THE Braille Forum Vol. XXXIV October 1995 No. 3 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 Brian Charlson 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 1995 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: The Path Ahead, by Paul Edwards News Briefs From The ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Caught In The Middle, by Shari Roan NARRS '95 Was A Knockout, by Lynne Koral In Memoriam: Barbara (Dunlap) Chandler, by Janiece Petersen Book Review: If You're Thinking Of Getting A Guide Dog, Get This Book First, by Nolan Crabb 1995 Amendments To The ACB Constitution And Bylaws Summary Of ACB 1995 Resolutions American Council of the Blind Awards Scholarships To 23 Outstanding Blind Students, by Jessica L. Beach White House Conference On Aging Resolutions Adopted, by Glenn M. Plunkett Reading Machines: What They See Is Not What You Get!, by Janis Stanger Affiliate News Letters To The Editor Here And There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon High Tech Swap Shop PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: THE PATH AHEAD by Paul Edwards As a fairly new president of the American Council of the Blind, I want to share with you some of the approaches that I feel I must take in order to do the job you have elected me to do. Some of these are new and some are just common sense. First, I campaigned for this office with the clear understanding that I could not do the job by myself. I repeatedly indicated that nobody who holds down a full-time job can possibly expect to do a creditable job as president of an organization as large as ACB without delegating a great deal. I began this delegation by purposely not seeking election to the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services board. As many of you know, ACBES is the corporation that runs our thrift stores and can also be involved in other fund-raising approaches. The group of officers and members who were elected by the board of directors to serve as the board of ACBES are perfectly capable of carrying on without the president looking over their shoulders. I will, of course, be consulting with LeRoy Saunders, who was elected as their chair, on a regular basis, but will rely on them for the direction that we should take over the next year and beyond. I have also asked my vice presidents to assume specific roles. I have requested that Brian Charlson assume the somewhat thankless task of assembling ACB's various committees. Again I am consulting with him and we are working together, but Brian is doing many of the calls to confirm appointments and to discuss with people their wishes. I truly hope that by the time you read this, all the committees I need to appoint will be in place. I have asked Stephen Speicher to work to schedule who goes where this fall and beyond. There are state conventions occurring all over the country and we want to be sure that each state has good representation at their convention. We also want to be sure that the joy of going to state conventions is shared among board members and officers rather than confined to just a few. We want to be truly helpful to state affiliates and, as time goes on, we will be asking those who attend state conventions to provide the board with feedback of ways that ACB can be of more help to the states where they have been. We also want them to keep their eyes open for potential leaders who can be encouraged to work at a national level as well as in their own states. I believe that there are many people out there in ACB who have much to offer that we on the board do not know about. ACB must work to make certain that new leaders can and do emerge over time. The essence of democracy is assuring that the people have a large pool of potential leaders from which to choose. The very nature of our organization makes it necessary for us to actively seek and encourage these leaders because there is no formal way of bringing them to the attention of a wider audience unless they are appointed to committees where they can become better known to the ACB national constituency. This is just the first step. We will find other ways to encourage new people to emerge and Steve Speicher will spearhead our efforts to make this dream a reality. The strength of ACB is in its members and our success doesn't depend on what I do nearly so much as it does on what you as members do. I hope you will let me know if there are things I should be doing or if there are things you are doing that are exciting! In a future message I will tell you about the changes that we made in the constitution this year and the impact that will have on our national office and on ACB as a whole. For now, let me just say that I am already grateful to all the people who I have asked to take specific tasks because they are doing them as well or better than I could! NEWS BRIEFS FROM THE ACB NATIONAL OFFICE by Oral O. Miller, National Representative Even if late summer in Washington frequently means there is a little less traffic on some streets because so many residents are out of town on vacation, the same slowdown is not necessarily evident in the ACB national office. For example, our governmental affairs director and legislative assistant devoted several full days to meetings of the ADAAG Review Committee of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, followed quickly by meetings of the Telecommunications Task Force of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. At approximately the same time, national program specialist Glenn Plunkett was taking part in deliberations of the National Council on Aging and I was meeting with the other members of the Committee on Disability and Aging of the White House Conference on Aging. The purpose of the latter meetings was to focus further on the White House Conference resolutions that have substantial impact on disabled people and to inform the state governors of that important impact. In 1994 I was scheduled to speak on the program of the ACB of Nebraska, but had to cancel that commitment when a meeting of the Long-Range Planning Committee was scheduled. As a result I was especially pleased to be able to take part in the 1995 ACB of Nebraska convention, held in Lincoln þ a city which serves as the capital of the state but, if one is to believe all the signs and promotional information in view everywhere, serves more importantly as the home of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. I particularly enjoyed the conference program because of its variety; it included not only presentations about blindness-related topics such as rehabilitation services but also interesting topics such as genetics, antiques and state legislative practices. I commend the members who handled the planning and conduct of the convention banquet under very difficult circumstances, namely the fact that the hotel restaurant, which was scheduled to cater the entire meal, closed a few days before the convention and as a result the entire banquet meal had to be brought in from outside. Following the conclusion of the ACB of Nebraska convention I had an opportunity to spend a couple of days in nearby Kansas visiting one of my college roommates, learning more about the interesting history of that region and visiting the Kansas Assistance Dog Training School, located in Washington, Kan. With the enormous increase in the use of service and