[Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Awards $50, 000: Ninth Annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards Presented at 2016 Convention

Morey, Kristian KMorey at nfb.org
Wed Jul 6 01:34:15 UTC 2016


>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>Chris Danielsen
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
><tel:(410)%20659-9314>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>
><tel:(410)%20262-1281>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>
><mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>
>National Federation of the Blind Awards $50,000
>
>Ninth Annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards Presented at 2016 Convention
>
>
>
>Orlando, Florida (July 5, 2016): The National 
>Federation of the Blind (NFB) today presented 
>$50,000 in cash awards to individuals and 
>organizations that have made outstanding 
>contributions toward achieving the full 
>integration of the blind into society on a basis 
>of equality. At the National Federation of the 
>Blind annual convention in Orlando, the ninth 
>annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards honored four 
>innovators who are helping blind people live the lives they want.
>
>
>
>A $5,000 award was presented to Audio & Braille 
>Literacy Enhancement, Inc., a Wisconsin-based 
>transcription service that converts textbooks 
>for school children into Braille, and is able to 
>provide immediate transcription services for 
>other classroom materials. A $10,000 prize was 
>awarded to Oskar & Klaus Publishing, a company 
>that produces children's books detailing the 
>adventures of a real blind cat (Oskar) and his 
>feline pal (Klaus), with the message of 
>accepting those with different characteristics 
>and not allowing blindness to prevent a cat, or 
>person, from embarking upon extraordinary 
>adventures. A $15,000 award was presented to 
>Winston Chen for his creation of the mobile 
>application Voice Dream Reader, which makes 
>reading and navigating a variety of electronic 
>documents possible using synthetic speech and an 
>innovative, accessible user interface. A cash 
>prize of $20,000 went to the Semitic Scholars, a 
>group of three blind graduate students who 
>created a Braille code for ancient Biblical 
>languages so that source documents of religious 
>texts can be studied independently by blind 
>students in their original context—a feat that was previously impossible.
>
>
>
>Dr. Jacob Bolotin, the namesake of the award 
>program, was a blind physician who lived and 
>practiced in Chicago from 1912 until his 
>untimely death at age thirty-six in 1924. Dr. 
>Bolotin was especially recognized for treating 
>diseases of the heart and lungs. Despite his 
>rigorous schedule tending to his patients' needs 
>at all hours of the day and night, Dr. Bolotin 
>also became known as a public speaker and 
>advocate for the employment of the blind and 
>their full integration into society.
>
>
>
>Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National 
>Federation of the Blind, said: “Dr. Jacob 
>Bolotin was a pioneer who overcame low 
>expectations and discrimination to become a 
>renowned member of the medical profession 
>without the benefit of the support services and 
>civil rights protections available to blind 
>people today. The National Federation of the 
>Blind is proud to honor the memory and spirit of 
>Dr. Bolotin by recognizing and financially 
>supporting those individuals and organizations, 
>both from within the blindness field and outside 
>of it, who are doing exceptional work to help 
>achieve the shared dream of Dr. Bolotin and the 
>National Federation of the Blind—a society in 
>which the blind,, like all other Americans, can 
>pursue their goals and live the lives they want.”
>
>
>
>The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards Program is funded 
>through the generosity of Dr. Bolotin's nephew 
>and niece-in-law, Alfred and Rosalind Perlman. 
>The late Mrs. Perlman established the Alfred and 
>Rosalind Perlman Trust to endow the awards. 
>Income from the trust is distributed to the 
>National Federation of the Blind and the Santa 
>Barbara Foundation for the purpose of 
>administering the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards 
>Program. For more information about the Dr. 
>Jacob Bolotin Awards Program—including more 
>information about this year's winners, as well 
>as eligibility criteria and application 
>procedures—please visit <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
>
>
>
>###
>
>
>
>About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
>The National Federation of the Blind knows that 
>blindness is not the characteristic that defines 
>you or your future. Every day we raise the 
>expectations of blind people, because low 
>expectations create obstacles between blind 
>people and our dreams. You can live the life you 
>want; blindness is not what holds you back.
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