THE MISSOURI CHONICLE (March 2001)

Well, readers, putting together this issue of the Chronicle has been, to put it mildly, quite a challenge. The Chronicle was assembled. All it needed was the final proofreading, looking for last minute changes, when, without warning, my trusty Braille Lite developed a near-fatal (to me) case of what I shall call "invalid inputitis." It began when the advance bar that moves the Braille display became stuck, meaning that the Braille display moved at will, its will, not mine. It then began saying "invalid input" as a response to commands and menu settings started changing at random, apparently just because they wanted to. May this never happen to you; it's so sad to see a good machine go bad. Fortunately, I did not lose the Chronicle; I just couldn't work on it. And thanks to MCB, I had a service agreement, so I could get a replacement unit without having to wait several weeks for repairs. But I was still delayed for a week, which put me behind schedule and left me very frustrated, not to mention annoyed and crabby. Isn't it terrible how dependent we become on technology? I even had to go find my good old slate and stylus; those things never fail you. But we're back in business and all seems to be well.

The other big news is that Donna and I are now online, as they say. We have a computer, using Jaws and Magic and we are now able to send and receive every-mail, when we do it right. (Poor Don and Bev Shockley have been the recipients of all of our test messages, a few of which even arrived.) Our every-mail address is weidlichswbell.net and you can use it to send me material, if you wish. Hopefully, I'll learn how to download and save things soon. I am no longer using the Mail-call service, so use the new address if you want to communicate with me. I'm still a bit intimidated by this computer business, but I'm learning, which means that maybe you can teach a old dog new tricks.

Most of you seemed happy with the new tape format, but if you are unable to play the tapes, please let me know and we will try to work something out for you. The December tape was rather late, I know, due to a delay in getting our mailing list to the new producer. This issue may be a little late, too, due to the problems I mentioned earlier.

In the course of its forty years of publication, the Chronicle has had a number of editors, about six as far as I know. One of those former editors, Louise Rieman, passed away in January. I believe she was editor before Bill Benson. There is an article about her in this issue.

As usual, we have articles on a variety of topics in this issue, including medical news and an article about a young woman who is determined to find her place in her chosen field of nursing, even after losing all of her sight. Enjoy and please keep in touch, especially by e-mail.

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President's Report
by Chip Hailey

Dear MCB members and friends, The transition from being your second Vice President to being your newly elected President has went rather smoothly. Of course, I do not believe that this could have been successfully accomplished without the kind assistance of our immediate past president, Edna Freeman, and also our Executive Director, Sheri Keller, who have provided me with much needed assistance throughout the transition period. I would like to publicly thank both of these ladies for their invaluable service. Both of them have pledged to continue to provide me with their wonderful assistance. Thank you, Edna and Sheri for all of your help.

I would also like to give a special thank you to Celita White for the careful attention that she has given to the success of this organization. I do not know whether many of us realize it, but we owe a great deal of gratitude to her for all of her volunteer efforts. Thank you, Celita, for the many tireless hours you have spent as our MCB Treasurer.

During the first few months as president, I have found the experience to be both an enjoyable and an educational one. In terms of being enjoyable, I had the good fortune of being escorted by my lovely wife to the United Workers of the Blind Christmas party. It was a very delightful evening with several affiliates in attendance. Even though it was a might bit chilly outside, the warm hearts and high spirits of all those who attended were certainly quite satiating. UWB really knows how to throw a great Christmas bash.

Another enjoyable experience came when my wife and I attended our first Mid-year affiliate President's meeting of the American Council of the Blind in Des Moines, Iowa. We had the opportunity of meeting a number of different affiliate presidents and came away from the experience with a lot of great ideas. However, there is one thing that I would like to say about the whole experience and that is MCB has a lot to be proud of, specifically in terms of its membership and also in terms of its services and programs. Perhaps many of us do not realize it, but many of our sister states do not have the luxury of enjoying a membership the size of MCB nor do they have the good fortune of enjoying the many services and programs that we have here in Missouri. I do not say that in anyway to denigrate our sister states but only to let you know that MCB has a lot to be thankful for and to say that perhaps that is why MCB has been one of the leaders in the blind movement since the inception of the American Council of the Blind.

In terms of an educational experience, I have had the privilege of having participated in a couple of teleconferences between MCB and RSB. A great deal was gained from these teleconferences in terms of advocating for blind services. I have also participated in a couple of teleconferences with the MCB finance committee. There was a great deal to be learned from this teleconference as well. I have also had the distinct pleasure of working with Sheri regarding MCB office business. There is a tremendous amount of hard work that goes into administering an organization the size of the Missouri Council of the Blind and so perhaps you may not be aware that there is much business that is being conducted behind the scenes. Time and space will not permit me to go into detail here but if you are truly interested in the overall operations of MCB I am sure Sheri would not mind giving you a brief explanation.

Now I would like to get on with the business of letting you know who I have appointed as committee chairs. First, I have appointed Greg Hollins as Adaptive Technology chair; second, I have appointed Celita White, Michael and Sheri keller, Jack Lenk, and myself to the MCB finance committee with Celita as the chair; third, Rosario Mazzella as health Benefits chair, fourth, Bill Benson as Resolutions chair, fifth, Phyllis Lovett as scholarship chair, sixth, Phyllis Zirkle as Special Services chair, seventh, Don and Beverly Shockley as summer camp chair, and eighth, Linda Gerkin as mentor program and youth services chair. Leroy Welch will remain membership chair. Other committee chairs are Dennis Miller as the 401 Committee chair, Hank Pearce as One Stop Shop Committee chair, Edna Freeman will be the MCB representative on the Statewide Rehabilitation Council, and Sheri Keller will continue to represent MCB at the Stakeholders meetings. John Weidlich will remain the editor of the Chronicle. I would now like to leave you with the following quote: "If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world, it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other creature."

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From The Executive Director's Desk
by Sheri Keller

During this reporting period, I attended two meetings. I was one of many individuals who attended a meeting presented by Andrew Lopez from the Federal Transit Administration regarding transportation issues in the St. Louis area. I also attended a meeting of the Olmstead Stakeholders group in which a discussion took place regarding the upcoming Legislative Session. There was also a discussion regarding changes which were going to be implemented in the Medicaid Program. However, these changes have since been withdrawn.

The 2001 Scholarship applications have been mailed out. We are in the process of reviewing legislation which has been proposed for the 2001 legislative session for Legislative days.

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Education and Welfare Report
by Lucille Fierce

Writing is not one of my most favorite things to do and as I start rewriting for the fourth time, a glimmer of light has dawned. No matter how I approach the subject, it is old news when you read it.

Tuesday afternoon, February 20th, we will meet at the Monroe Plaza Hotel for Legislative Days and this is the schedule which Sheri and I have planned: roll call, which includes the name of the Representative, his or her guide, affiliate location and whether the person has attended a Legislative Day before. Introduction of guests, if any, will follow. The purpose of doing this is to allow you, the members of MCB, to contact your Representative. Next on the agenda will be a discussion of each legislative bill we will support and why. Members are urged to ask questions and attempts will be made to answer them as completely as possible. All Representatives will be given a list of legislators who they should try to see the next day and leave a prepared packet in their offices.

On Wednesday morning, all attendees will come to the Capitol and act as hosts and hostesses at a breakfast for our guests, who often bring some of their staff, and these, too, are good resources for future contacts. After the breakfast and before going to the various offices, a meeting will be held in the same location to talk with two knowledgeable advocates, Jim Toucher from Paraquad and Mark Pickering from the Governor's Council on Disability. It is then off to the Legislature.

In order to be a representative on the Education and Welfare Committee, you must be a registered voter. I am working with a group from Paraquad to get better access for all people with disabilities to accessible voting materials in the near future.

After our Legislative Days are completed, Chip and Linda Hailey, Clint and Rachel Campbell, Bessie Reece and I will go to Washington, DC for the ACB Legislative Seminar, on February 24th. Occasionally I am asked how people are chosen to go to Washington. A number of things are taken into consideration: how much money we have to spend, getting a balance between blind and partially sighted, and the amount of walking that must be done, because there are about three different buildings with about five floors in each. We also take into account whether any of our members have talked to their Affiliate President about going.

Sheri and I have had to work much harder this year to pull things together because we are missing one of our strongest links in doing all of those details which were taken care of so easily and so efficiently in the past. Teddi, we miss you and all of your great ideas, but we do understand that family and work must come first. We hope Teddi's hectic schedule will lighten up so that she will be able to be with us again, even if only to give us her blessing. We miss you very much, Teddi. Another thanks goes to our new Secretary, and we thank her for everything. Thanks, Patti.

It is my understanding that the Missouri Division of Family Services has proposed an increase in the Blind Pension. I will inform you of any progress in the next issue.

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Membership Report

Affiliate Presidents and membership Representatives,

I trust that you have been contacting the people on the referrals that are sent to your clubs. Try to have more than one individual from your club to contact them. Please contact them more than once over a period of months. Was doing this, you may make a new friend and make a growth in your club through encouraging them to become members. If they are unable to make it to your meetings, encourage them to become a member at large of the Missouri Council of the Blind.
Leroy Welch, Membership Chairman.

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You Don't Have to Bee a Genious
by Phyllis Lovett, Scholarship Chairman

The MCB has scholarships available for qualified students. You need a 2.0 grade average and the desire to further your education. The scholarships are open to any legally blind student in Missouri. Now is the time to send in your application. The deadline is May first and the scholarships will be awarded in June. If you have plans to attend college or a vocational school next year, call the MCB office, (800) 342-5632 or Phyllis Lovett, 417 883-7408 as soon as possible for an application. You might be surprised. The MCB is proud to support education by helping blind Missourians to gain their goals.

