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<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, September 01, 2010 4:55
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Angela Wolf; Anil Lewis; Art
Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra
McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel
Burke; Don Galloway; Donna Wood; Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner;
Fred Schroeder; Gary Ray; Gary Wunder; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; Jennelle
Bichler; Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joyce Scanlan;
Ken Rollman; Kevan Worley; Kim Williams; Larry Posont; Lynn Majewski; Mary
Willows; Matt Lyles; Matt Lyles; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael
Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena
Smith; Richard Gaffney; Ron Brown; Ron Gardner; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre;
Selena Sundling-Crawford<BR><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind
Announces 2010-2011 Race for Independence<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 14pt">FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></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><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">cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></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
<BR>Announces 2010-2011 Race for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Independence</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<H2 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><EM><FONT face=Arial>Fundraising Effort to Focus on
Education, Technology for Blind Americans<o:p></o:p></FONT></EM></SPAN></H2>
<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><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Baltimore,
Maryland (September 1, 2010):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> The
National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest nationwide
organization of blind people in the United States, today announced the 2010-2011
Race for Independence, a fundraising effort focused on improving education and
technology for blind Americans and supporting other NFB initiatives.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Race for <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City> is the annual
campaign to raise funds for the National Federation of the Blind Imagination
Fund, which supports the education, technology, and research projects of the NFB
Jernigan Institute, as well as programs conducted by the fifty-two affiliates
and over seven-hundred local chapters of the Federation.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Imagination Fund supports innovative
programs that encourage blind youth to participate in scientific careers and
help seniors to adjust to vision loss.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>NFB members can sign up to be Imaginators at
www.raceforindependence.org.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Imaginators are individuals who have pledged to raise at least $250 for
the Imagination Fund campaign.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
Race for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City> will be spotlighted in public NFB
events, particularly the public debut of a vehicle equipped with a nonvisual
interface allowing a blind person to drive it independently.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A Ford
Escape, equipped with nonvisual interface technology, will be driven by a blind
individual<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>who will navigate part
of the famed Daytona International Speedway course on January 29, 2011, as part
of the pre-race activities at the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Four of the top Imaginators from the 2010 Race for
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City>
campaign and six Imaginators from the current campaign will have special
opportunities to participate in the Daytona event.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To be eligible to become one of the six
Imaginators from this campaign selected to participate in this event,
Imaginators must raise at least $250 by December 1, 2010.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, said: “The Imagination Fund represents the hopes and aspirations
of blind Americans.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Through this
effort we are able to create innovative research, training, education, and
technology programs that improve the lives of the blind and move us closer to
our ultimate goal of full integration </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">into society on a basis of equality.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The crisis in Braille literacy for blind
children and the proliferation of technology that, if not properly designed,
will threaten the independence of the blind mean that time is of the
essence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But I am confident that
with the help of our members and friends, we will ensure that blind children are
literate and can pursue the </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><A name=OLE_LINK4></A><A
name=OLE_LINK3></A><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">career of their
choice; that blind people have access to cutting-edge technology; and that
opportunities for all blind Americans are limited only by our capacity to
dream.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4"></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"></SPAN>
<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">Parnell Diggs, chairman of the NFB Imagination Fund,
said: “The Race for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City> is quite simply the expression of
our desire to speed toward our goal of achieving first-class citizenship status
in society at an ever-increasing pace. It is the anchor of the National
Federation of the Blind’s Imagination Fund, the annual campaign to raise
proceeds for NFB programs at the national, state, and local
levels.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><A name=OLE_LINK6></A><A
name=OLE_LINK5><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To sign up to be an Imaginator and help build the
Imagination Fund, please visit </SPAN></SPAN></A><A
href="http://www.raceforindependence.org/"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK5"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">www.raceforindependence.org</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK5"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK5"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2371</SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman">.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK5"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK5"></SPAN>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></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"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'; COLOR: #333333"><BR></SPAN><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 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15pt"><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>. The NFB improves blind
people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in
the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. 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>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P></FONT></DIV>
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