companion dogs by disabled people it was very interesting to me to observe and learn more about the operations of a relatively new school that trains both service dogs for disabled people and guide dogs for blind people. The American Council of the Blind does not endorse the products of any particular assistive technology producer, but I am pleased to report that I enjoyed very much a recent demonstration of the talking computerized map produced by Arkenstone, Inc. I was not surprised when the map contained accurate information about the streets and even the traffic circles near the ACB national office in Washington, but I was surprised when I gave it the "ultimate test" and obtained accurate information concerning the streets in my hometown in eastern Kentucky. Commendations to the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in Washington, D.C., for working with local universities and this organization to acquaint college students with the issues that are important to blind and visually impaired people! Recently the Columbia Lighthouse arranged a volunteer training program for a number of American University students to learn more about the program of the Lighthouse and to assist in providing some of its services. Part of the process of educating the students included several hours at the ACB national office where staff members discussed current issues, demonstrated a few pieces of assistive technology and answered a variety of questions. The current practice of encouraging college students to learn about and to take part in human service programs is similar to the very successful program established several years ago by one class of a prestigious Ivy League university, many of whose students serve as interns in human service organizations every year. CAPTIONS Oral Miller and his wife, Roberta, smile for the camera after the Candidates' Forum at convention. Pictured here are members of the White House Conference on Aging's Advisory Committee on Disabilities. From left to right: Dr. William Felts, Matthew Janicki, Allen Buckingham, Oral Miller, James Firman, John Kemp. A unique feature of the 1995 White House Conference on Aging is the introduction of the Advisory Committee on Disabilities and the Business Advisory Committee. These two special committees, the members of which were selected by Secretary Donna Shalala, will advise the secretary in reviewing and implementing resolutions dealing with these two important issues. The Advisory Committee on Disabilities met August 10 to identify a focus for disability issues raised at the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. Fernando Torres-Gil, the Assistant Secretary for Aging, facilitated the meeting and emphasized the committee's valuable role, stating, "Disability is a critical issue of the conference that should not be left to chance." Photo and text courtesy of White House Conference on Aging staff. CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE by Shari Roan (Reprinted with permission from the Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8, 1995.) Advances in neonatal medicine over the past decade have allowed doctors to save growing numbers of very premature infants. But some of those surviving babies are part of a far less publicized trend: an alarming rise in the numbers of blind children. Doctors say retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) þ a condition in which abnormal blood vessels and scar tissue grow over the retina of a very premature and tiny infant þ is the primary cause of the increase. Besides ROP, very premature babies can become blind because of cortical visual impairment, a condition in which the brain has been damaged and cannot interpret visual information. Cortical visual impairment is often associated with other disabilities, such as cerebral palsy. "What we see is the success of our medical care system keeping alive people," says Corinne Kirchner, director of programs and policy research for the American Foundation for the Blind. "The question now is: OK, how do we incorporate blind people in this society?" And just when the increase in infant blindness is being recognized as an unfortunate outcome of advanced neonatal care, lawmakers in Washington have voted to slash funds set aside to educate blind children þ including reading materials and teacher training. Parents of these children and special-education teachers are incredulous that funding for such things as braille textbooks and teacher training may be cut at a time when the numbers of blind children are increasing. "We are very alarmed," says Susan LaVenture, executive director of the National Association for Parents of the Visually Impaired. "Forty years of building up services for the blind will be diminished by these cuts." At the Blind Childrens Center in Los Angeles, which has seen its enrollment more than double from 26 students in 1989 to more than 50 today, officials predict that funding cuts will increase the burden on privately funded institutions such as theirs. "My guess is, we would see more referrals as other centers dry up," says Lynne Webber of the center. "People are very upset because it looks like the cuts will be drastic. It's very shocking." Blindness in infancy and childhood is still a relatively rare disability. According to the American Printing House for the Blind, 53,576 American children under age 18 are legally blind. That figure is growing about 3 percent per year, says Dr. Tuck Tinsley, president of the printing house, a government-funded institution that supplies virtually all educational materials for the blind. Previous decades have brought about temporary surges in childhood blindness, Tinsley notes þ including a swell of premature babies born in the late 1940s and early 1950s who were over-treated with oxygen in incubators. In the '80s, the crack cocaine epidemic led to another wave of blind children. But, Tinsley says, "Retinopathy of prematurity is the thing today causing the increase. These are children who wouldn't even have survived a few years ago." Directors of blind children's centers in Phoenix, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and other cities report increased enrollments because of ROP and cortical visual impairment, but there is no official tracking or registry of blind children nationwide, so the increase cannot be officially verified. "The scientific studies that actually prove the increase haven't been done," says Dennak L. Murphy, executive director of San Francisco's Blind Babies Foundation, which has maintained one of the most accurate and long-running registries of blind children in the nation. "Blindness is a low-incidence disability," he says, "so no one studies it." Retinopathy of prematurity usually occurs in babies born at 26 weeks gestation þ more than three months premature þ and weighing less than two pounds. About 40 percent of infants weighing less than two pounds will develop ROP, compared to 5 percent of babies born at three pounds, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. ROP often clears up by itself. But in some babies laser surgery or cryosurgery is attempted to reverse the abnormal growth. If that is unsuccessful, ROP can lead to detachment of the retina. In these cases, surgery can sometimes restore limited vision, but many children are left legally blind. Experts estimate that 2 percent of all