THE
                           Braille Forum
                    Vol. XXXIV May 1996 No. 10
                           Published By
                 The American Council of the Blind
THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND STRIVES TO INCREASE THE
INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND QUALITY OF
LIFE FOR ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE.
                      Paul Edwards, President
             Oral O. Miller, J.D., Executive Director
                        Nolan Crabb, Editor
               Sharon Lovering, Editorial Assistant
                         National Office:
                        1155 15th St. N.W.
                             Suite 720
                       Washington, DC 20005
                          (202) 467-5081
                        Fax: (202) 467-5085
             Electronic bulletin board: (202) 331-1058
THE BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large print, half-
speed four-track cassette tape and MS-DOS computer disk. 
Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for
publication should be sent to:  Nolan Crabb, THE BRAILLE FORUM,
1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005.
Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be
sent to Patricia Beattie, treasurer, at the above address.  If
you wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the
council's continuing work, the national office has printed cards
available to acknowledge contributions made by loved ones in
memory of deceased people. 
Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in
his/her Last Will and Testament may do so by including a special
paragraph for that purpose.  If your wishes are complex, you may
contact the ACB National Office.
For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the
"Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 6 p.m. to
midnight eastern time Monday through Friday.  Washington, D.C.,
residents only call 331-2876.
Copyright 1996
                   American Council of the Blind

                         TABLE OF CONTENTS
President's Message: Of Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax, by Paul
Edwards
Report from the Executive Director, by Oral O. Miller
Make Your Selections for Convention 1996, by John A. Horst
Friends-In-Art in Tulsa: Bill of Fare for Varied Palates, by
Janiece Petersen
Their New Jobs Resulted from Her New Ideas, by Nolan Crabb
Runners High, by Ken Stewart
Affiliate News
Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon
From Your Perspective: The Tale of the COTA Canines, by Jenine
McKeown
Guest Editorial: Stop Attacking Randolph-Sheppard, by Ardis Bazyn
High Tech Swap Shop

                       PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:
                Of Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax
                          by Paul Edwards
    For those of you not familiar with the quotation from Lewis
Carroll, the title is just a way of suggesting that this message,
unlike some of my earlier missives, is about a variety of things. 
I thought you would enjoy hearing about our mid-year presidents'
meeting and what some of the results of that meeting were.  I
also decided to tell you about a few of the things that have kept
me busy for the past several months.
    The presidents' meeting was a little different this year.  As
the new kid on the block, I wanted a chance to listen and learn. 
So the meeting was structured to require lots of feedback from
presidents.  During the first morning, we explored the
relationship between the national organization and state and
special-interest affiliates.  That afternoon, we took a look at
some of the officer positions and provided some practical advice
on how these positions might function at the local, state and
special-interest affiliate levels.  Then we looked at some
activities that state affiliates might want to consider, such as
public relations and newsletters, and tried to provide some
practical guidance on how these could work to improve your
affiliate's position.  Sunday morning was devoted to presidents
answering a specific set of questions we asked them to look at
overnight and to legislative updates and reports of various
activities that are coming up.  We were sorry not to see some
affiliates represented.  While we understand that it is not
always easy to get there, you were missed if you weren't there. 
You also missed out on some pretty effective strategies.  Come
next year, OK?
    One of the things that also made this meeting different from
those held in the past is that we did not invite any non-members
to provide presentations.  Members of our affiliates, our board
of directors and our staff all provided presentations that made
it clear to me that I made a good decision.  To all of those who
presented, let me express my gratitude.  Our organization truly
has a range of competent, enthusiastic people who can and did do
a superb job of demonstrating just how rich we are in talent in
ACB!
    There were a couple of decisions that were made at the mid-
year presidents' meeting that I want to share with you.  First,
it was decided that we should begin distributing "Closeup" again! 
This publication is a document that is shared with affiliate
presidents on a quarterly basis and is an opportunity for the
president to speak directly to our leaders on a range of issues. 
I am preparing an issue now and your affiliate president should
have received it by the time you read this.  There was also some
concern raised that the president of ACB and his officers were
not in close enough touch with our affiliates.  As a result, we
will be trying something new and, I think, exciting.  Our
officers will be asked to make calls to affiliate presidents to
discuss both what's on the minds of our affiliates and to ask a
series of questions that are now being finalized.  I will use the
answers to these questions to help me get a sense of where we are
and what the needs of our affiliates are.  I hope affiliate
presidents will use these calls to share concerns and suggestions
about what the national organization can do to help our
affiliates.
    And now to what I have been doing with my copious spare time
over the last few months.  Obviously ACB has taken some of my
time þ in fact, a good deal of it.  However, I am also doing a
full-time job which has not been easy this year.  For those of
you who do not know what that job is, I coordinate services to
disabled college students at the north campus of one of the
country's largest community colleges, Miami-Dade Community
College.  In its infinite wisdom, our state legislature cut the
funds allocated to provide services to disabled students in
community colleges by 50 percent.  Since the number of disabled
students enrolling is larger each year, I have had to do much
more with much less money!  My campus serves some 450 students
with disabilities now and trying to find ways to appropriately
support their efforts to go to college without adequate resources
has been quite a challenge.  Our college is also undergoing major
changes.  Perceiving this as an opportunity rather than a threat,
I have been working to assure that the computer policies that are
being completely reworked include access for all, not just for
some.  More and more classrooms at the college level are using
computer-aided instruction.  Huge numbers of classes have
computer labs associated with them.  Networks are making it
possible for students and faculty to talk to each other using
their computers and the most popular word at the community
college after downsizing seems to be multimedia.  Unless we are
vigilant and insistent, the computerization of post-secondary
education could leave blind people behind.
    Florida is one of the states that received a grant from the
U.S. Department of Education that had as its primary objective to
promote system change for people with disabilities as they
transition out of high school.  I wrote, with some other folks, a
grant to try to create better transition in a community where 80
percent of the people I serve are members of minority
populations.  The grant was funded and is now in its third year. 
I am now chair of the state board that oversees six projects in
the state and is also working to identify and remove barriers to
system change for transition here in Florida.  We have a long way
to go!  Students with disabilities are just not getting equal
access to the kind of quality education that is essential if they
are to be employable in the 21st century.  There are some very
specific problems that blind students face, including getting
training in access technology that will enable them to be
competitive, either in college or at jobs.  There are still too
few blind students who get any work experience while in high
school.  Too many blind students are still in special classes too
much of the time but don't gain enough from this to justify their
isolation.  Education remains a crucial area where we must
promote positive and meaningful change.
    Acting as chair of the state board has given me an
opportunity to perceive at a state level just how difficult
transition is for students with disabilities.  I will report to
you in a later message on how well we do.  In our project, we are
focusing on training.  At the core, I think that training in
self-advocacy for every disabled student is crucial and training
parents and teachers to expect more of students and to encourage
independence are equally imperative.
    This message is getting rather long.  In fact, it is the
longest message I have yet written.  I want to touch on one more
issue, however.
    I believe that it is absolutely necessary for us to build as
strong a coalition of people in the blindness system as we
possibly can.  I have therefore tried to develop consensus with a
broad range of organizations and leaders in the blindness field. 
As one of those exercises, I took advantage of the fact that I
was going to Washington, D.C. for our legislative seminar last
month to visit Dr. Kenneth Jernigan at the headquarters of the
National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore.  Jernigan was a
perfect host and devoted eight hours to a frank exchange of
ideas.  I know we found many areas on which to disagree but we
also agreed that there are many issues where our two
organizations can and should cooperate.  Our two organizations
are governed very differently.  We have very different views on
how best a consumer organization can be governed to meet the
needs of its members.  Our disagreements were friendly and we
made some very tentative plans to gradually increase cooperation
between our two organizations.  I do not believe our two
organizations will ever merge.  Our philosophies of governance
are just too different for that.  I believe that these are times,
however, when we must learn to speak with a united voice to
legislators when we can.  We cannot afford to have old
differences thrown in our faces.  There is just too much at stake
for the welfare of blind people all over the country for that!
    Earlier this year, Jernigan hosted a meeting with
representatives of the American Association of Publishers which
led to the finalizing of an agreement that will go far to making
copyright permission an almost automatic process for
organizations that meet criteria set out in amendments to the
copyright law that are now being jointly introduced by AAP and
organizations in the blindness field.  ACB joined with other
blindness organizations in endorsing this large step forward.  It
is my hope that instead of congratulating each other for work
that each organization has done, we can begin to publicly work
together and publicly claim joint credit for victories won.
    There was so much more that I wanted to cover in this
message, but I have already taken up more space than I ever have
before.  And I didn't even get to the cabbages and kings part. 
Oh well, maybe next time!

