is it possible a Official Competition for Braille people?

[Crazycubemom]

I have plan to organize a competition in Jakarta/ Indonesia in October after Asian Champs, I just knew that there are many Blind people can solve Rubik's Cube, they using a braille stickers. They are addicted to Rubik's and they are really want to go to official competition. Their times about 3 - 15 minutes... nice to know that. Rubik's is for everyone in this World.

Is it possible to organize an official Rubik's cube competition for Braille people... I love it, may be could be the First Braille Rubik's Cube Competition ?

Thank you

 

[CubesOfTheWorld]

I thought that they can just go, and they have the exception of having the stickers feel different.

 

[joey]

I believe they can just use their normal braille cubes, and it will be fine.

 

[Crazycubemom]

They are about 25 Blind people or should I call them 25 Braille cubers or ... I don't know ahahahhah

 

[Sakarie]

http://www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/#competitions

8b) An open competition is open to anyone.
8c) A closed competition may be open (courtesy of WCA Board) to:

• persons with a specific nationality

No other distinctions are allowed to declare a competition closed.

I'm afraid it's not possible to deny seeing people to compete, by the regular rules. But you can have an unofficial competition, where everyone have to use blindfold and braille-cube, unimportant if they're blind or not.

Or of course having an ordinary competition, but encourage the "Braille-ers" very much to come.

 

[radmin]

I'd think it would be harder for the scrambler to verify the scramble. I love the idea though.

 

[CubeNoobie]

This is an answer from the German translation:

2s3) Teilnehmer mit Sehschwäche dürfen das Puzzle mit verschiedenen Oberflächen oder Braille Objekten inspizieren und lösen. Das Lösen muss entsprechend den Regeln für das Blindlösen vonstatten gehen. Die eigentlichen Blindlöse Kategorien müssen mit üblichen Aufklebern durchgeführt werden.

=

Competitors with visual impairment are allowed to inspect and use puzzles with different surfaces or braille objects. The Solving has to fit in to the rules for blindsovling. The usual Blindsolvingcategories has to be done with normal stickers.

 

[Crazycubemom]

Yes indeed unimportant if they are blind or not but to them ( blind people ) it will be great if Braille Competition in Official just like you and me who always satisfied that we can solve with eyes, OH, Feet, Blindfold while we are not blind

Btw normally in third country in this Earth, Disable people got not job and no Social support from Govt, but I bet they got same what we called Passion to solve Rubik's Cube.

 

[Sakarie]

So the short answer is:

Yes, you could do a competition where Braille-cubers is allowed.

Because they always are, on every competition.

 

[AbelBrata]

I'm afraid it's not possible to deny seeing people to compete, by the regular rules. But you can have an unofficial competition, where everyone have to use blindfold and braille-cube, unimportant if they're blind or not.

Or of course having an ordinary competition, but encourage the "Braille-ers" very much to come.

Agree. Could we make it an official competition in the future?

Here's the photo of the cube:

Cubers from Jakarta Rubik's Cube Club met the blind cubers at Mitranetra (25 July 2010):

 

[Carrot]

You could make a competition, where the prizing ceremony is focused on the Braille cubers, so for example you give a diploma for the winner of the event (according to the regulations), and then a prize for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Braille cuber for that event.. Then you can name the competition whatever you want. (Like something with Braille Open)

 

[Ton]

Hi


This is covered by the regulation
3d) Puzzles must either have coloured stickers, coloured tiles, textures or painted colours.
3d1) Puzzles using textures must have different colours on each face to aid in scrambling and judging.
3e) The colours of puzzles must be solid, the same per colour, and clearly distinct from other colours.
3e1) The stickers/tiles/textures/paint may show an image (in one colour), as long as all stickers/tiles/textures/paint of a colour have the image and the same image.
3f) Stickers/tiles/textures/paint must not be thicker than 1.5 mm, or the generally available thickness for non cube puzzles.

