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Loading ...This is a nice video which appears to have been issued by the National Federation of the Blind promoting the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar available from the US Mint. The Braille coin has the unique distinction as being the first coin ever issued by the United States which contains readable Braille.
For those who have not heard of Louis Braille, he was born in 1809 with sight, but lost it at the age of three when he accidentally stabbed himself in one eye. His other eye lost sight due to a condition known as sympathetic ophthalmia. Being completely blind did not stop the young man from learning as much as he could and he would eventually become a teacher, but not before he would do something that would change the world for millions of blind people.
In 1824 he completed developing a system where those without sight could read. It utilized anywhere from one to six raised dots to represent each letter in the alphabet as well as each number. This system is still used today by the blind.
Unfortunately, it is estimated that only 10% of those visually impaired are able to read using the Braille system, something the National Federation of the Blind would like to change.
"The United States Congress has authorized the striking of 400,000 coins commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille," says the narrator of the video. "Funds from the sale of the coin go to the National Federation of the Blind, to develop and implement effective programs to increase Braille literacy among blind children and adults."
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US $54.99
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