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(Columbia, SC)- The South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB), located at 1430 Confederate Avenue, Columbia, is set to host the 5th Annual Braille Challenge on Thursday, February 7, 2013. Forty-one students from across the state are registered to participate in this year’s event.The Braille Challenge, the only national reading and writing contest in Braille for blind and visually impaired students, is an academic competition where students grades K-12 compete against their peers demonstrating their Braille skills. The Braille Challenge is designed to encourage Braille literacy in students. Each region hosts a preliminary round which students compete in five categories demonstrating skills in Braille reading comprehension, speed and accuracy, proofreading, spelling and reading tactile charts and graphs.The top scoring students from the preliminary Braille Challenge are invited to Los Angeles, California to compete against the top Braille readers in the nation at the National Braille Challenge.The SC Commission for the Blind has partnered with the following sponsors SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, The State Library Talking Book Services Division, SC Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, South Carolina Department of Education, USC Upstate and the National Federation of the Blind to host this event.For more information about the South Carolina Braille Challenge, contact Jodi Floyd at (843) 229-4618 or email jodilynnfloyd@yahoo.com.The mission of The South Carolina Commission for the Blind is to provide quality, individualized vocational rehabilitation services, independent living services, and prevention of blindness services to blind and visually impaired consumers leading to competitive employment and social and economic independence.