American
Council
of the
Blind
of
Minnesota

January 2003

THE MINNESOTA MEMO

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF MINNESOTA
P O BOX 7341
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55407

The articles and comments stated in this newsletter are not necessarily the position of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, but rather are the position and opinion of the article's author.

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Bert Morlock, Editor
4815 28th Ave. South, #217
Minneapolis, MN. 55417
Phone: (612) 721-9970
E-Mail: morlock@visi.com

Bob Lockwood
3625 Cardinal Road
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: (952) 932-7269
E-Mail: Peggy_Bob@email.msn.com

Dennis Bartlett
3338 38th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (612) 722-8686

Shirley Bartlett
3338 38th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (612) 722-8686

Table of contents

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
ACBM Quarterly Meeting
ACB-M Dues Payable by 31 January
New Audible Signal in St. Paul
ACB-M To Hold State Convention
ACB Scholarship Announcement
ACB-M Does Crown Theatres at Block E!!
A Tribute to the Late Senator Paul Wellstone
Changes in Availability of Broadcasts on Cassette from SSB
ACB-M E-Mail List Server
Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Recruits for New Research Protocol
Tech Talk
Encouraging Our Networks and Broadcasters
News Notes
ACB Education White Paper
ACBM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President's Message

Well, another year has gone by and what a year it has been! I would like to pick out some significant highlights for ACB-M this past year. State Services for the Blind has been at the forefront of this year's highlights and there is a lot that can be mentioned. But two things that stand out for me are the closing of the SSB store, followed by two new stores opening up that offer more options for the blind community. Along with that, more than 180 blind individuals found employment through the assistance of SSB.

There are also a number of other things that have happened over this past year that have helped to enhance our visibility, as we became more active in the community. First, the installation of audio description in two theaters in the Twin Cities finally was completed making the experience of seeing first-run movies a complete and fulfilling experience for us. Secondly, the accessible voting movement is finally on track to happen in Minnesota. I have been told by the State of Minnesota that they are very interested in having an accessible voting machine at every polling place by the next national election in 2004. This is a very important step for blind Minnesotans in this area. Thirdly, we worked to continue trying to get out our grants for college students, as well as planning for our 2003 state convention. Fourth, a group of ACB-M members has been working on finding a way to educate Minnesota about the use of guide dogs by their owners. They are working to ensure that guide dogs and their owners are accepted within the community and have access to go wherever they want. Finally, another break-through we had this year were the many opportunities ACB-M had to work with other groups in the community, representing those with disabilities, to get things done. When several groups can come together to work and cooperate for common causes, it makes for a much bigger and powerful action. This past year has seen proof of that, and I hope that we can continue this important trend next year.

ACB-M has been growing, slowly, but we have had more people getting in touch with us for information and assistance in getting problems solved than ever before.

These are just a few of the highlights that I seen this year. Even with all that is going on, I hold hope that the next year will be just as productive or even better. I want to thank all of you for your support and ask that you be here to support ACB-M in 2003. There may be a greater need to call upon all of you to help, in many different ways, and I ask that you be receptive and ready to help. Even with all the ups and downs, I hope you have had a good year. I believe it has been a very successful year for ACB-M. Let's continue our work together to make 2003 even better.

Walter Waranka, President

ACB-M Quarterly Meeting

The next Quarterly meeting will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2003. The meeting will start at 1:00 PM and end at 4:00 PM. The Calling Committee will be contacting you shortly with the location and menu choices.

ACB-M Dues Payable by 31 January

This is just a gentle reminder to anyone who has not paid his or her 2003 ACB-M dues. Dues are $10.00 per year and are payable by 31 January 2003. You may pay your dues to any Board member, at the January Quarterly membership Meeting, or by sending them to the ACB-M post office box. If you have already paid your dues, THANK YOU!!

New Audible Signal in St. Paul

Well it is done; there are now some audible traffic signals at University and Prior. They are installed and working right now. Remember they are only on one side of the intersection. They will help if you are coming from down town Saint Paul and need to cross University to get to the blind store or when you need to catch the bus to head back to Minneapolis. This is the first (of many, we hope) that have been installed due to requests by audible signal users. Let's see where it can go from here.

