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"When you are young, you don't always think about where things come from," Margaret Roman says reflectively. "I always had braille books. I didn't think a lot about where they came from... or the trouble that it took to create them." She continues, "In Washington, D.C., where I grew up, there was a volunteer Braillist group. They helped me and other children of the 50s and 60s - the first generation of blind children that was truly mainstreamed - by dedicating their efforts to making sure that we had the books we needed. But we always had to give the books back."
And then, one day, something changed. "I remember that I had to read St. Exupery's Wind, Sand and Stars. It was so beautiful and it was the first time that it struck me that I desperately wanted to keep it. Braille books were precious, and they were transitory. I remember begging to keep that book. They said 'yes'."
I always had braille books. I didn't think a lot about where they came from... or the trouble that it took to create them.
Margaret's story, like many, is rooted in a family's love and encouragement. "I was blessed to come from an educated, literary family that wanted me to be exposed to everything. When I was in the 9th and 10th grades I attended a boarding school for the blind in England. I remember the library - I had never seen so many books in one place! There, I could bury myself in books," says Margaret, describing her immersion in literature, her lifelong joy of poetry (both English and German) and a passion for collecting books that defines her to this day.
Having a lifelong career working with the state department, Margaret relied upon the National Braille Press to keep her informed. In 1976 when it began printing the Braille version of the New York Times, the Press gave Margaret a "constant companion on the bus and at work." She describes with eloquence how access to the Times' current news and information supported her professional life as she "felt an imperative to keep up with world affairs."
As you can imagine, much of her library came from the presses at 88 St. Stephen Street. "I became more and more aware about the Braille literacy issue and began to pay attention to what National Braille Press is doing - particularly the scope and breadth of the material they put out despite the severe limitations they face to funding, space and staff. With one or two exceptions, I have every cookbook and every computer book they have put out, not to mention the literary materials."
Earlier this year Margaret decided to join National Braille Press's Braille for Life Alliance, a community of individuals who support the future of the Press by naming it as a beneficiary in their estate plans. There are many ways to accomplish such a goal, ranging from a simple bequest, to naming NBP as a beneficiary of a retirement plan, life insurance policy or trust. Other ways include planned gift arrangements, such as charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts.
If you would like to explore becoming a member of the Braille for Life Alliance, please contact Jennifer Stewart at 617-266-6160 ext. 436.
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