very low birth weight babies develop ROP-related blindness or severe vision impairment. "And since [neonatologists] are saving so many more babies at low birth weights, the total number of blind babies is going up," says Kay Ferrell, a professor of special education at the University of Northern Colorado who is directing one of the largest studies of blind children in the United States. Louise May Arellano, 4, is one of those miracle babies who was not expected to live when she was born in the Philippines at 27 weeks gestation. But after 31 days in the hospital, her parents took her home. When Louise was about 5 months old, however, Lourdes Arellano became concerned that her daughter couldn't see. "I asked the neonatologist how come she doesn't follow any movement," Arellano says. Soon, doctors discovered that Louise had severe ROP. Seeking the best treatment possible, the family moved to Los Angeles, and Louise eventually underwent cataract surgery. But the operation, which has a low success rate, failed to restore her vision. The family decided to stay, however, and to raise Louise in southern California. "In the Philippines, they don't have many services for blind children," Arellano says. "And only the very rich can afford them." When Louise entered the Blind Childrens Center as a toddler, she could do very little other than cling to her parents. But, says Arellano: "She is now very much different than the baby we brought here. She has learned how to get along with others. They teach these children how to be independent." As a testament to that independence, Louise will begin kindergarten in September at a regular public elementary school in Glendale. The lack of statistics on blind children is now hampering the efforts of advocates for the blind in Washington. In a vote last month, the House Appropriations Committee slashed 40 percent of the funds to the American Printing House for the Blind, which has a 1995 budget of $6.6 million. If the committee's budget is seconded by a Senate vote after the August recess, research money would also dry up, and funds for training teachers for the blind would plummet. There is support in the Senate, however, to turn back the House vote and preserve funds for teacher training and educational resources, says Bob Silverstein, minority staff director for Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). "Senator Harkin will do everything he can to make sure that the Senate will not do what the House did," Silverstein says. "There is no logic in taking money away from such things as teacher training." Lawmakers may be underestimating the numbers of blind children because some children þ especially many of the very premature þ also have other disabilities that they are classified under instead of blindness, says Kathleen Megivern of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Washington, D.C. "If they are multiply impaired, they may not end up [counted] as visually impaired," she says. For instance, 68 percent of children with ROP also have another disability, says Ferrell, the University of Northern Colorado special-education professor. Advocates for the blind are terrified by potential funding cutbacks. There is already a shortage of teachers for the blind "that is just getting worse," says Kirchner, of the American Foundation for the Blind. In one study, Ferrell found that blind students in Colorado received 45 minutes or less per week of instruction in braille. A proposed 40 percent cut in funds to the American Printing House for the Blind would further erode education because neither individual state governments nor for-profit publishers of educational materials could be counted on to make up for cuts in federal resources, says Tinsley, president of the printing house. Congress began allocating money to the printing house in 1879 because no commercial publisher took an interest in producing educational materials for the blind; the numbers of blind students are too small for such a business to be profitable. "This area is still of no interest to the for-profit companies," Tinsley says. Educators for the blind say they are especially concerned about cuts in early intervention programs for preschool-age children. Most basic learning takes place by age 5 and is 85 percent visual, according to the Blind Babies Foundation. One of the most comprehensive studies looking at the development of blind children is under way at several sites around the country, including the Blind Childrens Center in Los Angeles. But funding for the study, directed by Ferrell, would be eliminated under the House's budget proposal. Now, more than ever, educators need to understand what they can do to help blind children, she says. "I was prepared for a cut in funding," Ferrell says. "What I wasn't prepared for was to be reduced to zero." NARRS '95 WAS A KNOCKOUT! by Lynne Koral (Editor's note: Lynne Koral is the program director of the Alaska Radio Information Service and a board member of the National Association of Radio Reading Services. Koral is also a member of the Alaska Independent Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.) The 21st annual conference of the National Association of Radio Reading Services, held June 1 to 3, was set against the beautiful backdrop of Salt Lake City's Wasatch Mountains. Janet Campbell, program chair, and Bob Wall, host of the convention, saw to it that the conference was so information packed as to make the time whiz by. The NARRS '95 conference was eclectic enough to meet the needs of the most versatile radio reading service staff person or volunteer. Attendees received information on topics ranging from new concepts for "Audio in the 21st Century" to threats to subcarriers, to fund-raising alternatives, to satellite transmissions. Few topics affecting the current trends for radio reading services were overlooked. The first business meeting on June 1 informed NARRS members about changes and additions to the NARRS' board of directors and pending resolutions and bylaws changes. It was gratifying to have some broadcast veterans like Broadcast Electronics and Arrakis Systems coming to the conference for the first time. WireReady NSI and 360 Systems were also represented at the conference displaying digital storage systems products. Though the "No Moving Parts þ Audio for the 21st Century" was a very visual workshop, demonstrations of three digital storage systems were quite informative. Arrakis Systems and Broadcast Electronics don't currently offer completely accessible software (they operate under Windows). However, both of these companies, as well as other companies in attendance, were eager to listen to blind users and modify their equipment and software where possible. WireReady does use a text-based environment. Some radio reading services described the computer automation and tapeless editing systems they are now using with varying results. The evening barbecue provided the perfect opportunity for conferees to meet one another. Waking up early was worth it Friday morning to hear Joann Fischer and Beth O'Callaghan talk about innovative approaches to making live theater and cultural events accessible to blind people. Fischer, an ACB member, works with the Audio Description Committee Task Force in Columbus, Ohio, training volunteers to describe certain events, and then listening to their descriptions. O'Callaghan, executive