ACB-M To Hold State Convention

ACB-M will host a convention in the fall of 2003. The convention dates are October 10th through Oct. 12th at the Double-Tree Inn in St. Louis Park. The convention will run from Friday evening to Sunday noon. A banquet will be held on Saturday evening.

The Convention theme will be: "Focusing on the Future; An Inter-generational Approach". Our guest for the weekend will be Steve Speicher, First Vice-President of the National ACB. Steve will deliver the keynote address at our Saturday evening banquet.

Room rates are set for $95 per night for as many as four people in a room. A restaurant is housed in the hotel and three other restaurants share the same parking area with the hotel. Metro Transit buses also serve St. Louis Park. Plan now to attend!

ACB Scholarship Announcement

The American Council of the Blind is pleased to announce that the 2003 Scholarship Application is now available for submission on our Web site, http://www.acb.org. We will be selecting nearly thirty of today's brightest blind and visually impaired students to receive scholarships and awards for the 2003-04 academic year. The winners will be honored in Pittsburgh, PA, at the ACB National convention next July 5-12. Large print applications for submission, and Braille and cassette copies for information purposes, are available from the national office if you have not already requested one. Applications must be submitted, and supporting documentation provided, by March 1, 2003. For additional information, please contact either Terry Pacheco or Crystal Monk at the ACB national office.

Terry Pacheco
Membership & Affiliate Services Coordinator
202-467-5081 ext. 19

Today's Students Are Tomorrow's Leaders!

ACB-M Does Crown Theatres at Block E!!

On December 15th 14 ACB-M members, and their guests, experienced an audio described first run movie at the new Crown Theatres at Block E in Downtown Minneapolis. In lieu of our annual Christmas party, the chapter voted, at its October quarterly meeting, to hold a holiday gathering at the Crown Theatres at Block E to allow its members to experience a first-run feature film complete with the newest state-of-the-art technology, audio description, developed for the visually impaired moviegoer!

Members and their guests were treated to the movie "Analyze That" starring Billy Crystal in one of the 15 theatres stadium style seated auditoriums. Each person was treated to a large drink, a large bag of pop corn, a box of squiggly Bears candy and each received a special transmitter which allowed them to hear the audio description narration track of the movie through an ear phone from their transmitters. Although the Crown Theatre staff was very courteous and helpful, it was one of the first times the staff handled such a large visually impaired group. And even though things got off to a slow start, the staff stepped up to the plate and everyone had an enjoyable time. Unfortunately, old Murphy's Law was in full effect as during the last 15 minutes of the movie there was a technical glitch that caused the audio description narration to skip a bit then started repeating a part of the movie that had already occurred. When it was brought up to the management, it was too late to do much about it as the movie had ended. However, as soon as the management found out there was a problem, they apologized and explained that this was the first time something like this happened. They promised to investigate the problem to ensure it does not happen again and provided each person with a ticket for free admittance to try the theatre out again in the future!

Don't worry if you weren't able to attend this opportunity to experience audio description with a new released first run feature film! For those who were not able to attend, you will each receive a ticket that will allow you to attend, at your convenience, a movie of your choice in the future!

It is important we all have the opportunity to experience and know about audio description and support our own downtown Crown Theatre at Block E for providing this equipment and making it possible for us to enjoy first run feature films!

So, how do you find out what is showing at Crown Theatre that is audio described and what time is it showing? First, try Crown's web page: http://www.crowntheatres.com. You will need to put in Minnesota, then select Block E. There is a special section for Audio Described films with times. Plus, if you sign up for E-mail notices, you will get a free popcorn coupon you can print out on your printer and take to the movies! Or you can call Crown direct: (612) 338-5900 - recorded info (612)338-1466 - voice box office There is also MOPIX FILES SHOWTIMES ON THE WEB. MoPix-equipped theater locations, films and show times are available on the Web at: http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/nowshowing.html. On this web site you will need to select your state then the movie theaters will appear with show times, etc. What are you waiting for?? Go see a movie!!

