THE Braille Forum Vol. XXXV July-August 1996 No. 1 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., National Representative 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. Submission deadlines are the first of the month. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Patricia Beattie at the same 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, by Paul Edwards Report Of The Executive Director, by Oral O. Miller ACB Elections Bring New Faces To Board Of Directors, by Nolan Crabb One Is Silver And One Is Gold At Western Image, by Sharon Lovering Facts About The 1997 Convention 'Paws' To Think About The Torch Run, by Kathy Nimmer The Olympic Relay, by Deborah C. Grubb ACB Seeks Director Of Advocacy Services This Company Made Access Happen, by Kathy Seven Williams Plunkett Receives Award From NCSAB Legal Access: Lane II And Two More Cases To Watch, by Charles D. Goldman Affiliate News Here And There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Minnesota Randolph-Sheppard Litigation Update, by Charles S.P. Hodge High Tech Swap Shop CORRECTION In the June "Here and There" column under "Special Event," the phone number for Annette Martin was listed incorrectly. The correct number is (216) 791-8118 extension 251. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Paul Edwards (Editor's note: This month's message is a transcript of President Edwards' speech which he delivered to those in attendance at the ACB 35th annual national convention in Tulsa, Okla., Sunday, June 30, 1996.) I want to begin this report by telling all of you what an honor it is for me to have been chosen by you to lead ACB at this time; and, saying that, I have to tell you that the time at which I've been chosen to lead is perhaps the most frightening time for blind people since we moved from the point where we were seen as chattels and objects to be protected. There's a range of things happening now that I want to talk with you about tonight, and many of them are not happy. There's a conjunction of events now that seriously affects our future. We must act now or regret our failure to act later. When the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, many of us saw ourselves at the beginning of a new era and felt our belief in ourselves as people with civil rights affirmed by the law of the land. In the last few years, the media have had a field day, focusing attention away from the real pervasive discrimination that's rife in our society to such peripheral issues as nude beaches and the civil rights of the obese. At the same time, the role of the federal government has been eroded by the arrival in Washington of many politicians committed to a platform of moving programs out of Washington back to states and local areas. Control is leaving Washington and is going back to where y'all live in the states, in the cities, in the towns, in the villages. Last year, the whole vocational rehabilitation structure was threatened with extinction; and only with substantial effort on our part were we able to preserve a recognized and coherent service delivery system for the placement of disabled people in jobs. ACB has long advocated working with other disability groups to promote joint political agendas; in fact, cross-disability advocacy has been at the core of what we are about for more than two decades. For the first time last year, for the very first time, we found ourselves needing to oppose other disability organizations. The National Council on Independent Living published a paper attacking many of the premises on which the rehabilitation of blind people depend. And this year again, it is promoting the curtailing of categorical services, which it describes as "segregated." The truth is that in the last year, our ability to sell our needs has gotten harder and harder, and we find ourselves defending philosophical positions which a decade ago would have been accepted without question by politicians. Those positions would have been accepted just as easily by society as a whole. Disability is under attack! At another level, those who are developing policy positions about disability issues point out that if we're serious about the ADA, we need to seek services in integrated settings. They say, (and they're not joking), that we need to make job service offices and one-stop shopping centers and all the mainstream centers that provide services for others in our society accessible to people with disabilities. They claim we need to work to integrate ourselves into those services, and they claim that we can no longer expect to have separate services, and that far from making things better, these separate services simply prolong our segregation and limit our ability to change the society as a whole. They say we must reform mainstream service delivery systems, and that they'll help us do that; and they'll help us do it by taking specialized and categorical services away. See, if they take them away, then the specialized and categorical services won't get in the way of our efforts to be integrated into the mainstream of society. Right? Like so many other new arguments, this sentiment is persuasive though. In fact, it's as American as apple pie, and who can oppose it or apple pie? The answer is, of course, we can! And what's more, ladies and gentlemen, we must! At the core of a lot of what I'm going to say this evening is that we cannot be ashamed for asking for what we need. And no matter how many editions of "60 Minutes" expose the high cost of special education, no matter how many newspaper stories focus on the marginally disabled people of this country attempting to make a quick buck out of the ADA, we must point squarely at reality and challenge and refute what they say. In a society where only 30 percent of working-age blind people have ever held a job, there's something seriously wrong; in a society where disabled people are the poorest minority bar none, there's something seriously amiss; in a society where the social security system has so many disincentives to work built into it, there must be change! In a society where transit authorities can fight the use of tactile warnings while blind people die falling off subway platforms, we're needed to speak out against the distortion that passes for news in our society. On Tuesday, I'll be saying a lot more about what we're currently trying to do in terms of access to information, and I'll be speaking along with a whole group of other people; I know I'm excited about what's happening, and I hope you will be as well on Tuesday. I hope most of you will be there for that session because, in my opinion, it may be one of the most exciting sessions of the American Council of the Blind that we've had for a while. My report so far has seemed very negative and just a little strident. And that, I'm afraid, is a sign of the times. For the rest of my report though, I want to share with you some positive changes and some significant efforts that are under way that I believe can make a difference. I also want to focus on some people who can help you see why we do what we do and that may help others understand what we're all about. A lady from Kalamazoo, Mich., saw my e-mail address in "The Braille Forum" at the end of a message I wrote on just how much of a revolution there now is in communications. She sent me a message that's one of the many that have helped me keep going. She described her efforts to host a cable TV show about disabilities, despite failing vision, and talked about the difficulties she's having as a blind person dealing with a husband with Alzheimer's disease. She's over 80 years old. She wanted to know more about what we were doing at the national level for older people who are blind. Ladies and gentlemen, if she can arrange and care for her husband, (I'll get a chance to meet her when I go to speak with our Michigan affiliate in Grand Rapids later this year), she's the kind of lady who makes the work we do seem worthwhile to me. Many people might just have crawled into their shells in the face of the kind of problems she's facing. She's reaching out to see what else she can do. She was certainly an inspiration to me, and if a lady over 80 can come to terms with the Internet and remain an active advocate for the rights of people who are disabled, what excuse do I have; or, come to that, what excuse do any of you who are here have for not stepping forward to meet the challenges we face? And step forward we must! Our story needs to be told, and our needs need to be heard and understood by our society. It's time that each of us get hold of our local newspaper and demand that we be heard. We're people who have rights, and we mustn't allow our country to lose sight of that. Blind children have the right to learn braille! Blind adults have the right to work! Blind women have the right to be included as equals in the feminist movement and their rights as disabled people are just as important as their rights as women! Older people who are blind have the right to be integrated into senior centers and should expect services that meet their needs, not to just have to sit in a corner! It's time we recognized and forced others to recognize that the plight of Hispanic and black people who are blind is getting worse, not better. To put it another way, ladies and gentlemen, there's a lot of work for ACB to do. We must be comfortable advocating for ourselves and standing up against those who would minimize the problems we face. I wrote a message in the June "Braille Forum" about education. I've gotten more comments about that message than about any other that I've written. I got a letter from a teacher in Texas who works in an inclusionist school and tells of the many good things that she's doing for young blind people. But she also talks about the many other blind students she's seen in classrooms who have aides doing everything for them and who cannot even walk around by themselves in their own schools. Talk about learning braille? Forget it! Another issue that seems to be gaining momentum is the attack on blind schools throughout the country. A few years ago, it was Florida's turn. More recently, it was Illinois' school that was placed under a microscope. This year, New Mexico and Arkansas are facing attacks on their schools. Blind schools have served many of us very well. We simply cannot afford to let schools for the blind disappear. More than that, we must preserve the broadest range of options for blind children that that we can. It's up to us to work at our state levels to advocate for the continued existence of specialized schools that, for many blind children, still represent the very best option they have for a quality education. I'll be meeting with other organizations as the summer unfolds to try to develop a joint statement that focuses on the good that blind schools do, and I'll also be encouraging our resolutions committee to work