As part of their November Family Programs, the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History at Regis College in Weston, MA is celebrating Louis Braille's 200th birthday with various programs centered around blindness. The events take place on three consecutive Saturdays in November at the Museum.

• November 7 at 1 pm: Learn how a puppy is trained as a guide dog.
• November 14 at 2 pm: Enjoy a special performance of "Helen Keller" by Historical Perspective for Children, Inc.
• November 21 at 1 pm: Learn about new technologies for visually impaired people and experience using special braille computers.

National Braille Press hosted the 5th annual Hands On! Books for Blind Children gala on Friday, October 16, 2009 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront hotel. Co-Chairs Tom Sullivan of Lumber Liquidators, Richard Walsh of Walsh Brothers Inc, Peter Smyth of Greater Media Inc. and Peter Palandjian of Intercontinental Real Estate laughed along with others as special guest Howie Mandel performed. NBP was honored to give the Hands On! Award to Rocco Fiorentino for his outstanding work advocating for braille education at the gala. Thanks to all those that supported and attended, Hands On! raised nearly $550,000 to put more braille books and materials into the hands of blind children.

Co-Chair Richard Walsh with Howie Mandel and Celtics girls

New Jersey and Pennsylvania have declared October 2009 as Blindness Awareness Month. As a result, over 60 organizations are planning awareness events and campaigns. This declaration was inspired by our 2009 Hands On! Books for Blind Children Award Winner, Rocco Fiorentino.

Rocco Fiorentino

Rocco is a 12 year old braille reader from New Jersey who has been blind since birth. He is an accomplished jazz musician and also the founder and Ambassador of the "Little Rock Foundation," a non-profit formed to support the needs of families of blind and visually impaired children. He has received many awards for his efforts to build awareness about the importance of braille education and has appeared on The Today Show and Sesame Street. Rocco will also perform at our HandsOn! Gala on October 16, 2009.

National Braille Press is pleased to announce a new tactile set: Noah's Ark.

Stories about a great flood appear in ancient legends all over the world. The biblical account, told in the Book of Genesis 6-9, tells of a righteous man, Noah, who builds a large vessel to save his family and a representation of the world's animals.

National Braille Press brings the story, the man, and his menagerie of animals to life in three ways: a print/braille book by five-time Caldecott Award-winner Jerry Pinkney that tells the story of Noah; twelve delightful tactiles by tactile artist Ann Cunningham; as well as a booklet called "Fun Facts About Noah's Ark" that tells you things about turtles, penguins, giraffes, elephants, and dragonflies you never knew!

Two dragonflies and two giraffes.

This three-part set is meant to bring hours of conversation and learning to the whole family or classroom. Thanks to a very generous donation in honor of NBP's past President, Bill Raeder, we are able to offer this first run of 350 at a substantial discount: $28.

See another image of the set here

A new transcription course will start October 6, 2009 and run for 24 consecutive weeks on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 - 7:45 p.m. here at National Braille Press. The course will be taught by Eileen Curran, Vice President for Education Sales at National Braille Press and former Chair of the Braille Authority of North America (BANA).

Our first transcriber training class graduated 16 students last June. According to these graduates, the course is fun and very challenging with approximately 10 hours of homework per week. Some of the graduates are working with us either in-house or as interns on a special transcription project, while others returned to their teaching positions with a significantly greater ability to prepare braille materials for their students and a greater enthusiasm for the importance of braille literacy. We are also proud to share that 2 of the graduates have been certified by the Library of Congress.

Find more information here. Space is limited.

We have officially launched a new braille alphabet card ordering system that will allow patrons to order as many cards as they would like in multiples of 35! This new system accompanies a new card design that, along with braille, also features large print to allow visually impaired individuals the same opportunity to enjoy the cards.

