[nfb-talk] President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of Louis Braille

[Hope Hein]

Congratulations to everyone who called senators, wrote letters and/or did anything to assist with the passage of this legislation. This is monumental. 

I am proud of what the NFB is doing and humbled to be a member of this wonderful organization.

Sincerely!
Hope

-----Original Message-----
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.Subject: [nfb-talk] President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of Louis	Braille
.
.
.>
.>National Federation of the Blind Hails Passage of Bill
.>             to Help Fund Braille Literacy Campaign
.>
.>Washington, DC - On July 27, President George W.  Bush signed into law
.>the Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act,
.>introduced by Representative Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), Housing and
.>Community Opportunity Subcommittee Chairman.  H.R.  2872 commemorates
.>the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, who created the
.>raised-dot system of reading and writing for the blind that bears his
.>name.  It calls for the Secretary of the Treasury to issue up to 400,000
.>silver-dollar coins commemorating this bicentennial anniversary.  The
.>bill is part of a larger campaign initiated by the National Federation
.>of the Blind (NFB) to encourage Braille literacy among blind youth.
.>
.>Rep.  Ney said: Given the proper tools, humans can overcome apparently
.>insurmountable obstacles and achieve great things. Louis Braille did
.>just that and hundreds of thousands of blind Americans do so every day.
.>Honoring Louis Braille and promoting literacy for the blind will have
.>lasting value for our society and I am very pleased that the President
.>signed this bill, which will help achieve both of these important goals.
.>
.>A definite correlation exists between Braille literacy and employment
.>rates among the blind, proving that Braille literacy is a vital pathway
.>to success.  Over 80% of employed blind or visually impaired adults
.>report using Braille every day, but the number of blind or visually
.>impaired students learning Braille has been decreasing.  Today, only 10%
.>of blind or visually impaired students learn to read and write Braille.
.>
.>Dr.  Marc Maurer, president of the NFB, said: Louis Braille recognized
.>long ago that the fact that a person is blind does not mean he or she
.>must be limited in life.  He understood that providing the blind with
.>practical, innovative solutions was key to their independence.  This
.>positive attitude towards blindness reflects the Federations philosophy
.>as well.  The NFB applauds the signing of this bill, which will
.>ultimately result in an increase in Braille literacy as a result of the
.>programs funded by the surcharge proceeds.
.>
.>Under the new legislation a $10 surcharge will be added to each coin.
.>Money from coin sales goes to the NFB, which will then match the
.>proceeds dollar for dollar through other fundraising activities.  In
.>addition to projects submitted by NFB affiliates, the NFB will invite
.>other organizations serving the blind to submit Braille literacy
.>projects to its planning committee for possible funding.  For example,
.>the money will support NFB-approved Braille literacy initiatives, such
.>as the NFBs Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest.  By offering special
.>recognition and cash prizes for the number of pages read, this national
.>Braille-reading competition encourages students from kindergarten
.>through twelfth grade to read books in their free time.  With practice
.>in reading Braille, young people improve their reading skills and
.>develop a deep fondness for reading. As a result blind youth are better
.>equipped for future successes in all areas of their lives.
.>
.>Hannah Weatherd, age 13, of Saratoga, Wyoming, who won this years
.>competition and can read Braille faster than most people can speak, says
.>the program has dramatically improved her Braille-reading skills:  The
.>more I read, the faster I get.  I learn a lot about topics I didn't know
.>much about before.  The more I read, the more I learn.  This will help
.>me to become a teacher someday.  Braille has definitely made a positive
.>difference in my life.
.>
.>The NFB fosters Braille literacy by offering mentoring programs in which
.>experienced Braille readers teach and encourage beginners.  NFB also
.>offers education for children, research in effective methods for
.>teaching and learning Braille, and formal instruction in its residential
.>training centers.  The Federation emphasizes Braille literacy throughout
.>its programs and services.
.>
.>Louis Braille, born in 1809 in France, was blinded as a young child
.>during an accident in his fathers workshop.  His thirst for knowledge
.>and love of reading fostered his determination to create an efficient
.>reading system that could be inexpensively reproduced in book form.  The
.>resulting Braille reading method used different formations of six
.>distinct raised dots to denote different letters.  Because of Louis
.>Braille's contributions, Braille readers today can read up to 400 words
.>per minute, or more, comparable to the reading rates of most sighted
.>people.
.>
.>The coins, which go on sale in 2009, will emphasize Braille literacy by
.>featuring Louis Braille's image and raised dots that spell out Brl  the
.>Braille contraction for the word Braille.  This will be the first coin
.>ever minted by the United States Treasury with a Braille symbol.  To
.>learn more about the Louis Braille commemorative coin, Braille literacy
.>campaigns, or for general information, contact the NFB at (410)
.>659-9314, or visit http://www.nfb.org.
.
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