American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-01  

     WHEREAS, Andrew S. Adams, Commissioner of the Rehabilitation
Services Administration, Office of Human Developments Department of
Health, Education and Welfare terminated, as of the 31st day of
March, 1975, upon questionable grounds, the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare Research and Demonstration grant to the
National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and
Visually Handicapped; and 

     WHEREAS, the said Andrew S. Adams, acting in his official
capacity, terminated the said NAC grant, notwithstanding the
following facts and cogent considerations: 

     1.  Said grant had been given official review approval through
the calendar year of 1976; 

     2.  Said grant had prior approval by appropriate departmental
authority for the entire calendar year of 1975; 

     3.  Funds for said grant for the entire calendar year of 1975
had been included in the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare appropriation request, had been considered by the
Appropriations Subcommittee of the House, and had not been deleted
therefrom; 

     4.  And without seeking the advice and consultation of all
national consumer organizations of the blind or agencies providing
services to the blind; and 

     WHEREAS, the said Andrew S. Adams, acting in his official
capacity has designated the National Federation of the Blind as his
"special consultant" consumer organization, to the exclusion of all
other national organizations of the blind and all other national
organizations of citizens with disabilities; and 

     WHEREAS, the said Andrew S. Adams, acting in his official
capacity, has appointed the president of the National Federation of
the Blind as his "special consultant" in all matters of concern in
programs and services for the blind in his office, to the exclusion
of all other national leaders of national organizations of the
blind; and 

     WHEREAS, further demonstrating the undue influence acceded to
by him in the performance of his duties as a high public official,
the said Andrew S, Adams cancelled his scheduled appearance before
the annual convention of the American Council of the Blind, upon
the demand of the president of the National Federation of the
Blind, even though he remained present at the convention of the
National Federation of the Blind for two days or more (on July 18,
he did send a perfunctory mailgram to the ACB convention); and 

     WHEREAS, further demonstrating this pattern of undue
influence, the said Commissioner Adams (without the knowledge and
consent of the American Council of the Blind) did delete sentences,
words, and numerals from an informal memorandum concerning the
annual convention of the American Council which was distributed by
him to the said Rehabilitation Services Administration and to all
state rehabilitation agencies (general) and state rehabilitation
agencies for the blind, which memorandum was prepared by the
American Council of the Blind at his request, said deletions being
highly detrimental and prejudicial to the American Council of the
Blind; and  

     WHEREAS, the said Commissioner Adams has failed and neglected
to implement for the most part the provisions and mandates of the
Randolph-Sheppard Amendments which became effective on the 7th day
of December, 1974, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the
Blind, in Convention Assembled at the Admiral Semmes Hotel, Mobile,
Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that the officers of this
Council are hereby directed and mandated to initiate all
appropriate action deemed by them to be necessary to bring into
being Oversight Hearings by the Congress of the United States to
investigate the complaints set forth hereinabove; and, further, to
conduct an investigation on the over-all administration of the
programs of the said Rehabilitation Services Administration; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers of this Council are
hereby authorized and mandated to take all action deemed by them to
be necessary to achieve correction of the above and foregoing
practices and to improve the administration of the programs of the
said Rehabilitation Services Administration; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution shall
be forwarded to the President and to member organizations of the
American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, together with an
accompanying explanation and request for appropriate action. 

(Submitted by the Board of Directors 
of the American Council of the Blind; 
adopted unanimously.)                    American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 75-02 

     WHEREAS, a dog guide is an instrument of mobility for a blind
person; and 

     WHEREAS, a dog guide, being a living creature, necessitates a
certain amount of expense for a blind person; and 

     WHEREAS, a dog guide is currently recognized as a deductible
medical expense for a blind person by the Internal Revenue Service,


     THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled, at the Admiral Semmes Hotel, in the
City of Mobile, Alabama, on the 26th day of July, 1975, that the
American Council of the Blind takes the position that other
agencies of government, federal, state and local, should also fully
recognize a dog guide as a medical expense for a blind person. 

(Resolution Adopted)                   American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-03  

     WHEREAS, the amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act provide
for ten additional positions for the Office of the Blind to
administer the vending facility program; and 

     WHEREAS, no funds have been appropriated to implement this
law; and 

     WHEREAS, it is urgent that these provisions be expedited in
order to implement the remaining provisions of the recently passed
amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, in convention assembled, at the Admiral Semmes Hotel,
Mobile, Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that this
organization strongly urges implementation of the ten additional
positions by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare immediately seek necessary appropriations to
implement this provisional act; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent
to the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, to the President
of the United States, and to all members of Congress. 

