American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Convention 2024 NEWS
Each year the American Action Fund promotes the joy of reading for pleasure through the contest called Braille Readers Are Leaders. Designed for beginners and expert Braille readers alike and encompassing ages kindergarten through adults, this reading contest is a way to showcase your love of Braille reading. The 2023/2024 contest also, for the first time, opened up to teachers of blind students.
To demonstrate the importance of independent reading in the development of Braille literacy skills, the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest awards prizes to those who dedicate time to practicing their Braille skills. Every minute spent reading is another minute a blind student or adult is taking pride in Braille as an invaluable tool for literacy.
Karla Gilbride, general counsel for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a blind lawyer who has argued (and won!) in front of the US Supreme Court, is an avid Braille reader and supporter of the Braille Readers Are Leaders program herself. When presenting last year’s award winners, she had this to say about how important Braille is in her life:
“I was taught Braille in kindergarten, and it opened up all sorts of doors of imagination. As a kid I thought I had a superpower because I could read even after the lights went out at night. I took those calluses on my fingers as a badge of honor. Braille was an amazing door-opener in my education and now in my professional life. I use Braille all the time to do my work, and I even used Braille notes when I argued a case in front of the Supreme Court. Braille is an indispensable part of my life.”
Did you know that only 10 percent of blind students learn Braille in school and that 90 percent of employed blind adults are Braille readers? This journey starts with learning to love Braille as a tool for both work and fun. It is our hope that the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest will continue to foster a love of Braille for years to come, and we can do that with your support.
Learn more about our programs, including Braille Readers Are Leaders, on our website: www.actionfund.org/programs.
Your support helps keep our resources free for blind children and adults. You can contribute to the Action Fund in three easy ways.
Often the simplest and most significant way to make a charitable contribution is to plan a legacy gift. Creating a lasting impact is easier than you might think. Choose an option that works best for your circumstances.
You can plan to give all or part of a bank account, insurance proceeds, investment assets, real estate, or a retirement account. You can even give a required minimum distribution from your IRA directly to charity and avoid taxes on the distribution. After taking care of your loved ones, you could bequeath a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to an organization whose mission is important to you.
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults Legacy Society recognizes and honors the generosity of friends of the Action Fund who have chosen to leave a legacy through a will or other planned giving option.
If you wish to give part or all of an account, simply fill out a POD (payable on death) or TOD (transfer on death) form. For pensions and insurance assets, simply designate a charity as a beneficiary. If you would like to leave a legacy to the Action Fund in your will, please include the following language:
I give, devise, and bequeath unto the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Suite 100, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, (EIN# 52-1192529) the sum of $______________ (or) _________ percent of my net estate (or) the following stocks and bonds: ____________________, to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons.
If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to Patti Chang at 410-659-9315 or [email protected]. If you have included the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults in your will or have made some other provision for a future gift, please contact Patti so we can recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society.
Legacy gifts carry the values and ideals that have been important to you throughout your lifetime and provide for generations of blind children and adults. Please consider the American Action Fund in your future plans.