[Nfbsatx] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Announces Winners of 2010 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest

[Jose Martinez]

We even have a winner from Texas!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:52:42 -0600
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind
Announces Winners of 2010 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org

                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind Announces
Winners of 2010 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest

Competition Encourages Braille Usage Among the Blind

Baltimore, Maryland (December 20, 2010): 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 2010
Onkyo Braille Essay Contest.  The NFB administered the Onkyo Braille
Literacy Essay Contest in the U.S. 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 Braille Mainichi, part of the
Mainichi Newspaper Company in Japan, was created to promote Braille
literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural
information among blind and visually impaired persons.

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.

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
United States 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."

The seven winners from the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows:
OOTSUKI PRIZE
Nijat Worley; Colorado, U.S.

EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, SENIOR
Barbie Elliott; Utah, U.S.
FINE WORK AWARDS, SENIOR
April Davis; Louisiana, U.S.
Penny Leclair; Ontario, Canada

EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, JUNIOR
Madeline Link; Pennsylvania, U.S.

FINE WORK AWARDS, JUNIOR
Ashley Gonzalez; Texas, U.S.
Ana Gschwend; Manitoba, Canada

The NFB encouraged all countries in the North America Caribbean
Region to participate in the Onkyo Braille Essay
Contest.  Thirty-nine essays were submitted from the United States,
and three from Canada.  The United States selection committee was
established by inviting member organizations from the United States
to have a representative participate on the committee.  The selection
committee then forwarded the top five essays from the U.S. to be
considered in the regional selection process.  The Canadian essays
were ranked by a committee designated by the coordinating agency for
Canada, and all of those essays were forwarded for regional
consideration.  The regional selection committee consisted of all of
the members of both national selection committees, and it met to
choose the prize winners on August 18, 2010.

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind,
please visit <http://www.nfb.org>www.nfb.org.


###


About the National Federation of the Blind

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 United States.  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 United States for the blind led by the blind.  Please visit our
Web site: <http://www.nfb.org>www.nfb.org.



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