, where we bring you powerful conversations with leading voices in disability rights, employment and inclusion. Our guests share their expertise, experiences and strategies to inspire action and create a more inclusive world. If you’re passionate about social justice or want to make a difference, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in with your host, Dr. Kirk Adams.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Podcasts by Dr. Kirk Adams. I am that Dr. Kirk Adams, talking to you from my home office in Seattle, Washington. And very excited today, because we’re going to be talking a lot about Braille. I have Rachel Antoine here with me from the Braille Institute. Say hey, Rachel.
Rachel Antoine: Hello. So happy to be here. Thank you, Dr. Adams.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And Rachel, what’s your title at Braille?
Rachel Antoine: Yeah. So I am Senior Director of International Operations at Braille Institute. My role is really about connecting programs, people and possibilities around the world. I lead our international work, expanding programs like Braille Challenge and Cane Quest, and building partnerships with organizations, schools, and educators in other countries.
Dr. Kirk Adams: That sounds like a fun job to me.
Rachel Antoine: It is.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So my history with Braille — I think many of you know I’m a blind person. My retinas detached when I was five years old. I was in kindergarten in Lynnwood, Washington, north of Seattle. My parents — I was born when they were in college, so they were in their mid-20s when my retinas detached. They had never met a blind person before. Before I became one very quickly. And they were told that I wasn’t going to be allowed to come back to the neighborhood school, that I needed to go to the school for blind children. At that time, the model was, I think, most blind and deaf kids went to a state school. My parents visited the Washington State school. They did not like what they saw as far as the level of academic activity. My retinal surgeon was in Oregon, and someone there at University of Oregon Medical Hospital said the Oregon State School for the Blind is awesome. So I remember visiting there, and they agreed that it was awesome. And they quit their jobs and moved the family down to Oregon so I could go to the Oregon State School. And I had a teacher named Mrs. Summers for first, second and third grade. May she rest in peace. And whenever I’m in a setting where they say, name the person who had the most influence on your life, I say, Mrs. Summers, because she taught me how to read and write Braille.
Dr. Kirk Adams: I was hospitalized a lot. I had quite a number of eye surgeries that were painful and unsuccessful, and I would spend 10 to 14 days after each surgery in the hospital with my head in a clamp, so I couldn’t move my head to disrupt the surgery they’d done. So Braille was really my lifeline. And my mom would go to the Braille library of the National Library Service library in Salem and load up the station wagon with boxes of books and bring them to the hospital. And I read and read and read. So Braille has been super important to me. I learned about the Braille Challenge, gosh, ten, 12, 14 years ago. I was aware of it. At the time, I was the CEO of the Lighthouse for the Blind here in Seattle. And we had a mentor-protegé relationship with the Lighthouse for the Blind in Port Richey, Florida, which is near Tarpon Springs, the sponge capital of the United States, which is fairly near Tampa. And the Tampa Lighthouse was having the regional Braille Challenge the week that I was there. So my wife, Ros, and I went, and I got to meet the kids and see the activities they were doing. It was a Harry Potter theme, so it must have been when the Harry Potter books were so popular. And I had a chance to talk to the parents while the kids were doing their activities.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And like my parents, most of them had never met a blind person before. They had a blind child. So they had a lot of questions about how to raise a child successfully who is blind. So we talked about being developmentally appropriate, and talked about creating a Braille-rich environment — that your sighted child is surrounded by print all the time. The cereal box, the magazine on the table, the street signs you drive by. And you have to be very intentional with the young blind child to have lots of Braille around. And I said, order some Braille magazines from the National Library Service, and let them play with those and tear them up, chew on them and do what little kids do with board books. And put Braille on everything, label everything with Braille. And then, if your four-year-old sighted child is out playing in the sandbox and tussling with other kids over the toys, you want your blind child out on that playground with their cane doing the same thing. If your 12- or 13-year-old sighted child is taking the bus or getting themselves downtown to meet friends, to do things, go to movies, you need to make sure your blind child is learning how to use public transportation and has orientation and mobility skills, so they can do those same things.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And we talked about the school-to-work transition. You have sighted kids doing chores. Blind kids need to do chores, and you need to figure out different approaches to do things. But you want blind kids doing the same thing sighted kids do, using the alternative techniques of blindness. And literacy is so important. Braille is so important. For me, there was no question — I was totally blind. So in first grade, I learned Braille. Blindness comes in so many variations. Many people who are legally blind have some usable vision. Sometimes there’s questions whether or not kids need to learn Braille. And I always say, if the visually impaired child cannot read at the same speed and comprehension as a sighted child, if they’re trying to use magnification, they need to learn Braille. Braille is literacy. I say, if listening to materials is sufficient, then why do sighted people still read? So we need to read too. So anyway, I did the Braille Challenge regional in Tampa, and I was given a certificate of Braille wizardry, which I still have, with the Harry Potter theme. And then, my gosh, five, six years later, I became the president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind. And I was visiting partners around the country, and I made a stop at the Braille Institute and sat with — that was before your time, Rachel.