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From The ACB Board
by Jerry Annunzio

It must be a normal year because there is good news and there is bad news from our last ACB Board meeting, which was held on January 14 and 15 in Des Moines. First the bad news. The income from the ACB Thrift Stores is down by more than half. More bad news: the budget was cut to the bone, even including one issue of the Braille Forum. We are seeking approximately $16,000 in special donations to restore that issue, but as of this writing, it is out.

Now for the good stuff. Because the Budget Committee was dedicated to a balanced budget and the Board members insisted on it, we have a balanced budget for 2001. In the past, the ACB Board had voted to dip into reserves to keep all the many programs intact. But this time both the old and new Board members, with the help of the staff, cut expenditures to match income. The new budget for 2001 is balanced and there is a renewed effort to find new sources of funding.

The second piece of good news is that we now have another state affiliate. The New Mexico Council of the Blind has collected a small but active group of dedicated people led by their President, David Armijo. After the Board voted in the new affiliate, a loud cheer and applause came from everyone in the room. New Mexico is a welcome addition to the affiliate list.

In other news, a special committee was formed to make a 40th year anniversary commemorative pin in time for the ACB Convention in Des Moines this summer. It will be a limited edition collectors item. Since it is not made yet, little is known about it except that it will be metal, will have the ACB logo and either the date and/or the number 40 on it.

As you know, the 2002 ACB Convention will be in Houston, Texas and the Board will decide in June on the 2003 Convention. Leroy Saunders and Jim Winsor, from Birmingham, Alabama, presented a proposal to the Board to have the 2004 Convention in that city. After several questions and much discussion, the Board accepted their bid. The lead hotel is the Sheraton, offering 700 rooms at $70 plus tax per night. The backup hotel is the Best Western, offering 150 rooms at $60 plus tax. The tax is 8 percent.

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MCB Board Report

The MCB held a Board meeting on January 27 in St. Louis and, unlike last year, it didn't snow. It was Chip's first meeting and he did a great job of running the meeting smoothly and dealing with a number of important topics. Much of the meeting dealt with what I would refer to as administrative matters, such as office issues and financial matters that I won't go into detail about here, but I will bring you a few points of interest.

It was announced that Louise Rieman had recently passed away. Louise was very active in the Allied Workers and was once the Editor of the Chronicle. The Board voted to send $50 to the Hospice in Kansas City in her memory. The Board will also send a message of congratulations to the Missouri School for the Blind on its 150th anniversary.

We heard briefly from Martin Wilson of Safari Club International, who said that there would a sensory safari available to us at the Convention in Springfield. This will consist of a trailer filled with stuffed animals that we can examine. We also heard more details about the Convention from Phyllis Lovett. As you will read elsewhere, the Convention will be held October 11-14 at the Day's Inn in Springfield. Rooms will be $45 per night plus eleven percent tax. A very interesting contest is being planned, involving identifying MCB members through a list of clues. The banquet menu was approved. It will consist of medallions of pork, baked potato, vegetable, salad and desert. The cost will be $18. There will also be a free continental breakfast available at the hotel.

Chip told us he had attended the ACB affiliate President's meeting in Des Moines, where the ACB Convention will be held. He told us that, if you purchase items from the exhibit hall at the Convention, you will have to pay Iowa state sales tax, even though you don't live in Iowa. The Board approved all of Chip's committee appointments, which you can read about in his message. The new committee chairpersons will also be listed in the Insert of this issue.

The Board accepted three member-at-large applications from blind people living in Warrensburg, Missouri. Later, Leroy Welch told us that there is interest in forming a new affiliate there.

A motion was approved to eliminate the requirement that the President visit every affiliate during his term. Since this was established by a resolution passed at a convention, the assembly will have to vote to rescind this resolution. With so many affiliates, it is getting increasingly difficult for the President to make the rounds every two years. Of course, the President would still attend meetings and affiliate activities as his schedule permits.

A committee will be formed, chaired by Bill Benson, to come up with some guidelines on how affiliates should spend their MCB affiliate grants. The committee will report back to the board when its work is completed.

It was announced that the TAP program, which will purchase equipment for disabled people wishing to use the Internet, will probably begin in a couple of months. This is operated by the Missouri Assistive Technology Project. It was to have started in January, but was delayed because of the state hiring freeze.

The next Board meeting will be held on May 5 in Springfield.

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MCB Odyssey 2001

The MCB Convention will blast off on October 11. The Springfield Service Club of the Blind welcomes you to the celebration of our 70th anniversary. This is also the 40th anniversary of the American Council of the Blind and the 150th anniversary of the Missouri School for the Blind. We have many exciting things planned. You may make your reservations any time. The convention will be held at the Day's Inn, 3108 North Kentwood in Springfield. Call toll-free (877) 633-3108 or (417) 833-3108. It's not too early. More details later. The Convention Committee of Phyllis Lovett and Donna and Leo Giger hope to see you there.

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Remembering Louise Stevens Rieman
by Georgia DeVries

I am sorry to have to report the passing of a very special friend and former member of MCB and AAWB. Louise Rieman was born November 27, 1914 in Orrick, Missouri. At the age of four, she had an accident with a pair of scissors, losing one eye. As often happens, she later lost the sight in her other eye. She attended the Missouri School for the Blind, graduating in 1934. While attending MSB, she met a young fellow named Ed Rieman. They were later married.

During the war, she made pillow cases for the military. Moving to Kansas City in the late 1950s, she worked as a medical secretary at Menorah Medical Center. She was a member of the Lutheran Our Redeemer Church, where she sang in the choir.

She also became very active in the Allied Workers and MCB, holding several positions on the MCB Board. She was active in legislation and served for several years as Editor of the Missouri Chronicle. She remained active until she entered a nursing home in Liberty, Missouri in July, 1992. She passed away on January 20th, 2001. She was laid to rest in Orrick, Missouri. She was a friend and an inspiration to all who knew her. I know she will be sorely missed.

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Visual Problems of Retinitis Pigmentosa
by Richard L. Windsor, O.D., F.A.A.O.

From The Editor: In the last issue, I ran an article on the visual problems out Macular Degeneration by Richard Windsor, a low vision specialist from Indiana. It was the first in a series of articles from Vision Enhancement Magazine. We continue the series now with articles on Retinitis Pigmentosa and diabetes. I hope you find them informative.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a term coined by Donders in 1855. It is not one disease, rather a group of retinal diseases with common attributes. The incident seems to be about one in every 4,000. It can be inherited by at least three different methods. Severity and speed of vision loss vary with each form of inheritance. The following are problems common to RP.

Tunnel Visual Field: Progressive loss of visual fields is a hallmark of RP. The visual field loss often begins as a doughnut-like ring in mid-periphery. As it progresses both centrally and peripherally, the resultant tunnel vision begins to affect the patient's activities, driving and mobility. Many patients still drive automobiles in the early stages of RP, but the risks for accidents increase as the field reduces. The functional field will be worse at night and in bad weather. Even RP patients in the early stages should not drive in these situations. As the field loss progresses, daytime driving must be curtailed. Studies suggest that on average, the visual field of the RP patient declines by five percent of the remaining field per year. Visual field loss can be aided with visual field awareness systems. These include the Gottlieb Visual Field Awareness System, press-on field awareness prisms and reverse telescopes. Prisms work by shifting in the images so that a small movement of the eyes allows the patient to pick up objects from the side. Reverse telescopes minify the image to fit inside the patient's remaining field of vision. Reverse telescopes require adequate visual acuity. A visual acuity of 20sthj or better is recommended. Reverse telescopes are considered when the visual field is less than 10 degrees. Mobility and orientation training must also be initiated.

Night Blindness: The other hallmark of RP is night blindness. It may be the first presenting sign. Our rod cells are sensitive to low light levels and these are the first cells to degenerate in RP patients. Thus at night, the RP patient's functional field becomes much worse and problems in mobility increase. Adding lighting around the patient's home, carrying a broad beam flashlight and the use of infrared night scopes have all been used to aid patients at night. Since RP patients often wear tinted lenses, it is important to have clear lenses to return to at night.

Light and Glare Problems: While most doctors are familiar with the visual field loss and night blindness of RP, they often fail to understand the severity of the light and glare problems. When RP patients go into bright sunlight, they are often overwhelmed by "white-out" debilitating glare. They are aided by the use of dark plum and amber filters used often with side shields. RP patients also frequently report glare problems inside. Many find a light amber filter in their general wear eyeglasses improves their tolerance. A variety of filters are available. The most well known are the Corning CPF lenses.

Double Vision: Tunnel vision interferes in the brain's ability to accurately control alignment of the eyes. To treat the resultant double vision, prisms and orthoptic therapy may be used. In severe tunnel vision, the patient may report seeing "two separate worlds."

Cataracts: RP patients frequently develop a form of cataract. It may reduce visual acuity and increase glare. Often the RP patient simply assumes it is just the RP and fails to see his or her eye doctor. Removal of the cataracts may lessen glare and improve visual acuity.

Decreased Visual Acuity: A portion of RP patients will experience a loss of central vision. One study found about one third had central vision loss to a level of 20stbjj or worse. The macular area may deteriorate, making it difficult for the patient to see detail, as in seeing faces or reading. Simple magnification and increased task lighting may be helpful. CCTV's, set to minimal magnification, but with the contrast set to white letters on a black background, often improve reading. These patients may also notice frequent fluctuations in their vision and describe "good days and bad days."

Combination of Hearing and Vision Loss: Hearing impairment occurs frequently in RP patients. A unique syndrome of RP and profound congenital hearing loss is called Usher's Syndrome. The combination of both loss of vision and hearing creates a much greater problem. Each must be dealt with early and careful educational intervention is required. Dorothy Stiefel has written a wonderful book on this called The Madness of Usher's Syndrome: Coping with Vision and Hearing LossstUsher's Syndrome Type II.