The above is a regular speedsolve

For the blindfold event:

B1d) Solving phase must be done on a puzzle with tiles, stickers or paint, without different textures or markings.

Addition:
The WCA Board is now checking my interpretation of the regulation about "texture"

 

[Crazycubemom]

You could make a competition, where the prizing ceremony is focused on the Braille cubers, so for example you give a diploma for the winner of the event (according to the regulations), and then a prize for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Braille cuber for that event.. Then you can name the competition whatever you want. (Like something with Braille Open)

Ton just asked for a dispensation at WCA Board to split the first round in 2 for 3x3x3 speed first round over different days. Friday 29th October 2010 I am planning to start with braille cubers in the afternoon, so they can go back to their home early with a BIG Smile . We like to give this group a change ....in the regular first round it will not for in the schedule. The final result will be listed in the regular first round, for this dispensation is needed.

 

[Carrot]

You could make a competition, where the prizing ceremony is focused on the Braille cubers, so for example you give a diploma for the winner of the event (according to the regulations), and then a prize for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Braille cuber for that event.. Then you can name the competition whatever you want. (Like something with Braille Open)

Ton just asked for a dispensation at WCA Board to split the first round in 2 for 3x3x3 speed first round over different days. Friday 29th October 2010 I am planning to start with braille cubers in the afternoon, so they can go back to their home early with a BIG Smile . We like to give this group a change ....in the regular first round it will not for in the schedule. The final result will be listed in the regular first round, for this dispensation is needed.

This sounds excellent

I was just giving you an "emergency" solution, just to show that it indeed isn't impossible.

 

[Crazycubemom]

I hope the WCA Board won't make it a hard time for these 'special' cubers ( visual impaired and blind cubers).

Use your heart.

 

[qqwref]

So, wait, you want a special event where you are only allowed to solve the cube by touch? While this would be possible, I don't think it would be very popular, and anyone who's tried to organize a competition with every event will tell you we have enough of them already. Besides, if someone wanted to compete in this event, where would they find cubes with different textures or shapes? It doesn't seem obvious where one would buy such a cube. I don't consider Braille a good solution because it is much, much faster to feel a texture or shape than to read a word.

If you want to allow your blind friends to compete, you should just encourage them to come to a normal competition. As others have said, without a specialized touch-only event, blind people are not normally excluded, and there is no way to exclude seeing people. I don't think the current regulations are biased against blind cubers.

 

[Zarxrax]

It could be cool if there could be a special event for braille stickered cubes. Not just for blind cubers, but for anyone.
Why?
It just sounds fun!

 

[AbelBrata]

It could be cool if there could be a special event for braille stickered cubes. Not just for blind cubers, but for anyone.
Why?
It just sounds fun!

Yeah... I have tried. It' not very hard... anyone can leard to solve it. And it's really cool

 

[Ton]

So, wait, you want a special event where you are only allowed to solve the cube by touch? While this would be possible, I don't think it would be very popular, and anyone who's tried to organize a competition with every event will tell you we have enough of them already. Besides, if someone wanted to compete in this event, where would they find cubes with different textures or shapes? It doesn't seem obvious where one would buy such a cube. I don't consider Braille a good solution because it is much, much faster to feel a texture or shape than to read a word.

If you want to allow your blind friends to compete, you should just encourage them to come to a normal competition. As others have said, without a specialized touch-only event, blind people are not normally excluded, and there is no way to exclude seeing people. I don't think the current regulations are biased against blind cubers.

Agree, It is now under discussion at the WCA Board, I like to see the blind and visual impaired compete in a regular speedsolve, not some special event. I gave the WCA Board a difficult request
My goal is a regulation where the blind or visual impaired can use what ever their abilities to see as they are used to in their daily live

There are multiple options to consider by the WCA Board, so the board needs some time to discuss and investigate this.

 

[nickvu2]

@AbelBrata: Beautiful photos; thank you so much for sharing these =)