Dr. Kirk Adams: 2016, 2017. Yeah. And got to know folks. And then I got a call in early 2019 asking if I would come and give the keynote talk at the Braille Challenge gala. So again, my wife, Ros, and I flew out and met the kids. And they — [unclear 00:08:13] Rachel will tell you all about this — but they fly in the winners from the regions, and they gather on the USC campus. And [I] remember the Trojan, the hated Trojan marching band — I’m a Husky fan — marched the kids across the campus playing the USC fight song. And they had their competitions, and then the awards gala. And I got to talk about how important Braille is to me, and said a lot of the things I’ve said so far on this podcast, in a more organized and elegant fashion. But I talked about the importance of Braille and how meaningful it was to be there. They had an alumni who’s become a really good friend of mine, a young lady named Caitlin Hernandez, who’s totally blind. She lives in San Francisco, and she’s a public school teacher. And she gave the alumni speech, and it was just such a moving experience.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And then fast forward to this year, 2026. I was talking to Dimitri Kales, who’s now the CEO of Braille Institute, and we were just catching up and comparing notes on a few things. And he said, well, next time you’re going to be in the Los Angeles area, let me know. I said, I’m going to be there next week, because my wife and I are visiting our daughter Rachel, who lives in Highland Park. We’re coming to visit her. And he said, well, Braille Challenge is next Saturday. I’d love for you and your wife and daughter to be our guests. So we attended again — a beautiful alumni speaker, a great keynote speaker. The kids were so excited to win their awards. And afterwards our daughter Rachel said, I want you to meet Rachel Antoine. So that’s when I met Rachel Antoine. And I’ve been so excited about your vision for the future of Braille Challenge. Another good friend of mine, Stephanie Jones, was there from the Clovernook Center, and they’re out of Cincinnati. They’re doing wonderful work with you in Kenya.
Dr. Kirk Adams: They showed a preview of a documentary called Brailled It, where some of the competitors were given cameras and filmed, and they’ve made a documentary which is now airing around the country. So the Braille Challenge is on the move and expanding under your leadership. And I just am so pleased to get to know you and to have you here, and just love to hear you give more detail about Braille Challenge and Cane Quest and whatever you would like to share with the good people listening.
Rachel Antoine: Awesome. Thank you so much, Dr. Adams. That was such a beautiful summary. So as you mentioned, Braille still matters. We’re seeing a decline in Braille literacy and, in many places, a decline in opportunities for students to receive Braille instruction. And internationally, there are additional challenges like limited research, fewer educators, limited resources, and inconsistent access to Braille materials and technology. But technology doesn’t replace literacy. Braille is still essential for learning spelling, grammar, punctuation, written communication, proofreading, and independent reading. So technology gives you access to information, but Braille gives you that literacy. Braille is a lifelong skill, and that is what makes Braille Challenge so powerful. Braille Challenge was born in the year 2000 as an arena for blind students to participate in an academic competition, the only one of its kind. But Braille Challenge is much more than a competition. The competition is the vehicle, but Braille literacy is the mission. It gives students a reason to practice their Braille skills in something meaningful to work towards. It gives them a sense of belonging among their peers, a sense of community. They’re not just learning Braille, they’re using Braille. So over the past 26 years, Braille Challenge has grown from one regional competition in Southern California to over 80 regionals across the globe. In each season, students step up to the challenge in 38 US states, Canada, the UK, Australia, Ireland, and most recently, this past spring, Kenya. And I attended the Kenya regional. It was amazing. I’ll chat about that as well.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Awesome.