Emotional Adjustment: Doctors, family and the patient must understand the emotional impact of diagnosing RP. A young individual is being told that they may eventually be profoundly impaired and perhaps totally blind. Counseling may be advised. I recommend Dorothy Stiefel's wonderful books on living with RP, Dealing with the Threat of Loss and Stress and Well-Being. They are available in large print and cassette through Amazon.com. I welcome your questions on RP or other problems causing low vision. You can reach me at <richw@eyeassociates.com> My website is <www.eyeassociates.com>

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Vision Loss in Diabetes
by Richard L. Windsor, O.D., F.A.A.O.

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States for patients age 20 to 74. Diabetes can affect vision in a variety of ways. Vision loss occurs commonly from two major problems--proliferative diabetic retinopathy and macular edema. Both are treatable with laser if detected early, but laser treatments may also create additional vision problems for the diabetic. Visually impaired diabetics have specific needs to be addressed in the low vision examination. Diabetics must see to fill insulin syringes or take oral medications. They need to see to perform tests to monitor their blood sugar. Diabetics need to read labels on food containers to control their intake of carbohydrates. Diabetics may have neuropathies affecting their feet. If the patient is unable to see their feet, other care by their physician, podiatrist or family may be needed to monitor the health of their feet. Glare and loss of contrast sensitivity need to be addressed.

Fluctuating Vision: Diabetics often experience fluctuations in their vision related to changes in nearsightedness or farsightedness caused by ups and downs in their blood sugar. As blood sugar changes, the shape of the human crystalline lens changes. Before prescribing eyeglasses for a diabetic patient, doctors frequently retest the patient on another day to test for these fluctuations.

Loss of Central Sharp Vision: Macular edema is a swelling of the delicate macular tissue in the center of the retina. It does not cause total vision loss but causes a loss of visual acuity. Macular edema can be treated with laser if identified in the early stages. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can detect this swelling through a dilated retinal examination using a microscope and special lenses. Laser can reduce vision loss if caught in time. The vision loss of macular edema responds well to magnification.

Profound Loss of Vision: Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy is the most dangerous condition. It has the potential to cause profound vision loss by damaging the small blood vessels of the retina. Then, chemicals are released from the retina that cause abnormal blood vessels to grow. These blood vessels break and bleed creating scar tissue within the eye. As the scar tissue contracts, it may pull on the retina leading to a retinal detachment. Laser treatment can reduce the risk of severe vision loss by 50 percent.

Color Vision Impairment: Color vision may be mildly affected along the yellow-blue axis.

Reduced Side Vision After Laser: Laser treatment is crucial in saving the sight of many diabetics. Laser, however, causes other visual problems that should be addressed by the low vision specialist. Pan-retinal laser treatments require hundreds of laser burns across the peripheral retina. By lasering these peripheral areas, more oxygen is available to supply the crucial center of the retina, where our sharpest vision exists. Unfortunately, we must sacrifice part of the side vision to save the center vision. Night driving may become more difficult.

Loss of Contrast Sensitivity and Glare Problems: Patients often describe a hazy-glare after laser surgery. Contrast sensitivity, the ability to judge subtle differences in images like seeing a gray object on a dark gray background, decreases. Our world is one of subtle contrasts. We use contrast sensitivity to see faces or find a dark object on a darker background. Amber filters like the Corning CPF series reduce the glare and may aid contrast.

Night Blindness After Laser: The peripheral retina contains more of our rod cells that we use to see at night. Thus in lasering the peripheral retina we lose more rod cells that we need to see with at night. At night clear lenses may be required. If extensive laser has been performed, night driving may become dangerous. Milder forms of laser, called focal laser, may increase glare but have less effect on side and night vision.

Glaucoma: Abnormal blood vessels may also grow into the front portion of the eye causing a severe painful glaucoma. This form of glaucoma can be prevented by timely laser treatment of the retina but once established is very difficult to control. It may lead to profound vision loss.

Cataracts: Diabetics develop cataracts at an earlier age in adults and may occur in children. Cataracts may cause a foggy clouding of vision.

Diplopia: An occasional complication is double vision caused by ocular motor paralysis. It often resolves over several months.

Conclusion: The key to diabetic vision loss is to prevent it through early detection and treatment. Diabetes can cause a vast range of vision problems. Once vision loss occurs, the low vision specialist can aid the diabetic deal with many of these problems.

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Eye Research News

According to an article in the Illinois Braille Messenger, the publication of the Illinois Council of the Blind, researchers at a Chicago-based company called Optobionics have surgically implanted an artificial retina into three patients blind from retinitis pigmentosa. The highly experimental prosthetic device is called an artificial silicon retina or ASR. Although it is still in its preliminary testing phase, the device, composed of silicon computer chips, is intended to take over the work of the retina's photoreceptor cells that degenerate and die in patients with RP. This research began when studies found that the nerve cell network in the eyes remained relatively healthy even after the photoreceptor cells were destroyed. This finding led researchers to believe that computer chips might be developed that could take over the function of the photoreceptor cells. Words like small or tiny would hardly begin to describe this device. The artificial silicon retina is two millimeters in diameter and one thousandth of an inch thick, making it thinner than a human hair. Incredibly, it contains 3500 solar cells designed to convert light into electrical signals.

The surgical procedures on the three blind patients were done by dr. Allan Chow, a member of the Surgical and Implant Advisory Committee of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The purpose of the operations, performed last June, was to see if the device can be safely implanted and whether it can be tolerated in the human eye. For these experimental operations, Dr Chow implanted a smaller version of the ASR in the periphery of the retina.

In the past, researchers have performed very brief experiments to try to stimulate the retina in patients without vision. This is the first time such an artificial device has been implanted in the eye. Much more research needs to be done before this device can be made available.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is also working with two other groups attempting to develop an artificial retina. One is based at John Hopkins University; the other, headed by Dr. Frank Rizzo, at the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Still another research group is working on a silicon chip that could be implanted in the visual cortex of the brain.

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Are You sleep-deprived?
by John Weidlich

Do you have trouble sleeping? If so, could your blindness be a factor? It seems that some researchers believe that people who are totally blind may have trouble sleeping due to irregularities in their body clocks. That's one of the topics discussed in a new book by Lynn Lamberg called The Body Clock Guide to Better Health: How to Use Your Body's Natural Clock to Fight Illness and Achieve Maximum Health. Now, I have not read this book. What i'm writing here is based on an interview that I heard with her on the radio program ACB Report. I'm not totally sure I buy this theory, but I found it interesting enough to pass along to you.

What is the body clock? The author describes the body clock as a small area of the brain that controls every function of our body, including heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, hormone secretion and our sleeping patterns. We've always known about the body clock, but scientists are just beginning to discover more about its effects on us. So what does all of this have to do with blind people not getting enough sleep? Sighted people depend on the presence or absence of sunlight as a cue to keep the body clock in line with our 24 hour day. But blind people, so the theory goes, don't have that option and so our body clocks don't always keep anchored to that 24 hour rhythm. In other words, the body clocks of blind people get slightly out of sync, running just slightly longer than than the normal 24 hour cycle, somewhere between 24 and 25 hours. What this supposedly means is that, for many blind people, sleepiness and waking occur a little later each day, thus throwing off our sleep cycle. The author claims that this affects as many as eight out of ten blind people, who report that they feel sleepy during the day and that feeling of sleepiness comes a little bit later each day. They may sleep well, but their sleep cycle keeps drifting, so they have problems sleeping at the time they would like to sleep. Apparently, this problem has been studied at several universities, both here and in England, leading scientists to the conclusion that about 80 percent of totally blind people have moderate to severe sleeping problems. The solution to the problem may lie in a substance called melatonin, a hormone secreted by the human body. Blind people may secrete melatonin in a pattern that shifts with the sleep cycle. Taking melatonin in pill form can reset the body clock and help stabilize the sleep cycle.

I wonder what you think about this theory. Far be it from me to question the work of scientists, but I do question whether the problem is as extensive as the author maintains. Of course, I have known blind people who claim they don't sleep well, but many sighted people also have difficulty sleeping. Many factors can contribute to sleep deprivation, including stress, worry and other physical problems. Lack of sleep seems to be a major problem for a lot of people. I wonder if it is really more prevalent among blind people.

Here's a little more about the body clock that I found interesting from the interview with Lynn Lamberg. I said earlier that the body clock affects all aspects of health. This may explain why people with asthma, for example, report more severe attacks in the early morning hours when breathing passages are narrower than they are in the afternoon. Other illnesses, such as diabetes, epilepsy and heart disease also seem to show cyclical patterns that may be related to the body clock. Medicines can have different effects on the body depending on the time of day they are taken. Even our body temperature normally varies during the day, falling as low as 96 degrees in the early morning and rising to around 100 degrees in the late afternoon. These findings may eventually change the ways in which doctors treat diseases and prescribe medications for them. Lynn Lamberg's book The Body Clock Guide to Better Health will soon be available from NLS if you want to read more on this subject. In the meantime, sleep well.

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Blind Nurse Gives Her Coworkers New Vision of the Disabled

From The Editor: This article which first appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch was reprinted in the vision Access Magazine, published by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International.

It's been three years since April Woods woke up in a hospital room and slowly began to realize that she was completely blind. She was 23 and had graduated the year before from nursing school as a registered nurse. For more than a week, Woods had been experiencing severe headaches and neck pain and doctors couldn't figure out what the problem was. Within three days, Woods' whole life changed. She went to work one Thursday as a pediatric nurse at a hospital in Enid, Oklahoma. On Saturday, she became a patient there. She went into the hospital on July 12th of 1997. She wouldn't come home again until 102 days later.

