Congratulations!
Your Child Is a National Braille Challenge® Finalist!
WHAT’S NEXT...?
The email sent on April 29 from Braille Institute (Subject: Braille Challenge Finalist Announcement!) contains all of the documents and information you’ll need to submit before participating in the Braille Challenge Finals. Please submit your forms/paperwork no later than Friday, May 13th, 2016 via the links provided in the email. If you have trouble linking to any of the forms or have additional questions, you can reach Christine Pak at (323) 663-1111 ext. 1321.
Please make sure you submit each of the following documents (see below for more information)
1. Contestant Picture (must be emailed to Christine Pak, details below)
2. Contestant Questionnaire (via link in email)
3. Hotel Reservation Form (via links in email)
4. Event Reservation Form (via links in email)
Thank you and congratulations again! We look forward to seeing you in June!
1. CONTESTANT PICTURE
Please submit a picture of your Braille Challenge® contestant. Pictures of all our contestants will be used throughout the weekend’s programs. For the best quality, please refer to the criteria below:
1. Contestant should be centered.
2. Contestant’s head and shoulders should occupy most of the photograph.
3. Contestant should face forward (smile!)
4. Use a simple, solid color background (try to use a solid color that is different from what contestant is wearing).
5. Avoid direct sunlight (if outdoors, a shaded area is best).
6. Use an 8 MP camera or higher
7. Export image in jpg format with 300 pixels/inch resolution (or better)
2. CONTESTANT QUESTIONNAIRE
Some of the information you provide on the Contestant Questionnaire will also be shared publicly throughout the weekend’s programs. Please answer all of the questions and provide as many details as possible.
3. HOTEL RESERVATION FORM
Braille Institute® will pay for one guest room for each contestant/family for a two-night stay on June 17th and 18th, 2016, at our host hotel—the Hilton Universal City. It is located near Universal Studios at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608. The phone number is 818-506-2500.
Accommodations provided by Braille Institute are limited to two adult guests per room. Children under 18 may stay in the same room using existing bedding at no additional cost. You may reserve additional rooms for The Braille Challenge group rate at your own expense. All additional expenses—such as phone calls, in-room meals, in-room Internet access, etc.—will be your responsibility. If you plan to extend your stay, you will be responsible for your own hotel costs. The Hilton will honor that rate as occupancy allows, but cannot guarantee The Braille Challenge rate of $209 (not including tax) per night for any nights other than Friday and Saturday. Please make your reservations as soon as possible.
Hotel amenities include a pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center and several restaurants.
4. EVENT RESERVATION FORM
This form must be completed to register for all meals and for your contestant to receive the official Braille Challenge T-shirt. All finalists, families and guests are invited to the Resource Network Fair on Friday, June 17th, and the Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening, June 18th, both held at the Hilton Hotel, Universal City, CA.
The Resource Network Fair will provide beverages only. Seating is on a reservation-only basis for the Saturday night Awards Ceremony. For lunch and dinner on Saturday, Braille Institute will cover the meal costs for each contestant and up to three guests who are listed on the reservation form. You may invite additional guests to be in your party, ONLY if they are listed on your form and payment for their meal is included. The cost-per-meal is $12 for lunch and $65 for the Awards Ceremony. All reserved parties will be seated together and assigned a table. We do our best to accommodate everyone, but guests not listed on your reservation form will not be guaranteed seating at the same table.
Once you complete and submit all of the documents as mentioned above, begin making your transportation arrangements:
Families from out of town are responsible for their own transportation to and from Los Angeles and to and from the airport. The closest major airport to the Hilton Universal is the Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena Airport (BUR), which is about 6 miles from the hotel and takes about 10 to 20 minutes by car, depending on traffic. Your next best option is Los Angeles International (LAX), which is 27 miles away. LAX is 30 minutes by car without traffic, but travel could take one to two hours during peak rush hour. If you’re arriving at LAX Thursday or Friday in the afternoon or evening and taking a shuttle, please allow 2 hours for travel time to the hotel. Both airports offer a variety of shuttle and taxi services.
The Braille Challenge contest is held at Braille Institute of America at 741 N. Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. Once you arrive at the Hilton, we will provide all necessary transportation to and from Braille Institute. Pick up will be outside the front hotel lobby.
Braille Institute will validate for self-parking at the hotel for local guests who choose to drive to the Awards Ceremony and are not staying at the hotel overnight. Underground parking at Braille Institute on Saturday is free of charge.
If you plan on extending your stay:
There are lots of activities in the vicinity. Universal Studios and the restaurants and shops at Universal CityWalk are accessible by tram from the hotel. The Redline Metro station is one block from the hotel, which links you with downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena/Chinatown, and Hollywood. You might also consider renting a car to get around sprawling Southern California.