Rachel Antoine: Yeah. And later this year, several schools in India will be participating in Braille Challenge for the very first time. And all of this is provided at no cost to each and every participant.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And so it is a skills competition, right? So it is reading Braille, writing Braille, spelling. And blind people who don’t read Braille, who listen to everything, are terrible spellers. So I’m glad to see spelling. And then I think there’s something about graphics, about understanding tactile graphics. So could you tell a little bit about the nuts and bolts of what these young people go through as far as the various competitions they do?
Rachel Antoine: For sure. So students are practicing reading comp, spelling, speed and accuracy — which is them listening to an audio file and doing formatting — and then proofreading, where they’re reading a document and finding all the errors, and then tactile graphs. So they’re reading a map, a chart, a cell, anything like that. So they’re really using Braille. They’re really getting their hands on Braille. And there are not enough opportunities in the classroom for teachers to provide Braille materials. So teachers are really eager to join our program and get their hands on free Braille materials, free charts and graphs. And we’re just really happy to provide all these teachers with these materials.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So with the 80 regionals, how many total? It’s K through 12, right?
Rachel Antoine: Yes, yes.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Yeah. So with 80 regionals, about how many kids roughly participated this year?
Rachel Antoine: Yeah. So in 2026, we had around 2,200 kids participate, and annually it’s around that. It’s going up with our larger international regionals. But since the year 2000, we’ve had over 26,000 students take on the Braille Challenge. So that’s a really large number. And we’re impacting lots of students around the globe. But there’s so many more blind students than 26,000. So we want to reach all the schools for the blind and find these students where they are, to give them access to Braille Challenge.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So tell me a little bit about your background. What brought you to Braille Institute?
Rachel Antoine: Sure. Yeah. So I’m originally from Boston. Go Celtics, go Patriots, Red Sox. But I started at the Mass Commission for the Blind as a program manager. And I knew I always wanted to move to California. I love SoCal. I was tired of the snow. So I found an opportunity at Braille Institute, and I’ve always been in our — we used to be called National Programs, now we’re called International Operations. So I’ve always worked on the Braille Challenge program, in addition to Cane Quest. And I did a little bit of work with our youth programs as well. But Braille Challenge has always been home for me.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Yeah. Did you have exposure to blindness as a young person? What brought you originally to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind?
Rachel Antoine: I was working in state government, and I was working at the Division of Professional Licensure. I was doing all the background checks, and when they heard from me, they were getting the bad news, because they had to go in for a hearing, I needed additional information. So it was really making a lot of tough phone calls. And I [said to] myself, I need to do something more. I need to do something more meaningful. I want to work with — I want happy news. Yeah. So I found a role at the Mass Commission for the Blind, and then just fell in love with the community. What a powerful community. And the students, the adults — it’s just been great to work with this community. So ever since the Commission for the Blind, now at Braille Institute — yeah, this community has become home for me, so I really enjoy it.
Dr. Kirk Adams: All right. So when I was there in 2019, I met a young man who was probably 11 years old named Christopher Morgan.
Rachel Antoine: Oh, yeah.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And he very, very authentically believed in his bones he was going to be the first blind NBA player, and he was doing some stuff with the Atlanta Hawks. And Ros and I had a nice time, sat with his mom. And then lo and behold, 2026, there he is, all grown up, heading off to college, his final year with Braille Challenge and, of course, winning again. And he is one of the three main competitors who did the filming that has become the Brailled It documentary.
Rachel Antoine: Yes.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And I had David Grabias, one of the producers of the documentary, and Christopher on this very same podcast.
