[Nfbwv-talk] BRAILLE LITERACY STORY IN LOCAL NEWSPAPER

[Ed McDonald]

The story below appeared in the Friday, May 29, issue of the Mineral Daily 
News Tribune, the local daily newspaper here in Keyser, WV.  The 
accompanying photo caption reads:

Karen McDonald, secretary, National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia 
(NFBWV) presents Gov. Joe Manchin a copy of a comprehensive report on the 
"Braille Literacy Crisis in America," along with chocolate reproductions of 
the Louis Braille Bicentennial commemorative coin.

The story appears to be an unedited version of the news release that I 
distributed statewide several days earlier.  I understand that a much 
shortened version of the story also appeared in the Huntington 
Herald-Dispatch, but I am not aware of any other publications of the 
release.

If any of you in other parts of the state become aware of additional 
appearances of the story, please let me know.

This was a significant event for our affiliate, and we will follow up with 
the governor to ensure that he makes good on his commitment.


Ed


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Manchin pledges to support Braille initiative

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News-Tribune
Fri May 29, 2009, 11:28 AM EDT
For the News-Tribune

CHARLESTON - West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has pledged his support for new 
initiatives to enable more blind West Virginians to read and write Braille.
Meeting recently at the Cultural Center with a group of blind consumers and 
service  providers, Manchin called for a cooperative effort to make West 
Virginia a  leader in the nationwide campaign to promote Braille literacy.
The year 2009 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis  Braille, the 
inventor of the raised dot system of reading and writing that  bears his 
name. The meeting in Charleston was one of many bicentennial  events taking 
place throughout the nation to recognize Braille as the key to  literacy for 
blind persons.
It was organized by the National Federation of  the Blind of West Virginia 
(NFBWV) as part of its Agency Partnership  Program.  On hand were 
representatives from several state and private  agencies that provide 
specialized services to the blind.  They included the  Division of 
Rehabilitation Services, the Department of Education, the West  Virginia 
School for the Blind, the Marshall University
training program for  teachers of blind children, and the West Virginia 
Library Commission.  The  gathering was hosted by the Library Commission 
which offers a variety of  informational services to blind West Virginians.
Gov. Manchin took part in the event by issuing a proclamation  recognizing 
the role of Braille in helping blind persons achieve  independence, 
productivity, and success.  The proclamation noted that  Braille is a tool 
for blind persons "to be productive and imaginative  contributors to 
society."
NFBWVFirst Vice-President Ed McDonald of Keyser chairs the organization's 
Agency Partnership program.
"Today we're here to celebrate Braille and to  remember the life and work of 
Louis Braille," McDonald told the gathering.
"But we're also here to recognize a crisis in Braille literacy and to 
consider what this partnership can do to change it," he said.
The governor also recognized the Braille literacy crisis in his remarks.
"Despite its efficiency, versatility, and universal acceptance by the 
 blind," Manchin said, "the rate of Braille literacy in the United States 
has  declined to the point where only 10 percent of blind children are 
learning  to read and write Braille. Just as a literacy rate of 10 percent 
among this  nation's sighted children would be rightly viewed as a crisis 
and as cause  for national outrage, the decline in Braille literacy is a 
crisis and swift  action must be taken to reverse this dangerous trend," he 
continued.
"I would like for all of us to accept that as a challenge for West Virginia 
to be the top in the nation as far as leading and fighting for literacy in 
Braille," the Governor said. "That's an achievement we can all accomplish if 
we commit ourselves to it."
NFBWV Secretary Karen McDonald of Keyser accepted the gubernatorial 
proclamation on behalf of the Federation.
"As a pianist, I could not play  Chopin, Beethoven, or Scott Joplin if I 
could not read the Braille music score," McDonald said as she handed the 
Governor a copy of a comprehensive
report on the Braille literacy crisis in America.
"I read everything from  cookbooks to novels in Braille, and without Braille 
I would be illiterate."
On March 26, the United States Mint unveiled a commemorative coin that bears 
the likeness of the young Frenchman whose invention has made it possible for 
blind people around the world to read and write. The reverse side of the 
Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar also contains the raised dot 
characters BRL, the Braille symbol for the word "Braille."
After giving the Governor a chocolate reproduction of the coin, NFBWV Second 
Vice-President Sheri Koch presented Manchin with the real thing - a Louis 
Braille silver dollar in a protective case.  Koch, who works for the West 
Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services as supervisor of statewide 
programs for the blind, also shared her personal story of learning and using 
Braille.
"I grew up blind but with enough residual vision to get myself in and out of 
trouble," Koch said.  As a result, she said she learned to read Braille with 
her eyes, rather than with her fingers.  She explained, however, that as an 
adult, she has relied primarily upon the use of large print.
"The more  vision I lost, the bigger the print got," she acknowledged, "and 
it became
evident that I needed to learn to read Braille with my fingers."
Thus, in  honor of the Governor's appearance, she used Braille for the first 
time in  public to read the notes for her presentation.
"This is a very special coin," Koch said.  "It is more precious than the 
silver it is made of.  It is special in that it honors every blind person 
who has achieved the ability to read and become literate in Braille - to 
take  that gift that Louis Braille left us and become literate.
"We hope that every time you look at this coin, you will remember the power 
behind it - the power that Braille gives to us, and the power that your 
proclamation means to us - that if we all work together, we can make Braille 
available to any blind person who wants it," Koch said.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Louis Braille silver dollar 
will help fund the Federation's "Braille Readers are Leaders" campaign.  One 
goal of this campaign is to double the literacy rate among the nation's 
blind children by the year 2015.  The campaign also includes initiatives to 
promote awareness of the importance of Braille and to increase the 
availability of competent Braille instruction and Braille reading materials.
In conclusion, Gov. Manchin called upon "all public officials,  educators, 
and citizens throughout West Virginia and this nation to  recognize the 
importance of Braille to the lives of blind people and to  assist the 
National Federation of the Blind in its efforts to increase
instruction in and use of Braille in West Virginia and across the United 
States."
The Federation's Agency Partnership meetings are held semiannually for the
purpose of offering positive consumer input concerning the quality and 
delivery of vital services to blind West Virginians.
More information about Braille literacy, the National Federation of the 
Blind, and the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar can be found on the 
web at www.braille.org or www.nfbwv.org.