to write a strong resolution supporting their continued existence. In the educational arena this year, we've also been successful in getting the House version of IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to recognize the importance of braille, and that's exciting. By the way, that was something that was done by all organizations of and for the blind together, and it included the Federation in that effort. The language that we have in the House bill is very strong. Now, we have to make sure that that language is adopted when the conference committee meets to harmonize the House and Senate versions of the IDEA reauthorization. Some members of this organization are a little uncomfortable about a trip I made earlier this year to Baltimore to meet with Dr. Kenneth Jernigan of the National Federation of the Blind. Whether we like it or not, the Federation is one of the organizations with which we must work. The ACB and the NFB will never, as far as I can tell, join together. The reason that we won't is that there are just too many differences in our philosophies and beliefs and approaches to government for that ever, ever, ever to happen. However, we have an obligation to the blind people of this country to try whenever we can to speak with a united voice. ACB's working with all organizations in the field of blindness to try to create a united front against those who would take rights away from us. When we must, ACB will not hesitate to take positions that are different from those of the Federation. When we can, we will and should take positions together. My goal at that meeting was to understand the Federation better and to try to make ACB's positions clearer to the Federation. Communication is not the same thing as capitulation. Who knows? We may even be able to persuade the Federation to adopt some more constructive positions than they sometimes do. ACB's clearly working towards goals. We'll work toward those goals with or without the support of others. Working in a vacuum helps no one. Beyond our work to make changes in our own country, I believe that ACB must begin to take a stronger role in the international arena. Later this summer, I'll be attending the World Blind Union conference that will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The American Council of the Blind must recognize that the rights we have achieved for ourselves in this country do not exist for blind people in many other countries. We must begin to help other countries learn more about who we are and what we've accomplished and must reach out to try to assure that we can build bridges of understanding between blind people in the United States and blind people throughout the world. And we must also work at making our organization better. During the presidency of LeRoy Saunders, a person who is far too difficult to follow, we developed and implemented a five-year plan. With the able assistance of Brian Charlson and Steve Speicher, my two vice presidents, it's been my privilege to make some of the changes that this plan calls for. During this week, many of you will begin to see some more of these changes as you're asked to provide input about future conventions and as we begin to consult with committee chairs about how we can make our committee structure better. If we're to make change in our society and in the world, we must become the very best organization we can. I've certainly not done the things I've done alone. I want to tell you that what has made my presidency so far the success I think it's been is the shared leadership that's at its very heart. Brian Charlson has worked tirelessly to make committees function better and has also taken a leadership role in our information access efforts. Steve Speicher has worked to hone a policy on speakers to state affiliates and has prepared the agenda for the board meeting just held and chaired an extremely important committee working on the implementation of our five- year plan. Other officers and many board members and members in general have been willing to jump in and work on many hard tasks that I've asked them to undertake. Our organization is living proof of just how capable blind people are. It's also the best hope to promote change and to protect rights that blind people in this country have. That's what our organization is. Each of you in this room is who we are. Each of you is the key that can unlock betterment for the blind everywhere. The great thing about this organization is that all of us care. My task, and yours, over the next year will be to make the rest of the country and the rest of the world care as much as we do. I know we can do it, and with your help, I'll try to do what I can. Thank you for being here tonight. REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR by Oral O. Miller Just as Rome has been described as the eternal city, many of the advocacy issues requiring attention on the national and state levels are also eternal or at least never-ending. Consider, for example, the policy and program coordination issues examined by the National Summit on Disability Policy in Dallas a few months ago and summarized by the conference facilitators a few days ago þ issues such as the consolidation or "streamlining" of services for disabled people with general service programs, health insurance policies and practices that discriminate against disabled people and comprehensive health insurance programs such as Medicare that generally cannot be separated from minimal maintenance programs such as Social Security Disability benefits. No, the objections and critical questions do not always come from social conservatives. Consider, for example, the fact that at the National Summit in Dallas, several of the other disabled people who were in the same advisory group with me challenged the propriety and equity of such programs as the free matter mailing privilege for the blind and the extra federal tax exemption which technically still exists for some blind people (overlooking, of course, many of the other programs that benefit non-blind people primarily). The report to Congress which is based on input obtained in Dallas was released by the National Council on Disability around the end of July, 1996. Anyone who is interested in obtaining a copy should contact Mark Quigley, National Council on Disability, 1331 F St. NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20004-1107, telephone (202) 272-2004. Information Access In recent weeks ACB board members, officers and staff members have devoted substantial amounts of time strategizing about the most effective ways to deal with one of the most critical issues facing blind people today, access to information. Members of the Information Access Initiative Coalition met, for example, at National Industries for the Blind during the spring and again during the recently completed ACB national convention in Tulsa. While improvement in the dissemination or exchange of information within the member organizations is clearly one of the objectives of this group, another is the coordination of programs and initiatives nationwide to ensure information access. This is one of those issues that will be with us forever. The world around us is sighted and, as one might expect, will continue to give first consideration to things and procedures that are most convenient for sighted people, hence the eternal need for advocacy concerning information access. ACB Honored According to an old, old song, "It is so sweet to be remembered." That thought, along with many others, came to mind a few weeks ago at the annual meeting of the People to People Committee on Disability as that body presented the Margaret Pope Hovey Memorial Award to the American Council of the Blind for its accomplishments over the decades in improving the well-being of blind people. The tribute, which recognized ACB's phenomenal growth from humble beginnings and enumerated many areas of endeavor in which accomplishments had been achieved, concluded politically with "We salute the vision of this body which brought light into the lives of thousands who were denied this great gift." It was my pleasure to accept the award for the American Council of the Blind and to commend the People to People Committee on Disability for the wonderful work it has done over the decades in coordinating and channeling non-governmental assistance to disabled people throughout the world. People to People was founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to improve communication between Americans and the citizens of other countries. President Eisenhower initially assigned the program's management and operation to the U.S. State Department. When he left office in 1961, the organization was restructured as "People to People International," a non-political private sector activity. Since that time, presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton have supported its goals by serving as honorary chairmen. The Citizen Ambassador Program, one of several People to People International activities, arranges professional exchanges in such disciplines as medicine, building, science, education, agriculture, energy and industrial technology. Fighting for Categorical Services Just as the oceans continuously erode beaches away in some parts of the world, well-meaning and frequently misguided people continue to chip away at specialized services for blind people in the mistaken notion that such services are unnecessary, overly expensive and ineffective. Within recent weeks ACB staff members have met with influential federal officials and communicated extensively with state officials and ACB affiliate members on many occasions in an effort to prevent or roll back the most recent state efforts to merge rehabilitation services for blind people into general rehabilitation agencies. As of this writing, it looks as if the reorganization of the agency in Georgia will take place inasmuch as some Georgia officials had been working on the restructuring for many months before announcing it. However, thanks to the combined efforts of the affiliates of the American Council of the Blind in Kentucky, in cooperation with the NFB of Kentucky and other organizations, it looks as if the proposed reorganization there, which had not been under development behind the scenes as in Georgia, may be blocked or substantially modified. At the same time efforts continue in states such as Arkansas to effectively combine the school for the blind with the neighboring school for the deaf, the rationale being that combined operation would be much cheaper and more efficient than separate operations. Likewise, recently representatives of the American Foundation for the Blind, National Industries for the Blind and I had very frank discussions with representatives of the National Council on Independent Living regarding that organization's desire to merge "segregated services for the