We now proudly offer braille alphabet cards to anyone who requests one, but we need your help to keep up with the demand of distributing cards worldwide. We have created a new volunteer opportunity to individuals interested in helping NBP! Volunteers are asked to make a regular commitment of 1 to 2 hours (either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) to help us fulfill and distribute these worldwide orders. If you would be interested in this volunteer opportunity, please contact Elena Samohvalov at esamohvalov@nbp.org. If you would like to learn more about alphabet cards or our new ordering system please follow this link.

Diane Croft, Vice President of Publishing and Product Development at National Braille Press, received the prestigious Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). She was presented with the award at NFB's annual conference in Detroit this past July in recognition of her work in publishing braille books on topics of special relevance to blind readers.

Diane Croft

Dr. David Ticchi, who nominated her for the award, said, "Diane Croft is a tireless advocate for braille literacy and affordable braille production for blind people of all ages. Her work has enhanced and touched the lives of thousands around the world."

The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program is funded by the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust and allows the NFB to provide direct support to people and organizations that are improving the lives of the blind throughout the United States. To learn more about the Bolotin Award click here.

To help promote Anna Dresner's new book, Using the Accessible iPod, National Braille Press gave away an accessible iPod Nano at each of the national conventions - the American Council of the Blind, held in Orlando, and the National Federation of the Blind, held in Detroit.

Congratulations to our two winners: Kevin LaRose of Washington state, and Kathy McGillivray of Minnesota.

From left: President Brian MacDonald, Marisa Parker, and Karl Belanger discuss technology.

On June 16, National Braille Press held our Annual Meeting. Of the many exciting updates presented, one special feature focused on the Center for Braille Innovation. President, Brian MacDonald, had a conversation with two braille readers, Marisa Parker and Karl Belanger, about the part that technology plays in their lives and what innovations they hope will be created in the future.

Another special feature of the meeting was the presentation of the 2009 Volunteer Awards. This year's recipients include Sarah Haase recognized for her efforts with the Vision 5K, Marisa Parker recognized for her work as a spokesperson for National Braille Press, and local company Novartis recognized for their continued participation in volunteer projects.

From left: 2009 Volunteer Award Recipients - Sarah Haase, Jeffrey Lockwood from Novartis, and Marisa Parker.

The 2009 Vision 5K on June 7th was a great success! With over 1000 participants, this year was the biggest and best the event has ever been. National Braille Press would like to thank all those who participated in the Vision 5K especially our sponsors, volunteers, participants, and members of the Braille Bomber team. To learn more about the race and see this year's results visit www.Vision5K.org.

1st Place Finisher, Francis Thuo from Kenya, crosses the finish line with his guide posting a time of 16:36.

Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation has challenged National Braille Press to raise $25,000 before December, 2009. If we succeed, Reader's Digest will match the funds that NBP raises.

You can help National Braille Press to meet the Reader's Digest challenge. Gifts from new donors, or increased donations from current donors will all count toward meeting the challenge grant. Every dollar that you give is matched by Reader's Digest, so your gift is automatically doubled. Ultimately, blind children and adults are the real winners of this challenge. Everything we raise will support braille literacy and technology - two core tools for leading an independent life.

The Reader's Digest grant and any funds that are raised as part of the challenge will support the Center for Braille Innovation (CBI), which was established to harness the power of technology to support braille literacy. At CBI, National Braille Press is exploring and developing new ways to provide braille information faster and more efficiently, in a variety of formats, and with new technologies that allow blind people to keep pace with the world around them.

A braille reader uses a refreshable braille display.

The Louis Braille Bicentennial Exhibit will be on display at the O'Neill Library at Boston College from May 27-June 6, 2009 and at the Vision 5K at Boston College on June 7, 2009. The 20-panel print and braille display takes a viewer through Louis's life, the braille production process, and why braille remains important today.

Other celebrations for Louis Braille's Bicentennial have been taking place all over the country including one at Beals Elementary School in Beals, Maine. Blind kindergartener Noah Carver presented a brief biography of Louis Braille's life with the help of his mom/teacher, Suzanne Carver. Noah also shared his personal experience of learning to read and write braille with the help of Louis Braille's accomplishments. His class continued the celebration by singing Happy Birthday to Louis Braille any enjoying 3 Dunkin' Munchkins cut in half to replicate a 6-celled braille cell topped with ice cream.

