[Tn-talk] Fw: President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of LouisBraille

[Shara Winton]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Heather Field" <president at nfbmidtn.org>
To: "H. Field" <missheather at comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 4:45 PM
Subject: President Signs Coin Bill Honoring Legacy of LouisBraille


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.