AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-01 Guidelines for Braille Reform BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, this 9th day of July, 1988, that this organization proposes the following guidelines for braille reform to be followed by the American Council of the Blind's representative and delegate from the Braille Authority of North America who will be attending the upcoming conference for braille reform to be held in London, England: 1. Grade Two Braille should not be replaced by any other comprehensive code or any major extension of the existing code. 2. The capital sign should not be eliminated, because this organization believes that it is important to conform closely to the format in ink print. 3. For this reason also, it is proposed that measures of temperature, length, time, quantity, and percentage should be indicated as nearly as is possible to conform with ink print standards. 4. It is recognized that computer braille translation programs make syllabication and natural pauses difficult to handle. It is urged that computer translation programs be required to demonstrate that routines are included to cope with these problems. 5. A limited number of whole-word contractions should be added to the Grade Two code. Such contractions as are added should already exist in other more advanced codes and should not significantly alter the viability of currently available Grade Two materials. Examples of such contractions include dots 4, 5, and h for has; dots 4, 5, and d for the word does; dots 4, 5, and g for the word goes; and dots 4, 5, 6, and d for did. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-02 WHEREAS, over the past several years interest in and development of standards for architectural access that apply to the visually impaired have seemed to decline; and WHEREAS, many outstanding issues remain unresolved in terms of architectural barriers that apply to the blind and visually impaired; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, this 9th day of July, 1988, that this organization urges the American National Standards Institute and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to develop more comprehensive and viable standards that would apply to the blind and visually impaired groups; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers and staff of this organization are directed to work with interested members to provide the American Council of the Blind and its Board with specific recommendations which would relate directly to the development and adoption of more comprehensive standards. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-03 SGA Limits for SSDI Beneficiaries WHEREAS, the Disability Advisory Council appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services to consider the disability provisions of the Social Security Act, with particular emphasis on incentives and disincentives to work, has made its report, in which it recommends, in its proposed definition of substantial gainful activity, a reduction in the amount of earnings allowed to blind beneficiaries from $700 to $500 monthly, without providing for indexing for inflation; and WHEREAS, this report also recommends, in its proposed definition of substantial gainful activity, an increase in the amount of earnings allowed to other disabled beneficiaries to $500 monthly, also without providing for indexing for inflation; and WHEREAS, bills are now pending in Congress, H.R. 4680 and S. 2517, which contain these major regressive recommendations of the Disability Advisory Council, but with some differences and ambiguities and with new provisions for phasing out beneficiaries with earnings in excess of the SGA limits; and WHEREAS, we are advised that, although some provisions of these bills are not clear in their present wording, it is clear enough that, if they became law, they would cause blind beneficiaries to choose between earning more than $6,000 annually and protecting their eligibility for disability benefits and Medicate--an incentive not to work and earn more; and WHEREAS, although we favor improvements in SGA limits on earnings for other disabled beneficiaries, we contend that this class of beneficiaries will not be helped by reducing the limits for the blind--which is to say that we favor equalizing "up," not "down". NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that the officers, directors, and staff of ACB immediately communicate our concerns and our opposition to all such regressive recommendations and/or legislation to the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the Department of Health and Human Services. This resolution was adopted. Elizabethan Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-04 Funding for American Printing House for the Blind WHEREAS, the American Printing House for the Blind receives an annual appropriation from Congress to pay for books, some equipment, and educational materials to be used by blind and visually impaired elementary and secondary students throughout the nation; and WHEREAS, the fiscal year 1988 appropriation to APHB was $5,266,000 for such purposes, that amount being only slightly more than was appropriated in 1980, thus not allowing for either approximately 50 percent inflation during that period or for a one-third increase in the number of students certified by the States as being eligible for such services; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, this 9th day of July, 1988, that our president and staff make appropriate representations to Congress and the executive branch in an effort to correct this serious funding deficiency; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ACB cooperate actively with other organizations of and for the blind, and particularly with organizations of educators of the blind and visually impaired, in their activities toward achieving this objective. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-05 Tape Cassette Machines Supplied by National Library Services for the Blind WHEREAS, there have been many reports from a number of locations around the nation to the effect that a high percentage of tape cassette machines supplied by the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped are defective in a variety of ways; and WHEREAS, many of these reports have come from competent users, as well as a number of machine distributing agencies; and WHEREAS, Mr. F. Kurt Cylke, Director, National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, in his appearance at the American Council of the Blind convention on Monday, July 4, 1988, denied that the National Library had supplied a significant number of defective machines, contending that: 1. Specifications for the machines meet the highest of standards; 2. Quality control measures were thoroughly and strictly enforced; 3. Distributing agencies did an inadequate job in preparing cassette players for distribution to users; and 4. That many users fail to plug their machines into power outlets: or 5. That the batteries had run down and inadequate time was allowed for re-charging; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, that this Council expresses doubt in respect to the accuracy of Mr. Cylke's report and requests that Mr. Cylke meet with representatives of the American Council of the Blind periodically between now and next July in order to ascertain what the facts really are in respect to claimed deficiencies in cassette players; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a full report on this matter be given at the next convention of the American Council of the Blind; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent to the Librarian of Congress and such other officials and organizations as our officers and staff may determine. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-08 Voter Information in Suitable Form for Print-Handicapped WHEREAS, a significant percentage of the voting population of the United States is print-handicapped; and WHEREAS, an informed electorate is essential to the successful workings of a democracy; and WHEREAS, voter information is rarely put in suitable form for the print-handicapped; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that this Council respectfully petitions the Library of Congress to provide braille and taped copies of the national platforms of all political parties participating in national elections; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that State libraries or the appropriate State officials be urged to provide appropriate ballot information in suitable form at the State level. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-09 SSDI and SSI Information in Form Suitable for Print-Handicapped WHEREAS, blind and visually impaired recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance and/or Supplemental Security Income usually are unable to learn the contents of printed information sent to them about their benefits in a confidential manner because of the inability to read standard print; and WHEREAS, the majority of benefits related information sent to claimants by Social Security is computer generated from regional and national centers; and WHEREAS, technology is available which would make it possible for Social Security to generate in braille, large print, and/or recorded synthesized speech a large percentage of the information it sends claimants; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled in Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, urges the Social Security Administration to comply with the spirit of Section 504 of Public Law 93-112 by utilizing equipment to produce nationally and regionally computer generated Social Security notices in braille, large print, and speech synthesized recordings; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization urges the Social Security Administration, once the capabilities described herein are achieved, to effect such information gathering procedures as may be necessary to determine the media needs of individual recipients, so that those needs may be accommodated; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution shall be sent to Dorcas Hardy, Commissioner, Social Security Administration, and such other officials as deemed appropriate by the American Council of the Blind national office staff. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-10 White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services WHEREAS, access to information is essential for the education, empowerment, and optimization of social integration and quality of life for all persons; and WHEREAS, persons who are blind, severely visually impaired, or otherwise handicapped should have facilities for readily accessing information available to others in print, television, or other electronic media; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled in Little Rock,Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, that the American Council of the Blind join other organizations in calling for a White House Conference on Library and Information Services to be held in 1991. This resolution was aoopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-11 Services for Blind and Visually Impaired at Centers for Independent Living WHEREAS, a significant amount of evidence has been forwarded to the American Council of the Blind to the effect that certain centers for independent living in the United States are discriminating against blind and visually impaired consumers with reference to provision of services; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, directs its staff to work with the staff of the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the manner in which the blind and visually impaired are served by Title VII (B) centers for independent living and to provide the 1989 American Council of the Blind national convention at Richmond, Virginia, with recommendations concerning actions which might be taken to end discrimination against provision of services to the blind and visually impaired by certain centers for independent living. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-12 Services to Disabled by Local Transit Services WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind believes that all persons ought to have as much access to appropriate transportation opportunities in the communities in which they live as is possible; and WHEREAS, the local option provisions of Federal legislation and regulations as they are interpreted at this time seem to encourage communities to choose between retrofitting fixed-route bus systems with wheel chair lifts and an option concentrating on providing transportation access by operation of a para-transit service; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, that this organization urge communities, the Urban Mass Transit Administration, and other segments of the Department of Transport@tion to consider a bi-modal approach that would not require that a choice be made between para-transit service and accessible fixed-route service; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind instruct its officers, directors, and staff to encourage such a bi- modal approach; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization categorically opposes the introduction and/or extension of transit services in communities if such transit services would limit access to transportation for any group of disabled people who are blind, have epilepsy, or are developmentally disabled. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution should be sent to the Department of Transportation, the Urban Mass Transit Administration, and other appropriate officials and/or agencies. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-13 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1988 WHEREAS, the organized blind have long struggled to overcome widespread and systematic acts of discrimination against them in education, employment opportunity, social participation, and in virtually all other areas of life; and WHEREAS, Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, represents a significant step forward in the reduction or elimination of discriminatory practices in the employment of the blind and other disability groups where Federal funding is involved but does not reach discriminatory practices engaged in where there is no Federal funding; and WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1988 (S. 2345 by Weicker and H.R. 4498 by Coelho), if adopted, would represent an additional giant stride in overcoming discrimination against the disabled, including the blind, by covering all employers engaged in commerce who have 15 or more employees, housing providers covered by Federal fair housing laws, public accommodations, transportation companies, those engaged in broadcasting or communications, and state and local governments; and WHEREAS, our whole-hearted support of this proposal would serve in no way to diminish our support of H.R. 1158, the Fair Housing Amendments now pending in the 100th Congress, which has passed the House of Representatives with only 23 negative votes; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that this Council whole-heartedly supports the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1988 and instructs its officers and staff to undertake all lawful actions in support of this bill; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Council urges each affiliate fully to support the Americans with Disabilities Act by, among other things, communicating with each State's congressional delegation; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council express its deepest appreciation to Senator Weicker and Congressman Coelho for their introduction of this bill and their support of the disabled. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-14 Task Force on Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (S. 2345 and H.R. 4498) currently is being considered by the United States Congress; and WHEREAS, this legislation is the most ambitious and comprehensive ever proposed intended to eliminate discrimination against handicapped people in the areas of housing, employment, accessibility, public accommodations, travel, communication, and state and local governments; and WHEREAS, Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY) has appointed a Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities for the purpose of gathering broad based information concerning existence of broad based discrimination against handicapped individuals; and WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind participates on this task force; and WHEREAS, the chairperson of this task force, Justin Dart, Jr., is traveling throughout America, visiting all fifty states, to gather evidence concerning discrimination against the handicapped; and WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has long supported efforts to end discrimination and has long supported coalitioning efforts; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, commends its national staff for its support and work on the Americans with Disabilities Act: and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization urges its affiliates and members to forward to the American Council of the Blind national office examples of discrimination experienced to be passed on to the aforementioned task force; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind urges its affiliates and members to participate in the Justin Dart seminars taking place around the country and to express support of the Americans with Disabilities Act to their United States Senators and Representatives. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-15 Appreciation for Format of 1988 Convention Materials BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, accepts CCLV Resolution 88-01 as an expression of the gratitude and sentiments of the American Council of the Blind convention as a whole. CCLV Resolution 88-01 reads as follows: WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind adopted a resolution proposed last year by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision which called for a redesigned format of pre-registration materials for annual conventions; and WHEREAS, this year's convention material and program are much easier to read and understand; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision in convention assembled this 7th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that the ACB convention coordinator and committee members who responded to this request be commended for the excellent quality, large bold print, and well formatted materials received by members of this ACB convention, and we trust this standard will be maintained. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-16 Descriptive Video Services WHEREAS, the Federal Government has appropriated and continues to appropriate millions of dollars to the National Captioning Institute for the Deaf to provide access to television for viewers who are hearing impaired; and WHEREAS, Descriptive Video Services have been developed to provide access to televised pictures for persons who are visually impaired; and WHEREAS, WGBH-TV of Boston and ten other public broadcasting stations now are providing such DVS, but need additional and continuing funding so that better access to television broadcasts can be provided throughout the country; and WHEREAS, students, employees, and other disabled Americans would gain expanded rights to access to communications under the proposed Americans with Disabilities Act (S. 2345 and H.R. 4498); NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, calls for inclusion in this proposed law specific requirements that the Federal Communications Commission include Descriptive Video Services when promulgating regulations for implementation of Section 3 (g), which would require "progressively increasing the proportion of programs, advertisements, and announcements that are captioned." This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-17 American Foundation for the Blind Loan Program for High Technology Equipment WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind encouraged the development of low interest loans to enable visually impaired persons to purchase expensive high technology equipment; and WHEREAS, the American Foundation for the Blind recently has introduced a loan program to enable visually impaired persons to purchase a particular new product developed by the Kurzweil Corporation; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, that this organization believes that it is inappropriate for a non-profit, independent organization of national standing such as the American Foundation for the Blind to sponsor a loan program that is available only for a single product manufactured by a specific company; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution shall be sent to Jack Crowley, Geraldine T. Scholl, and William Gallagher, all of whom are officials connected with the American Foundation for the Blind. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-18 Fiftieth Anniversary of Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act WHEREAS, June 25, 1988, was the fiftieth anniversary of the enactment of what is now cited as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, which authorizes federal procurement of commodities and services from non-profit workshops which employ blind persons to perform no less than 75 percent of the direct production labor on such commodities and services; and WHEREAS, this anniversary was celebrated in Washington, D.C., in national meetings and ceremonies sponsored by National Industries for the Blind and the General Council of Workshops, in which many government, private industry, and workshop personnel participated; and WHEREAS, we wish to give special recognition to the 52 blind industrial workers of the year who were chosen by their peers to participate in that celebration, which was the occasion for reviewing the history and progress of this special employment program; and WHEREAS, it is timely to recite some relevant statistics illustrating this progress, to wit: In the last fiscal year blind employees engaged in direct and indirect labor were paid wages amounting to $32,896,705, and their fringe benefits amounted to $11,285,651. The average hourly wage paid by workshops for the blind to blind direct production workers was $4.06. During the last three fiscal years 3,573 blind people were placed competitively by workshops for the blind without having ever worked in a workshop. Another 544 blind persons were placed competitively from workshop employment by workshops associated with National Industries for the Blind. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that our president express our interest in the continued improvement in wages and fringe benefits for blind employees in direct and indirect labor jobs in workshops for the blind, that he extend best wishes and commendations to the 53 blind industrial workers of the year who participated in the fiftieth anniversary celebration, and that he extend a special invitation to them and their co-workers who are not already members of ACB to join and to participate in the activities of ACB at all levels. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-19 Upward Mobility in National Industries for the Blind and Workshops for the Blind WHEREAS, the movement toward participatory democracy within the disability community is gaining momentum, as has been demonstrated by the recent success of the deaf community in achieving the appointment of a deaf president for Callaudet University, the recent declaration of conscience, and the resignation of Justin Dart as RSA Commissioner; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this the 9th day of July, 1988, that the Board of National Industries for the Blind go on record that a blind person shall be appointed as the next president of NIB; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NIB should commence a nationwide training program for blind people to assume positions as supervisors, managers, and executives within the system of workshops for the blind. Such actions should include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. The hiring of a professional personnel specialist. 2. The creation of a grants program to workshops to encourage training and development of blind supervisors. 3. The utilization of present NIB staff and facilities to hire and train blind persons for occupations within NIB itself, including positions not traditionally filled by blind persons. This resolution was referred to the ACB Committee on Workshops. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-20 Recording for the Blind WHEREAS, college students, professionals, and other blind individuals need access to college textbooks, technical reports, and other specialized materials not available from other sources; and WHEREAS, such materials are produced upon request by units of Recording for the Blind throughout the country; and WHEREAS, the original grant of $500,000 by the U.S. Department of Education represented about thirty percent of RFB's annual budget, this amount has remained unchanged in the past eleven years, and it now represents approximately less than half that percentage; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that this organization supports RFB's request for increased funding from the United States Department of Education and directs its National Representative to send a copy of this resolution to any and all appropriate authorities. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-21 Assistive Technology WHEREAS, assistive technology, which enables blind individuals to work and live more independently, is unequally distributed in today's environment; and WHEREAS, methods of delivery have not been devised for equal distribution of said technologies; and WHEREAS, legislation now pending in both houses of the U.S. Congress addresses this limited availability of distribution; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that it supports the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (S. 2561 and H.R. 4904). This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-22 Choice of Media for ACB Pre-Registration Materials WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind is a membership organization consisting primarily of blind and visually impaired persons; and WHEREAS, many of our members have little or no access to sighted reading assistance; and WHEREAS, subscribers to the Braille Forum have a choice of media in which to read this publication, thus implying that the American Council of the Blind supports media of choice; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that the American Council of the Blind National Convention Committee be charged to explore and, if feasible, implement the providing of the 1989 pre-registration materials in the medium of the blind member's choice and allowing the blind member to submit his/her pre-registration in the medium of choice. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-23 Commendation of U.S. Surgeon General and National Braille Press for Furnishing AIDS Information in Braille WHEREAS, AIDS is a devastating national problem; and WHEREAS, all persons, including the blind, may be at risk of contracting AIDS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that this organization commends United States Surgeon General Koop and the National Braille Press for providing and distributing in braille the same AIDS information which was nationally distributed in print; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be conveyed to United States Surgeon General Koop and to officials of the National Braille Press. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-24 Appreciation to Host Affiliate WHEREAS, this organization wishes to recognize the amount of skill and hard work that went into the managing and the hosting of a national convention of this size; and WHEREAS, the Arkansas Council of the Blind, working with the National Convention Coordinator and National Convention Committee, has arranged for and managed a smooth, effective , and well coordinated convention; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that this organization deeply appreciates both the two years of planning for the efficient operation of this successful convention; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization congratulates President Amy Pais and the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Council of the Blind, Dick Seifert, and the Host Committee in particular for the excellent job they have done; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent to all chapters in Arkansas and to all members of the Host Committee; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization requests the Host Committee to convey the deep appreciation of the american Council of the Blind to all the organizations and individuals who volunteered so much time to assist those attending this convention. This resolution was adopted. Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-25 Appreciation to the Little Rock Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Hotels, and the A-Team Volunteers WHEREAS, all members, guests and exhibitors who attended the 1988 convention of the American Council of the Blind have been impressed by the dedication and willingness to help of the staff and management of the Little Rock Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Excelsior Hotel, and the overflow hotels, the Camelot, the Capitol, and the Hilton; and WHEREAS, more than one thousand volunteers, proudly proclaimed as the A-Team, from more than twenty groups performed outstanding assistance to our members and guests at all the functions during ACB convention week; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled in Little Rock, Arkansas, on this 9th day of July, 1988, that this organization wishes to express its sincere appreciation to: 1. All in the convention hotels who have made our stay such a pleasant one, especially in our headquarters hotel, the Excelsior, including its Manager, Prosper Paul, Assistant Manager, Keith Smith, and its national convention sales manager, Linus Raines; 2. The Little Rock Visitors and Convention Bureau, with special thanks for the tireless and indispensable work of Barry Travis, Executive Director, Terry Quinn, Jeannie Reffner, Hallie Simmons, and Miki Butler, all of whom contributed substantially to the success of convention activities; 3. All of those wonderful A-Team volunteers whose intelligent and thoughtful assistance also contributed substantially to the success of our convention week; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to all the persons and entities named above and that the officers and staff of this organization communicated our thanks to all of them, including the more than twenty volunteer groups. This resolution was adopted, Elizabeth M. Lennon, Secretary AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND RESOLUTION 88-26 Appreciation for the National Convention Committee and Individuals with Special Convention Assignments WHEREAS, we appreciate the work of the ACB National Convention Committee and all of the individuals whose special assignments made this a well planned and well executed convention; and WHEREAS, each member of the National Convention Committee-- Robert J. Acosta, Chairman and Convention Coordinator, Vice Chairman John A. Horst, Margarine Beaman, Carla S. Franklin, Elizabeth Lennon, Jo Ann Slayton, Amy Pais, James R. Olsen, Roberta Douglas, and LeRoy F. Saunders--deserves a special commendation; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled on this 9th day of July, 1988, in Little Rock, Arkansas, that our President have a copy of this resolution sent to the persons named above and to others who carried out special assignments under the direction of the National Convention Committee. Adopted July 8, 1988.