(Submitted by Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America. 
Resolution adopted.)                    American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-04  

     WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, an
affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, has prepared a
resolution advocating continuation of set-aside funds in the
vending facility program; and 

     WHEREAS, a copy of that resolution has been filed with the
American Council of the Blind and read into and made an official
part of this resolution, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, at its annual convention, at the Admiral Semmes Hotel,
Mobile, Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that it hereby
endorses the action taken by the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of
America in that resolution.  

     WHEREAS, set-aside funds have been contributed for the
advancement and growth of the vending-facility program for the
blind; and 

     WHEREAS, the majority of states rely on the set-aside funds to
ensure the growth of the vending-facility program; and 

     WHEREAS, statistics show that in most states where set-aside
funds are collected, earnings of the operators have shown growth, 
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Randolph-Sheppard
Vendors of America that this organization shall encourage and
support continuation of the set-aside funds. 

(Resolution adopted)                   American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-05  

     RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in
convention assembled at the Admiral Semmes Hotel, Mobile, Alabama,
on July 26, 1975, endorses action taken by the Arizona Council of
the Blind at its June, 1975 annual convention by resolution urging
the American Council to assist its affiliates in forming committees
and/or agencies to improve opportunities for employment of the
blind and physically handicapped. 

(Adopted unanimously)                   American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-07  

     WHEREAS, there is public sentiment to remove the two thousand,
five hundred twenty dollar ($2,520.00) income limit before reducing
Social Security benefits; and 

     WHEREAS, this restriction is grossly unfair to all concerned,
including blind and physically handicapped persons, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, at its annual convention in Mobile, Alabama, this 26th day
of July, 1975, that all possible avenues of removing this
restriction be explored. 

(Referred to Legislative Committee)                   American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-09  

     WHEREAS, the American Library Association has recommended that
ten dollars ($10,00) per citizen be expended to provide good
library service to all; and 

     WHEREAS, library service for the blind and physically
handicapped is nationally inferior to service available to citizens
privileged to use conventional libraries, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, at Mobile, Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that this
organization shall instruct its officers to seek introduction of
legislation providing ten dollars ($10.00) per estimated blind and
handicapped citizen, to provide adequate library service; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that for the purpose of this effort,
the recognized estimate of 3.7 per cent of the last decimal census
shall be considered to be eligible for this service; thus, the
appropriate legislation shall provide a minimum of $76 million to
be divided among the various libraries rendering service in the
Library of Congress network. 

(Resolution adopted,)                   American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-10  

     WHEREAS, the Missouri Federation of the Blind is extremely
proud that one of its members, a charter member of the American
Council of the Blind, has been asked by the World Council for the
Welfare of the Blind to present a paper on the subject of "Blind
Women in Community Living" at its meeting in November, 1975 in
Belgrade, Yugoslavia; and 

     WHEREAS, the WCWB is limited in its funding to providing food
for the participants; and 

     WHEREAS, the plane fare alone to Belgrade and return is in
excess of $1,800.00; and 

     WHEREAS, it is fortunate that Mrs, Alma Murphey, the
individual referred to, has a son employed by Trans World Airlines,
who can get greatly reduced rates for his mother, who is certain
she can pay all her expenses for $1,000.00; and 

     WHEREAS, this invitation adds great statute to both the
American Council of the Blind and the Missouri Federation of the
Blind, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, meeting in its annual convention at the Admiral Semmes
Hotel, Mobile, Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that it will
provide five hundred dollars ($500.00) toward the expenses for Mrs.
Murphey, provided that the Missouri Federation of the Blind will
provide the additional five hundred dollars ($500.00). 

(Resolution defeated)                   American Council of the Blind
                      Resolution 75-12    

           HANDBOOK ON FEDERAL HANDICAPPED EMPLOYEES  

     WHEREAS, it is a fact that throughout the country, many blind
and severely handicapped persons are functioning normally in the
Federal service; and 

     WHEREAS, the customary response to a supervisor who is asked
to employ such a person is: "Oh, he couldn't handle this job"; and 

     WHEREAS, many rehabilitation counselors are unaware of the
jobs being performed by these persons, and as a result, they are
not channeling their clients into the avenues where the potential
jobs are available, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, at their annual convention at the Admiral Semmes Hotel,
Mobile, Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that the National
Representative is hereby instructed to draft a proposal to be
presented to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare,
offering to prepare a handbook of such jobs now being held by
severely handicapped persons in the Federal service, and that this
handbook, when completed, be distributed to all Federal agencies
and offices, and to all state rehabilitation agencies; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that such proposal contain a budget of
at least two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the
completion of this project. 

