[nfbmi-talk] Interesting.

[Reggie & Brooks]

October 14, 2010

Contact: Marion Gwizdala, President 

813-598-7161

President at NAGDU.ORG 

Lighting the Night FOR the Blind 

Rising thirty-seven storeys above downtown Tampa near the mouth of the
Hillsborough River lies a landmark that captures the attention and
imagination of anyone who views the evening skyline of the second largest
metropolitan area in the state of Florida . It's not because of its height
that it is so recognizable, as it stands far shorter than a competitor's
building. But rising another 87 feet above the thirty-seventh floor is a
four-sided pyramid - a ziggurat, to be precise - and they light it up at
night! It is said the lights can be seen up to ten miles away! At least they
are seen by the thousands of motorists traveling one of the three major
highways that pass through Tampa and the building's lights are featured on
nautical maps of Tampa Bay.

>From October 15 - 17, the Sun Trust Financial Center will light its rooftop
with the colors of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) to commemorate
Meet the Blind Month and recognize National White Cane Safety Day. The four
colors of the Federation logo - purple, red, blue, & gold - will chase
around the ziggurat at one second intervals as a symbol of the National
Federation of the Blind and then display a four second white light for
National White Cane Safety Day.

"The lighting of the building also coincides with the launch of a valuable
new service for guide dog users," explains Marion Gwizdala, a Tampa resident
who serves as president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users
(NAGDU). The NAGDU Education & Advocacy Hotline will go on-line over the
weekend. Though mostly under construction at this time, the hotline will
eventually provide pre-recorded messages on a variety of issues related to
guide dog use, including information about the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) prohibition of discrimination against service animal users,
summaries and texts of state statutes, and how these laws relate to specific
industries, such as restaurants, hotels, taxicabs, and airlines.

Callers will also have the ability to speak with a live trained advocate if
more specific or immediate guidance is needed. The NAGDU Education &
Advocacy Hotline can be accessed 24/7 by calling 866-972-DOGS (3647).

NFB's "Meet the Blind Month" is an annual event of the National Federation
of the Blind. The primary focus in 2010 is to shatter common misconceptions
about blindness, show how far the blind have come due to the efforts of the
NFB, and focus attention on the work that needs to be done for the blind to
obtain full integration into society on the basis of equality. The
Federation also provides interesting, upbeat presentations about blindness
and guide dogs and their use for civic organizations, business associations,
churches, and schools. 

National White Cane Safety Day (October 15) is a presidentially proclaimed
observance to raise public awareness of the traffic laws that assist blind
pedestrians. In all states, whenever a blind person is crossing a street or
driveway carrying a white cane or accompanied by a guide dog, all traffic
must stop until the blind person has safely crossed. Violation of Florida's
"White Cane Law" is a moving violation that carries three (3) points on the
driver license, fines, and can result in higher insurance rates. Stop for
blind pedestrians - It's the law!