[blindkid] Braille Alphabet Bracelet wins national People's Design Award

[Leslie Ligon]

  The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum presented its 
fifth People's Design Award to the Braille Alphabet Bracelet Thursday, 
Oct. 14, at its 11th annual National Design Awards gala in New York. 
White House Deputy Social Secretary Ebs Burnoughand fashion designer 
Cynthia Rowley announced the winning design and presented the award to 
Leslie Ligon, designer of At First Sight Braille Jewelry.

After thousands of votes were cast during the course of the People's 
Design Award competition, the Braille Alphabet Bracelet---a bracelet 
featuring the entire alphabet in Braille on the front and print in the 
back---emerged as the public's favorite design.

Ligon, the mother of a blind son, created the line of functional Braille 
jewelry to increase awareness of Braille literacy. According to the 
American Foundation for the Blind, as few as 10 percent of people who 
are legally blind learn to read and write Braille. Several studies 
indicate that at least 90 percent of the blind that hold jobs are 
Braille literate. Braille literacy enables the vision impaired to read 
and write for themselves and is often seen as a gateway to independence. 
A percentage of the company's net profits are donated to Braille 
literacy organizations, including National Braille Press and BrailleInk.
"I'm delighted that the public has chosen to honor the Braille Alphabet 
Bracelet, which looks good, communicates without a glance and feels 
great too!" said Bill Moggridge, director of the museum.
Marianne Cusato, designer of the Katrina Cottage, was selected as the 
first People's Design Award winner in 2006. Toms Shoes, a company that 
gives away a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold, 
received the award in 2007, and the Zo-n Hearing Aid took home the award 
in 2008. In 2009, the winner was the Trek Lime Bicycle, a coasting bike 
designed for the casual rider.

To watch her acceptance speech go to this link. 
http://www.youtube.com/v/2vZCGixgElA?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1 
<http://www.youtube.com/v/2vZCGixgElA?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1>

Eirc Ligon (Leslie's husband)

-- 
Sincere best,

Leslie