[il-talk] Fw: BRAL newsletter 1.8

Wed Dec 23 20:38:26 UTC 2009

Hey Everyone

In the Braille Readers Are Leaders (BRAL) contest, Lois Montgomery -- NFB of Illinois, Blackhawk Chapter member, and member of the ABLE Team from the Blackhawk Chapter -- has made national news!  In the latest posting of the leader board in the BRAL contest on pages read, Lois is number one in the country in the beginner category.  Wow, that is something!  Congratulations, Lois!  

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Shaheen, Natalie 
To: Shaheen, Natalie 
Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 10:30 AM
Subject: BRAL newsletter 1.8

     Braille Readers Are Leaders                                            
      December 23, 2009
     Volume 1, Number 8

            Dates to Remember

            ·      Reading Period: November 1, 2009-January 4, 2010

            ·      All contest entries must be submitted before January 22, 2010

     The Leader Board
      The Braille Readers Are Leaders Leader Board has been updated for the last time. Data was pulled today. The leaders in each category are as follows: beginner Lois Montgomery has read 1524 pages, intermediate Doug Smith has read 2352 pages, advanced Benjamin Dallin has read 4445 pages, expert Nicholas Wilcox has read 6882 pages, and sighted Sheila Amato has read 405 pages. Congratulations to everyone who earned a spot on the Leader Board during the contest! 

      If you did not make the Leader Board, don't get discouraged. There are still twelve days left in the contest. Put your fingers to the pages and catch up to your competitors!

      Help Needed
      In January 2009, the National Federation of the Blind started a Braille Readers are Leaders Campaign to address the Braille literacy crisis. To help us tackle this problem we need information from adult Braille readers.  You can help us by filling out a very short, seventeen-question, survey online. This survey is completely confidential and will not affect your participation in the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest. Donate five minutes of your time to help change the state of Braille literacy in this country. Note: this survey is designed for blind Braille readers; thus the sighted teachers and parents competing in the contest do not need to fill it out.

      Prizes
      As the contest comes to a close you must begin to think about wrapping up your final entry forms. Make sure you have recorded all of your reading log data on the provided forms. Additionally if you are applying for a special award-Dual Reader Award, Braille Mentor Award, or Braille Readers Are Leaders Team of the Year Award-you need to begin collecting the necessary documentation. All contest entry documentation must be submitted between January 4 and 22, 2010. If you need a reminder of the documentation required please consult the "Adult Contest Instructions and Forms" Word document available online at www.nfb.org/bral. If you have additional questions after you have reviewed this information, please contact Natalie Shaheen.

      Braille Is Beautiful
      Are there inquisitive sighted children in your community? The Braille Is Beautiful curriculum is designed to teach elementary-aged sighted children about Braille. This curriculum is great for in-class lessons, service-oriented clubs, and for afterschool programs. More information about the Braille Is Beautiful curriculum is available online. We want to hear about your experiences with the Braille Is Beautiful curriculum, tell us your story!   

      Braille Won't Bite
      by Mingkhwan Zehner

      Don't be afraid of Braille.

      It won't bite you.

      It just licks your hand

      and gives you more information.

            Do you have questions?  Contact Natalie Shaheen:

            410.659.9314 x2293

            Nshaheen at nfb.org

            or visit our Web site

            www.nfb.org/bral

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