[Blindtlk] Fwd: 3,000 Blind People Arrive in Dallas

[David Andrews]

>Subject: 3,000 Blind People Arrive in Dallas
>Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:55:05 -0400
>From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org>
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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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>Cell:  (410) 262-1281
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>E-mail:  <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
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>MEDIA ADVISORY
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>3,000 Blind People Arrive in <?xml:namespace 
>prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Dallas
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>Expected to Be Largest Disability Conference This Year
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>Event:             National Federation of the Blind Annual National Convention
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>Dates:             July 3–8, 2010
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>Place:             Hilton Anatole Hotel
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>                         2201 Stemmons Freeway
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>                         Dallas, Texas 75207
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>Attention Editors:
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>Groundbreaking Driving Technology for the Blind to Be Demonstrated
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>In 2004 the National Federation of the Blind 
>(NFB) issued the Blind Driver Challenge, which 
>challenged American colleges and universities to 
>develop technology that would allow a blind 
>person to drive.  Virginia Tech’s Robotics and 
>Mechanisms Laboratory answered the challenge and 
>has been hard at work since 2006.  The nonvisual 
>interface technology that has been developed, 
>including drive grips (gloves that use tactile 
>vibrations to indicate which way to steer), will 
>be on display and available for demonstration in 
>the Showroom of Innovation.  The Showroom of 
>Innovation will be open on Sunday, July 4, from 
>9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Monday, July 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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>Mark Riccobono, executive director of the NFB 
>Jernigan Institute, and Dr. Dennis Hong, 
>director of Virginia Tech’s Robotics and 
>Mechanisms Laboratory, will speak to the 
>convention assembly on Thursday, July 8, at 2:40 
>p.m. about the importance of the Blind Driver 
>Challenge and the technology behind it.
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>Attention Technology Editors:
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>Revolutionary E-Book Reading Software to Be Demonstrated at Convention
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>On Saturday, July 3, and Sunday, July 4, from 
>1:30 to 2:45 p.m., Jim Gashel of K-NFB Reading 
>Technology, Inc., will demonstrate Blio.  Blio, 
>developed under renowned innovator Dr. Raymond 
>Kurzweil's direction, is the revolutionary new 
>e-book reading software that will make millions 
>of e-books accessible to and usable by everyone, 
>including the blind.  Blio is designed to run on 
>most desktops, laptops, netbooks, and 
>tablets.  In addition to presenting content in a 
>stunning visual manner that mimics the 
>experience of reading printed books, Blio will 
>allow blind readers to access the content of 
>e-books using text-to-speech technology.  Blio 
>has been widely praised as “game changing e-book 
>technology” for all, making accessibility an 
>industry standard and ready access to anything 
>in print an achievable reality for the 
>blind.  And Blio will come equipped with an 
>extensive bookstore­created in partnership with 
>Baker & Taylor, the world’s largest 
>publishers­meaning the day is finally near when 
>several million books will become accessible to 
>blind people without special conversion being required.
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>Attention Education Editors:
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>National Organization of Parents of Blind 
>Children to Hold Braille Book Flea Market
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>On Monday, July 5, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the 
>National Organization of Parents of Blind 
>Children (NOPBC) will hold a Braille Book Flea 
>Market for young book lovers.  The importance of 
>Braille in a blind child’s life cannot be 
>overstated, as only 10 percent of blind children 
>are learning Braille, leaving 90 percent functionally illiterate.
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>The market will be filled with tables of new and 
>used Braille and print/Braille books for parents 
>and children to browse.  UPS volunteers will 
>then ship the books to shoppers’ homes, free of charge.
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>Other exciting events for blind children and 
>their parents will be held throughout the 
>week.  On Monday, July 5, from 1:00 to 4:30 
>p.m., NOPBC will be holding hands-on chemistry 
>experiments for blind youth, ages eleven through eighteen.
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>Founded in 1983, the NOPBC is a national 
>membership organization of parents and friends 
>of blind children reaching out to each other to 
>provide vital support, encouragement, and 
>information.  There are over three thousand 
>members in all fifty states, and divisions or 
>parent contacts in about thirty states plus Puerto Rico.
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>Attention Sports and Lifestyle Editors:
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>Blind Attendees to Learn Self Defense and More
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>As part of the program of the NFB’s Sports and 
>Recreation Division, many different sporting 
>events will be held at the national 
>convention.  Blind people are often told they 
>cannot participate in athletic pursuits, and the 
>Sports and Recreation Division works to dispel 
>that misconception with exciting activities throughout the convention.
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>On Saturday, July 3, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., 
>convention attendees can try their hand at goal 
>ball.  And on Sunday, July 4, from 1:00 to 5:00 
>p.m., attendees are invited to learn how to 
>protect themselves with a self-defense class led 
>by Sports and Recreation Division President Lisamaria Martinez.
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>NOTE:  The entire convention agenda is available 
>at <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
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                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920