                REPORT FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
                         by Oral O. Miller

    The recent signing of the Telecommunications Act created an
opportunity for the members of the Alliance for Competitive
Communications to come together one more time to celebrate the
many successes contained in that act.  At an impressive reception
conducted at the Columbus Club in Washington, we pointed out the
enormous value of the provision in that act which mandates that
future telecommunications equipment and systems must be
accessible for use by disabled people.  A few evenings later at a
reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the American
Foundation for the Blind, Federal Communications Commission
Chairman Reed Hundt pledged, while accepting an award, to enforce
the provisions of the Telecommunications Act vigorously and
especially to recognize and enforce the rights of disabled
people.  Hundt stated his desire to enforce the
Telecommunications Act this way: "In everything I have done as
chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, my guiding
principle has been that everyone has the right to the opportunity
to live the American dream.  Every citizen of this country
matters, and every person has the right to be included in this
society in every way."
    But, he emphasized, the act doesn't just affect adults.  "The
information superhighway can bring the entire world of
information to our children's fingertips, and can help every
child learn.  Computers now feature synthetic speech, voice
activation, breath activation, virtual reality, and visual icons. 
These innovations can help teachers and parents communicate with
children, and teachers and parents communicate with each other,
which is especially important for children with disabilities. 
Computers and sophisticated technology can provide the tools
needed to enable every child to learn all they can learn, and to
be all they can be."
    At the same extremely well-attended function at the
Washington National Cathedral Sen. Howell Heflin, D-Ala., the
home state of Helen Keller, was also recognized for his years of
dedication to improving the well being of disabled people.
    This year it was a special pleasure for me to speak on the
program of "Focus on Employment," a leadership training
conference sponsored in Washington by the Mississippi State
University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on
Blindness and the American Foundation for the Blind through its
Josephine L. Taylor Management Leadership Training Institute. 
The panel on which I spoke had an opportunity to discuss some of
the very practical and very workable techniques used by blind
people for acquiring and retaining jobs in an increasingly
technical work place.  It was interesting to learn, for example,
of the success achieved by the Oregon Commission for the Blind in
placing a number of blind clients in independent small
businesses, especially in rural areas.
Airline Training
    Commendations again to American Airlines for recently
bringing together its National Advisory Committee on Disability
to discuss, among other things, better ways to serve disabled
people and better ways to train its employees.  Imagine my
surprise when I recognized the voice of an active member of the
ACB of Ohio in a commercially produced training video used by
American!
Legislative Workshop
    The 1996 National Legislative Workshop of the American
Council of the Blind, which was held in conjunction with the
meeting of the board of directors and other functions of the
Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America, was
a tremendous success by all counts.  The event, which attracted
members from more than 25 states, featured a day and a half of
briefing sessions and substantive presentations on a variety of
topics by high government officials, legislative experts,
educators, and consumer leaders.  Approximately one-third of the
people attending this year's workshop were first-time attendees,
but they rapidly gained the confidence of experienced veterans as
they fanned out from the seminar's headquarters in the Rayburn
House Office Building on Capitol Hill to call on hundreds of
Congressional offices.  The concise position papers delivered to
each office were skillfully prepared by the members of the
Legislative Working Group.  The principal issues treated by this
year's seminar were social security disability insurance linkage,
reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act, and significant transportation concerns.
Convention Alert
    By the time this issue of "The Braille Forum" reaches its
readers, the pre-registration notice for the 1996 ACB national
convention will have been mailed and received.  Although "The
Washington Connection" will contain details from time to time
concerning some of the outstanding and very interesting speakers
on this year's plenary program, the members planning to attend
this year's convention would be well-advised to register as soon
as possible for the convention banquet because the speaker this
year, Dr. James Boren, is a world-renowned humorist, scholar,
public official, and political analyst.  The scores of people who
heard him as he spoke to the ACB Government Employees several
years ago will undoubtedly be at the head of the registration
line to hear Dr. Boren again.  Likewise, no one should miss the
plenary session that is to feature a presentation by one of the
nation's most popular talking book narrators, Ms. Jill Ferris of
Talking Book Publishers, Inc.  Her enthusiasm is absolutely
infectious!  Be sure to call the "Washington Connection," (800)
424-8666, to get additional information concerning other
interesting speakers on this year's program.
    Next month, "The Braille Forum" will carry an announcement
regarding the creation of a new professional position in the ACB
National Office.

             MAKE YOUR SELECTIONS FOR CONVENTION 1996
             by John A. Horst, Convention Coordinator
    When you receive this issue of "The Braille Forum," it will
be only four to six weeks to convention time.  By now you should
have received the convention packet which describes most
activities.  Please complete the pre-registration form promptly,
indicating your participation choices.  Some activities are
limited, so don't miss out on any seminars, meal functions,
receptions, parties or tours in which you will want to be
included.  Be certain to indicate if you are a wheelchair user or
if you have serious ambulatory limitations.
    The pre-registration packet is available on cassette tape if
you call the ACB national office to request it, (800) 424-8666. 
Remember, calls are answered on that number between 3 and 5:30
p.m. weekdays eastern time.  However, to pre-register, you must
complete the form provided in the packet and mail it to be
received in the Minneapolis office in the envelope provided by
June 17.
    The 1996 convention of the American Council of the Blind
begins Saturday, June 29 and concludes Saturday, July 6.  The
location is Tulsa, Okla., at the Doubletree Hotel downtown and
the Tulsa Convention Center.  The overflow hotels are the Adams-
Mark and the Howard Johnson.  There will be shuttles operating
between hotels and the convention center beginning Friday
morning, June 28 through Saturday July 6 at 1 p.m.  All
convention activities will transpire at the Doubletree Hotel and
the convention center, which are connected by a skywalk.
    Convention rates for the Doubletree downtown and the Adams-
Mark are $47 per night plus tax for up to four people per room. 
Telephone numbers: the Doubletree, which is now full, is (918)
587-8000; the Adams-Mark, which as of this writing still has
rooms, is (918) 582-9000; and the Howard Johnson, where rates are
$40 per night for a single room, plus $6 for each additional
person, is (918) 585-5898.  Both the Doubletree and the Adams-
Mark provide van transportation from and to the airport; the
Howard Johnson does not.  There are hotel phones in the airport
baggage area to call for pickup.  If your reservation is at the
Doubletree, be certain to get the van for the Doubletree
downtown.  There is a second Doubletree hotel in the area.  On
Saturday, June 29, there will be volunteers at the airport.
    In the pre-registration listings and in the convention
program this year, watch for challenging discussion groups and
seminars planned by some of the committees of ACB and others. 
The plenary sessions and the exhibits will occur at the
convention center.  Exhibits open at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 29,
and will continue each day until 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 3.
    The Oklahoma Council of the Blind invites you to a fun time
at the Welcome to Tulsa party Saturday evening, June 29, at 8:30
p.m. at the Doubletree hotel.  There will be entertainment and
some surprises.  This will be a great time to greet your friends
and make new acquaintances.  The hospitality room will be open
Friday evening, June 28, and each evening Sunday through Thursday
from 9 p.m. to midnight.  Entertainment, some snacks and a cash
bar will be available.
    This year there are tours every day beginning with the
fabulous overnight tour to Branson, Mo.  The buses are filling up
quickly for this tour.  You should not delay in making your
reservations with ACB's Minneapolis office, (800) 866-3242.
    Additional tours scheduled are: Saturday, June 29, narrated
motor coach tour of the Tulsa area, including lunch and several
stops at historical sites, tour repeated Sunday, June 30; Monday,
July 1, tour to Bartlesville, first oil town in home of Frank
Phillips; Monday, Tulsa Drillers baseball, includes ballpark food
all you can eat; Tuesday, July 2, Holy Tulsa, a tour of several
cathedral-like churches in downtown Tulsa, lunch included;
Monday, tour to Jim Stovall's Narrative Television Network,
repeated Tuesday; Wednesday, July 3, Tulsa walking tunnel tour,
includes lunch; Thursday, July 4, tour to Remington Park race
track, Oklahoma City, includes lunch; Thursday, tour to Will
Rogers memorial, includes lunch; Friday, July 5, tour to
Gilcrease Museum; Saturday evening, July 6, Spotlight Dinner
Theater, an evening of relaxation after a busy week.
    The Wednesday evening featured tour away from the hotel will
be the live performance of "Oklahoma!" at Discoveryland, a huge
outdoor theater.  The tour will include dinner, additional
entertainment, and more.  See your convention packet for more
tour information, including times of departure and cost.
    We hope you are ready for a great convention in 1996.

