<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:st1 =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18852"></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 02, 2009 12:03
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Angela Wolf; Anil Lewis; Art
Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cathy Jackson;
Charlene Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna
Wood; Elsie Lamp; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Gary Ray; Gary
Wunder; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; James Broadnax; Jennelle Bichler; Jennifer
Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joyce Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kevan
Worley; Larry Posont; Marie Johnson; Mary Willows; Matt Lyles; Matt Lyles;
Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala; Nani Fife;
Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Richard Gaffney; Ron Brown; Ron Gardner;
Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Selena Sundling-Crawford; Terri
Rupp<BR><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind Announces Oregon State
Will Use Braille Coin in Coin Toss<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT
face=Arial>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chris Danielsen</SPAN></st1:PersonName><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Director of Public Relations<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><FONT
color=#0076cc>cdanielsen@nfb.org</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial>National Federation of the Blind
Announces<BR><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Will Use Braille Coin in Coin
Toss<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face=Arial>Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar <BR><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Will Be Used in Coin Toss at Beavers
Game</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></H1><PRE><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Corvallis, Oregon (December 2, 2009):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> The National Federation of the Blind<st1:PersonName w:st="on">,</st1:PersonName> the nation’s leading <BR>advocate for Braille<st1:PersonName w:st="on">,</st1:PersonName> is pleased to announce that Oregon State University will use a 2009 Louis Braille <BR>Bicentennial Silver Dollar in the coin toss at its football game on Thursday, December 3.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The renowned <BR>Oregon State Beavers, who are currently ranked at number 13 in the Associated Press Poll, will travel</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> <BR></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">to <st1:City w:st="on">Eugene</st1:City> for the annual Civil War with the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Oregon Ducks</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For the first time in the <BR>113-year history of the Civil War, the game will decide the PAC-10 championship and the winner <BR>will go on to play in the Rose Bowl.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></PRE><PRE><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></PRE>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, said: “We are pleased that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> is recognizing
the critical importance of Braille literacy for the blind in a fun and exciting
way by including the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar in the prestigious
Civil War football game on December 3.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>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; yet only one in ten blind children in the United States are currently
learning it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are asking
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Oregon</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> fans and all other
Americans to help us in ensuring literacy, education, productivity, and success
for every blind American by purchasing a 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver
Dollar today.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Congress authorized the minting in 2009 of 400,000
Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollars to mark the two-hundredth anniversary
of the birth of Louis Braille (1809–1852) </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">and to support the efforts of the National Federation
of the Blind to promote literacy among blind Americans.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This unique and beautiful commemorative
coin is the first <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> currency to feature tactile,
readable Braille.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A portion of the proceeds from sales of the 2009
Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>will be used to support the NFB’s
“Braille Readers are Leaders” campaign<st1:PersonName
w:st="on">,</st1:PersonName> a national initiative created to double the number
of blind children learning Braille by 2015<st1:PersonName
w:st="on">,</st1:PersonName> improve certification standards for teachers of
Braille<st1:PersonName w:st="on">,</st1:PersonName> and conduct innovative
programs to support Braille literacy.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Those interested in ordering a 2009 Louis Braille
Bicentennial Silver Dollar or the new Braille Education Set, which features the
coin in a collectible folder designed to highlight the life and legacy of Louis
Braille, should visit <SPAN style="COLOR: #333333"><A
href="http://www.braille.org./"><FONT color=#0076cc>www.braille.org</FONT></A>
or <A href="http://www.usmint.gov/"><FONT
color=#0076cc>www.usmint.gov</FONT></A> </SPAN>or call 1-800-USA-MINT
(872-6468). The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar and the Braille
Education Set will only be available until December 11, 2009.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For more information about the National
Federation of the Blind and the Braille Readers are Leaders
campaign<st1:PersonName w:st="on">,</st1:PersonName> visit <SPAN
style="COLOR: #333333"><A href="http://www.braille.org/"><FONT
color=#0076cc>www.braille.org</FONT></A>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p> </o:p></B></P>
<P><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">About the National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">With more than 50,000 members, the National
Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership
organization of blind people in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The NFB improves blind people’s lives
through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging
independence and self-confidence. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is the leading force in the blindness
field today and the voice of the nation's blind.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In January 2004 the NFB opened the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and
training center in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> for the blind led by the
blind.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>