IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1034 

Expressing support for designation of July 2010 as ‘‘Braille Literacy Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 21, 2010 

Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 

SESSIONS, Mr. HARE, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. ROTHMAN of New 

Jersey, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. FILNER, Mr. RAHALL, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Mr. BOUSTANY, and Mr. KINGSTON) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of July 2010 as ‘‘Braille 

Literacy Month’’. 

Whereas since its invention by Louis Braille (1809–1852), 

the reading and writing code for the blind that bears his 

name has become the accepted method of reading and 

writing for the blind the world over; 

Whereas the Braille code is used to represent not only the 

alphabets of most written languages, but is also used for 

mathematical and scientific notation and the reproduction of musical scores; 

Whereas contrary to widely believed myths, Braille is not difficult to learn, nor is reading Braille slower than reading 

print; 


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Whereas while technology has improved the lives of blind people by facilitating quick access to information, no technology can replace Braille literacy, since literacy is the 

ability to read and to write and to do the two interactively; 

Whereas despite its efficiency, versatility, and universal acceptance by the blind, the rate of Braille literacy in the 

United States has declined to the point where only 10 

percent of blind children are learning the code; 

Whereas just as a literacy rate of 10 percent among this Nation’s sighted children would be rightly viewed as a crisis 

and as cause for national outrage, the decline in Braille 

literacy is a crisis, and swift action must be taken to reverse this dangerous trend; 

Whereas Braille is the key to independence, productivity, and 

success for blind people, as evidenced by the facts that 

while 70 percent of the blind are unemployed, 85 percent 

of those who are employed know Braille; 

Whereas the United States Congress officially recognized the 

importance of Braille and the magnitude of the Braille 

literacy crisis in 2006 by passing the Louis Braille Bicentennial-Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act authorizing the striking of a United States silver dollar marking 

the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille and 

emphasizing the connection between learning Braille and 

true independence and opportunity for the blind; 

Whereas the National Federation of the Blind, the Nation’s 

oldest and largest organization of blind people and the 

leading advocate for Braille literacy in the United States, 

has launched a national ‘‘Braille Readers are Leaders’’ 

campaign to promote awareness of the importance of 


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Braille and to increase the availability of competent 

Braille instruction and of Braille reading materials in 

this country; 

Whereas the National Federation of the Blind is celebrating 

its 70th anniversary this year; and 

Whereas July 2010 would be an appropriate month to designate as ‘‘National Braille Literacy Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) congratulates the National Federation of 

3 the Blind for its 70 years of outstanding service to 

4 the blind, especially its fight for an equal education 

5 and access to Braille for all blind children in the 

6 United States; 

7 (2) supports the designation of ‘‘National 

8 Braille Literacy Month’’ in recognition of the 70th 

9 anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind 

10 and of the importance of Braille; and 

11 (3) calls upon the people of the United States 

12 to recognize the central role that Braille plays in the 

13 lives of blind people and to support the efforts of the 

14 National Federation of the Blind to promote Braille 

15 literacy. 

Æ 


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