     FRIENDS-IN-ART IN TULSA: BILL OF FARE FOR VARIED PALATES
                        by Janiece Petersen
    Every ACB convention is a full menu þ every day different;
every hour a choice of courses to peak and expand participants'
appetites.  Every presentation is aimed at satisfying a need or
answering a question.  Friends-In-Art's offerings may just fit in
with your thirsts and cravings.
    Saturday: 
    Board meeting þ to join with us, you'll need to arrive by 7
p.m.  We have an affiliate booth this year; many hands are needed
for staffing during exhibit hours.
    Sunday:
    Mixer with sign-up þ be sure to come to the FIA suite between
4 and 6 p.m. to sign up if you will be performing in the Tuesday
evening Showcase.  This is the first phase of show planning,
where you tell us your choice of material and other information. 
It's very good to have two selections prepared.  In other words,
bring an alternate selection just in case you're one of 10 people
who want to do the same song from "Oklahoma!." Bring your print
music, if you wish to work with a sighted exact-note accompanist. 
If you can work with an accomplished by-ear accompanist, let us
know so we can work out a match.  Tell us also if you are to use
a pre-recorded tape, with this caution: when we cut a CD, we will
have some concerns about selling such copyright-protected
material.  Tell us if you need an instrumental connection from a
pick-up, etc.
    At the mixer, you may also pay your dues, see an art object,
and chat with friends over snacks and wine.
    Chorus: Plan now to sing at the convention.  Just when you
think things are winding down at the close of Sunday evening's
general session, it's time for rehearsal at the front of the
room.  We'll also rehearse on Monday.
    Get your learning tape by mail.  Gordon Kent is arranging our
music this year.  He is preparing tapes with highlighted parts þ
soprano and alto on one, tenor and bass on the other.  Tapes will
be sent to those on our chorus list.  If you did not sing last
year or receive music to learn, send your request with voice
range to Bill and Lynn Hedl, 1639 Ashwood Ln., Birmingham, AL
35209.
    The booth þ You can buy our T-shirt there with Friends-In-Art
in braille, Chinese characters, and print; yellow on black; sizes
medium and up.
    Friends-In-Art members will also have cassettes, CDs, books
and art to sell.  You will meet many of them as they fulfill
their pledge to staff the booth where their masterpieces are
available.
    At the booth you may also sign up for prizes, get brochures,
and find out about scholarship opportunities.
    Monday:
    Musical Instrument Digital Interface is the long way to say
MIDI.  This year's workshop is called "Windows, Hard Disks and
More."  Several composers/arrangers/producers are making Windows
sequencers and the newest way to record and process musical data
work for them in their creative livelihoods.  Mike Mandel, Gordon
Kent and others will provide hands-on opportunities in the
workshop and the FIA suite.  Bill McCann, with his Goodfeel
program for braille music notation, will be back with a year's
worth of development to be tried.
    Do you have a triumph or a user-unfriendly experience to pass
along?  Share it.  This is the meat and potatoes hashing out of
today's tech tools, pitfalls and promises.  They should help us
broaden and heighten our musical pursuits.
    Monday's rehearsal/audition:  Beginning at 3 p.m. performers
will be heard as scheduled, each set of three acts having a 15-
minute block for checking in and rehearsing.  As soon as you
enter the Doubletree Ballroom, report to the host or hostess. 
While another act may be on, you can get together with your
accompanist, get your tape into the technician's hands, or just
listen.  Observing other performers in rehearsal is one of the
best ways to understand why we have one.  Since we foster new
talent, we must help newcomers do their best.  And since poets,
musicians, storytellers, etc. present a variety of mood, style
and media, only by auditioning everyone can we fit each
presentation into a sound mosaic that has balance and energy.  By
the way, dancers or mimes are welcome.  We'll find audio
description and celebrate showcasing your art.
    Most important: five minutes is the limit, including
introductory remarks.  This gives more people a chance to be
heard.  We have also said that performers heard in many venues
may be last chosen, when the show's too long.  We have not
excluded them.  We have disallowed last-minute show-ups at the
Showcase door and some very few whose unpracticed materials would
not show them at their best.  Tried-and-true veterans are also
choosing to perform in alternate years.  We will not have another
three-and-a-half-hour show.  And with some luck, humor, and your
talent, each show will continue to surpass the last.
    Monday night poetry reading:
    Now in its fourth year, this gathering to share your own
poetry and prose has outgrown the FIA suite.  Still, your own
material and the ambience of dedicated listeners provides the
atmosphere for enrichment and catharsis.  If perchance you do not
want something you read to be part of next year's tape for sale,
let it be known.  Last year's taped reading will be on sale at
the booth during this convention.
    Tuesday: Luncheon with speaker and elections.
    Yes, before the evening Showcase comes, a very important
luncheon.  You can assuage your hunger with Caesar salad and
chicken, plus Black Forest cake, while renewing acquaintances,
and maybe hearing your name called for a door prize.  We will
then move quickly to a dynamic speaker, Madelaine Dovano, founder
and director of The Visual Voice.  She has much to say about the
advantages of professional audio describers and will play
excerpts.
    Election of officers follows as part of the business meeting. 
And there will be more door prizes.  Please adjust your daily
itinerary to include all three phases of the
luncheon/speech/business meeting.  This is also another
opportunity to pay dues, as our fiscal year will have just begun.
    Tuesday Showcase:
    Performers come at 7 p.m., show's on at 8 p.m.  We'll be
ready for a great show after the strenuous preparation.  We will
record the show digitally.  Those tapes and '93 and '94 tapes
will be on sale.  See you in the Doubletree Ballroom!
    Wednesday's Writers Workshop:
    Two FIA members and successful writers are the presenters
this year.  Dan Simpson opens at 2 p.m. with "Throwing Off the
Wet Blanket: Reclaiming Creativity."  Dan will talk about how the
writer's spirit can be dampened and perhaps lead us through some
creative exercises.  Be sure to bring your writing tools.  (We
had at least one poem written on Braille 'n Speak last year.)
    John Dashney then tells how "This Little Story Went to
Market."  John, although primarily a writer of children's
literature, provides information for writers in general on
getting that manuscript through the mill to purchased
publication.  You will see fruits of John's success at the FIA
booth.
    Thursday's Joint Workshop:
    Many of us are in ACB work on diverse issues affecting the
quality of life for visually impaired people.  More and more we
know of people with visual problems wishing to participate in
arts activities.  Given that many of these people in their youth
were discouraged from artistic expression or from examining art,
Thursday's panel looks at arts in education, entitled "Access to
the Arts in Inclusion: Meaty Menu or Never-Fail Fudge?;" this
session should engage the attention of the Americans with
Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines implementers,
technology users, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
advocates, artists and others.
    Joint sponsors are Council of Citizens with Low Vision
International and National Association of Blind Teachers.  The
panel includes arts curriculum consultants for the visually
impaired, a teacher, and an artist.  If, as an artist, you think
you were underserved in the educational years or if you see a
current trend to encourage or discourage learners, access and
instruction as an educational foundation warrants your thoughtful
attention.
    Friday is usually museum day.  This year's hands-on tour of
the Gilcrease Museum is being handled by the convention
committee.  This museum has a long-standing reputation for
providing quality tours for the visually impaired.  Space is
limited; lunch is included; sign up early.
    Reminders:
    Any good restaurant provides silverware or chopsticks; but
there are always a few things to pack for full convention
enjoyment.  Music: your print copy for the accompanist; lyrics to
review; pre-recorded tape, if you need one; instrument
attachments; batteries and power supplies.  Put your best writing
in your carry-on along with your slate and stylus, markers,
notetaker, tape recorder, more batteries and a charger.  Bring
your checkbook, your ID, your credit cards, etc.  They will come
in handy at many booths and shops.  Bring the choral tape you
were sent or notes you made for rehearsal.  I had to beg a
lozenge at last year's Showcase; I'll have extras this year.  Our
menu ends; your choice begins.  We'll look for many Friends-In-
Art in Tulsa.

            THEIR NEW JOBS RESULTED FROM HER NEW IDEAS
                          by Nolan Crabb

