Welcome To Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic

RFB&D proudly congratulates the following
members on their outstanding accomplishments

The certificate honors students with dyslexia who "are worthy role models for others, refuse to use their learning difference as an excuse, strive for excellence, choosing to live their lives as achievers and will continue to enrich the lives of their families, friends, employers and communities in which they live."

"I was so surprised to be nominated for this award," says Emily. "I've never thought of what I do as being different from other students, but after I found out that I won, it made me feel really special."

A senior at the Lowell Whiteman School in CO, Emily is an Alpine Skier who recently won the Giant Slalom at the Junior Olympics and has just been named to Team Colorado for fall of 2003. Her busy training schedule means that she must carefully budget her time in order to get all her schoolwork done. With upwards of 40 pages of reading to do a night, Emily credits RFB&D's recorded textbooks with helping her keep up with her classes.

"For high school, I have ordered all my books from RFB&D, so I can both follow along with the text in class, and finish the additional reading before I go to training." Emily's sights are now set on the dual goals of college, and making the US Ski Team; and she intends to work equally hard at both in the next few years.

For team member Aerial Gilbert, no sport provides her with as much joy as the competitive rowing she has done since college. Aerial began participating in Adaptive Rowing, which is rowing "adapted" for those with disabilities, after losing her eyesight from using a bottle of eye drops that had been tampered with before purchase. "Similar to the relationship I have with my Guide Dog, rowing requires everyone in the boat to work together for a single purpose, says Aerial. "My goal is to continue to participate on the US National team and to eventually to row in the first boat to represent the US in the Paralympics."

When not working as te Director of Volunteers for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Aerial Rows regularly, and has competed in the Sausalito Open Water Regatta and the 330-mile Annual Catalina Crossing. In 2002, Aerial and her Guide Dog, "Deanne" were honored to be chosen as Olympic Torchbearers for the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. "During the time I carried the torch it was humbling to realize I was the only person in the entire world who had the flame for those minutes that I carried it."

As a management professional, Aerial is always looking for books to expand her knowledge, and considers RFB&D's recorded books as a "wonderful resource" that enables her to stay competitive and up to date in her field. She is excited about the new digitally recorded books on CD, saying, "It is the closest thing to reading a book like a sighted person."

If you have an RFB&D success story of your own, please e-mail us about it (one page or less) at success@rfbd.org. By doing so, you grant us permission to possibly use this information in future publications. Please include your phone number, so we can call you for further information, if needed.

RFB&D works for them -- it can work for you or someone you know! For further information, please call RFB&D's national headquarters at 866-RFBD-585.