[Blindtlk] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Welcomes the Hope Bus Tour

[David Andrews]

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>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASe
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>CONTACT:
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>Chris Danielsen
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>Director of Public Relations
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>National Federation of the Blind
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>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
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>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
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><mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
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>National Federation of the Blind Welcomes the Hope Bus Tour
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>Hope Bus Tour Will Visit 50 Charities in 50 Days
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>Baltimore, Maryland (September 28, 2009): The 
>National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the 
>oldest and largest organization of blind people 
>in the United States, will welcome the Hope Bus 
>Tour to the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore 
>on September 29.  The Hope Bus Tour is visiting 
>fifty pre-selected charities in fifty days, 
>raising public awareness of charities that are 
>doing exceptional work in their communities to 
>improve the lives of people who are in need.
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>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National 
>Federation of the Blind, said: “We are truly 
>honored to be one of the fifty charities that 
>the Hope Bus Tour has chosen to highlight.  The 
>occasion could not be better timed, as the 
>National Federation of the Blind has undertaken 
>the largest Braille literacy campaign in history 
>this year.  Nine out of ten blind children in 
><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 
>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" 
>/>America’s public schools do not know and are 
>not being taught how to read and write using 
>Braille.  The education of tens of thousands of 
>blind children across the nation and the 
>successful rehabilitation of adults who are 
>losing vision depend on our success, and the 
>exposure from the Hope Bus Tour will certainly 
>help us reach out to members of our community and beyond.”
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>Congress authorized the minting in 2009 of 
>400,000 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver 
>Dollars to mark the two-hundredth anniversary of 
>the birth of Louis Braille (1809–1852) and to 
>support the efforts of the National Federation 
>of the Blind to promote literacy among blind 
>Americans.  This unique and beautiful 
>commemorative coin is the first U.S. currency to 
>feature tactile, readable Braille.  These coins 
>will no longer be available after December 31, 
>2009.  A portion of the money from sales of the 
>2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar 
>will be used to support the NFB’s “Braille 
>Readers are Leaders” campaign, a national 
>initiative created to double the number of blind 
>children learning Braille by 2015, improve 
>certification standards for teachers of Braille, 
>and conduct innovative programs to support Braille literacy.
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>Those interested in ordering a Louis Braille 
>Bicentennial Silver Dollar should visit 
><http://www.braille.org./>www.braille.org or 
>call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).  For more 
>information about the National Federation of the 
>Blind and the Braille Readers are Leaders 
>campaign, visit <http://www.braille.org/>www.braille.org.
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>About the National Federation of the Blind
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>With more than 50,000 members, the National 
>Federation of the Blind is the largest and most 
>influential membership organization of blind 
>people in the United States.  The NFB improves 
>blind people’s lives through advocacy, 
>education, research, technology, and programs 
>encouraging independence and 
>self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the 
>blindness field today and the voice of the 
>nation's blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened 
>the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan 
>Institute, the first research and training 
>center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
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