Doctors now believe that birth control pills that Woods, who now lives in St. Louis, had been taking for three years had caused blood clots. She suffered a stroke. Swelling in her brain damaged her optic nerve, which caused her to go blind. At one point, about two weeks after she entered the hospital, doctors told her parents, Clyde and Dortha Woods of Dixon, Missouri, that they didn't think she would live through the night. For nearly two days +every was comatose. She doesn't remember much of her first six weeks in the hospital. At some point in that time, April Woods gradually began to come out of her coma-like state. She remembered hearing doctors and nurses talk about damage to her optic nerve. As a nurse, she understood what that meant. In fact, she understood a lot more than what the hospital staff realized. She couldn't talk, because she'd had a tracheotomy and she had lost so much muscle tone that she could barely move. That was the most frustrating part of it says Woods. "People would talk over me and about me but they wouldn't talk to me. Some didn't realize I was a nurse, but I knew what was going on and I understood."

After getting out of a rehabilitation hospital in Columbia, Missouri, Woods went to her parents home in Dixon and began the long road back to recovery. In December, 1997, she moved to Kansas City on her own to attend a center for the blind. She spent the next six months "learning Braille and learning to be blind," she says. After finishing school she went to California where she was introduced to Thomas, an eighty-four pound yellow Labrador guide dog. Thomas now goes nearly everywhere with Woods.

Back in Kansas City, she started looking for a job in the medical field. After six months, she had numerous rejections and no job. People told her she didn't have enough experience, but Woods suspects it was her loss of sight that caused potential employers to have their own lack of vision about her abilities. "I ran into a lot of closed minded individuals," she says. Discouraged, she moved back to her parents home in Dixon. Although her parents had been her advocates and mainstay of support in the hospital, she knew that Dixon was a dead end for her.

Then a college roommate of Woods, who was working at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, asked her superiors what jobs might be available for April Woods. The roommate, Coleen Hodgkins, talked to her nursing supervisor, who talked to Wendy Diebert at Barnes. Diebert found a part-time position available in the hospital's Neurology Unit. The State of Missouri supplied without cost the special screen reading and voice equipment that Woods, now 26, uses to work on the office computer. Diebert described the state as unbelievably supportive in helping Woods adapt to the Barnes job. She works twenty hours a week and conducts six-month follow-up telephone surveys of former neurology patients at Barnes. Diebert says that working with Woods has given staff members at Barnes a whole new respect and insight into working with neurology patients who have lost their sight. "We've gained as much from her as she's gained from us," says Diebert. For now the job is fine. But Woods has applied for a more challenging telephone triage position at Childrens Hospital, where she would be answering calls from parents who have questions about their childrens' health. (Editor's note: I do not know whether or not she obtained that job. The article also states that she plans to go to Washington University where she hopes to earn a Master's Degree in Health Sciences.)

"I miss hands-on patient contact," she says. "I know I cannot do that. I know my limitations." But she is still a nurse and she still has goals. Woods says she likes to think of her ability, not her disability. "I can't say I wasn't upset when I lost my sight or that I wouldn't give anything in the world to have it back," she says. But she knows how close she came to losing her life. She survived with her mind intact after doctors thought she might end up a vegetable. "I'm not bitter. I came very close to not being here. The vision is the only thing I've lost," she says, making it sound like a small matter.

That's not to say there aren't days--what Woods calls her "bad blind days"--when she seems to be tripping over everything and feeling completely clumsy. The hardest thing of all, she says, is not being able to drive. "People take that for granted," she says. She has learned, of course, to take public transportation. She takes a bus and then the Metrolinc to her job at Barnes, but there are still certain places one can't go by bus or Metrolinc.

Woods lives in an apartment by herself near Hampton and Filer Avenues in St. Louis. She works out in a nearby fitness center about five or six times a week. She does her own grocery shopping at Schnooks, where someone in customer service helps her when she needs it. "It's humbling," she says of the times when she has to depend on others. "Independence is very precious to me. I don't like asking for help." She goes out with friends to movies, restaurants and bars. She goes bowling and dancing. She says with a laugh that she plays a mean game of darts. She doesn't think of herself as a disabled person, but rather as a person living with one disability. She understands that people are only trying to help but she says she gets tired of people assuming she's lost or that she can't think for herself. Some people have grabbed her by the arm and offered to take her somewhere. April Woods just wants to be treated like the normal person that she is. "Blindness changed my life," she says, "but it's not bad, just different."

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People Who Have Made It
by Ethel Lee

Some of the people I shall write about in this series would not consider themselves heroes, but in reality, they are.

The person I shall write about this time is the person I have lived with for half out my life. We share everything together. He is my beloved best friend, yes, even when he teases me. For that is a part of being a best friend.

Jim Lee is from Minnesota, and at five years of age, he went to the Minnesota Braille and Sight-saving School. That summer, he played with a harmonica and knew what his first love would always be: music!! He played trombone in the grade school and high school band. He also took piano and organ.

St. Olaf, a Lutheran college in Northfield, Minnesota, was his next stop. There, he studied Education for his major, and minored in music, thus setting the course of his life's work. He tuned pianos to cover part of his college tuition. He enjoyed singing with the St. Olaf Choir.
After graduating from college, he applied to all of the schools for the blind in the United States as a music, braille and piano tuning instructor. Several offers came his way. After praying about his decision, he felt that God was calling him to a big city far away from cold Minnesota. Thus, he packed up his trombone, his Braille music, and his sense of adventure and moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Forty-five years later, he is a transplanted Missourian.

Countless students passed through his classroom, learning piano tuning, Braille, piano, organ, accordion, trombone, and who knows what all else! Students looked at Mr. Lee not just as a teacher, but as a mentor and a friend. In 1995, Jim and his guide dog, Tuper, retired from teaching. But did he retire completely? Not a chance!

Jim has kept busy in many organizations and in many ways. He is now a member of the Hampton Lions. He belongs to the American Association of Retired Persons, which he serves as Secretary and a member of the Christy Chapter choral group. He plays piano and trombone for their many performances each year. He was named Volunteer of the Year in 1999, as chosen by the AARP of Missouri. He has served as President of the Braille Revival League of Missouri, and as Secretary of RITE and United Workers for the Blind.

In addition to all of these accomplishments, he has been a father to four children of his own as well as 53 foster children.

When Jim is not busy with the choral group or writing minutes, we love reading together, taping with friends, and following all kinds of sports. I believe most of all, he loves clocks that don't work, broken piano strings, new stereo systems, hymns for church or the outreach center, and, of course, me. Jim, you're a hero; you've made it! I thank God you belong to me.

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Beware of Dot Cons

With more and more of you using the Internet these days, I thought it might be worth while to point out to you an article from the January, 2001 Braille Forum in case you haven't seen it. The article deals with dot cons that are actually dot cons. Con artists and criminals have been scamming gullible consumers since the days when traveling snake oil peddlers sold their phony cures for everyone's aches and pains. Scam artists have also made use of the mail and the telephone to cheat people out of their money. Now, these unscrupulous folks have taken to the internet to defraud the unwary. These scams include phony auctions, fraudulent business opportunities, and fake health cures. The article in the Braille Forum listed the top ten internet schemes as compiled by the Federal Trade Commission. The article is much too long to reprint here, but I thought it might be worthwhile to point out a few of the things that were mentioned.

Internet Auctions: Consumers are offered a wide variety of valuable items for sale at unbelievably low prices, only to receive merchandise that is less valuable than stated or nothing at all for their money.

Internet Access Services: Who can resist free money? Just cash this check. But when you do, you may find you've been trapped into a long-term contract for Internet access service, with big penalties if you try to cancel.

International Modem Dialing: Consumers are offered free access to adult material by downloading a computer program. The catch is that the program disconnects your modem and reconnects you to the internet through an international long-distance number, resulting in high phone charges to you.

Web Cramming: You're offered a free custom-designed web site for a 30-day trial. But then you're charged for the service even though you didn't renew it after the trial period.

Other scams include pyramid marketing schemes, phony travel and vacation offers, business opportunities that don't return the promised earnings, risky investment schemes and, of course, "cures" for whatever ails you.

Here are some common-sense tips to help you avoid being don conned. Be wary of extravagant claims about performance or earnings potential and get promises in writing before you sign a contract or send money. Read the fine print (something that's hard for us to do) and all relevant links to a web site. Look for a privacy policy. Avoid any company that doesn't clearly state its name, street address or telephone number. Check out unfamiliar companies with the Better Business Bureau or a consumer protection agency. The FTC has a toll-free hotline for filing complaints which also offers information on 150 consumer topics. That number is (877) 382-4357 or (877) FTC-HELP. And always, be a careful shopper, especially when you're online.

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Affiliate Affairs
Where we find out what's going on in your corner of MCB.

Blind of Central Mo
The holidays are over 2001 is here,
We hope everyone will have a great year.

We did not have our Christmas party because of all of the snow that we had.

We had three members join our club. They are Scott Vroegindewey who is blind, Joyce Lehman who is blind, and her husband Bill Lehman who is sighted. They are from Warrensburg. Congratulations to you all and welcome to our club.

We are happy to report that Linda Gerken has a new grandson. Her son Greg's wife Diane gave birth to a baby girl on January 23rd. Her name is Elizabeth Hope and she weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces.

We may have a bowling party in February or March. We will have little sandwiches, chips, relish trays and dip, fruit trays cookies, and soda.

We will have a spring fling sometime in April. It will be on a Saturday evening. We will have food catered in and the ones that want to will bring their instruments and we will enjoy lots of good food, fellowship, entertainment, and fun.

