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<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
14.0pt;font-family:Arial'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
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<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><b><font size=3 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica;font-weight:bold'>CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Chris Danielsen<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><font face=Helvetica><span
style='font-family:Helvetica'>cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<h1 align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
3.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center'><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial'>American Action Fund Makes Free
Braille Books Available Online<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
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12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica;font-weight:bold'>Baltimore, Maryland (February 28,
2012):</span></font></b><font face=Helvetica><span style='font-family:Helvetica'>
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF) is making its free
Braille books for blind children available online as downloadable BRF
files. Since 1997, the AAF has provided popular and award-winning
children’s books, including titles from popular series, to blind children
throughout the <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:country-region u2:st="on">United States</u1:country-region></u1:place>
as well as to libraries and other organizations that serve blind
children. The books have been and will continue to be distributed by
mail, but now readers and libraries will also be able to download them
from <a href="http://www.actionfund.org/actionfund/default.asp">the American
Action Fund Web site. </a>The BRF files are ready to be used on Braille
notetakers and other Braille-aware devices.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Barbara Loos, president of the American Action Fund for
Blind Children and Adults, said: “The American Action Fund is pleased to
make our free Braille books for blind children available on the Internet.
Technology is making Braille more widely available than ever before, and we are
proud to become part of this exciting trend.”<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=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Dr. Marc Maurer, AAF executive director, said:
“Braille literacy is one of the highest predictors of success in later
life for blind students, so we want to do everything in our power to ensure that
blind children have free and easy access to Braille books. This
initiative will set blind children on a path to achievement and
independence—not to mention giving them the simple joy of reading a good
book.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Helvetica'>###<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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