vice president of Houston Taping for the Blind, has had some I-max documentaries audio described. The following panel demonstrated features of several dial-in/digital systems. Stuart Ami, executive director of RRS of Greater Cincinnati and Steve Kincaid, chief engineer for the Kansas Audio-Reader Network served as panelists. Bob Brummond, general manager of RAISE, Asheville, N.C., described a system which, when implemented, would allow the radio reading service to deliver electronic text via computer rather than voice telephone calls. According to the panelists, the main difference between the Cincinnati dial-in model and the one in Kansas is that in the Kansas model, a user calls in to the system and can choose from many topics; the Cincinnati system acts more like a voice mail system. Gordon Hamm, president of Voice Data Systems in Seattle, a developer of dial-in technology, was also on the panel. A workshop which followed the panel provided nuts-and-bolts information on establishing and maintaining a dial-up service. Topics ranged from the number of volunteers necessary to how early volunteers needed to start recording morning papers. At lunchtime and afterward, there was extensive discussion concerning how to write a successful Public Telecommunications Facilities Program grant for a radio reading service. Charles Estep, PTFP program officer for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a division of the Department of Commerce, encouraged radio reading services to apply for grants that could help them, and told listeners about the shrinking dollars for his department; he provided background information on the composition of the NTIA as well as the PTFP program it administers. In the workshop afterwards, he and Mary Dinota, private consultant to public broadcasters, showed participants a grant and went through it, giving suggestions on how best to complete it to enhance the service's opportunity to get a grant. Attendees next focused on different ways to deliver signals. According to the panel, secondary audio program signal delivery þ the ability to send information via a TV SAP channel þ is a good service delivery system in mountainous areas, according to a Colorado panelist. The Niagara Frontier Reading Service in New York makes use of cable as well, and used a commercial station from which to transmit its signal. Panelists said FM cable is another method of disseminating the radio signal. Others on that particular panel included representatives from WYPL, Memphis, Tenn.; Minnesota State Services for the Blind, and EIES, South Orange, N.J. A panel entitled "Everything You Know Is Wrong Or Soon Will Be" which dealt with current legislative and technology issues kicked off the June 3 session. The telecommunications legislation was discussed, as well as other legislative agendas. ACB member Paul Schroeder, the national program associate in telecommunications and technology for the American Foundation for the Blind and Blandford W. Fuller, assistant director for the Ohio Educational Broadcasting Network Commission, spoke. A workshop entitled "Do They Know We're Here? Will 82-1 Allow Us To Continue Broadcasting? Radio Reading Services and the FCC" followed the telecommunications legislation update. Panelists discussed the potential for technological problems which digital radio could cause radio reading services. They also talked about the service's relationship with its main channel and what that main channel could charge for services. A couple of the services, including those in Asheville, N.C. and Akron, Ohio, had moved from one main station to another because the charges they were being asked to pay to deliver their signals seemed unreasonable. At lunch, various strategies concerning "grassroots advocacy" were mentioned by Michael Abrahams, grassroots advocacy coordinator, working for National Public Radio. The last program session introduced conferees to satellite broadcasts of various stations including those offered in Alaska, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, and Nebraska. C-band and KU band transponders are used to carry the signal over a wider geographic area. The last business meeting ratified new bylaws to the constitution, and passed a resolution with the intent to protect as much as possible radio reading services from being knocked off the air by more profitable commercial concerns. The banquet was a hoot, again providing opportunities to meet other radio reading service people. The awards ranged from Program of the Year ("Dracula" won by WYPL in Memphis) to Public Service Award (awarded to a service in Miami, because it had engaged local and national politicians in hands-on knowledge of radio reading by using them as volunteers). Meg O'Brien, Director of WLRN Public Radio from Miami, accepted the award. The C. Stanley Potter Award went to two Ohioans: Lynn Brewer and Marcia Jonke. With a lively, entertaining Irish-folk- bluegrass band, the conference ended on a real high. IN MEMORIAM: BARBARA (DUNLAP) CHANDLER by Janiece Petersen The ACB convention was held in Salt Lake City in 1978. Barbara Chandler came along with her husband, Jim, to visit family; seek out museums and galleries; and be supportive to voice indexing þ Jim's invention. Barbara had been around blind people, as Jim worked on braille transcription and greater accessibility of recorded information. Barbara was forming her own ideas of accessibility. It all came together when Barbara saw a sculpture exhibit in Salt Lake City. She asked the curators if blind people could touch the art, and they said yes; but they were closing that day. She pleaded for the show to stay open one more day because she "knew a number of blind people from ACB would be interested." Her enthusiasm caught on with them and with a group whose plane reservations didn't preclude their staying. I had to leave; nevertheless, the board was in place from which Friends-In-Art of ACB was born. Co-founders Barbara, Rita Levy and I, as well as others, immediately captivated by arts adventures as a part of ACB conventions, have since that time tracked down museums, galleries, and studios to enjoy. Barbara also found that some in that first group were artists. ACB member Paul Ponchillia credits Barbara with helping him open the door to a career as a sculptor. She was fascinated by, and wanted others to learn about, the way Merrill Maynard painted with no vision. Early on, she encouraged artists in the group to bring their art to ACB conventions for exhibiting and purchase. She invited a woodcarver, workers in clay, and those with ideas on helping blind people express themselves through art. Soon people were reading poetry; and music began pouring out of talented performers. A major accomplishment was Chandler's underwriting of the Art of the Eye exhibition during the Atlanta ACB convention. The central thesis in Barbara's credo was that there is a special experience when blind and sighted people enjoy art together. Over and over again, other people þ unaware of that philosophy þ say those words to me. Barbara was timid about forming an ACB affiliate. She didn't think we needed all that structure and formality. But when ACB said it would assist in the formation, we were truly ready. Despite her reticence about receiving praise or credit, she organized many arts experiences, accessibility workshops þ even a local