A Tribute to the Late Senator Paul Wellstone

I won't forget Friday, October 25, 2002. My husband called me to tell me about the plane crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife, his daughter, three of his staff, and two pilots. I had been trying to decide for whom I would vote on Election Day for weeks. But there was one race where my choice was crystal clear.

When I first moved to Minnesota in 1995, I heard people talk about Paul Wellstone as being genuine and unpretentious when they met him in person. Based on these comments and a few sound bytes, I voted for his return to the Senate in 1996. In 1998, I heard him speak and met him in person. Senator Wellstone was supporting Skip Humphrey's campaign for governor, and I spent hours at Skip's phone banks. I was encouraged by members of the disability community to come to the final rally before the election, and though Humphrey lost, I'm glad I was able to hear Wellstone speak. I learned that what people had told me about him earlier was true. The word "passion" has been bandied about in the media to describe the Senator, and for those who have not been in the room with him, it may sound like a cliché. While others seemed to speak from a script at the rally, I heard Paul speak from the heart. None of the other speakers had Paul Wellstone's intensity and conviction.

Media commentators have outlined Senator Wellstone's strong positions on many issues such as the environment, veterans affairs, and U.S. policy toward Iraq. There were less known but equally positive actions he took to assist people with disabilities. I knew he spoke about disability issues from time to time. However, until members of ACB of Minnesota asked me to write this tribute, I didn't know the ways in which he worked to advocate for people with disabilities.

Paul Wellstone was devoted to children and immigration causes. Therefore, he SUPPORTED a bill that would make disabled children of legal immigrants eligible for federal benefits. The Senator fought against an amendment that would have decreased funds for special education. On May 14, 1997 Paul opposed another amendment that would have encouraged uniform discipline for students with and without disabilities. Though some disabilities affect behavior, this fact would not have been considered under this measure.

Senator Wellstone supported employment of people with disabilities. In 1998, he voted in favor of a measure to fund programs that would allow people with disabilities to be independent and employed. The package was worth two billion dollars over a five-year period. The Senator voted for the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act in 1999. This bill expanded health care for disabled workers, and broadened access to rehabilitation and other support services.

Wellstone supported legislation that would raise the earnings limits for blind people who receive Social Security Benefits to the same level as Seniors who receive them. Seniors' higher earnings limits have provided an incentive for them to work, and Paul wanted the same situation for blind people. The Senator co-sponsored an even more sweeping package in 1999 that would totally remove the federal income-eligibility limits for working people with disabilities. Both of these measures were design to stop the penalization of people with disabilities who wish to work.

Paul Wellstone believed in the dignity of people with disabilities. He voted yes to an amendment that would have included disability as a motive for a hate crime if it had passed. Finally, here's my favorite Wellstone act. You may recall Ms. Shea, the blind page who was not allowed to bring her guide dog onto the Senate floor. In response, along with Senator Wyden (D-Or) and three others, Senator Wellstone co-sponsored Resolution 71, which was relative to the Congressional Accountability Act. The resolution permitted "support services (including service dogs, wheelchairs, and interpreters) on the Senate floor the employing or supervising office determines are necessary to assist the disabled individual in discharging the official duties of his or her position."

Paul Wellstone has been called, "the conscience of the Senate". The Fannie Lou Hamer Project -- a campaign finance reform group -- put it this way, "He fought for the rights of the poor. He fought for the rights of the disenfranchised. He fought for the rights of those whose voices too often go unheard." I will miss Senator Paul Wellstone for many reasons, including his efforts to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Changes in Availability of Broadcasts on Cassette from SSB

SSB experienced substantial layoffs in August 2002 due to state budget cuts. One of the positions cut at that time was that of the Tape Librarian who provided cassette copies of radio programs and books broadcast on the Radio Talking Book (RTB) each month. With the expectation that our new automation system would soon be in place, Audio Services Supervisor Ellie Sevdy decided to do what she could to continue providing the weekly magazine programs requested by listeners. Unfortunately, with ongoing delays, it is now apparent that we will need to temporarily suspend the distribution of weekly magazine and special program broadcasts. As soon as the automation system is in full swing, we will again begin providing program duplication to our listeners upon request. We greatly regret this decision but it has become impossible to hold on to this aspect of services on a long-term basis without jeopardizing other services.

