AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-01 
                                
                       Braille in Schools 

     WHEREAS, it is a fact that braille is the only medium of
literacy available to blind people; and 

     WHEREAS, recorded materials, the Optacon and other reading
machines are a complement to but not a substitute for braille
because none of them make writing possible; and 

     WHEREAS, blind and visually impaired high school graduates
need every advantage available to them in order that they may
continue their education, compete successfully in employment, and
perform activities of daily living; and 

     WHEREAS, the visual problems of school age students are likely
to become more serious in adult life; and 

     WHEREAS, braille can be most appropriately learned during
school years; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization abhors the gross
neglect of the teaching of braille that exists both in residential
schools and public school systems; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization believes that
if children must rely on magnification for effective reading and if
reading speed in print is less than that of average braille
readers, such students should be taught braille; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the staff and Directors of this
organization shall take all appropriate action to assure that the
teaching of braille is mandatory to all students for whom it is
appropriate both in residential and public schools. 

     Copies of this resolution shall be sent to the Association for
the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired, the National Association of State Boards of Education,
the Council of Executives of American Residential Schools for t@e
visually Impaired, and the Secretary of Education. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-03   

                      Teachers' Materials 

     WHEREAS, the American Printing House for the Blind is the
major producer of educational materials for use by blind and
visually impaired students; and 

     WHEREAS, a significant number of teachers of visually impaired
children are themselves visually impaired; and 

     WHEREAS, the American Printing House for the Blind does not
now produce teachers' manuals and teachers' editions of textbooks; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 14th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization, the Council of
Citizens with Low Vision, the Braille Revival League, and the
National Association of Blind Teachers establish a committee which
will collaborate with the American Printing House for the Blind,
the National Braille Association, and other appropriate groups to
assure that needed teacher-oriented materials in appropriate media,
are made available at low cost and with expedition. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-04 

                  Supplemental Study Materials

      WHEREAS, the American Printing House for the Blind currently
produces many textbooks without producing accompanying work books,
tests or other supplemental elements; and 

     WHEREAS, such materials are needed by students to assure the
appropriate achievement of goals as set out in Individualized
Educational Programs; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 14th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization strongly
recommends that the American Printing House for the Blind make
every effort to broaden the availability of appropriate
supplemental materials. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-05 

               Quality Control of Cassette Books 

     WHEREAS, cassette books are a major source of reading material
for the blind and physically handicapped of the United States; and 

     WHEREAS, the quality of cassette tape used for cassette books
appears to have become steadily inferior over the past five years;
and 

     WHEREAS, such seeming poor quality not only is an
inconvenience to the patrons reading these books, but also causes
the regional libraries and sub-regional libraries across the United
States to incur the expense of replacing these cassettes; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization does strongly
urge the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped to enforce the existing quality standards for cassette
tape used for books sponsored by the National Library Service
program; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the quality of tape used by the
producers of such books be checked annually to assure that they
meet these standards.  Copies of this resolution shall be sent to
the Notional Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped, and all producers of such books. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                      RESOLUTION 87-06    

                        Guide Dog Access 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind is a membership
organization working for the civil rights of all blind individuals
in the areas of social, economic and educational activities; and 

     WHEREAS, increasing numbers of blind individuals, as
demonstrated by the expanding membership of the American Council of
the Blind affiliate, Guide Dog Users, Inc,, are choosing to use
guide dogs; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the President and Board of
Directors of the American Council of the Blind in cooperation with
the President of Guide Dog Users, Inc. shall prepare and adopt a
policy which will require that all activities be they business or
social, are open to all members of the American Council of the
Blind without regard to use of guide dogs; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this adopted policy shall be read
during a business session to those attending the 1988 American
Council of the Blind convention in Little Rock, Arkansas, in
confirmation that official Board action has been taken. 

