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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">Message from President Mark Riccobono<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dear Friend,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This month we celebrated World Braille Day on January 4 in honor of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille. I had occasion to reflect on some questions<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">about Braille and I share some of those thoughts with you here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was asked, “How does Braille help you as President of the National Federation of the Blind. And what advice would you have for someone who is learning<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Braille?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In part I shared, “I use Braille all of the time. My Braille display is connected to my iPhone, and I use it to take notes and read documents. And I especially<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">use Braille when I want to have information and give presentations, it's invaluable. I have my trusty slate right here that I write notes on, jot little<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">things down so I don't forget them. I can't imagine doing the variety of things that the Federation expects me to do without having a whole variety of<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">tools available, and Braille is one of those very important tools.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Members of the Federation encouraged me to learn Braille. I had been told when I was a senior in high school that they could teach me Braille if I wanted<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">to learn it. Now, I was a teenager and did not see any reason to learn Braille. I did not learn Braille until I met members of the Federation who explained<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">why I might want Braille. Members challenged me to think about how I was going to do the things I said I wanted to do without really being able to read<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">and write effectively on the go.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So, what do you need to do if you want to learn Braille? Well, there are two things I would encourage. Number one is to find a mentor. Find a Braille buddy,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">someone who can encourage you, inspire you, read with you, and share notes with you. Don't go on the journey alone. I know that was a motivator for me<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">when I learned Braille. I had a friend who was working on Braille at the same time. The other thing that I would say is put Braille under your fingers<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">every day, and even if it's just carrying around some index cards with Braille on it, make sure you are reading Braille every day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I didn't start learning Braille until I was in my twenties, even though there is a myth that at some point it's too late to learn Braille. Even learning<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">the alphabet is useful for notetaking and for things like labeling household items, buttons, medications, etc.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the National Federation of the Blind, we foster independence. In honor of World Braille Day, I urge you to learn about Braille, to commit to learning<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">to read Braille yourself, or to improve your Braille reading skills. The more tools we possess, the more likely we are to live the lives we want and raise<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">expectations for all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mark A. Riccobono, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>