American Council of the Blind 
                        Resolution 64-01

     WHEREAS, federal matching funds are distributed by formula to
the states having approved plans for rehabilitation programs
without regard to the quality of performance of placement
counsellors and agents in the job placement of clients who are
blind, and without regard to the potential of their clients
numerically and otherwise, and without regard to the potential of
the geographic area being served;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, in meeting assembled this 25th day of July, 1964, that this
convention hereby directs the Employment Opportunities Committee to
conduct a study of the matching formula and its attendant
weaknesses and report on the same to the 1965 convention.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-02

     WHEREAS, the National Committee for the Accreditation of
Teacher Education (otherwise known as NCATE) is gaining increasing
recognition in educational circles as the national accrediting
agency for all programs of teacher education for the purpose of
standardizing and improving the quality of their educational
programs; and

     WHEREAS, some schools, notably in the State of Tennessee, have
set up physical standards for the admission of students into their
programs of teacher training, and there is danger that other
schools may do likewise; and

     WHEREAS, the imposition of strict physical standards for
admission to teacher training programs is likely to result in the
exclusion of academically qualified blind students from the
opportunity to procure an education as a teacher; and

     WHEREAS, the schools taking such action have indicated that
they have done so in order to conform to the standards established
by NCATE;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled this 25th day of July, 1964, in
Rochester, New York, that we respectfully urge NCATE to clarify its
position on the importance of physical standards for the admission
of students to programs of teacher training, so as to prevent its
name being used to justify the denial of opportunity of
academically qualified students to obtain an education in their
chosen field;

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers and directors of the
American Council of the Blind be directed to take all appropriate
measures in order to obtain such a clarification.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-03

     WHEREAS, there have been a number of instances in which the
right of academically qualified blind students to enroll in
programs of teacher education has been questioned, or in which
blind graduates from such courses have been denied accreditation or
licenses solely because of their blindness; and

     WHEREAS, abundant documented proof is available that blind
persons can be successful and even outstanding teachers;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind assembled in annual convention at Rochester, New York, this
25th day of July, 1964, as follows:

1.   That it is the consensus of this convention that the
     proposition is completely untenable that physical disability
     in itself is an insuperable barrier to achievement in any
     field and that on the contrary, the history of government,
     literature, the arts, sciences and all other areas of human
     endeavor proves that it is more often a spur to achievement.

2.   That we recognize that the teaching profession is justified in
     doing everything possible to raise its standards of
     intellectual capacity, academic achievement and moral
     integrity, but that if a candidate for training, accreditation
     or licensing meets these standards, he should not be denied
     the opportunity to put them to use simply because of a visual
     defect of whatever degree.
                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-04

     WHEREAS, H.R. 5194 commits the Vocational Rehabilitation
Administration to an enlarged and permanent departure from and
perversion of the basic concept of vocational rehabilitation and
diverts both money and effort from the primary purpose of the
rehabilitation of blind and other handicapped persons; and

     WHEREAS, it is the belief of this organization that the
sheltered workshop can be only for the industry of those who are
not capable of engaging in competitive employment, or for the
initial training and orientation of those who can engage in
competitive employments and that the placement in sheltered
workshops as terminal employment for those who are capable of
engaging in competitive employment is a violation of the true
objectives of rehabilitation;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this 1964 convention of
the American Council of the Blind, assembled in Rochester, New
York, this 26th day of July, instructs its Legislative Committee to
oppose the workshop provisions in H.R. 5194.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-05

     WHEREAS, it would be directly contrary to the democratic
spirit of the American Council of the Blind if its members were
compelled to select its officers and Board members on the basis of
their personal wealth and financial ability to attend conventions
and Board meetings;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, in convention assembled this
26th day of July, 1964, in Rochester, New York, that this
organization recognizes that it has a financial responsibility
toward its elected officials and that, at such a time as the
condition of the treasury will permit, convention expenses, in a
degree to be determined by the Board, shall be made available to
the members of the Board and to the constitutional officers.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-06

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind at this 1964 convention, that a service program be
established for existing credit unions having blind people in their
fields of membership, including exchange of publications of
relevant materials and offer consultative service to groups of
blind persons who wish to establish or consider the establishment
of new credit unions.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-07