We hope everyone has many good months ahead so until next time keep smiling and keep a song in your heart.

Trudy Howard
Blind of Central Mo
Recording Secretary

County Line Council

The County Line Council of the Blind has been very busy. It has been a very long time since we put anything in the Chronicle. We had a 50-50 raffle, as a project for our club. A lady from Kansas City won the raffle. She received $421 in cash. The winning ticket was drawn by Rosario at the MCB Convention. Thanks to all of you who helped by buying tickets from our members. There were six members and one member at large at the MCB Convention. We all enjoyed it very much. Thanks for all the hard work Queen city put into the MCB convention.

Back in July Leroy and Loretta Welch attended the ACB convention in Louisville, Kentucky. In November, we had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at our regular meeting place. We held our Christmas meeting in January and exchanged gifts at that time. That is all we have to report for this time. God bless all of as.
Loretta Welch, Reporting Secretary

Delta Area Blind

Hello again from the Delta Area Blind. I hope you all had happy Holidays and that you did not get too cold, what with all of the bad winter we have had so far.

Some of the Delta Area members went to Cape Girardeau for their Thanksgiving dinner in November. The dinner was delicious. They also had wonderful entertainment and door prizes.

Some of us also went to Poplar Bluff for their Christmas party for more good food, entertainment and door prizes.

The Delta Area Blind had our Christmas party on December 9 and it was a lot of fun. Cape and Poplar Bluff came to our party as well as some guests. Thanks to everyone for helping us have a good time.

We adopted the Wasson family for Christmas this year.

Some of our members have been in the hospital already this year. They are Mickie Ormsby and Barbara and Marvin Shelton. They are home now and we hope they will continue to get better.

I want to thank all of you who bought our 50-50 raffle tickets. I also thank all of our sighted members for the help they give us.

Just a note to Bev and Don Shockley: Thanks a million for putting the Board meeting agenda in Braille you those of us who need it. Well, that is about all for this time. Happy New Year to all of you.
Marie Thompson, Delta Area Blind President

Guide Dog Users Report

Not too much has happened since my last report, but I do have a speaker lined up for the Guide Dog Users Breakfast at the Convention in Springfield. Her name is Donna Jacobs and she heads a program called Service Dogs of Today. I think you will like her very much. If you have any questions about Guide dogs or about our affiliate, please call (573) 379-5007 or write Marie Thompson, 932 Highway 162, Portageville, MO 63873. Thanks again.
Marie Thompson, Guide Dog Users President

Joplin Service Club

I would like to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas as well.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was hosted by the Christian Villa Church. We had a wonderful meal and exhilarating entertainment for the evening.
Lynda Purdy has been elected as our Representative to the Board of MCB.

During December not much happened because of the thirteen inches of snow and ice we were given by Mother Nature. All of us suffered from cabin fever, so we were very happy that the Service Club was able to meet the Wednesday before Christmas to share the exchange of gifts and lunch. Our Service Club also adopted a needy family for the Christmas Holidays and I want to thank all for helping make this a wonderful and appreciative time for the family.

To start the New Year off, we had our January business meeting on January 9th. Not too much planned as of yet but we are working on it.

We plan on starting a bowling league in February. We also had our first support group of the year with twelve members attending. A special thank you goes out to the brownie lady for the scrumptious brownies she made.

Our prayers go out to Don York who had a fall while he was in North Carolina. Our prayers also go out to Bob and Frances Radke, who are recovering from surgery. Virgil Mccoy is doing well after his knee replacement in November. Bruce Phillips had a speedy recovery from minor surgery just before Christmas. One of our members, Ted Jeffers, received an Honorable Humanitarian Award for helping a family in their time of need. Way to go Ted.
Cynthia Rowen.

Lake Stockton Area Council of the Blind

Winter greetings from Lake Stockton,

Well, the holidays have come and gone for another year. Hopefully, most of the bad winter weather has, too.

We celebrated our bountiful Thanksgiving dinner and meeting on November 2nd. We did equally well for our December meeting and gift exchange on December 7.

Several of our members were ill and absent from our January meeting, including Yours Truly. Don't know what, yet, I'm still taking tests. Hopefully, there will be more back in February.

We've been getting several new members. Hope to get more in the coming year.

After all the winter weather, I think everyone is ready for a change in season and doing other activities. Have a a great springtime.
Nadine Price

OAB Update

Congratulations to Francis and Dorothy Moranville, charter members of the Ozark Association of the Blind, on celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on September 30th. Many friends and family were present at the Methodist Church for an open house to offer good wishes and appreciation to a wonderful couple on their special day.

Special thanks to Roy and Edna Freeman for taking time out of their busy schedule to attend OAB'S pizza party meeting at the Pizza Hut. Edna, your enthusiasm, ideas and encouragement were greatly appreciated.

OAB would like to thank Francis and Dorthy Moranville for holding our garage sale fund-raiser at their home. Thanks also to Irene and Linda Stoll for helping out.

Ida Scotti and Yvonne Schnitzler visited two pre-school classes and an assembly of 247 first and second graders to educate the children about the Missouri Council of the Blind, explaining what we do and its purpose. We had a share and tell time to make them aware of the products available for independent living. We also explained mobility, braille, libraries, and anything else concerning the welfare of the blind. The children asked intelligent and sincere questions as they are not inhibited in any way. The teachers were also enthusiastic and joined in the questioning. High school children told us that their preconceived notions of the blind were changed after having met with us. We highly recommend this type of public relations for the young, as they are our future.

OAB celebrated their Christmas Party at the Hotel Genevieve with food, singing and exchanging of gifts.
Yvonne Schnitzler

Pony Express Association of the Blind

Howdy Friends!!!

Well, you have heard "third time is a charm". After making reservations for the third time, we enjoyed our Christmas party January 25th at the Holiday Inn. Jannell Morris, Vice President, was in charge of our $5 Christmas gift exchange. We played "Musical Presents" which is similar to musical chairs, except we all got to sit and Jannell had to do the running in circles!! We enjoyed piano music by Kelly Kimberly. We had a total of 19 attending. Jannell Morris is also President and founder of the Disabled Students Organization, a club on the campus of Missouri Western State College. Vice President of this club is Sara Skroh, who is also a member of the Pony Express Association of the Blind. Jannell has been working very hard to organize, for this club, a Disabled People Awareness week starting April 16th. I will have Jannell write more about this in the next issue.

Now for a little humor--my white cane??? experiences. I am considering writing a book. It has been proven to me that we need to educate sighted people about "what is a white cane."

We (my husband and I) were on vacation this fall. I was walking in an antique mall, with my white cane, and a lady asked, "Where did you find that fishing pole?" When I explained what I was carrying, a friend of this lady came up to me and apologized for her stupidity and added, "maybe now you will wear your glasses!!"

Next, in a variety store, a lady came up to me and asked where in the store I found my ski pole. I explained my cane and her response was, "but it has a red tip" which was apparently what she needed for her ski pole. I informed her I wouldn't know as I had not had the opportunity to be on the slopes!

I save this experience for last, and you probably won't believe it. I went to the hospital with my husband and used my cane. The hospital is under a lot of construction, so parking is a problem. When we left the hospital, my husband stood me at the curb so he could go to get the car. As I was standing there, white cane in hand, a man came up to me and asked, "Do you do the valet parking?" I wanted to laugh but was lost for words. I just said, "I really don't think I should!!"
Phyllis Zirkle,

Queen City Council

Greetings to all!
October, 2000 was a busy month for all of us, hosting the Convention in Branson under the capable hands of Rosario Mazzella and Nancy Hodson.

The November meeting was a trip to Silver Dollar City to see the lights and shows, and go shopping. We would like to thank Vicky Maples and Bernice Fischer for being drivers and helpers at the Convention and our trip to Silver Dollar City. At Thanksgiving the club gave three food baskets to visually impaired shut-ins. Due to a 16-inch snowfall, our December meeting was canceled; however, the Council did buy and deliver 26 Christmas gifts to area visually impaired children and their siblings.

In January we were able to have our meeting at last between snow storms. Plans for our second annual party for the visually impaired children and their families are now in progress. Last year's party was a great success and we are hoping for an even better participation this year. Keep smiling and remember, spring is just around the corner.
Jobelle Burk

Springfield Service Club

Greetings to everyone,

We hope everyone had a happy holiday season. Several members from West Plains came to our Thanksgiving dinner. We all had a great time with lots of food. The drawing for the quilt was held and the winner was Mark Perr from St. Louis.

We have a new member, John Cocovizza. We welcome him to our club.

On February 12, the Service Club is going to West Plains for a Valentine's dinner. Plans for the Convention are on schedule. Our White Cane Walk will be on May 12th at Phelps Grove Park. This is a major fund raiser for us and we hope to have some radio and newspaper publicity.
marilyn Tuso

Southwest Missouri Friendship Council of the Blind

The year 2001 has brought us two new Presidents, President Bush and President Chip Hailey. Congratulations, Chip, from everybody in the club of the Southwest Friendship Council. We're all very proud of you. You've always been there for us.

We had a good Christmas dinner at Western Sizzling. We exchanged gifts and there was much laughter. There was quite a good turn-out, even though our van, Old Blue, was covered with ice and snow and we had to ask others to drive members to the party.

Chip asked Rita and I to contact the Joplin newspaper and the radio station to talk about Louis Braille. We also went to the Webb City bank to present the President and bank employees with an award.

January 8 was the first anniversary for Virgil and Frances Neely. Congratulations. Kathleen Evertt celebrated her 85th birthday on January 20. She sure does enjoy playing the slot machines. Patrick Clemens celebrated a birthday on January 15th. We decided to have a dinner at the American Legion with birthday cake for these members.