Rachel Antoine: Oh, wonderful.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Seven weeks ago. And Christopher said that as he matured and became a teenager, he did come to realize that he probably would not be the first blind NBA player, but that he could be a world-class athlete. So he threw himself wholeheartedly into the sport of goalball, which was designed for us. And he is the youngest member of the US men’s goalball team. So we talked about that. And so Brailled It is being screened around the country. There’s a screening in Seattle. I know there’s one at Library of Congress. I saw a trailer. I haven’t seen the documentary yet. About the time this podcast airs, I’ll be at the Seattle screening. So I’m very excited about that. I sat at a table this year with one of the other three main folks, Isaiah, who is a avid hockey fan from Canada. And when we first came up, I was greeted by a young lady named Salome, also the third of the trio. And Salome, very friendly, very charismatic, said, I want to get in there because I care about eating and I care about winning. She did eat and she did win.
Rachel Antoine: So I love that.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Oh, it was good. So could you tell us a little bit more about the documentary and how that came to be, and what people know about that?
Rachel Antoine: Of course. Oh, I am just smiling from ear to ear talking about it. My colleague Madeline Hernandez just spoke at the Library of Congress yesterday. There was a screening of it there in front of congressmen and women and lots of powerful people in DC. So just kudos to Madeline, Lisa Lepore and Brian Sheridan, who represented Braille Institute yesterday. But Brailled It is such a powerful film, because it puts blind people at the center of their own stories. It showcases the creativity, talent and lived experience of blind youth, while challenging some of the assumptions many may have about blindness. And then all this happens around Braille Challenge. So Braille Challenge creates an opportunity. It celebrates the talent of these Braille readers. And Brailled It makes sure that these youth have the platform to be seen, heard, and recognized for what they do, not just for being blind. So Brailled It was filmed at our 2024 Braille Challenge Finals. Salome, Isaiah, and Christopher were picked to star in the film. And it just authentically showcases their day to day as they’re going through the program. We have a three-day weekend where we bring the students out from all over the world, and we highlight them at the second tier of the program at our Braille Challenge Finals. And it’s a culmination of the Braille Challenge experience. Students around the world spend months preparing, competing at regionals and building their skills, and then those top students come together at finals.
Rachel Antoine: So it’s not just a competition. It’s a celebration of Braille literacy, achievement, confidence, and community. And then those three kiddos had GoPros to capture their first-hand experience throughout the program. So it’s so fun. It’s hilarious, it’s sweet, it’s heartwarming. There’s something for the kids, for the parents, for the siblings. You find yourself in every one of these characters in the movie. So it’s just really powerful. And it’s screening all across the US. It’s at film festivals, in the film festival circuit. I’ll be going up to San Francisco this weekend to see it at the Roxie Theater in SF. And it’s screening in Seattle. It’s screening in Atlanta. It was just screening in New York City, DC yesterday, in LA all next week starting this Friday. So we are just really, really excited to bring this film to new audiences, and to change the assumption about blindness. One of the most exciting parts of the film — it reminds us that access isn’t just about providing a service or a tool, it’s about creating an opportunity for people to participate, create, compete, lead, and to tell their own stories. So that’s really what it is about, and I’m just so happy to be a part of it.
Dr. Kirk Adams: I’m looking forward to it. I remember at the gala this year, we all gave a hearty one, two, three — Brailled It!
Rachel Antoine: Oh yes.
Dr. Kirk Adams: That was fun. Yeah. How — if someone’s listening and they know a blind person K through 12 who would benefit from more focus and exposure to Braille and connecting with other blind kids… After third grade, after I finished at the school for the blind, I was the only blind student in all of my schools from fourth grade through my PhD. Really. So I was never around any other blind kids. So I could just feel the connection and the friendliness, and the kids rooting for each other and clapping for each other. And that was such a sense of camaraderie. I was very happy for them. I was a little melancholy that I didn’t have those experiences as a blind kid. But I’m sure glad they were having that, thanks to the Braille Challenge. Thank you. So if someone listening is a blind kid, knows a blind kid, or is an adult who wants to support Braille Challenge in some way, how do people get involved and get engaged?