This resolution was adopted as amended.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary  
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-08 

                Use of ABLA Members as Attorneys 

     BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in
convention assembled on this the 14th day of July, 1987, in Los
Angeles, California, that this organization requests its state,
local, and special interest affiliates needing legal services,
should consider utilizing the services of available and interested
American Blind Lawyers Association attorneys.  In this regard, said
affiliates should inquire of the American Blind Lawyers Association
and/or the American Council of the Blind for the names and
addresses of American Blind Lawyers Association members in their
locales and contact those members to ascertain their availability
and willingness to perform such services. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary 
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-09  

                  Support for Senate Bill 1077 

     WHEREAS, the Urban lass Transit Administration has issued
revised regulations to providers of "special transportation" for
citizens with disabilities pursuant to the implementation of
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1983 as amended; and 

     WHEREAS, interpretation of certain ambiguous language in the
regulations has caused many providers to incorporate errantly
discriminatory qualifications against large segments of the
handicapped population, especially for persons who are blind and
people who are mentally retarded; and 

      WHEREAS, to rectify this intolerable discrimination and to
restore full and active use of specialized transportation, the Hon.
Allen Cranston, Senator from California, has introduced a bill,
namely Senate Bill 1077; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization commends Senator
Cranston for this action and supports all elements of this
legislation; and 

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers, directors and
staff of this organization are hereby instructed to convey the
position of this organization to all appropriate parties and to
work to attain adoption of this important bill; and  

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization urges all
state, local and special interest affiliates to work toward these
ends. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-10  

                 American Council of the Blind 
        Resolution Requesting More Children's Magazines 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind is the largest
advocacy group of and for the blind; and 

     WHEREAS, with this fact in mind, this organization recognizes
its responsibility to be concerned with the needs of young people
who are visually impaired; and 

      WHEREAS, there appear to be very few periodicals available
that meet the reading needs of elementary school and junior high
students who are blind and visually impaired, particularly in
recorded versions; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the National Library Service for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped be urged to produce additional
magazines to meet the reading needs of this population. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary 
                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-12   

                           Tax Reform 

      WHEREAS, since 1954 the Federal Income Tax Code has contained
a special exemption for legally blind persons in recognition of the
fact that it costs a blind person more to live than a sighted
person because of the necessity of cabs, readers, paid help for
shopping and for special equipment for the blind; and 

     WHEREAS, the recently passed tax law removes or curtails such
exemptions; and 

     WHEREAS, the overall reduction in taxes will have little
effect on this problem since it does not in any way recognize the
unique needs of blind persons; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization directs its
officers, directors and staff to take all actions necessary working
with nationally elected officials, to draft and procure the passage
of legislation restoring the tax exemption for legally blind
persons. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-13

                           Workshops 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has adopted
resolutions affirming that sub-minimum wage rates for the
handicapped authorized under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
as amended, should be supported by a guaranteed minimum floor level
of at least 75 percent of the statutory minimum wage rate; and 

     WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has completely
removed sub-minimum wage floors from this Act by the passage of
Public Law 99-486; and 

     WHEREAS, this action removes substantial protection from blind
sheltered workshop employees who may now be paid rates with no
minimum floor provided that they qualify for sub-minimum wage
certification; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization deplores the
action taken by the Congress; 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind
reiterates its contention that sub-minimum wage floors should be
set no lower than 75 percent of the statutory minimum wage rate;
and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization directs its
officers, board and staff to seek the reinstatement of such sub-
minimum wage rate floors as soon as possible and to communicate the
substance of this resolution to all appropriate organizations and
persons. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-14  

                         Open Meetings 

      WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind in convention
assembled in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1986 passed a resolution
emphatically requiring meetings of this convention to be open with
the exception of those of the nominating committee; and 

      WHEREAS, interested persons were expelled from a meeting of
the credentials committee; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California that such arbitrary disregard of the
will of this organization as expressed by its resolution is
unconscionable and inexcusable; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of this
organization shall assure that the chairpersons of committees
appointed by him or her are conscious of their obligation to allow
anyone desirous of attending any meeting of the committees they
chair to be present at all stages of their deliberations. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-15 

       American Council of the Blind Resolution Follow-up 

     WHEREAS, the adoption of resolutions by the American Council
of the Blind in convention assembled, constitutes one of the chief
ways that this organization provides direction to the Board of
Directors about those areas the membership feels should be given
priority; and 

