[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 134 (Thursday, September 22, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                TRIBUTE TO ROBERTA JANE MATHENEY LeBLANC

                                 ______


                            HON. PETE GEREN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 1994

  Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to 
Mrs. Roberta Jane Matheney LeBlanc, a remarkable individual and a 
citizen of the 12th Congressional District of Texas.
  Mrs. LeBlanc is being honored as the 1994 Private Sector Blind 
Employee of the Year. This prestigious award is issued by the National 
Industries for the Blind, a not for profit organization dedicated to 
the employment and personal empowerment of individuals who are visually 
impaired. Mrs. LeBlanc personifies all that this award represents to 
people who are blind and who aspire to earn an independent living for 
themselves and their families through meaningful employment.
  Following her graduation from the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and 
Blind where she was valedictorian of her class, Mrs. LeBlanc was hired 
by the Lighthouse for the Blind in Fort Worth, TX. There she 
successfully mastered a variety of assembly and packaging skills, and 
testing soon demonstrated that she was ready for the private sector.
  Today, Mrs. LeBlanc works for Tandy Electronics Wire and Cable, a 
division of the Tandy Corp. of Fort Worth. Mrs. LeBlanc works alongside 
240 other employees packaging products such as shrink tubing and 
telephone cords. She also assembles connectors to cable assemblies for 
CB radio systems. Mrs. LeBlanc communicates with her fellow employees 
through the use of a Tele-Brailler, a device that translates typed 
words into braille.
  On October 3, 1994, Mrs. LeBlanc will be officially honored at the 
annual conference of the National Industries for the Blind. Please join 
me in applauding this courageous woman for her perseverance in meeting 
so many difficult challenges, living her life to the fullest and 
setting an example for others.

                          ____________________