network in D.C. þ as her ongoing energy gathered more of us to sustain activities. We had grown strong enough so that when a severe illness constrained her activities, we were able to build to the point we are today. I visited Barbara just before the convention and knew the joy and glow of her satisfaction with the many arts opportunities of this year's convention. After the convention, we sent her the first FIA T-shirt, which ironically has the Chinese symbols for friends and art. Irony because Barbara grew up in Peking; but the designer of the T-shirt knew nothing of that heritage or continued interest. Barbara, who was 76 at the time of her death, died suddenly of a stroke on September 1. She is survived by six children and eight grandchildren. All six children attended her memorial þ two coming from England and Australia. The family asked that contributions be made either to Friends-In-Art or to the Sino- American Cultural Society. Captions Sharon Lovering, ACB's editorial assistant, plays "God Bless the USA" on the clarinet at Friends-In-Art's Showcase July 4. Anne Martin of Georgia favors the Friends-In-Art Showcase audience with "Amazing Grace" on the dulcimer. BOOK REVIEW: IF YOU'RE THINKING OF GETTING A GUIDE DOG, GET THIS BOOK FIRST by Nolan Crabb You say you're a life-long cane user who has absolutely no desire to get a guide dog? Perhaps you're thinking your vision is so good you wouldn't want a dog. Even if those things are true, chances are you either already know or will soon know someone who is interested in obtaining a guide dog. Perhaps you're one of those folks who have either casually or earnestly considered getting a dog. If you fit into any of these categories, you'll definitely want to read or recommend to a friend a new book available from Guide Dog Users, Inc., a special-interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. "Making Impressions: A Handbook for the Prospective Guide Dog Handler" is a must-have for anyone or anyone's friend who is even casually considering a guide dog. Overview: Consistently well-written, the book begins with a brief introduction and a list of terms one is likely to encounter in the book. I found the placement of terms at the front of the book somewhat disconcerting, but since the book is available on cassette as well as computer diskette and large print, cassette readers may find the terms list at the front to be a refreshing change from other books where you must fast-forward to the back to get the glossary. The other unique characteristic about the terms list is that terms appear to be listed in order of use rather than alphabetically. That's not a real problem, unless you get caught up in the spirit of prune-faced traditionalism as I do from time to time, and expect an alphabetical listing. The main titles and subheadings are creative enough to draw the reader into the book. Under a section entitled "Choosing Canine Eyes," you'll find such subsections as "The Blue Book: Choosing a Provider," "No Stupid Questions," and "The Application's in the Mail." The book includes five major sections þ "Choosing Canine Eyes," "Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks," "The Path of Independence," "When Things Go Wrong," and "Some Helpful Resources." In fact, this book's worth owning for the resource list alone. Under the aegis of the affiliate's advocacy committee, this book was written and edited by Jenine McKeown. McKeown's informative conversational style is one of the more important assets of the book. The prospective dog handler feels as if he's getting advice from a trusted friend rather than being admonished by a zealous guardian of knowledge and truth. There's nothing that's condescending here and much that's informative and thought-provoking. One of this book's finest features is the various lists of questions which stimulate some thoughtful self-examination on the part of the prospective handler. The book includes such questions as: How much time can you afford to spend away from family or job? Do you feel comfortable being independent for the time span of training? What kind of relationship do you expect to have with the provider? How much of your own freedom and routine are you willing to sacrifice to keep the partnership [of you and your dog] working? Under a subsection entitled "No Stupid Questions," the book encourages asking such questions as: Will I be able to speak to a vet about my dog's history? Who owns the legal title to the dog? What expenses will I be responsible for during class? And so on. In addition to good questions, the book offers a variety of solid suggestions. Would-be dog users are encouraged to get a vet prior to going to the school. The book tries to give a glimpse of the typical school experience, bringing to light things a potential dog user might never have considered. It suggests bringing plenty of reading material or craft projects to occupy time while waiting for your turn to work with an instructor. The book deals with the importance of honest dialogue between instructors and students; the value of trusting the dog and the trainer; "trust is a must or the walk is a bust," it admonishes. While the handbook in no way discourages someone from getting a dog, it does not paint a fairy tale fantasy picture either. It suggests that dog training is similar to a military boot camp, and that you and your dog may require between six months and a year together before most of the kinks are ironed out. Under the "graduation" section, the book covers the importance of having your dog's health records, talks about follow-up care from the school, and encourages the new handler to find out who makes the final decision about taking the dog back should the partnership not work out. Dog retirement options are discussed, and the book encourages the new handler to determine whether the school offers an accessible newsletter. There is a treasure trove of information here about dealing with the public as a now highly visible dog user and coping with animal rights zealots. Additional sections cover your rights as a dog handler and your responsibilities. The book spends what seems an almost inordinate amount of time dealing with the issue of filing complaints against the dog school should that become necessary. A would-be handler almost gets the impression that these dog-using veterans know something the prospective user does not about school recalcitrance and conflict resolution. In part three, "The Path of Independence," there's a subsection titled "The Family of Canine Eyes." While it fits in well with the other sections in that part, I found the title misleading and was disappointed in the information it contained as a result. When I read the title, I immediately assumed this section dealt with acclimating sighted family members to the dog and the dog to the other non-dog-using members of the family. Instead, it was a section apparently designed to make the prospective handler feel warm and fuzzy about the fact that GDUI and other similar support resources comprise a family from which the new handler can draw support, encouragement, answers to questions or whatever may be necessary to ensure a good working partnership with the dog. I realize it would likely have been impossible to include additional information in an already information-packed book; (the two-track standard-speed cassette was