blind" into "integrated services for disabled people." During these discussions we explained that any discussions were biased initially by the use of such loaded words as "segregated" and "integrated," that independent living centers generally cannot provide the nature and scope of services truly needed by blind people and that, if larger amounts of public resources were devoted to the rehabilitation of blind people by independent living centers, many of the specialized blindness agencies now being relied upon by independent living centers or irreplaceable referral services would not exist for those purposes. We agreed that it may be possible to work together on other ways of improving the rehabilitation process, as the Rehabilitation Act is reauthorized, but made it crystal clear that meaningful specialized services for blind people must be respected. Civil Rights and Transportation Recently the United States Civil Rights Commission conducted informational hearings regarding, among other things, realistic barriers encountered by disabled people in obtaining transportation service. What a pleasure it was for me to tell the commissioners about my experiences as well as those of countless other blind people who have been passed up by cruising taxis (who did not think we knew they were around) because they did not want to pick up a guide dog or go to wherever they assumed we were going! For the information of the commissioners, I played a tape of a complaint by a New York resident concerning a car service that was said to have a categorical policy against transporting anyone with a guide dog; that complaint had been received only the evening before. But who do you think was the witness sitting beside me at the witness table during the hearing? The Commissioner of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission! While I was playing the tape he was busy writing down the name of the complainant and his telephone number so he could take care of the matter as soon as he got back to New York. As for recommendations concerning other remedies, some that were suggested included the employment of many more inspectors and complaint processing personnel, the imposition of much stiffer penalties, and better education programs for taxi and other drivers. International Visitors Overseas visitors often come by the ACB national office and we always enjoy meting with them. However, recently former ACB board member Charles Hodge and I had an especially enjoyable visit with Mr. Tswaledi Webster Sekwati, a legally blind "colored" attorney from South Africa who was at that time concluding an exchange visit under the auspices of the USIA International Visitor Program. In view of the civil rights history in the USA it was extremely interesting talking to Mr. Sekwati about the standardized testing barriers and the "reasonable accommodation" barriers he had encountered as a student and younger attorney in his country. Personal Note Though I seldom include matrimonial congratulations in this report, I am deviating from that practice to congratulate Dr. Raymond "Bud" Keith and Ms. Billie Jean Hill on their recent marriage in Hawaii. Over the years, Doc Keith, the Senior Equal Employment Specialist in the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has been a very active member of ACB, serving as an affiliate president, an affiliate board member and most recently as a member of the Long-Range Planning Committee. Ms. Hill, a member of the staff of the National Council on Disability, has also been very active in ACB over the years, serving as an affiliate president, an affiliate board member and a member of the ACB board of publications, among other positions. The scores of well-wishers who attended their wedding reception in Virginia following their return from Hawaii had come together to wish them well following, as their wedding announcement had described it, "a brief courtship of 13 years." Job Announcements Note that elsewhere in this issue of "The Braille Forum" there is an announcement regarding a professional position which the American Council of the Blind is interested in filling. In addition, we have been asked by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to assist in identifying potential high-caliber candidates for several excellent professional positions which that office would like to fill before the end of 1996. The positions to be filled are those of Program Analyst, Management Analyst, Education Research Analyst, Education Program Specialist, Financial Management Analyst, and Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, covering a salary range from approximately $44,500 yearly to approximately $81,000 yearly. The stated categories are open to all eligible OSERS employees, other federal employees and outside applicants. Information available in accessible media may be obtained from and employment applications or resumes may be sent to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Room 3120, Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C St. SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-2510. Additional information may be obtained by telephone by contacting Mr. Palmer King or Ms. Darlene Thornton at (202) 205-2723. ACB ELECTIONS BRING NEW FACES TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS by Nolan Crabb TULSA -- Five board of directors positions and three board of publications slots were up for grabs at convention elections held here in early July. It's highly unlikely that the two political party conventions which are very much in the news as you read this will prove as exciting as some of ACB's elections. Incumbents Sue Ammeter, an ADA training coordinator from Seattle, Wash., and Ardis Bazyn, a vending stand operator and student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were re-elected without opposition. The first hint that the ACB elections would bring their share of suspense and excitement came when Charles Glaser, ACB's assistant convention coordinator, challenged incumbent Chris Gray for his board seat. Speaking in Glaser's behalf, ACB Convention Coordinator John Horst hailed him as "a man of insight." Mitch Pomerantz, president of the California Council of the Blind and a member of ACB's board of publications, said Gray "brings a broad range of experience" to his board position. Gray, a technical writer for IBM, won the election handily, capturing 76 percent of the vote. The fourth position, which had been held by Charles S.P. Hodge, became a three-way tug-of-war. Hodge was challenged by Dawn Christensen, president of the ACB of Ohio, and Pshon Barrett, an assistant district attorney in Jackson, Miss. Speaking for Barrett, ACB Treasurer Patricia Beattie reminded voters that the Council could use additional female leadership. Mike Duke, First Vice President of ACB Radio Amateurs and an active Council member, said he had known Barrett since the two entered first grade together on the same day. He characterized her as an active member of the American Blind Lawyers Association and the Mississippi Council of the Blind. Stephan Cole, a member of the ACB of Ohio, said Christensen had done much to enhance the Ohio affiliate's financial status. ACB member Gayle Krause assured voters that Christensen had come up through the grassroots, having held a variety of positions on a statewide level. ACB member Glenwood Floyd informed voters that Charles Hodge had held a significant role in ACB as either an officer or board member for the past 16 years. Floyd referred to Hodge as a "fiscal watchdog," and Rochelle Foley, a member of ACB's South Dakota affiliate, said he "is an independent voice with an open mind." When the dust settled at the conclusion of the first round of balloting, none of the three had won clear majorities. Since Hodge received the fewest votes of the three, he was dropped from the second round. It appeared that many of those who had supported Hodge in the first round switched their votes to Christensen. She won, garnering 53 percent of the vote. Christensen commended her opponents for "a great race," saying, "It was fun, and I think we were all ladies and gentlemen about it." The fifth and final position was one vacated by Jean Mann. She had completed the maximum number of consecutive terms allowed under ACB's constitution. Demand for that seat was heavy, probably giving ACB President Paul Edwards the slightest hint of what it must be like to be an air traffic controller at O'Hare Airport. John Buckley, a communications professor at the University of Tennessee and the chair of ACB's scholarship committee, sought the board seat as did Charles Hodge, Pshon Barrett, and ACB member Jamal Mazrui, a program director with the National Council on Disability. ACB board member Pam Shaw spoke in Buckley's behalf. Immediate Past President LeRoy Saunders stepped forward to offer his endorsement of Buckley. Shaw assured voters that supporting Buckley would be "an investment in ACB's future," and Saunders said Buckley had the kind of expertise needed on ACB's board. Deborah Grubb, president of the ACB of Maryland, spoke in behalf of Mazrui. She described him as a man of action and passion. ACB board member Kristal Platt said Mazrui is "a result-oriented man." At the end of the first round of balloting, Buckley called 40.9 percent of the vote his. Mazrui had cleared 25.1 percent of the vote. Barrett claimed 20 percent, and Charles Hodge's dream for one more term on the board ended when he collared 13.9 percent of the vote. Both Barrett and Hodge were dropped, leaving Buckley and Mazrui to face one another in the second round. When the final vote was tallied, Buckley came away with 68.5 percent of it. Board Of Publications The membership of ACB's board of publications remains unchanged. Mitch Pomerantz, an ADA compliance officer for the city of Los Angeles, Kim Charlson, assistant director of the Braille and Talking Book Library at the Perkins School for the Blind, and Tom Mitchell, help desk coordinator at the Utah State Administrative Office of the Courts, were re-elected without opposition to another two-year term. CAPTIONS John Buckley of Knoxville, Tenn. stands at a microphone to make scholarship presentations. (All photos copyright 1995 by Ken Nichols.) Chris Gray of San Jose, Calif. addresses the crowd at the 1995 Candidates' Forum in Greensboro. Dawn Christensen presents LeRoy Saunders with ACB of Ohio's contribution during the 1995 convention. Tom Mitchell of Utah types an announcement for the convention news line while working in the press room. ONE IS SILVER AND ONE IS GOLD AT WESTERN IMAGE by Sharon Lovering While Indian jewelry isn't a lost art, finding a place to buy it without destroying the budget can be a task. It's a task that Paul Thomas is up to. He's the proprietor of Western Image, located in St. George, Utah. There you can find Navajo, Zuni and Hopi jewelry available, as well as Thomas' own