Rachel Antoine: Absolutely. So help us bring Braille Challenge to your community. It might already be there. There might be a regional near you. If you check out our website, https://www.braillechallenge.org, you’ll be able to see our list of regionals. So we have regionals all over the world, but we want to grow. If you don’t see a regional in your community, reach out to us at braillechallenge@brailleinstitute.org. That’s our email address. And let’s have a conversation. Get your students involved. Get your youth involved. Braille Challenge looks very different all over the world. We have regionals that are ten students, 20 students. And then we have the Kenya regional — that’s a thousand students, and we’re aiming to make it 2,000 students. So no matter the size, you can bring Braille Challenge to you. We also have our foundational category, which is a non-competitive category for students — early Braille learning, Braille immersion. And you can order those materials any time of the year. And that is Braille Challenge. So we want these students to be part of a community. As you mentioned, a lot of these kids are the only blind students in their school. But when they come to Braille Challenge, they’re part of a community, and they’re celebrated, and they realize that they’re not alone.
Rachel Antoine: So we want—
Dr. Kirk Adams: Tell me more about the — did you say foundational series? Okay. Tell me. So you can order materials and they’re sent to you. It’s not part of the competition.
Rachel Antoine: Oh, yeah.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So what do the families receive?
Rachel Antoine: Yeah. So our foundational category is for Braille immersion, early Braille learning skills. And this is non-competitive. So you receive charts and graphs, spelling and proofreading or reading comp. And then you can go on our website and order, and we will send you those materials year round. So we do have [a] specific timeline for Braille Challenge season, in order to be eligible for finals. But foundational — you can order these documents year round. If you’re a parent, if you’re a teacher, if you’re a grandparent, and you want your grandchild to have more Braille materials, feel free to order them through us, and they will always be free of charge. And we look forward to getting more Braille in the hands of your students.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Yes, yes. So as I talked [about] earlier, at the beginning — to create that Braille-rich environment for blind kids, so they have the same amount of exposure that sighted kids have to print.
Rachel Antoine: Absolutely.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So you go to https://braillechallenge.org, order those foundational materials, give them to the blind kid in your life, please. Okay. So glad that you — I didn’t realize that that was available.
Rachel Antoine: Oh, yeah.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And then should we talk about Cane Quest, too?
Rachel Antoine: Sure. Yeah. Or can I make one more?
Dr. Kirk Adams: Yeah. Please. You can do whatever you want.
Rachel Antoine: Thank you so much. So we want to get Braille Challenge into organizations and students around the world who need it. So Kenya has been a really exciting part of Braille Challenge’s international growth. In 2026, we launched our first Braille Challenge program in Kenya, and it was also our first regional competition on the African continent. We partnered with Clovernook, who was already doing important work in Kenya, and the response was incredible. More than 1,000 students participated, along with 200-plus educators across three schools and 16 partner organizations. These students were celebrated for their Braille skills. They build confidence. It wasn’t just a competition. We were bringing together educators, teachers, building skills and creating more awareness around the importance of Braille literacy. So this was really felt and powerful across the country. And what’s next? So we’re looking at year two already, with plans to expand beyond Kenya and building an East Africa model that includes Uganda and Tanzania. So two additional countries. And the goal is to reach 2,000 students and over 300 educators and coordinators, continuing to build that local leadership. And then one of the most exciting parts of this program is that three Kenyan students will be joining us at Braille Challenge Finals in 2027.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Nice.
Rachel Antoine: Yes. So for these students, this is an incredible opportunity to meet other Braille readers from around the world, to experience Braille Challenge Finals firsthand, and to see themselves as part of a larger global Braille community. And what makes this work so meaningful is that it started as a regional competition in Kenya, but it’s now creating a pathway for students to participate on an international stage. So they’re not just coming to compete, they’re coming to show what’s possible. And it’s just so powerful. It’s powerful.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Okay. 2,000 kids in Africa will be participating [in] Braille Challenge 2027. That is tremendous.
