Braille Institute of America
Encyclopedia
The Braille Institute of America (BIA) is a non-profit organization
based in Los Angeles
providing services and coordinating events for the visually impaired
. The organization produces over 5 million pages of Braille
texts per year. BIA also organizes programs for youth academics, mobility training, and Braille literacy
.
The institute has five regional centers in Southern California and 140 community outreach programs. The Braille Institute publishes the magazines The Braille Mirror, Braille Institute Light, the anthology Expectations, and the newsletter Braille Institute Scene.
and transcribed 250 books dictated to him by his family. Impressed by his efforts, philanthropists Mary and John Longyear donated $25,000 to help Atkinson found the Universal Braille Press in 1919 in Los Angeles. By 1924, Atkinson finished printing the 21 volumes of the Braille King James Version of the Bible. The Braille Mirror, a Braille magazine, was first published in 1926 by the Universal Braille Press.
Atkinson lobbied lawmakers and influenced the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act
in 1931. The legislation provided $100,000 for the printing and distribution of raised-print media through the Library of Congress
Services for the Blind. The Universal Braille Press incorporated as the Braille Institute of America.
In 1934, Braille Institute joined the National Library System. BIA printed the first Braille Webster's dictionary
in 1938. In 1971, Braille Institute opened its first regional center in Anaheim, California
. The following year saw the first Track and Field Olympics at the Braille Institute's Youth Center. In 2000, the first Braille Challenge
was held, an annual competition for visually impaired youth in Braille literacy.
The Braille Press changed its name to Braille Publishing and then later to Universal Media Services, once it started supporting recording services and digital formats.
. The library freely provides over 1.2 million Braille texts, periodicals, and audio recordings for the public. In 2009, Library Services received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
.
competition for youth.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
providing services and coordinating events for the visually impaired
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. The organization produces over 5 million pages of Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
texts per year. BIA also organizes programs for youth academics, mobility training, and Braille literacy
Braille literacy
A sighted child who is reading at a basic level should be able to understand common words and answer simple questions about the information presented. They should also have enough fluency to get through the material in a timely manner. Over the course of a child's education, these foundations are...
.
The institute has five regional centers in Southern California and 140 community outreach programs. The Braille Institute publishes the magazines The Braille Mirror, Braille Institute Light, the anthology Expectations, and the newsletter Braille Institute Scene.
History
After losing his sight in 1912, J. Robert Atkinson, a cowboy from Montana, learned to read BrailleBraille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
and transcribed 250 books dictated to him by his family. Impressed by his efforts, philanthropists Mary and John Longyear donated $25,000 to help Atkinson found the Universal Braille Press in 1919 in Los Angeles. By 1924, Atkinson finished printing the 21 volumes of the Braille King James Version of the Bible. The Braille Mirror, a Braille magazine, was first published in 1926 by the Universal Braille Press.
Atkinson lobbied lawmakers and influenced the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act
Pratt-Smoot Act
The Pratt-Smoot Act was passed by the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover on March 3, 1931. It was introduced by Ruth Baker Pratt and Reed Smoot. J...
in 1931. The legislation provided $100,000 for the printing and distribution of raised-print media through the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
Services for the Blind. The Universal Braille Press incorporated as the Braille Institute of America.
In 1934, Braille Institute joined the National Library System. BIA printed the first Braille Webster's dictionary
Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary refers to the line of dictionaries first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster's name just to share his prestige. The term is a genericized trademark in the U.S.A...
in 1938. In 1971, Braille Institute opened its first regional center in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. The following year saw the first Track and Field Olympics at the Braille Institute's Youth Center. In 2000, the first Braille Challenge
Braille Challenge
The Braille Challenge is an annual two-stage Braille literacy competition designed to motivate blind students to emphasize their study of Braille. The program parallels with the importance and educational purpose of a spelling bee for sighted children. Braille is a reading and writing method that...
was held, an annual competition for visually impaired youth in Braille literacy.
The Braille Press changed its name to Braille Publishing and then later to Universal Media Services, once it started supporting recording services and digital formats.
Library Services
Library Services is the southern California branch of the National Library Service of the Library of CongressLibrary of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. The library freely provides over 1.2 million Braille texts, periodicals, and audio recordings for the public. In 2009, Library Services received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mission to "create strong libraries and museums that connect...
.
The Braille Challenge
The Braille Challenge is the Braille Institute's annual Braille literacyBraille literacy
A sighted child who is reading at a basic level should be able to understand common words and answer simple questions about the information presented. They should also have enough fluency to get through the material in a timely manner. Over the course of a child's education, these foundations are...
competition for youth.