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Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship

The Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is given annually to a legally blind student who exemplifies the fruits of Dr. Jernigan's teachings. The Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is valued at $12,000. Dr. Jernigan changed perceptions regarding the capabilities of the blind in this country and around the world. 

Applications for this scholarship are available for five months, from November 1 to March 31 of the following year. In order to more effectively reach potential applicants, this funding is offered as one of many available scholarships in the National Federation of the Blind's scholarship program, however the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is funded entirely by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. To obtain an application and read the directions to apply for the $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship, go to www.nfb.org/scholarships after November 1.

The winner of the 2017 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is Ms. Maureen Nietfeld of Centennial, Colorado, who is pursuing a degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at Metroplitan State University.

Having gone through 33 surgeries, including a kidney transplant from her rare Von Hippel-Lindau disease in her 35 years, Maureen is an unstoppable force and grace under pressure. She knows that a healthy lifestyle can improve your life, even with a genetic disorder.

Maureen will continue to work at the Colorado Center for the Blind teaching blind children and adults while pursuing her degree.

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Give the Gift of Braille

Every year the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults provides, free of charge, over 10,000 Braille calendars to blind and deaf-blind persons throughout the United States. These pocket calendars are an invaluable tool for everyday use. They provide the day, date, and the major holidays during each month.

This calendar allows blind people to receive the same information their sighted family, friends, and colleagues have easy access to. This is especially true for deaf-blind folks as their only access to written communication is through Braille.

One business professional says, “While I use accessible technology each day in my job, I find tremendous value in having a calendar that I can access directly while conducting conference calls or meetings. I also use it for planning my business and personal trips. This calendar is quick and easy to use!”

Another user of the calendar remarks, “The calendar is small enough to carry in my bag or purse. It is arranged in a way that makes it very easy to check the date or day of the week. It is very handy to have on my desk when I am talking to people on the telephone and it is very well made.”

If you would like to receive the 2019 Braille calendar or know someone who would like to have one, they are available now at https://actionfund.org/braillecalendar.

And If you would like to make sure a deaf-blind or blind person is able to continue to receive this Braille calendar, please consider making a $10.00 donation at https://www.actionfund.org/aaf-donation-form.

You can also print and mail our donation form to the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.

Free Braille Books Program

This program provides blind children a free Braille book every month from a popular children's reading series. The books are for the children to keep and collect for as long as they want them. In the past seventeen years over two hundred ninety titles from popular children's reading series were distributed to thousands of blind children. Each year the American Action Fund breaks new ground by offering fresh and interesting titles and series that are sometimes overlooked in the Braille community.

To enroll in this program and to find out more, please go to https://actionfund.org/free-braille-books.