(Submitted by Federal Civil Service Employees Committee. 
Adopted unanimously.)                    American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 75-13 

     RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention
assembled this 26th day of July, 1975, at the Admiral Semmes Hotel,
Mobile, Alabama, that ACB President Floyd Qualls be urged to
institute a periodic presidential bulletin (preferably monthly or
bi-monthly), said bulletin to contain comprehensive information
concerning the activities and accomplishments of the President and
of the National Representative, of the Board of Directors, and of
others conducting business on behalf of the American Council of the
Blind; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ACB President shall appoint
consultants to assist state affiliates and their chapters with
advice and direction concerning such organizational matters as
public relations, fund-raising, legislation, organizational
development, and community involvement; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the above information be provided
on cassette tape and/or in large-type to state and chapter
presidents. 

(Submitted by the Florida Council of the Blind. 
Resolution adopted.)                    American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-14  

     WHEREAS, the National Association of Blind Teachers, an
affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, has enacted a
resolution calling for wider distribution of curriculum materials
in braille to blind students and with regard to residential school
programs, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of
the Blind, at its annual convention in Mobile, Alabama, on July 26,
1975, endorses the action taken by the National Association of
Blind Teachers.  

                        RESOLUTION OF    
            NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND TEACHERS  

     WHEREAS, movement between public and residential schools by
blind students is the prevailing trend; and 

     WHEREAS, teachers of visually-impaired students have expressed
a need for coordination of curricula between public and residential
systems; and 

     WHEREAS, blind students who are enrolled in programs of
professional education have access to little curriculum material in
readily usable form, 

     THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association of
Blind Teachers, meeting in Mobile, Alabama, on July 22, 1975,
requests the Library of Congress to obtain copies of current
curricula from residential schools for the visually impaired and
make them available in both braille and print through regular
library channels. 

(Resolution adopted)                   American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 75-16 

     WHEREAS, the quality of life is more than shelter and
sustenance; and 

     WHEREAS, over half the blind population is over 60 years of
age; and 

     WHEREAS, many blind persons life in residential facilities or
in rural areas not accessible to public transportation, thus making
it difficult for them to find activities to satisfy their
recreational needs and otherwise occupy their leisure, 

     BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, at its
annual convention, this 26th day of July, 1975, in Mobile, Alabama,
encourage and urge its affiliates to take an active part in
gathering the resources necessary, financial and otherwise, to
provide leisure-time activities for the elderly blind persons who
need them. 

(Submitted by Arkansas Council of the Blind. 
Adopted unanimously.)                    American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-17  

     Today it is not enough just to be right; we must be recognized
as right by the general publics and our goals and aspirations must
be clearly known and understood. 

     THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, this 26th day of July, 1975, at
Mobile, Alabama, that the American Council of the Blind shall
produce a documentary and/or promotional "spots" of its history,
goals and activities, for release over any available TV and radio
outlets, and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that funds for the promotion of this
endeavor shall be solicited from affiliates, members and
supporters, in order to produce a product which will reflect credit
on the organization and which will have commercial appeal in todays
competitive market; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that to achieve this end, the
President shall direct the public-relations representative of the
American Council of the Blind to analyze the needs, techniques, and
costs of this undertaking for presentation to the ACB Board and,
upon approval, to direct the development of such documentary and/or
promotional "spots." 

(Adopted unanimously.)                   American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 75-18 

     WHEREAS, mobility is generally acknowledged to be a major
problem of the blind; and 

     WHEREAS, efficient and safe mobility is a prime prerequisite
for the remunerative employment or self-employment of the blind;
and 

     WHEREAS, there are two major methods of mobility which have
been proved to be satisfactory solutions to this problem, those
being the white cane and the dog guide; and 

     WHEREAS, it is absolutely essential to the well-being and best
interests of the blind to have access to all places of business
open to the public, as well as all forms of transportation,
accommodations, and hotel and motel facilities and housing which is
for rental or purchase; and 

     WHEREAS, it is a common objective of blind people to be
independent and self-supporting on an equal basis with other
people; and  

     WHEREAS, it is just, fair, and reasonable for them to have 
adequate opportunity to achieve these goals; and  

     WHEREAS, state laws governing those situations differ from one
state to another; and 

     WHEREAS, it is desirable to have fair, just, reasonable, and
uniform protection throughout the United States for blind people
under the laws of the nation as a whole, 

     THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, in convention assembled at the
Admiral Semmes Hotel, Mobile, Alabama, July 26, 1975, that the
American Council of the Blind shall cause to be drafted a
comprehensive Civil Rights Act for the Blind, and shall introduce
such legislation before Congress within the next twelve months,
prior to the ACB convention in 1976. 

