American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-01 WHEREAS, most states now have laws pertaining to the use of guide dogs and/or white canes by blind persons; and WHEREAS, these state laws differ in greater or lesser degree with respect to traffic regulations and the accessibility of housing and places of public accommodation to blind persons using guide dogs; and WHEREAS, blind persons comprise a significant part of our highly mobile national population, moving freely from state to state; and WHEREAS, differences in the laws pertaining to use of guide dogs and white canes may often cause confusion and create real danger to blind persons; and WHEREAS, a clear need thus exists for uniform legislation that would assure equal protection of laws to all blind persons using guide dogs, white canes, or other bona fide aids to physical mobility, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the Blind, in Convention assembled at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, August 3. 1974, that this organization give its full support to the enactment of Federal legislation (1) establishing uniformity of traffic regulations designed for the protection of blind pedestrians; and (2) protecting the equal rights of guide-dog users with respect to housing and full accessibility to public places. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-02 WHEREAS, numerous "spot announcements" regarding blind persons appear on television and radio; and WHEREAS, some of these announcements emanate from organizations and agencies that do not always project a positive image of blind persons and which are primarily interested in promoting narrow interests not shared by the total community of blind persons; and WHEREAS, a positive and comprehensive educational approach regarding the needs and abilities of blind persons is badly needed on a nation-wide scale, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in Convention assembled at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, August 39 19749 that a national campaign be undertaken to develop a series of positive, constructive spot announcements on television and radio that will present blind persons and organizations of the blind in a more favorable light; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that when funds permit, the American Council of the Blind employ a well informed, competent public relations person to conduct this program. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-03 WHEREAS, a rapid increase in the use of books for the blind and physically handicapped has resulted in a shortage of talking-book and cassette machines and long waiting lists for popular titles at the regional libraries; and WHEREAS, the budget of the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress should be substantially increased to provide more books and equipment to meet current demands; and WHEREAS, the program administered by the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is larger than those of several departments of the Library of Congress, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in Convention assembled at Chicago, Illinois, August 3, 1974, instruct its President and National Representative to seek Congressional action elevating services for the blind and physically handicapped to full departmental status in the Library of Congress, and increasing the budget to a level sufficient to eliminate shortages of equipment and reduce the waiting time for books to an acceptable period. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-04 WHEREAS, a nation-wide movement is under way to remove architectural barriers inhibiting the movement of physically handicapped persons; and WHEREAS, blind persons encounter considerable inconvenience from the absence of uniformity in the location and identifiable form of elevator controls in hotels, hospitals, and other buildings, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, at its 1974 Convention at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, that the National Office of this organization is directed to contact the National Bureau of Standards and urge the adoption of a policy requiring uniformity in the location of elevator controls in all new buildings and on all newly installed equipment in existing buildings, and further requiring that such controls be marked with raised, readily identifiable tactile symbols. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-06 WHEREAS, braille is essential to blind and deaf-blind persons as a means of written communication; and WHEREAS, evidence of a relaxation in teaching braille is provided by the fact that the IBM Electric Braille Typewriter has not been widely accepted; and WHEREAS, it is important that a reliable and easy means of writing braille, such as that afforded by the IBM Electric Braille Typewriter, be readily available to persons who have not received extensive training in the intricacies of the braille system; and WHEREAS, it appears that the slate and stylus have been neglected in school programs, even though their portability makes them highly desirable writing instruments, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in Convention assembled at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1974: 1. Urges emphasis on the teaching of braille in all schools and rehabilitation centers for the blind; 2. Urges that the IBM Electric Braille Typewriter be made standard equipment in every agency, library, nursing home, school, public institution, and office serving blind people; 3. Urges the Library of Congress and all volunteer transcribing organizations to teach transcribers to use the IBM Electric Braille Typewriter; 4. Urges that financial subsidies be sought to bring the cost of the IBM Electric Braille Typewriter within the means of all blind persons; 5. Urges that all blind students be taught to use the slate and stylus; and 6. Urges that copies of this resolution be directed to the Library of Congress, all rehabilitation agencies for the blind, all residential schools for the blind, all state offices of education, all organized braille transcribing groups, and the International Business Machine Corporation. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-07 WHEREAS, Good Cheer, the national magazine for the deaf-blind, has been circulated free of charge throughout the past thirty-five years, depending for support on volunteer donations from individuals and a few organizations (three of the latter--the Missouri Federation of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and the Wisconsin Council of the Blind--have generously contributed between three-fifths and two-thirds of the magazine's very limited funds since about 1960); and WHEREAS, it would be necessary to suspend publication of Good Cheer if any of these three major donors withdrew its support-- a fact of life that became quite apparent last year when the annual $250 gift of the American Foundation for the Blind was unavoidably delayed for many months; and WHEREAS, the collapse of Good Cheer, the only braille publication of its kind in the United States, would be a severe blow to those more disadvantaged deaf-blind persons who, despite their great social and economic privations, are eager to read about the activities and accomplishments of their doubly handicapped peers; and who often form lifelong friendships with pen pals discovered in the pages of Good Cheer; and WHEREAS, the British and Canadian governments fully subsidize similar braille magazines for their deaf-blind citizens, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in Convention assembled at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, August 3, 1974, that this organization urge its National Representative, officers and directors to request the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress to provide adequate funds for the support of Good Cheer, an expense that would be far less than the cost of providing braille and recorded editions of any ink-print periodical now available to the blind; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, pending favorable action by the Library of Congress, the American Council of the Blind urge its affiliates to help Good Cheer. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-08 WHEREAS, court reporters must be certified through written examinations to work in some state courts; and WHEREAS, it appears that at least six states have laws or personnel regulations forbidding the use of a Stenomask by persons taking such examinations; and WHEREAS, such restrictions discriminate against competent typists who are blind and thus cannot take the examinations either by hand or shorthand machine; and WHEREAS, blind people have proved themselves to be reliable court reporters in both Federal and state courts; and WHEREAS, the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association (VISTA) has called attention to a specific case in Illinois in which an experienced blind transcriber was denied the right to take the certification examination with a Stenomask, and in which help is being sought to eliminate the restriction, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in Convention assembled on August 3, 1974, at the La SaLle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, hereby authorizes its National Representative to give assistance, upon request by the Illinois affiliate, in conducting research on the legal status of personnel practices in Illinois regarding the certification requirements for court reporters, and to offer suggestions for remedying any unfair practices; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Representative endeavor to identify all other states that have similar restrictions and offer recommendations for correcting them. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-09 WHEREAS, Title XVI of the Social Security Act discriminates against married couples as beneficiaries, in that they are eligible for smaller benefits than are unmarried couples, thereby unjustly imposing a penalty on persons who are married; and WHEREAS, Federal benefits are not adequate to meet the needs of married couples; and it is socially undesirable to reduce benefits because of marriage, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in Convention assembled on August 3, 1974, in Chicago, Illinois, that the officers and Legislative Committee be requested to seek the elimination of existing discrimination against married couples in the amount of such benefits. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-10 WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America has embarked upon a campaign to sand 75,000 letters to the House of Representatives, and in particular to the House Select Subcommittee on Education, which now has before it S. 2581, the Randolph-Sheppard Amendments of 1974; and WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind and the RandoLph-Sheppard Vendors of America have worked diligently in support of this progressive legislation in cooperation with other organizations, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in Convention assembled on August 3, 1974, at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, that its officers and Legislative Committee be requested to assist the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America in its mailing project in the interest of securing enactment of S. 2581; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that participating members be advised to send copies of letters and signed petitions to the ACB National Office. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-11 WHEREAS, several affiliates of the American Council of the Blind still retain the word "federation" in their titles, thereby creating considerable confusion among blind people and the general public because of similarity in name to other organizations; and WHEREAS, such confusion leads to misunderstandings that are not in the beat interests of blind people in ACB organizations; and WHEREAS, American Council of the Blind affiliates in Florida and Tennessee have acted officially by substituting the word "Council" for the word "federation" in their titles, while at the same time retaining their original charters in the old names, to prevent their use by any other organization, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, assembled in Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1974, that those affiliates with confusing words in their titles consider taking action similar to that of Tennessee and Florida. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-12 WHEREAS, our democratic society is based upon the constitutional grant of equal rights, privileges, and immunities to each citizen; and WHEREAS, the national programs of rehabilitation and financial support for military veterans and civilians are grossly dissimilar; and WHEREAS, programs for veterans are based on full recognition of the rights and dignity of each individual, and have demonstrated greater success and economy than other programs based on minimum subsistence and piecemeal rehabilitation; and WHEREAS, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act was originally limited to veterans and was later extended to all disabled persons, but on a far more restricted basis than provisions applicable to veterans; and WHEREAS, the double standard thereby created is not only unfair but also wastefully expensive, particularly in the use of manpower for investigatory activities that result in the destruction of personal dignity, thus undermining the very purpose of the program, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, assembled in Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1974, in recognition of the rights of all people to fair and equal consideration in accordance with the basic law, petition the United States Congress, Federal agencies, and administrative officers charged with responsibility for the implementation of these programs to work for the establishment of financial support, medical and rehabilitation services, educational assistance, and employment opportunities for all blind, deaf-blind, and other severely disabled civilians, on terms of equality with programs provided for veterans. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-13 WHEREAS, a writer who is a respected member of the American Council of the Blind has called attention to the non-existence of any organization explicitly devoted to writers and potential writers who are visually impaired, and has requested that ACB consider tie establishment of such an organization; and WHEREAS, many persons with visual impairments might benefit from such an organization, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, at its Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois, August 3, 1974, that the President appoint a committee to ascertain the interest in and desirability of such an organization. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-14 WHEREAS, large sums of money are spent on research dealing with problems of vision and mobility; and WHEREAS, hundreds of agencies, lacking the money for conducting basic research on the nature of blindness, are nevertheless responsible for providing rehabilitation services for blind persons, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the Blind, assembled in Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1974, direct its officers and National Representative to take whatever action is necessary to introduce legislation creating a major research center on blindness and mobility as part of the National Institutes of Health. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-15 WHEREAS, the National Center for Law and the Handicapped has contributed to the advancement of legal rights of the handicapped, including blind persons; and WHEREAS, cooperation between the American Council of the Blind and the National Canter for Law and the Handicapped is in the best interests of all blind and visually handicapped persons, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the Blind in Convention assembled at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, August 3. 1974, that the officers and National Representative of this organization are hereby authorized to cooperate with the National Center for Law and the Handicapped on projects of mutual concern and importance. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-16 WHEREAS, on January 1. 1973, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare constituted the National Advisory Committee on the Blind and Visually Handicapped; and WHEREAS, on March 7, 1974, its members were duly notified that this Committee was dissolved and discontinued; and WHEREAS, during the past decade, the principle of citizen consumer participation has become well established and widely recognized through the service of numerous consumers as advisers, consultants, policy-makers, and planners in the affairs of government and the community at all levels; and WHEREAS, the continued implementation of this principle is a necessary and appropriate function of our system of democracy; and WHEREAS, consistent with this function, it is the established right and duty of citizen consumers who are blind or visually impaired to serve in such capacities in relation to all agencies that provide programs and services for the blind and visually handicapped, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Convention of the American Council of the Blind, held in Chicago, Illinois, August 3. 1974, expresses its strenuous disapproval of the dissolution of the National Advisory Committee on the Blind and Visually Handicapped, and hereby calls upon The Honorable Casper Weinberger, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, forthwith to re-establish and re-constitute such committee. The following paragraphs are excerpts of a letter from James G. Chandler, former Librarian and President of Volunteers for the Visually Handicapped, to Floyd Qualls, July 26, 1974: As a former librarian and as the president of Volunteers for the Visually Handicapped, I have become painfully aware of the inadequacy of reference materials immediately available to the blind. In particular, it seems both inconvenient and unnecessary that there is no up-to-date, authoritative, inexpensive dictionary that a blind person can consult without assistance. For nearly a year, I have been pondering this problem and have discussed one possible solution with anyone who will listen. It appears to be technically feasible to record a dictionary on tape so that it will be immediately accessible to anyone who can operate a Library of Congress cassette player. In the past, it was difficult to find a specific word within a tape, but an indexing technique being tested at the University of Louisville and the American Printing House for the Blind shows great promise. Further refinement and the actual recording of the dictionary would probably require approximately one to two years. It will be most helpful to all concerned with this project to have an indication of interest from your members. In response to this letter, the American Council of the Blind Convention adopted the following resolution: American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-17 BE IT RESOLVED, that the 1974 Convention of the American Council of the Blind hereby commends Mr. James Chandler for his efforts and services in the production of a cassette tape edition of a complete standard dictionary; and further hereby expresses its encouragement and support of this dictionary project, which will fulfill a previously unmet need of students, professionals, and other blind or visually impaired persons. American Council of the Blind Resolution 74-18 WHEREAS, the Arizona Council of the Blind has made a voluntary contribution of $500.00 to the American Council of the Blind to help in paying the cost of its good work in the interests of blind persons throughout the country, and had advocated a plan for a special fund-raising event by each ACB affiliate which, it is hoped, would annually produce at least $500.00, respectively, for the voluntary support of ACB; and WHEREAS, the plan is in no way an assessment, and would be carried out by each affiliate in its own way, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, assembled in Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1974, that each affiliate be urged to follow the recommended practice of the Arizona Council of the Blind, beginning, if possible, in the last half of this year.