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PRESS RELEASE January2007 CONTACT: JudyDixon,Chairperson BrailleAuthorityof NorthAmerica PHONE: 1-202-707-0722 E-MAIL: [email protected] BANA Holds Meeting, Elects New Officers TheBrailleAuthorityof NorthAmerica(BANA) met October20-22,2006,inWashingtonDC.The meetingwas hostedbytheNational LibraryServiceforthe BlindandPhysicallyHandicappedofthe LibraryofCongress,amemberorganizationofBANA. Members reviewed reports from thenumerous BANAtechnical committees, includingthe Literary Committee,whichis currentlyworkingon anew editionof English Braille,AmericanEdition; the TactileGraphics Committeefinalizingguidelines fortheproductionoftactilegraphics; andtheBraille Formats Committee,whichis workingon arevisededitionofBrailleFormats:Principles of Print to BrailleTranscription.Thesethreeprojects are all verylargeprojects that theexpert committees have beenworkingonforseveral years. BANAalso establisheda committeeto developtranscription guidelines fortheproductionofcraft andhobbymaterials suchas knittingandcrochet patterns, chess materials, latchhookruginstructions, andothertypes ofinstructional items wherenospecific code exists toguidetranscribers. This committeewill bechairedbyMarcyPonziooftheBraille Instituteof America.Kim Charlson, whohas servedas chair ofBANAforthepast three years will concludeher term ofofficeat theend of2006,but will continuerepresentingtheAmericanCouncil ofthe Blindon theBANABoard. Newlyelectedofficers are: Judith (Judy)Dixon,Chairperson JudithDixonis theConsumerRelations Officerat theNational LibraryServiceforthe Blind andPhysicallyHandicappedofthe LibraryofCongress.Shehas written andspoken extensivelyinthe areaof braille; is thecreatorand manager forNLS’s Web-Brailleservice; andhas been alifelongreaderofbraille andatireless advocate forbrailleliteracy. Eileen Curran,Vice-Chairperson EileenCurranisVicePresident forEducationServices at National BraillePress,whereshehas workedsince1985.Sheservedas thechairofBANAfrom 2000to2003,andis currently treasurerofthe International Council onEnglish Braille.Passionateabout braille,Eileenhas beenaninstructorofteachers oftheblindat BostonCollege,andpreviouslytaught brailleat Perkins School fortheBlindandinpublicschool classes. Ms.Curranis the authorofabraille primerforparents entitled Just EnoughtoKnow Better,nowinits tenthedition. JenniferDunnam,Secretary JenniferDunnam (Minneapolis, MN)is theManagerof BraillePrograms fortheNational Federationofthe Blind's Jernigan Institute,administeringthe courses forpersons seeking certification inbrailletranscribingandproofreadingfrom theNational LibraryServiceforthe BlindandPhysicallyHandicapped.Previously,shewas theManagerofAccess Programs in DisabilityServices at the UniversityofMinnesota,overseeingbrailleproductionat the University.Sheis theauthorof TheSlateBook:A GuidetotheSlateandStylus andserves on theboardofthe National AssociationtoPromotetheUseof Braille. MaryArcher,Treasurer MaryArcheris theSupervisor oftheBrailleSectionat MinnesotaStateServices fortheBlind, managingthebrailleproductionfacilityfortheStateofMinnesota.TheBrailleSection provides materials tostudents inkindergartenthroughtwelfthgrade.Sheis also thecurrent president oftheNational BrailleAssociation, Inc. In addition,shehas previouslyservedBANA as secretaryandvice-chair.Sheis acertifiedliteraryandNemethCodebrailletranscriber. Themissionandpurpose oftheBrailleAuthorityofNorthAmericaareto assureliteracyfortactile readers throughthestandardizationofbrailleand/ortactile graphics. BANApromotes andfacilitates theuse,teachingandproductionofbraille. It publishes rules, interprets and renders opinions pertaining tobrailleinall existingcodes. It deals withcodes nowinexistenceortobe developedinthefuture, in collaborationwithother countries usingEnglish braille. Inexercisingits functionandauthority, BANA considers the effects ofits decisions onotherexistingbraillecodes andformats; theeaseof productionbyvarious methods; andacceptabilitytoreaders. 2 Braille Authority of North America January2007 Representative Organization Kim Charlson AmericanCouncil ofthe Blind Frances MaryD'Andrea American Foundationfor theBlind BetsyBurnham AmericanPrintingHouse fortheBlind MayDavis AssociatedServices fortheBlind DianeWormsley AssociationforEducationandRehabilitationoftheBlindandVisuallyImpaired BonnieGrimm Braille InstituteofAmerica SueReilly CaliforniaTranscribers andEducators ofthe VisuallyHandicapped Darleen Bogart CNIB(TheCanadian National Instituteforthe Blind) Pam Boss TheClovernookCenter fortheBlindand VisuallyImpaired EileenCurran National BraillePress JudyDixon National LibraryService fortheBlindandPhysicallyHandicapped MaryArcher National BrailleAssociation JenniferDunnam National FederationoftheBlind MariaStevens Royal New ZealandFoundationoftheBlind,AssociateMember BANA Technical Committees Ad HocCommitteeon BrailleResearch BrailleFormats Technical Committee Frances MaryD'Andrea, Co-chair Lynette Taylor,Chairperson DianeWormsley,Co-chair Kim Charlson,Board Liaison Darleen Bogart Deborah Brown EileenCurran SusanChristensen JudyDixon DebbieGillespie CayHolbrook SandySmith RobWall-Emerson AnnKelt RobinWetzel MaryCzepyha,Consultant DenaGarrett,Consultant Ad HocCommitteeon EarlyLiteracy Materials Production ComputerBrailleTechnical Committee BetsyBurnham,Chairperson MelissaHirshson,Chairperson DianeWormsley,Board Liaison MayDavis,Board Liaison SusanChristensen JohnJackson WarrenFigueiredo SandraRuconich AnnKelt JosephSullivan AnnMacCuspie BettyTeachman EdieMourre Crafts and Hobbies Technical Committee Ad HocCommitteeon Foreign Language MarcyPonzio,Chairperson Materials EileenCurran,Board Liaison AnnKelt,Chairperson Lorraine Banks EileenCurran,Board Liaison Gilbert Busch Marilyn Breedlove MelissaHirshson Jill Cooter Gail Snider LisaMcClure YvettePourciau,Consultant 3 LiteraryBrailleTechnical Committee MarthaPamperin,Chairperson Darleen Bogart,Board Liaison NancyBarker Anna Lee Braunstein JosephSullivan JohnWilkinson JuliaMoyer Tom Keith,Consultant Mathematics BrailleTechnical Committee DorothyWorthington,Chairperson MaryArcher,Board Liaison HelenMcMillan Allison O'Day SusanOsterhaus JeanSimpson JoanneBaldwin,Consultant MaryDenault,Consultant MusicBrailleTechnical Committee LawrenceSmith,Chairperson JenniferDunnam,Board Liaison KarinAuckenthaler BeverlyMcKenney HarveyMiller Tom Ridgeway Karen Gearreald,Consultant Publications Committee SusanChristensen,Chairperson JudyDixon,Board Liaison BobBrasher WarrenFigueiredo SandySmith JoannaE.Venneri RefreshableBrailleTechnical Committee Caryn Navy,Chairperson JudyDixon,Board Liaison EricGuillory MaryBethMetzger SharonMonthei Graham Stoodley TactileGraphics Technical Committee LuciaHasty,Chairperson JenniferDunnam,Board Liaison ConstanceCraig JohnMcConnell Allison O'Day DianeSpence SusanOsterhaus,Consultant 4