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[lpovinelli at aol.com]

Contact Information                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lawrence Povinelli, President
Arlington Host Lions Club
Post Office Box 50055
Arlington, VA 22205
lpovinelli at aol.com
(703) 969-6476


Local Lions Club Brings the Gift of Literacy to Blind Youth

(Arlington, VA - May 3, 2011) The 2011 Braille Enrichment for Literacy 
and Learning (BELL) program scheduled for July will be able to host 
more students this year thanks to a generous donation to the National 
Federation of the Blind of Virginia (NFBV) from the Arlington Host 
Lions Club.

The Arlington Host Lions Club donated one thousand dollars to support 
the BELL initiative that will help students learn new skills to do well 
in school and to eventually be employed.

The BELL program teaches blind and low vision children below the age of 
fourteen how to use Braille effectively for reading and writing. “The 
goal of the BELL program is to introduce children who cannot read 
regular print to how useful Braille can be in hopes that they continue 
using it throughout their lives.” said Dr. Fredrick K. Schroeder, 
President, of the NFBV and Arlington Host Lions member.

“When they become adults, the one factor that enables them to be 
employable is their Braille skills. Odds are, if you don’t know 
Braille, you don’t have a job.”, said Sandy Halverson, the Coordinator 
of the BELL program, who was present to accept the donation at the May 
3, 2011 meeting of the club.

This is the second summer where the NFBV will be organizing a BELL 
program in our area. In a pilot program in August of 2010 held in 
Arlington, VA, seven blind and low vision students participated in a 
two-week program of exploration of how many uses there are for Braille 
in school and at home.

Theresa Willis from Virginia Beach, a blind parent of a blind student 
who attended the 2010 pilot program, said, "I have Retinitis Pigmentosa 
(RP) and have never read a book in my life.  I would try to read a 
chapter but would give up because it was too hard with eyestrain and 
headaches.  I don't want that for my child and this program has given 
her what our school district could not.  My daughter also has RP and if 
she learns Braille, she will not have to come home from school crying 
because her eyes are tired and she has headaches.  I want her to be 
able to read the books that I have never been able to."

Braille is a system of raised dots that blind people can use to read 
and write. It was invented by Louis Braille nearly 200 years ago and is 
one of the most effective methods for bringing literacy to those who 
cannot read print.

The Arlington Host Lions Club was established in 1935 and serves 
Arlington by creating and fostering a spirit of understanding among all 
people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through 
community involvement and international cooperation. The club is also a 
member of Lions Club International which has over 1.35 million members 
in over 206 countries and geographic regions.

The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia consists of fifteen 
chapters throughout the state and serves its members and all visually 
impaired citizens by promoting fellowship as well as supporting 
programs that increase the educational and economic opportunities of 
the blind.


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