<!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 8.00.6001.18939"></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, October 06, 2010 11:35
AM<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
Launches Text2Give Program<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<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> </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>Launches Text2Give Program<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 Will Improve
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 (October 6, 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, has launched the NFB
Text2Give program, a fundraising effort focused on improving education and
technology for blind Americans and supporting other NFB initiatives.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Text2Give program enables anyone
with a cellular telephone to give a $10 contribution by text message, on the
spot.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The contributions will go to
the NFB 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>By encouraging friends, family, and
others to text the word BLIND to 85944, you can help raise critical funds for
NFB programs at the local, state, and national level. <A name=OLE_LINK2></A><A
name=OLE_LINK1><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></A></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, said: “The Text2Give program is an exciting and innovative way to
support the NFB Imagination Fund.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Through the Imagination Fund 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 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.”</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><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">Parnell Diggs, chairman of the NFB Imagination Fund,
said: “We encourage everyone to share the Text2Give program with their friends,
families, and co-workers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is a
small and simple way to make a huge difference in the lives of blind people
across the country.”<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">To donate $10 to the National Federation of the Blind
Imagination Fund using Text2Give, simply text the word BLIND to 85944.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The $10 donation will appear on your
next telephone bill.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Standard text
messaging rates apply. <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><A name=OLE_LINK6></A><A
name=OLE_LINK5><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For more information about the NFB Jernigan
Institute, please visit </SPAN></SPAN></A><A href="http://www.nfb.org/"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK5"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK6"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">www.nfb.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">, and for more information about the Text2Give
program please call (410) 659-9314, extension 2371</SPAN>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></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> </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"><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>.<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<SPAN
class=825563215-06102010>.</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>