creations. Thomas began his company in 1981, and has been exhibiting for several years at ACB conventions. He exhibited in hotels for many years, and has exhibited in England, Scotland and Canada. Western Image's jewelry is available in many hotel gift shops. So how did he connect with the American Council of the Blind? He went to a meeting in Atlanta of the local ACB group, and the people there were "quite taken with American Indian jewelry," he says. "In fact, all of them came to my table, just about, bought pieces, and finally a representative came and asked if I'd be interested in exhibiting at the national convention." He consented, went to San Francisco in 1993, and has come to every convention since. And, he says, he looks forward to it. One of the reasons he was interested in coming, he says, was because he had been a medical social worker who worked with disabled people, and it was "meaningful" for him to have this opportunity. "I have the best of both worlds," he says. "I can help people a little bit, and at the same time show the Navajo Indian jewelry, which is very special." He says he likes to give good discounts at conventions, too. "I try to make it so they get a better price here than in gift shops." He offers necklaces, bracelets, barrettes, money clips, bolo ties, rings and more. Bracelets have different designs and colors, from turquoise to red or purple or black. Favored stones for necklaces, rings and bolo ties include malachite, which is a stone from Africa that's similar to turquoise when worked, amethyst, black onyx, and turquoise. Thomas also sells some gold necklaces with leaf pendants dangling from them. One of the more unusual pieces at this year's booth in Tulsa was a sterling silver heart-shaped, textured necklace designed by Thomas' father-in-law. In addition to his father-in-law, Thomas' jewelry comes from Indian families. But he does make some jewelry himself. Some of his pieces on display this year included necklaces made from old American coins with silver worked around them, a large amber bracelet (which would have made a good necklace for anyone under 5-foot-5), and the money clips with old coins attached to the silver work. Other new items included dream catcher earrings, rings with stones that change color, and long oval necklaces with various stones. He enjoys making necklaces out of semiprecious stones, such as turquoise. Some of the easiest pieces to make are ankle bracelets and earrings. But he counts among his most difficult pieces those made of expensive stones, such as amber. Making that amber bracelet wasn't the only hard thing he had to do, though. The hardest part for him at the beginning was getting accepted to do exhibits in hotel lobbies, trying to give them confidence that he wouldn't cause them any problems. He also had to establish a rapport with management. "Not just anybody can walk in and say, 'Here I am. I want to exhibit,'" he says. The easiest part for him is selling the jewelry. He believes that presentation is an asset. "If you show it, people appreciate the creativeness of jewelry." And the quality of the jewelry helps it "sell itself." The jewelry at Western Image's booth in Tulsa certainly sold itself. The changing-color rings were the fastest disappearing items. And those who have bought items at conventions don't need to worry about what to do if something goes wrong with it, according to Thomas. "We stand behind our work." If something breaks, bring it back or send it in (with your name and address) and it will be fixed. And if you have a special request for a piece of jewelry, ask him. He does plan to do more "old coins of America" jewelry in the future. "My hope is to get that into the market so that people can appreciate our old coins." He also plans to continue to exhibit at conventions. For more information, write to: Western Image, c/o Paul Thomas, 475 S. Valley View Dr. #6, St. George, UT 84770, or phone (801) 628-8453. FACTS ABOUT THE 1997 CONVENTION The 36th annual national convention of the American Council of the Blind will be held in Houston, Texas from Saturday, July 5 through Saturday, July 12, 1997 at the Adam's Mark. Reservations can be made now by calling (800) 436-2326 or (713) 978-7400. The address is 2900 Briarpark Dr., Houston, TX 77042. The overflow hotels are the Houston Marriott West Side, (713) 558-8338, and the Holiday Inn, (713) 688-2221. Rates at all three hotels are $49 per night (plus tax) single and double, and $59 per night (plus tax) triple and quad. The Adam's Mark offers 600 rooms; the Marriott offers 280, and the Holiday Inn, 120. CAPTION A behind-the-scenes look at an ACB convention: Barbara Hayes, Skip Hayes, June Horst and Phil Janes stuff convention program bags while Jean Mann works in the background. 'PAWS' TO THINK ABOUT THE TORCH RUN by Kathy Nimmer (Editor's note: The following two stories provide two fascinating perspectives on a single event -- the running of the Olympic torch. The first is told from the perspective of a woman who briefly interrupted her training with a guide dog to fly home long enough to carry the torch. Her submission takes the form of a letter to her new companion. The second story, written by ACB of Maryland President Deborah Grubb, offers some perspectives on the torch run from the point of view of an experienced dog handler. Kathy Nimmer, the author of the first story, is a school teacher and a frequent contributor to "The Braille Forum." She is a past recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award given by ACB's board of publications.) Dear Raffles, Well, it is all over! Since you are my new guide dog and friend, I thought I would write to tell you all about my run with the Olympic torch. Here it is; there is a lot to say. Flying back here to West Lafayette from Columbus, Ohio this morning was hectic and tiring, but I knew the experience would be worth it. When I arrived in Indy and was met by my friends from Florida who were in for a conference, I knew it would be a special day filled with good things. I think they should have given us sweatshirts instead of T- shirts for our uniforms; it was freezing! I know you are always toasty warm in your thick golden retriever coat, but I was shivering up a storm! But the Olympic people at the collection location made us warm with their hospitality. They made us feel the spirit of what was about to happen. The time approached quickly. A brief dash down to do a television interview -- and then it was time for the torch! We piled into the official Olympic bus and got the lowdown on the torch. When my searching fingers finally touched the rough pecan wood and chilled gold embossing, my heart gave a lurch. Raffles, it must be how you felt when you were first taken out of the kennels and told you would be a true guide dog -- proud and ready. I felt that I was a true Olympian, a participant in the most important sense -- a carrier of the flame. I knew this moment in time was no dream; it was a beautiful reality. When they showed us a motivational video of other runners who had carried the same flame, our eyes were damp with emotion. When each person spoke of his or her accomplishments which had led to this moment, I was humbled and awed to be among such an honorable company. And then the actual moment came. Raffles, I wish you could have been there. The wind was blowing and a light rain was falling. I was shivering, but part of that was excitement. You see, a whole crowd of friends, family, and students cheered their hearts out for me! A grin split my face and remained there from the first moment. A dear former student was my escort runner. She said, "You are ready to go!" The heat of the flame warmed my hand, and the spirit of the Olympics surged through my heart. I held in my hand the symbol of unity, peace, and courage. I held a piece of history. I held the Olympic flame! It was all over rather quickly. The run seemed long and short at the same time; each step was heavy with emotion. I marveled at the continuing cheers. I know now why you, Raffles, respond so well to praise; each time I heard a new cheer I smiled bigger and ran with more pride. So now I prepare to fly back to you and finish training. This is a day I won't soon forget, and this is a feeling which lifts me higher than the plane will in just a few hours. It strikes me as incredibly appropriate and symbolic that you are the bright golden color you are. There seems to be a beautiful parallel between these two events (getting you and running with the torch) that brings tears to my eyes yet again. In your confident leading I can find a new purpose and strength in my life, just as I felt when I carried the torch today. With you in my left hand and the memory of the torch in my right, how can my life be anything but changed? The Olympic flame is burning here in my heart, and I am lit with a comforting and lasting peace. THE OLYMPIC RELAY by Deborah C. Grubb Wednesday, June 19, dawned rainy and stormy here in Maryland. We rushed about here at the Grubb household like crazy people until my family arrived around 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m. the crew from one of our local TV stations came, wet, witty and with much video equipment and with lots of questions for Frela, my husband, and me. At the conclusion of the interview in which Frela was both sweet and funny, I put on my Olympic jacket, the news anchor donned Frela's and we went out with Libby, my guide dog, for a brief walk. She probably thought we were nuts as we walked up the street, turned around and came home after accomplishing nothing but getting drenched. Around 4 o'clock that afternoon almost at the very moment when the showers turned themselves off, Libby and I arrived at the place where we were to meet the Olympic Shuttle that was to take us to the spot where we were to begin our torch run. After the last of the forms were filled out, the shuttle driver explained to me that there was concern about my working Libby in the relay because of the noise, the traffic, our being out in the street and because of the fire. I explained that I had a backup plan if Libby did not seem to want to start the relay. The plan was that I would give her to my sister who would be waiting at the shoulder of the road to take her. If I had any doubts while we waited for our time to run, I would not take her but would walk with my assigned Olympic escort. The driver was happy with this plan. All the torch bearers had signed forms stating that we would obey any orders issued to us by Olympic personnel. A few moments later, another Atlanta Olympic Committee staff person boarded the shuttle and said that a guide dog had almost been hurt trying to get its person out of the street during a relay in another city and that she did not want me to work Libby. I said that I would abide by her decision because I understood the forms I had signed. A few moments later, the driver