    When Judith D. Moore took the helm as president and chief
executive officer of National Industries for the Blind in August
of 1994, she promised change and brought a willingness to try new
things.  She had some serious battles to fight almost from the
start, not the least of which was cynicism on the part of many in
the blind community.  When she came to town promising new and
better jobs for blind and visually impaired workers, many
publicly wished her well and pledged their support and privately
wondered what could really be done.
    Nearly two years later, those who wondered what could be done
are beginning to find out.  "I think there are three words that
can symbolize the future of our field," Moore told delegates of
the ACB Legislative Seminar sponsored jointly with the Affiliated
Leadership League of and for the Blind of America in March.  "And
that's competitiveness, partnership, and change."
    Moore says building partnerships and offering products and
services of higher value than another organization or company are
essential.  Change, she says, is both unpredictable and
exhilarating.  "I think NIB used to think of the federal agencies
as customers," she explains, "and blind people as our service
recipients.  Now we know that the end user is the customer; and,
we know that people who are blind are our primary customers."
    She says contrary to popular opinion, downsizing of the
federal government can be an opportunity.  She says while there
are fewer government workers, many of the activities those
workers once did are now being done under contract.  She
described projects where blind people using talking computers
implement the efficient distribution of light bulbs from two
storage facilities to various military installations throughout
the world.  "These blind workers are getting very good wages and
very good benefits," she says, "and these are jobs that are
translatable into private industry."
    She described a variety of jobs now being done by blind
workers at NIB-associated industries ranging from chemical
production to the production of floor care products for S.C.
Johnson company.  Blind people are now being employed in such
fields as debt collection as well, according to Moore.  That
opportunity came about as a result of a partnership between the
Chicago Lighthouse and the American Collectors Association.
    It's one thing to talk about partnerships and change; it's
something else again to turn that talk into real jobs for blind
workers.  But that's exactly what's happened for people like
Jacky Crawford, the lead person on a contract between Virginia
Industries for the Blind and the General Services Administration. 
Crawford and nine other blind and visually impaired workers take
orders for a myriad of industrial and office supplies stored at
General Services Administration depots.  Using Windows-based
software, these workers are answering phones and fulfilling
orders for supplies which are sent to federal offices everywhere.
    Make no mistake.  Jacky Crawford's job is not busy work by
any means.  In addition to answering phones and taking orders,
Crawford deals with every kind of personnel matter from time
sheet completion to training and supervising new employees.  She
also does the in-house technical support to help solve computer
problems when they arise.
    Crawford says workers at the Franconia, Va., facility take
orders for office supplies and industrial products.  Those who
need speech access on their computers use Artic Technology's
WinVision software for Windows accessibility.
    Crawford took the job with Virginia Industries for the Blind
on the GSA contract six months after she graduated from college. 
She says initially the blind and visually impaired workers had to
prove that they could indeed take the orders as quickly and
accurately as others.  Within three months, she says, the blind
workers had established themselves as productive members of the
team.  "Now when people come through here on tours," she
explains, "I don't feel self-conscious about it any more.  I'm
proud of what we do; it's incredible how much GSA and its
customers get out of this arrangement.
    "Usually when you think of the industries," Crawford noted,
"you think of the warehouse-type jobs.  These are actually good
jobs.  This is completely different.  I hope it leads to more
opportunities like it.  If we can master Windows, we can do
anything."
    Matt Peterson is a GSA employee who supervises the Virginia
Industries workers.  "We'd be in real bad shape without these
workers right now," he says.  "We've had two rounds of buy-outs
where they offered the federal employees $25,000 to retire early. 
We basically didn't have enough resources to cover the business.
    "Our business increased over 30 percent between 1994 and
1995," Peterson says.  "Their productivity has been as good or
better than the sighted workers we had here prior to their
coming."
    Peterson freely admits to being "a little skeptical at the
beginning with someone totally blind being able to do the job." 
That skepticism faded relatively quickly when he saw how GSA
would benefit from the professionalism and productivity of the
VIB workers.  He says the staff takes between 600 and 700 calls
per day and fills more than 200 back orders daily.
    Yoseph Getachew, one of the VIB order fulfillment workers,
came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1990.  Brain surgery
to remove a tumor resulted in his loss of sight.  Facing
blindness and life in a new country, Getachew learned braille and
attended college.  Getachew is deaf in his left ear.  As a
result, he listens to the Artic speech and the customer in the
same ear.  "At first, that was difficult to get used to," he
recalls.  "But now it's not that big a thing.  It's quite
routine."
    As for his assessment of the job, Getachew calls it "the
first job I ever had where I had 100 percent control.  I rarely
need anyone's help to do the job.  There's nothing like that
feeling."
    Dan Bailey, also a member of the order fulfillment team, says
he's most excited about the possibilities associated with the
job.  "This job is what I call replicable," he says.  "It can be
done on a variety of sites large and small.  There's no reason
blind people can't work in places like this and do very well."
    If the job has any negatives for him, it's chief problem is
the mechanical speech he's forced to endure.  "I have a DECTalk
at home; the speech is excellent.  I've been working with this
system for a year, and I still have problems occasionally with
some of the addresses."
    Bailey had been pursuing a college degree when his wife's
employment situation abruptly changed, forcing him into the work
place full-time.  "I was intrigued with this job from the start,"
he recalls.  "It was the best possible option for me, and it came
along when I needed it."
    Competitiveness, building partnerships, and adapting to the
constant of change is a formula that appears to be working and
making a difference for people like Jacky Crawford, Yoseph
Getachew, and Dan Bailey.

                           RUNNERS HIGH
                          by Ken Stewart
    We were a group of 50, all trying to squeeze through one exit
door at the same time.  Flames were not licking at our heels, and
we were not fleeing the building for any other reason.  In fact,
we were eager to get farther into the building þ and upstairs,
not down.
    We were the third and last heat of the herd of nutty athletes
participating in the annual Empire State Building Run Up.  The
starting line was a strip of white tape laid over the lobby's
gleaming marble, about 15 yards from the doorway to the 40-inch-
wide stairs winding upward through the tired old skyscraper that
had reigned for almost half a century as the world's tallest.  We
slid across those first yards as one mass of shuffling Nikes. 
And the first few flights up were almost as dense.  But the
sorting out began early and by the time we reached the fifth or
sixth floor the sounds of heavy breathing dominated and most of
us had found our groove.  From then on each of us could move at
his preferred pace without being boxed in or seriously tailgated.
    I had believed I had a total of 86 floors to run up.  But
just before the starting gun (a whistle), the chap on my left
asked me with a German accent a very deep philosophical question:
"What is this, floor zero?"  I was not sure what to tell him. 
Was the first floor above us officially designated the first
floor as is the custom in some commercial buildings?  Is there a
mezzanine floor below number two?  Or is the lobby floor
equivalent to floor number one?  What we all knew for sure was
that the finish line awaited us on floor 86.
    For the first 20 floors the stairs doubled back and forth,
two flights per floor, with tiny landings to change direction. 
At floor 20 came the first challenge for my limited vision. 
There I knew the route would switch to a different stairwell.  I
had asked race director Bill Noel days beforehand if I could get
access to the stairs to look at the course in advance.  He told
me the security personnel would not permit anyone into them,
"building policy."  He added, "Don't worry.  You won't get lost." 
He thought he was being funny but I have gotten lost during a
road race.  I missed a turn late in a 15K when no others were
within my sight ahead.  The following runners eventually bellowed
to me from far behind.
    Refusing to take "no" for an answer, I went to the building
the day before the race, took an elevator to the 20th floor, and
scouted around until I found the correct stairs.  I saw a
conspicuous white line through a dingy inner hallway between the
two stairwells.  I walked a few floors and then elevatored on up
to the 65th floor to examine the other spot I would have to
locate the next day.  There too the route was boldly marked,
winding out through a doorway, along a short corridor, around a
corner, back through another door and onto the next upward
stairwell closer to the core of the narrowing building.  My
advance work was informative about things other than the stair
changes and lighting, too.  I noticed exposed electrical
extension lines hanging down alongside the stair rails.  One even
stretched across the floor on a landing.  And there was a "haze
zone" at floor number 44.  There I came upon three women taking a
cigarette break.  They confirmed my guess that the fire stair is
the only place available in their smoke-free workplace.
    The next day, by the time I hit the 20th floor, there were
runners in sight behind but not in front of me.  The floor line
was there to direct me though, and race marshalls, too, with the
usual lies, "Lookin' good.  Lookin' good."  Here was the first of
the two water stations also.  None for me, thank you.  Since I
commit the major heresy of running whole marathons without taking
fluids en route, I knew I needn't bother on this little outing.
    The stair configuration was different for the rest of the
climb þ no more double-flight switchbacks.  Now we had single
long flights mostly, with occasional short stairs added at a
right angle, too.  That meant at each floor there was a run of
five yards or so to get to the base of the next flight going up
the same way as the last, westward as it happens.  Isn't it
strange how the mind can keep its directional orientation even
deep inside a huge building with no exterior point of reference?
    These flights were thankfully dimly lit just as the lower
ones had been, so the visibility for me continued to be very
good.  Indeed, the Empire State Building Run Up is an ideal event
for a low-vision athlete.  The narrow stairs have a banister on
each side all the way up and the level landings can be trailed in
the same way.  I even allowed my arms to help my legs at times
with some pulling on the handrails here and there!  I don't think
that broke any rules.
    For most of the race there was very little change of position
among participants.  A few times on the upper flights I was able
to overtake another runner, and several times I got a gasped
"thanks" from someone else who appreciated my hugging the outside
of the treads for him to pass me on the inside.  Around floor 70
or 75 I passed a competitor stopped and in apparent pain.  I
learned later from the race director that person did recover
enough to finish the race, but he was scolded for falsifying his
qualifications for the event.
    The entry process had been a bit intimidating.  Since the
event must limit participation due to obvious space restraints,
it is by invitation only.  With my application I had to supply
biographical information, from which a judgment would be made
about my suitability, both athletic and journalistic.  The race
sponsors wanted to be sure no entrant would be finished, dead
last, and that all entrants would make picturesque subjects for
the news media who flock to the event each year.  Once I read of
the apparent athletic expectations I was ready to throw the
application away.  But then I decided to identify my atypical
sports endeavors like running eight marathons without a sighted
guide, and winning trophies as a legally blind Nordic ski racer
and water skier.  To my surprise I was one of the 149 selected
from about 400 applicants for the event.
    Being from out of town, or better yet from out of the
country, obviously helps chances for selection too.  There were
competitors from Austria, Switzerland and China.  The male winner
was a German, a repeat winner from last year who finished in the
amazing time of 10 minutes 44 seconds.  The female winner was an
Australian.  The news media were there aplenty.  In the warm-up
area beforehand I was briefly questioned by a radio reporter and
then by a woman who had a cameraman alongside.  I was ready with
what I thought might be some amusing quips.  When asked for my
motivations, I explained that I was going to run up because I
heard there was a good view at the top.  She saw no humor in my
line.  Could it be the weather was against me?  That day New York
was experiencing extraordinary fog, so severe that 15 entrants
did not make the start due to delays at local airports.  I tried
a second goof, explaining that I felt vertically deprived living
on the ground floor of my apartment house.  I decided it was time
to see how the other half lives.  That line died too.  When I
spotted that same twosome walking by moments later, I asked the
cameraman what station they were from.  His one-word answer was
accompanied by a quick bow of the head and smile, "J'pohn."  So
my attempts at humor had just lost something in translation,
perhaps.
    In my advance discussion with the race director I had also
wondered how well marked each floor number would be.  His reply
was, "You won't want to know."  I thought he was probably wrong
about that.  In all my road races I find that feedback is very
important to me, like how far along I am, and what my elapsed
time is.  I vividly recall the difficulty I had in Montreal
trying to get progress reports from fellow marathoners who seemed
to be speaking only French, and from spectators who were
similarly franco-centric.
    As it happened, the 20th and 65th floors were sufficient
reference points for me, and I had noted the day before that the
floor numbers were conspicuous enough on corridor doors that I
could read them by veering off course just a bit any time I had
that overpowering need to know where I was.  At one point I tried
to tease a race official on a landing by asking, "What's our
split time?"  Another runner who evidently had a watch ticking
off gave me the answer.  It was bad news to my ego.
    The visibility of the course took a turn for the worse near
the top.  The last several flights were within bright refurbished
walls, with a skylight contributing all the more unwanted glare. 
Once at the top, the course went across a highly polished floor
onto an outdoor terrace, and then we had to follow what seemed to
be a rat's maze around several sides of the building.  There were
a few steps to scramble up, before or after the finish line
banner, I don't know.  Each time someone urged me onward I
explained my hesitant pace with "I can't see."  Each time I said
that, a well-meaning volunteer tried to drag me off to the First
Aid table.  So I expanded my line to "I feel fine but I can't see
right now."
    I really did feel surprisingly fine afterward.  The event was
incredibly demanding on the lungs but not so hard on the legs as
I had expected, especially since I had done virtually no
specialized training.  My one try on a stairclimber device in a
health club was totally unappealing, especially since the
attendant seemed to know not much more than I did about the
subtle nuances of the myriad programming options and cyberized
digital readout data.  I did some running up and down stairs but
I didn't feel like that was taxing my body enough.  The
intermittent return flights down were too generous recovery
periods.
    During the run up there were several instances of burning in
the legs, specifically, just above the knees.  That would be the
lower quadriceps, I guess.  But easing up on my pace momentarily
was adequate remedy.  After the race and the next day too, the
absence of any general fatigue or particular muscle soreness or
stiffness caused me to wonder if that meant I had "dogged it"
during the race.  More evidence of that possibility was the
condition of my clothing afterward.  It was only damp, not
soaking wet as I had expected with the extreme humidity that day
and a course through the innards of a well-heated building. 
Accordingly, I had dressed minimally, in a sheer singlet over my
running shorts and my usual race sweatbands on wrists.
    (To learn the author's exact official finish time in
beautiful felt pen calligraphy inscribed on a used candy wrapper
suitable for framing, send a stamped self-addressed envelope with
your own "Most Embarrassing Performance" in 25 words or less, to:
Run Up Rip Off, c/o 34 Points of View, Warwick, N.Y. 10990.  An
uneaten Power Bar must accompany the request.  Please specify
Roman numerals or Arabic version.)

