THE Braille Forum Vol. XXXII August 1993 No. 2 Published By The American Council of the Blind PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE AND EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY LeRoy F. Saunders, President Oral O. Miller, J.D., National Representative Nolan Crabb, Editor Nicole E. Willson, Editorial Assistant National Office: 1155 15th St., N.W. Suite 720 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 467-5081 Fax: (202) 467-5085 THE BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large type, 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 and appreciated cash contributions, which are tax deductible, may be sent to Brian Charlson, Treasurer, 1155 15th St., N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. You may wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The ACB National Office has available printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. 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 1993 American Council of the Blind This Issue of THE BRAILLE FORUM Is Dedicated to the Memory of GRANT M. MACK June 17, 1920-July 7, 1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message, by LeRoy F. Saunders Former ACB President Dies Selections From Grant Mack's President's Messages, 1981-1987 Board Denies Charter For Virginia Affiliate ACB Members Elect Officers/Board Members Major Credit Card Issuer Offers Cards For The Blind Message From Judith Heumann, Assistant Secretary, Office Of Special Education And Rehabilitation Services Legal Access: Decisions and Directions: Process Is The Thing, by Charles D. Goldman They Brought A New Twist To An Old Ceremony, by Nolan Crabb DVS In Tennessee: It Took A Little Candy And A Lot Of Hard Work Did You Know?, by Walt Stromer What's In A Word?, by Paul Edwards How Do You Finance Assistive Technology? Guide Dog Users, Inc. Moving Forward, by Jenine McKeown Here And There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Thank You From The ACB Press Room, by Billie Jean Hill High Tech Swap Shop PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by LeRoy F. Saunders The members of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind are to be commended for their efforts in getting the Oklahoma State Legislature to pass S.B. 356, which established a Department of Rehabilitation Services on July 1, 1993. I can assure you that this was no easy feat, and there were many people who didn't think it was possible to separate this department from Human Services. Like many other states, Oklahoma is having financial difficulty, which many people thought would interfere with the passing of the bill. Judy Pool, President of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind, told me that over 5,000 letters in reference to this bill were sent to the legislators. The bill passed because people worked hard to make it happen. The Council wasn't the only group that advocated for this bill, but OCB led the other organizations to a successful finish. The Department of Rehabilitation Services will have a division for general rehab, visual services, a school for the blind, a school for the deaf, and a disability deterioration unit. The department will have a three-person commission, with one member appointed by the governor, one by the president pro tempore and one by the speaker of the house. Additional money has been added to the first year budget to cover the expense of the department's transition to a stand-alone agency. Every state that lacks a separate agency serving the blind must follow Oklahoma's example. The longer we wait, the less will be the liklihood of a separate state agency. As budgets get even tighter, it will be harder to economize. ACB members must watch very closely what Congress is doing with the budget that President Clinton is trying to get passed. With the big push to cut spending, we will have to work hard to maintain the current level of services to the blind. Our affiliates will also have to keep a close eye on services in their states. As more federal funding is cut from state governments, we will need to ensure that enough money is allocated to services for blind people. These are not easy times for anyone. However, we must keep a positive attitude and help make upcoming changes which are as much to our advantage as possible. ACB FORMER PRESIDENT DIES Grant Miller Mack, a former president of the American Council of the Blind, died of cancer July 7 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was born in Inspiration, Ariz. on June 17, 1920 to Floyd Malone and Cora Mack. Grant was a veteran of World War II, a successful businessman, and an effective leader. He was an active leader and teacher in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; he served as a missionary for the church in the New England states. When Grant lost his vision in his 40s, he refused to be intimidated by his circumstances. He and his guide dogs traveled more than a million miles in the interest of ACB and blind people everywhere. His travels took him to every state in the union, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Mexico, and Canada. Grant Mack lost his battle with cancer while members of the American Council of the Blind were gathered for the Council's 32nd Annual National Convention in San Francisco. Within hours after conventioners learned of his death, they passed Resolution 93-01, which recognizes Grant's outstanding achievements and dedication to promoting independence and enhancing the quality of life for blind and visually impaired people. The complete text of that resolution is included: "Whereas Grant Mack of Salt Lake City, Utah, served the American Council of the Blind with dedication and distinction for over 18 years--first as president of the Utah Council of the Blind from 1975 to 1977, then as a member of the ACB Board of Directors from 1978 through 1981, as ACB's fifth president from 1981 through 1987, as immediate past president from 1987 through 1989, and again as a director from 1989 to the present; and, Whereas Mr. Mack also served in important positions on the boards of directors of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, the National Industries for the Blind, the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America, and the American Foundation for the Blind; and, Whereas he became widely known, not only for his demonstrated leadership ability, but also as an advocate for civil rights for the blind of this nation, Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled at San Francisco, California this eighth day of July 1993, that we express our profound sorrow to Grant Mack's wife Olive Beth (Bobby) and their children on his untimely death, and further express our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for his many years of dedicated service to ACB and to the blind of this nation and the world; And be it further resolved that this organization direct its president to convey the substance and spirit of this resolution to his wife in an appropriate manner." Earlier this year, Grant was re-elected president of the Utah Council of the Blind. His term began on July 1. Tom Mitchell, the man who assumed the presidency upon Grant's death, briefly addressed the convention following passage of the resolution. "I'd like to take this opportunity briefly to thank the convention for its concern," Mitchell said, "for the expressions that we have heard in regards to Grant Mack, and for the help that you've been to us all during this trying time. We appreciate the passage of this resolution, and I'm certain that his wife and family will appreciate knowing that you have been thinking of him at this time. Thank you." Grant was the first blind person to serve as chairman of the board of National Industries for the Blind. He has also served with distinction in various positions with the American Foundation for the Blind, the North American Region of the World Blind Union, the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities, and International Guiding Eyes, a guide dog training school. On June 27, Justin Dart, Jr., chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities, flew to Salt Lake City to present Grant with the president's Distinguished Service Award. Dart released the following statement to the media on July 7: "On behalf of President Clinton and 43 million Americans with disabilities, I join you in mourning the passing and celebrating the life of Grant Mack. He was truly a great American and a great human being. His historic contributions to the rights of people with disabilities will live forever in the increased quality of human life." In the July 4 opening session of the ACB convention, an emotional President LeRoy Saunders announced that Grant was absent from the convention and explained that his illness was terminal. "I'm sure all of us will think of Grant," Saunders said. "I talked with him this afternoon, and I told him that we all loved him, and we would be thinking of him." Durward K. McDaniel served alongside Grant in a variety of positions; most recently, they served together on the Board of Directors of National Industries for the Blind. "Grant and I first met in 1972," he recalled. "He was then a very successful insurance person. One of the things that impressed me about him was that his success in that vocation was even greater after he became blind than it had been when he had useful sight." McDaniel recalled that one of Grant's great strengths as a leader was his ability to communicate with a variety of people. "One of the things which I learned about him that impressed me from the beginning was that he had the unusual ability of relating to people at all levels. He could communicate and associate with people in very high levels apparently without much effort, but he never lost the ability to relate with people on more modest levels on a one-to-one basis." McDaniel said one of Grant's greatest attributes was his "genuine interest in the progress and well being of people who are blind or visually impaired." The two served together during ACB's good and bad years. Grant was president during those years. "He exhibited a strength of character and confidence in our ability to overcome our difficulties and to do more," McDaniel said. "I think he never doubted that, although the difficulties were quite serious." McDaniel called Grant Mack a "very special friend of mine." He said their friendship was of a type which should exist more often within ACB. "It was a kind of personal relationship and personal role that obviously I wish we had more of within ACB and in many other organizations. His was altogether such a positive personality and my association with him such a positive experience that I don't