[Nfbnet-members-list] Eleventh Annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards Presented at 2018 Convention

[Danielsen, Chris]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Federation of the Blind Awards $50,000
Eleventh Annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards Presented at 2018 Convention

Orlando, Florida (July 23, 2018): The National 
Federation of the Blind (NFB) has presented 
$50,000 in cash awards to individuals and 
organizations that are a positive force in the 
lives of blind people and whose work advances the 
ultimate goal of helping transform their dreams 
into reality. At the National Federation of the 
Blind annual convention in Orlando, the eleventh 
annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards honored six 
innovators and advocates who are helping blind people live the lives they want.

Awards of $5,000 were presented to each of the 
following individuals and organizations:

    * Carol Begay Green of Farmington, New 
Mexico, who developed a Braille code for the 
Navajo language and will use the funds to teach 
the code to blind students and others in the Navajo Nation.
    * Peggy Chong, also known as the blind 
history lady, who shares stories of notable blind 
individuals throughout history through her 
website, books, and articles, and who will use 
the funds to take research trips to complete more of these profiles.
    * IBUG (iOS Blind User group) of Houston, 
Texas, a network of volunteers using both 
in-person and virtual training methods to help 
blind people learn to use the iPhone and other technologies.
    * Ski for Light, an organization that 
connects the blind, sighted, and others with 
disabilities through annual cross-country skiing events.
    * The Tactile Map Automation Project (TMAP) 
of the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually 
Impaired of San Francisco, developers of an 
automated process that can produce a tactile map 
of any neighborhood in the United states from an address provided by a user.

The top award of $25,000 was presented to Be My 
Eyes Inc., the Denmark-based developer of the Be 
My Eyes app, which connects blind people with 
sighted volunteers around the world via video 
conference to provide real-time visual 
assistance, such as reading labels or identifying colors.

Dr. Jacob W. Bolotin (1888-1924) was the world’s 
first physician who was blind from birth. He 
achieved that goal despite the tremendous 
challenges faced by blind people in his time. Not 
only did he realize his own dream, but he also 
went on to support and inspire many others.

“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,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the 
National Federation of the Blind. “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 who are doing exceptional work to 
help achieve the shared dream of Dr. Bolotin and 
the National Federation of the Blind­a 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 Program­including more about this 
year’s winners, as well as eligibility criteria 
and application procedures­please visit 
<http://www.nfb.org/bolotin>www.nfb.org/bolotin.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), 
headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and 
largest nationwide organization of blind 
Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of 
affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty 
states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB 
defends the rights of blind people of all ages 
and provides information and support to families 
with blind children, older Americans who are 
losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes 
and dreams of blind people and work together to 
transform them into reality. Learn more about our 
many programs and initiatives at <http://www.nfb.org>www.nfb.org.

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





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