[nfbwatlk] FW: President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of Louis Braille

[Noel Nightingale]

FYI!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-justice at jfanow.org [mailto:owner-justice at jfanow.org] On
Behalf Of Justice For All Moderator
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 1:45 PM
To: justice at jfanow.org
Subject: 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 didnt 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 Brailles 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 Brailles 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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