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<div align="center"><b>Press Release<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>October 2014<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>For Immediate Release<br>
<br>
</b></div>
CONTACT: Frances Mary D’Andrea, Chair<br><br>
Braille Authority of North America<br><br>
Phone: 412-521-5797<br><br>
Email:
<a href="mailto:literacy2@mindspring.com">literacy2@mindspring.com</a><br>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>BANA to Hold 2014 Fall Meeting in Alexandria, VA,
November 7–9<br>
</b></div>
<br>
The Braille Authority of North America (BANA), which meets face-to-face
semiannually, will hold its 2014 fall meeting November 7–9 in Alexandria,
VA. This meeting will be hosted by the Association for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), a BANA member
organization. Meetingsincluding an Open Forum on Saturday, November
8will take place at the AER headquarters, which is located at 1703 N.
Beauregard Street, Suite 440, Alexandria, VA 22311.<br><br>
Items on the Board’s agenda include updates of BANA’s numerous ongoing
projects. The Board will review formal reports from all of BANA's
technical committees such as music, math, foreign language, and tactile
graphics and will take action on recommendations when
appropriate.<br><br>
As always, interested parties are invited to observe the BANA Board
meetings. If you are interested in observing the BANA meeting, please
contact BANA Chair Frances Mary D’Andrea at 412-521-5797 or by email at
<a href="mailto:literacy2@mindspring.com">literacy2@mindspring.com</a>.
<br><br>
On Saturday, November 8, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, BANA will host an
Open Forum at the AER headquarters. The Open Forum agenda will include an
overview of progress made toward the transition to Unified English
Braille, as well as ongoing plans for informing braille readers and
preparing educators and transcribers about specific code changes.
Participants will also be given the opportunity to read and discuss
example documents transcribed in UEB.<br><br>
This event provides a venue for participants to discuss braille with the
Board and to learn more about the workings of BANA. Open Forum
participants are encouraged to express their views and suggestions
surrounding braille and its future. Braille readers, teachers, and
students as well as producers and distributors of braille are encouraged
to take advantage of this opportunity to participate in a round-table
discussion with the members of the BANA Board. To reserve your space at
the Open Forum and to help ensure accurate counts for handouts, contact
Frances Mary D’Andrea as indicated above.<br><br>
NOTE: This press release is available in HTML on the BANA website at
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-2014-10.html">
http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-2014-10.html</a>.
<br><br>
<br><br>
For additional resource information, visit
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org">www.brailleauthority.org</a><br>
<br>
<i>The Board of BANA consists of appointed representatives from seventeen
member organizations of braille producers, transcribers, teachers, and
consumers.<br>
</i><br>
<i>The mission of the Braille Authority of North America is to assure
literacy for tactile readers through the standardization of braille
and/or tactile graphics. <br>
</i><br>
<i> <br>
</i><br>
<i>The purpose of BANA is to promote and to facilitate the uses,
teaching, and production of braille. Pursuant to this purpose, BANA will
promulgate rules, make interpretations, and render opinions pertaining to
braille codes and guidelines for the<b> </b>provisions of literary and
technical materials and related forms and formats of embossed materials
now in existence or to be developed in the future for the use of blind
persons in North America. When appropriate, BANA shall accomplish these
activities<b> </b>in international collaboration with countries using
English braille. In exercising its function and authority, BANA shall
consider the effects of its decisions on other existing braille codes and
guidelines, forms and formats; ease of production by various methods; and
acceptability to readers.<br>
</i><br>
<i> <br>
</i><br>
<br><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
BANA-Announce mailing list<br>
BANA-Announce@brailleauthority.org<br>
<a href="http://www.brailleauthority.org/mailman/listinfo/bana-announce" eudora="autourl">
http://www.brailleauthority.org/mailman/listinfo/bana-announce</a>
</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<x-tab> </x-tab>David
Andrews and long white cane Harry.<br>
E-Mail: dandrews@visi.com or david.andrews@nfbnet.org<br>
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