completely filled.) Still, information about dealing with other members of the household would have further increased the value of an already valuable resource. Appearance and Presentation: The cassette version of this book was well-narrated albeit a little overly dramatic in places. The tape quality is excellent, however, and the book is tone-indexed. The large print version is spiral bound and appears to have been done in an 18-point Swiss font. There are some typographical errors, but the paper stock appears to be of sufficient quality as to minimize any bleeding effects þ something which could be important to low-vision readers. The information in this book is of such high quality and reference we felt it deserved more attention than a brief announcement in "Here and There." From my perspective, no one should go to a guide dog school for the first time who hasn't first read this book. A press release from Guide Dog Users, Inc. indicates that this book is the first in a series of booklets produced by the affiliate. We can look forward with real anticipation to future books in the series if they contain the relevancy and information this one offers. "Making Impressions" can be ordered at a cost of $5 for any version þ cassette, large print or diskette (WordPerfect 5.1 or ASCII.) Make checks payable to Guide Dog Users, Inc., 14311 Astrodome Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20906. Please specify which version you are ordering. 1995 AMENDMENTS TO THE ACB CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS ACB's 1995 convention was the scene of a host of new amendments proposed as part of the implementation of the council's Long-Range Plan. In fact, proper implementation of the Long-Range Plan would have been impossible without the various changes that were made. Article IV Section D of the constitution authorized the editor of "The Braille Forum" to sit as an ex-officio member of ACB's board of directors. This section was amended to authorize a member of the board of publications to retain ex-officio status on the ACB board in place of the editor. The BOP member would have a seat and could speak and make motions, but he or she could not vote. The decision as to which BOP member would serve as an ex-officio ACB board member would be made by the board of publications at its annual meeting. The BOP member would serve for one year. In its original form, Bylaw Four Section A authorized the president to supervise all ACB employees and to select and dismiss them. The president required board approval when selecting professional staff members. This bylaw was amended such that the president, with the approval of the board of directors, can hire and supervise an executive director. The executive director would then be responsible for the hiring, supervision, and dismissal of all employees. The editor of "The Braille Forum" would not be included in that authorization. The executive director would work with the board of publications in selecting and supervising an editor for the magazine; the editor's job description must be approved by the board of publications. In a related matter, the fourth sentence of Bylaw Seven was amended to more specifically reflect the BOP's relationship with the executive director where employment of the editor of "The Braille Forum" was concerned. This bylaw also affirms that the executive director would have authority to dismiss the editor, but only with the approval of the board of publications. Bylaw Five Sections A and B originally charged the president to submit the names of all professional staff appointments to the board of directors within 30 days, and that approval must be given by a majority vote of the board. Those sections also spelled out how professional staff would be dismissed, giving the board the sole responsibility of ultimate dismissal following an appropriate hearing. As a result of the 1995 amendments, those two sections were stricken from the constitution. In its original form, Article V Section C designated the board of directors as the council's governing body between conventions, provided it took no actions or made decisions counter to those made by the convention. New language was added to this section which authorizes the establishment of an executive committee consisting of five members. Two members are to be elected from among the 10 members of the board; two additional members come from among the five officers and the immediate past president, and the fifth member is the ACB president. Committee members can serve for up to two one-year terms consecutively. The president serves on the committee throughout the duration of his presidency. The group meets between board meetings when authorized to do so by the president or upon the written request of three committee members. The committee is authorized to act on the board's behalf between meetings, provided its decisions do not counter those board or convention decisions and actions already in existence. Article IV Section B was amended to clarify residency requirements for those who would be members of the board of directors. Currently, no more than one director can serve from a single state. As amended, the residency requirements now are defined as follows: "A director is considered to be from the state in which he/she maintains legal residency. A candidate for the position of director shall be considered to be from the state in which he/she maintains legal residency at the time the election is conducted." Bylaw Seven was similarly amended to clarify residency requirement definitions for members of the board of publications. Article V Section A currently empowers the convention to decide the date, time, and place for upcoming conventions. A proposed amendment would have permanently given that task to the board of directors. That amendment failed to pass, however, as did an amendment to Bylaw Five Section C, which would have brought that particular bylaw into compliance with changes that were proposed in Article V Section C. The end result is that the convention retains the authority to select convention sites. The convention amended Bylaw Six (Standing Committees) to include new sections which add new committees to the list of those considered standing committees. Section G makes the convention coordinating committee a standing committee of at least nine members. Section H was added, which fashions the Convention Program Committee into a standing committee. The president, both vice presidents, executive director, convention coordinator, and two additional members chosen by the president, sit on this committee. This section gives the president the final decision regarding who will speak at the convention. Section I was also added; it establishes the Environmental Access Committee as a standing committee. The committee is to have one chairperson and at least eight other members. Its duties remain essentially unchanged. A new bylaw was added to the bylaws which allows the board to authorize ACB to indemnify present and former board members, officers, employees, volunteers or agents for expenses and costs (including attorney's fees) in connection with the defense or settlement of any legal proceeding in which the individual is involved as a result of his or her present or past association with ACB. Any individual judged to be grossly negligent or having not acted in good faith