[Home-on-the-range] Lawrence Ten-Year-Old Headed for Prestigious Contest

[Susan Tabor]

LJWorld.com


Lawrence 10-year-old headed to prestigious contest


June 24, 2010

 <http://www2.ljworld.com/photos/2010/jun/23/194034/> Luther Fuller, 10,
displays a Perkins Brailler, a machine he'll use Saturday as he competes in
the National Braille Challenge.

Photo by Kevin Anderson <http://www2.ljworld.com/staff/kevin-anderson/>  

Luther Fuller, 10, displays a Perkins Brailler, a machine he'll use Saturday
as he competes in the National Braille Challenge.


Lawrence 10-year-old <http://www2.ljworld.com/videos/2010/jun/23/31286/>  to
compete in national Braille competition


Luther Fuller, a Quail Run Elementary student, will travel to Los Angeles
this weekend with his family to compete in the National Braille Challenge.
Enlarge video <http://www2.ljworld.com/videos/2010/jun/23/31286/> 

Luther Fuller's fingers bang out letters as the 10-year-old runs them over
the six different keys on his Perkins Brailler.

The clicks sound like a typewriter.

He finishes, snatches out the sheet and runs his fingers over the paper.

"Hello, my name is Luther."

It was a simple demonstration, but this Quail Run fifth-grader can do much
more.

Luther's skills will be on display Saturday in Los Angeles when he
represents Kansas in his age group in the 10th annual National Braille
Challenge, a program of the Braille Institute. "It's an academic
competition," said his mother, Brendy Latare. "Like the National Spelling
Bee, it's kind of on that level for Braille readers. It's great he's able to
use his skills."

Luther, legally blind after contracting an eye disease at a young age,
qualified with his performance at a regional competition in Nebraska. He was
chosen from among more than nearly 800 of the top blind and visually
impaired U.S. and Canadian students.

He learned to read Braille when he attended the Kansas State School for the
Blind in Kansas City, Kan., and credited his favorite teacher, Janie Parr,
for her help.

In his Quail Run classroom he uses a BrailleNote machine that operates
similar to a laptop. He has excelled academically.

"He's a pleasure to work with," said Rachel Haydon, a Lawrence teacher for
students with visual impairments. "He's a very intelligent child. He's got a
pleasant personality. He's curious about things."

In the challenge, students will be required to transcribe, type and read
using the Perkins Brailler. Luther's fingers are fast, but he also enjoys
proofreading.

"I think accuracy really was the main thing. I'm pretty picky about
mistakes," he said, running his fingers over a sample message he typed.

Luther will make the trip to California with his mother; his father, Bob
Fuller; and sister, Elsa Latare.

"I think I would really like to win," he said. "But I'm not going to be all
upset or anything if I don't. I feel fortunate."

Originally published at:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/jun/24/lawrence-10-year-old-headed-prestig
ious-contest/

 

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