Rachel Antoine: And I attended that regional in person. I was in Kenya for three weeks, working with those students, getting to know the educators, setting up the contest rooms, the classrooms across the campuses. So it was really powerful. And I can’t wait to go back for year two. Hopefully it’s in May of ’27. Yeah, we’re looking for support to join us on that trip and to help us make this possible again. So please do not hesitate to reach out.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So you mentioned earlier international Braille and lack of resources and materials and technology. So were there Perkins Braillers going, or were—? How’s the resource situation for kids learning Braille in Kenya?
Rachel Antoine: Yeah. Kenya really was the model for what an international Braille Challenge can look like. Resources, they were lacking. There weren’t enough Braillers for every student. Lots of students competed using our slate and stylus, which we haven’t seen before. But they’re showing what’s possible. When we add more Braille Challenge across the world, we’re not just trying to add countries to a map. We’re trying to build a global ecosystem for Braille literacy that is locally led and sustainable. And the ultimate goal is for communities to have the people, the training, the partnerships, and the resources they need to continue the work long after our initial investment. So year one in Kenya proved that demand. Year two is about building that capacity, getting them more resources. So that’s what we’re working on — getting those students more Braillers, getting more slate and stylus. Some students prefer slate and stylus.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Well, I learned how to use a slate and stylus when I was six. And I carry one in my briefcase because the refreshable Braille display tablet doesn’t work.
Rachel Antoine: Absolutely.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So I greatly appreciate the slate and stylus, which, for those of you who don’t know, is a method of writing Braille by hand with a stylus that pokes out the dot from the back side. So you need to learn to write right to left, and reversing each of your Braille characters. It’s a bit of an art. But I love that our kids [are] using slate and stylus. So I assume you would accept a donation, if anyone listening wants to donate and designate their gift to support the Braille Challenge.
Rachel Antoine: Absolutely, absolutely. The need is so great out there in Kenya, and our regionals domestically, and just all over the world. Yeah, we want to be able to do this program wherever it’s needed. We want to meet the students where they are. So your donation will make a difference. Sharing the word, sharing some of our posts, following us on LinkedIn and Facebook, and getting involved. We really would love your support in making sure Braille literacy is here to stay. With technology everywhere you look — and it’s a good thing as well — but technology and Braille can work together. And Braille Challenge is all about that.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Well, I have a slate and stylus in my bag. I have a Perkins Brailler right here. I have a [unclear 00:31:43]-character Braille display attached to my laptop in front of me. I’ve got a Braille tablet, Android-based tablet, with 32-character refreshable Braille on my lap. Got a Braille embosser sitting right behind me.
Rachel Antoine: Amazing.
Dr. Kirk Adams: And when I did my doctoral work — I have my PhD in leadership and change through Antioch University — my doctoral thesis was an ethnographic study of blind adults who are successfully employed in large American corporations. So I interviewed blind people who are working at all the name brand companies that we all know. And there were nine themes that emerged around what were the conditions that allowed people to be successful and create these successful career pathways. And blindness skills was prominently featured. So people had to have blindness skills. If they were Braille readers — there was a variety. So some people were low vision and could use magnification, but everyone used technology. Everyone used some sort of technology. The blind people were all Braille readers. And orientation and mobility really came up. You have to be able to travel independently and safely through the world. If you’re going to be in the world of work, you’re going to have to navigate workplaces. Many of these folks traveled for work, so [you] need to be able to maneuver an airport and get on planes, trains and automobiles. And so I know that you at Braille Institute also realize the importance of strong orientation and mobility skills. And you have Cane Quest, and I’d like to hear a little bit about that.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So for those who don’t know, orientation is really the concept of knowing where you are and where you’re trying to go, and what pathway you should take. So being oriented to your surroundings and your destinations. And mobility is the concept around being able to move through spaces efficiently and safely and gracefully. Most people do that with either a long white cane, which is what I use — I learned to use when I was six — or a dog guide, or some combination of those things. So let’s hear a little about Cane Quest.
