Dear David,

I wish to congratulate you for being awarded the American Foundation for the Blind Migel Medal -- the highest honor in the blindness field. I often think of you as a major pioneer in the revolution that brought many fruits of technology to people who are blind or severely visually impaired. Your contributions have spanned more than two decades and have had a significant impact on improving the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired, either directly, or by providing tools for educators and transcribers that enabled them to better provide Braille materials, especially through Braille translation of printed materials.

My wife, who has been a teacher of the visually handicapped, used your software with her students to great advantage. One of her students, Katie Phan, told me that the Apple He programs helped her tremendously with learning computers, English, typing, and mathematics.

At the company you founded, Raised Dot Computing, you developed Apple II software that transformed Nemeth Code Braille material into printed math, The final version of this was an add-on to your Apple II BEX software called MathematiX.

Your contributions include not only the development of superb products, but also the dissemination of information to the field through your newsletters and presentations. You have also been a great influence in getting companies to make their products work together so that users could get the maximum benefit possible.

I'm glad your contributions are being recognized by the Migel Medal Award.

Sincerely,

James C. Bliss