     WHEREAS, there is no evidence contained in the Braille Forum
or in reports of board meetings to suggest there is an appropriate
procedure for following up on resolutions that have been passed by
this organization; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the President of the American
Council of the Blind is hereby instructed to place resolution
follow-up on the agenda of each board meeting; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that actions taken pursuant to
resolutions of this organization be reported by the staff of this
organization or its officers in the Braille Forum; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization reaffirms its
conviction that resolutions adopted by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled constitute a collective expression of
the will of this organization and must be carried out insofar as is
possible. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-16  

                          Credit Cards 

      WHEREAS, many blind and visually impaired persons have been
denied access to a range of consumer products and services because
they do not possess a valid drivers' license and proof of credit
such as a credit card; and 

     WHEREAS, this problem is particularly frequently encountered
when attempting to rent a car using the credit card of a blind
person along with a valid driving permit of a sighted driver; and 
     WHEREAS, such denial is both arbitrary and discriminatory; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization are hereby urged to seek legislative and/or
regulatory relief for this unequal treatment; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that state affiliates of the American
Council of the Blind are strongly urged to seek the introduction of
state laws which would prohibit arbitrary denial because of the
absence of a valid drivers' license. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-17 

                    Braille Recognition Week 

     WHEREAS, braille is the primary tool of literacy for persons
who are blind; and 

     WHEREAS, it is essential that the uses of braille be more
widely recognized; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization are hereby directed to work in collaboration
with the Braille Revival League to have the week of January 4th,
the week of Louis Braille's birth, declared BRAILLE RECOGNITION
WEEK by the Congress of the United States; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that such declaration shall seek to
make the establishment of such a commemoration an annual event; and


     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind
instructs its representative to the Braille Authority of North
American to seek to enlist the support of other countries attending
the International Conference on English Braille in September of
1988, so that a joint proposal can be submitted to the United
Nations to have this week observed annually, throughout the world. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-18  

                  Civil Rights Restoration Act 

     WHEREAS, the Grove City Decision and subsequent
interpretations of that decision by recipients of federal funds
drastically curtailed effective civil rights enforcement for
disabled people; and 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has, in previous
resolutions, expressed our support for legislative efforts to
restore a broader interpretation of the civil rights of persons
with disabilities; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization reaffirms its
support for the broader definitions inherent in the legislation
contained in Senate Bill 557 and House Bill 1214 known as the
"Civil Rights Restoration Act"; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization are hereby urged to make every effort to
obtain the passage of this vital legislation. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-20 

                    Affordable Braille Books 

     WHEREAS, the right to privately own books is one that has been
enjoyed by citizens of the free world for many centuries; and 

     WHEREAS, the ownership of braille books gives blind persons
the same enjoyment and satisfaction as the ownership of print books
does for sighted people; and 

     WHEREAS, the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped (NLS) has recently made it possible for a
producer who contracts with the National Library Service to produce
braille books to enter into an agreement allowing the sale of
braille books produced for the National Library Service at a cost
which includes only the cost of reprinting and not the up-front
cost of plates, and other initial expenses; and 

     WHEREAS, to date, only the National Braille Press has
exercised its option and sold a braille book under this new
agreement; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization strongly urges
all braille producers to immediately begin to make their braille
titles available for purchase by consumers and to advertise their
availability in the Braille Forum; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent
to the American Printing House for the Blind, Associated Services
for the Blind, the Clovernook Printing House for the Blind, and
Triformation Braille Services.  

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-21 

         Encourages VR Counselors to make Arts Careers 
     More Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired Persons 

     WHEREAS, many blind and visually impaired persons have
succeeded in the arts and arts-related careers; and 

     WHEREAS, many vocational rehabilitation counselors view
training and expenditures for such careers as a waste of time and
money; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization joins with its
affiliate, Friends-in-Art, Inc., in deploring this short-sighted
and inaccurate assessment of the potential of blind and visually
impaired people to succeed in these career options; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization are directed to communicate this resolution to
the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind
and Visually Impaired, the National Council of State Agencies for
the Blind, the National Accreditation Council of Agencies Serving
the Blind and Visually Impaired and other appropriate agencies and
persons. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary,                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-22 