Noah's presentation

Beals Elementary School students and faculty share in the celebration, front row classmates hold plates with Dunkin' Munchkins cut in half to replicate a braille cell and Principal Chris Crowley holds a Play-Doh braille cell with candles showing 200 commemorating Braille's birthday. At Principal Crowley's right Noah Carver and Special Education teacher Sue Fox enjoy the festivities.

Adam Roberge

This year, Vision 5K participant Adam Roberge has set an impressive goal of raising $10,000 for National Braille Press. Adam, a 15 year old, blind, 9th grade student, has been a generous donor to NBP after first being introduced through the Children's Braille Book Club and Twin Vision books.

In 2007, his V5K team "Harry Potter and the Walking Wizards" raised over $20,000 for National Braille Press and sponsored several books including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Adam feels that participating in the Vision 5K gives him an annual opportunity to be a part of the blind community in New England. He has gained wonderful experiences and has met a number a fascinating people through his efforts.

This summer, Adam is really excited to participate in Perkins' Outreach Summer Program. This three week program promotes specialized skills that will help him become an independent adult. As Adam has grown, he has been able to strive for independent braille reading and NBP continues to be there to help him in those efforts. Read more about Adam here.

If you would like to help support Adam's Vision 5K efforts for the race on June 7, 2009, visit his fundraising page on www.vision5k.org.

One special group of volunteers are those from Verizon who have been partnering with National Braille Press since 2000. The Verizon Foundation's "commitment to improving literacy and strengthening the educational achievement of children" has found a special connection with us through the promotion of children's braille literacy. In celebrating Volunteers Week, Verizon held a Volunteer Expo where Donna Cupelo, Verizon's Massachusetts and Rhode Island Region President, said, "Volunteer work is part of our culture."

Employees in Massachusetts are certainly living up to their commitment to making a difference in their community sharing a special piece of their time with National Braille Press. They have participated in Children's Braille Book Club projects by collating books for blind children, and have also donated braille books to libraries during their Season's Readings campaign. In addition, Verizon is an active participant in the Vision 5K Run and Walk and is currently putting a team together with many employees already committed to tackling the Blindfold Challenge at the event on June 7. In recognizing Verizon's commitment to volunteerism, National Braille Press President, Brian MacDonald, attended the Volunteer Expo to present them with the 2008 Vision 5K Uncommon Vision Award. Boston City Council PresidentMichael Ross also extended a special thanks to Verizon employees at the expo saying, "I'm proud of Verizon for the work they do with the Braille Press, a non-profit located in my own district."

Michael Ross, Stephanie Lee, Brian MacDonald, Donna Cupelo

To hear audio versions of poets reciting a specially selected poem in honor of poetry month, WGBH and David Grubin Productions have created a Poetry Everywhere website. Poetry Everywhere was designed to take a fresh look at poetry using a variety of production approaches. A different poem will be recited each day and poetry readings will take place between PBS television broadcasts during the month of April.

From Shel Silverstein's 'Where the Sidewalk Ends.'

Summer in the City of Boston is bustling with sports-related activity. Ranging from Red Sox games to kid's soccer games to road races; the city is constantly on the move. So what makes the Vision 5k Run & Walk stand out?

The Vision 5k is the only race that does all of these things and more. National Braille Press collaborates with The Carroll Center for the Blind, MAB Community Services, and Perkins School for the Blind to produce this unique race to help raise funds and achieve the mission of education, access, and equality for blind and visually impaired citizens.

The highlight of the Vision 5k is the Blindfold Challenge. Participants run or walk the entire 5k course wearing a blindfold, led by a tethered guide. In addition to being a fun time, the Blindfold Challenge helps create awareness and foster critical support for the blind and visually impaired community.

