[Tn-talk] President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of Louis Braille

[David Andrews]

>
>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.