Rachel Antoine: Absolutely. So Cane Quest is our orientation mobility program. It’s been around since 2009. And Cane Quest is about building confidence and independence. It gives blind and low vision students the opportunity to practice and demonstrate real world orientation and mobility skills in a fun and supportive environment. It turns the skills that students practice in everyday life — like using a cane, navigating routes, crossing streets, identifying landmarks, and problem solving — into an experience they can be proud of. It makes mobility fun. And this year, in addition to last year — this is year two — that Cane Quest is taking that experience somewhere completely new: the Los Angeles Zoo. So we’re giving students a chance to use their own skills in a real dynamic environment rather than a traditional classroom or school setting. The zoo is such a fun setting, because there are sounds, smells…
Dr. Kirk Adams: That’s making me smile. That sounds like fun.
Rachel Antoine: Yes. Sounds, smells, pathways, landmarks, people, and unexpected situations that students have to navigate. It makes the experience feel like a real adventure. And students will work through different [unclear 00:35:32] navigating stations. It’s also a great community and family day, for the general public to see what young blind youth are capable of. We’re putting independence and mobility skills front and center. So it’s such a fun program that is happening. Our SoCal regional is happening October 3rd at the LA Zoo. We’re also partnering with LA Galaxy, our soccer team, and Guide Dogs of America, who are bringing ten guide dog puppies.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Nice.
Rachel Antoine: So we’re really, really excited. It reinforces that idea that blind and low vision kids should have access to the same opportunities to explore, learn, have fun, and participate in their community. So that’s what this is about.
Dr. Kirk Adams: That’s awesome. So Rachel, you are doing great work. Braille Institute, kudos to the whole team.
Rachel Antoine: Thank you so much.
Dr. Kirk Adams: It was great to be at Braille Challenge again this year. I hope to be back soon.
Rachel Antoine: Absolutely.
Dr. Kirk Adams: So I jotted down that if people want to reach out to you by email, it’s braillechallenge@brailleinstitute.org.
Rachel Antoine: Yes. So that’s our main one. Yes.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Yeah. And there is a separate website, https://braillechallenge.org. People can reach out to you and learn more and get involved. For me — if you want to get in touch with me, I’m on LinkedIn every day. It’s Kirk Adams, PhD on LinkedIn. And then my website is DR as in doctor — https://drkirkadams.com. I have a newsletter you can sign up for. I have a link to my book, which came out in July. It’s called The Disability Dividend: Supercharge Your Bottom Line Through Disability Inclusion, which is geared toward employers who are out there battling to attract and retain the best and brightest talent — how to do that by being inclusive of people with disabilities. And I’d love to talk to anyone, anytime, about any way I could be helpful in creating opportunities for blind people to thrive in this world, whatever thriving means to them. Especially interested in creating pathways for blind kids to move into adulthood and flourish and thrive. So Braille is important. Essential. Good orientation mobility skills is a must. And Rachel, you’re helping make that happen. So I really appreciate you having me. Thank you to Braille Challenge. I’m glad you were here with me today. And keep up the good work. And I’m looking forward to seeing Brailled It this weekend.
Rachel Antoine: Yes, yes, yes. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me today. And at the heart of all of this, we just want one message: access creates opportunity, and representation shows people what’s possible. So get involved, spread the word, and help us make sure that Braille opportunity and possibility are accessible to everyone. So we’re doing that through Braille Challenge and Cane Quest. So thank you so much.
Dr. Kirk Adams: Okay. Thanks, Rachel.
Rachel Antoine: Thank you.
Podcast Commentator: Thank you for listening to Podcasts by Dr. Kirk Adams. We hope you enjoyed today’s conversation. Don’t forget to subscribe, share or leave a review at https://www.drkirkadams.com. Together, we can amplify these voices and create positive change. Until next time, keep listening, keep learning, and keep making an impact.
Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation
” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “
Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI)
Executive Director
Strengthening individual and organizational capability for creating diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces.
Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here
American Foundation for the Blind
Immediate Past President & CEO
To create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired.
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