(Boston, MA) – September 3, 2019 – National Braille Press (NBP) will bestow the Hands On! Award to The Gibney Family Foundation. The Foundation has supported NBP since 2003, helping advance its mission and bring greater awareness of the importance of braille. In 2007, The Gibney Family Foundation and NBP built on their partnership and created the Touch of Genius Prize. The annual Touch of Genius Prize competition seeks to generate innovative ideas and tools to help the blind and visually impaired. Some of the notable Touch of Genius Prize winners include the Tactile Caliper, invented by a group at MIT, and the BrailleMe, a refreshable braille display that uses a new design to lower the high cost of electronic braille displays. The Hands On! Award will be presented at the NBP Gala on Thursday, September 26 at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass., to the Gibney Family Foundation CIO and founder Frank Gibney and his niece Tracy Wasden, President and CEO of the Foundation.

“The Gibney Family Foundation’s support of the National Braille Press has made a significant impact on improving braille and assistive technology tools for the blind,” said Brian Mac Donald, President of the National Braille Press. “The foundation’s funding of the Touch of Genius Prize has led to the creation of incredible products, curriculum and devices that have enhanced braille and tactile learning around the world for blind and visually impaired individuals.”
The Hands On! Award honors organizations or individuals who make significant strides in the world of braille and tactile literacy. Recipients have shown a commitment to making lifelong learning easier for the blind and visually impaired.

“It’s so important to continue to encourage new thinking around braille, especially in this digital age where touch screens and audio output seem to be taking over and replacing even sighted folks’ desire to read. I am confident that the Touch of Genius process will continue to uncover lasting innovations that will highlight National Braille Press as a world leader in tactile literacy,” said Founder and CIO of The Gibney Family Foundation, Frank Gibney.
“The Gibney Family Foundation is honored to partner with National Braille Press in their mission to empower those with visual impairments through programs that support braille literacy” said Tracy Wasden, CEO of The Gibney Foundation. “Collectively we can do more together to open the door to intellectual freedom, and equal opportunity for all individuals. The Touch of Genius Prize is one way we can work together to find innovative products in the field of tactile literacy. We’re excited to be a part of it!”

The Gibney Family Foundation works with non-profit organizations and provides grants to help them create sustainable solutions for the people they serve, strengthening their mission. For the past 16 years, The Gibney Family Foundation has awarded more than $655,000 to National Braille Press.
“We are honored to have such a wonderful partner in the Gibney family; there is no more deserving award recipient of our Hands On! Award than the Gibney Family Foundation” exclaimed, Brian Mac Donald.
Past Hands On! Award recipients include: J.K. Rowling, first lady Laura Bush, and Reader’s Digest’s Partners for Sight Foundation.

About National Braille Press
National Braille Press (NBP) empowers the blind and visually impaired with programs, materials and technology, supporting braille literacy and learning through touch. NBP is a non-profit braille publisher and producer of braille products. For more information visit www.nbp.org
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