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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman,sans-serif" size="3"><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">You may have already heard about this great contest, but the message bears repeating. Please consider entering the 35th annual writing contests for students and adults with visual impairments, sponsored by the NFB Writers' Division.<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">There is no fee to enter the Youth Braille Writing Contest, which is designed to promote Braille literacy. It is for students who are either studying or know contracted Braille. </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3">Entries must be hand-embossed by the student, using either a slate and stylus or a Braille writer (no computerized Braille).</font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3">Entries, which can be submitted through <span tabindex="0"><span>April 1, 2015</span></span>, will be judged on both creativity and the quality of the Braille.<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Whether people have been writing throughout their lives or are new to the craft, writing brings a wonderful sense of accomplishment, enabling the writer to share something unique with others. It can also be a therapeutic exercise capable of enlightening, transforming and empowering the writer. It is especially valuable for students struggling with the many issues surrounding vision loss. A writing exercise could be a great class or group activity.<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">The 2015 contest, which has categories for fiction and poetry as well as additional </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3">adult categories for nonfiction and stories written for kids, is open to all writers with visual impairments, be they novices or professionals. Any topic or theme is fair game, though we are requesting this year that the number 75 be included in some way in honor of the 75th anniversary of the NFB. There is a $6 entry fee for each adult entry and no charge for student entries.<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Prizes for adult first through third place in each category are $100, $50 and $25. Youth prizes for first through third place in each category, given for elementary, middle and upper school levels, </font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3">are $30, $20 and $10. All winners will be announced at the NFB national convention in July and will be eligible for inclusion in </font><i><font size="3">Slate and Style</font></i><font size="3">, the literary journal of the NFB Writers' Division.<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Guidelines for the Youth Braille Writing Contest:<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font color="#0068cf" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://writers.nfb.org/2015YouthGuidelines.html" target="_blank">http://writers.nfb.org/2015YouthGuidelines.html</a></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Additional contest details and submission guidelines for the Adult Contest:<u></u><u></u></font></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font color="#0068cf" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://writers.nfb.org/2015AdultGuidelines.html" target="_blank">http://writers.nfb.org/2015AdultGuidelines.html</a></font></font></p><div><font color="#0068cf"><br></font></div>-- <br><div class="ecxgmail_signature">Carlton Anne Cook Walker<br>Attorney at Law<div>President, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children <br>Teacher of Students with Blindness/Visual Impairment<div>105 Creamery Road</div><div>Boiling Springs, PA 17007<br>Voice: 717-658-9894<br>Twitter: braillemom <br id="FontBreak"></div></div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div></font><div><div></div></div><div class="ecxgmail_signature"><div></div><div><div><br><br><font color="#5f497a" face="Comic Sans MS" size="3"><strong>Trudy L. Pickrel</strong></font><br><strong><font color="#5f497a" face="Comic Sans MS">2nd Vice President</font></strong><br><strong><font color="#5f497a" face="Comic Sans MS" size="3">Maryland Parents of Blind Children </font></strong><br><font color="#5f497a" face="Comic Sans MS" size="3"><strong><a href="http://www.mdparentsofblindchildren.org" target="_blank">www.mdparentsofblindchildren.org</a></strong><a href="http://www.mdparentsofblindchildren.org" target="_blank"></a></font><a href="http://www.mdparentsofblindchildren.org" target="_blank"></a><br> <br><strong><font color="#5f497a" face="Comic Sans MS" size="3"></font></strong> <br><br><br> </div></div></div> </div></body>
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