know how to say it any better." McDaniel said the National Education and Legal Defense Service was the newest organization he helped to form. "Although he never got sued himself," McDaniel said, "Grant recognized that there was a need within our field for an organization not only to defend, but to advocate for the rights of blind people." Those wishing to remember Grant may make contributions in his name to the Grant M. Mack Foundation for the Blind. According to Ron Lundeen, president of Utah Industries for the Blind, the foundation is being established as a genuine foundation, not a trust fund. "It will be managed as would any foundation," Lundeen explained. "The foundation will have three purposes," Lundeen said. "First, it will provide for increased educational opportunities for the blind through scholarships and other programs. Second, it seeks to expand vocational opportunities for blind people through training, equipment grants, and employer education. The third purpose is to provide for the capital needs of blind people or those who employ them. We're doing this to supplement rehabilitation, not replace it." Contributions may be sent to the foundation care of Utah Industries for the Blind, 1595 W. 500 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Grant Mack is survived by his mother, Cora, two brothers, Reed and Wayne, his wife of 50 years, Olive Beth (Bobby) Kimball, seven children, 35 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. (Editor's Note: Special thanks to Durward McDaniel, LeRoy Saunders, National Industries for the Blind, and Fred Keller, a librarian at "The Deseret News" in Salt Lake City, for assistance with this story.) SELECTIONS FROM GRANT MACK'S PRESIDENT'S MESSAGES 1981-1987 Grant Mack's president's messages from 1981-1987 covered many of the issues he faced as the president of the American Council of the Blind. Quite frequently, he enjoyed describing his extensive travels and finding in them some relevance to his hopes for ACB. Grant's first president's message, in September 1981, addressed his feelings on assuming the presidency of ACB. "On a trip to Chicago recently, a talkative, friendly pilot came on the intercom saying we were crossing the Continental Divide. It reminded me of the lake in Yellowstone in the middle of the Continental Divide: When the wind blows one way, the water ends up in the Pacific Ocean, and when it blows the other, it ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. I started thinking how small things change our lives. A small breeze can send a drop of water to opposite ends of the country, miles apart. It was my casual response to a simple invitation flier telling of an intent to form a local affiliate of the American Council of the Blind in Utah in 1972 that led me to become so involved with the blind and the blindness movement. One thing led to another--deep involvement with the Utah Council--a member of the national board--and now President. "Perhaps I didn't then realize the scope of the job as president. The full impact of its responsibilities and the importance of what it meant was realized when I received a call shortly after I returned from the convention in St. Louis from a lady named Agnes Holladay. She congratulated me on being elected fifth president of ACB and told me that she was a private secretary of Ned Freeman, who was the first ACB president. In subsequent conversation, she related some of the trials and frustrations and tribulations of those early days of the American Council, and I began to realize how much we owe those early pioneers of the movement. "The American Council has been fortunate to have the leadership of many good men--Ned Freeman, Reese Robrahn, Floyd Qualls, and Oral Miller. Following people like that presents a real challenge to me. I would like all ACB members to know I will do everything I can to see that the American Council continues to grow and to flourish and to perform its function of helping promote the dignity and independence of all blind people." In June 1982, Grant wrote the first of several messages over the years in which he described his trips to Mazatlan, Mexico. In almost all of his columns dealing with his extensive travels, Grant investigated the living conditions of the blind people in the countries he visited and compared them to the situation of blind people in America. In Mazatlan, Grant, with the assistance of a cab driver, searched for blind people and found several whose experiences were in marked contrast to Grant's: " ... As the interview continued it became obvious that Pedro had never had any kind of rehabilitative training. He lost his eyesight when he was five, regaining it for ten years during his late teens and early twenties. He said he thought there were schools for the blind in Mexico City and Guadalajara, but the schools, he felt, were only for the rich. He personally knew no one who had attended either school. ... Pedro directed us to the next blind person, telling us she did her begging in the next block. We found the young woman, in her late twenties, on the street playing a kazoo. She was reluctant to provide much of an interview by getting into the cab because she was afraid of losing her favorite spot. Apparently, this was her only trade and she couldn't risk losing an hour's work. At this point, Jesus (the cab driver) remembered a musician from his childhood neighborhood. After some searching, we found Remigio in front of a small shanty. ... Remigio also had never attended school. He has been blind from birth and learned to play the guitar at an early age. ... He had no mobility skills and seemed amazed when Jesus told him I had traveled thousands of miles alone this year. When I inquired what happened to blind children in Mexico, he replied that they just stay at home. " ... On the way back to the hotel and quite often since, I have thought about Pedro Vazquez, Remigio, the blind beggar woman playing her kazoo, and the hundreds of other blind people in Mexico and elsewhere. I compare their bleak existence with the opportunities I see for blind people in this country. I came away from that day with feelings so many American tourists share after they have witnessed life in other parts of the world. With all its shortcomings, there is no place so full of hope and opportunity as the United States, particularly for the blind. That day, I felt especially fortunate to be an American." In January of 1984, Grant wrote about his November 28, 1983 visit to the White House. Grant attended a ceremony for the signing of a proclamation declaring the decade 1983-1992 as the Decade of Disabled Persons. In this message, Grant described the events leading up to the ceremony with then-president Ronald Reagan, building up the same sense of excitement for his readers that he himself must have felt: "It was raining hard when Albee and I exited the cab and made our way to the southwest gate of the grounds to the White House shortly before noon on Monday, November 28, 1983. ... The extra security precautions in our nation's capital, which had been announced a few days earlier, were very evident as we made our way through the various security check points. Upon clearing security, we were met by a very personable Marine captain who escorted us the rest of the way to the Diplomat Room ... A string ensemble composed of members of the Marine Corps Band entertained with Christmas carols and helped create a festive, bright atmosphere, made more bright and festive when contrasted with the dismal weather outside. "Shortly before noon, we made our way to the East Room and were seated to await the arrival of the President of the United States. President Reagan and Vice President Bush arrived at the podium at 11:55 a.m. and started the short, but significant program which concluded with the President signing the proclamation. To the approximately 150 disabled persons assembled, it was an experience long to be remembered and an occasion which could have significant positive benefits for all disabled persons. ..." Grant anticipated comments made about the significance of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 when he wrote more about the 1983 ceremony with President Reagan: "The signing of proclamations and the fanfare accompanying such ceremonies are designed to draw attention and make people feel good. Too often these are the only benefits that derive from such occasions. It is hoped that the Reagan administration and those administrations that follow during the next ten years will do more than give lip service to the avowed purposes of this proclamation. If a sincere effort is made to really make things better for disabled people by maintaining effective current programs and expanding on new ones, then the next ten years can truly become the Decade of Disabled Persons. The American Council of the Blind will continue to be vigilant, contributory, and aggressive in order to achieve this goal." In his June 1985 message, Grant addressed the thoughtless comments made by several of his sighted acquaintances in reference to his many trips: "'It's too bad you lost your eyesight before your first trip to Europe!' This statement, made by one of my well traveled friends, was leveled at me a few weeks ago, just prior to the departure of my wife and me and another couple for a three-week, whirlwind tour of the continent. The trip covered a swath of central Europe from Rome on the south to Trondheim, Norway, on the north--a 'play it by ear' sort of tour that included visits to Paris and Nice in France; Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan in Italy; Bern and Interlachen in Switzerland; Heidelberg, Frankfurt, and Cologne in Germany; Amsterdam, the Hague, and Delft in the Netherlands; and Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim in Norway. "I have thought about that statement and other comments and similar intimations heard prior to our leaving. Also, less kind comments were made, such as, "It is too bad to waste the money on a blind person,' and 'Why not let someone go who can see, particularly when you are going to an area abundant with great cathedrals, medieval castles, and beautiful art?' As I sit here in my office and reflect on the whole experience, having returned only a few hours ago, I wonder just how different my recollections of the trip are from those of my companions. Are their memories, mind pictures, and impressions of people, places, and things different from mine? Is their recall the brighter and more vivid? I have a notion that the retrospective mind pictures will be different for each of us in some respects and, at the same time, a lot alike. " ... Certainly, they will be able to remember with more clarity the magnificence of Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel, but I wonder if they heard the expressions of awe of the onlookers as they observed the three-dimensional qualities of this unique artist. Will their appreciation of the massiveness of St. Peter's Cathedral be any greater than mine? It is not likely that any of us will ever forget the dismal darkness of the catacombs. " ... I hope my friend who suggested, 'It's too bad you didn't get to see Europe before you lost your eyesight,' comes around soon. Perhaps I can convince him that I lost nothing by waiting until I was blind before having this experience. Hopefully, he will understand that the world and its beauties are no less exciting and wonderful to blind persons than they are to anyone else. Maybe, just maybe, one more person's attitude about blindness will be changed to a more realistic and positive one." In May 1986, Grant wrote again of Mazatlan, Mexico, and expressed his dismay that the situation for blind people there had not improved. "Even though relaxing on the beach and soaking up sunshine and surf continues to attract us to this lovely part of the world, I find it difficult to eliminate troubled feelings which prevail when I think of the plight of blind and other handicapped people who must live and work there. Uneven and broken sidewalks, irregular patterns of curbs and streets, and buses with narrow doors and steep steps on entry and exit are symptomatic of the inattention given to the needs of handicapped people in Mexico. "Attempts in past years to locate any blind people, young or old, have proved almost fruitless. Average citizens, when questioned, seem to have no knowledge of any blind persons. Families with known blind children and young adults tend to hide them from the outside world. ... There seems to be a pervasive feeling to over-protect blind family members. These attitudes, combined with the great dearth of educational services, make it difficult for these people to realize any fulfillment of their potential." In his final president's message, in August 1987, Grant gave some advice to the new ACB president, and also communicated his great affection for the American Council of the Blind. "A flood of mixed emotions engulfs me as I prepare this final 'President's Message.' ... We should all be reminded of and be thankful for the great wisdom of those who framed ACB's Constitution. History is replete with examples of the value in rotating leadership, whether it be of nations, organizations, or businesses. "... The new president will soon learn that he cannot please everyone. It goes with the territory that one will have detractors when the leadership role demands hard decisions. I say to the new president: Be prepared to dodge a few darts. One learns firsthand what Winston Churchill meant when he said, 'One of the exhilarating experiences in life is to be shot at without result.' "... Would that every member of ACB could be president for a short time and have the opportunity to meet the thousands of outstanding people--many of whom never attend a national convention--who belong to this marvelous organization. This is a rare and privileged experience. The caliber of people that ACB has attracted to its ranks is a great testimony to the kind of organization it is. In no membership organization anywhere in the world will there be found more dedicated, stimulating, and effective people. It is important that ACB continue to grow in numbers and in influence. Good people, working together in a positive and upbeat manner, can make a tremendous difference in the lives of blind and visually impaired persons in the years ahead." BOARD DENIES CHARTER FOR VIRGINIA AFFILIATE SAN FRANCISCO--In its post-convention meeting here on July 10, the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind voted nine to three to deny an affiliate charter to the Virginia Association of the Blind, a Richmond-based group which had until recently been affiliated with the Old Dominion Council of the Blind. Members of the Virginia Association of the Blind agreed to become members at large of the American Council of the Blind rather than affiliate with the Old Dominion Council of the Blind earlier this year as a result of a procedural dispute during the Old Dominion Council's state convention. ACB's board took up the question at its pre-convention board meeting here on July 3. At that time, the board deferred the question of a second affiliate in Virginia until ACB's Constitution and Bylaws Committee could look at the situation from a constitutional standpoint. Since the constitution doesn't specifically address the issue of second charters, that committee referred the matter back to the board. Board Member Michael Byington spoke in favor of granting the second charter. "Our constitution remains quiet on how many affiliates you can have in one state," he said. "The thing that has worked the best is to have two affiliates chartered equally so they can one day get back together. "We've heard a great deal this week about ACB as a family," Byington continued. "This is a case where some members of the family are involved in a domestic dispute. Do we want to take sides and tell the one family member who has the title that they're in and the other is out?" Byington warned that denial of the charter for the Virginia Association would make ACB look very much like "other organizations who exercise strong control over state affiliates if we deny this charter." Speaking against granting the charter, ACB Treasurer Brian Charlson said doing so would rob the two groups of any further incentive to negotiate and compromise. "I'm convinced that granting a second charter to a second affiliate in Virginia would be detrimental to both groups," he said. He pointed out that since no affiliate or individual voting occurs during the year, there would be no reason until next year's convention in Chicago for both affiliates to be chartered. "At this point and time," Charlson declared, "I think support from this board nationally for both Virginia groups is the best way to deal with this process. I would be more than willing to revisit this issue at the 1994 pre-convention board meeting." Nelson Malbone, who currently heads the Virginia Association of the Blind, said his group has always had an agenda somewhat different from that of the Old Dominion Council of the Blind. He maintained that the two organizations had attempted to work together for 10 years. "We're twice as large as the Old Dominion Council of the Blind," Malbone affirmed, "and we have momentum. The opposition to us is because of the energy we've spent. We're not any blind person's adversary." Board Member Sue Ammeter reminded the board of the history behind the merger of the two groups in Washington state. A separate charter in that state, she said, may likely have prevented the two affiliates from joining forces. "We're tired of being treated like a stepchild or a naughty child who has run away," said an emotional Alice Malbone. "We don't like being pushed around. We don't want to fight, but you have to let the situation cool down. We want to stay with ACB, and we want to have equal footing, and we believe a charter would do that. That's not saying we can't work things out." Virginian Glenwood Floyd told board members the question is not one of whether the Virginia Association should be chartered. Instead, he said the issue is personalities. "The Central Virginia Council of the Blind is willing to stay and remain part of the Old Dominion Council," he said. "If we pulled out, we would effectively render the Old Dominion Council null and void. I think it is a matter of individual personalities, and it will not clear up until individuals deal with their personal issues. I do not support a dual affiliate situation in the state of Virginia. I admire them, but I cannot support their action." In a final impassioned plea for his position, Board Member Byington said one of ACB's great strengths is its tolerance of different opinions. "We permit individuals to disagree with national positions very frequently," he said. "Ask some of the folks from Kansas how they feel about the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. I think dual affiliateship is very sad, but it seems to be a way to allow them to disagree with each other and realize that they can agree with us." Following the roll call vote, board members expressed the hope that the two groups in Virginia would continue to work toward unification and peaceful settlement of their differences. "You can't force us to do that," said Nelson Malbone. "No one can force us to do anything. We'll go back to Virginia and continue to work in the best interest of blind people there. We're sorry you don't want us to be a part of this." ACB ENTERPRISES AND SERVICES Board members received a report on the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services from Jim Olsen, the company's executive director. Olsen, who was unable to attend the convention, gave his report via speaker phone. He said while one thrift store in the south is closing, ACBES is investigating other sites in the midwest and northeast as a replacement. Revenues, according to Olsen, continue to increase. He said he recently completed a seminar for store managers--the first such seminar in nine years. "All of our stores have changed managers since that earlier seminar," Olsen explained. Otis Stephens, LeRoy Saunders, Brian Charlson, Robert Acosta, and Durward McDaniel were elected to the ACB Enterprises and Services board. In other action, Board Member Stephen Speicher called for the formation of a committee which would establish a process by which resolutions passed at ACB conventions would be ordered in priority. Board members agreed to take up the matter at the August board meeting. In its pre-convention board meeting on July 3, board members heard reports from various national office staff members, Treasurer Brian Charlson, Convention Coordinator John Horst, and from ACB President LeRoy Saunders. ACB MEMBERS ELECT OFFICERS/BOARD MEMBERS LeRoy F. Saunders of Oklahoma City, Okla., was elected without opposition to his third and final term as president of the American Council of the Blind at the organization's 32nd Annual National Convention in San Francisco last month. Charles S. P. Hodge, Arlington, Va., replaced Paul Edwards as ACB's first vice president. Edwards was no longer eligible to seek another term as first vice president. While it was widely believed by those in attendance at the convention that Hodge would be challenged by ACB Treasurer Brian Charlson of Watertown, Mass., Hodge was elected without opposition. In fact, the only contest in this year's elections came when Carl McCoy of Tallahassee, Fla., challenged