appeared again and said that because I had a plan for Libby that I could work her in the relay if I wanted to do so. By that time, I had already spoken to my escort and he was this cute young guy who thought it was going to be just too grand to be an honorary guide dog, the title that Libby and I had given to him. The shuttle let us out at our stop. I had the beautiful torch in my right hand and Libby in my left. As we stood in position, waiting for the Olympic flame to reach us, Libby began to put herself in front of me, trying to push me back out of the street in which we stood, like a traffic check. When this attempt to get me out of the highway was unsuccessful, she went around behind me and began pulling me back out of the road. I decided then and there to turn her over to Terri, my sister, as this was asking more of her than she could give. I was doing everything that violated the training that we practice every day of our lives. I hugged her, told her how much I love her and that I wouldn't be doing this thing if she hadn't been in my life and I gave her leash to Terri. Several weeks before, I had called The Seeing Eye to ask about how or if I should work Libby during the relay. Both Doug Roberts and Lukas Franck, master trainers, felt that it was not a good idea because of the very issues I've outlined above. Traversing our segment of the Olympic flame's pathway to Atlanta violated most of the major elements of Libby's training. After talking to Lukas, I had decided to do exactly what I did, see how she reacted while we waited for the flame. From her behavior, I could see that the Seeing Eye trainers were correct in their assessment of the situation and I did what I thought was best for Libby. As I stood with the torch in my hand, one of the Atlanta State Troopers came on his motorcycle and turned on the torch gas valve. It made a hissing sound and my heart began to beat faster. Soon, my escort was at my side and the gentleman from whom I was to take the flame was there, talking to me and hugging me and lighting my torch with his own. I gave my escort the "left" and "forward" commands and we were off. People were cheering, laughing, crying, and I could hardly feel my feet touch the ground. I heard many voices calling out to me and I shouted back. There were motorcycles to my right and vehicles in front and in back of me; but I remember only the love that seemed to be flowing everywhere from all the people along the torch route. I could feel the heat of the fire as I ran, holding in my hand the beautiful, cleansing, uniting Olympic flame. Terri walked with Libby at heel along the shoulder of the road. Through all the noise, I heard her bell as she trotted with me along this glorious path that she had enabled me to take. After the four minutes in which the Olympic flame had been entrusted to me ended, there was the gentleman to whom I was to hand off. More hugs, more cheering and the flame of unity and excellence continued on its way. Libby was back at my side, taking me to the shuttle that was waiting to pick me up. She was there, doing her job, getting me out of the road and to safety. All the runners and escorts who shared the shuttle with Libby and me were so fantastic and loving to the both of us. The day ended with family and friends and later, there was just us, our little family of people and beasties who mean so much to each other. Carrying the Olympic flame was an honor that I shall never forget; but it is an honor that spurs me on to live a life of which it and all who believe in me and care about me are worthy. As I ran with the Olympic flame, I thought of all of my friends who mean so much to me, and I thanked God for my strength and independence, the same strength and independence that so many of them share with me because each day begins with the joy and exhilaration of "Harnessing Freedom!" ACB SEEKS DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY SERVICES The American Council of the Blind is now accepting applications for the position of Director of Advocacy Services, to be located in its national office in Washington, D.C. The principle duties of this new position will include the provision of information and advice to inquirers concerning their rights and/or obligations connected with blindness-related controversies, the referral of callers to other appropriate sources of assistance, the occasional representation of ACB at advisory or consultative functions seeking organizational input and the provision of assistance in preparing comments on regulatory or advocacy matters. Requirements for the position include a minimum of two years experience in the solution of blindness-related problems, excellent interpersonal and communications skills, ability to move quickly from task to task, ability to work as a self-starter and organizer under minimum supervision, willingness to attend employer-provided training, as necessary, in substantive knowledge areas related to the position, ability to find and understand laws and regulations (as necessary), and a working knowledge of the blindness service delivery system, social security, the Americans with Disabilities Act, fair housing and public accommodations. Desirable skills or training include knowledge and use of braille, general familiarity with assistive devices used by blind people, computer literacy, a J.D. degree or specific disability advocacy training, and general knowledge concerning the objectives and practices of the American Council of the Blind. Applications will be accepted until this highly visible position is filled. This is an excellent opportunity for a versatile advocate interested in providing meaningful assistance to many of the thousands of blind people who call the ACB national office each year for assistance. Beginning compensation for this position of expectedly increasing importance is in the low 30s. Applications consisting of a cover letter and resume should be sent to Mr. Oral O. Miller, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. THIS COMPANY MADE ACCESS HAPPEN by Kathy Seven Williams (Editor's note: Kathy Seven Williams is an access technology specialist. Those with Internet access may visit her web page at http://home.utah-inter.net/kseven/) While some say, "It can't be done," and others say, "We're looking into it," there are those very few who just DO IT! The people at Support Group, Inc., a small company in McHenry, Md., are among the doers. Support Group's product, known as TAPCIS, is a front-end telecommunications program for CompuServe which allows users to perform most of their reading and writing tasks for that service off line. This popular approach to information services saves money and simplifies use for all those using such software. But for people with impaired vision, the time and money saved are truly significant. From the start I found TAPCIS to be "speech friendly" for those using screen readers and synthesized speech to access their PC's through Microsoft's Disk Operating System or DOS. As a text-based application, many parts of even TAPCIS 5.x versions seemed written for use with speech. In an e-mail interview, TAPCIS Publisher, Rick Wilkes explained: "We considered speech accessibility, but naively. We did not have a speech package here for any testing. ... Now we do have a Doubletalk board with ASAP, and we are SLOWLY learning what it is all about." (Doubletalk is a speech synthesizer, and ASAP is the software product which drives the synthesizer.) Support Group took something that was already good for a special group of customers and set about making it even better. As their efforts grew, changes took place with CompuServe that threatened access for people using speech access and this money-saving program. A new format called HMI meant that ASCII text was on its way out for CompuServe users. But Support Group was up to the challenge and was already working on a new version that would continue to make the PC DOS version of CompuServe interaction possible. Was this just for the blind customers? Wilkes says, "There is still a substantial market. Now, substantial is relative. We're a very small company, so every sale is important and meaningful. I do suspect that the blind community will become a major part of our customer base for the DOS version, even though thousands of other of our sighted customers do prefer the efficiency of DOS over the graphical user interfaces." Wilkes indicates his company is addressing many concerns blind users have as CompuServe changes. Those changes could result in the loss of access to the chat mode (a system that allows computer users to talk to each other by typing on the keyboard) and interactive capability that the new HMI service would bring. Wilkes explained it this way: "Part of CompuServe will remain ASCII-accessible, such as many menus, quotes, weather, etc. We're not provided with any kind of map that says what areas will remain ASCII and which ones won't, so it is hard to say. In terms of chat, we're going to look at that for our 6.2 product. We'll be listening to our customers to see what their priorities are. We do try to automate areas like 'What's New,' 'AP News,' 'weather,' 'stock quotes,' 'billing,' and more to reduce the need to explore interactively and make those areas more accessible to the blind community." In order to learn about the needs of people using speech access, Support Group, Inc. opened a special message section in its forum on CompuServe, Section 18 -- Blind/Screen Reader. Here an active exchange rapidly developed with users of such screen readers as ASAP, JAWS, Vocal Eyes and Business Vision taking part. It became clear that both sides had much to offer in finding solutions. Different individuals began developing set files and configurations to make their particular screen reader work better with TAPCIS. This development lead to the discovery of problems that needed solving and solutions that could be helpful to all such applications. Special features were included such as the ability to choose a standard set of screen colors for use with screen reading programs. This color standardization option meant that those blind users who were writing screen reader configuration files could tell their screen readers what colors to look for at a given time. Screen identification numbers were put on screens to allow identification for set files, and BIOS writes, a means of sending information to a portion of the computer where the synthesizer software could intercept it, were made optional for those programs that needed them on-line, off-line or both. Commenting on the high cost of access to information for everyone and the extra cost for people needing special equipment and software, Wilkes says, "We're one of the last to support 286 machines with such a powerful application. We're dropping support for 8088/8086 machines, though, in TAPCIS..." The continuing support this company