We certainly have a wonderful group of people in our club. Since I joined the club, I've met more friends and been more places than I've ever been in my life. I've met so many beautiful people in the club and in the Council.

I hope Edna got the card I sent her. It was a picture of Edna and Mel Carnahan, taken at the Convention in St. Jo a few years ago. I thought it would be a nice remembrance for you of Mel Carnahan.

I hope that everyone who has been sick because of all of the ice and snow and cold are feeling better.

One of our members, Harold Griffiths, got married on December 31st. We are looking forward to meeting his new wife.

That does it for this time.
Helen Highley

The UWB Report

Hello from UWB,

The UWB had its Christmas Party at Spiro's Restaurant. Luckily, it was scheduled early in the month before all of the ice and snow hit. We were pleased to have a number of guests, including Chip and Linda Hailey, Roy and Edna Freeman and members from several other local affiliates. Entertainment was provided by some students from the Missouri School for the blind, who sang Christmas songs. Patty Schonlau also sang and played the guitar.

We have one new member. His name is Mike Jolls. It turns out that he went to elementary school with my wife Donna and, on occasion used to carry her books. He is now a computer programmer.

The Outreach Committee, chaired by Michael Keller, collected over $150 from members to buy groceries for blind families for Christmas.

Kitty Demsky and Jeanie Jaco both had major surgery and are recovering. Jim Lee had knee replacement surgery and seems to be doing fine. Several others have been in the hospital.

One of the hot topics of discussion at our meetings lately, and in the blind community in general in the St. Louis area, has been transportation. Of course, transportation, or the lack of it, has always been a problem for us, but never more so than now. To try to make a long and very complex story short, this all began because of a series of articles in the Post Dispatch last year about disability issues. One article dealt with the problems experienced by blind and other disabled riders attempting to use the call-a-ride paratransit system, operated by Bistate, which also runs the regular bus system and the Metrolinc light rail system. Much of the article related the problems of one of our members trying to get to and from work. The article said that Bistate has had to deny transportation to as many as 7,000 riders requesting transportation on Call-a-ride a month, because there aren't enough vans to meet the demand for service. This caught the attention of Arthur Lopez, head of Civil Rights for the Federal Transit Administration, who said that Bistate was in violation of ADA paratransit rules. Services like call-a-ride are intended to serve disabled people who cannot use the regular bus system and all trip requests are to be granted. But many blind people have problems using the bus system because drivers don't call stops and many wheelchair users say that the lifts don't work properly. So too many disabled people are attempting to use call-a-ride and the system is being overloaded. Lopez told Bistate to hire a consultant to come up with ways to fix the problem. There are several ways to deal with the problem. One is to increase the number of vans, but there isn't money in the budget to do that. Another is to make the regular buses more accessible to us so that we won't need to use paratransit to get where we want to go. Many of us are concerned that the approach will be to change the eligibility requirements for call-a-ride so that fewer people will be allowed to use it. By the time you read this, we will have had the opportunity to see and comment on the preliminary recommendations by the consultant, although we haven't seen the report as of this writing. There is to be a public meeting on this on February 21, and, judging by previous meetings, it should be very well attended and the discussion could get quite lively. More later.

If you have a computer and you have access to the new ACB Internet Radio station, you may want to check out the program called "Faith Matters", which is produced by UWB member Cecilia Lee. It is a very stimulating half-hour weekly interview show. I don't remember exactly when it is aired, but it can be heard several times each week.

I believe MCB member Dennis Miller also does a program on ACB Radio. We're a little late with this, but congratulations to our President, Jack Lenk, who is now MCB'S second Vice President. He attended his first Board meeting in January and found it to be quite interesting. He was pretty quiet at this meeting, but I'm sure you'll hear a lot from him in the future.

At our January meeting, we learned that Jeremiah Sparks, the teen-aged grandson of Clarence and Mary Lou Jenkins, was involved in a car accident in Rolla, Missouri, which has left him partially paralyzed. Jeremiah lives in Jefferson City and is, I believe, a student at the Missouri School for the Blind. A trust fund has been set up to help with some expenses. If you wish to contribute, the address is Central Bank, Post Office Box 779, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Checks should be made out to Jeremiah Sparks Contributions, Trust-Savings.

That's all for now. More in June.
by John Weidlich

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From The Lower Left-hand Drawer

As usual, we have another collection of new items to share with you. Nothing especially odd or unusual this time, (no talking toilets or anything like that), just a wide selection of resources, including new computer equipment, new magazines and other stuff. As usual, I remind you we are not endorsing any of these products, just mentioning them so you'll know what's out there. As always, your submissions of items for this column are welcome.

I almost hesitate to mention this, because the situation may change drastically by the time you read this, but here's what I have for now. Most of you know that there is an ongoing labor dispute involving the Talking Book narrators at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville and the management of APH. The latest information I have is that the dispute has not been settled; the narrators are still operating without a new contract. The readers voted by a two to one margin to authorize a strike if it seems necessary. As of now, (February 3), no strike has been called but narrators seem to think a strike is likely if the negotiations for a new contract continue to stall. APH is under contract to produce about 500 books this year, as well as about ten magazines, including Reader's Digest and Newsweek, so a strike could have a very serious effect on us. As we told you earlier, the issues are wages, benefits and the desire of the narrators to belong to AFTRA, the American Federation were Radio and Television Artists. We'll all have to keep informed about this situation and hope the issues will be resolved.

Eyes Only is a newsletter published four times a year by the Association for Macular Diseases. It costs $20 and can be order from the Association for Macular Diseases, P.O. Box 220154, Great Neck NY 11022. I don't know in what format it is available.

A company called CPR Technology is offering a talking pager. In addition to speaking all messages, it displays numbers and has alert tones or vibrations that let you know when you are being paged. It also stores messages in memory for later playback. I do not have a price on this item but it is available from CPR Technology, 640 Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY 11238, Phone: (877) 277-5237.

This next publication may only be available in print, but you may find it useful. The new and expanded edition of Disability Information At Your Fingertips is now available. This is a 70-page book listing toll-free phone numbers and web sites for hundreds of resources for people with disabilities, such as government and not-for-profit agencies and organizations. It costs $10. Order from Disability Resources, 4 Glatter Lane, Centereach NY 11720-1032, Phone: (631) 585-0290. You can check with them to see if it is available in an accessible format.

If you're wanting to learn to play the piano by ear, you can check out courses from Piano by Ear. The courses teach you major and minor scales, chords and several songs. You can find out more by calling (912) 249-0628 or by writing Piano by Ear, 704 Habersham Road, Valdosta, GA 31602.

Do you need a Perkins Brailler repaired? There are several places you can go for that. Here's the newest one. It is J. And B. Brailler Repair, the address is Joey Pattison, Box 674, High Rolls, NM 88325. The phone number is (505) 682-2562. There is a $150 flat fee for repairs and the company promises a 30-day return time.

Time Magazine is now available in large print. A six month subscription costs $40. To order, call (800) 234-8600.

You can now replace lost Medicare cards by going on-line, assuming, of course, that you have a computer. Go to www.ssa.gov/medicarecard for more information.

Bert's Eye View: Coping With Macular Degeneration is a new book by Bert Silverman is available in large print from Viewpoint Press. It can be ordered from the Maine Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 189 Park Avenue, Portland ME 04192. The price is $8.39. (Do you ever wonder where they come up with these weird price figures? Why not $8.40? Just one of the mysteries of life, I suppose.)

The National Eye Institute has put out a 22-page booklet in large print called What You Should Know About Low Vision, which contains personal accounts of four people experiencing vision loss, along with some information and resources. I love this address: National Eye Institute, 2020 Vision Place, Bethesda, Md 20892, (301) 496-5248.

One of the hot topics in the blindness community these days seems to be the need for accessible pedestrian signals; that is, signals that would let us know when the light has changed and we can cross streets. Committees are meeting to develop some guidelines on what types of signals would work best and where they should best be used. Of course, there is considerable disagreement among blind people and organizations on this subject. Which intersections need accessible signals and what information should they provide? Do you want a tone to sound when the light changes or a talking sign that would identify the street and tell you when to cross? Can we expect cities to pay the high costs of these signals? Do we need them at every intersection or just particularly dangerous ones and who will decide where they should go? These are some of the questions being hotly debated and the answers aren't easy. At any rate, the Access Board, a federal agency, has issued a free report called Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Overview of the Available Technology and Products to Make Intersections Accessible. You can order it by writing to the Access Board at 1333 From Street, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20044-1111. The phone number is (800) 872-2253. The American Council of the Blind is a strong advocate for pedestrian signals. I believe they have also put together a book on the subject which you can order.

Speaking of reports, The Presidential Task Force On Employment of Adults with Disabilities, established by President Clinton in 1998, has just released its third report. The report, called "Recharting the Course: Turning Points" contains sixteen specific recommendations that government should take to remove barriers to employment for disabled adults. Among other things, the Task Force is asking all Federal agencies to review their programs and policies to see if they are promoting employment for disabled adults. The Task Force also seeks a review of contract laws to encourage the awarding of contracts to adults with disabilities. The Task Force is also encouraging governors to establish similar Task Forces in each state. The Task Force consists of the Secretary of Labor and the heads of eighteen Cabinet-level and other government agencies. It has had a number of accomplishments since it began. One of its achievements was the creation of a new Office of Disability Employment Policy within the Department of Labor. The Task Force also recommended legislation known as the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, which became law in 1999. Once it has been implemented, the law will attempt to eliminate government-imposed disincentives to work for people with disabilities, such as the the loss of health benefits and the financial penalties of working. The new law is also intended to give disabled job seekers more choices in choosing service providers. If you want to read the full report or learn more about the Presidential Task Force, visit the Web site www.dol.gov or call Jennifer Sheehy at (202) 693-4940.

