| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 960 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | and the release of the Louis Braille bicentennial silver dollar by |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | the U.S. Mint are being celebrated on March 26, 2009, as National |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | Braille Readers Are Leaders Day; and |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in 1809, Louis Braille invented the reading and |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | writing code for the blind that bears his name; it provides people |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | who are blind with the power of knowledge, expanding their |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | opportunities and equipping them with tools to be productive and |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | creative contributors to society; and |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Braille is used to represent the alphabets of most |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | written languages as well as scientific, mathematical, and musical |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | notation; despite recent technological innovations that have |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | improved access to information, Braille remains the most efficient, |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | versatile, and universal method of reading and writing for people |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | who are blind; and |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Unfortunately, Braille literacy in the United |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | States has declined in recent years, and only 10 percent of blind |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | children are learning to read and write in Braille; this figure is |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | especially alarming because 70 percent of blind people are |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | unemployed, while 85 percent of those who are employed use Braille; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | and |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Recognizing the importance of Braille literacy, the |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | U.S. Congress in 2006 authorized the striking of a U.S. silver |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | dollar to commemorate the bicentennial of Louis Braille's birth; |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | and |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, In conjunction with this event, the National |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | Federation of the Blind has launched the national Braille Readers |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Are Leaders campaign; funded by a portion of the sales of the |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Braille coin, the campaign strives to promote awareness of Braille |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | and increase Braille instruction and the availability of Braille |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | reading materials; and |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Literacy in Braille brings expanded opportunities, |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | power, and enjoyment into the lives of people who are blind, and it |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | is most fitting to encourage efforts to increase Braille literacy; |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | Legislature hereby recognize March 26, 2009, as National Braille |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | Readers Are Leaders Day and commemorate the release of the Louis |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | Braille bicentennial silver dollar. |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | Naishtat |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | I certify that H.R. No. 960 was adopted by the House on March |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 26, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|