                          AFFILIATE NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST IN RSVA AUCTION
    There are several interesting items to be auctioned at the
Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America auction at the 1996
convention in Tulsa: an uncirculated set of 1943 steel pennies;
an uncirculated set of obsolete coins that includes a 1943
walking liberty half dollar, a 1961 Washington head quarter, a
1945 liberty head dime, a 1945 silver nickel and a 1943 steel
penny; a handmade baby crib quilt; autographed pictures of many
sports celebrities, such as Dan Marino and Nolan Ryan.  If you're
interested in obtaining any of these, don't forget to register
for the auction.
NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION
    ACB Social Service Providers, which has been in operation
since 1988 and has produced a number of worthwhile workshops and
taped newsletters, carries a long list of members but an
insufficient number of regulars who attend ACB conventions
annually to fill the officer positions, publish a newsletter, and
plan annual SSP programs.  In compliance with its constitution
and bylaws, SSP is scheduling a discussion of dissolution meeting
at the Tulsa convention on July 1 at 3:30 p.m. (room to be
announced in the program).  If people show enough interest, the
organization could continue.  Otherwise, without the necessary
labor pool, SSP will have no choice but to disband.  Anyone who
cannot attend the Tulsa ACB convention may still express a
viewpoint by contacting Pamela Shaw, president, at (215) 242-
5695.
FALL CONVENTION
    South Dakota Association of the Blind will hold its annual
convention in Sioux Falls at the Downtown Holiday Inn City Centre
Sept. 6-8.  All are welcome.
OHIO SCHOLARSHIPS
    The ACB of Ohio will award five scholarships to blind or
visually impaired Ohio residents pursuing graduate degrees in a
field of service to others to honor the memory of Linwood Walker,
a charter member of ACBO who died Feb. 9, 1996 after a lengthy
battle with lung cancer and heart disease.  A rigorous
application process is being developed by a committee, and the
application procedure and deadlines will be confirmed this month. 
For more information, call the ACB of Ohio at (800) 835-2226 (in
Ohio) or (614) 221-6688 (outside Ohio).

                          HERE AND THERE
                      by Elizabeth M. Lennon
    The announcement of new products and services in this column
should not be considered an endorsement of those products and
services by the American Council of the Blind, its staff or elected
officials.  Products and services are listed free of charge for the
benefit of our readers.  "The Braille Forum" cannot be responsible
for the reliability of products or services mentioned.

NEW PSA FOR AFB
    The American Foundation for the Blind recently launched a new
public service announcement campaign called "We help those who
don't see well live like those who do."  It's meant to encourage
older visually impaired people to take advantage of the many
products, programs and services available to help them be
independent and productive.  The campaign consists of two PSAs,
"Self-Reliant" and "Family."  The first ad features an older woman
who uses visual aids to assist her in cooking, and an older man
turning to a local agency who learns that vision loss does not mean
isolation.  "Family" shows an older couple able to resume playing
card games after acquiring large-print cards, and a grandfather who
is able to take his granddaughter out þ with the help of his low
vision aids.  The ads are in TV, radio and print, and AFB is in the
process of distributing the ads to media outlets in all 50 states. 
For more information on this ad campaign, contact Liz Greco, Vice
President of Communications, American Foundation for the Blind, 11
Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, N.Y. 10001; phone (212) 502-7614.

SUMMER CAMP
    The Oral Hull Foundation is pleased to announce its summer camp
schedule and activities for blind and visually impaired adults. 
Activities will include swimming, crafts, competitive games,
fishing, a beach trip, and more.  There will be two sessions
starting July 20 and August 17.  For more detailed information,
write to: Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind, P.O. Box 157, Sandy,
OR 97055 or phone (503) 668-6195.

BIG BRAILLE
    A new agency has been formed that focuses on large-cell
braille.  Entitled The National Large Cell Braille Foundation, the
organization will work on orienting adults into braille by using a
grade 1 and grade 2 large-cell braille course called Hooked on
Braille, expected to be unveiled in August 1997.  It also intends
to produce and distribute a large-cell braille version of the King
James Bible.  The foundation wants to help raise the braille
literacy rate in America by getting blind Americans hooked on
braille; it will kick off a braille literacy campaign in January
1997 with the slogan "Get Hooked on Braille."  For more
information, contact the foundation at 2314 River Park Circle
#2111, Orlando, FL 32817-4828; phone (407) 281-0274.

ADAPTIVE HARDWARE/SOFTWARE AVAILABLE
    National Technology for the Blind and Visually Impaired sells
speech software, scanners, and much more.  For a catalog (available
on 3.5-inch high-density disk, cassette, or large print), contact
Clayton Wall at (207) 799-5091.

SUGGESTIONS?
    David Faucheux of Lafayette, La., is the southern region
representative to the collection development section of the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. 
If you have any suggestions regarding improvements to library
services, and if you live in the southern United States, send them
to David Faucheux, 1404 Carmel Dr. #22B, Lafayette, LA 70501 or by
e-mail to 104356.2172@compuserve.com 

TALKING MAPS
    Atlas Speaks, a talking map designed to help blind people learn
the layout of a neighborhood, city, or state, is now available from
Arkenstone.  It is the first of its kind to enable blind users to
hear directional information and plan trips using cross streets,
local points of interest, and landmarks.  It includes software plus
a CD-ROM containing maps of one region of choice (Pacific,
Mountain, Central, or Eastern); it costs $495.  For Atlas Speaks
plus four CD-ROMs covering the U.S., excluding Alaska, the cost is
$995.  For more information, call (800) 444-4443.

ACCESS AWARDS
    Arkenstone Inc.'s Atlas Speaks won a 1996 Access Award from the
American Foundation for the Blind.  Other award winners include:
Southwest Airlines, Stevie Wonder, and the Narrative Television
Network.  Wonder joined with Sonja Wiley to create the first
children's book offered to the public in a format that combines
braille and print, "Little Stevie Wonder in Places under the Sun,"
which was published by Western Publishing Company's Golden Sound-
Story Book Division.  Southwest Airlines won for the program
VIPRES, designed to give a blind reservationist access to the same
program other reservationists use.  (See "His Software Gave Her Job
Prospect Wings," February 1996.)  Another winner, a team of five
advocates involved in Windows access issues consisting of Judy
Brewer (director, Massachusetts Assistive Technology Program),
Charles Crawford (commissioner, Massachusetts Commission for the
Blind), Marca Bristo (director, National Council on Disability),
Jamal Mazrui (policy analyst, National Council on Disability), and
Bonnie O'Day (research associate, National Council on Disability),
developed and implemented strategies that helped persuade Microsoft
Corp. to make the Windows operating system and related software
accessible to the blind and visually impaired.