would not be indemnified. This bylaw essentially gives ACB the necessary legal tools to purchase indemnification insurance. Bylaw Two Section B was amended to change the penalties assessed against those affiliates who fail to comply with a request from the board of directors to recertify its members following a three-year period in which no additions or deletions were made to that affiliate's membership list. Prior to the convention, any affiliate who refused to comply with the request in the first year would definitely lose voting privileges. The second year of non-compliance "may result in the revocation of the affiliate's charter." As amended, this section says first- year non-compliance "may result in diminished voting privileges." Second-year non-compliance "may result in the revocation of the affiliate's charter." Bylaw Eight Section B was also amended. Section B was stricken from the bylaw in its entirety and was replaced by the following language: "If at the opening session of the annual convention, an affiliate is unable to announce its official delegate, alternate delegate(s), in the order of their precedence, and its representative who will serve on the Nominating Committee, it shall provide this information in writing to the Credentials Committee prior to any vote by the affiliate at the annual convention." CAPTION Scott Marshall reads an amendment on the convention floor. SUMMARY OF ACB 1995 RESOLUTIONS Here is a brief summary of the content of the resolutions passed at the 1995 annual convention of the American Council of the Blind. Twenty-four resolutions were considered by the committee, with numbers assigned to 23 of them. Resolution 95-12 was withdrawn by its maker, the Environmental Access Committee, which felt the subject matter was adequately covered by resolutions 95-15 and 95-16. The Utah Council of the Blind also submitted a resolution, then withdrew it prior to its having a number assigned to it. Resolution 95-01 calls for ACB to urge all movie studios to fund video description of all major movies. Resolution 95-02 urges all commercial television networks and major cable companies to include video description as a standard programming feature. Resolution 95-04 requests that ACB vehemently oppose any efforts of Congress and the President to incorporate Title I of the Rehabilitation Act into any "one-stop shopping center," request the retention of categorical services and continuation of separate, identifiable points of access and entry for specialized services. Resolution 95-05 calls for the Federal Communications Commission to assure that any standards for digital radio retain the capabilities and capacities of the analog FM sub-carrier and assure continued viability of secondary audio channel programming at no financial hardship to the current lessee. It also asks the FCC to consider setting aside an affordable, viable radio frequency where radio reading services and similar organizations can disseminate information to the blind and visually impaired. Resolution 95-06 deals with the position paper written by the National Council on Independent Living. It calls for ACB to express its feelings of betrayal that NCIL would suggest that blind and visually impaired people and the organizations representing them should be denied the right to choose who serves them, and states that services from generic agencies are often inferior to specialized services. It also says NCIL's position would cause more than 6,000 blind people who work in the various facilities of National Industries for the Blind to lose their jobs for the sake of full inclusion; it states that informed choice is achieved only when specialized consultation is offered; and asks NCIL to publicly retract its positions. Resolution 95-07 calls for Congress to continue the practice of purchasing from the blind and severely disabled under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day program. It opposes any discontinuation or downsizing of the General Services Administration, military commissaries, or GSA and military warehouses, distribution centers and supply depots, and urges that prime vendor contracts issued to private for-profit entities contain provisions that require arrangements with NIB-affiliated facilities. Resolution 95-08 calls for the U.S. Senate to maintain the linkage between earnings levels for senior citizens and blind people. Resolution 95-09 concerns the Department of Veterans Affairs' definition of chronic diseases. ACB supports the Visually Impaired Veterans of America in supporting and pursuing change in federal regulations to include eye diseases on the list of chronic diseases. Resolution 95-11 establishes ACB's position on access to stairs. It calls for detectable warnings at the top of flights of stairs and two-inch warning strips at the edge of each step. Resolution 95-13 calls for detectable warnings where a curb ramp or level curb exists adjacent to the roadway. Resolution 95-14 expresses "absolute abhorrence" at the views and attitudes expressed in a recent edition of the "Vendorscope," but expresses support for RSVA's efforts to insure corrective actions. It also expresses support for the change in RSVA's logo to read "Blind Businessmen and Women Building A Better America." Resolution 95-15 endorses research and development of personal devices, auxiliary aids and retrofit assistive technologies providing information about the environment for blind or visually impaired people, and firmly states that unproven, unreliable or inadequate technology not be accepted as a replacement or substitute for actual modifications of the built environment. Resolution 95-16 informs the American National Standards Institute that lowering maximum height provisions for access to elements and spaces would create problems and violate the concept of universal design for those who use braille or tactile signage, or large print signage, or those who have conditions preventing bending. ACB still supports universal design, but notes that limits exist, and where numerous special needs cannot be addressed by a single height standard, that dual placement be adopted. Resolution 95-17 directs the ACB president to appoint a Guide Dog Users, Inc., member to the convention committee. Resolution 95-18 deals with the Unified Braille Code. ACB and the Braille Revival League go on record as opposing a code that would use more than one numbering system, as well as parts of the Committee II report that recommend a base code employing an upper numbering system unless the Braille Authority of North America and the International Council on English Braille sponsor broadly based field testing of numeric systems. Resolution 95-19 expresses support for accessible information kiosks, and urges ACB and the Environmental Access Committee to issue strong criticism to the designers, makers and government agencies responsible for the inaccessible kiosks and other touch screen information technology. It recommends that these agencies stop resisting implementation, acknowledge the work of the Trace Center, and comply with access requirements. Resolution 95-20 supports the concept of "braille presumption" embodied in the amendments to IDEA suggested by Rep. Traficant (D-Ohio). It also endorses the provision of a braille literacy assessment plan and the requirement that braille teachers be qualified and