[Capchapohio] bell program letter

[Shelbi Hindel]

Eric Duffy, President

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

P.O. Box 82055 

Columbus, OH 43202 

eduffy at pobox.com

 

(614) 935-6569

 

 

 

 

Dear --

 

Our children are our future, and the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio cares passionately about blind children in particular. Literacy is the
foundation of education, yet, despite an increased availability of books and
learning materials for all American children, genuine literacy for many
blind children in Ohio and throughout the United States has taken a backseat
in school. For a totally blind child or one with limited enough vision to
make reading print a slow or painful process, Braille is the only real road
to learning-and many blind children are not receiving adequate (or any)
Braille instruction. 

 

.               In 1960 50 percent of all blind or low-vision children in
America

were taught to read and write Braille. Today that rate is an appalling 7
percent. 

.               We know that only a third of blind working-age Americans
have jobs,

but, among that working population, 85 percent are Braille users. 

 

To help bridge the gap for children, the National Federation of the Blind's
Jernigan Institute has developed a two-week summer immersion program for
blind children ages 4-12 called Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning

(BELL.) For two weeks children who are not receiving enough Braille
instruction during the school year enjoy  hands-on learning, interesting
activities, field trips, and daily living skill-building to enhance their
understanding of and fluency in Braille. Children learn, eat, and play
together and have the additional benefit of working and playing with blind
Braille-using teachers and role models.  

 

Eleven states -Maryland, Georgia, Utah, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina,
Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and Louisiana--conducted BELL
programs in the summer of 2012, and the results have been life-changing for
the participants, according to their parents. The NFB of Ohio will be
conducting the first Ohio BELL program in Columbus, July 15-26, 2013. Plans
are well underway, but full funding remains the missing piece of the puzzle.

 

 

Estimated cost of a BELL program is $6,000. If you could contribute any part
of this amount, you would help to increase literacy and enhance the future
for Ohio's blind children. Make checks payable to the National Federation of
the Blind of Ohio and put BELL Program in the memo.   

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

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