AWARD WINNER
    The American Foundation for the Blind's "Hand in Hand:
Essentials of Communication and Orientation and Mobility for Your
Students Who Are Deaf-Blind" was recently named the best new
professional/scholarly book in nursing and allied health by the
Association of American Publishers.

ALADDIN IN COLOR
    TeleSensory Corp. now has the Aladdin Rainbow þ a color version
of the Aladdin introduced a year and a half ago.  It's a one-piece
design with a 14-inch screen, and has four controls: the on-off
switch; size control; focus control and picture control.  For more
information, call (800) 804-8004.

BOOK & VIDEO
    "Cognitive Learning Theory and Cane Travel Instruction: A New
Paradigm" is now available for $10 per copy.  It covers various
issues, including science and mobility instruction, discovery vs.
guided teaching, perceptual awareness, cognitive problem solving,
motor skills, feedback, managing the environment, and more. 
Contact Richard Mettler, Public Education Specialist,
Rehabilitation Services for the Visually Impaired, 4600 Valley Rd.,
Lincoln, NE 68510-4844, or phone (402) 471-2891.
    Also available is a video called "The Encounter," which deals
with sighted people's misperceptions of blindness.  It helps answer
the question: "What are you supposed to do when you meet a blind
person?"  It is available in English, Spanish and open caption.  It
costs $8.50 per copy (in the continental United States; other
orders make arrangements with company).  Send your name, address,
request (please specify which tape), check or money order to
Carmichael Audio-Video, 1025 S. Saddle Creek Rd., Omaha, NE 68106,
or phone (402) 556-5677.

CRUISE WITH CORRS
    How would you like to go on a cruise next winter?  The Central
Ohio Radio Reading Service is sponsoring a Caribbean cruise, to be
held January 6-10, 1997 on the Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship,
the Leeward.  The ship will take you to Cancun and Cozumel, Mexico. 
Rates are substantially lower than prices available to the general
public thanks to Cruise Mart, CORRS' travel agency, which will make
a donation to the reading service for each passenger in the group. 
Each person in the Friends of CORRS group will be registered
automatically for the drawing to determine the winner of a Travel
Pro Rollaboard wrinkle-free suit carrier valued at $280.  For more
information, call Mary Hiland at (614) 464-2614 or write to her at
CORRS, 229 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43215.

NEW CATALOG
    Maxi-Aids has a new catalog chock-full of new items, one of
which is a talking microwave oven.  It is an 800-watt, 0.8 cubic
foot oven with a full range of functions, including a tactile
keypad, talking clock, adjustable speech volume, talking kitchen
timer (independent of the oven), and more.  For more information,
or a copy of the catalog, contact Maxi-Aids at (800) 522-6294.

HEAR FROM NIB
    Have you heard the latest news and information regarding
National Industries for the Blind?  There are now 119 NIB-
associated industries in 38 states, Puerto Rico, and the District
of Columbia.  These agencies have placed more than 1,600 blind
people in competitive employment during 1995, and provided
rehabilitation-related services to more than 125,000 blind people
during 1995.  If you want to catch all the NIB news, here's your
chance to jump on the mailing list.  You'll receive regular issues
of NIB's quarterly newsletter, "Opportunity," and a copy of the
1995 annual report.  All NIB publications are available in large
print, braille, cassette, and WordPerfect 5.1 or 5.2 disk.  To be
placed on the mailing list, contact Barbara Sherr in NIB's public
relations office at (703) 998-0770 extension 373; make sure you
state your preferred medium.

HEALTHY NEWS
    Anyone wishing to receive a free three-month subscription to a
newsletter containing information on subjects relating to
nutrition, environmentally safe cleaners and personal care products
may contact Julie Piper, 1301 C Ave., Vinton, IA 52349-1560.  The
newsletter is available in braille, cassette and regular print.

PHONICS DESK
    The LeapFrog Company has developed a Phonics Learning System,
a family of products in the educational learning aid category that
teaches children the alphabet, spelling and reading.  It speaks the
names of the letters in the alphabet as well as the sounds the
letters make in the context of specific words.  The Texas
Instruments voice chip creates the system's voice.  It is geared
for children ages 3 to 8.  One aid, the Phonics Desk, measures 14
inches by 17 inches by 4 inches, and comes with 20 cards and 26
magnetic letters to fit into the slots on the cards, as well as a
Partners in Learning Guide.  The Phonics Traveler measures 6 inches
by 13 inches by 3 inches, and comes with 20 smaller-size cards and
a Partners in Learning Guide.  For more information, call (800)
701-5327.

GERMAN CATALOGS
    The German Talking Book Library for the Blind has a new catalog
of 7,250 titles arranged by subject.  Four indexes to help find a
title are also new: by author, title, book number and key words. 
Also included are a list of the members in the Association of
Talking Book Libraries for the Blind with telephone and fax
numbers; a list of the grammalogues of non-commercial talking book
producers, and a list of the recording speakers.  The catalog is
available in regular print through the Deutsche Blinden-
Horbucherei, P.O. Box 1160, D-35001 Marburg, Germany.  It is also
available on a 3.5-inch disk in ASCII format.  For more
information, send your inquiry to the address listed.
    Also offered is a catalog of periodicals on cassette.  Entries
in this catalog are sorted according to production units and have
a short description of contents, as well as information on how to
get the tape.  More than 200 magazines are included in the 16
typewriter-size pages.  Send queries to the address above.

VISIONS 1996
    VISIONS: 1996, presented by The Foundation Fighting Blindness
and joined by the 9th World Congress of the International Retinitis
Pigmentosa Association, will be held at the Washington Hilton and
Towers, Washington, D.C., August 17-20.  The conference will
provide the latest information in research, support/discussion
group meetings, coping sessions, and showcase low vision products
and services for people with retinal degenerative diseases (such as
retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and Usher syndrome). 
The conference is open to the public; registration is required. 
For more information contact The Foundation Fighting Blindness at
(800) 683-5555.

CHECK REGISTER
    Having trouble keeping track of your checking account balance? 
Visually Unique has a large print check register.  It has bold
lines and headings in 20-point type, plenty of room to write, and
heavyweight paper with no show-through, even when you use a bold
pen.  Each register has room for 280 entries.  Each register costs
$7.50.  Send your name, address, check or money order and request
to Visually Unique, P.O. Box 2841, Dallas, TX 75221-2841.

CROWING WATCH
    Parker Products has a talking watch with a rooster crow alarm. 
It comes with an optional on-the-hour notice, a rooster crow alarm,
and a battery with a three-year lifespan.  It costs $19.95 plus
$3.50 shipping.  To get one, send your check or money order to
Parker Products Co., P.O. Box 21355, Denver, CO 80221.

FREE GIFT
    The Jewish Heritage for the Blind can provide your visually
impaired friend or relative with a large print "Bencher."  Fold a
blank sheet of paper in half.  On the top half print your name,
address and ZIP code; put your friend's name, address and ZIP code
on the bottom half.  Indicate Hebrew only or Hebrew/English.  Mail
or fax to: Jewish Heritage for the Blind, P.O. Box 290-182,
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11229-0182; fax (718) 338-0652.  Supply is limited.
    The Jewish Heritage also has a new series of braille short
stories for children and adults.  For an updated list, contact the
office of the Jewish Heritage for the Blind, 1655 E. 24th St.,
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11229.

WRITERS' GUILD
    Sally Rosenthal, a regularly published writer with low vision,
would like to build a network of other visually impaired women
writers for support and mutual critiques.  All genres of writing
included.  Correspond through typed letters or IBM-compatible
(WordPerfect 5.1) disk only and send SASE or sufficient postage for
return.  Write to Sally Rosenthal, 49 Bonnie Gellman Ct.,
Philadelphia, PA 19114.

FOOTBALL/RACING CARDS
    Terry Brennfoerder, 1431 Fairfield St., Lincoln, NE 68521,
(402) 477-5370, is offering braille football and auto racing cards. 
Prices vary for cards depending on the year of issue and whether
whole sets or individual cards are purchased.  Contact Mr.
Brennfoerder for additional information.

BASEBALL GAME
    The World Series Baseball Game and Information System version
10, with 155 teams and 10 information programs, usable by IBM-
compatible computers with screen readers and synthesizers, is now
available.  The cost for new users is $15, and $5 for updates. 
Send your check to Harry Hollingsworth, 692 S. Sheraton Dr., Akron,
OH 44319, or phone (330) 644-2421.

