[Cabs] text of Joint resolution 31

[Chris Foster]

Dear Federation Coleagues,

Per Scott Labarre's request, please find atached to this message as well
as posted below, the cleaned up text of the recently adopted joint
resolution 31 both in the Senate and the House of the Colorado Assembly.
Regards, Chris Foster 

 

 

 

 

First Regular Session

Sixty-seventh General Assembly

STATE OF COLORADO

 

REVISED SJR09-031

LLS NO. R09-0962.01 Joel Moore

 

SENATE SPONSORSHIP

Shaffer B.,

 

HOUSE SPONSORSHIP

Rice,

 

Senate Committees   House Committees

 

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 09-031

CONCERNING THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF BRAILLE LITERACY

IN THE LIVES OF BLIND CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN COLORADO AND

ACROSS THE NATION, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,

RECOGNIZING "NATIONAL BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS DAY".

 

WHEREAS, Since its invention by Louis Braille, the reading and

writing code for the blind that bears his name has become the accepted

method of reading and writing for the blind the world over; and

 

WHEREAS, Braille is used to represent not only the alphabets of

most written languages but also mathematical and scientific notation and

the reproduction of musical scores; and

 

WHEREAS, Braille provides people who are blind with the power

of knowledge, expanding their opportunities and equipping them with the

tools to be productive and imaginative contributors to society; and

 

WHEREAS, Contrary to popular belief, Braille is not difficult to

learn, nor is reading Braille slower than reading print; and

 

WHEREAS, While technology has improved the lives of blind

people by facilitating quick access to information, no technology can

replace Braille literacy since literacy is the ability to read and write
and

to do both interactively; and

 

WHEREAS, Despite Braille's efficiency, versatility, and universal

acceptance by the blind, the rate of Braille literacy in the United
States

has declined to the point where only 10 percent of blind children are

learning to read and write Braille; and

WHEREAS, Just as a literacy rate of 10 percent among this

nation's sighted children would be rightly viewed as a crisis and as
cause

for national outrage, the decline in Braille literacy is a crisis, and
swift

action must be taken to reverse this dangerous trend; and

 

WHEREAS, Braille literacy is the key to independence,

productivity, and success for blind people, as evidenced by the fact
that,

while 70 percent of the blind are unemployed, 85 percent of those who

are employed use Braille; and

 

WHEREAS, The United States Congress officially recognized the

importance of Braille by passing the Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille

Literacy Commemorative Coin Act, authorizing the striking of a United

States silver dollar in commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary

of the birth of Louis Braille; and

 

WHEREAS, The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's

oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading advocate

for Braille literacy, has launched a national "Braille Readers are
Leaders"

campaign to promote awareness of the importance of Braille and the

magnitude of the Braille literacy crisis and to increase the
availability of

competent Braille instruction and of Braille reading materials in this

country, with funding for said campaign to come from a portion of the

proceeds of the sale of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar;
and

 

WHEREAS, The National Federation of the Blind has today

released a comprehensive report, "The Braille Literacy Crisis in

America--Facing the Truth, Reversing the Trend, Empowering the Blind",

and the United States Mint has this day released the Louis Braille

Bicentennial Silver Dollar for purchase by the general public; now,

therefore,

 

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly

of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring
herein:

 

 (1) That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, do

hereby proclaim March 26, 2009, as National Braille Readers are Leaders

Day, to celebrate the hope, opportunity, and power that literacy in
Braille

provides to the blind and to our nation; and

 

 (2) That we call upon all public officials, educators, and citizens

 

-2-   031




throughout Colorado and this nation to recognize the importance of
Braille in the lives of blind people and to assist the National
Federation of the Blind in its efforts to increase instruction in and
use of Braille in Colorado and across the United States.

 

Be ItFurther Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.; the members of the Colorado Congressional
delegation; and Scott C. LaBarre, President, National Federation of the
Blind of Colorado.

 

-3-     031

 

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