[Nfbc-info] FW: NFB Braille.org E-newsletter, Issue 9

Thu May 14 17:49:04 UTC 2009

Subject: NFB Braille.org E-newsletter, Issue 9

Braille coin and Braille Readers are Leaders banner

NATIONAL AMBASSADORS 

Marc Maurer
President, National Federation of the Blind Braille Reader

Terry Bradshaw
Hall of Fame Quarterback

Michael Hingson
Motivational Speaker
Braille Reader

Dr. Abraham Nemeth
Professor Emeritus
Inventor of the Nemeth Code
Braille Reader

Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger
Motivational speaker
Former collegiate football player

The Honorable Pat Schroeder
Executive Director, Association of American Publishers Former Member of
Congress

Larry Shepherd
Executive Director,
American Numismatic Association

Dr. Geerat Vermeij
Professor of Geology, University of California at Davis Braille Reader

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http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=d3VyqK9Q8BT7l0DloVL9eg..

May 8, 2009, Issue #9

A Note from Dr. Fred Schroeder

The month of May brings change. It is a time for rebirth and celebration,
and it is also the month in which many students will graduate from high
school and college. A new vista of opportunity will open up before these
students, and they will go out into the world and face new challenges armed
with the knowledge and wisdom they learned in their schools.

For some blind students this will be the case. Having received a quality
education with comprehensive instruction in Braille, they will be fully
equipped to face the trials they will encounter as they make their way in
the world. For many more, however, the road before them does not lead toward
promise, but rather toward unemployment and struggle. Fifty-five percent of
blind students--more than half--will not graduate from high school this
year.

This is a trend which must not continue.

We launched the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar because we believe
in a future for all blind people. We want to demonstrate to the world that
we can and will pursue higher education, obtain fulfilling careers, and
participate fully in society. Today the sales of the coin are progressing
steadily; nearly 150,000 have been sold.
With the money raised from the sales of these coins, we will fund and
research the crucial projects and programs that will put Braille in the
hands of more blind people than ever before and offer them a real chance of
success. We will advocate for better Braille instruction, fight for
increased access to educational materials, and make it known that we expect
to be given the same opportunities as anyone else.

May will be a time of change for students all over the country--both blind
and sighted--but it will also be a time of growth and renewal. It will be a
month in which our programs continue to grow and develop, and it will be a
month in which each of us renews our commitment to equality and independence
for blind people. We have begun our campaign with momentum and strength,
secure in the knowledge that we the blind have the power to shape our own
destiny. Now we must continue the work we began, and we must pledge our
support and dedication to securing a brighter future for the blind.

Only forty-five percent of blind students will graduate from high school
this year, but next year that number will grow. Each year thereafter the
number of blind students who graduate from high school and go on to pursue
higher education will rise, and it will rise because of our boundless energy
and selfless dedication. I know this because I know you, and I know the
strength and power of the National Federation of the Blind. Working
together, we will make the future brighter.

Learn More and Get Involved
*  The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar will be traveling to space
aboard the shuttle Atlantis in just a few days. The STS-125 mission,
scheduled to launch on May 11, at
2:01 p.m., will visit the Hubble Space Telescope for one last time before
the shuttle fleet retires in 2010.
Over eleven days and five spacewalks, the shuttle's crew will make repairs
and upgrades to the telescope. Learn more about STS-125: Final Shuttle
Mission to Hubble Space Telescope.

http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=1mgE9iL8E43Ez33hALjuhQ..

*  Give the gift that will keep on giving for years to come. The Louis
Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar is the perfect gift for the special moms,
dads, and grads in your life. Coins are selling fast, so be sure to purchase
your coin now.

http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=WN1Y2Iy6KrKjwHleUFyWPA..

*  If you have gently used Braille children's books that are no longer being
used, the 2009 Braille Book Flea Market would love to find them a new home.
At our 2009 National Convention in Detroit, the Braille Book Flea Market
will once again provide many young Braille readers with Braille books to
love and cherish. Please send your Braille books via USPS to: UPS, 29855
Schoolcraft, Livonia, Michigan 48150, Attn: NFB-Hold for Book Fair. Books
can be mailed through the U.S. Post Office, Free Matter for the Blind. If
you have any questions, please contact Peggy Chong at (515) 277-1288 or
peggychong at earthlink.net.

Also, be sure to check out these great Braille literacy
programs: 

BELL Program-A demonstration program to help provide intensive Braille
instruction during the summer months
http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=jODkiEjQF-FoBg4M4fDifg..

NFB ShareBraille-An online Braille sharing community.
http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=Dr43VOI8nYBiSava4NglgA..

Braille Reading Pals-A non-competitive Braille readiness program for blind
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and older students with reading delays.

http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=P04QC5x3ugNzONEKBtNSHg..

How You Can Help the Braille Readers are Leaders Campaign

As always, please encourage people to join this campaign list. This campaign
is an excellent vehicle for us to build our list of individuals who want to
learn more about Braille, want to help with Braille literacy, or are
interested in buying coins. Every new subscriber is another opportunity for
us to share our message, a message that carries with it the hopes and dreams
of a future filled with equality and opportunity for every blind American.
Cut and paste this link to join the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar
and Literacy Campaign:
http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=b1px_hkQ56ybhpr05v8nyg.. .

Help give those who are unable to read print mainstream access to over
245,000 books. Sign the "Allow Everyone Access to E-books" petition today.
http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=3OsXvncpdTxvP0Xnx0SVhA..

Follow the Braille Literacy Campaign on Twitter. Twitter is a service for
friends, family, and co-workers to communicate through e-mail and texting
quick frequent answers to one question: "What are you doing?"
Now, when you are asked, "What are you doing?" you can answer, "Making
Braille literacy a reality for all blind people!" 
http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=JA335OWpmmZS8iL3k_zuNw..

NFB Braille Readers are Leaders logo

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Braille.org                                                       
Visit the U.S. Mint
http://www.marchforindependence.org/site/R?i=XJM1LEN65eLGpd--bRRClw..
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National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
410-659-9314 * Fax 410-659-5129

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