81R16044 JGH-D
By: Naishtat H.R. No. 960
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille
and the release of the Louis Braille bicentennial silver dollar by
the U.S. Mint are being celebrated on March 26, 2009, as National
Braille Readers Are Leaders Day; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1809, Louis Braille invented the reading and
writing code for the blind that bears his name; it provides people
who are blind with the power of knowledge, expanding their
opportunities and equipping them with tools to be productive and
creative contributors to society; and
WHEREAS, Braille is used to represent the alphabets of most
written languages as well as scientific, mathematical, and musical
notation; despite recent technological innovations that have
improved access to information, Braille remains the most efficient,
versatile, and universal method of reading and writing for people
who are blind; and
WHEREAS, Unfortunately, Braille literacy in the United
States has declined in recent years, and only 10 percent of blind
children are learning to read and write in Braille; this figure is
especially alarming because 70 percent of blind people are
unemployed, while 85 percent of those who are employed use Braille;
and
WHEREAS, Recognizing the importance of Braille literacy, the
U.S. Congress in 2006 authorized the striking of a U.S. silver
dollar to commemorate the bicentennial of Louis Braille's birth;
and
WHEREAS, In conjunction with this event, the National
Federation of the Blind has launched the national Braille Readers
Are Leaders campaign; funded by a portion of the sales of the
Braille coin, the campaign strives to promote awareness of Braille
and increase Braille instruction and the availability of Braille
reading materials; and
WHEREAS, Literacy in Braille brings expanded opportunities,
power, and enjoyment into the lives of people who are blind, and it
is most fitting to encourage efforts to increase Braille literacy;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 26, 2009, as National Braille
Readers Are Leaders Day and commemorate the release of the Louis
Braille bicentennial silver dollar.