               More Employment for Blind Veterans 

     WHEREAS, the Veterans Administration has a policy and history
of employing large numbers of disabled persons and has an
outstanding record of employing a substantial number of blind
individuals; and 

     WHEREAS, a disturbing trend is apparent in seven of the eight
Veterans Administration centers and clinics which provide
rehabilitation training for blind veterans; and 

     WHEREAS, presently there are no visually impaired or blind
persons employed as chiefs of any of these seven units although the
first three centers and one clinic were originally administered by
blind veterans; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization go on record as
being deeply concerned about this trend in the Veterans
Administration since these positions as chief of centers and
clinics are excellent employment situations for qualified blind
veterans; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Veterans Administration be
strongly encouraged to search diligently for qualified blind
veterans to fill these positions as they become vacated; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be
forwarded to the administrator of Veterans' Affairs and the chief
of services for the blind in the Veterans Administrations' central
office.

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-23 

              The Relocation of the Rehabilitation 
                    Services Administration 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind and other
responsible organizations of and for the blind have recognized a
decline in the effectiveness of the Rehabilitation Services
Administration of the U.S. Department of Education which could and
should be a positive, progressive service delivery program; and 

     WHEREAS, it is realized that this agency has declined because
of negative attitudes and actions of the Office of Management and
Budget as well as because of inappropriate actions taken at the
secretarial level including the downgrading of personnel in the
Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired; and 

     WHEREAS, the decline of the Rehabilitation Services
Administration has worsened during this administration; and 

     WHEREAS, all the factors cited have convinced knowledgeable
Rehabilitation Services Administration supporters that the present
impasse is unlikely to be resolved within the Department of
Education; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 16th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization consider and be authorized to act with other
organizations to seek the relocation of the Rehabilitation Services
Administration either as an independent agency or in a department
more oriented to the employment of blind and handicapped persons;
and  

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this action not be construed as
a lack of interest in or support for non-vocational rehabilitation
programs and services or for the education of handicapped children
even though jurisdiction over such services will still remain
within the Department of Education. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                    AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-24   

                  Nominating committee Reform 

      WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind Constitution
provides in part at Article VI-D that: "The nominating committee
shall consist of one person (1) from each affiliate, the method of
selection to be determined by that affiliate..."; and 

      WHEREAS, prior to the 1987 convention, this provision has
been interpreted and applied as prohibiting any person from
representing more than one affiliate on the nominating committee;
and 

     WHEREAS, the 1987 experience raises a question about the
meaning and intent of this provision; and 

     WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has never permitted
proxy voting on the nominating committee or elsewhere; and 

     WHEREAS, this issue is not personal and cannot take effect so
as to have any impact on the 1987 elections; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the next Constitution and Bylaws
Committee be requested to consider clarifying language in Article
VI-D to confirm the original interpretation before the experience
of multiple representation grows, potentially causing fewer people
to participate in the voting in the nominating committee.  

This resolution was referred to the Constitution and Bylaws
Committee at the 1988 convention in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-25  

                 Delegate Certification Reform 

     WHEREAS, dogs, canes and elbows protrude dangerously when
2,000 people are asked to converge on a four-foot by six-foot table
in the rear of a room; and 

      WHEREAS, the certifying of delegate badges could be conducted
in a far less time-consuming and disruptive atmosphere; 
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization's certification
of delegates be carried out by the registration committee as part
of the pre-registration process.  This would allow an orderly
certification process.  Any on-site registration could be certified
upon registration. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-26 

         Commendation of Newspapers for the Blind Inc, 

     WHEREAS, over sixty-five million newspapers are sold in the
United States each day; and 

     WHEREAS, any person prohibited from using and benefiting fully
from news and information contained in newspapers is likewise
prohibited from sharing in the free exchange of ideas critical to
a healthy society; and 

     WHEREAS, hundreds of thousands of blind, visually impaired and
learning disabled Americans have historically been denied full and
ready access to newspapers; and 

     WHEREAS, technology makes it possible to have twenty-four hour
access to daily newspapers in spoken form, as demonstrated by the
Talking Newspaper project created and operated by Newspapers for
the Blind Inc. of Flint, Michigan; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization hereby commends
the Newspapers for the Blind Inc. project and further, urges all
interested groups, organizations and individuals in a position to
do so to aid, assist and otherwise support Newspapers for the Blind
Inc. in its efforts to extend on-demand access to newspapers to all
blind and visually impaired people in the United States. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-27 

