A great promotion. On September 18, the Baltimore Orioles will look somewhat different. The name Orioles will be shown on the front of their jersey but it can’t be read by most of us. Why? The O’s will sport their name in Braille lettering.
The O’s will be the first team in professional sports that will wear a jersey with Braille lettering. But the name of the Orioles won’t be the only thing in Braille. So will be the players’ names on the back.
Orioles’ marketing head Greg Bader says the club is making a “conscious effort to create an environment where everyone feels welcome.”
The reason why the Orioles are doing this is to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind moving its national headquarters to the city of Baltimore.
Founded in 1940, the National Federation of the Blind says it helps empower blind people to live full, productive lives. The group has offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offering programs for the blind.
As a part of the festivities, Pianist and singer Carlos Alberto Ibay, who has been blind since birth, will perform the national anthem before the start of the game, and Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
In a statement, Riccobono touted the organization’s impact on the city since the 1978 move. “For forty of those years, we have coordinated that work from our headquarters here in Baltimore, where we have invested tens of millions of dollars to create a top-notch facility that benefits our organization and the surrounding community,” he said. “We appreciate this opportunity to partner with our hometown baseball team to share our mission, particularly our commitment to literacy through Braille education, with our fellow Orioles fans.”
The first 15,000 fans that pass the turnstiles will receive a Braille alphabet card.
After the game, the jerseys will be signed by the players that wore them and be auctioned online.
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