[Blindtlk] Lighting the Night for the Blind

Thu Oct 14 13:19:58 UTC 2010

Please help by circulating the following information as widely as appropriate!

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President at NAGDU.ORG

Other resources are provided following this message.

October 14, 2010

Contact: Marion Gwizdala, President              

  813-598-7161

              President at NAGDU.ORG 

Lighting the Night FOR the Blind         

            Rising thirty-seven storeys above downtown Tampa near the mouth of the Hillsborough River lies a landmark that captures the attention and imagination of anyone who views the evening skyline of the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Florida . It's not because of its height that it is so recognizable, as it stands  far shorter than a competitor's building.  But rising another 87 feet above the thirty-seventh floor is a four-sided pyramid - a ziggurat, to be precise - and they light it up at night! It is said the lights can be seen up to ten miles away! At least they are seen by the thousands of motorists traveling one of the three major highways that pass through Tampa and the building's lights are featured on nautical maps of Tampa Bay.

            From October 15 - 17, the Sun Trust Financial Center will light its rooftop with the colors of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) to commemorate Meet the Blind Month and recognize National White Cane Safety Day. The four colors of the Federation logo - purple, red, blue, & gold - will chase around the ziggurat at one second intervals as a symbol of the National Federation of the Blind and then display a four second white light for National White Cane Safety Day.

            "The lighting of the building also coincides with the launch of a valuable new service for guide dog users," explains Marion Gwizdala, a Tampa resident who serves as president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU).  The NAGDU Education & Advocacy Hotline will go on-line over the weekend. Though mostly under construction at this time, the hotline will eventually provide pre-recorded messages on a variety of issues related to guide dog use, including information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibition of discrimination against service animal users, summaries and texts of state statutes, and how these laws relate to specific industries, such as restaurants, hotels, taxicabs, and airlines. Callers will also have the ability to speak with a live trained advocate if more specific or immediate guidance is needed. The NAGDU Education & Advocacy Hotline can be accessed 24/7 by calling 866-972-DOGS (3647).

NFB's "Meet the Blind Month" is an annual event of the National Federation of the Blind. The primary focus in 2010 is to shatter common misconceptions about blindness, show how far the blind have come due to the efforts of the NFB, and focus attention on the work that needs to be done for the blind to obtain full integration into society on the basis of equality. The Federation also provides interesting, upbeat presentations about blindness and guide dogs and their use for civic organizations, business associations, churches, and schools. 

National White Cane Safety Day (October 15) is a presidentially proclaimed observance to raise public awareness of the traffic laws that assist blind pedestrians. In all states, whenever a blind person is crossing a street or driveway carrying a white cane or accompanied by a guide dog, all traffic must stop until the blind person has safely crossed. Violation of Florida's "White Cane Law" is a moving violation that carries three (3) points on the driver license, fines, and can result in higher insurance rates. Stop for blind pedestrians - It's the law!

For more information about the National Association of Guide Dog Users or the National Federation of the Blind, go to

HTTP://NAGDU.ORG

HTTP://NFB.ORG

Or call 813-626-2789

# # # 

Informational References

National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)

A Division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

Marion Gwizdala, President

813-626-2789

President at NAGDU.ORG

HTTP://NAGDU.ORG

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

Marc Maurer, President

Chris Danielson, Director of Public Relations

410-659-9314

HTTP://NFB.ORG

Blind Driver Challenge

HTTP://BlindDriverChallenge.org

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

United States Department of Justice

800-514-0301

HTTP://ADA.GOV

Floridians with Disabilities Act Attached)

413.08 f.s. 

Florida White Cane Law (Attached)

316.1301

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