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<H1 id=h1Headline>Congressman Mica to Participate in NFB Blind Driver
Challenge™. </H1>
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<P><SPAN class=xn-location>WASHINGTON</SPAN>, <SPAN class=xn-chron>Jan. 27,
2011</SPAN> /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind
announced today that Congressman John Mica, who represents <SPAN
class=xn-location>Florida</SPAN>'s Seventh Congressional District and chairs the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will participate in the
demonstration of a vehicle that can be driven by the blind. The
Congressman will be present along with NFB officials and other dignitaries when
a modified Ford Escape equipped with nonvisual technology allowing a blind
person to drive it independently is demonstrated as part of pre-race activities
leading up to the Rolex 24 at the Daytona International Speedway on <SPAN
class=xn-chron>January 29</SPAN>. Congressman Mica will drive the vehicle
onto the course and present the keys to a blind driver, who will then drive the
road course alone. </P>
<P>Congressman Mica said: "I am pleased to participate in this historic moment,
which will shatter misconceptions about blind citizens and show the world
exciting new technologies that will enhance the quality of living for many
Americans. I have no doubt that this event is a milestone in revolutionary
technological change that will dramatically improve transportation and safety in
the twenty-first century."</P>
<P>Dr. <SPAN class=xn-person>Marc Maurer</SPAN>, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, said: "We are extremely pleased that Congressman Mica
is joining us for this historic occasion. It is fitting that the Chairman
of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will participate in the
demonstration of technology that will ultimately benefit sighted drivers as well
as the blind."</P>
<P>The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute—the only research and
training facility on blindness operated by the blind—has challenged
universities, technology developers, and other interested innovators to
establish NFB Blind Driver Challenge™ (BDC) teams, in collaboration with the
NFB, to build interface technologies that will empower blind people to drive a
car independently. The purpose of the NFB Blind Driver Challenge™ is to
stimulate the development of nonvisual interface technology. The <SPAN
class=xn-org>Virginia Tech</SPAN>/TORC team, under the direction of Dr. <SPAN
class=xn-person>Dennis Hong</SPAN>, Director of the Robotics and Mechanisms
Laboratory at <SPAN class=xn-org>Virginia Tech.</SPAN>, is the only team that
has accepted the challenge. The team is currently working with the
National Federation of the Blind on the second-generation prototype vehicle to
integrate new and improved versions of the first-generation nonvisual interface
technologies into a Ford Escape. </P>
<P>For more information about the NFB, please visit <A
onclick="var s=s_gi(s_account);s.linkTrackVars='prop5,eVar3,prop15';s.prop5='External Link';s.eVar3=s.prop5;s.prop15='114713349';s.tl(this,'o','ExternalLink');"
href="http://www.nfb.org/" target=_blank>www.nfb.org</A>. For our digital
news release about the Blind Driver Challenge™ and the debut of the BDC car at
the Rolex 24, including audio and video clips for television and radio, please
visit <A
title="http://www.digitalnewsrelease.com/?q=NFB_CarKit
CTRL + Click to follow link"
onclick="var s=s_gi(s_account);s.linkTrackVars='prop5,eVar3,prop15';s.prop5='External Link';s.eVar3=s.prop5;s.prop15='114713349';s.tl(this,'o','ExternalLink');"
href="http://www.digitalnewsrelease.com/?q=NFB_CarKit"
target=_blank>www.DigitalNewsRelease.com/?q=NFB_CarKit</A>. </P>
<P><B>About the National Federation of the Blind</B></P>
<P>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
United States. 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 <SPAN class=xn-chron>January
2004</SPAN> the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
Institute, the first research and training center in <SPAN class=xn-location>the
United States</SPAN> for the blind led by the blind.</P>
<P></P>
<P>SOURCE National Federation of the Blind. </P>
<P><FONT color=#3f0600 size=5>This release can be found online at:
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#3f0600 size=5><A
href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congressman-mica-to-participate-in-nfb-blind-driver-challenge-114713349.html">http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congressman-mica-to-participate-in-nfb-blind-driver-challenge-114713349.html</A></FONT></P>
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