Maryland Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Sen. Chris Van Hollen introduced legislation to designate a new museum in Baltimore as the National Museum of the Blind People’s Movement, aiming to secure full government funding.

Mfume and Van Hollen spoke Friday at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. They emphasized the importance of the legislation.

“When that legislation was passed 50 years ago, the federal government promised that it would cover 40% of the costs of the program,” Van Hollen said. “Today, we covered 12%.”

The museum, which the National Federation of the Blind is currently working to construct at its headquarters in Baltimore, will be the first museum owned and operated by the Blind of America.

Van Hollen said the legislation would not only provide recognition but

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