Congressman Introduced Bill That Would Raise Funds for Braille Literacy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today praised Senate passage of legislation that he introduced in 2005 to honor the founder of Braille with a commemorative coin.  There are more than four million Americans who are blind or who have severe visual impairments.

Louis Braille, the creator of Braille, was born in France in 1809.  He lost his vision at age three after an accident in his father’s leather shop.  Wanting desperately to read, he heard about a code that was used by the French army to communicate at night.  In 1829, Louis Braille improved the army’s code of raised dots, creating an alphabet comprising six dots   and arranged in two vertical columns.

The Louis Braille Bicentennial -- Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act, which passed the House in March, authorizes the sale of 400,000 coins during 2009 to commemorate the bicentennial of Louis Braille’s birth.   All sales of the Braille Commemorative Coins would include a $10 surcharge, which would be distributed to the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) to promote Braille literacy.  The sale of the coins has the potential to raise $4 million to promote Braille literacy.  In addition, the NFB would be required to match the funds raised, increasing the possibility of raising a total of $8 million.

“Literacy is the foundation of our society and Braille has made it possible for millions of people with vision impairments to attend school, find employment and communicate more effectively,” said Rep. Cardin.  “This commemorative coin will promote Braille literacy and is a fitting tribute to the work of Louis Braille and his perseverance in creating an alphabet for the visually impaired.”
 
The Congress approves only two commemorative coins each year.  The President is expected to sign the Braille commemorative coin bill into law soon.

--##--