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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
line-height:18.6pt'><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><b><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold'>CONTACT:</span></font></b><font face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-family:Arial'><br>
Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><font color="#0d4c9b"><span
style='color:#0D4C9B;text-decoration:none'>cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:
7.5pt;text-align:center'><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>National Federation
of the Blind Announces Winners <br>
of 2011 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:
7.5pt;text-align:center'><b><i><font size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Competition
Encourages Braille Usage among the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><b><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold'>Baltimore, Maryland (December 14 , 2011):</span></font></b><font
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-family:Arial'> 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. The NFB administered the Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest in
the <u1:country-region u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">U.S.</u1:place></u1:country-region>
on behalf of the North American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind
Union. The essay contest, sponsored by Onkyo Corporation, a Japanese
consumer electronics manufacturer, and the <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Braille
Mainichi</span></i>, part of the Mainichi Newspaper Company in <u1:country-region u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">Japan</u1:place></u1: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></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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. 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. Each winner received a substantial cash prize, a plaque, and
other gifts from the Onkyo Corporation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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. Despite the
undisputed value of Braille, however, only about 10 percent of blind children
in the <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:country-region u2:st="on">United States</u1:country-region></u1:place>
are learning it. 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></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The
seven winners from the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows:<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>OOTSUKI
PRIZE<br>
Kim </span></font><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>Kilpatrick, <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on">Ottawa</u1:City>,
<u1:country-region u2:st="on">Canada</u1:country-region></u1:place> </span></font><font
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>EXCELLENT
WORK AWARD, SENIOR<br>
Allison O'Day, <u1:State u2:st="on">Minnesota</u1:State>, <u1:country-region u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">USA</u1:place></u1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>FINE
WORK AWARDS, SENIOR<br>
Lori Miller, <u1:State u2:st="on">Indiana</u1:State>, <u1:country-region u2:st="on">USA</u1:country-region><br>
Jason Meddaugh, <u1:State u2:st="on">Michigan</u1:State>, <u1:country-region u2:st="on">USA</u1:country-region><br>
Khadija </span></font><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>Mohamedbhai,
<u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on">Ottawa</u1:City>, <u1:country-region u2:st="on">Canada</u1:country-region></u1:place></span></font><font
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>EXCELLENT
WORK AWARD, JUNIOR<br>
Hanna <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on">Chadwick-Dias</u1:City>, <u1:State u2:st="on">California</u1:State>,
<u1:country-region u2:st="on">USA</u1:country-region></u1:place><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>FINE
WORK AWARD, JUNIOR<br>
<u1:State u2:st="on">Brittany</u1:State> <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on">Stovall</u1:City>,
<u1:State u2:st="on">Missouri</u1:State>, <u1:country-region u2:st="on">USA</u1:country-region></u1:place><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The
NFB encouraged all countries in the North America Caribbean Region to
participate in the Onkyo Braille Essay Contest. Essays were submitted
from the <u1:country-region u2:st="on">United States</u1:country-region> and <u1:country-region u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">Canada</u1:place></u1:country-region>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>For
more information about the National Federation of the Blind, please visit <a
href="http://www.nfb.org/" title=www.nfb.org><font color="#0d4c9b"><span
style='color:#0D4C9B;text-decoration:none'>www.nfb.org</span></font></a>.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font><font
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:
7.5pt;text-align:center'><b><font size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>###<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><b><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold'>About the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:7.5pt'><font
size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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 <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:country-region u2:st="on">United
States</u1:country-region></u1: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 <u1:country-region u2:st="on"><u1:place u2:st="on">United
States</u1:place></u1:country-region> for the blind led by the blind. Please
visit our Web site: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/" title=www.nfb.org><font
color="#0d4c9b"><span style='color:#0D4C9B;text-decoration:none'>www.nfb.org</span></font></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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