The Classmate is a new portable video magnifier available from Clarity Solutions, out of Santa Rosa, California. I don't know much more about it, but you can find out more by calling (800) 575-1456. You can also visit their Web site at www.clarityaf.com4

Wouldn't it be nice if, before you saw a new movie, you knew how difficult it was going to be for a blind person to follow? Marty Klein has been reviewing movies for the past several years and giving them ratings based on how much sighted assistance he thinks a blind person would need to follow the story line. His reviews of more than one hundred movies can be found on his Web site www.vashhti.net/blind/4 Mary's reviews of new movies can also be found in Dialogue Magazine.

Venusoft, a division of Premier Programming Solutions, has released Scan and Read Lite, software which will scan and read any typewritten document. It sells for $99.95. The Scan and Read Professional, for $139, has additional features. For more information call (517) 668-8188.

Are you thinking about going to college? The Student Aid Audio Guide is a 45-minute CD produced by the US Department of Education, that contains information about federal scholarship and loan programs. It also has information about other sources of student help. Best of all, it's free. Just call (800) 433-3243. Information in Braille is also available.

ESight Careers Network is a new free Internet service whose purpose is to help blind individuals find career and employment opportunities. Visit the Web site www.esight.com or call Gary Wartels at (212) 766-9800, Extension 105.

Here's another new Web site you might want to check out. www.blindcommunity.com lists other! blindness-related Web sites and offers accessible computer games that you can download.

The Eye Trader is a new Internet service where you can list visual aids that you want to sell or trade. To list an item for sale, send one dollar and a description of the item to Eye Trader, 931 Brookmont Drive, Marietta GA 30064. Check the listings by going to www.geocities.com/eyetrader4

Here's still another new Internet service. You can download free tv listings each month that can be searched by performer, movie title, program name and many other ways. For more information, call (800) 577-3492 or send every-mail to tonytv-now.com to get more details.

The Campanian Society, a company that plans tours for blind people, has a number of trips planned for this year to places like Las Vegas, New York City, and Hawaii. To get the schedule and other pertinent information, write the Campanian Society at Box 167, Oxford OH 45056 or call (513) 524-4846.

Howell Mobility Products is a new company that sells white canes, both folding and long canes, along with cane tips. You call Howell Mobility Products at (248) 548-1788 or send every-mail to jhowellmichiganconnect.com4

Tapes of the 2000 ACB Convention are now available. The full set of tapes, containing all general sessions, break-out sessions, the ADA clinic, the legislative seminar, the diabetes seminar and the small business seminar costs $25. Individual session tapes are available for $5. To order, call (800) 424-8666 or send a check to ACB Convention Tapes, 1555 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20005.

The American Printing House for the Blind has just put out a free brochure in print and braille detailing its 142-year history of serving the blind. To get it, call (502) 894-2405, Extension 365.

A lady named Beth Marcus has started a company called Glowdog, through which she sells unique safety apparel for people and pets. The clothing uses a new technology that imbeds millions of microscopic reflectors into the weave of the fabric, causing the garments to reflect light into the headlights of oncoming cars. She sells jackets, hats, pants, raincoats, vests, windbreakers and backpacks, as well as items for guide dogs. You can call her at (888) 456-9364. Her Web site is www.glowdog.com4

The CCAI Company sells a dual headset that lets you listen to two things at once. Why would you want to do that? Well, you could talk to someone on the phone while also getting information from a computer, which would be handy in many work situations. The price is $280. The phone number for the company is (303) 365-0008.

You can order gourmet coffee, tea and gift baskets with braille labels by calling (800) 347-9687. A catalog is available by sending every-mail to coffeecoffeeanyone.com4

California Canes sells carbon-fiber white canes that are said to be lighter than aluminium canes but stronger. To find out more, call (949) 489-1973.

Here's an item from one of our readers. Martha Gephardt has some Braille violin music that she has no use for but doesn't want to throw away. (Don't you just hate to throw away material in Braille? I do.) She hopes someone out there would have a use for it. If so, call her at (417) 869-0187 or write her at 2526 West Grand, Number 62, Springfield, MO 65802.

One of my favorite singers, Ray Charles, was honored at ceremonies on January 8 in Atlanta. He was among those receiving one of the Trumpet Awards, given by the Turner Broadcasting Company to recognize the work of black professionals in such fields as law, politics and entertainment. Ray received the Living Legend Award. The awards ceremony was broadcast on February 24.

I'd like to mention here that I recently received a CD from Cecilia Lee by a young blind musician that I've enjoyed listening to. Her name is Laurel Jean and she lives in Shelbyville, Illinois. She sings, plays the piano and writes songs. The recording I have consists mostly of religious songs, some traditional numbers and some written by her, but she also records folk music. She has also written and recorded piano arrangements of traditional country fiddle tunes. I like her voice and am very impressed by her piano playing. She has formed a company called Music by Laurel Jean to sell her recordings. The address is Route 1, Box 11, Shelbyville, IL 62565. Her phone number is (217) 774-3051. Of course, she has a Web site which is www.laureljean.com4

According to an article I recently read in Newsweek, one of the hottest new magazines in the marketplce these days is The Oprah Magazine, founded by tv talk show host Oprah Winfree. This magazine is now available on cassette from Recorded Periodicals. It costs $36 for a year's subscription. Other new magazines available from this source are The Family Handyman and Selections from The New Yorker. More than 30 other magazines are also available from Recorded Periodicals. These are magazines not available through NLS and they are not free. The address for Recorded Periodicals is Associated Services for the Blind, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. You can call for more information at (215) 627-9600, Extension 3208.

This is certainly not new by any means, but I thought I would mention another recorded magazine here. Choice Magazine Listening consists of articles, short stories and poetry from several popular magazines. It is free and it comes out six times a year on two four-track cassettes. You can order it by writing to Choice Magazine Listening, 85 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050.

We Media Magazine, described as a lifestyle magazine dealing with cross-disability issues, is now available on cassette through the Jewish Guild for the Blind. For more information, call (212) 769-6233.

The American Foundation for the Blind is seeking nominations for the 2001 Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year Awards. This is the fifteenth year these awards have been presented to talking book narrators nominated by talking book users. Two awards will be given this year, one for outstanding narration in fiction and one for nonfiction. A special recognition Scourby Award will also be given. To nominate your favorite talking book narrator for one of these awards, call (800) 232-5463 or send your choices to the American Foundation for the Blind, Communications Group, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York NY 10001. You can send every-mail to afbinfoafb.net4 Nominations must be submitted no later than April 3.

The Quicksilver Radio Theater, based in New York City, has produced several tapes of plays, produced with sound effects and full cast. They include Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, Frankenstein, and a dramatization of Dickens A Christmas Carol. Each one-hour tape costs $10. You can order them by writing to the Quicksilver Radio Theater, in care of Craig Wichman, 245 West 25th Street, Number 3-A, New York, NY 10001.

The new catalog from Independent Living Aids is now available by calling (800) 537-2118.

Gw Micro has just released version 4.0 of WindowEyes, which supports such applications as Internet Explorer 5.5, Outlook Express, and Eudora. It also works with Braille displays. For more information call Gw Micro at (219) 489-3671.

Version 3.0 of the IBM Home Page Reader is now available. This is a talking Web browser that allows blind computer users to read all of the information on Web sites, including text, tables, text presented in columns, forms, and graphic information. It does not require a screen reader. The price is $149. For more information, contact Rebecca Gee at (914) 945-2913. You can also get information from the Web site www.ibm.com/able4

Freedom Scientific has released the latest addition to its line of note-takers, the Braille Lite Millennium Series. There are two models, one with a 20 cell Braille display, the other with a 40 cell display. My understanding is that the 20 cell model is now available, the 40 cell model will be released around May. In addition to all of the features found on Braille Lites, the new units come with a modem and every-mail capability. They also have something called Whiz Wheels for navigating through documents. The 20 cell model costs $3,495, the 40 cell model is listed at $5,595. For more information, call Freedom Scientific at (800) 444-4443.

A couple of columns back, I mentioned the Road Runner Talking Bible, a small device containing the entire Bible in synthetic speech. Here is a similar device, although considerably more expensive. The Spoken Word is a small electronic device containing a version of the King's James Bible, as recorded by Alexander Scourby. The reading is contained on a hard disc inside the unit, which can be listened to with headphones or a speaker. It runs on rechargeable batteries or ACCORDING adapter. The price is $495. (Maybe that's because you're getting Alexander Scourby rather than some mechanical voice.) To order or hear a demonstration, call (716) 693-1444.

A Braille edition of the 1991 Baptist Hymnal is now available for $195 and in large print for $149. The braille edition comes in two volumes in three-ring binders so pages can be removed. It includes hymns and readings. It is available from Blind-sight Ministries, 1919 Oxmoor Road, Number 306, Birmingham Alabama 35209. Phone: (205) 324-4339.

Well, Braille has finally arrived! I have read somewhere that Tuperware is now beginning to put Braille on some of their storage bowls. Way to go, Tuperware.

Finally, this item from the Ziegler Magazine that you may find amusing, or then again, you may not. It seems that Carey McWilliams, a 27-year-old college student from North Dakota, has been issued a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Nothing unusual about that, except for the fact that Carey is legally blind, having only light perception. In North Dakota, applicants for concealed weapons don't have to have full vision; they just need to pay a fee, undergo a background check and pass a shooting test. McWilliams did pass the test, firing 10 bullets into a black target from a distance of seven yards. But can he draw quickly with that white cane in his hand?

That's all for now. But there will be more items in the next issue.

