From
CNN. And
an AP story March 26 reports that "fewer than 10% of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States read Braille, and just 10% of blind children are learning it, according to a report released by the National Federation of the Blind."
WASHINGTON — The United States Mint will begin accepting orders March 26 for the first coin to feature readable Braille.
The 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar commemorates the the 200th birthday of Louis Braille, inventor of the Braille system of reading and writing used by the blind. The National Federation of the Blind can receive surcharges from sales of the coins to further its programs to promote Braille literacy, the U.S. Mint said in a news release.
The “heads” side of the coin features a portrait of Louis Braille and the inscriptions “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” “Louis Braille,” “1809″ and “2009.”
The “tails” side depicts a child reading a book in Braille. The word Braille (abbreviated as “BRL” in Braille) is depicted in the upper part of the coin and the word “Independence” is featured on a bookshelf behind the child. The back side of the coin also has the inscriptions “United States of America,” “One Dollar” and “E Pluribus Unum.”
From CNN. And an AP story March 26 reports that "fewer than 10% of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States read Braille, and just 10% of blind children are learning it, according to a report released by the National Federation of the Blind."