          Use of Hotel with Audible Message Retrieval 
      At Future American Council of the Blind Conventions 

     WHEREAS, many blind persons find accessing message lights on
telephones in hotels impractical; and 

     WHEREAS, audible message indicators have been installed in
several hotels in this country; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization are urged to prepare a letter which can be
sent to the American Hotel Association, the headquarters of large
hotel chains and other appropriate entities which will attempt to
ascertain which hotel chains currently utilize audible message
retrieval technology; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the need of blind people for an
appropriate audible message retrieval system should be considered
by the Convention Coordinator when choosing sites of future
conventions. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-28 

                Emergency Messages on Television 

     WHEREAS, blind and visually impaired persons are currently
denied access to vital emergency information which is printed on
television screens while other programming is in progress; and 

     WHEREAS, such denial of information could constitute a threat
to life or limb because of failure to warn of impending storms or
tornadoes; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization are hereby requested to convey the contents of
this resolution to the Federal Communication Commission, the
Television Broadcasters' Association and major networks; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the
Blind, in conjunction with the above-cited organizations, shall
seek to develop appropriate means of ensuring that blind persons
have access to information of an emergency nature that is now only
displayed graphically. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-29 

             The 1986 Rehab Act Computer Amendments 

     WHEREAS, the Federal government, in the Rehabilitation Act
amendments of 1986, made it mandatory for agencies wishing to
purchase new computer equipment to indicate how such computer
equipment can be made accessible to persons with disabilities; and 

     WHEREAS, the Act additionally indicates that no equipment
purchase shall be approved that does not contain adequate
information on computer accessibility for handicapped persons; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization shall work cooperatively with two special
interest affiliates, namely, the American Council of the Blind
Federal Employees and Visually Impaired Data Processors
International to assist the Federal government in the assessment of
equipment accessibility for persons with disabilities; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization urges Federal
agencies to cooperate with vocational rehabilitation offices to
maximize the impact of this potentially valuable Act, 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-30 

          Congressional Exemption from the Employment 
         Provisions of The Rehab Act of 1973 as Amended 

      WHEREAS, the United States Congress has exempted itself from
coverage under Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as
amended; and 

     WHEREAS, such exemption constitutes serious limitation to the
employment of disabled persons; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization expresses its
deep concern over this seemingly capricious denial of the civil
rights of persons with disabilities; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind
urges the Congress of the United States to reconsider its decision
and actively seek the placement of persons with disabilities in
available jobs with the Congress. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-31   

                       An AIDS Task Force 

     WHEREAS, the incidence of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) continues to grow in the United States; and 

      WHEREAS, many of those who acquire AIDS suffer vision loss;
and 

      WHEREAS, the prognosis of AIDS patients is such that it is
not usually deemed appropriate to provide such persons with
vocational rehabilitation services; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization urges the
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, the Association
for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired and the Notional Rehabilitation Association to set up a
task force to develop a national plan for service delivery to this
deserving, visually impaired population; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers, directors and staff
of the American Council of the Blind shall communicate the
substance of this resolution to other appropriate agencies and
persons. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-32 

        Line Item Budgets and Reasonable Accommodations 

     WHEREAS, many blind and visually impaired individuals are
employed by the Federal government; and 

      WHEREAS, to fulfill their job duties, some of these
individuals may require reasonable accommodations, such as readers
or drivers; and 

     WHEREAS, this need often creates an initial barrier to
employment because agency administrators and personnel officers
reason that monies and budgetary line items do not exist to cover
such expenses; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization directs its
officers, directors and staff to engage in such lobbying and
advocacy activities as may be necessary to bring about the creation
of funding of specific budget line items which will be excluded
from full-time equivalency ceilings to cover reasonable
accommodation needs; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution shall
be send to Clarence Thomas, Chairperson, United States Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                       RESOLUTION 87-33  

