In South Korea, the Suneung college entrance exam is a grueling 13-hour affair for blind students, who endure it by touch. This year, over 550,000 students will take the test, which can determine their future prospects. The exam covers Korean, mathematics, English, social sciences, natural sciences, a foreign language, and Hanja. Most students tackle it in eight hours, but blind students with severe visual impairments are given 1.7 times the standard duration, pushing their exam time to nearly 13 hours. The braille test papers, which are six to nine times thicker than standard, contribute to the length. At Seoul Hanbit School for the Blind, 18-year-olds Han Donghyun and Oh Jeong-won will take the longest version of the Suneung. Donghyun, born completely blind, practices with braille test papers and a screen-reading computer. The Korean language section is particularly challenging due to the braille version's length, requiring him to hold details in his memory. The mathematics section is no easier, as he must interpret complex graphs and tables in braille. Despite the challenges, the students emphasize that the length of the exam and study hours are not the hardest part; the real struggle is accessing study materials. Popular textbooks and online lectures are often out of reach, and converting materials into audio requires text files, which are difficult to obtain. The delay in receiving braille versions of state-produced EBS preparation books is a significant barrier, as blind students often receive them months later than others. The Korean Blind Union has raised this issue with authorities and plans to petition for greater accessibility to braille versions of all textbooks. For these students, the Suneung is a testament to their perseverance, and their teacher, Kang Seok-ju, praises their remarkable endurance, urging them to value completion over regret.
