[nfbwatlk] FW: National Braille Press

Wed May 2 14:50:48 UTC 2012

I thought it was interesting!

Gloria Whipple

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Becky Frankeberger
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 07:48
To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] FW: National Braille Press

Sorry gang, I get articles, things of interest, and completely forget about
this group. Someone will have to buy something from me to keep you all front
and center, smile.

I make what I call sell phone carriers you wear around your neck. So many,
though, of my customers find this little bag handy for other things as well.
One guy puts his wallet in the bag. Another gal puts her lipstick and IPod
in hers and goes. Another guy puts his GPS and clips the speaker on the
lanyard. I make bags you wear on your belt. Many people like this instead of
a backpack or purse. Think about hand made gifts: ponchos, shawls, dressy
scarves, winter scarves throws, afghans, bedspreads etc. I worked with you
to customize everything to your wants and needs. Prices depend on the yarn
amount of detailing.  But sell phone carriers are twenty five dollars,bags
you wear on your belt start at fourty dollars, scarves start at thirty
dollars, Shawls vary a lot, but seventy dollars is a start, ponchos are a
hundred to start, throws a hundred and fifty, aetc. Yarn ordered is extra. I
also make baby blankets, jackets, wraps, booties, hats, dresses etc.   to
keep our little ones beautifully comfortable. 

Becky Frankeberger
Butterfly Knitting

Custom-made knit throws, shawls, and more!

Phone: 360-426-8389
E-mail: becky at ButterflyKnitting.com
Website: www.ButterflyKnitting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mike Freeman
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 6:26 PM
To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbwatlk] FW: National Braille Press

-----Original Message-----
From: wcb-l-bounces at wcbinfo.org [mailto:wcb-l-bounces at wcbinfo.org] On Behalf
Of Becky Frankeberger
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 8:45 AM
To: Wcb-l at wcbinfo.org
Cc: canine-guides at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Wcb-l] National Braille Press

John Christie.

How National Braille Press Made it to the Top.

The history of the National Braille Press is an interesting tale. Started by
a blind Italian immigrant named Francis B. Ierardi in 1927, National Braille
Press was founded with the premise that there needed to be a newspaper made
available weekly in braille.

Francis B. Ierardi was born in Armento, Italy in 1886 and immigrated to New
York in 1887. He lost his sight at age 12 while playing with a box of nails
and a dynamite cap exploded. He then sold newspapers and worked as a
shoeshine boy in order to support his family and make himself feel
self-sufficient. Later, he talked his family into moving to Boston so that
he could attend the Perkins School for the Blind in 1901.
After graduating from Perkins, he became a social worker with the State
Division for The Blind in Massachusetts.

When World War I broke out, Francis realized that there was no great way to
keep up with the news if a person was blind. The only way he could keep up
with the news himself was to hear it from family and friends. This simply
wouldn't suffice, and in 1918, Francis came up with the idea of starting a
weekly newspaper for the blind and deafblind in braille.

Even with the poor economy that persisted between 1918 and 1927, Francis was
able to successfully launch the paper. First and foremost, he was able to
obtain the start-up funding from the Massachusetts Association for Promoting
the Interests of the Adult Blind as well as from Christian Herter and
Richard E. Danielson who were the publishers of the Independent Weekly. In
addition, a carbon copy of the Week in Review was supplied by the publishers
of Independent Weekly. Volunteers would work evenings and produced the many
copies of the publication. 
These then were stitched by hand and then collated as well as rolled in
paper. The finished product was then driven by taxi to the South Postal
Annex. All of this made it possible for the first edition to come out on
March 17, 1927, which consisted of 200 copies.

At first, the periodical was only available statewide, but the demand was so
great that it grew nationally and eventually internationally.

It was always hard to keep the paper going because of funding needed to keep
the presses running. However, funding from the Perkins Institution for the
Blind during that initial year made it possible.

National Braille Press showed signs of growth from 1927 to 1946. They
occupied six buildings and obtained funding assistance from the Women's
Educational and Industrial Union and the Paulist Fathers. Not too long
afterwards, they settled at their present location at 88 St. Stevens Street
in Boston.

After almost four decades of being the head of National Braille Press,
Frances Ierardi retired in 1965 and worked as a consultant until 1967 when
he died.

Frances Ierardi was a great man who recognized a problem and sought to solve
it. What's so amazing is that he started a small organization that ended up
being a major player as far as publishing books for the blind is concerned.
They publish and proofread such material as Dialogue Magazine, National
Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped books, and some
computer books for the blind, among many other things. Best of all, they try
to keep the prices the same as the print copy of the book.

For more information about the products and services offered, you can visit
the National Braille Press website at: 
http://www.nbp.org/

_______________________________________________
Wcb-l mailing list
Wcb-l at wcbinfo.org
http://wcbinfo.org/mailman/listinfo/wcb-l_wcbinfo.org

_______________________________________________
nfbwatlk mailing list
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nfbwatlk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/b.butterfly%40comcast.
net

_______________________________________________
nfbwatlk mailing list
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nfbwatlk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/ladygloria%40webband.c
om