Brian Charlson for the treasurer's seat. Charlson was re-elected with 56 percent of the vote. ACB Secretary Patricia Price, Indianapolis, In., was re- elected to a third term without opposition. BOARD ELECTIONS Pamela Shaw, Washington, D.C., was elected to fill the board position formerly held by Grant M. Mack. (See "Former ACB President Dies," this issue.) Shaw will complete the year remaining in Mack's term. Christopher Gray, San Jose, Calif., was elected without opposition to fill the board position which opened when Robert Acosta was elected as second vice president. While Gray was elected unopposed, his victory didn't come without some pre- election choreography. Rudolph Thompson of Philadelphia was nominated to fill the board seat which ultimately went to Gray. Thompson was forced to decline the nomination, since the ACB constitution does not permit more than one person from a given state to serve on the board of directors. John A. Horst, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., currently represents Pennsylvania on the board. Carl McCoy, who had only moments earlier sought the treasurer's position, declined the opportunity to run for the available board of directors slot. Strike three came when John Lopez, president of the California Council of the Blind, was nominated for the board position. He told conventioners that in the interest of unity, he would decline the nomination. At that point, Lopez nominated Chris Gray for the position which he ultimately won. MAJOR CREDIT CARD ISSUER OFFERS CARDS FOR THE BLIND Ask and you shall receive. That age-old saying certainly is true for a customer of Norwest Card Services, a division of Norwest Bank Iowa. A customer in Colorado Springs requested a credit card for the blind. This simple request spawned the revolutionary new braille MasterCard and VISA credit cards, the first major bank credit cards in the United States tailored to customers who are blind or visually impaired. The unique idea came from Jack DeOliveira Jr., who uses the braille-embossed credit card when conducting business at his siding and trim construction company. "Initiating the braille card is opening the door for so many other situations where visually impaired people can be on equal footing with the visual world," DeOliveira said. "Rather than memorizing a 16-digit number, a PIN number and an expiration date for four different credit cards, I now only use the braille card from Norwest Card Services. The time it took to memorize that information and access can now be spent facilitating my business instead." DeOliveira requested braille cards from other credit card issuers, but generally the response was inadequate. "People would get excited about the idea initially, but then they wouldn't follow up with it. I wouldn't hear from them again," he said. "I was really impressed with the way Norwest Card Services acted quickly on my request and within four months began issuing the cards." When Norwest Card Services received DeOliveira's request in December, the company organized a team to explore the possibility of a braille credit card and determine a plan of action. First, the team surveyed 25 major competitors who issue credit cards, none of whom offered braille credit cards. Mike Barber, a visually impaired customer service representative for Norwest Card Services, was asked to join the committee. "Our main concern was to make sure that visually impaired customers have the same access to credit cards as those who have sight. A blind person loses a sense of privacy when he has another person read the numbers and expiration date off his credit cards. With the braille card, the visually impaired retain that sense of privacy," Barber said. First Data Resources, a processor and service provider in Omaha, Nebraska, purchased the special equipment necessary for embossing the new cards. Although Norwest Card Services is the first issuer to offer the unique cards, FDR anticipates that more of its clients will eventually use the service. Donna Seliger, president of the Iowa Council of the United Blind, believes the Norwest Card Services' project will be beneficial to people all across the nation. "The accessibility to things in braille is so limited. It is wonderful that something so common is being tailored to meet the needs of those who are visually impaired," she said. DeOliveira said he will now use the Norwest Card Services braille credit card exclusively. "Why go somewhere else when this company has gone out of its way to accommodate my needs? I am impressed with the attention Norwest Card Services has focused on this project and the general effort to make it available," he said. The braille-embossed credit card is available to qualified applicants on Classic MasterCard, VISA Classic, Gold MasterCard and VISA Gold accounts free of charge. Current carriers of those cards may receive more information on the braille-embossed cards by visiting their local Norwest Bank. Braille-embossed Instant Cash & Check debit cards are also available. Applications are available through Norwest Card Services and through bank subsidiaries of Norwest Corporation. MESSAGE FROM JUDITH HEUMANN ASSISTANT SECRETARY, OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION SERVICES (Editor's note: Although Judy Heumann was unable to address the 32nd annual national convention, she supplied this statement as a substitute. We felt it was important enough to include it here.) I am writing to express my regrets that I can't be with you to participate in the American Council of the Blind's Annual Convention; I can tell you that it sure isn't because Oral didn't try to get me to come. He almost convinced me to move here for the week instead of to Washington, but the movers wouldn't put up with any more changes. As you read this, I am in the midst of sorting through the myriad boxes and suitcases which have followed me in my move to Washington. I don't mind admitting that this move caused great trepidation about becoming Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, because I was sure that I would never again see my personal belongings once they disappeared into the Mayflower van. Up until almost the last minute, I had hoped to be able to join you in San Francisco. However, I am sure that in the near future, I will be meeting with your leadership to discuss our mutual areas of concern. I can tell you that I greatly look forward to that meeting, and to working in partnership with your organization to advocate for blind people. Conventions are exciting and wonderful events, for they provide us with special opportunities to celebrate our victories, evaluate our defeats, and focus our efforts on exciting new challenges. As Assistant Secretary, I want to have an active role in sharing your celebrations and in meeting new challenges with you. I am quite familiar with the many successes of the Council, and I have always held the greatest respect for your work in promoting full independence and equality for blind people. Because of your efforts on behalf of blind individuals and your dedication in working to meet the needs of families who have members with visual impairments, the community of blind people can be a model to all Americans with disabilities, and blind individuals of all ages can take their rightful places as equal and independent members of society. You have a right to be proud, and we too are proud of your efforts. I know that you have concerns related to the status of services for the blind. Let me assure you, both as Assistant Secretary of OSERS and as a disabled individual, that I share your concerns and fully support the use of individualized services in education and rehabilitation settings. In fact, at the very heart of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 is the concept of individuality--individual needs, individual goals, and yes, individual services. It was this very vision--individualized programs designed to meet individual needs--that served as the basis for the IDEA. Let me quote from the law: "It is the purpose of this Act to assure that all children with disabilities have available to them ... a free, appropriate public education, which emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs ..." This concept is carried over in the Rehabilitation Act Amendments and is best expressed in the new client choice provisions of the Act. Because of your efforts, and those of other committed and dedicated organizations, rehabilitation clients will now have increased input into decisions affecting the type and nature of the services they will receive. I firmly believe that this concept of choice is the firm foundation of all of our efforts, because independence begins with learning to make choices in order to determine one's destiny. This is truly a great day for all of us. Before I close, I want to make two specific requests of you today, to help achieve the excellence that is the theme of this administration. The first request is that you contact us to receive applications to serve as peer reviewers for our grant competitions carried out by each of the three OSERS components-- the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Office of Special Education Programs. As you know, the peer review function is at the very core of some of our most important work, and it is critical that the interests and expertise of blind people be fully tapped. Peer review applications are available from my office in braille upon request. The second request is that you help me learn about model programs serving blind children, youth, and adults across the nation. As my staff and I travel across the country, we want to know about the programs that are doing the best job of educating and rehabilitating blind individuals on a variety of settings, and we want to learn from them and replicate them to help others. So, I am asking that you help us achieve the excellence we seek by sending us written or taped descriptions of model programs in a range of environments and telling us why they are models. Let me again say that I look forward to working closely with you over the next few years in a spirit of collaboration and mutual benefit. May this convention week be full of rewarding and exciting experiences for each of you. (Judith Heumann can be contacted at the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20202.) LEGAL ACCESS: DECISIONS AND DIRECTIONS: PROCESS IS THE THING by Charles D. Goldman, Esq. (Reprinted with permission from "Horizons," May 1993.) Recent developments in the courts illustrate the dynamic, evolutionary nature of the law. The most significant development was not in a disability case. In Landgraf v. U.S.I. Film, the United States Department of Justice, joined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, filed an amicus curae, a friend-of-the-court brief in the Supreme Court of the United States, arguing that the Civil Rights Act of 1991 does apply to claims pending at the time of enactment. Landgraf is actually two cases, one of race and the other of sex discrimination, which each involve the issue and were combined for argument in the high court. If the Supreme Court agrees with the Department of Justice, more persons whose rights were violated will be able to recover damages under the 1991 law. You will know when Landgraf is decided. This is a case that will make the evening news and every front page. While the Supreme Court will decide Landgraf in its 1993-94 term, the short term messages are even more crucial: 1. The Clinton administration will intervene on behalf of protected persons, here minorities and women (and in the future, persons with disabilities, too). 