[Nfbmo] Lighting the way!!!

[fred olver]

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!
>
>
>
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