[NFBV-Alexandria] Holman Prize winners announced

Thu Jun 29 11:25:48 UTC 2017

Good morning!

I just wanted to share the below press release, which I've also attached,
announcing the three winners of the inaugural Holman Prize. I was honored to
serve as a member of the committee that selected the winners. This is just
year one, so I encourage everyone to start dreaming of the adventure they'd
like to take, and start working on those applications for next year! 

Sincerely,

Brian Miller

President, Greater Alexandria Chapter of the NFB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blind Ambition: International Award for Visually Impaired Adventurers
Announces First Three Winners

The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Announces First 'Holman
Prize' Winners from Uganda, the United States and the United Kingdom

Image: Ojok Simon, Penny Melville-Brown and Ahmet Ustunel, from left to
right, are the winners of the first-ever Holman Prize for Blind Ambition,
awarded by The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San
Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO - June 29, 2017 - This fall, three exceptional blind
individuals will set off around the world on adventures they never imagined
possible, thanks to a new award called  <http://www.holmanprize.org/> The
Holman Prize for Blind Ambition.

Created by the  <http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/> LightHouse for the Blind and
Visually Impaired in San Francisco to honor "blind ambition" in all its
forms, the annual $25,000 awards will spring-board future generations of
entrepreneurs, adventurers and ambassadors in the blindness community.

 <http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/announcing-the-2017-holman-prize-finalists/>
With over 200 applicants from 27 countries, The Holman Prize saw stiff
competition in its first year. All applicants were required to upload
90-second YouTube videos to pitch their idea for a dream project with a
$25,000 budget, and later asked to submit formal proposals.

The three winners,
<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/meet-ahmet-ustunel-blind-kayaker-and-holman-p
rizewinner/> Ahmet Ustunel,
<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/meet-penny-melville-brown-blind-baker-and-hol
man-prizewinner/> Penny Melville-Brown, and
<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/meet-ojok-simon-blind-beekeeper-and-holman-pr
izewinner/> Ojok Simon, were announced Thursday morning after a rigorous
judging process that narrowed down the applicants to eleven highly
competitive finalists. Each winning project embodies its own sense of
adventure and ambition - whether it takes the winners around the world or
allows them to build and foster social impact in their immediate community.

Named after the  <https://www.holmanprize.org/jamesholman/> 19th century
explorer James Holman (known around the world as "the blind traveler") The
Holman Prize aims to launch worthy projects that will change the public
perception of blindness for years to come.

"We are thrilled to support these three individuals," LightHouse CEO Bryan
Bashin noted Thursday with the announcement. "They are all incredibly
ambitious in different ways, and their projects will have a real effect on
the way blindness is perceived globally. I think about Ahmet's
determination, Penny's cultural savvy, and Ojok's entrepreneurial spirit -
this is what blindness looks like today. These three will change minds about
what blind people can accomplish."

The 2017 Holman Prize Winners

The Three Holman Prizewinners will fly to San Francisco in September 2017
for a week-long orientation before starting their projects on October 1.
Once they land in San Francisco, the winners will not only meet and learn
from each other, but they will engage with other blind teachers,
technologists and leaders from LightHouse's extended network. The winners
will also create comprehensive plans to document and share their experiences
along the way through video, audio, writing and other storytelling mediums.

Ahmet Ustunel's project has a clear, unprecedented goal: to kayak solo,
without eyesight, from Europe to Asia. With potential for a dramatic climax
and high stakes, Ustunel's proposal to cross the 3-mile Bosphorus Strait
caught the attention of the Holman Prize Committee and proved to be a
compelling and unprecedented undertaking. By training in California and
working to develop a suite of non-visual guidance technology to thrive on
his own in the water, Ustunel hopes to join the ranks of other great blind
outdoor heroes such as Erik Weihenmayer, Lonnie Bedwell and others.

Learn more about Ahmet.
<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/meet-ahmet-ustunel-blind-kayaker-and-holman-p
rizewinner/> 

Penny Melville-Brown has a project with a universal focus: food. With a deep
belief in the power of food to connect people, Penny's project is a bid to
claim a place at the stove for blind chefs everywhere. Penny's intentions
are less about competition and perfection and more about connecting with
others through culture and shared experience. Maybe she's the blind Julia
Child - or the blind Anthony Bourdain - either way, as Penny documents her
travels and successes in her series, "Baking Blind," the world will follow
along with her.

Learn more about Penny.
<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/meet-penny-melville-brown-blind-baker-and-hol
man-prizewinner/> 

Ojok Simon will take on a drastically different kind of project than his
fellow winners. Simon seeks to raise employment rates for blind and
partially sighted individuals in rural regions of his home country of
Uganda. His method? Teach them a very specialized and somewhat unlikely
skill: beekeeping. For decades, Simon has been a passionate beekeeper
finding ways to tend bees in nontraditional and non-visual ways. Simon wants
to impart his warm attitude and entrepreneurial spirit on other blind
individuals in Africa and abroad, rather than seeing them relegated to
poverty and reliance on charity.

<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/meet-ojok-simon-blind-beekeeper-and-holman-pr
izewinner/> Learn more about Ojok.

Interviews and images available upon request. 

Holman Honorees:
<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/announcing-the-2017-holman-prize-finalists/>
Meet this year's finalists. 

<http://lighthouse-sf.org/blog/holman-committee-meet-the-blind-judges-select
ing-our-inaugural-prizewinners/> Meet the blind judges who picked the
winners.

Support the Holman Prize <http://www.holmanprize.org/donate> 

The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, is actively seeking
sponsorships and support for the 2018 Holman Prize, including donations of
equipment for the winner's projects. To offer your support, contact
<mailto:holman at lighthouse-sf.org> holman at lighthouse-sf.org. Individuals may
donate any amount using  <https://secure.qgiv.com/for/thp> LightHouse's
secure form. For sponsorship inquiries, email us or call +1 (415) 694-7333.

About LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Founded in 1902, San Francisco's LightHouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired promotes the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who
are blind or have low vision. LightHouse offers blindness skills training
and relevant services such as access to employment, education, government,
information, recreation, transportation and the environment. LightHouse also
pursues the development of new technology, encourages innovation, and
amplifies the voices of blind individuals around the world. To receive
services, volunteer or make a donation, visit  <http://lighthouse-sf.org/>
lighthouse-sf.org.

Press contact:

Will Butler, Director of Communications

+1 (415) 855-1642

press at lighthouse-sf.org

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