By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 09:28 EST, 17 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:08 EST, 17 July 2013 . A blind Chinese student has astounded her teachers by successfully learning to read braille with her lips. Tsang Tsz-Kwan, 20, from Hong Kong, has scored in the top five per cent for nearly all her subjects in the city's college entrance examination despite being blind and severely hearing-impaired. She chose to use her lips instead of the traditional fingertip-method because her fingertips could not read the Braille character bumps that make up the code. Scroll down for video . Tsang Tsz-Kwan, 20, from Hong Kong, (pictured) is blind and severely hearing impaired and started to read Braille with her lips when she was five-years-old. She said she doesn't remember why it occurred to her to try using her lips when she found it difficult to use her fingertips . 'In Primary 1 (the equivalent Reception in the UK when children are aged between four and five), I noticed that she was always leaning forward,' Mee-Lin Chiu, a teacher at the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired -- the only special needs school in Hong Kong dedicated to the blind - told CNN. 'She told me it was because she could read more clearly with her lips than her hands.' Tsang admitted that she doesn't quite remember when she started using her lips and why it even occurred to her to try it out . The lips, tongue, and fingertips are particularly skilled at sensing objects and distance however. The skin in these areas can perceive two points that are only one or two mm apart while the legs or back of the hands can only detect two points with a separation of more than 50-100 millimeters. Braille is a series of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind. It was invented by Louise Braille, a French15-year-old teenager, in 1809. Braille is not a language. - it is a code by which languages such as English or Spanish may be written and read. Braille symbols are formed within units of space known as braille cells. A full braille cell consists of six raised dots arranged in two parallel rows each having three dots. The dot positions are identified by numbers from one through to six. 64 combinations are possible using one or more of these six dots. A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation mark, or even a whole word. While Tsang is not the first person to lip-read Braille, she is a rare case. Diane Wormsely, a professor at North Carolina Central University who specialises in education for the visually impaired, said it was the first time she had heard of someone successfully using the lips. Tsang added that some people have stared at her when she has tried to 'read' in public. She said that even now, many people find it odd and that it has caused embarrassment when she reads in front of people that she doesn't know. It also poses practical problems, as Braille books are typically large and heavy. Nonetheless, Tsang said she is grateful"to still have a way to learn about the world through the written word. She said that reading is one of her favourite past times and it can help her transcend her disabilities through hard work, determination, and the willingness to push herself outside of her comfort zone. She explained that without the courage to challenge herself, there was no possibility of success. Indeed, despite her disabilities, Tsang has been incredibly successful at school. Braille, a code used by blind people to read documents, is traditionally read by the fingertips. The lips, tongue and fingertips are the only parts of the body sensitive enough to differentiate between objects just one or two mm apart . She scored 5**, the highest possible grade, for Chinese, English, and Liberal Studies; 5* for Chinese Literature and English Literature and 4 for Math. 'I was really astonished and excited when I heard that my results in some of the subjects were far from my expectations,' she said. 'I felt my hard work this year has finally paid off. I'm going to treasure what I still have.' Tsang now hopes to study translation at university, starting this autumn.
Tsang Tsz-Kwan, 20, from Hong Kong, is blind and severely hearing impaired and started to read with her lips when she was 5-years-old .
Said she doesn't remember how it began or why it occurred to her .
Lips, tongue and fingertips are only parts of the body sensitive enough to can differentiate between objects just one or two mm apart .
Not the first time a person has used their lips but cases are very rare .
Tsang's high achievement at school has allowed her to start university in autumn where she will study English translation .
By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 09:28 EST, 17 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:08 EST, 17 July 2013 . A blind Chinese student has astounded her teachers by successfully learning to read braille with her lips. Tsang Tsz-Kwan, 20, from Hong Kong, has scored in the top five per cent for nearly all her subjects in the city's college entrance examination despite being blind and severely hearing-impaired. She chose to use her lips instead of the traditional fingertip-method because her fingertips could not read the Braille character bumps that make up the code. Scroll down for video . Tsang Tsz-Kwan, 20, from Hong Kong, (pictured) is blind and severely hearing impaired and started to read Braille with her lips when she was five-years-old. She said she doesn't remember why it occurred to her to try using her lips when she found it difficult to use her fingertips . 'In Primary 1 (the equivalent Reception in the UK when children are aged between four and five), I noticed that she was always leaning forward,' Mee-Lin Chiu, a teacher at the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired -- the only special needs school in Hong Kong dedicated to the blind - told CNN. 'She told me it was because she could read more clearly with her lips than her hands.' Tsang admitted that she doesn't quite remember when she started using her lips and why it even occurred to her to try it out . The lips, tongue, and fingertips are particularly skilled at sensing objects and distance however. The skin in these areas can perceive two points that are only one or two mm apart while the legs or back of the hands can only detect two points with a separation of more than 50-100 millimeters. Braille is a series of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind. It was invented by Louise Braille, a French15-year-old teenager, in 1809. Braille is not a language. - it is a code by which languages such as English or Spanish may be written and read. Braille symbols are formed within units of space known as braille cells. A full braille cell consists of six raised dots arranged in two parallel rows each having three dots. The dot positions are identified by numbers from one through to six. 64 combinations are possible using one or more of these six dots. A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation mark, or even a whole word. While Tsang is not the first person to lip-read Braille, she is a rare case. Diane Wormsely, a professor at North Carolina Central University who specialises in education for the visually impaired, said it was the first time she had heard of someone successfully using the lips. Tsang added that some people have stared at her when she has tried to 'read' in public. She said that even now, many people find it odd and that it has caused embarrassment when she reads in front of people that she doesn't know. It also poses practical problems, as Braille books are typically large and heavy. Nonetheless, Tsang said she is grateful"to still have a way to learn about the world through the written word. She said that reading is one of her favourite past times and it can help her transcend her disabilities through hard work, determination, and the willingness to push herself outside of her comfort zone. She explained that without the courage to challenge herself, there was no possibility of success. Indeed, despite her disabilities, Tsang has been incredibly successful at school. Braille, a code used by blind people to read documents, is traditionally read by the fingertips. The lips, tongue and fingertips are the only parts of the body sensitive enough to differentiate between objects just one or two mm apart . She scored 5**, the highest possible grade, for Chinese, English, and Liberal Studies; 5* for Chinese Literature and English Literature and 4 for Math. 'I was really astonished and excited when I heard that my results in some of the subjects were far from my expectations,' she said. 'I felt my hard work this year has finally paid off. I'm going to treasure what I still have.' Tsang now hopes to study translation at university, starting this autumn.
with her lips. Tsang Tsz-Kwan, 20, from Hong Kong, (pictured) is blind and severely hearing impaired and started to read Braille with her lips when she was five-years-old. She said she doesn't remember why it occurred to her to try try it out . The lips, tongue, and fingertips are visually impaired, said it was the first time she successful at school. Braille, a code used by fingertips are the only parts of the body sensitive enough to differentiate between objects just one or two mm apart . She scored 5**, the study translation at university, starting this autumn.