Join us on Sunday, June 7th at Boston College and help make the Vision 5K Run & Walk part of your summer plans! For more information, visit www.vision5k.org.

National Braille Press, through the support of the Gibney Family Foundation, is looking for its next Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation recipient. In its 3rd year, the Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation looks to inspire an innovator to continue the promotion of braille literacy worldwide. Learn more here.

The Prize of $20,000 will be granted to a group or individual for a new educational method, a new tactile literacy product, or a new technological advance in tactile literacy. The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation may be awarded for a completed project or anticipated concept that shows viability and will improve opportunities for blind people.

Past winners include Dr. Karen Gourgey and Steven Landau for their Talking Tactile Tablet, which allows users to explore a graphic using touch and/or vision.

2007 TOG Winners Dr. Karen Gourgey and Steven Landau accept their award.

Applications from individuals or nominations for 2009 must be received by July 20, 2009. Read the submission requirements and download an application here.

Tom Sullivan, right, receives 2008 President's Award for outstanding support of Braille literacy from NBP president Brian MacDonald.

National Braille Press (NBP) has awarded its 2008 President's Award to Tom Sullivan, founder and CEO of Lumber Liquidators in recognition of his exemplary support of the organization and its mission of promoting Braille literacy.

In addition to co-chairing of the NBP's annual Hands On! Books for Blind Children Gala since 2004, Sullivan has worked to spread the message of literacy for both blind and sighted children, and sponsored several braille books and print/braille books including the Harry Potter series and most recently JK Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."

Print/braille books are printed books with plastic braille pages that correspond to the print text allowing parents and children to read together.

"Tom Sullivan believes every child deserves the right to read and we are so pleased to recognize his generous support by honoring him with the President's Award," said NBP president, Brian MacDonald.

Sullivan first became interested in National Braille Press after hearing an interview with Erik Weihenmayer, the only blind person to ever climb the "Seven Summits" including Mt. Everest, on a Boston radio station. He attended the 2004 National Braille Press gala that featured Erik as the keynote speaker and has been a supporter ever since.

Click here to give the gift of literacy to a blind children this holiday season.

Click here to see a blind child reading braille.

About Lumber Liquidators
Lumber Liquidators is the largest specialty retailer of hardwood flooring in the United States. With more than 125 stores and 150 varieties of flooring, including solid and engineered hardwood, bamboo, cork and laminate, and featuring premier brands such as Bellawood (which features a 50-year warranty), Dream Home, Schon, Virginia Millworks, and Morning Star, Lumber Liquidators has one of the most extensive selections of pre-finished and unfinished hardwood flooring in the industry.

While keeping costs down is part of the company's philosophy, Lumber Liquidators is also committed to offering high-quality, name-brand products that it stands behind with confidence. All of its products - unless specified otherwise - are high-quality, graded to industry specifications and standard flooring lengths.

For additional information, visit www.lumberliquidators.com, one of Internet Retailer's Top 50 Retailing Web sites for 2007, or call 1.800.FLOORING.

Sabriye Tenberken

National Braille Press was proud to honor Sabriye Tenberken with the 2008 Hands On! Award at this year's annual Hands On! Books for Blind Children Gala. A native of Cologne, Germany, Sabriye became blind at the age of twelve, which did not discourage her from going on to study Central Asian Sciences at Bonn University where she learned Mongolian, modern Chinese, as well as modern and classical Tibetan in addition to sociology and philosophy. In order to continue her coursework, Sabriye had to adapt her class materials. This eventually led her to develop the Tibetan braille code, which has given Tibetans greater access to communication and literacy. In 1998, Sabriye and her partner, Paul Kronenberg, founded Braille Without Borders, a non-profit dedicated to train and motivate the blind and visually impaired literacy and vocational skills.

Those at NBP are not the only ones to notice the great impact on braille literacy that Sabriye has had. International Talent Monthly, a periodical owned by China's State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, named Sabriye as one of the 15 most influential foreigners for her contribution to the country's development over the past three decades. Congratulations to Sabriye for the recent recognition of her success.

