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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> bana-announce-bounces@brailleauthority.org [mailto:bana-announce-bounces@brailleauthority.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Kim.Charlson@Perkins.org<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 25, 2012 5:38 PM<br><b>To:</b> BANA-Announce@brailleauthority.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [BANA-Announce] BANA Launches Blog - Welcomes Your Comments<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;text-align:center'><i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:black'><img width=184 height=75 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:544063321@25042012-2A13"></span></i><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoTitle align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoTitle align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Press Release<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid #C00000 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid #C00000 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><p class=MsoTitle align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;border:none;padding:0in'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>April 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoTitle align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;border:none;padding:0in'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>CONTACT: Frances Mary D’Andrea, Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bananormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Braille Authority of North America<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Phone: </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>412-521-5797</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:24.0pt;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Email: </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="mailto:literacy2@mindspring.com"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>literacy2@mindspring.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:center'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>BANA Blog Welcomes Your Comments<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Expanding its social media contact points, BANA has added a blog to its website. The blog gives all those interested in the work of BANA a chance to read about and comment on BANA's current and ongoing activities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Just follow the "BANA Blog" link on the BANA website—<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/">www.brailleauthority.org</a>—and you will be able to read posts by the Braille Authority of North America as well as by readers who respond. You can leave a comment by clicking on the title of the post, which serves as a link to the comment form. You can also reach the comment form by clicking on the speech balloon icon. You do not have to register on the blog site to be able to post comments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>You can also follow the work of BANA by signing up for BANA-Announce, a one-way email list that disseminates news and information from the BANA Board and its 18 working committees. To join this news list, send a blank email message to <a href="mailto:bana-announce-subscribe@brailleauthority.org">bana-announce-subscribe@brailleauthority.org</a> and follow the directions in the confirmation email that will be sent in response. You can also follow BANA on Facebook and Twitter</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For additional resource information, visit </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.brailleauthority.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The mission and purpose of the Braille Authority of North America are to assure literacy for tactile readers through the standardization of braille and/or tactile graphics. BANA promotes and facilitates the use, teaching, and production of braille. It publishes rules, interprets, and renders opinions pertaining to braille in all existing codes. It deals with codes now in existence or to be developed in the future, in collaboration with other countries using English braille. In exercising its function and authority, BANA considers the effects of its decisions on other existing braille codes and formats; the ease of production by various methods; and acceptability to readers. </span></i><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>