[blindkid] Braille Alphabet Bracelet wins national People's Design Award

[Carol Castellano]

That's terrific, Leslie.  Congratulations!
Carol

Carol Castellano
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nopbc.org

At 01:29 PM 10/16/2010, you wrote:
>  The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum presented 
> its fifth People's Design Award to the Braille Alphabet Bracelet 
> Thursday, Oct. 14, at its 11th annual National Design Awards gala 
> in New York. White House Deputy Social Secretary Ebs Burnoughand 
> fashion designer Cynthia Rowley announced the winning design and 
> presented the award to Leslie Ligon, designer of At First Sight 
> Braille Jewelry.
>
>After thousands of votes were cast during the course of the People's 
>Design Award competition, the Braille Alphabet Bracelet---a bracelet 
>featuring the entire alphabet in Braille on the front and print in 
>the back---emerged as the public's favorite design.
>
>Ligon, the mother of a blind son, created the line of functional 
>Braille jewelry to increase awareness of Braille literacy. According 
>to the American Foundation for the Blind, as few as 10 percent of 
>people who are legally blind learn to read and write Braille. 
>Several studies indicate that at least 90 percent of the blind that 
>hold jobs are Braille literate. Braille literacy enables the vision 
>impaired to read and write for themselves and is often seen as a 
>gateway to independence. A percentage of the company's net profits 
>are donated to Braille literacy organizations, including National 
>Braille Press and BrailleInk.
>"I'm delighted that the public has chosen to honor the Braille 
>Alphabet Bracelet, which looks good, communicates without a glance 
>and feels great too!" said Bill Moggridge, director of the museum.
>Marianne Cusato, designer of the Katrina Cottage, was selected as 
>the first People's Design Award winner in 2006. Toms Shoes, a 
>company that gives away a pair of shoes to a child in need for every 
>pair sold, received the award in 2007, and the Zo-n Hearing Aid took 
>home the award in 2008. In 2009, the winner was the Trek Lime 
>Bicycle, a coasting bike designed for the casual rider.
>
>To watch her acceptance speech go to this link. 
>http://www.youtube.com/v/2vZCGixgElA?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1 
><http://www.youtube.com/v/2vZCGixgElA?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1>
>
>Eirc Ligon (Leslie's husband)
>
>--
>Sincere best,
>
>Leslie
>
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