is giving those blind people wanting to access CompuServe gives us hope that the doors will not close for us just because Windows are opening. Wilkes says it best: "Technology is a series of transitions, ever increasing in frequency. Right now, we are just at the very earliest stages of the online world, even though people like myself who have been involved in this area for 20 years feel like it has been around and a part of our day forever. It is unfortunate, but all customers -- whether sighted or otherwise -- are faced with making significant, continual investments in hardware and software in order to stay current. I am delighted that TAPCIS 6.0, being a DOS program that is still more powerful and functional than any other automated access program for CompuServe, offers the blind community an excellent solution for participating in CompuServe and its dynamic forums today and for the coming year or two. "As the world moves to GUI, and that is happening whether we like it or not, it is my hope that the TAPCIS for Windows version will continue to offer the best access for the blind. I believe that it will, because although I am a very visual person, I love words more than pictures and the keyboard more than the mouse. That will guide our development, which means that we'll remain as reader friendly as possible." To learn more about TAPCIS access to CompuServe, log into CompuServe and type GO TAPCIS or contact Support Group, Inc. at (800) 872-4768. A trial membership for CompuServe can be obtained from Support Group, Inc. or by calling (800) 848-8990. PLUNKETT RECEIVES AWARD FROM NCSAB McLean, Va. þ On April 17, Glenn Plunkett, former program associate at the American Council of the Blind national office, received an award in recognition of his advocacy on behalf of blind Americans from the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind. "For NCSAB, the name Glenn Plunkett is synonymous with caring, quality, persistence and immediate response," said Jamie Hilton, director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind. "Over the last 15 years Glenn has dedicated his time and effort to championing the blind in the legislative arena. Glenn's particular interest has been in the area of the elderly blind and, without his help and dedication, we probably would not have had funding for Title VII, Part C (now Chapter II) of the Rehabilitation Act. "Glenn is one of the only people we know in Washington whose answers are straightforward and to the point. He doesn't believe in political rhetoric. When we call Glenn with a question or request we almost always have the answer the same day or not long thereafter. Glenn's official retirement is a tremendous loss to the field of blindness. This notwithstanding, I know that if NCSAB is in need, Glenn will be there to help. In our opinion, he is one of the unsung heroes in the area of blindness and his strength, passion, and attention to detail will be sorely missed. "The award reads: In recognition of your advocacy on behalf of blind Americans -- presented by the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind." CAPTION Calvin Wooten and Glenn Plunkett sit and talk about the good old days during a break in the Chicago convention. (This photo copyright 1994 by Natalie Sigler-Westbury.) LEGAL ACCESS: LANE II AND TWO MORE CASES TO WATCH by Charles D. Goldman (Reprinted with permission from "Horizons," August 1996.) The Supreme Court of the United States has completed its 1995-96 term, dealing people with disabilities a key setback when deciding Lane v. Pena. At roughly the same time the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals was upholding the federal Department of Education policy requiring schools to continue to educate students with disabilities even if the student had acted so wrongly as to deserve to be expelled. Continuing the child's education was required regardless of whether the student's misconduct was determined to be a manifestation of the student's disability. The latter case, Commonwealth of Virginia v. Riley, may reach the Supreme Court next year. If it does get there, it will join a docket which includes Walters v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, Inc. (EEOC v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, Inc.) which presents the issue of how you measure whether an employer has 15 or more employees so that federal equal employment mandates apply. The United States Supreme Court on June 20, 1996, decided Lane v. Pena, holding that the U.S. government could not be sued for compensatory damages for violations of Section 504(a) of the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity conducted by any executive agency. Of critical note to people with disabilities in this area who work for the federal government, the Supreme Court did make clear that employees of the federal government could recover compensatory damages as well as obtain specific relief, such as provision of reasonable accommodation and reinstatement. Lane, who has diabetes and was not accommodated, had been dismissed from the Merchant Marine Academy, an activity conducted by the federal Department of Transportation. The court in reviewing the legislative history found that the federal government had not waived its immunity from a suit for monetary damages. The clarity with which such a waiver had been enacted with respect to federal employees was part of the high court's rationale. Commonwealth of Virginia v. Riley is part of the continuing struggle which puts at risk millions of federal dollars for special education. The Commonwealth of Virginia had a policy which allows children with special needs receiving special education to be disciplined just like able-bodied children if at the time of the misconduct, there is no causal connection between a child's misconduct and the child's disability. The federal government said, in essence, you cannot refuse to educate children with special needs who must receive a free, appropriate public education, and that could not be halted regardless of whether the child's misconduct was unrelated to the disability. After reviewing the history of IDEA, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the federal government. Since this dispute, which has been percolating since 1994, is so intense, it may well wind up in the United States Supreme Court. The only reason it may not get to the nation's top court is if Congress addresses the issue in the IDEA reauthorization. Congressional action may make the Riley case moot since no money has been withheld yet. But a legislative solution is far from a certainty. It is that very issue, disciplining students with disabilities, that is keeping IDEA from being reauthorized as the House and Senate are unable to agree. It is possible that a temporary, short-term (i.e. one year) reauthorization may occur. While Congress grapples with the issue, after Riley the ball also is back in Virginia's hands. It must change its policy or face a major financial loss. If Virginia appeals, it will not be the only high-visibility civil rights case before the Supreme Court in the 1996-1997 term. On March 18, 1995, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the Walters/EEOC v. Metropolitan Education Enterprises, Inc. case. The issue there, whether under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (and by like language, also the Americans with Disabilities Act), is how to count the number of employees to determine the applicability of federal civil rights laws. The lower court, here the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, had looked to the number of employees physically at work each day, not the number of employees on the payroll. Under the ADA an employer (with respect to the private sector) is an entity with 15 or more employees and any agent of such person. Thus the precedent established in construing this part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) will be applicable when interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act. When Metropolitan Enterprises is argued next term, it is the type of case that should make the evening news because of the implications for small businesses. The Supreme Court in Lane has made a significant decision affecting people with disabilities. Metropolitan Enterprises promises to be a decision of even greater magnitude. And if the Riley case also is argued, it would be quite a full civil rights docket before the next term of the court ever begins. Stay tuned. AFFILIATE NEWS OHIO CONVENTION The American Council of the Blind of Ohio will hold its state convention November 8-10 at the Holiday Inn on the Lane in Columbus. Its theme is "Living with Visual Impairment in the '90s." Speakers will include Carl Augusto and Paul Edwards. Workshops will emphasize healthier lifestyle issues, fitness and diet, self-esteem, and coping with vision loss. There will also be a meeting of the newly forming Guide Dog Users group. Exhibitors will begin displaying their hardware, adaptive aids and services on Friday afternoon. ACB of Ohio members may pre- register for $60, which includes three meals on Saturday and Sunday breakfast. The room rate is $62 for single or double occupancy. For more information, contact the ACB of Ohio office, (614) 221-6688 or (800) 835-2226 (Ohio only). CAPTION Diane Bowers and Dale Lamar of the Oklahoma Council's host committee present LeRoy Saunders with a serving tray and drinking glasses. 