[Nfb-idaho] FW: Michael Hingson to Serve as National Ambassador for Braille Literacy

[Susan Bradley]

> Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:16:33 -0600> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org> From: JFreeh at nfb.org> Subject: [Brl-coordinators] Michael Hingson to Serve as National Ambassador for Braille Literacy> > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE> > > > CONTACT:> > Chris Danielsen> > Public Relations Specialist> > National Federation of the Blind> > (410) 659-9314, extension 2330> > (410) 262-1281 (Cell)> > <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org> > > > Michael Hingson to Serve as National Ambassador for Braille Literacy> > > > Baltimore, Maryland (November 24, 2008): The > National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the > nation’s leading advocate for Braille literacy, > announced today that Michael Hingson, World Trade > Center survivor and internationally acclaimed > public speaker, will serve as a National > Ambassador for Braille literacy. As an > ambassador, Michael will help advance the NFB’s > Braille Readers are Leaders campaign, a national > initiative to promote the importance of reading > and writing Braille for blind children and > adults. The Braille Readers are Leaders campaign > kicked off in July of 2008 with the unveiling of > the design of a commemorative coin to be minted > in 2009 in recognition of the two-hundredth > anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille > (1809–1852), the inventor of the reading and > writing code for the blind that bears his name.> > > > Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National > Federation of the Blind, said: “The National > Federation of the Blind is pleased to have > Michael Hingson as part of this historic > initiative to bring Braille literacy to all of > the blind children and adults in America who need > it. As a unique keynote and inspirational > speaker, as well as a user of Braille, Michael > will certainly be an enormous asset in spreading > the importance of Braille literacy to the > masses. There can be no doubt that the ability > to read and write Braille competently and > efficiently is the key to education, employment, > and success for the blind. Despite the > undisputed value of Braille, however, only about > 10 percent of blind children in the United States > are currently learning it. Society would never > accept a 10 percent literacy rate among sighted > children; it should not accept such an > outrageously low literacy rate among the > blind. The Braille Readers are Leaders campaign, > with the support of influential Americans like > Michael Hingson, will reverse the downward trend > in Braille literacy and ensure that equal > opportunities in education and employment are > available to all of the nation’s blind.”> > > > Michael Hingson said: “It is an honor to serve as > a National Ambassador for the Braille Readers are > Leaders campaign. Braille is the only viable > means for both reading and writing by blind > persons and the only true alternative to printed > matter. I would never have been able to learn to > read and write, much less be successful in the > work place, if I hadn't learned to use > Braille. As a public speaker and living proof of > the power of Braille, I am dedicated to helping > the National Federation of the Blind to inspire > children and adults across the country to learn Braille.”> > > > For more information about the Braille Readers > are Leaders campaign and the Louis Braille > commemorative coin, please visit <http://www.braille.org/>www.braille.org.> > > > > > ###> > > > > > > > > > > > > 
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