Baltimore, Maryland (December 17, 2014): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United States, is proud to announce the winners of the 2014 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest. The National Federation of the Blind once again administered the Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest on behalf of the North American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. The essay contest, sponsored by Onkyo Corporation, a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, and the Braille Mainichi, part of the Mainichi Newspaper Company in Japan, was created to promote Braille literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural information among blind and visually impaired persons.

The essays were required to be written in Braille and to pertain either to how the individual gains knowledge or independence through Braille or to an individual concept about world peace from the viewpoint of persons with disabilities. There were two groups of competitors: a junior category for persons up to age twenty-five and a senior category for persons age twenty-six or over. Each winner received a substantial cash prize, a plaque, and other gifts from the Onkyo Corporation.

Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are very pleased to continue to be a part of this important contest. There can be no doubt that the ability to read and write Braille competently and efficiently is the key to education, employment, and success for the blind. Despite the undisputed value of Braille, however, only about 10 percent of blind children in the United States are learning it. We congratulate the contest winners and commend them for demonstrating through their essays the way Braille allows them to live the lives they want, and also for raising awareness of the importance of Braille literacy in their everyday lives.”

The seven winners from the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows:

OTSUKI PRIZE

Helen Kobek, Massachusetts, USA

EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, SENIOR

Deborah Kendrick, Ohio, USA

EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, JUNIOR

Kristen Steele, Iowa, USA

FINE WORK AWARD, SENIOR

Penny MacPherson, Florida, USA

Thea Ramsay, Ontario, Canada

FINE WORK AWARD, JUNIOR

Amy Albin, New Jersey, USA

Lindsay Kerr, California, USA

The National Federation of the Blind encouraged all countries in the North America Caribbean Region to participate in the Onkyo Braille Essay Contest. Essays were submitted from the United States and Canada.