We are pleased to tell you that you may now contact the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (MLBPH) in Faribault to request any books broadcast on the RTB each month. In a cooperative agreement with the Communication Center, MLBPH has offered to circulate ALL books broadcast on the RTB. We ask that you request these books directly from them. Contact the MLBPH at 1-800-722-0550. Their normal business hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ACB-M E-Mail List Server

The American council of the blind of Minnesota is excited to announce the creation of an e-mail list. This year, exciting advances and challenging setbacks have occurred in both the political and social spheres of the lives of blind Minnesota's. Through this new e-mail list, members and friends of ACB-M can discuss current events, and formulate stands on important issues. The list is also an excellent place for people to discuss matters, which they feel ACB-M should attend to. Many of the board members are on this list. If you find it hard to attend our meetings, and wish you had a stronger voice within the organization, you can use this e-mail list to make yourself heard.

If you have questions about resources available to the blind and visually impaired of Minnesota, if you are concerned about political events, or accessibility issues, this is a place for you. Although the above-mentioned topics are not the only topics allowed on this list, they are the main ones, which have come up repeatedly.

To join the list, send a blank e-mail message to: Acbmn_talk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You will be sent a message asking you to verify that you wish to be a member. Simply hit the reply button on your e-mail, and you will be subscribed. If you have any questions, please send e-mail to: Acbmn_moderator@yahoo.com.

We on the list hope you will consider joining, and look forward to many lively and fruitful discussions. Don't forget that we have a Web site that you can visit for general information about the Minnesota chapter. Visit http://www.acb.org/minnesota/.

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Recruits for New Research Protocol

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) is a serious genetic disorder. It affects persons from many nationalities and is very prevalent in families from northwestern Puerto Rico and their descendants. HPS involves albinism, a bleeding tendency and bruising, and in some cases, a life-threatening lung disease.

Doctors at the National Institutes of Health are writing a protocol for a treatment for the Pulmonary Fibrosis of HPS.

If you have a breathing problem related to Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, or if you are albino, have asthma, and suspect you might have this syndrome please call: 1 (800) 789-9477

Tech Talk

It is with great pleasure that I write this article about an actual accessible cell phone/PDA. Nokia makes the 9290 communicator, which for the sighted world, is a great cell phone and PDA unit. A German company has developed a screen reader for this phone called Talx. This software allows us as blind users to access many of the functions of this phone using the PDA interface. You can for example, receive your email or SMS messages on your phone. You can also send email and SMS messages. You can perform all of the setting functions such as changing the ring tones, see missed calls, see who is calling and many other functions. The phone also comes with a Word Processor, Spread Sheet, calculator and other utilities.

The portion of this phone that is not accessible is the web browser and they are working on that. If you would like to hear a review of this phone Mike Calvo provided one on Main Menu. I have only had a demo unit for a couple of days and I must say that I really enjoy it. The cost of the phone is $599.00 plus $395.00 for the software. The software should be released by the time you read this article. You may also be able to find deals on this phone through different sources. At this time only T-Mobile and Cingular are the two cellular providers which offer the GSM network which this phone uses.

Encouraging Our Networks and Broadcasters

One of the themes that hits my ears with some regularity is that the TV networks and broadcasters aren't hearing from the consumers of audio description for TV. On more than one or two occasions I've heard words similar to... "Why should we provide for description for TV? Nobody wants it. Nobody's using it." Obviously, the networks and cable broadcasters aren't hearing from us with any regularity, or in anything approaching meaningful numbers. This must change. This is, of course, particularly important since the circuit court's vacation of the FCC mandate.