(Resolution adopted unanimously.)                   American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 75-19 

     WHEREAS, the education and training of blind children through
elementary and high-school years is of the utmost importance; and 

     WHEREAS, throughout the United States, many years of
experience have proven that the residential school has led the way
in providing sound and thorough educational basis for blind
persons, which has enabled them to become self-supporting,
independent, participating, leading members of society; and 

     WHEREAS, the success of any educational program depends upon
its ability to provide thorough training in the basic skills needed
in order to permit full development of the individual, including
those skills which will permit him full integration into the
society in which he lives; and 

     WHEREAS, the residential schools throughout the United States
which have been most successful in the training and development of
blind persons have been those schools which have not only taken
great pains in providing thorough training in all academic skills,
but have also provided for the integration of the student into the
community in which he is located; and 

     WHEREAS, it is well established that most blind persons find
opportunities for employment and full participation in urban areas
where mobility for a blind person is most easily acquired, and
where opportunities for employment are most easily found, 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind, at its annual meeting in Mobile, Alabama, on the 26th day of
July, 1975, that the organization urges that whenever any state is
considering the location of a residential school for the blind,
that it not only consider the physical plant for housing and
training, but that it also give utmost importance to the location
of the school in an area which will permit full development of
mobility skills, maximum participation in the community, and
maximum utilization of community resources, including colleges and
universities, medical facilities, vocational training facilities,
easy availability of volunteer resources, utilization of public
school facilities, and good public transportation. 

(Submitted by Associated Blind of California. 
Resolution adopted)                  American Council of the Blind
                        Resolution 75-20

     WHEREAS, Sections 501, 503, and 504 of the Rehabilitation
Amendments of 1973 prohibit discrimination in employment because of
handicapping conditions; and 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind was a leading
exponent of those sections, which represent an important but
partial achievement of the goal of fair and equal treatment of
blind and handicapped persons; and 

     WHEREAS, because of those sections of the Rehabilitation Act
the American Council of the Blind was invited recently to
participate in a joint effort with 168 other national organizations
to oppose newly proposed rules which would, if finally promulgated,
reduce the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare to a complaint-receiving agency rather than
one which investigates and enforces various laws against
discrimination; and 

     WHEREAS, it is the long-standing policy of the American
Council of the Blind to have blind and handicapped persons included
as protected classes in all federal civil rights laws; and 

     WHEREAS, the support of the 136 national organizations which
comprise the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights is essential to
our extending such laws to include blind and handicapped persons;
and 

     WHEREAS, the By-Laws of the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights provide in part:

B.   PARTICIPATION  

     Section 5. Participating organizations retain their autonomy
and distinct identity and are the sole arbiters of their own
positions, policies, and programs.  Policies and recommendations
arrived at by consensus in the Conference are not binding upon the
participating organizations.  

     Section 6. When there is consensus in the national board or in
the executive committee, a public statement may be issued or a
public action taken in the name of the Conference; provided,
however, that the names of participating organizations shall not be
listed in such statement or action without their express
authorization.  and  

     WHEREAS, the official Statement of Purpose of the Leadership 
Conference on Civil Rights provides:  

     The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights is a voluntary,
non-partisan association of autonomous national organizations
seeking to advance civil rights for all Americans through
government action at the national level.  By "civil rights," we
mean not only the establishment and enforcement of rights and law,
but also the realization of social and economic conditions, in
which alone the fulfillment of these rights is possible.  

     The Conference operates within the framework of the following
principles and commitments:  

A.  We are committed to an integrated, democratic, plural society
in which every individual is accorded equal rights, equal
opportunities, and equal justice, without regard to race, sex,
religion, or ethnic origin; and in which every group is accorded an
equal opportunity to enter fully into the general life of the
society, with mutual acceptance and regard for difference.  

B.  We believe that this goal can and must be achieved through
peaceful, democratic means and within the American political
system.  

C.  Responsibility for achieving our goals is shared by all
Americans who believe in justice and equality.  Accordingly, there
can be no distinctions based on race, sex, religion, or ethnic
origin among those engaged in the common effort to achieve them.  

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the 
Blind, in convention assembled at the Admiral Semmes Hotel, Mobile,
Alabama, this 26th day of July, 1975, that the President be
authorized to effect participation of the American Council of the
Blind in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. 

(Adopted unanimously.)                   American Council of the Blind
                       Resolution 75-21  

     WHEREAS, education is the basis and foundation of human
endeavor; and 

     WHEREAS, education of the blind is imperative to the success
and accomplishments of blind individuals; and 

     WHEREAS, quality and quantity of equal educational opportunity
is the basis of a successful educational program, 

     THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the
Blind, meeting in Mobile, Alabama, July 26, 1975, strongly support
and encourage a program of legislation aimed at the achievement of
equal educational opportunities for the visually impaired. 

(Submitted by Michigan Council of the Blind. 
Adopted unanimously.)