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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, December 14, 2011 10:20
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Art Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill
Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene
Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Donna Wood; Duane Iverson;
Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Garrick Scott; Gary
Ray; Gary Wunder; Grace Pires; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; Jeannie Massay;
Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joy Harris; Joyce
Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kim Williams; Kimberly Flores; Larry Posont; Lynn
Majewski; Mary Willows; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika
Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Patty Estes; Rena
Smith; Ron Brown; Gardner, Ron; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Shawn Callaway; Terry
Sheeler<BR><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind Announces Winners of
2011 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18.6pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>CONTACT:</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN><BR>Chris
Danielsen<BR>Director of Public Relations<BR>National Federation of the
Blind<BR>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<BR>(410) 262-1281<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(Cell)<BR><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #0d4c9b; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">cdanielsen@nfb.org</SPAN></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>National Federation of the Blind Announces Winners <BR>of 2011 Onkyo
Braille Essay Contest<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Competition Encourages
Braille Usage among the Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Baltimore, Maryland
(December 14 , 2011):</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN> The National
Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind
people in the United States, is proud to announce the winners of the 2011 Onkyo
Braille Essay Contest. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The NFB
administered the Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> on behalf
of the North American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The essay contest, sponsored by Onkyo
Corporation, a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, and the <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Braille Mainichi</I>, part of the Mainichi
Newspaper Company in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>, was created to promote Braille
literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural information among
blind and visually impaired persons. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>The essays were
required to be written in Braille and to pertain either to how the individual
gains knowledge or independence through Braille or to an individual concept
about world peace from the viewpoint of persons with disabilities. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There were two groups of competitors: a
junior category for persons up to age twenty-five and a senior category for
persons over age twenty-six. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each
winner received a substantial cash prize, a plaque, and other gifts from the
Onkyo Corporation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Dr. Marc Maurer,
President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are very pleased to
have been a part of this important contest. 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. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite the undisputed value of Braille,
however, only about 10 percent of blind children in the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place> are learning it. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We congratulate the contest winners and
commend them for demonstrating the impact Braille has had on their lives through
their essays and also for raising awareness of the importance of Braille
literacy throughout their everyday lives.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>The seven winners from
the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows:<BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>OOTSUKI PRIZE<BR>Kim
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kilpatrick, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Ottawa</st1:City>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>EXCELLENT WORK AWARD,
SENIOR<BR>Allison O'Day, <st1:State w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:State>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>FINE WORK AWARDS,
SENIOR<BR>Lori Miller, <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region><BR>Jason Meddaugh,
<st1:State w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region><BR>Khadija </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mohamedbhai, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Ottawa</st1:City>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>EXCELLENT WORK AWARD,
JUNIOR<BR>Hanna <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Chadwick-Dias</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>,
<st1:country-region
w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>FINE WORK AWARD,
JUNIOR<BR><st1:State w:st="on">Brittany</st1:State> <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Stovall</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Missouri</st1:State>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>The NFB encouraged all
countries in the North America Caribbean Region to participate in the Onkyo
Braille Essay Contest.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Essays were
submitted from the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>For more information
about the National Federation of the Blind, please visit <A title=www.nfb.org
href="http://www.nfb.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #0d4c9b; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">www.nfb.org</SPAN></A>.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN></SPAN></B> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>About the National
Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>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. Please
visit our Web site: <A title=www.nfb.org href="http://www.nfb.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #0d4c9b; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">www.nfb.org</SPAN></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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