Legendary Blind Athlete Erik Weihenmayer in Dallas July 31 to Continue his Mission to Improve Literacy for Blind and Low-Vision Schoolchildren

Erik will Share his Inspiring Story with a Special Group of Dallas Schoolchildren during a Private Reception at the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas at 6 p.m.

This personal gathering precedes Erik's keynote address at Dallas Reads' 10th Annual Celebrate Literacy Awards Dinner. Appearances are on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind and Verizon's National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Michelle Ordeneaux Jones/Anna Marie Teague
dawson l duncan
(214) 520-7550
mordeneaux@dawsonduncan.com
amteague@dawsonduncan.com

Dallas—Erik Weihenmayer, the only blind athlete to summit the seven highest peaks on each of the world's continents, continues his work to improve literacy for blind and low-vision schoolchildren. As part of this initiative, Erik will meet with Dallas-area blind and low-vision schoolchildren to share his inspiring story at a private reception on July 31, before his keynote address at Dallas Reads' 10th Annual Celebrate Literacy Awards Dinner.

Five of these children are featured in the American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) national advocacy video, which details the need for braille textbook transcribers and the purpose of AFB and Verizon's National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology—to improve literacy for America's blind and low-vision schoolchildren.

The private reception will be held in the Mandalay Ballroom at the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, from 6 to 7 p.m. The hotel is located at 221 East Las Colinas Boulevard in Irving. The event will precede Erik's keynote address at the Dallas Reads award dinner at 7:30 p.m. in the Las Colinas Ballroom at the hotel. Erik is appearing on behalf of the National Campaign.

"I'm very excited to meet the kids in AFB's campaign video. As a former teacher, I have a special passion for the issue of literacy, particularly for young students who are blind or have low vision," said Erik, who serves as the volunteer spokesperson and Verizon Literacy Champion for the National Campaign. "Through literacy, I have reached the summit of my dreams, and AFB and Verizon's campaign is helping to ensure that every blind and low-vision child will have that same opportunity."

The AFB and Verizon National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology is a public awareness and advocacy program that promotes the new career of braille textbook transcriber at the federal and state levels, and raises general awareness of the needs of blind and low-vision schoolchildren for timely access to textbooks and learning materials. The campaign was developed to alleviate the critical shortage of braille transcribers throughout the United States. Because of this shortage, blind and visually impaired schoolchildren frequently receive their textbooks late and sometimes, not at all.

"There is a dedicated group of mostly volunteer braille transcribers, but not enough to keep up with the increasing demand for braille textbooks and learning materials. Without a constant supply of transcribers, students will continue to suffer," said Mary Ann Siller, director of AFB's National Education Program and the National Campaign. "Through the National Campaign, we are advocating for the new career of braille textbook transcriber to be a paid position that is recognized by federal and state governments, which is critical for educating America's schoolchildren with visual impairments."

The National Campaign links transcribers, textbooks, literacy and technology. A trained and credentialed braille textbook transcriber will practice his or her career via technology—receiving electronic publishers' files to the desktop, transcribing those files electronically and returning the transcribed materials to the state-authorized entity for textbook distribution. The career can be practiced anywhere a computer and Internet access are available.

The new, community college-level program was developed to train transcribers to produce textbooks and instructional materials in braille. The first offering of the braille textbook transcriber curriculum began in the fall of 2002 at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, TX, in cooperation with AFB and the Texas Education Agency, and is spreading across the United States.

The AFB National Campaign "call to action" materials can be viewed at www.afb.org/verizon.asp.

July 31, 2003 Schedule of Events

• 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.—Erik's Private Reception with Blind and Low-Vision Dallas-area students, including students featured in the AFB Advocacy Video (Mary, Jael, Katie, Chad and LaLa). Mandalay Ballroom, Omni Mandalay Hotel, 221 East Las Colinas Blvd.
• 8:15 to 8:55 p.m.—Erik's Keynote Address, Dallas Reads 10th Annual Celebrate Literacy Awards Dinner. Las Colinas Ballroom, Omni Mandalay Hotel, 221 East Las Colinas Blvd.

About the National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology

The American Foundation for the Blind launched the National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology in October 2002. The National Campaign is a broad-based public awareness and advocacy program that promotes the new career of braille textbook transcriber at the federal and state levels, and raises general awareness of the needs of blind and low-vision schoolchildren for timely access to textbooks and learning materials. Verizon's philanthropic arm, the Verizon Foundation, supports this campaign. For more information, go to www.afb.org/verizon.asp.

About Verizon Reads

Verizon Reads is the umbrella organization for Verizon's national literacy platform. Verizon Reads is dedicated to the fight for a more literate America through meaningful programs that create awareness, raise funds, and encourage collaboration among literacy providers. For more information on Verizon Reads, visit www.verizonreads.net.

About American Foundation for the Blind

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)—the organization to which Helen Keller devoted her life—is a national nonprofit whose mission is to eliminate the inequities faced by the 10 million Americans who are blind or visually impaired.

July 14, 2003

Press Releases

• AFB and Verizon's National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology
• New Career as a Braille Textbook Transcriber
• Ways to Help Support the AFB and Verizon National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology
• AFB and Verizon Launch the National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology at a Reception in Washington, D.C.
• AFB and Verizon Unveil Poster and Materials Supporting the National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology
• Verizon Reads Poster Featuring Erik Weihenmayer
• Laura Bush Letter
• Legendary Blind Athlete Erik Weihenmayer Dedicated to Improving Literacy for Blind and Low-Vision Schoolchildren
• AFB and Verizon's National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers and Technology
• Video Describing the National Campaign for Literacy, Textbooks, Transcribers, and Technology
• Photos from the October 3, 2002, Launch of the AFB and Verizon National Campaign

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