2. What the Bush Administration did to limit the application of civil rights laws may no longer be followed. Landgraf is a total reversal of the views of the previous administration. Just before it signed on to the brief, EEOC rescinded its policy guidance limiting the law to conduct on or after it was enacted. While Landgraf remains to be decided, two recent decisions are noteworthy. In "Peterson v. University of Wisconsin," the United States District Court in Wisconsin held that persons complaining under Title II of the ADA need not file an adminstrative complaint first but can go directly to court. Title II covers employment by all state and local government entities. State and local government, as well as private employers (now of 25 or more employees, 15 or more employees as of July 26, 1994) are subject to Title I. Title I has a requirement that the administrative remedy and complaint before EEOC must be exhausted before going to court. The Peterson decision is based on the clear language in the Appendix to the Department of Justice Title II rules, 28 CFR, Part 35, that the administrative remedies, such as filing with the Department, exist but need not be exhausted. Peterson is an employment case but hte rationale and decision apply with equal force to the delivery of services. The second noteworthy case is Johnson vs. Shalala, a decision by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which embraces Maryland and Virginia. It holds that under the Rehabilitation Act, if an employer (the National Institutes of Health in this case) fails to reasonably accommodate an otherwise qualified individual with a disability, the employee may not claim that s/he has been in effect fired ("constructively discharged.") To prove a constructive discharge, the plaintiff has to show both intolerable working conditions and a deliberate effort by the employer to force the employee to quit. The Johnson case indicates that while an incomplete failure to accommodate is not such a deliberate effort, a complete failure to accommodate in the face of repeated requests would evidence intent to discharge. A lesson of Johnson is without overwhelming evidence of a total failure to accommodate the federal employee should follow the required administrative remedies. The three cases, Landgraf, Peterson, and Johnson, are each important in their own right for the principles involved. However, their importance is magnified when the synergistic impact is grasped. In a nutshell, the case means there should be more relief for violations of anti-discrimination laws. However, those laws have discrete remedies, particularly crucial for federal, state and local government employees. The three cases reinforce the importance of process--where to file and what relief is available--as well as the substantive right to nondiscrimination. The legal system is one which perennially percolates, as new decisions come forth. The process is ongoing, another lesson not to be forgotten. Stay tuned. THEY BROUGHT A NEW TWIST TO AN OLD CEREMONY by Nolan Crabb To any casual spectator, the wedding undoubtedly looked traditional. The bride, the groom, the families, the friends and the decorations were all in place. The guests brought presents, just as you might expect from any similar ceremony. But this wedding was far from average. Indeed, it's safe to say that this wedding was an historical first. For upon their arrival, blind and visually impaired guests were given a small receiver and a headset. They had been invited to the first wedding to include audio description. Audio description is no stranger to the groom. In fact, Dr. Elmer Fischer was a pioneer in bringing audio description to theaters in the state of Ohio. It seemed quite natural, therefore, that Fischer and his bride, Joann Thompson, would include audio description at their wedding earlier this year. It was a ceremony none of the guests will soon forget. While sighted guests speculated on who people were, and on their relationships to the bride and groom, those listening to the audio description had that information immediately as part of the background information broadcast by Describer Barbara Baum. "Many of the guests later told us they were better informed than their sighted counterparts, who didn't have receivers," says Joann Thompson Fischer. "They told us that for the first time, they had a real sense of the ceremony itself, the decorations, and all the background information that is so often known and taken for granted by sighted visitors." Thompson and Fischer met at the American Council of the Blind of Ohio state convention in 1988. "We were selling hugs for a dollar," Thompson recalls, "and Elmer paid for a hug and asked if he could get one later without paying." What began as a long-distance romance became a romance tested by life and circumstance. Joann Thompson began losing her vision at an accelerated rate, and Fischer was a significant part of her life by then. "When she started going through this gradual vision loss, it really brought back a lot of feelings in me as to what I was going through," Fischer recalls. "I could identify with Joann so much all the way. I relived a lot of my own vision loss through her." The bride and groom hadn't been planning the wedding many days before they realized audio description had to be part of the ceremony. "When I introduced audio description to Ohio," Fischer recalls, "it was a new concept. We have it now in both movies and theater, and we've come to realize what we were missing and how much of a void there was that we never knew about. When it came to the wedding, we felt that those who came could not fully enjoy what would happen unless they had a complete description of the ceremony and the related information." "We wanted our friends to enjoy this wedding," Thompson agrees. "We wanted this wedding to be done our way, and we were convinced that we had to include audio description." Thompson says audio description was included because of the visual nature of weddings in general. "There are so many visual elements in a wedding," she says. "There's all the color, the flowers, the clothing styles, the grandchild serving as the flower girl, the other grandchild proudly filling the role of ring bearer; all of those things are a big part of weddings. Only through description could many of our guests fully appreciate what our ceremony was all about." "We scheduled the loan of equipment from the Ohio Theater Alliance," Fischer explains. "This is a group comprised of theaters throughout the state who pool their money and resources to purchase audio description equipment. We picked our describer from someone we knew, and made sure receivers were appropriately distributed." "Barbara Baum, our describer, attended rehearsals," Thompson recalls. "She even called the florist ahead of time to determine exactly the kind of arrangements that would be used so a description of them could be provided to listeners before the ceremony started. In fact, the background information was taped ahead of time." "I found describing this wedding easier than describing theater for many reasons," Baum recalls. "It was easier because almost all of us are somewhat familiar with the wedding ceremony. Elmer and Joann did everything they could to make it an easy and fun experience for me as well." Baum says she took good notes, discussed with the bride and groom those things they wanted described, and wrote a script of sorts to ensure that there was no confusion in the description as to the names of the participants. "I described the kind of things you might expect to have described at a wedding," Baum says. "I explained the location of various items, described candle lightings and even facial expressions. I think even the facial expressions were important to the guests." Baum says describing the wedding was "a real honor. There are a lot of people in Ohio who do audio description, any of whom would have done an outstanding job, so I'm pleased and very honored to have been part of the wedding." "This is the first wedding I've ever actually seen," says Mary Hiland, one of the guests who benefitted from Baum's audio description. "So many things that go on are so visual--the mothers lighting candles, the putting on of the rings--all of those things were available to us for the first time. We even heard about the little flower girl who was supposed to spread rose petals ahead of the bride, but apparently forgot and proudly carried them all the way down the aisle. We knew about the clothes, the bridesmaids, when they rolled out the white runner, all of the things that make a wedding so special." Hiland says in contrast, she attended an undescribed wedding a week later. "I got almost panicky," she recalls, "trying to figure out what was going on at a particular time. I finally had to turn to a friend next to me to get some of that information." Fischer brushes off the thought that his wedding was some kind of political statement calling for more access in the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. "Joann and I are both committed to enhancing information access where the arts are concerned," he explains. "We're firm believers in the importance of audio description. But describing our wedding was merely an attempt on our part to give a special gift to some very special people whose presence gave real meaning and value to the ceremony." DVS IN TENNESSEE: IT TOOK A LITTLE CANDY AND A LOT OF HARD WORK It's amazing what you can accomplish with some hard work, concerted effort, and four bags of peppermint drops. B. H. Newman of Nashville learned firsthand the value of a lot of work and a little candy. With help from the members of the Tennessee Council of the Blind, a committee of concerned citizens, some folks at WGBH-TV Boston, and four bags of peppermint