I would like to use this email list to develop a comprehensive list of appropriate contacts at the TV networks, cable broadcasters, and their local affiliates. I know that some among you have partial lists of these contacts. However, I am not aware of a comprehensive list. That doesn't mean that such a comprehensive list doesn't exist. It just means that I'm not aware of it. I am asking that anyone reading this, who may be in possession of a partial list, or even one or two contacts; please post that contact information to this list. We will then congeal those contributions and publish the list on the ADI Web site. We must then begin in a more consistent manner, and in greater numbers, to let those contacts know just exactly how we feel about audio description for television. There is a more organized effort being undertaken in response to the court's stinting decision. A coalition has been formed with several interested organizations. ADI is among them. Others include The Washington Ear, ACB, AFB, AADP, and others. I'm not sitting here with a listing of those organizations. So, I apologize if I've failed to mention someone. WGBH has been good enough to sponsor our first couple of teleconferences.

Please do send along any contact information you might have to: Barry Levine, barry@functionaltherapy.net

Thanks much,
Barry

News Notes

Well, it is time to start writing News Notes. I guess we should, or have been thinking about winter. It is December 16th, and there are snow flurries in the air and in some places, actual snow on the ground. That is terrible.

Education addendum

In a separate article, I have printed a white paper from Charley Crawford on education of blind children. When I first received the paper, I thought it would be boring. However, reading it found to be interesting, especially if you are a blind adult remembering how you were educated, or a student in the education system.

Senator passes from us

News Notes expresses its sympathy to the passing of Sen. Paul Wellstone and those who passed away with him in the airplane crash in October. Whether you like his policies or not, you have to admit, he stood his ground for what he believed in.

Election winners

Congrats to all election winners in the 2002 elections. It will be an interesting Legislative session.

A reason or (two) for Thanksgiving

I am thankful for the wife who says "it's hot dogs tonight because she is home with me, not with someone else. For the husband who is on the sofa, being a couch potato because he is home with me and not out at the bars. For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes, because that means she is at home, not on the streets. For the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed. For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that friends have surrounded me. For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat. For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine. For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home. For all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means that we have freedom of speech. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation. For my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm. For the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means I can hear. For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means I am alive. And finally, for too much e-mail, because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

ACB Education White Paper

The American Council of the Blind is a national consumer organization of blind persons with a long history of commitment to improving opportunities for blind individuals to learn, work, participate in community activities, raise families, and contribute to a better society for all Americans. As an organization of concerned and responsible adults, the ACB seeks to make it known that the future of blind and visually impaired children is at risk of being wasted as the result of a faulty educational system.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) sets out in Federal law how children with disabilities will be educated in our schools. While it has certainly made a positive difference for many disability groups, its impact on the lives of children with visual impairments has been far less easy to assess. Seventy-five percent of all blind children already attended public school before IDEA was implemented. Over the years, IDEA has actually had the effect of limiting educational and social development of blind and visually impaired children. We believe that this is because of the nature of the law which focuses attention on process rather than on performance and favors adherence to philosophical principles such as the least restrictive environment and full inclusion over the need to plan the education of each child based on that child's needs.

This paper focuses on three major aspects of an appropriate education: people, tools, and environment. By looking at each of these we paint a picture of a system that is fundamentally flawed and does not educate blind children to their full potential. After we describe our concerns we suggest changes that we believe can substantially and positively impact the educational and social success of children who are blind.

PEOPLE

One of the primary prerequisites for the successful education of any child is the people involved in that process. Parents, classroom teachers and specialized personnel versed in the disability-specific training needs of the children must all function individually and collectively to optimize performance. Too often, this does not happen. Many parents of blind children are afraid to intervene with the school system on their child's behalf. They may feel that their child is in need of specific instruction, however, the school system isn't convinced such instruction is necessary, and therefore not willing to recommend it in the student's education plan.

