February 10, 2006 (Washington, DC) - Cited for their extraordinary scholarship, leadership, enterprise and service to others, six students selected for the 2005 National Achievement Awards (NAA) by national nonprofit Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®) were honored at several events in the nation's capitol February 8 - 10. RFB&D is the nation's educational library of recorded textbooks for students with visual impairment, dyslexia or other physical disabilities that make reading standard textbooks difficult or impossible.

This year's winners include a pianist who has performed around the world, a college graduate who received her diploma at 39 years of age and a young woman who didn't allow a visual impairment or multiple sclerosis stop her from pursuing a career with the federal government. In addition to the celebrations scheduled for this week, some of the winners will return for a special visit with first lady Laura Bush at the White House later this month.

Each year, RFB&D presents the Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAAs) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® (LTL®) awards for high school seniors with learning disabilities. The finalists for each award were chosen by two selection committees based on student academics, teacher referrals, volunteerism and community involvement weighed against individual opportunity and personal circumstance.

The top three SAA winners, who will each receive $6,000, are Kathleen Ernst, Athens, GA; Scott MacIntyre, Scottsdale, AZ; and Jessica Smith, Dillon, SC. The top three winners of the LTL awards are Karen Jenkins, Galena, OH; Christine Lowry, Reston, VA; and Philip Wyks, Oradell, NJ. Each will also receive $6,000.

"RFB&D's National Achievement Awards recognize the accomplishments of students who are outstanding role models, not only for people with disabilities, but for all of us who endeavor to reach our full potential as students and as citizens," said John Kelly, RFB&D President & CEO.

RFB&D serves more than 141,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of more than 109,000 educational titles on CD or four-track cassette. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. Students rely on RFB&D's unique accommodation to access the printed page and to achieve educational success. All of RFB&D's accessible titles are recorded by volunteers working in 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

EDITORS NOTE: Photos of the award winners at the event will be available at www.rfbd.smugmug.com on February 9 after 11:00 p.m. EST. Interview opportunities are available by calling Mark Zustovich at 609-520-7993, or after hours at 609-610-4508.

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