NEW FROM PACER
    The PACER Center in Minneapolis has two new items available. 
One is a booklet called "The Road to Work: An Introduction to
Vocational Rehabilitation."  It is designed for young people.  For
Minnesota residents with disabilities ages 14 or older, or their
families, a copy of this booklet is free; for all others, the cost
is $8 a copy, and for orders of 10 or more copies, the cost is
$6.50 each.  The other item is a video, "Working with Pride: A
Video About the Rehabilitation Act."  It is available for purchase
for $35 or rental for $10; rental fee can be applied to purchase
price.  The video is available upon request with audio description. 
To order either of these items, send your name, address, request
and check (including 6.5 percent tax for non-Minnesota residents;
7 percent tax for Minneapolis residents; appropriate tax for all
other Minnesota residents) to the PACER Center, 4826 Chicago Ave.
S., Minneapolis, MN 55417-1098, or call (612) 827-2966.

                      FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE:
                   THE TALE OF THE COTA CANINES
                         by Jenine McKeown

    "Get involved."  "Take responsibility."  These are very
important principles I try to incorporate into my daily life.  My
fiance, Kent Stanley, also believes strongly that the only way to
bring about change is to participate in the process.  With this
philosophy in mind, we listened eagerly as officials from the
Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) spelled out changes that
would result if a quarter percent sales tax could be passed in the
November election.  These changes included increased bus service to
our area of the city as well as an increase in funding for Project
Mainstream, COTA's paratransit service.  Immediately, we decided we
wanted to help with the campaign.
    Before we even contacted Citizens for Better Transit, the
committee working on this issue, we took some time to assess our
skills.  What could we offer them going in?  Kent had never worked
on a campaign.  My experiences, though good, had involved a
significant amount of education.  I explained to Kent the normal
tasks to be done in a campaign office. These included making
support phone calls from lists, distributing literature or public
speaking about the issue.  We might also be asked to answer phones,
take part in public events or appear in commercials or other photo
opportunities.  We looked at why we were getting involved.  This
would form the basis of what we could and would do for the
campaign.
    The area of Columbus in which we live has very limited bus
service.  It is, however, safe, reasonably convenient and quite
community-oriented.  Earlier that year, we'd considered moving to
an area of the city with better bus access.  We were appalled at
the thought of self-segregation based on our disabilities, and
we've come to love the area.  Looking at these issues, we
considered ourselves to be "the average resident."  We were not
just getting involved because of our disabilities and using that
angle to justify our right to participate in the campaign.  This
last statement became very important in our interactions with
campaign staff.
    Because transportation was a problem for us in getting to
campaign headquarters, we also had to consider exactly when we
could work.  As we are both students at Franklin University,
located in downtown Columbus, and take classes in the evening, we
made arrangements with the paratransit system to come downtown
early on those nights and put in at least two hours at the campaign
office before class. 
    All these things in mind, we had only one more factor to
discuss.  We both work with golden retriever guide dogs.  Anyone
with a guide dog knows how easy it can be for the dog to become the
focus of the interaction.  How would we handle this?  What role did
we want the dogs to have in our identity within the context of the
campaign?
    This may seem like an odd thing to consider, but as a guide dog
handler, I have control over how my dog will fit into any
situation.  Sometimes I want my dog to be noticed while other times
it is not appropriate for my dog to interact with people.  If the
dog opens channels that would not otherwise be opened due to
discomfort about disability, he is allowed a certain amount of
interaction with people.  This usually only lasts until the people
are comfortable talking.  Then the dog is made to lie quietly and
generally goes unnoticed. My message can be heard, my input on
activities is welcome and my experience is used to its fullest when
I begin with the proper attitude about my dog.
    Kent and I know the power our dogs have to draw attention.  We
also know that they are generally well-behaved in an office
setting.  In order to get our message of good bus service for all
across, we decided to offer our dogs as eye catchers within certain
boundaries.  We didn't exactly want to have "spokes dogs" but if
they helped get people interested in the issue, all the better.
    There was the expected nervousness upon our initial meeting
with the campaign volunteer coordinator.  He was not quite sure
what we could do until we took charge of the meeting and told him. 
Like many people, he was afraid to ask.  We asked him what types of
things needed to be done, then told which ones we could do.  We
also joked that we would be COTA's very own "Harry and Louise," the
couple many people identified with in politically motivated health
care ads during the fall of 1994.  The entire staff's response was
welcoming.
    Our first campaign task was cold calling.  We received a script
and calling list along with a packet of information about the levy
to be passed.  As we both have scanners, we chose to have the lists
and general information faxed to our computer then translated. 
Kent has some reading vision.  He enlarged print copies of the
faxes.  I downloaded the basic script and some numbers into my
Braille 'n Speak.  A braille printer would have been of better use
to me for this task, however.
    We worked out a system while calling from campaign headquarters
that Kent would read the number and name and I would make the call. 
He then recorded the results on the calling sheet.  This proved to
be a good strategy.  Our calls gave information, asked for voting
support and determined who might want yard signs and other
promotional material.  This gave us an opportunity to find out what
the general public was thinking about the levy.  The teamwork
aspect of our calling system helped eliminate some of the stress of
cold-calling a world that does not like anything resembling
telemarketing.
    Our other tasks at campaign headquarters involved putting
together mailings.  We were joined by many other volunteers,
including COTA employees.  Even the "visual work" was easily
adapted.  There were several times when I worked on mail alone
without benefit of Kent's vision.  I simply explained what I needed
and the volunteer coordinator "set me up."  I found that the jobs
only required common sense.  The key lay in me telling people what
I needed.  I could not expect them to know.  All those adaptive
techniques we use to make life easier at home worked here.
    Our public interaction with the campaign began when we appeared
in the first public service spot.  Filming the commercial was a
very educational experience.  All three new types of buses were
available to show what kind of vehicles would be purchased with the
levy funds.  We were filmed in a small crowd of people waiting for
a bus.  In the scene, I made a point of checking my braille watch. 
Then the bus, a small trolley car style that would be used in the
downtown corridors, pulled up and we boarded with the crowd.  The
30-second commercial showed us for only a few seconds, but people
noticed the dogs.  Making a commercial sounds more fun than it was. 
It was generally boring, waiting for camera shots to be set up,
repeating the same shot four and five times.
    Our next public venture was a short speech, asking for an
endorsement, before the Franklin County Commissioners.  It is easy
to make the mistake of thinking that this is the big chance to say
everything about this issue and anything else that is important to
people with disabilities.  In actuality, the point must be made in
as short a time as possible.  We received this advice from the
campaign staff, but were not scripted in any way.  Kent had never
testified before and found the experience fascinating. 
    As we approached the standing microphone, the commissioners
made a point of telling us that we were speaking to a group of dog
lovers.  I spoke first, then commanded my dog to the back of the
room.  After Kent finished, the commissioners questioned him about
our dogs rather than our issue.  He was able to turn them around by
mentioning how much we pay in taxi fare when we come downtown for
school and how much bus fare is, comparatively ($40 round trip
versus $1.35).  This sparked several good questions.
    We next appeared before the city council.  By now, we were
fulfilling the role of COTA's own "Harry and Louise" as we had
promised.  At no time were we introduced as "blind people," but as
"transit riders" þ a victory in itself.
    The city council appearance had some interesting aspects. 
Before we went into the caucus, the meeting before the actual
council meeting when informal business like endorsements is
conducted, we helped show off one of the new vehicles.  The mayor,
after meeting Kent's dog, asked if he might walk with him.  Drummer
wasn't exactly cooperative, and was quite happy to be back with
Kent.  When it came time to go to the caucus room, he and Toby led
the way, directed from the crowd behind us.
    Once inside, we took our seats and spoke to the council members
with both dogs lying neatly under the table out of sight.  This
time the questions focused solely on the issue.
    As a result of our appearance before the city council, a local
television station featured us in a story about why the levy was
necessary.  As always, we were concerned that the story would turn
out to be one of those horrible sob stories about the poor blind
people.  Much to our surprise and happiness, it did not.
    The cap to our campaign public appearances was a rally to show
official support from local politicians and community leaders.  The
mayor, the president of Ohio State University, local executives and
religious leaders spoke.  The campaign staff asked us to stand off
to one side, but up front so that when each speaker mentioned
people who "had no choice for transportation," they would look
right at us.  Then we gave a brief speech, ending with a little
message from the dogs.  Although we didn't want to exploit them,
everyone had noticed them and it made a great ending line. 
    "If dogs could vote, ours would vote for the levy, but since
they can't, you and your friends will have to do it for them."
    The last week was just hard work on the phones.  The polls were
so close and every vote counted.  We also walked around our
neighborhood handing out literature.  Each time we went into a
local business, we took signs for the windows and literature.  The
business community in our area supported the levy, in part due to
the personal spin we put on it during our visits.
    The real nail-biting came on election night.  With terrible
weather and a low voter turnout expected, we were cautiously
optimistic.  The work was done; we could only wait for the returns
and hope.  Along with 30 or so others, we waited as the county's
new electronic voting machines tallied the results.  The first
polls showed us behind by almost 20 points.  By 8:30 p.m., we were
still down, but the margin was closing.  The COTA levy never gained
more than 47 percent of the vote all night, but the numbers kept
edging up and we all wanted so badly for them just to get that last
push from that last precinct to put the percentage over 51.  It did
not happen.
    The most frustrating aspect of our work on this levy was not so
much the eventual loss, but the lack of understanding in the
citizenry of Columbus, Ohio, that this expansion in bus service was
necessary, called upon by the business community, to get residents
to where the new jobs are in this ever-expanding city.  What
surprised and ultimately hurt Kent and me was the total apathy
within the disability community toward this issue.  Transportation
is the very lifeblood and independence of many people with
disabilities and this levy provided funds not only to increase
paratransit, but to make fixed route buses so much easier to catch,
work sites more available and the city much more hospitable to
people with all types of disabilities.  The only disability groups
we saw getting involved were Goodwill Industries and United
Cerebral Palsy Association.  Where was the Columbus chapter of the
American Council of the Blind of Ohio?
    COTA held the October meeting of its Accessible Transportation
Advisory Committee (ATAC) in the Citizens for Better Transit
campaign headquarters.  Several members of the ACB of Columbus
chapter's board serve on this committee and had listened to the
same presentation we had in August, yet when asked about
endorsement, all involved had to think for several moments.  Had
the chapter voted to endorse the levy at its recent October
meeting?  No one was certain.  I found this astonishing.  In the
last levy campaign in 1989, the Columbus chapter bought newspaper
advertising, talked constantly in its meetings and on the local
radio reading service and generally gave the levy campaign as much
support as possible.  What had happened?  The ATAC itself finally
decided to endorse the levy, but the attitude seemed to be one of
utter apathy.  I found this extremely disheartening as severe
cutbacks in both fixed route and paratransit will occur as a result
of the levy failure.  I truly hate to think of this effort as a
wake-up call for Columbus' disability community.  We can't afford
to hit the snooze alarm again.
    Beyond the disappointment, Kent and I feel the experience of
participating in a political campaign, where we were treated with
respect, dignity and worth as members of a team effort, was
probably the most rewarding thing we've done in 1995.  Don't just
sit back talking to other blind people about how rough things are
and how much you are dissatisfied with your community.  Change is
up to you.  Kent says of the levy effort, when people ask, "At
least I can live with myself.  If I'd done nothing, I would have no
right to complain."

