[Nfb-hi] How many children in America are not taught to read?

[pinkhawaii at gmail.com]

Dear President Mauer, you know very well that less then 10% of ALL the
legally blind are totally blind, that many of them can hear and most of the
deaf can see. If you teach hem Braille, you cripple them to a status where
they only communicate with other people who know Braille. Braille does not
give you the opportunity to communicate with the world and get jobs that
requires computer literacy, that so far, you and the blind community have
failed to advocate free high speed Internet access for all handicapped. I
always hear from the blind community the excuse that advocating for free
high speed Internet access is not our job. When do you finally become honest
and call a spade a spade and not something else. With my Love of Aloha to
ALL,

Dr. Heinz-Guenther Pink
Advocate and program evaluator for the blind, deaf and handicapped.
Member: NFB Communication Council
and ATRC Advisory Council of the State
Member of Senator Chun Oakland's Deaf-Blind Task Force.
Founder: Computer College of Hawaii since 1963,     pinkhawaii at gmail.com
410 Magellan Ave. Apt.1002, Honolulu, HI. 96813 ,   Tel 808: 537-1875









On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:58 AM, Maurer, Patricia <PMaurer at nfb.org> wrote:

>
> ----------
> From: Marc Maurer [mailto:outreach at nfb.org]
> Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 3:14 PM
> To: Maurer, Patricia
> Subject: How many children in America are not taught to read?
>
> The answer is 90 percent if the children are blind.  Most Americans are
> shocked to hear this statistic.  And we should be.  The blind read and write
> using Braille, so why is our educational system failing to teach Braille to
> so many children?  Why are these children being denied the opportunities
> that come with a proper education?  What if you could not read and write?
>  Where would you be today?
>
> There are three primary reasons for this educational crisis: (1) there are
> not enough Braille teachers; (2) some teachers of blind children have not
> received enough training; and (3) many educators do not think Braille
> instruction is even necessary.
>
> To bring critically-needed attention to this educational crisis, the United
> States Congress authorized the minting of the 2009 Louis Braille
> Bicentennial Silver Dollar with a portion of the sale of each coin going
> toward a revolutionary and comprehensive Braille literacy campaign.
>
> Learning to read and write is fundamental to education, which in turn is
> paramount to full and equal participation in American society.  This coin,
> the first U.S. coin to have proper tactile Braille, symbolizes independence,
> opportunity, and the potential of blind people to make significant
> contributions to society when they are taught to read and write using
> Braille.  To learn more, read our report <
> http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=yeymcYhMheQ-y7-mcNDRWg..>The
> Braille Literacy Crisis in America, or watch our video <
> http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=8AWBxYZpjpELqegcgZlFhg..>Making
> Change with a Dollar.
>
> <http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=oU7TznrVm6kt3P1O7AWYDg..>Please
> purchase this unique and beautiful coin now and help solve this educational
> crisis for blind children in America.
>
> The law authorizing this 2009 silver dollar requires that any coins not
> sold by midnight on December 31, 2009, be melted down.  Time is of the
> essence--a 90 percent illiteracy rate is not acceptable and the opportunity
> to purchase this coin will soon be gone.
>
> Be part of the solution.  Give the gift of literacy.  Create new
> opportunities. <
> http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=nMVjIeI1iave6Nk717B4dA..>Buy
> the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar today.
>
> Marc Maurer, President
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
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