[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 115 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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   MARIE BLUM RECEIVES HONORS FROM NATIONAL INDUSTRIES FOR THE BLIND

 Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, with the help of a telesensory 
screenpower Braille display and a Braille tape on the phone, Marie Blum 
takes hundreds of customer reservations for Ramada Hotels each day. 
Blind since birth, Marie's perseverance has brought her to a successful 
career as a reservations agent for Hospitality Franchise Systems in 
Phoenix, Arizona.
  ``If people would just apply themselves,'' says Marie, ``they might 
surprise themselves at what they can really accomplish.'' This 
philosophy and Blum's exemplary work performance brought her 
recognition from National Industries for the Blind (NIB) as the 1997 
Private-sector Employee of the Year.
  Blum, 46, sought to reenter the work force in 1994 upon the death of 
her husband. Previously a homemaker, Blum needed a way to support both 
herself and her teenage daughter. She sought training at the work 
adjustment program at Arizona Industries for the Blind in Phoenix, 
where she assembled, collated, and packed various products. Just three 
months later, armed with confidence and new skills, Blum was hired by 
Laboratory Environmental Support, Inc. where she did production and 
packaging work.
  A year later, Blum decided to change careers and attended a 10-week 
unpaid customer service training program offered by Discover Card in 
conjunction with the group Business Organization Office Services 
Training (B.O.O.S.T). Again armed with new skills, Blum used her 
training to land her current job at Hospitality Franchise Systems.
  The Private-sector Employee of the Year award is given annually by 
NIB. The award recognizes outstanding individuals who receive training 
and work experience in an NIB associated agency and then enter careers 
in the private sector.
  National Industries for the Blind is a not-for-profit corporation 
whose mission is to enhance the economic and personal indepen-dence of 
persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining, and 
improving employment. There are 119 independent industries throughout 
the United States, including Arizona Industries for the Blind, that are 
associated with NIB. Industries associated with National Industries for 
the Blind employ people who are blind in manufacturing, office, super-
visory, telecommunications, executive positions and other careers. 
Products and services are provided by NIB-associated agencies to the 
federal government under the guidelines of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act 
(41 U.S.C. 46-48c). These industries also provide vocational training 
to people who are blind that provides them with the necessary skills to 
obtain gainful employment within the private sector.

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