What to expect once you’re here:
Friday…
Look for The Braille Challenge information table near the registration counter in the hotel lobby when you check in on Friday, June 17th. Braille Institute staff will be there to greet you and answer any questions you may have.
Friday Night Resource Network Fair
Universal Hilton, Club Room (lobby level next to Starbucks)
2 pm to 6:00 pm
Contestants and their families who live in the area may go directly to the Hilton. Take the Hollywood Freeway (101) and exit at Lankershim. Proceed east on Lankershim to the Hilton Universal Hotel entrance. We will validate for self-parking for all families or guests not staying at the hotel.
Saturday morning…
Braille Institute buses will pick up contestants and guests from the hotel beginning at 7 a.m. Meet at the hotel entrance. The last hotel pickup will be at 8:30 a.m. The bus will return contestants and families to the hotel between 2 to 4 p.m.
Breakfast: Continental breakfast will be served at Braille Institute between 7 to 9 a.m.
Lunch: All registered guests and contestants will be served a box lunch.
Dress casually and wear comfortable shoes. At registration on Saturday, each contestant will be given a Braille Challenge T-shirt to wear that corresponds to their category group.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY:
• The USC Marching Band will be playing as the students file into our auditorium for the Opening Ceremony of the Challenge. Please make your child aware that this is a live band and the music will be loud.
• Children will be guided onto rows of chairs placed on a riser, facing the audience. During the ceremony children will be asked to stand and wave, as a group and individually, as they are recognized.
During the day Saturday, while The Braille Challenge events are taking place, there will be activities for siblings and scheduled workshops for parents. We’ll also have Connection Pointe open - Braille Institute’s state-of-the-art technology center and a parent hospitality lounge. Family members are welcome to observe any of The Braille Challenge contests, but are not permitted to enter the rooms once contests have started.
· There will be a mariachi band playing as students and their families enter the ballroom for the Awards Banquet on Saturday Night. Please make your child aware that this is a live band and the music will be loud.
Saturday evening…
The Awards Banquet at the Hilton
Ballroom B, C and D 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Dressy attire is requested: dresses or nice slacks for women and girls; collared shirts, jackets and ties (optional) for men and boys.
Our Awards Ceremony will be Webcast live on Braille Institute’s YouTube page. You also can listen to an audio-described broadcast at www.airsla.org. AIRS-LA is a local audio Internet reading service supporting those who are blind or visually impaired.
Be sure to tell all your friends and family to follow us on Braille Institute’s Facebook or on Twitter @BrailleInst. Don’t forget to #BrailleChallenge2016 !
A few more things you need to know…
PRIZES
All participants will receive an award recognizing their participation as a finalist in The 2016 Braille Challenge. First, second and third place winners in each age group will receive a cash award. The first-place winner in each age group also will receive a Brailliant BI 32, donated by HumanWare. The Varsity first-place winner also will have his/her name engraved on The Braille Challenge perpetual trophy.
PUBLICITY FOR OUR CHAMPIONS
The Braille Challenge is an exciting national event that typically draws attention from both local and national media. This kind of exposure is not only exciting for contestants and their families, but serves a greater purpose of informing the general public about the capabilities of people who are blind in general. Many of our finalists are contacted by their local media outlets. In order to effectively deliver a consistent message, we ask that you contact John Tellem () PR Representative for Braille Institute and The Braille Challenge.
Any interviews conducted on the day of the contest will be prearranged with a contestant and his or her parents beforehand. Interviews would take place at lunch or at the end of the day only.
PHOTOS
Photos taken at The Braille Challenge will be made available on the Internet for families and friends. Selected shots also will be posted on our website.
WHAT TO PACK, WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT TO BRING
Weather and temperatures at the end of June in Los Angeles can be varied. Mornings and evenings can be cool with daytime temperatures reaching into the 90s. Check your local newspaper or the Internet for our temperature range and forecasts. Sunscreen is always advised as well as a hat or visor and sunglasses. Bring a bathing suit if you would like to use the hotel pool or Jacuzzi.
SHARE YOUR STORIES AND STAY IN TOUCH
Share your #BrailleChallenge2016 experience on Braille Institute’s Facebook page, on Twitter @BrailleInst, or on Instagram #BrailleChallenge2016. Join the conversation! Post a few pictures, share your favorite Braille Challenge stories, and help us spread the word about this fun and motivational event that plays such an important role in promoting braille literacy.
BRAILLE CHALLENGE FINALIST PACKET CHECKLIST
Please make sure you submit the following no later than Friday, May 13th, 2016. If you have any questions please contact Christine Pak at or via fax at 323-663-0362.
ü Contestant Photo (see photo criteria on page 1)
ü Contestant Questionnaire (via link in email)
ü Hotel Reservation Form (via link in email)
ü Event Reservation Form (via link in email)
Thank you and congratulations again! We look forward to seeing you in June!
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