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. "LIVE!" CONFERENCE "Exceptional Parent" magazine will hold its first national conference, "'Exceptional Parent' Live!" October 17-20 in Anaheim, Calif. This conference marks the magazine's 25th anniversary. All families with children and young adults who have disabilities and special health care needs are invited, as are health care professionals, educators and all other professionals who work with such children. There will be presentations on topics of concern to attendees, interactive exhibits, a special night in Disneyland, a celebrity panel, Paralympic and/or Special Olympic athletes, and awards ceremonies. Day care will be offered. For more information regarding rates and other conference details, contact Mr. Sandy Schops at 120 State St., Hackensack, NJ 07601-5421; (800) 372- 7368. SKI FOR LIGHT '97 Ski for Light 1997 will be held at the Cragun Conference Center in Brainerd, Minn., Feb. 23-March 2. The cost will be approximately $575, which includes all meals, double-occupancy lodging, ski instruction, equipment for first-time skiers and after-hours activities. Applications must be received by November 1. For an application, contact Larry Showalter at 206 Vista Dr., Gahanna, OH 43230; phone (614) 478-7898; or download it from the Ski for Light home page at http://www.tmn.com/sfl/home.html. ANNUAL CONFERENCE Candle in the Window will hold its 11th annual conference Sept. 11-15 at Camp Courage, an hour from Minneapolis/St. Paul, on Cedar Lake. This year's theme is "Defining Our Values: Building A Foundation for the Future." Topics include: defining the values within the blind community and the disability community at large; internal oppression continued, and disability music and poetry. The cost is $172, which covers the program, food, lodging, and transportation to and from the conference site from the Twin Cities. For more information, call Kathy Szinnyey at (502) 895-0866. NEW PROGRAM Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic has a new membership program for schools serving students with disabilities. There are two types of registration: institutional membership, for all educational institutions (public, private, K through 12 and higher education), with annual fees of $300, $425 or $800, depending on the number of texts used; and individual membership, with a one-time $50 application fee, plus an annual membership fee of $25 for individual students or adult borrowers. Institutional member schools receive full access to RFB&D's library and reference services, a free print catalog, discounts on tape recorders, customer service with a toll-free line, add-on packages if more books are needed during a school year, tracking tools, and strategy guides for using books on tape. Schools may begin signing up now for institutional membership, though the first contract year starts September 1. The new individual membership program began July 1. For more information, call RFB&D's customer services department at (800) 221-4792. LARGE SETTLEMENT Wheaton Place Joint Venture recently agreed to pay $160,000 in damages and provide an apartment for life to Jack Wright, a deaf-blind part-time teacher at Gallaudet University, according to "The Washington Post." Housing advocates said the damage award and the $340,416 rental value of the two-bedroom apartment at Wheaton Place may be the single largest payout to a disabled person in settling a housing discrimination claim. Advocates also said it focuses new attention on the discrimination faced by millions of disabled Americans who can function independently, but often encounter difficulties when searching for places to live. Wright plans to move into the apartment soon. USED EQUIPMENT The Used Equipment Clearinghouse is a free service that matches someone who wants to buy a certain piece of equipment with someone who wants to sell that piece. For more information, write in print, braille, on tape or ASCII disk to Barbara Mattson, 519 E. Main St. #8, Spartanburg, SC 29302; phone (864) 585-7323. COLUMNATED BRAILLE "The Braille Code for Columned Materials and Tables" is now available. Certified braille transcribers and proofreaders may write for a copy to: National Library Service, Braille Development Section, 1291 Taylor St. NW, Washington, DC 20542. Teachers and others who want copies should write to: American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206, or phone (800) 223-1839. Please specify print or braille. INTERCHANGE PROGRAM TeleSensory has recently launched the Optacon Interchange Program to help those interested in selling or buying previously owned Optacons. The company has created sites on its Internet World Wide Web page and electronic bulletin board service where owners can post their units for sale. Owners who wish to be contacted directly should include contact information, selling price and other such information in the listing. Those who prefer not to be contacted directly should give information to TeleSensory; TeleSensory will forward information on interested buyers to the owner(s). To be included in this service, contact Renee Clark at (800) 227-8418, extension 3362. The program also offers a 90-day warranty option, under which owners can send their units to TeleSensory for inspection for the standard $95 service charge. TeleSensory will inspect the unit, make necessary repairs, provide a 90-day warranty covering parts and services, then post it for sale. Purchase inquiries will be forwarded to the current owner. It will be the owner's responsibility to negotiate any price changes and provide the company with written authorization to send the unit to the new owner. Owners interested in the 90-day warranty option should call Emily Aguilar at (800) 227-8416, extension 3211. This program is only available to residents of the United States. CREATIVE INVENTOR Attention, all companies that develop adaptive technology: a visually impaired employee needs screen enlargement capability for only one terminal on a Windows-based telemarketing computerized dialing system that utilizes one lead terminal which controls 32 dummy terminals. An emulator enlarging all computer screen readouts is unacceptable to the employer. Research shows no current solution to this problem, but the employee believes there is someone out there who can help. She wants to keep her telemarketing job. If you can help, call Norma Jean Flinchbaugh between 1 and 3 p.m. Eastern at (717) 244-8144, or write her at 1225 Snyder Corner Rd., Red Lion, PA 17356-9774. BE YOUR OWN BOSS Have you ever wanted to own your own business? There is an opportunity available called the convenient shopping program from New Age Marketing. It lets you buy soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, and other consumable products. You must set up an account with New Age Marketing. To get the form you need to get started, send your name and address to New Age Marketing, Box 1694, North Wilkesboro, N.C. 28659. JOB OPENINGS Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind seeks a president to plan, develop and implement the policies of the agency in accordance with the board of directors and corporation charter. The president responds to the board of directors; he/she plans business objectives and develops organizational policies to coordinate functions and operations between divisions and departments and establishes responsibilities and procedures for attaining those objectives, reviews activity reports and financial statements, directs and coordinates formulation of financial programs to provide funding for new and current programs, develops industrial labor and public relations policies, and evaluates management performance. Successful presidential applicants should have a graduate degree in general management with manufacturing experience; five years of experience in administration and manufacturing (vocational rehabilitation facility management preferable); must be motivated by the desire to help others; able to lead; recognize the need to be able to account for time, materials, buildings, equipment and budget; get along with people and work independently; understand financial documents; prepare clear, concise reports, and must communicate effectively with all others. Send your resume and cover letter to Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, 7730 North Point Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27106. The Lighthouse for the Blind in New Orleans is also looking for a president who has strong manager experience in directing marketing efforts for a variety of products and services. Successful applicants should have seven or more years experience as a sales/marketing manager; be a team player with superior communication skills; have motivational ability; experience with product and service quality issues; new product development skills; bachelor's degree and basic computer skills; budgeting and planning expertise; strong organizational skills and work ethic, and commitment to the needs of the visually impaired workforce. Submit your resume, cover letter and salary requirements to: Search Committee, Lighthouse for the Blind, 123 State St., New Orleans, LA 70118. The Lighthouse for the Blind in Duluth, Minn., seeks a technology development specialist. This person will, under the direction of the director of rehabilitation services, perform a wide range of duties including: evaluate new technology and assistive technology relating to rehabilitation; prepare comprehensive education and training plans; plan and direct the daily running of the technology center; provide leadership in meeting organizational goals; develop and maintain an appropriate technology network; represent and promote the technology center's mission to the community in a manner consistent with the mission of the Lighthouse. Applicants must have: a bachelor's degree in education, information technology, rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation or a related field; two years of related experience; ability to formulate, implement and support computer systems company-wide; have knowledge of access technology for the blind; strong oral and written communication skills, and problem- solving skills. Send your cover letter and resume to the attention of the Director of Rehabilitation Services, Lighthouse for the Blind, 4505 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55807. KELLER WINNERS The American Foundation for the Blind recently presented its Helen Keller Achievement Awards. This year's honorees are: Michael R. Quinlan, chairman and CEO of McDonald's Corp., for its commitment to equal access for people with disabilities; Paul A. Allaire, chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp., for the company's history of creating and using technology ensuring access for the blind; and Stevie Wonder, who is receiving the personal achievement award for continuing to serve as a role model for all blind people. BRAILLE MENUS McDonald's Corp. is re-launching its braille menus. They have been updated to include the Arch Deluxe. McDonald's also makes its braille menus available for teachers to help sensitize their students to access barriers. MINNESOTA RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD LITIGATION UPDATE by Charles S.P. Hodge Those who were "Braille Forum" readers some two years ago may recall a story regarding the Minnesota Randolph-Sheppard state licensing agency and its licensed blind vendor, Dennis Groschel, who had won a truly important, resounding victory against the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Education before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in the spring of 1994. That court had held in no uncertain terms that the Department of Veterans Affairs and its Veterans Canteen Service were subject to the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority favoring the operation of vending facilities on their property by licensed blind vendors. The appellate court has also held that the Minnesota state licensing agency and its licensed blind vendor were entitled to operate the vending facility at the St. Cloud, Minn., Veterans Medical Center under a permit which could only be limited if Veterans Affairs had obtained pre-approval for such limitations from the Department of Education. In the aftermath of the federal court decision, the state