To learn more about Sabriye, please watch the video below.

Sue Ammeter and her husband John

Due to the urgent need by a braille reader, NBP transcribed For Women Facing Breast Cancer by the American Cancer Society, and it is available, at no cost, on our website. Braille reader Sue Ammeter first brought it to our attention and was interviewed for the website, Gettinghired.com, A career and community website for people with disabilities, to discuss her battle with breast cancer. To read the full article, click on the link below.

"Last week, I spent an afternoon with an informative braille volume that could very well save my life and will, at the very least, leave me better informed about a disease that reportedly strikes one out of every 13 American women, breast cancer. The book, which came to me at no cost, via Free Matter for the Blind postal delivery, was published in braille by National Braille Press (NBP) of Boston, MA in October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, due largely to the efforts of a woman who is blind who is recovering from the disease. That woman is Sue Ammeter, a long-time advocate on behalf of people with disabilities who lives at the edge of Puget Sound in Washington."

Click Here to read the full article.

Lily Tomlin, Stephanie Fernandes, Marisa Parker, Mika Besson

National Braille Press along with event co-chairs Tom Sullivan (Lumber Liquidators), Tom O'Neill (O'Neill & Associates), and Richard Walsh (Walsh Brothers, Inc.) proudly hosted its annual Hands On! Books for Blind Children Gala on October 24th at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel. The event, hosted by the whimsical comedienne Lily Tomlin, brought together many of Boston's most influential businesspeople to raise awareness and funds for braille literacy.

Boston College student Stephanie Fernandes kicked off the program with a compelling speech, discussing how imperative it is for blind children to be in a supportive community, starting with one's parents who understand the significant role literacy plays in a child's life. German founder of the Tibetan non-profit Braille Without Borders, Sabriye Tenberken, was on hand at the gala to accept the 2008 HandsOn! Award. Tenberken has tirelessly worked to educate the blind in Tibet and India, teaching many blind children to become literate in multiple languages, specifically the Tibetan braille code, which she created.

The Fund-a-Book portion of the program and live auction, which featured items ranging from use of the Walsh Brother's private suite at a Red Sox game to naming a character in a Robert Parker novel, were extremely successful, raising over $85,000. When combined with event solicitations, the Hands On! Gala raised over $788,000 in support of literacy for blind children.

Richard Walsh (co-chair), Tom Sullivan (co-chair), Lily Tomlin (host),
Tom O'Neill (co-chair)

An excited guest doubles his pledge during Fund-a-Book

Just in: our Louis Braille Bicentennial Website is online!

NBP is planning to party hearty in honor of Louis Braille's 200th birthday this coming January 4th, 2009. We have a unique opportunity - once this century! - to inform the world about the genius of Louis Braille. Most people are unaware that "braille" refers to a real person; that Louis was French; or even the time period in which he lived.

We asked Boston artist Judith Krimski to create an icon of Louis that would illustrate Braille's vitality today, while also respecting his place in history. We think she captured both (click here for a detailed description). Now and throughout 2009, we will be offering our customers a Braille Boutique of Bicentennial items, all displaying this vibrant design: lapel pins; note cards; print/braille Bicentennial bookmarks; a tactile Louis plaque; keychains; free wall posters; even a Louis Braille Traveling Picture Show!

Let the world know: Braille is ready to take his place in history.

We celebrated another birthday this month: Syndicated Columnists Weekly - our popular 36-page braille weekly newspaper - was launched a quarter-century ago. It featured such notables as Art Buchwald, Ann Landers, Ellen Goodman, and Erma Bombeck. Twenty-five years later, we're still scanning the editorial pages of the most respected newspapers and online publications to offer the very best opinions, essays and articles from the Wall St. Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Salon.com, and more.

Try a sample issue right now - click here to download a recent issue for free!

Or call us at 800-548-7323 and we'll send you a few to try. It still costs only $.46/week.