Events:

Braille American Flag Essay Contest:

Along with the Blind Service Association and the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, KBTI recently sponsored two essay contests, one featuring blind and visually-impaired students, and the other featuring sighted students. The contest involved the students submitting essays about what the Braille American Flag means to them. Essays were written by students from Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, James B. Farnsworth Elementary School, Metamora Township High School, Allbright Middle School, Adlai Stevenson Middle School, John Hersey High School, and Curie Metropolitan High School.

A ceremony introducing the Braille American Flag was held at Chicago's city hall on February 22, 2010, with the blind and visually-impaired students included as guests. A second ceremony involving the sighted students was held on March 22. The contest winners, Amy Bosko and Zachery Sarbekian, were announced at these events, and the students were invited to read their essays.

Essay contest winner Amy Bosko

Essay contest winner Zachery Sarbekian

Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago

Mayor Daley's proclamation Original flyer for the event Script for the ceremony Selected essays: Adrian Ayala (Stevenson Middle School) Bryant Barron (Stevenson Middle School) Amy Bosko (Albright Middle School) Richard Martinez (Stevenson Middle School) Zachery Sarbekian (John Hersey High School) Antionette Tidwill (Stevenson Middle School) Alejandra Trujillo (Stevenson Middle School)

Selected remarks from the flag ceremony:

Ted Gertz, President of Blind Service Association: This day is a very historic day not only for people who are blind and visually impaired who live in Illinois but for all of Illinois in recognizing the importance of the Braille American Flag to over 1.3 million blind and visually impaired citizens over the age of 25 in the United States. In 2008, the United States Congress passed the Braille American Flag Memorial Act authorizing the installation of the American Braille Flag as a bronze monument at Arlington National Cemetery. This definitely meant a lot not only to blind Americans but to blind veterans of all wars who have given so much of their lives to keep the United States safe.

When Blind Service Association was approached by Randolph Cabral, who is not only the creator of the braille flag but also the Executive Director of Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, asking if we could help him to introduce the flag in Illinois not only were we honored to do so but felt it was part of Blind Service Association’s responsibility to bring awareness to the people of the State of Illinois of something as important as the braille flag. In the next few days we received one of the flags from Randolph which was shared at the next Board Meeting. A long time Board Member who is an attorney and happens to be totally blind summed it up best when he related that he knew there were thirteen stripes and 50 stars to the flag, but he had no idea how the stars were laid out. For the first time in his life he was able to really see the flag that had meant so much to him. Soon we contacted The Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilitities and they, too, were as committed as we were.

It is Randolph Cabral’s intention to introduce the braille flag to all 50 states of the U.S. President Obama has officially recognized the braille flag and if you go to the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute’s Web site at KBTI.org you will see a picture of President Obama holding the Braille flag. The state of Illinois will now join the states of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri in recognizing this monumental moment in history.

A lot of people deserve to be thanked today for making this event possible. They are Randolph Cabral from the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, Mayor Richard M. Daley, Commissioner Karen Tamley, Deputy Commissioner Joe Albritton, Melissa Stratton, Margaret Lastick, Kirk Miller, Tim Paul, Debbie Grossman, Karine Rosvold, Allen West and the judges of the essay contest Art Shapiro, Reva Hairston and Beth Finke.

Proud students and parents

Standing, from right: John Powen, former President of Blind Service Association; Ted Gertz, President of Blind Service Association; Margaret Lastick, BSA volunteer. Seated, left to right: essay winners Amy Bosko and Zachary Sarbekian

Some photos from the Blind Services Association event "The Eyes of America - Bridging the Gap," held in the assembly of Adlai E. Stevenson Middle School in Chicago on March 24. The teachers and students worked to raise awareness of the importance of the first Braille American Flag, which was recently introduced to the State of Illinois. The school sponsored an essay contest "On What the American Flag Means to Me," and received a plaque from the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute and the Blind Service Association for its particpation in helping to promote the Braille American Flag.

The Blind Service Association has a Facebook page featuring dozens of photographs of recent BSA events, including the essay contest ceremony.