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Jeremy Poincenot
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For the past 57 years, the Louis Braille Awards have been celebrating those who support a community that often gets, for lack of a better term, overlooked. Held at the Rittenhouse hotel in Philadelphia on Jan. 27, this year’s event will recognize AppLabs CEO Sashi Reddi as an honorary chair.
“We try to emphasize that help is available. As people begin to lose their vision, there’s help and ways for them to become independent,” says Patricia Johnson, president and CEO of Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Johnson’s organization hosts the annual ceremony, which has always been one of the best excuses for the region’s blind community to gather and seek mutual inspiration. Though ASB was founded locally and Reddi lives in Gladwyne, the awards recognize individuals and corporations from all parts of the country. Other 2017 honorees include Paul Schroeder, former vice president of the American Foundation for the Blind, Jeremy Poincenot, a World Blind Golf Champion, and Chris Downey of the American Institute of Architects. Both Poincenot and Downey lost their vision later in life, overcoming numerous obstacles to lead successful careers.
Proceeds from the event support ASB direct services for the blind and visually impaired. Whether it’s teaching Braille or offering instruction in mobility and life skills, the goal is always to help the blind maintain their independence.