drops, Newman successfully lobbied the Tennessee state legislature to provide enough funding in its budget for the purchase of necessary equipment enabling public TV stations in the state to broadcast Descriptive Video Service programming to blind and partially-sighted Tennesseeans. "As we neared passage of the bill," Newman recalls, "these legislators would come up and see those peppermints in a basket. I'd give them a piece of candy and tell them about DVS. That was the cheapest lobbying effort I've ever seen." Newman's efforts to bring descriptive video to television sets throughout Tennessee began late last year. Viewers in Memphis had access to descriptive video, but Newman and others envisioned a situation where the programming would be available throughout the state. "We met with WDCN-Channel 8's chief engineer, fund-raising chairperson, program director, and general manager," Newman says. "Initially, we had planned to go to the big corporations in the area and solicit funding for Nashville. Then someone suggested that we go to the state legislature and have an amendment tacked onto the appropriations bill." By February of this year, Newman had the cost estimates from the public TV stations throughout the state. The total bill would come to $121,000. "We couldn't have done this on our own," Newman acknowledges. "We put together a great DVS Task Force committee which consisted of some influential people here. Sharon King from WGBH-TV sent 40 packets for us to distribute to legislators, and Oral Miller wrote a letter of support from the ACB National Office, and we got a letter of support from the Blinded Veterans Association." On July 1, TV stations throughout Tennessee began broadcasting Descriptive Video Service programs--something Newman and other blind Tennesseeans are proud of. "There's no telling how many people would have come up to me if we'd had coffee instead of peppermint drops," he mused. "It just goes to show you if people get together and work together, you can accomplish a lot. I'm grateful for our task force committee members and for the backing from the Tennessee Council folks. No one person did this on their own, but together, we made things happen down here." DID YOU KNOW? by Walt Stromer Did you know that space has no meaning for blind people? Even if they lose their sight later in life, once people stop seeing objects in space, space becomes incomprehensible to them. Did you know that blind persons usually eat with their hands- -by which I mean giving up using a knife and fork and going at it with their fingers? And did you know that if you lose your sight you must "die" to sight before you can live as a blind person? All those interesting insights appear in an article in the May 10 issue of the "New Yorker," in which Dr. Oliver Sacks tells the interesting story of a man, blinded at age six, who regains his sight at age 50, thanks to surgery. If you think that seeing is an automatic process, I think this article will convince you that it is learned behavior. The process of learning to adjust to sight is so confusing and overwhelming for Virgil, the man in the story, that the surgeon wonders if he did the right thing in restoring the sight. While telling this story, Dr. Sacks tosses in the ideas I began this article with, about space, and eating, and dying. He says he observed the newly-sighted Virgil trying to eat a salad, getting confused and discouraged, and going back to the way blind people "usually" eat, with their hands. Sounds gross. I know that I do touch my food more often than do sighted people, but is that the same as scooping it up with fingers and thumbs? On space being incomprehensible, Sacks is quoting John Hull in his book "Touching the Rock." It's true that Hull does make that statement. However, elsewhere in his book, he comments on the hollow sound of a large room, or on the feeling of vastness on standing on a high point of ground. I think Sacks quotes Hull out of context. As for dying to sight before you can live as a blind person, that is a quotation from a patient Sacks read about. I've heard similar comments from a psychiatrist. But the talk of death sounds too definite, too precise in time, too much like closing the lid on a coffin, to fit my experience in losing my sight at age 26. For me, it was a more gradual process with several low points, not one dramatic moment of rebirth. Dr. Sacks' article and John Hull's book have something in common. I found statements in each one that annoyed me, and yet, overall, I enjoyed both the article and the book. I talked to Hull by phone when he was in Indiana last fall. He says he has gotten many letters from blind people thanking him for describing blindness as it really is. I agree that in many ways he is wonderfully honest. He says that in working with a reader he can do only about half as much research in an hour as he could when reading print for himself. Sometimes, I think we get hung up on the myth on equality and insist that blindness imposes no limits. It might be more honest to admit that blindness may slow us down, may add extra hurdles, but with extra effort and ingenuity, we can be acceptable, productive humans. So, I recommend the Sacks article and the Hull book, even though there are some flaws in each. WHAT'S IN A WORD? by Paul Edwards There has been a lot of talk of late concerning how those of us who are disabled ought to be addressed. While there is general agreement that it is a good plan to talk to us rather than to our companions, there is still controversy about how our disability should be discussed. Arbiters of the etiquette of such matters tell me that the period of speech we have now entered is known as the "people first" age. In the current era, correct usage appears to require the use of the phrase "people who are" or, if referring to a single individual, "a person who is." This phrase, I am told, must precede the description of the incidental attribute that is subordinate to the individual's personhood: his or her disability. Thus it is correct to speak of a "person who is blind" and incorrect to speak of a "blind person." In the face of all this, here we sit as the American Council of the Blind. Our name is at least two steps removed from correctness and flies in the face of what we appear to be asking people who are non-blind to do. Notice the correct form of address! I am so proud of myself! I raise this issue not to suggest that we necessarily rush out and change our name; that is not my intent. Instead I want to explore what its use suggests. I suppose I ought to tell you that I have discussed this issue with many of our members. Even those people with some sight--I hesitate to use the word vision, lest I be misunderstood--say that they are fairly comfortable with the name we use and love. Maybe there is a kind of in- group/out-group thing going here. Is it okay if we speak of ourselves as "the blind" while persons handicapped by having all their faculties are not allowed to do so? Other minority groups certainly follow these practices. Another possibility is that our name is intended to communicate a special sense of inclusiveness and power to the rest of the world. We can think of "the blind" as a stereotypical label that deprives individuals of their personhood. We can also see "the blind" as a force to be reckoned with, an unstoppable wave of animate, sightless force focusing relentlessly on its objective. The other connotation worth pondering concerns the use of the phrase "of the blind" in our name. It implies that we speak for and represent everyone in the "blind" universe. Those few benighted souls who have not seen fit to pay their dues to us may still receive the benefits of being included in our "of the blind" universe. Without exploring this matter further, might we conclude that there are convincing reasons for us to remain obdurate about our name? "People who are visually impaired of the world unite" simply does not get it! We need to be concerned about how people are treated and about how people are perceived. I am afraid, though, that the era of disability newspeak may encourage us to lose sight of how important our blindness is to us. We are more than people who are blind. We are at least blind people! And maybe, if we choose and the time is right, we are the blind, too. Let us not allow personhood to blind us to the vision of the blind! HOW DO YOU FINANCE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY? Assistive technology for blind children and adults could be financed with money from the Social Security trust fund. That's a recommendation put forward by the National Council on Disability, which completed a study on funding assistive technology earlier this year. Under the terms of the NCD's recommendation, money from the Social Security trust fund would purchase talking computers, braille displays or large print magnification devices through an individualized Employment Account. The report also called for the establishment of a Technology Watch program which would monitor compliance with and enforcement of federal rights or requirements for expanding access to technology to disabled children and adults. It urged the establishment of a national assistive technology legal advocacy center which would specialize in funding issues. The National Council on Disability further recommended the creation of a comprehensive set of fiscal incentives which would encourage private industry to invest in the production, marketing, and distribution of assistive technology. The report recommended changes in the tax code which would allow disabled taxpayers who do not itemize the option of claiming assistive technology expenses as above-the-line adjustments to income. In addition to recommending ways of financing assistive technology purchases, NCD's report called for passage of legislation which would mandate universal product design guidelines for application in the manufacture of electronic equipment and other products to enhance accessibility. Along the same lines, the report recommends that the Communications Act of 1934 be amended to establish and implement a national policy of available, affordable, and accessible telecommunication services to disabled people. Other recommendations call for an annual report to be provided to Congress by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research on the status of funding for assistive technology. It also calls for legislation which would establish a federal Assistive Technology Interagency Coordination Council which would meet quarterly and be responsible for improved coordination of services and funding of assistive technology. OTHER RECOMMENDATION þ Amend state planning requirements in multiple statutes to require