Back to Index

Don't Call Me, I'll Call You

There goes the phone again, just when I'm right in the middle of putting this Chronicle together. The telephone is certainly a wonderful thing and I doubt any of us would really want to be without it. But the phone can be annoying at times, wouldn't you agree? Telephone solicitors, wrong numbers, calls from people who want to talk your arm off when you'd rather be doing something else, and of course those complicated voice mail systems are just a few of the things that might occasionally make us wish that Alexander Graham Bell had found some other way to spend his time. Bill Burris recently sent me a song done many years ago by Tex Williams about his frustration with the telephone and with that usually false promise: "Don't call me, I'll call you." I guess these days it will be "Don't e-mail me, I'll e-mail you." Anyway, here are the words to that song. And you can call me any time--as long as I'm not eating or working on the Chronicle.

I went into a factory to get me a job one day,
I filled out all the papers and the feller said "Ok,
I'll call you in a day or two and we'll get right on the ball,
Now you stay home right by the phone, so you won't miss my call."
"Don't call me, I'll call you, Oh no, I won't forget,"
That's what the feller told me, but he hasn't called me yet,
Don't want to seem impatient, but it makes a feller mad,
But i've been waitin five years now, I need that job real bad.

Another thing that bothers me, when our first baby came,
We sorta promised Grandma we'd let her pick its name.
But Grandma couldn't think of one although she tried and tried,
"I'll call and let you know the very minute I decide.
Don't call me, I'll call you, Oh, no, I won't forget,"
That's what old Grandma told me be she hasn't called me yet.
Don't want to seem impatient but darn it, just the same,
That baby's grown and married now and still don't have a name!

I still recall the night I went to Annie's house and things were goin fine,
Ah, I had her weak and willin and ready to be mine.
Then all at once the phone bell rang and Annie jumped a mile,
She shoved me in the closet and whispered "Wait a while."
Don't call me, I'll call you, Annie said to me,
And I declare I'd still be there just waitin patiently.
But one day someone happened to open up the door,
And I discovered Annie didn't live there any more.

This ornery no-good telephone is leavin here today,
But first, I'll make a lot of calls and on each one I'll say,
"I'm Lawyer Brown, your uncle drowned and left a lot a dough,
I'll find out more about it and I'll call and let you know.
Now don't call me, I'll call you, Oh, no, I won't forget,"
That's what I'm gonna tell 'em and I'll fix 'em good, you bet.
Just when they're all excited and waitin for my call,
I'll grab this doggone telephone and rip it off the wall.

Back to Index

MISSOURI COUNCIL OF The BLIND 8206-A Gravois St. Louis, Mo 63123 Phone: (314) 832-7172, toll-free (800) 342-5632,
Fax: (314) 832-7796 every-mail: moblind`primary.netea
Executive Director: Sheri Keller, Secretary: Patti Ashby

  OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE Chairpersons
  President: Chip Hailey; 2940 West 17th Street; Joplin, Mo 64801. (417) 781-6728. toll-free (800) 644-9667. e-mail: chailey4`ipa.net
  First Vice President: Bill Benson: 612 Francis Place, St. Louis, Mo 63105. (314) 863-6353.
Second Vice President: Jack Lenk: 6347 Mardel, St. Louis, Mo 63109. (314) 351-2814.
  Secretary: Marti Watson, 822 West Scott, Springfield, Mo 65802. (417) 865-0410.
Treasurer: Celita White, 856 Liggett, St. Louis, Mo 63126. (314) 822-2925.
Director: Don Shockley: 3337 Macklind, St. Louis, Mo 63139. (314) 352-4233. every-mail: dshockley`primary.net
Director: John Weidlich, 5736 Bancroft, St. Louis, Mo 63109. (314) 752-3031. e-mail: weidlichswbell.net
Director: Dennis Miller, 1103 N. Luther, Kirksville Mo 63501. (660) 627-4857. e-mail: dennismiller`cableone.net

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Adaptive Technology Grants, Gregg Hollins, 7512 East 52nd Street, Kansas City Mo 64129. (816) 924-3158.
Budget And Finance: Celita White: 856 Liggett, St. Louis, Mo 63126. (314) 822-2925.
Chronicle Editor: John Weidlich, 5736 Bancroft, St. Louis, Mo 63109. (314) 752-3031 e-mail: weidlichswbell.net
Education And Welfare: Lucille Fierce, 2703 Mountain Top, St. Louis, Mo 63125. (314) 846-8305.
Health Benefits: Rosario Mazzella, 3234 S. Dayton, Springfield, Mo 65807. (417) 883-3484.
Membership: Leroy Welch, RR 2, Box 284, Butler, mo 64730. (660) 667-5429.
Public Relations: Bill Burris: 1202 Chateau Drive, West Plains, Mo 65775. (417) 256-3954. e-mail: burriswpcs.net
Resolutions: Bill Benson, 612 Francis Place, St. Louis, Mo 63105. (314) 863-6353.
Scholarship: Phyllis Lovett: 3925 South Jefferson, Number 45, Springfield, Mo 65807. (417) 883-7408.
Special Services: Phyllis Zirkle: 11695 S.W. Rogers Road, Stuartsville, Mo 64490. (816) 667-5884.
Summer Camp: Beverly Shockley, 3337 Macklind, St. Louis Mo 63139. (314) 352-4233. e-mail: dshockley`primary.net
Youth Services: Linda Gerken, P.O. Boing 95, Hughesville, Min 65334. (660) 826-1690.

   Affiliate Presidents
Action Council of the Blind: Russel Ewell, 4579 Laclede Avenue Number 121, Still louis 63108, (314) 261-3629.
Agape Council of the Blind: Elizabeth Moore, 4545 Forest Park Boulevard, Apartment 116, St. Louis, Mo 63108. (314) 361-2456.
Allied Workers for the Blind: David Plumlee, 1625 South Harriss Avenue, Independence, Mo 64052-3731, (816) 836-9247. e-mail: knobmanprimenet.com
  Blind of Central Missouri: Emma Lou Swopes, 502 Main, Hughesville, Mo 65334. (660) 826-2175.
County Line Council of the Blind: Leroy Welch, Route 2, Box 284, Butler, Mo 64730. (660) 679-5429.
Delta Area Blind: Mickie Ormsby, 828 Tanner, Sikeston, Mo 63801. (573) 472-1265.
Innervisions, Inc.: Daryel Banks, 9532 Weyburn Drive, St. Louis MO 63136. (314) 869-7091.
   Joplin Service Club of the Blind: Lyman "Jim" Kauffman, 1410 Ryan Road, Joplin, mo 64801. (417) 782-9890.
Lake Stockton Area Council of the Blind: Dorris Rickert, 719 West Pine, Unit 12 Bolivar mo 65613. phone: (417) 777-2164.
Northeast Missouri Council of the Blind, Dennis Miller, 1103 N. Luther, Kirksville, Mo 63501. (660) 627-4857 e-mail: dennismillercableone.net
Ozark Association of the Blind, Melvin Brown, 1707 Old St. Mary's Road, Perryville Mo 63775, (573) 547-2729
Pony Express Association of the Blind, Phyllis Zirkle, 11695 S.W. Rogers Road, Stewartsville, Mo 64490. (816) 667-5884.
Progressive Council of the Blind: Clint Campbell, 408 East 64th Terrace, Kansas City Mo 64131, (816) 363-5773, e-mail: clintecunicom.net
Queen City Council of the Blind: Rosario Mazzella, 3234 S. Dayton, Springfield, Mo 65807. (417) 883-3484.
RITE for the Blind: Maryan Harrison, 3948 Potomac, St. Louis MO 63116. Phone: (314) 664-6558.
River City Workers of the Blind: Don Wiseman, 2556 Independence, Apartment 28, Cape Girardeau, Mo 63701. (573) 651-3762.
St. Charles Council of the Blind: Lynne Smith, 388 Staghorn, Wright City Mo 63390, (636) 745-8253.
St. Louis Council of the Blind, Jo-An Benson, 612 Francis Place, St. Louis, Mo 63105. (314) 863-6353.
  South Central Missouri Ozark Association of the Blind: Bill Burris, 1202 Chateau Drive, West Plains, Mo 65775. (417) 256-3954. e-mail: burris`rpcs.net
Southeast Missouri United Blind Club, Delavina Ferren, 1400 S. 14th Street, Poplar Bluff, Mo 63901. (573) 785-9046.
Southwest Missouri Friendship Council of the Blind: Rita Galbraith, 309 South Tom, Webb City Mo 64870. Phone: (417) 673-8559.
Springfield Service Club of the Blind, Phyllis Lovett, 3711 South Franklin, Springfield MO 65807, Phone: 417 883-7408.
Tower Club of the Blind: Marie Kelley, 2628 Hope, Maplewood, Mo 63143. (314) 646-8272.
United Workers for the Blind: Jack Lenk, 6347 Mardel, St. Louis, Mo 63109. (314) 351-2814.

Special Interest Affiliates
Adaptive Technoloogy (AT): Hank Pearce, 4914 Smart Avenue, Kansas City, Mo 64124, (816) 231-4914. e-mail: peertech`mciworld.com
Braille Revival League of Missouri: Maryan Harrison, 3948 Potomac, St. Louis, Mo 63116. (314) 664-6558.
Library Users of Missouri: Leo Giger, 827 North Nettleton Avenue, Springfield Mo 65802. (417) 866-5778.
Missouri Guide Dog Users: Marie Thompson, 932 Highway 162 East, Portageville, Mo 63873. (573) 379-5007.
Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Missouri: Jack Lenk, 6347 Mardel, St. Louis, Mo 63109. (314) 351-2814.

THE MISSOURI CHRONICLE March, 2001

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE MISSOURI CHRONICLE
March, 2001