The U.S. Treasury is set to issue a special silver dollar commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Louise Braille, who created the well-known system of reading and writing that is composed of raised dots. President George W. Bush signed into law the Louis Braille Bicentennial—Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act on July 27. The Bill, H.R. 2872, gives the U.S. Treasury the go-ahead to issue as many as 400,000 silver-dollar coins commemorating Braille’s life and work.

U.S. Congressman Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) introduced the House bill, which passed on a voice vote. The U.S. Senate passed a similar bill by common consent. Ney introduced the bill at the request of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The organization has initiated a campaign to encourage Braille literacy among blind youth.

According to the NFB, a clear correlation exists between Braille literacy and employment rates among the blind. More than 80 percent of employed blind or visually impaired adults report using Braille every day. However, only 10 percent of blind or visually impaired students currently learn to read and write Braille.

The coins, which will go on sale in 2009, will have a $10 surcharge added to the cost of each coin. The funds generated by the surcharge will go to the NFB, which will implement other fundraising activities to match the proceeds from the commemorative coin. It will be the first coin ever minted by the U.S. Treasury that will include Braille.

For more information about the commemorative coin, or to learn more about the Braille literacy campaign, go online to www.nfb.org.