                          GUEST EDITORIAL
                 Stop Attacking Randolph-Sheppard!
                          by Ardis Bazyn
    In the past, we have heard about Randolph-Sheppard priorities
being ignored in both the Department of Defense and the Veterans
Administration.  However, in the last several months the Randolph-
Sheppard program has been bombarded with other threats to its
success and long-range survival.
    Earlier this year, Congress attempted to lump rehabilitation in
with other job program block grant funds.  That attempt failed as
a result of the advocacy of ACB members.  The provision for the
elimination of some priorities for Randolph-Sheppard locations in
the initial budget reconciliation package was taken from that
package as a result of the grass-roots efforts of ACB and RSVA
members.  We must grapple with other attempts to damage or at least
limit the number of facilities available in many states.  I think
we need to be aware of what is going on across the country and do
what we can to stop these efforts, which are threatening the very
existence of a good Randolph-Sheppard program.
    In many states, including Iowa, the roadside vending locations
are being threatened by talk of privatization.  Privatization is
viewed as a way of saving money which state departments of
transportation would otherwise have to spend.  They are trying to
get private companies to build motels or gas stations in order to
take care of the rest areas so the state does not have to pay
maintenance.  Supposedly, this will save the states millions of
dollars.  However, such proposals will put many blind vendors out
of work if they get support from the business community.  We must
be prepared to attend hearings in our states when we find out about
such proposals.
    A bottling company in Missouri is trying to undermine our
priority in the post office.  Only because a vendor happened to get
a copy of a letter was he aware of it.
    In Tennessee, a bill was introduced to take away the Randolph-
Sheppard priority  for facilities on the college campuses.  The
actions of vendors and others managed to get a compromise which
protects the priority of the facilities already established but
does not give priority to any additional or new facilities.  The
Senate passed this version but, as of this writing, House members
weren't sure they would pass this bill.
    This past winter, the locations at Boulder Dam, Nevada, were
threatened, but they were saved due to the advocacy of vendors and
friends.
    In California, many county facilities are being removed from
the Randolph-Sheppard program because of county budget problems. 
County officials think they can get more money from the private
sector by bidding contracts out.  Many times advocates do not react
quickly enough.  I think it's time that we as blind people start to
become aware of the many pressures affecting the Randolph-Sheppard
program.  Sometimes vendors become complacent about what is
available and wait too long to become involved in situations they
hear about.
    What can we do if a Randolph-Sheppard location is threatened? 
Remember that if no one takes adequate action, it will not be there
for another blind person in the future.  Anyone can call other
vendors, RSVA members and other ACB members to make them aware of
the threat.  Letters and phone calls can be made.  Offices can be
filled with advocates protesting any action plan.
    Sometimes ACB members, RSVA members and other vendors do not
work together to advocate.  We must pull together to be the most
effective.  Even if you are not a vendor, it is crucial that all of
us be concerned with blindness issues.  Remember, not just the
vending programs are being threatened today.  All preference
programs are under critical scrutiny.
    We must all promote the welfare of blind people.  Some of us
are vendors; others have different jobs.  Even though we may not
want the same careers, all options must be kept open for the blind
to have the best possible employment.
    Remember, the Randolph-Sheppard program has more than 3,500
managers and employs many, many more blind people in those
locations.  The unemployment rate for blind people is 74 percent;
we want to help that decrease.  One way is to keep the Randolph-
Sheppard programs a vital, growing program in every state possible.
    I want to encourage you to become actively involved in
advocating for the programs we want to keep alive and well.  This
includes the Randolph-Sheppard program.

                        HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP
    FOR SALE: TSI Advantage CCTV system, including: a clean 19-inch
Sanyo composite monitor and an automated X-Y viewing table.  Used
only occasionally; in excellent condition.  Looks and works like
new.  I am selling this system because I no longer need it. 
Functions include: fully adjustable magnification control,
horizontal or vertical split-screen capability, positive or
negative image viewing, on or off-line guides, single line
scrolling and a full spectrum of camera, computer and monitor video
adjustment controls.  Monitor is equipped with an adjustable height
and tilt monitor stand.  Table includes fully adjustable line
spacing, reading rate, left and right margin settings and optional
foot pedals for hands-free operation.  All necessary cables and
manuals included.  Asking $1,500 or best offer plus shipping.  Must
sell as soon as possible!  Interested parties should call or write
John Chilelli 1241 E. 26th St., Erie, PA 16504; phone (814) 459-
9981 between 5 and 11 p.m. Eastern time.
    FOR SALE: 2400 baud internal modem, 9600-baud U.S. Robotics
external modem, Artic Synphonix 210 speech card, and Arkenstone
ScanJet Plus scanner.  Make an offer on the item you're interested
in by contacting Bryan Sattler at (518) 459-2177 or e-mail him at
bryansat@capital.net 
    FOR SALE: TSI BrailleMate, includes carrying case, AC adaptor,
connector cables for connection to PC's and printers, braille,
cassette, print, and 5.25-inch diskette manuals.  $200 or best
offer.  Call Mickey at (717) 849-8214 or write to him at York
College of PA, Manor North, Box 54, York, PA 17405; e-mail
mtodd@ycp.edu 
    FOR SALE: TeleSensory Navigator 40 braille display with Screen
Power Integrated and Screen Power Braille.  Mint condition.  Call
Sean Cummins at (520) 639-2111.
    FOR SALE: Webster's New World Dictionary of the American
Language, 72 braille volumes, $400.  Roget's New Pocket Thesaurus,
29 braille volumes, $300.  A light probe, $20.  King James version
of the Bible in braille to give away.  Bookshelves for the
dictionary are easily disassembled and can be included.  For
information call Jean weekdays at (303) 355-9935.
    FOR SALE: Artic 210/215 Synphonix speech card, $200.  Call
(402) 474-3674.

ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sue Ammeter, Seattle, WA 
Ardis Bazyn, Cedar Rapids, IA 
Christopher Gray, San Jose, CA  
Charles Hodge, Arlington, VA
John Horst, Wilkes-Barre, PA 
Jean Mann, Guilderland, NY 
Kristal Platt, Omaha, NE
M.J. Schmitt, Forest Park, IL
Pamela Shaw, Philadelphia, PA 
Richard Villa, Irving, TX

LeRoy Saunders, Immediate Past President, Oklahoma City, OK

BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS

Carol McCarl, Chairperson, Salem, OR
Kim Charlson, Watertown, MA 
Thomas Mitchell, North Salt Lake City, UT
Mitch Pomerantz, Los Angeles, CA 
Jay Doudna, Lancaster, PA 
Ex Officio: Laura Oftedahl, Watertown, MA 

ACB OFFICERS

PRESIDENT
PAUL EDWARDS
20330 NE 20TH CT.
MIAMI, FL 33179

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
BRIAN CHARLSON
57 GRANDVIEW AVE.
WATERTOWN, MA 02172

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
STEPHEN SPEICHER
825 M ST., SUITE 216
LINCOLN, NE 68508

SECRETARY
CYNTHIA TOWERS
556 N. 80TH ST.
SEATTLE, WA 98103

TREASURER
PATRICIA BEATTIE
CRYSTAL TOWERS #206 NORTH
1600 S. EADS ST.
ARLINGTON, VA 22202

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
ELIZABETH M. LENNON, Kalamazoo, MI