American Foundation for the Blind Announced Availability of New Online College Curriculum at American Association of Community Colleges Conference; Legendary Blind Athlete and Verizon Literacy Champion Erik Weihenmayer Unveiled Curriculum in Keynote Session

Business Wire, April 24, 2006

DALLAS -- Braille Textbook Transcriber Curriculum Offers Rewarding Lifelong Career Option and Addresses National Shortage of Braille Textbooks and Learning Materials

The future of education for students who are blind or have vision loss is dramatically changing. Yesterday, at the American Association of Community Colleges annual conference in Long Beach, CA, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced the availability of a new online college curriculum that directly impacts the futures of thousands of students who are blind or have vision loss. Through the pioneering efforts of Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, TX, the Braille Textbook Transcriber online curriculum will be available to students everywhere in the Fall of 2006.

As new Braille Textbook Transcribers are trained and available for work, students who are blind or have vision loss will no longer wait months for textbooks to be transcribed, allowing them access to an education equal to that of their sighted peers.

"The Braille Textbook Transcriber online curriculum is a critical step toward meeting the needs of students who are blind and have vision loss," said Carl R. Augusto, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind. "We are deeply appreciative of Northwest Vista's persistence to make this opportunity a reality."

Legendary athlete, author, braille literacy advocate Erik Weihenmayer unveiled the curriculum to community college presidents and leaders at a special session from 11:15 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. at the Long Beach Convention Center, Promenade Ballroom, Room 104C. Erik is a former teacher and the Verizon Literacy Champion for the American Foundation for the Blind.

"Being faced with blindness in my teens, I quickly learned that braille literacy was critical to my future success -- it allowed me to be academically competitive, complete college, become a teacher and now an author," said Erik Weihenmayer, Verizon Literacy Champion for the American Foundation for the Blind.

The Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum will provide students with the necessary general education coursework, applicable workforce skills and transcribing experience to successfully transcribe textbooks and learning materials in a standardized format. This unique and rewarding curriculum is conducted entirely online in three multi-disciplinary semesters. Successful completion of the 36 credit hours results in a national Braille Textbook Transcriber Certificate.

For more detail and a full description of the courses, visit http://www.accd.edu/nvc/areas/default.htm and click on Braille Textbook Transcriber.

"After receiving hundreds of inquiries from prospective students, we are pleased to be the first college to offer this specialized Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum," said Dr. Jackie Claunch, president of Northwest Vista College. "As our students and students across the nation evaluate career options, it is exceptional for Northwest Vista to have diverse, rewarding, flexible, lifelong career training like this."

It is estimated that the U.S. needs 380 full-time transcribers now, will need 735 additional transcribers in five years, and 1,020 additional transcribers in 10 years. Additionally, the Federal government recently passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) 2004, requiring states to adopt a standard format for publisher files of K-12 textbooks and instructional materials -- allowing Braille Textbook Transcribers to make more accurate, consistent and timely transcriptions.

This effort is the result of a four-year collaboration between AFB, Northwest Vista College, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Verizon Communications, through the Verizon Foundation, and 48 of the leading national organizations and associations in education, literacy and service. Verizon Foundation has invested more than $800,000 in its partnership with AFB to develop and promote the new career of Braille Textbook Transcriber, and improve literacy for America's blind and low-vision schoolchildren.

"In an age where technology has pushed the standards for literacy even higher, Verizon is celebrating this new online curriculum as a standard-setting look at how e-learning can impact society," said Kathy Brown, senior vice president of corporate responsibility and public policy development for Verizon. "We salute AFB and Northwest Vista and the many students who will enroll in the Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum and change the future for schoolchildren who are blind or have vision loss."

About American Association of Community Colleges

The American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing the nation's almost 1,200 community, junior and technical colleges. The colleges comprise the largest sector of higher education, enrolling close to half of all U.S. undergraduates.

About Northwest Vista College

Northwest Vista College, which opened in 1995, is part of the Alamo Community College District. Located at 3535 N. Ellison Drive, Northwest Vista College's expanding agreements with business and higher education partnerships provide a wealth of opportunities for students and the community. Its exclusive national offering -- the Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum -- is poised to meet a critical need in America, and provide a lifelong, rewarding career option for its students.