Parents, generally, are not adequately informed of their rights, and often think that the educational professionals must know what's best for their child. Parents often fear retaliation or retribution against their child in the future, and will not press for services that they believe would be beneficial in order to avoid angering the school system. While parents are dealing with the entire spectrum of educational requirements for their child, many parents are also coping with feelings of guilt that their child has a "disability." Mainstream classroom teachers have not had enough opportunity or have chosen not to take advantage of specialized training to work effectively with children with severe disabilities. Consequently, general education teachers either ignore the blind child in their classroom or smother the child with inappropriate attention. Qualified and experienced teachers of the visually impaired remain scarce and are concentrated primarily in urban areas. In many school districts teachers specializing in serving blind and Visually impaired students are not the norm. Instead, teachers are hired with a generalist disability qualification that have no notion of how to teach the blindness-specific skills that are so essential to a child's future. In other cases, para-professionals take the place of fully certified teachers placing the specialized instruction blind and visually impaired children require even further out of reach.

A core value of IDEA holds that placing a child in a classroom with mostly non-disabled students encourages integration and acceptance by their chronological peers. Unfortunately, this theory seldom occurs in reality for blind children. Because many classroom teachers have little knowledge about dealing with blind children or have minimal expectations of their capabilities, they allow isolation of the blind child by classmates, leading to poor social development and low self-confidence. Either mainstream teachers give blind students too much attention or they ignore them and leave all the training to a specialist itinerant teacher of the blind or to a teacher's aide. It should be noted that, with the rise of the concept of full inclusion, it is becoming increasingly popular to assign a teacher's aide to assist the teacher and the student. Too often, the aide ends up doing much of the work for both the teacher and the student. Moreover, aides frequently lack training in the specialized techniques blind children must learn.

For too long, blind children have been isolated academically and socially within the general classroom because the general education staff does not consider it their responsibility to teach blind children, because special educators with expertise in Braille, assistive technology, and other services are in short supply, and because print information, such as textbooks, daily worksheets, library materials, and building signage, are not simultaneously accessible to blind students. The isolation has resulted in woefully inadequate academic and social learning, leaving blind students ill equipped for self-direction, independent living, and employment. All educators must consider blind children to be truly "included" in general education first, provide equal access to the academic, social, and extracurricular activities of the school, and take specific steps to provide for the specialized instructional needs of each blind student.

The net result of all the "people" issues is that the blind child is not acquiring the skills he or she needs to be successful and independent, and is not feeling accepted in the very full inclusion environment that is supposed to create a sense of belonging.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

No child can be successful in school without the right tools. Educators are now convinced that these tools include real literacy, access to and training in the use of computers, opportunities to explore careers, and enough life experience and sufficient sense of self to allow the student to believe that he or she can learn.

A comprehensive range of specific needs (a Core Curriculum) must be met in the education of a child who is blind. These include: orientation and mobility (teaching the child to understand spatial position and travel independently); daily living skills (training to live independently, including maintaining clothing, preparing meals, cleaning, and managing money); blindness-specific computer training (use of an audible screen reader, large print magnification or a Braille display, keyboard skills, access games, word processing, and other programs); and, of course, Braille instruction (teaching the child to read using the Braille system). Without training in these areas, the blind person, no matter how intelligent, is not equipped to function effectively and competitively in the real world.

There is alarming evidence that blind students are not receiving Braille instruction. Without Braille, many blind students end up graduating from high school functionally illiterate, lacking the ability to read and write in a medium they can access independently. It is not sufficient to be able to use a tape recorder or a computer. Both approaches can supplement literacy skills, but can never substitute for Braille. Blind students must develop strong literacy skills in Braille first and foremost.

As suggested earlier, there is a set of additional tools that a blind child must learn to use. These most often include a white cane; low vision aids, or after a child is at least sixteen years of age, a guide dog. Serious teacher shortages, administrator apprehension of lawsuits, and insufficient time in the school day impede the acquisition of critical orientation and mobility skills. The issue of technology is much more complex and much harder to impact. Often, school districts are prepared to provide technology for students who are blind or visually impaired, though frequently without appropriate evaluation of the effectiveness of the specific technology. Moreover, useful technology is made available to the student exclusively at school. As a result, the student is learning skills at school, which promote independence while being forced to depend on others for help at home. This kind of mixed message only serves to deepen the child's sense that he or she will never truly become independent. Appropriate technology must be available both at home and at school.