assurances and a planning process with timelines for expanding funding access to assistive technology. þ Statutorily amend individual program planning requirements to provide notice to disabled people and their families of the right to assistive technology services and devices in response to individualized needs in a timely manner. þ Add the complete definition of assistive technology devices and services adopted in the Technology-Related Assistance Act (P.L. 100-407) to various programs administered by the Social Security Administration and the Health Care Finance Administration. þ Reauthorize the Technology-related Assistance Act for an additional three years and strengthen opportunities for interagency coordination systems change, and consumer choice and control. þ Establish assistive technology demonstration and recycling centers nationwide in an appropriate city in each state and in the top 50 standard metropolitan statistical areas. Such demonstration/recycling centers would be operated by independent living centers or other community-based consumer-controlled organizations dedicated to enhance consumer control and choice where assistive technology services and funding are concerned. For more information on the National Council on Disability's report entitled "Study On The Financing of Assistive Technology Devices And Services For Individuals With Disabilities," contact the National Council on Disability, 800 Independence Ave., S.W., Suite 814, Washington, DC 20591. (202) 267-3846 (voice), (202) 453-4240 (fax), and (202) 267-3232 (TDD.) The report was prepared for NCD by United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. GUIDE DOG USERS, INC. MOVING FORWARD by Jenine McKeown Guide Dog Users, Inc. is one of the fastest growing special- interest affiliates within the American Council of the Blind. The organization originated in New York in the early 1970s and became an official ACB affiliate in 1972. Since then, GDUI has been an important part of ACB's national conventions and has assisted its members throughout the United States and Canada with issues such as accessibility, health care problems, and work situations involving the guide dog/handler team. With a membership nearing 500, GDUI's size means the organization can plan and host some ambitious activities. In an effort to encourage and enhance communication between guide dog training providers and their prospective consumers, GDUI is developing material to educate consumers regarding their rights and responsibilities when obtaining a guide dog. Other publications produced by GDUI include tri-fold pamphlets designed for use by human resource directors and managers. These pamphlets discuss guide dogs in the workplace. Other pamphlets are planned, covering such topics as traffic safety and over all accessibility for the guide dog team. Continuing its efforts in education and advocacy, GDUI seeks to further legislation regarding public access for the guide dog and its blind handler. We have also instituted a "disaster relief" fund for members involved in natural disasters such as last summer's hurricanes in Florida and Louisiana. Information and referral services are also provided by Cherrie Handy- Pomerantz, GDUI's president. Information provision is also handled by other GDUI officers and board members throughout the United States. GDUI enjoys a good working relationship with the guide dog training providers. We've assisted them in such projects as surveys on communication, follow-up care, and health concerns. Guide Dog Users, Inc. holds its annual convention in conjunction with the American Council of the Blind. Our meetings include such panel topics as "Guide Dog Ethics," "Dog Retirement," "Follow-up Services," and "Innovative Guide Dog Users." The annual "Update From the Guide Dog Schools" is an important way to keep in touch with the training providers and ask questions about various training programs. Convention programs are taped and disseminated to the general membership through GDUI's audio magazine "Pawtracks." This publication is produced quarterly in a four-track cassette edition and includes news from guide dog schools and articles submitted by members on a wide variety of topics. GDUI offers several products for the guide dog handler. One such item is an attractive harness sign which reads "Please don't pet or feed me. I'm a working dog." A collapsible water bowl is also available. The harness sign sells for $15. MEMBERSHIP If there's no GDUI affiliate in your area, you may become a member of the national organization by sending $10 to Jane Sheehan, treasurer, 14311 Astrodome Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20906. (301) 598-2131. If you choose to join one of our affiliate chapters in your state, you will automatically be counted as a member of the national organization as well as the American Council of the Blind. Currently, GDUI has state chapters in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Alabama, Florida, California, and Washington. For membership and chapter information, contact Jane Sheehan at the above address. Guide Dog Users, Inc. welcomes both blind and sighted individuals affiliated with any training provider or organization promoting greater independence and acceptance of blind people and guide dogs. 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 CATALOG Audio Forum publishes "The Whole World Audio Language Catalog," which lists the largest selections of audio and video self-instruction language courses available from a single source. The 52-page catalog lists 630 courses for 79 languages at various levels of learning, according to the June 1993 edition of "The Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind." All courses emphasize spoken languages. In addition to popular languages, Audio Forum also offers do-it-yourself courses in Native American, Eastern European, Asian and African languages. Most of these courses were developed by the State Department's Foreign Service Institute and employ the listen and imitate method, using only native-born speakers on the tapes. The catalog is available free from Audio Forum, Department B, On The Green, Guilford, CT 06437. AWARD RECIPIENT The Society for Technical Communications has given an award of distinguished communications to Deborah Kendrick, editor of "Tactic," a periodical for blind and visually impaired computer users. Kendrick is a member of the American Council of the Blind and edits the "Ohio Connection," the newsletter of ACB of Ohio. PUBLICATION ON PARENTING "Disability, Pregnancy and Parenthood, International" is a quarterly magazine published in the United Kingdom. Its goal is to "build a strong and lasting bridge across the gulf of ignorance that still exists about people with disabilities becoming or remaining parents." A subscription to DPPI costs $40 a year and is available from Auburn Press, 9954 South Walnut Terrace, #201, Palus Hills, 60465. JUDGE DENIES BLIND STUDENT A judge says he'll explain in writing why he refused to order that Kalkaska public schools resume classroom instruction for a nine-year-old legally blind pupil, according to the Associated Press. The district in northwestern lower Michigan closed 10 weeks early because of a money shortage. Kelly and Gary Burghardt filed suit recently contesting that federal and state law entitled their son, Bobby, to a full year of special education. Their attorneys asked circuit Judge William Porter to enter a preliminary order to continue Bobby's instruction. Porter rejected the motion after a hearing. He did not explain his decision but said he would do so in a written opinion. FOOD NEWSLETTER The Brevard, Fla., Council of the Blind is now publishing a large-print newsletter, "About Food and Drink," which presents facts, historical data, nutritional information, the origin of recipes, and much more. A yearly subscription of 12 issues is $12.50. Send check of money order to the Brevard Council of the Blind, P.O. Box 542045, Merritt Island, FL 32954-2045. NEW BRAILLE SYSTEM? Just when you thought the debate over a unified braille code was confusing enough, enter John Gardner. According to the Associated Press, Gardner spent most of his life learning the abstract symbols of mathematics, which he used in his career in physics. Blindness in 1988, at the age of 48, took away the exotic curves of his scientific language, leaving him with braille. He found the Nemeth Code of braille mathematics slow and confusing to learn, so he developed his own system, called "Dots Plus." Gardner's system makes symbols feel like they look, rather than spelling them out in Nemeth code. He makes symbols of uniform height, taking up much less space than braille codes do. He lopes they eventually can be produced from a computer using specially-equipped printers. Gardner is testing his system in Oregon and Europe this year with a grant from the National Science Foundation. CHILDREN'S FUND MOVES The new address for the Blind Children's Fund is 8500 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53222. BRAILLE PRIMER "Just Enough to Know Better," is a primer for sighted parents. This primer is for every mom and dad who just want to know enough braille to help their blind child learn to read. It's fun; it's easy; it's a self-paced workbook that teaches you just enough braille to know better. Parents using their sight will learn the braille alphabet, numbers, contractions and even a few exceptions to the rules that make braille so interesting. To order, send $12.50, which includes postage, to National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen St., Boston, MA 02115. (617) 266-6160. AMERICAN EXPRESS AND THE ADA Responding to requests from blind card holders, American Express now offers dedicated representatives to assist card holders who need help in reading material they receive from American Express. The specially-trained representatives read aloud billing statements and special offers and answer questions on other benefits. They can also help coordinate travel arrangements through American Express Travel Service offices. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reached by calling (800) 882-3454. RFB AND BUSINESS Recording for the Blind invites businesses who wish to provide accessible materials to their staff members and clients to take advantage of its experience. Whether the material is as straightforward as an employee handbook or as complex as a technical manual, RFB can convert the text and illustrations into a fully accessible format by recording materials onto cassettes or putting them onto computer disk. Help is given with all the details so as to create documents which best meet the end-user's needs. For more information contact Lynne Ross, Customer Projects group, Recording for the blind, 20 Roszel Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540. (609) 452-0606. MIUSA NEWSLETTER Mobility International USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities. MIUSA offers a newsletter and membership to disabled and non-disabled people interested in sharing friendships sand resources to change the world. Write to MIUSA, PO Box 3551, Eugene, OR 97403. MECHANICAL HAND A computer-driven mechanical hand that enables deaf-blind persons to receive tactile messages during person-to-person communication sessions has been constructed under contract from Gallaudet University with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The hand can substitute for a human interpreter and allow a deaf-blind person to gain access to electronic information. The device translates keyboard input or electronic representations of letters into movements of the fingers of the mechanical hand in the technique called fingerspelling. These movements are felt by the hand of a deaf- blind user and interpreted according to the American One-Hand Manual Alphabet as letters comprising a message. With a fingerspelling hand, a deaf-blind person need not rely on a human interpreter for all communication. Two fingerspelling hands have been constructed and have been placed in the homes of deaf-blind people for extended periods of clinical evaluation before commercialization can be considered. NEW FROM NIB National Industries for the blind announces the availability of "Choices," a new pamphlet which is designed to convey the idea that a national network of agencies associated with NIB offers a wide range of opportunities that can empower people who are blind both economically and socially. While not enough opportunity exists at enough agencies, the network does offer many new and exciting choices. To obtain a copy of the pamphlet, write National Industries for the Blind, 524 Hamburg Turnpike, CN 969, Wayne, NJ 07474-0909. WILDERNESS TRIPS Accessible Adventures is a new series of wilderness trips especially organized to accommodate disabled people who are interested in outdoor exploration. Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution in cooperation with Wilderness Inquiry, several canoe trips to the Boundary Waters, Montana, and Yellowstone will be offered in late 1993 and early 1994. For more information, contact Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Associates, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Room 3045, Washington, D.C. 20560. HELEN KELLER PLAY "Beyond the Miracle" is a 50-minute musical biography of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy. The play begins with Keller leaving the Perkins School for the Blind and follows her as she becomes a student at Radcliffe College, a performer on vaudeville, and finally a respected author and sought-after lecturer. Produced by Arts Power, a national touring theater that creates performing arts productions for young people and family audiences, the play is accompanied by study guides, including questions for post-play discussions, suggested activities, background information, and definitions. The theater group has produced a preview videotape of the play for interested schools and welcomes inquiries. For more information, contact Arts Power, Inc., PO Box 321, Ridgewood, NJ 07451. HELP THE BRAILLE REVIVAL LEAGUE If you're not receiving the "Braille Memorandum," it's because the membership list information hasn't been provided to the newsletter's new editor at press time. If you are a Braille Revival League member and are not receiving the newsletter, contact Gennie Eachus, 3705 Dunnica, St. Louis, MO 63116. (314) 664-9330. RADIO FOR BLIND LISTENERS The idea of a radio station for the blind was conceived in Louisiana by Loyola University math professor and active ACB member Dr. Robert McLean. The station went on the air in 1975, according to the Louisiana Slate, the newsletter of the Louisiana Council of the Blind. The station initially offered two hours a day of newspaper readings. In 1982, WRBH signed on as a 24-hour independent FM station. Now in addition to hearing newspapers, books and magazines, listeners tune in to actors performing classic radio drama and poets reading verse backed by gentle music. While a recent survey showed that 90 percent of the station's listeners were not visually impaired, the emphasis of management is to have it live up to its public service mission of serving the visually impaired that brought it recognition as former president George Bush's 25th point of light. REHAB SCHOLARSHIPS Students who are training to work with visually impaired children and or adults as rehabilitation teachers, mobility instructors, or vision teachers, can receive free tuition and fees plus monthly stipends for full time graduate students if they attend Northern Illinois University. Graduate students are eligible for the waiver of all in-state and out- of-state tuition and a Rehabilitation Services Administration or Office of Special Education Grant provides funding for fees and a monthly stipend. Some funding is available for the Vision Teachers Undergraduate Program. For more information, contact Tom Langham or Patty Koenig, Programs for Vision Department, EPCSE, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115. NEWS FROM DVS Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" and "Sister Act" have been added to the growing list of descriptive home videos now available from Descriptive Video Service. According to "The DVS Bulletin," June 1993, "Sister Act" stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer who masquerades as a nun to escape her mobster boyfriend. "Mary Poppins" is the warm and funny Disney musical starring Julie Andrews as everyone's favorite nanny. For more information, call (800) 333-1203 to place an order or receive the latest information on available titles. NEW DIRECTORY The International Council for Education of the Visually Handicapped and Perkins School for the Blind have recently completed a new resource directory, according to the Spring 1993 edition of "The Lantern," a newsletter produced at Perkins. "The International Resource Directory" contains information on programs and services in 130 countries worldwide. Data is divided into categories, including 1,100 special schools for children who are blind or visually impaired, 126 teacher training programs in 45 countries, 168 integrated programs in 61 countries, and 15 international organizations working to serve individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The directory may be ordered at a cost of $15 from Perkins School for the Blind, 175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02172. REMEMBERING THE HALL 1993 marks the 100th anniversary of the development of the first mechanized braillewriter. In 1893, Frank Haven Hall, Superintendent of the Illinois School for the Blind, revolutionized written communication for blind people by inventing what became known as the Hall Braillewriter. In turn, this led to the use of braille as the standard means of written communication for the blind. He also increased by tenfold the speed at which a blind person could write braille. CARIBBEAN CRUISE Those interested in a Caribbean cruise with the Norwegian Cruise Line designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities who wish to travel with friends and family should contact Susan Brewer, 8036 Congresswood Land, Cincinnati, OH 45224. The trip is now taking reservations, and Brewer, who is blind, would appreciate the sharing of ideas and information with others who have gone on such cruises. THANK YOU FROM THE ACB PRESS ROOM by Billie Jean Hill Press Room Coordinator During the ACB convention in San Francisco, press room staff workers published six editions of the convention's daily newspaper in braille and large print by 9 a.m. every morning. The telephone newsline service (coordinated by Bud Keith) received more than 1,100 calls. This was only accomplished through the efforts of ACB members who volunteered at least half a day to work in the press room. Gary Patterson of Des Moines, Iowa, worked all night most nights to run the braille printers so that the braille edition would be ready at the same time as the large print edition. Jim Fleming of Virginia worked many hours prior to the convention to set up all the production equipment and computers, and spent about twelve hours a day working in the press room. Other special thanks go to Dana Walker of Alabama and Paul Edwards of Florida, who each served as editor for a day. Nolan Crabb (besides handling media relations during the convention) volunteered to prepare the official list of delegates. This involved working well past midnight. And because I did not get to the general session at a good time to say so, thank you to Jean Mann, Sharon Keeran, Rod Chard, Dick Ashley, Jeff Thom, Kate Speicher, Mary MacDonald, Debbie Kendrick, Carol McCarl, Ninetta Garner, Ruth Zulli, Peggy Shoel, Teddie Remhild, John Lopez, Gayle Krause, Phyllis Burson and Jay Doudna. HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: Optacon II, excellent condition, five years old, light use. Contact Margaret Smith, 545 Neff Rd., Grosse Pointe, MI 48230. (313) 885-1614. FOR SALE: Toshiba T1000 laptop computer with Artic Vision hardware and software built-in. 512K RAM and additional 768K expanded memory installed. 3.5" 720K floppy drive. Parallel, serial, monitor and external drive ports. $700 or best offer. Contact Loren Mikola, 13135 Argyle, Southgate, MI 48195. (313) 284-9772. FOR SALE: Optacon, excellent condition. Contact John A. Wolozyn, Box 109, McFarland, WI 53558. (608) 838-8811. WANTED TO BUY: Optacon in good condition. Local seller preferred, but will consider all offers. Please reply in braille or cassette. Fred E. Nolkemper, 5949 Sherry Ave., St. Louis, MO 63136. FOR SALE: Arkenstone Open Book Deluxe Edition. Demonstration unit; mint condition. 120 Mhz hard drive. $4100. Contact Joe Renzi, Reading Technology, 9269 Mission Gorge Rd., Suite 108, Santee, CA 92071. (619) 491-2142. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT LEROY SAUNDERS 2118 N.W. 21st ST. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73107 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT CHARLES S. P. HODGE 1131 S. FOREST DR. ARLINGTON, VA 22204 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT ROBERT J. ACOSTA 20734-C DEVONSHIRE CHATSWORTH, CA 91311 SECRETARY PATRICIA PRICE 5707 BROCKTON DRIVE #302 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46220 TREASURER BRIAN CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVENUE WATERTOWN, MA 02172 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ELIZABETH M. LENNON