agency and its vendor dutifully reapplied for an unconditional permit to operate the vending facility at the St. Cloud Veterans Medical Center. The Veterans Affairs Department insisted upon further delaying negotiations over conditions and limitations on the permit, which it had not (as required by the court decision) submitted to the Department of Education for review and pre- approval. The state licensing agency and its vendor refused to accept the un-pre-approved limitations proffered by the Veterans Affairs Department, and negotiations over the permit application broke down. As a bargaining artifice designed to bring pressure to bear upon the state licensing agency and its vendor, the department commenced steps necessary to install vending machines at the St. Cloud Veterans Medical Center which would be in direct competition to vending machines which were already present and operated and maintained by the vendor. Such actions by the department were directly contrary to a provision of the original arbitration panel opinion in this dispute, which had not been appealed to the federal courts and which prohibited the Veterans Canteen Service from installing vending machines at St. Cloud which would directly compete with and undermine the income of the vendor from already existing vending machines at St. Cloud. In response to the threatened vending machine installation, both the licensed blind vendor and the state licensing agency filed separate actions in the United States District Court for the district of Minnesota seeking an injunction against the threatened installation of competing vending machines by the Veterans Canteen Service. In addition, the action by the state licensing agency challenged the un-pre-approved conditions proffered by the department in negotiations over the permit application and sought a declaration that the Veterans Affairs Department officials in charge of the negotiations were in contempt of the previously issued orders of the federal courts. The federal district court first took up the vendor's case. In opposition to the plaintiff's request for an injunction, the Veterans Affairs Department made a rather novel argument. It contended that the prohibition against competing vending machines contained in the arbitration panel award had been inextricably coupled to another provision of the arbitration panel award permitting the Veterans Canteen Service to negotiate for and charge a commission on gross sales under a permit. Veterans Affairs contended further that when the federal courts overturned the second provision and held that a permit could only be limited by conditions pre-approved by the Department of Education, the Veterans Affairs Department was no longer bound by the prohibition against installation of competing vending machines, even though that provision had not been appealed by any party, nor had it been addressed by previous federal court rulings. The district court in late September 1995 ruled against this strained contention, and District Judge Michael J. Davis ruled in favor of the licensed blind vendor, issuing the requested injunction prohibiting the Veterans Affairs Department from installing competing vending machines at the St. Cloud facility. In November 1995 the Veterans Affairs Department filed a notice of appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Sound familiar? The district court then took up the case filed by the state licensing agency. Based on its earlier ruling in the action brought by the vendor, Judge Davis also issued an injunction in favor of the state licensing agency prohibiting the Veterans Affairs Department from installing competing vending machines. The court went on to chide the department for its failure to abide by previous order of the federal trial and appellate courts. In particular, once again, Judge Davis instructed the Veterans Affairs Department to apply to the Department of Education for pre-approval of any conditions it wished to place on the permit sought by the state licensing agency. Even so, notwithstanding roundly criticizing the federal defendants for their recalcitrant conduct since the 1994 appellate court decision, the district court declined to hold officials of the Veterans Affairs Department in contempt of court. Instead of contritely complying with this March 27, 1996 order of the district court, the department in late May filed its notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Thus, after years of protracted litigation, the vendor and the state licensing agency are precisely where they were four years ago -- before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. They are armed with the law on their side and with prior court decisions as precedent, but their rights under the Randolph-Sheppard Act remain unvindicated and unfulfilled. At the legislative workshop sponsored by the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America and the American Council of the Blind in late March of this year, Howard Moses, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, stated publicly that the White House counsel had instructed the Justice Department to cease supporting and representing federal agencies which resist complying with the Randolph-Sheppard Act. This assurance, however, appears to be inconsistent and out of harmony with recent actions of the Department of Justice in filing notices of appeal in both the blind vendor's case and the state licensing agency's case on behalf of the recalcitrant Veterans Affairs Department with the eighth circuit and representing the department before that court. Clearly, the departments of Education and Justice should put their collective feet down and refuse to cooperate further in the delay-and-obfuscate legal tactics of the Veterans Affairs Department which are designed to abet the continuing actions of Veterans Affairs to fail to comply with the priority provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act. As responsible blind citizens, we cannot stand by and condone the passive cooperation of the departments of Education and Justice in the Randolph-Sheppard wrongdoing of the Veterans Affairs Department; we must hold all of these federal agencies jointly and severally accountable for eroding and undermining the rights of blind vendors under the Randolph-Sheppard Act. HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: New HP Scanjet II, SCSI card with manual dip switches, $55. Call Dan Stabe at (520) 282-2326 between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Pacific time. FOR SALE: Xerox/Kurzweil Reading Edge reading machine. Asking $5,250. In mint condition. Contact Bill at (512) 342- 2983. FOR SALE: Braille 'n Speak Classic with service agreement through September. Asking $350; negotiable. Dymo tape, five rolls for $18 plus $3 shipping and handling. Ten rolls for $30 plus $3 shipping and handling. Contact Isaac Obie at 755 Tremont St. #205, Boston, MA 02118; phone (617) 247-0026. FOR SALE: Kurzweil reader/scanner. Comes with manuals in braille, on tape and on disk. Asking $3,500 or best offer. Contact Brenda Pride at (904) 455-3994. FOR SALE: A 286 PC with JAWS 2.1 screen reader and Accent internal speech card for $400. Also, a Braille 'n Speak Classic, 1993 update, asking $700. Both in good working order. Call (612) 673-0439. FOR SALE: 486/66 MHz computer with 8 megabytes of RAM, 375- megabyte Quantum hard drive, 3.5-inch floppy drive, internal Colorado Backup with two tapes, 1 megabyte SVGA video adapter with 14-inch mono-VGA monitor, 14.4K baud internal U.S. Robotics Sportster fax/data modem, new DECtalk internal voice synthesis card, 101-key expanded keyboard. Comes with DOS version 6.22, Windows 3.1, Vocal-Eyes 3.0, Window-Eyes 1.03, ZoomText 5.0 Plus, WordPerfect 5.1+, Quicken 7.0 and much more. Asking $2,495 or best offer. Also, a Braille 'n Speak Classic in brand new condition, with leather carrying case, AC adapter, emergency battery backup, and RS232 serial interface cable. Asking $745 or best offer. Apollo voice synthesis with English and French capability. Has had only 20 hours of use; in excellent condition. Includes HAL software and all cables. Asking $595 or best offer. If you're interested in any of these items, contact Kenneth Frasse at kenneth@gbx.org, or call (415) 941-2421. FOR SALE: The King James version of the New Testament, 10 volumes, $50. "Solutions," four volumes, $5. "Fifty Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth," two volumes, $3. Multivoice external speech synthesizer, $100. If you are interested in any of these items, contact Mary Grace Lodico at 179 Cherrydell Rd., Baltimore, MD 21228. FOR SALE: Versabraille II with two external disk drives. Excellent condition. Asking $500. Call (909) 864-3688 and ask for Victor. FOR SALE: 40-cell, eight-dot Navigator in excellent condition. Includes software, charger, connecting cable, and braille manuals. Asking $2,900 or best offer. Contact Doug Wakefield, 1101 N. Stuart St., Arlington, VA 22201; phone (703) 276-9191; e-mail him at wakefiel@access.digex.net. FOR SALE: Colorado Trakker T-1000 external tape backup system. Has a pass-through parallel port feature for printer connection. Capacity is 800 megabytes per tape. Transfer rate is 5 to 8 megabytes per minute. Software works well with speech. Comes with power adaptor and connection cable. Asking $350. Willing to trade for one Perkins brailler in good condition or several braillers in poor condition. Also for sale, several reconditioned Perkins braillers. Costs start at $300. Trade-ins accepted. Contact Nino Pacini evenings and weekends only at (313) 885-7330. FOR SALE: A Yamaha programmable rhythm section, $150. Set of three never-used cordless microphones, $60. Morse code keyboard, $25. Contact Lois or Ray Howard at 61951 High Hill Rd., Cambridge, OH 43725, or phone them at (614) 432-2287. FOR SALE: Juliet braille embosser. Asking $1,600. Power Braille 40 with Screen Power Integrated, $2,950. Call Sean at (520) 639-2111 or leave a message at (520) 634-2608. WANTED TO BUY: A few Perkins braille writers. If you've got one, two, or more that you'd like to sell, regardless of condition, contact Nino Pacini evenings and weekends only at (313) 885-7330. WANTED TO BUY: A CCTV in good condition. Can pay up to $150. Contact Janis Baker at the Columbia Lighthouse, (202) 544-6792. ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sue Ammeter, Seattle, WA Ardis Bazyn, Cedar Rapids, IA John Buckley, Knoxville, TN Dawn Christensen, Holland, OH Christopher Gray, San Jose, CA John Horst, Wilkes-Barre, PA Kristal Platt, Omaha, NE M.J. Schmitt, Forest Park, IL Pamela Shaw, Philadelphia, PA Richard Villa, Irving, TX 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 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT LeRoy Saunders 2118 NW 21st St. Oklahoma City, OK 73107 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ELIZABETH M. LENNON, Kalamazoo, MI