                  Supported Employment Seminar 

     WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Administration is
currently demonstrating a high prioritization concerning
programming in supported employment; and 

     WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Administration is
demonstrating its interest through the allocation of rehabilitation
dollars into funding and research related to supported employment;
and 

      WHEREAS, recent research from the Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, has hypothesized
that generic models of supported employment can work for virtually
any disability group even though the program designs developed by
Virginia Commonwealth University have only been test implemented
with emotionally disabled and developmentally disabled individuals;
and 

     WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Administration has shown
at least some interest in the development of specialized models of
supported employment specific to serving the blind, visually
impaired and multiply-handicapped blind through its granting, in
1984, of a three-year pilot project grant to the American
Foundation for the Blind; and 

     WHEREAS, this three-year grant has recently ended, with final
reports currently being compiled; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization directs its
President to appoint a special projects committee to review in
cooperation with the American Foundation for the Blind, the results
of their recently concluded "transition into employment" project;
and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this special project committee
shall be directed to develop a seminar concerning supported
employment models relevant to the blind, visually impaired and
multiply-handicapped blind for presentation at the 1988 convention
of the American Council of the Blind.

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-34 

           Expansion of Title VII, Part C Programming 

     WHEREAS, Title VII, Part C of Public Law 93-112, the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, is a vehicle to provide
independent living services to older blind Americans; and 

     WHEREAS, Congress, at last, provided some minimal funding
under this Title as of the 1987 fiscal year; and 

     WHEREAS, half the states in the Union were provided with Title
VII, Part C funds via a competitive grants process; and 

     WHEREAS, for fiscal year 1988, the grants process is again
competitive, involving all states; and 

     WHEREAS, again, funding will be made available to only about
half of the states; and 

     WHEREAS, it is therefore likely that some currently existing
Title VII, Part C programming will be discontinued despite the fact
that such programming will have had less than a one year
implementation/demonstration opportunity; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization directs its
officers, board and staff to communicate to elected and appropriate
administrative officials that this organization strongly urges the
continuance of existing Title VII, Part C programming, and also
strongly urges that sufficient additional funding be provided to
allow for Title VII, Part C services to be available in every
state.  

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-35 

               Portable Closed-Circuit Magnifiers 

     WHEREAS, many visually impaired persons make use of electronic
closed-circuit television magnifiers; and 

     WHEREAS, such devices typically weigh at least 45 pounds; and 

     WHEREAS, the usefulness of such magnifiers is severely limited
because none which can operate in read/st/write modes are portable
enough to be used for a wide range of tasks; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that this organization urgently
requests a cooperative effort by sensory aids manufacturers,
institutes of handicapped research, and other appropriate
organizations to develop, as a matter of priority, a portable,
lightweight, electronic closed-circuit magnifier; and 

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that such a magnifier should be
battery-powered, affordable and capable of operating in
read/st/write modes. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-36 

               Large Print and Braille Guidelines 
                  for Convention Registration 

     WHEREAS, there is a sufficient body of knowledge for this
organization to be able to make appropriate arrangements to produce
documentation for pre-registration and registration use at
conventions that is both readable and organized; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that the officers, directors and staff
of this organization shall develop guidelines with the assistance
of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision, the Braille Revival
League, and the American Council of the Blind's Board of
Publications that will be used for future conventions.  Such
guidelines shall become a part of the package used by the
Convention Coordinator in preparing convention materials. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary                  AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND 
                        RESOLUTION 87-37 

          Sight Restoration and Medicare Pre-Approval 

     WHEREAS, millions of elderly and disabled Americans,
particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, rely on
financial assistance from the Federal government Medicare program
to pay for cataract removal surgery; and 

     WHEREAS, the U.S. Health Care Finance Administration has
instituted a pre-approval process that could, in effect, ration
sight-restoring cataract surgery; 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the
Blind in convention assembled on this the 18th day of July, 1987,
in Los Angeles, California, that sight-restoring surgical
procedures not be included among those medical services requiring
pre-approval by any government agency; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution shall
be sent to the Director of the U.S. Health Care Finance
Administration and to members of Congressional committees having
oversight of the Federal Medicare program. 

This resolution was adopted.

Karen Perzentka, Secretary