Readers Digest Sight Foundation to be Honored

National Braille Press to Honor the Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation with its Hands-On! Award The award recognizes an organization or individual who has made a difference in the world of braille literacy

Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation has been chosen to receive the distinguished Hands-On! Award from National Braille Press at its annual “A Million Laughs for Literacy” Gala on November 7, 2018, at historic Fenway Park in Boston. The Hands On! award is given to an organization or individual who has made a difference in the world of braille literacy and whose accomplishments have helped blind children and adults succeed in their own lives. This year’s awardee, Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation of Mt. Kisco, New York has been a dedicated friend to NBP for many years and was instrumental in launching the ReadBooks! Because Braille Matters literacy program for young children in 2003 with a generous grant of $330,000.

Since then, the ReadBooks! program has introduced thousands of children and their families to braille by distributing over 18,000 free bags across the U.S. and Canada filled with braille books and resources. The program’s success has been attributed to the collaborative efforts with educators around the country who distribute over 70% of the free braille literacy bags directly to the children’s parents where they instruct them on how to introduce and teach braille to their child. The 2018 Hands-On!award honors the outstanding leadership and commitment of the Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation for its work in improving the quality of life for blind and visually impaired children, and celebrates how two organizations working together can achieve a lasting impact.

Since 1955, Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation has been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of blind and visually impaired persons. The Foundation’s early mission was the publication and dissemination of large print reading material which remains a priority. Today, the Foundation’s support also includes a grant program that works toward making a difference in the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals.
“We are honored to have had Readers Digest Partners for Sight Foundation partner with us to launch this unique program for young braille readers; the Foundation’s support of community programming makes such a difference to so many,” said Brian MacDonald, President of National Braille Press. “By providing an introduction to braille for blind and visually impaired children and their families the ReadBooks!program encourages a lifelong love of reading.” “And that is one of the best gifts we can give our children!”

“We are so proud to have been a “founding partner” with National Braille Press on the ReadBooks! Program,” said Susan Olivio, Executive Director at Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation. “Given our shared passion for providing reading material for blind and visually impaired persons, we understand the importance of braille skills, and introducing braille to children at a young age, helps to start them on the road to literacy, and a lifetime of reading. ReadBooks! is an effective, fun, interactive and empowering introduction, and we’re delighted to be acknowledged for our small contribution to this project. Congratulations to everyone at NBP on this 15th anniversary! You rock!”
The Gala will celebrate the 15th anniversary of National Braille Press’s ReadBooks! Because Braille Matters program which serves more than 1,000 children every year. Proceeds from the Gala will go towards providing ReadBooks! Bags free of charge to families across the country to introduce braille to blind children and their families.
The Co-Chairs for the National Braille Press “A Million Laughs for Literacy” Gala include Mark Lev, managing director of Fenway Sports Management, and his wife Carol; Tom and Shelly O’Neill of O’Neill and Associates; Ted Truscott, CEO of Columbia Threadneedle Investments| Global Investment Management Group, and his wife Kathy; and Tom Sullivan, Founder of Lumber Liquidators, Proton, Cabinets to Go, Chateau GABY and Gracious Home.

“A Million Laughs for Literacy” Gala will feature a performance by stand-up comedian Kathleen Madigan who starred in her own HBO Half-Hour Comedy Special and a Comedy Central Presents special. She is also a veteran of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Late Show with David Letterman, and the Bob and Tom Show.

For more information on the National Braille Press’ ReadBooks! program, click here.

About National Braille Press
A non-profit braille publisher and producer of braille products, National Braille Press promotes literacy for blind children through outreach programs and provides access to information by producing information in braille for blind children and adults. For more information visit www.nbp.org