2026 Ohio Regional Braille Challenge

In 2026, Clovernook’s Ohio Regional Braille Challenge celebrated its 10^th anniversary. This year’s theme was “A Decade of Dots: Celebrating 10 Years of Braille Excellence.” Congrats to Adyah Navarro, a senior at Ohio State School for the Blind for submitting the winning theme.

New this year, in honor of our 10^th anniversary, we hosted the event in three different locations around Ohio for the first time ever (North Canton, Columbus, and Cincinnati), making the challenge more accessible for Ohio participants outside of the Cincinnati area. The 2026 Ohio Regional Braille Challenge took place on February 17th for North Canton participants, February 19th for Columbus, and February 24th for students in Cincinnati.

Clovernook is proud to share that three talented ORBC participants have qualified for the Braille Challenge International Finals to be held in June in Los Angeles. A huge congratulations to Killian Kinner, Belen Lopez-Santos, and Anne Ye! 

Killian Kinner is excited and proud to qualify for the first time ever as an International Braille Challenge Finalist at just 8 years old! Killian is a second grader at Hunter Elementary School in Franklin, Ohio, who loves space and especially the planet Saturn! His mom tells Clovernook staff that, “Killian has set goals, worked hard, and achieved his goals this year! I am so proud.” We wish him the best of luck in Los Angeles this June.

Belen Lopez-Santos is excited to qualify for the first time ever as an International Braille Challenge Finalist! Belen is a senior at Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, who loves exploring new things. Elizabeth Phillippo, a Braille Para at Colerain HS, tells us, “Watching Belen be selected as a Braille Challenge finalist fills me with an incredible sense of pride and excitement. This achievement reflects not only her hard work and perseverance but also her confidence in embracing Braille as a powerful tool for independence. It’s inspiring to see her dedication recognized at such a high level, and I feel truly honored to be a small part of ⠓⠻⠀journey.” We wish her the best of luck in Los Angeles this June.

This year marks Anne’s fifth time qualifying for International Braille Challenge Finals! Anne is a 7th grader at Olentangy Orange Middle School who loves to dance and sing. Anne’s TVI, Lindsay Davis, says, “I am beyond proud of Anne for qualifying for the International Braille Finals once again this year. Anne works very hard and holds herself to a high standard. We wish her the best at this year’s competition.” Good luck in Los Angeles!