Baltimore, Maryland (October 16, 2008): To help celebrate Meet the Blind Month, the Baltimore Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland will hit the Mimi DiPietro ice skating rink in Patterson Park on Saturday, October 18, and visit the Baltimore Farmer’s Market on Sunday morning, October 19, under the downtown end of the Jones Falls Expressway.  

“These events will not only provide a wonderful opportunity for local blind persons to interact with and get to know other members of the community, but will also promote awareness and understanding of the true nature of blindness,” said Melissa Riccobono, president of the Greater Baltimore Chapter.  “All members of the community, both blind and sighted, are encouraged to join us.”

Meet the Blind Month is the National Federation of the Blind’s nationwide campaign to garner awareness and support for the blind members of local communities. During the entire month of October, chapters throughout the country will be joining forces to spread the message that the National Federation of the Blind is the voice of the nation’s blind and that blind people are the best resource for learning about vision loss, blindness, and rehabilitation.

The campaign will consist of many nationwide events and activities that provide opportunities for NFB members to interact with and offer outreach to individuals who are losing or have lost their vision. The countrywide community outreach will allow the National Federation of the Blind to increase the public’s understanding of blindness and counteract the misconceptions resulting from lack of information.

The Greater Baltimore Chapter will also be distributing literature and demonstrating Braille at the Inner Harbor on Saturday, October 25.

To learn more about the National Federation of the Blind, please visit www.nfb.org.