H.R. No. 1279
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, January 4, 2009, marked 200 years since the birth of
Louis Braille, a French scholar and inventor who opened vistas of
knowledge and bestowed the gift of literacy to blind people around
the world; and
WHEREAS, Blind from the age of three, Louis Braille desired
to experience life more fully and to improve the lives of those who
could not rely on vision; this passion led him to develop a tactile
alphabet that would allow the visually impaired to read and write;
and
WHEREAS, The Braille system of writing has enabled visually
impaired students to achieve independence and academic excellence,
and those who become proficient in its use are capable of reading at
speeds comparable to print readers; an estimated 80 percent of
employed Americans who are blind or visually impaired, including
lawyers, teachers, legislators, computer programmers, civil
servants, and physicians, are skilled in the use of Braille; and
WHEREAS, Because of its practicality and simple style, the
Braille system is accepted as the standard form of reading and
writing by the visually impaired, and the Braille Revival League of
Texas, an educational organization and an affiliate of the American
Council of the Blind of Texas, promotes the production, teaching,
and use of Braille as the primary medium of literacy for blind
people; and
WHEREAS, Effective communication is a life skill of
inestimable value, and Louis Braille's basic six-dot system has
greatly enhanced the education, employability, and independence of
Texans and all Americans who are blind and has provided a lifeline
for millions of people around the world; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Louis Braille during
this bicentennial year of his birth and recognize the Braille
Revival League of Texas for their work to promote the use of the
Braille system throughout the state.
Straus
Menendez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1279 was adopted by the House on May
5, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House