     WHEREAS, for the past two years the President has appointed a
committee of three Ambassador Award judges whose function it has
been to select annually a legally blind resident of the United
States to be given an award by the American Council of the Blind as
Ambassador Extraordinary, who, by his personal characteristics and
example of a full and active life dedicated to the public interest,
has rendered invaluable service to the entire blind population by
improving the public's understanding of the abilities and
potentialities of blind persons;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled this 26th day of July, 1964, at
Rochester, New York, that this convention approves the
establishment of such a committee and award, and authorizes its
continuation;

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors is
authorized to appropriate funds for the award, and for the expenses
of the recipient incident to his attendance at our convention for
its presentation in an amount reasonable in the existing
circumstances;

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Committee of Judges shall
consider all nominations submitted to it and that it shall make its
selection solely on the merits of the nominee independent of
political or other considerations, and that the Committee shall set
up its own rules of procedure.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-08 

     WHEREAS, one of the most serious problems encountered by
persons who are both deaf and blind is their difficulty in
communicating with relatives and friends; and

     WHEREAS, this inability to communicate not only has the effect
of   making large problems out of small ones, but creates a
condition of    extreme loneliness for deaf-blind persons; and

     WHEREAS, the solution of this problem cannot come alone from
national, state or local organizations, but needs also to be
handled on an individual basis;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled this 23rd day of July, 1964, at
Rochester, New York, that this organization encourages every
Council member become acquainted with deaf-blind persons in his
community, learn to use their methods of communication, and do
whatever seems practical and feasible to assist deaf-blind persons
so that they might live happier and more useful lives.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-09

     WHEREAS, in a recent survey conducted by a committee of the
American Council of the Blind, it was revealed that deaf-blind
persons feel the need for a service which will make up-to-date
local news available to them; and

     WHEREAS, publication of information concerning this survey
inspired persons in various locations throughout the country to
volunteer to prepare such news bulletins in braille and circulate
them to deaf-blind persons in their respective areas;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled this 23rd day of July, 1964, at
Rochester, New York, that this group of volunteer workers is hereby
heartily commended, and encouraged to continue to perform this
service as long as it appears that the need exists.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that minor expenses incurred in
providing this service be underwritten by the American Council of
the Blind, the total expenditure not to exceed $100.00 annually.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-10

     WHEREAS, when a blind individual also has a serious hearing
loss, he is apt to have additional expenses for such items as
hearing aids, special devices for communication, guide or companion
service, etc., in order to live a happy, useful life; and 

     WHEREAS, aid to the blind welfare grants often are not large
enough to ameliorate the special problems of such multiply
handicapped persons who represent only a tiny percentage of the
total population;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled this 26th day of July, 1964, in
Rochester, New York, that the Legislative Committee of this
organization be instructed to seek liberalization of Titles X and
XVI of the Social Security Act so as to provide additional
financial allowances to individuals with profound deafness or
seriously impaired hearing who are receiving public assistance
grants.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-11

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled this 26th day of July, 1964, in
Rochester, New York, that this organization urges that, because of
the extremely specialized needs of persons who are both deaf and
blind, the Vocational Rehabilitation Administration provide more
training opportunities for professional workers who may have
deaf-blind clients, and for the deaf-blind themselves, with a view
to enriching the lives and increasing the constructive activities
of deaf-blind persons.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent
to Miss Mary Switzer, Commissioner of the Vocational Rehabilitation
Administration, and to the thirty-seven colleges offering training
for vocational rehabilitation counsellors, and to the Western
Reserve University's training program for home teachers.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind
strongly favors more programs for training deaf-blind persons such
as now being offered in Brooklyn, New York by the Industrial Home
for the Blind, and in other areas of our country.                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 64-12

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of
the Blind in meeting assembled in Rochester, New York, this 26th
day of July, 1964, deplores the practice of mendicancy on the part
of blind persons, and hereby urges all municipalities and states to
enact and enforce legislation prohibiting the same; and further
urges the Federal Government and the state governments to
liberalize welfare and rehabilitation programs so as to eliminate
all justification for the soliciting of alms.