A designated staff person needs to be identified to learn how to use and teach the technology. All too often, classroom teachers have no notion of how to make access technology work in the school. They generally don't know if it will work with the specific software that the class is using and simply don't have the time to find out. So, by default, the technology access becomes the job of the vision teacher or the aide. Unfortunately, even fully certified vision teachers don't know how to use and teach their students to use assistive technology and don't know what to do with that access technology when it is received. Often blind students finish high school with no personal training in independent access of technology. Teachers are comfortable with letting the aide or the vision teacher make sure that the student's mandatory computer competencies are met. Usually this involves having someone else do the work for the student. Much of The time the access technology is just turned off so it doesn't disturb the rest of the class. Perhaps the most important single change in the provision of education in the last decade has involved the implementation of mandatory vocational counseling for all students. Planning for and exploring career options now begins in elementary school in virtually every state. Unfortunately, it does not begin and, in fact, doesn't usually happen at all for blind students. This reinforces and deepens their sense of difference and serves to reinforce their low self-esteem and the belief that they probably can't work anyway.

We cannot and must not judge the success of education simply on the basis of academic performance. Clearly, as a recent OSERS survey indicated, when 95 percent of the blind students graduating from high school have held no job or participated in any extra- curricular activities, we must question their possession of the social tools they need to survive in the post-school world. Differences deepen when classmates have print textbooks, but the school does not make them simultaneously accessible to the blind student. The rest of the class receives print worksheets and handout materials, but blind students do not receive the information at all or at a much later time, creating a separate and unequal environment. Despite the law and regardless of the fact that technology exists that makes it fairly easy to produce accessible materials quickly, schools do not take the necessary steps to provide an appropriate education with simultaneous access to all curriculum materials. The failure to provide information in an accessible format simultaneously with information provided to other students certainly constitutes unequal treatment, which is contrary to IDEA, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Rehabilitation Act. How can we expect blind children to thrive when the tools that are available for everyone else are not simultaneously available to them?

ENVIRONMENT

The objective of every school must surely be to create an environment in which children can learn effectively. Clearly, many blind children in a mainstream classroom do not have access to such an environment. While IDEA has always allowed for the "continuum of services" which means it supports the notion that all children need not be educated solely in a classroom with non-disabled students, practice has moved towards inclusion. A continuum of educational placements was supposed to be a fundamental part of IDEA but has failed to appear. With the emergence of full inclusion it is becoming more and more common to see blind children educated in a single classroom using aides to help them. This environment assures that the very skills that are so essential for the success of blind people such as Braille, orientation and mobility and independent living skills are not being taught. Furthermore, placements once made, seem to become permanent not allowing for the growth and changing needs of a child over the twelve years of their education.

Long before IDEA such models as the "resource room" created a central classroom in a school where all the blind children would spend part of their school day learning blindness skills. This system worked. With IDEA resource rooms have become far less widely used partly because children who are blind are not being sent to any single school in large enough numbers to justify resource room creation. When possible, these classrooms can successfully provide both specialized instruction and important socialization opportunities for blind students to develop a positive self-image as individuals with blindness. For other blind children, a school for the blind may be the most appropriate place for education, both because it assures that the blindness-specific skills that are so necessary are taught and because it offers an environment where healthy socialization can happen. We believe blind students need socialization, not only with non-disabled students, but also with other blind students, in order to develop self-confidence and self-esteem. Schools for the blind also provide for the employment of teachers with highly specialized skills such as mathematics and music for those who use Braille and specialized equipment for the teaching of science and geography.

