[Nfbnet-members-list] Blind Students Win Braille Reading Contest

Tue Mar 20 00:26:03 UTC 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blind Students Win Braille Reading Contest

Seventeen Students Awarded Cash Prizes by National Federation of the Blind

Baltimore, Maryland (March 19, 2018): The National Federation of the 
Blind (NFB), the nation's leading advocate for Braille literacy, has 
announced the winners of its 2017-2018 Nationwide Braille Readers Are 
Leaders Contest. The competition was sponsored by the National 
Federation of the Blind of Illinois in partnership with the National 
Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB), which is also an 
NFB division. Eighty-one students from twelve states took part in the 
contest. The participating states were Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, 
Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New 
York, Texas, and Virginia.

Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, 
said: "I am delighted that the National Association to Promote the 
Use of Braille and our Illinois affiliate have brought back this 
beloved contest. This year's participation shows that Braille Readers 
Are Leaders is once again in full swing. The ability to read and 
write Braille competently and efficiently is the key to education, 
employment, and success for the blind. Through this contest, we 
encourage blind children to enhance their love of reading and their 
Braille skills so that they will be prepared to live the lives they 
want. Congratulations to all of the winners of this year's contest, 
and to all of the students who took part."

To compete in the contest, students submitted reading logs, counting 
the number of Braille pages they read between December 15, 2017 and 
February 1, 2018. The contestants with the top three page counts in 
each of five grade categories were awarded cash prizes: $25 for first 
place, $15 for second place, and $10 for third place and honorable 
mention. Every student who submitted a reading log received a package 
of Braille-related gifts. Here is the complete list of the 2017-2018 
Nationwide Braille Readers Are Leaders winners:

Grades K-1

First Place: Cameron Gooden, Carterville, IL

Second Place: Ander Mielke, Havre, MT

Third Place: Kenji Torihara, Chicago, IL

Honorable Mention: Anastasia Marinos, Burr Ridge, IL

Grades 2-3

First Place, Aisha Safi, Chevy Chase, MD

Second Place: Preston Rose, Eagan, MN

Third Place: Anna Sayles, Peoria, IL

Honorable Mention: Ely Giraldo, Staunton, VA

Grades 4-5

First Place: Jonah Rao, Columbia, MD

Second Place: Isaiah Rao, Columbia, MD

Third Place: Karli Copes, Oak Grove, LA

Grades 6-8

First Place: Holly Connor, St. Louis, MO

Second Place: Nicholas Tarver, Many, LA

Third Place: Anthony Spears, Mattoon, IL

Grades 9-12

First Place: Maria-Luisa Montero-Olivero, Marietta, GA

Second Place: Marie Presume, Staunton, VA

Third Place: Kaelyn Kinlaw, Staunton, VA

KELLY DOTY AWARDS

The Kelly Doty Awards of $25 are given to students who overcome 
special challenges to achieve fluency in Braille reading. Such 
challenges include, but are not limited to, having disabilities in 
addition to blindness or being an English-language learner. The 
following students received 2018 Kelly Doty Awards:

Alan Bunay, Spring Valley, NY

Miracle Douglas, Peoria, IL

Isaiah Rao, Columbia, MD

Jonah Rao, Columbia, MD

Aisha Safi, Chevy Chase, MD

Nicholas Tarver, Many, LA

###

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 
<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=10625&qid=2193627>www.nfb.org.

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

<https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=10626&qid=2193627>cdanielsen at nfb.org

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