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

Wed Aug 2 17:43:31 CDT 2006

Yes,
Mike that is good news.
tha is all for now.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 3:19 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] FW: President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of 
Louis Braille


> I'm sure Dan and Renee both did us proud, especially as it was 100
> degrees plus there at Camden Yards. Hope Dan took his coat and tie off!
>
> Mike
>
> On Wed, 2 Aug 2006, Noel Nightingale wrote:
>
>>
>> I just spoke with Dan Frye who reported that he and Rene were at Monday
>> night's exciting game against Baltimore.  Rene was cheering her heart
>> out for the Mariners!  Dan, of course, retained his dignity as he is
>> likely to do.  However, they were sitting in front of some Seattleites
>> who were also in attendance.  A good time was had by all.  I'm sure if I
>> have reported in error, Dan will correct me.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of Prows, Bennett (HHS/OCR)
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 3:11 PM
>> To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] FW: President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of
>> Louis Braille
>>
>>
>> Yeah, and to top it off, the Mariners just beat Baltimore, *in
>> Baltimore* 2 to 1.
>>
>> Bennett Prows, J.D.
>> Health Information Privacy Program
>> Office for Civil Rights
>> Seattle, Washington
>> (206) 615-2621
>> E-mail:  Bennett.Prows at hhs.gov
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of Mike Freeman
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 3:08 PM
>> To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] FW: President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of
>> Louis Braille
>>
>> Congratulations to all of us. That especially goes for Noel; it was she
>> who persuaded Senator Murray to get on board!
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> On Wed, 2 Aug 2006, Noel Nightingale wrote:
>>
>>> 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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