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S E R V I C I N G B R A I L L E R E A D E R S S I N C E 19 6 2
The Voice Heard Perishes—The Letter Written Remains
M j= “Depriving a
blind child of
B _= braille is like
taking pencil
T q= and paper
from a
F c= sighted child.”
—Francelia Wonders
3500 N. Elm Road · Jackson, MI 49201· (517) 780-5096 · FAX (734) 668-1094
able us to defray shipping expenses by util-
izing the Free Matter for the Blind postage
service provided by the U.S Postal Service.
(right) STATE OF MICHIGAN SPECIAL
THE VALUE OF THE BRAILLE TRIBUTE A special tribute to Francelia
PROGRAM Unspoken benefits often ac- Wonders for her tireless commitment to the
crue to the MBTF staff. Men who other- visually impaired during her distinguished
tenure at MBTF, presented by Michigan
wise have little choice but to waste idle Senator Phillip Hoffman. (l-r) MBTF
years achieving little and contributing President Paul Frederick, MBTF Director
nothing to society—discovered a correla- Francelia Wonders, and Michigan Senator
tion of helping others and helping them- Phillip Hoffman.
selves. The efforts of these men are two-
fold—the men benefit through synergy and
society gains individuals who have devel-
oped marketable skills, and a sense of
community that is embodied in their pro-
ductivity and altruistic attitude.
Perhaps only the blind can fully realize
the value of this program. Blind persons
who are braille literate possess a fundamen-
tal requisite to find purpose and achieve (left) Francelia Wonders and
efficacy in their lives. Blind children de- Cindy Olmstead celebrating 40
prived of braille will ultimately be deprived years of braille transcribing
of fulfillment of security and success in service.
life. As a result of MBTF’s efforts more
children now have greater access to brailled
books that are otherwise cost prohibited at
commercial rates.
The mission of MBTF remains the
same, to provide affordable quality braille,
with emphasis being focused on quality.
(above left) Francelia Wonders, Director, channels prisoner labor into a valuable service for the blind
MBTF continues to welcome your com- "Originally my goals were to improve the quality of braille and expedite its delivery. Training
ments and suggestions. The braille reader braillists is now my priority. " (above right) Cindy Olmstead, Assistant Director, utilizes her
is our priority. MBTF produces books with background in finance to enable Director Wonders to devote her attention to the braille aspect of
the braille reader in mind. MBTF's operations. "Given the environment in which MBTF is located, the dedication and the
professionalism displayed by the staff is impressive."
3500 N. Elm Road · Jackson, MI 49201· (517) 780-5096 · FAX (734) 668-1094