Currently in many states, a struggle continues between local school districts and schools for the blind as to which placement option will prevail. What works best for the student is often a combination of local school placement and temporary placement at the state's school for the blind. This partnership allows the student to take advantage of the expertise of the school for the blind to learn essential skills such as Braille for general reading, mathematics and science, and for music; orientation and mobility training, adaptive physical education, techniques of daily living, and field trips and other social opportunities that cannot be replicated on the local level. The originating purpose of IDEA centered on the needs of the disabled child and not that of the educational institution. Where has this principle gone? SO WHAT DO WE DO? In the past, the blindness community has tried to work with all elements of the education system to make the law work to the advantage of students who are blind. We believe that we now have no choice but to seek to impact an intransigent bureaucracy by changing the law itself. For the sake of generations of blind children we must mandate changes that equalize the playing field for blind children so that they have a chance to become all that they can be. Our proposals fit well into the three categories of this paper and, in the following paragraphs, we will describe how our changes to the law will impact each of these areas.

Most of our proposals relate to people. Right now, teachers who must work with children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms have no more than a single survey course on disability. We propose that all teachers in all states be required to have at least nine credits of disability-related education (including blindness) to acquire or retain their teacher certification. We allow a five-year period for bringing teachers up to this level and urge the Federal government to earmark funds to support this initiative.

We believe that the current funding formula for low-incidence populations under personnel preparation has disadvantaged programs preparing specialists in the blindness field, which is part of the reason that so many programs are finding it hard to survive. We propose that thirty-five percent of the funding allocated for personnel preparation for special education be allocated to low-incidence populations and that twenty percent of that sum be specifically allocated to programs that train specialists to serve blind children.

Parents need to know what the options are for their children. To encourage the recognition of the range of choices that might best serve their children, we propose requiring each school district to provide parents with a document that lists the range of options both within and out of state that might be appropriate for their child. This document should be mailed along with the notice of the IEP so that parents have time to read it before the team meeting.

In order to assure that blind children and their teachers have the tools they need to be successful, we include two major proposals. First, we propose amending IDEA so that the core curriculum is expanded to include instruction in orientation and mobility, assistive technology, daily living skills, and low vision. Second, we have asked the Secretary of Education to create a priority during this funding cycle to train teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, and students to utilize access technology.

Obviously, there is overlap among these areas. In terms of affecting the environment in which education is delivered, we make several proposals. First, if children are to be educated in a mainstream classroom, we propose that the law be amended to assure that they are not so disadvantaged as they are now. We propose that they have access to technology, hand-outs, textbooks, classroom activities, field trips, audio-visual presentations, notices and all other activities conducted in the classroom at the same time as they are available to their non-disabled peers. We also propose that one of the requirements for all blind students regardless of their environment is that the expanded core curriculum described earlier becomes a part of IDEA.

Finally, we propose that the definition of least restrictive environment be amended to include two exceptions instead of one. Currently the law says that a child whose disability is so severe that education in the mainstream classroom is not appropriate may be placed elsewhere. We propose the suggestion that a child whose educational needs can best be met, in the opinion of the IEP team, in an environment other than the mainstream classroom that child can be placed elsewhere along the continuum of services.

The changes proposed here are crucial to creating an educational system that will assure blind children the opportunity to learn and grow into adults who can take their proper place in the world. That is what education is all about for all children. Can we ask for less for those who are blind?

ACBM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Walter Waranka, President
248 Johnson Parkway
St. Paul, MN 55106
Phone: (651) 495-0218

Becky Kragnes, Vice President
3515 Pleasant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 827-2132

Marian Haslerud, Secretary
232 W. Franklin #205
Minneapolis, MN. 55404
Phone: (612) 870-8761

Bob Lockwood, Treasurer
3625 Cardinal Road
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: (952) 932-7269

Stephanie Hall, Director
433 7th St. S. #2227
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1645
Phone: (612) 332-7837

Joe Sorenson, Director
111 Marquette Ave. S #1103
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 339-2360

Barbara Bangsund, Director
24 105th Lane NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55448
Phone: (763) 757-8951

Mike Hally, Director
530 south Saratoga St.
St. Paul, MN. 55116
Phone: (651) 690-0011

Ken Rodgers, Director
3941 12th Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Phone: (612) 825-0248

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