[Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Announces Winners of 2011 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest

[David Andrews]

>
>\FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASe
>
>CONTACT:
>Chris Danielsen
>Director of Public Relations
>National Federation of the Blind
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>(410) 262-1281  (Cell)
><mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>
>National Federation of the Blind Announces Winners
>of 2011 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest
>
>Competition Encourages Braille Usage among the Blind
>
>Baltimore, Maryland (December 14 , 2011): The National Federation of 
>the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind people 
>in the United States, is proud to announce the winners of the 2011 
>Onkyo Braille Essay Contest.  The NFB administered the Onkyo Braille 
>Literacy Essay Contest in the U.S. on behalf of the North 
>American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union.  The essay 
>contest, sponsored by Onkyo Corporation, a Japanese consumer 
>electronics manufacturer, and the Braille Mainichi, part of the 
>Mainichi Newspaper Company in Japan, was created to promote Braille 
>literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural 
>information among blind and visually impaired persons.
>
>The essays were required to be written in Braille and to pertain 
>either to how the individual gains knowledge or independence through 
>Braille or to an individual concept about world peace from the 
>viewpoint of persons with disabilities.  There were two groups of 
>competitors: a junior category for persons up to age twenty-five and 
>a senior category for persons over age twenty-six.  Each winner 
>received a substantial cash prize, a plaque, and other gifts from 
>the Onkyo Corporation.
>
>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, 
>said: "We are very pleased to have been a part of this important 
>contest. There can be no doubt that the ability to read and write 
>Braille competently and efficiently is the key to education, 
>employment, and success for the blind.  Despite the undisputed value 
>of Braille, however, only about 10 percent of blind children in the 
>United States are learning it.  We congratulate the contest winners 
>and commend them for demonstrating the impact Braille has had on 
>their lives through their essays and also for raising awareness of 
>the importance of Braille literacy throughout their everyday lives."
>
>The seven winners from the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows:
>
>OOTSUKI PRIZE
>Kim Kilpatrick, Ottawa, Canada
>
>EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, SENIOR
>Allison O'Day, Minnesota, USA
>
>FINE WORK AWARDS, SENIOR
>Lori Miller, Indiana, USA
>Jason Meddaugh, Michigan, USA
>Khadija Mohamedbhai, Ottawa, Canada
>
>EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, JUNIOR
>Hanna Chadwick-Dias, California, USA
>
>FINE WORK AWARD, JUNIOR
>Brittany Stovall, Missouri, USA
>
>The NFB encouraged all countries in the North America Caribbean 
>Region to participate in the Onkyo Braille Essay Contest.  Essays 
>were submitted from the United States and Canada.
>
>For more information about the National Federation of the Blind, 
>please visit <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
>
>
>
>###
>
>
>
>About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind 
>is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind 
>people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives 
>through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs 
>encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading 
>force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's 
>blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the 
>Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in 
>the United States for the blind led by the blind. Please visit our 
>Web site: <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
>
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