certified. AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO 23 OUTSTANDING BLIND STUDENTS by Jessica L. Beach GREENSBORO þ At its 34th annual national convention at the Holiday Inn Four Seasons Hotel here, the American Council of the Blind awarded its 1995 scholarships to 23 outstanding blind students from throughout the country. The awards were given to students in academic and professional curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Hundreds of qualified blind and visually impaired students applied for these honors. Eleven of the winners and other students were able to attend the convention with the assistance of a grant to the American Council of the Blind by the Regional Bell Operating Companies. The winners were honored on Thursday, July 6 during the convention's plenary program. The Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship winners in the graduate category are Vivian Conejero of Flushing, N.Y., Alla Pouzyreva of Brookline, Mass., and Behnaz Soulati of Iowa City, Iowa. Conejero will attend New York University in New York, N.Y., where she will study music performance. Pouzyreva is pursuing an M.B.A. at the University of Massachusetts. Soulati will be studying abroad this year at the University of Poitiers in Poitiers, France. The Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship winners in the undergraduate category are Marilyn Beaupeurt of Wichita, Kan., Kimberly Shain of Morgantown, Ky., and Winnie Tunnison of Silver Spring, Md. Beaupeurt is seeking her B.A. in social work at Wichita State University. Shain is a public relations major at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky. Tunnison is earning her B.A. in education at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. The Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship winners in the freshman category are Juliana Raiche of Carlsbad, Calif. and William Stevens of Prospect, Ky. Raiche will attend Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., where she will study music. Stevens will be studying music composition at Oberlin College & Conservatory. The recipient of the Dr. Mae Davidow Memorial Scholarship is Stephanie Enyart of Nipomo, Calif., who is working toward her B.S. in public administration at Stanford University. The Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Steven Hagemoser of Lexington, Ky. Hagemoser is seeking a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. The William G. Corey Memorial Scholarship was presented to Barbara Siple of Edinboro, Pa., who is aspiring to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at The Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif. For the fifth year, ACB is presenting two scholarships funded by National Industries for the Blind. The NIB Grant M. Mack Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Daniel Kelly of Golden Valley, Minn. and Patrick Petursson of Little Rock, Ark. Kelly is a student at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., studying international management. Petursson is pursuing his M.B.A. at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind. The recipient of the Arnold Ostwald Memorial Science Scholarship is Jennifer Buckley of Wadsworth, Ohio, who is working toward her B.S. in biology at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. The Xerox Imaging Systems Scholarship was presented to Linda Oliva of Minneapolis, Minn. Oliva is seeking a B.S.W. in social work at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. The Kellie Cannon Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Mark Adelsberger of Maryland Heights, Mo. Adelsberger will be attending the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., studying in the field of computer science. The recipient of the John Hebner Memorial Scholarship is Frank Lopez of Sacramento, Calif., who is pursuing his B.A. in vocational education at the California State University- Sacramento. The Central Virginia Council of the Blind Scholarship winners are Joan Criss of Goochland, Va., Rebecca Hutto-Eagleson of Prince George, Va., and Tonia Valletta of Nokesville, Va. Criss will attend Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., where she will study business law. Hutto-Eagleson is seeking her B.A. in history at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. Valletta is earning her B.A. in religion at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. For the first year, ACB is proud to present two newly established scholarships. The Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship, funded by the Bay State Council of the Blind, was awarded to Amy Hasbrouck of Roxbury, Mass. Hasbrouck is a law student at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Mass. The Arizona Council of the Blind Scholarship, funded by the Arizona Council of the Blind, was awarded to Jorge Tarazon of Tucson, Ariz. Tarazon is seeking a B.S. in political science at the University of Arizona-Tucson. In addition to the above scholarship recipients, Kimberly Morrow, who was awarded the Scholarship in Memory of Anne Pekar in 1992, continues to receive the funds from that scholarship. Morrow, of Overland Park, Kan., is earning an M.A. in German from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. Application for the 1996 ACB scholarships will be available in the late fall of 1995. For more information contact the national office at (800) 424-8666 between 3 and 5:30 p.m. Eastern time weekdays. Captions Kimberly Shain accepts the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship from Oral Miller. Oral Miller presents the Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship to Steven Hagemoser. Daniel Kelly shakes hands with Oral Miller as he receives the NIB Grant Mack Memorial Scholarship. Jennifer Buckley smiles as she accepts the Arnold Ostwald Memorial Science Scholarship from Oral Miller. Oral Miller gives Linda Oliva the Xerox Imaging Systems Scholarship. Frank Lopez accepts the John Hebner Memorial Scholarship certificate from Oral Miller. Amy Hasbrouck shakes Oral Miller's hand as she accepts the Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship. Kimberly Morrow accepts a certificate for the Scholarship in Memory of Anne Pekar from Oral Miller. All the scholarship winners in attendance took a break to smile for the camera. Top row, left to right: Linda Oliva, Alla Pouzyreva, Daniel Kelly, Steven Hagemoser, Frank Lopez. Bottom row, left to right: Oral Miller, Kimberly Morrow, Kimberly Shain, Amy Hasbrouck, Jennifer Buckley, Dr. John Buckley. (No relation.) WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED by Glenn M. Plunkett The White House Conference has come and gone, but the problems pointed out at that conference will be with us for a long time. As noted in the proposed report of the conference which was sent to the governors for input, "Today's older people live longer than at any time in history. By 1990, the number of individuals age 85 and over had grown to three million persons. By the year 2000, this number will increase by about one-third to 4.3 million. In another 30 years, persons age 85 and over will increase nearly 250 percent. The rapid growth of this population has implications for income, long-term care, housing, and other policy issues because this age group is likely to live with disabilities. In addition, the increasing diversity of the population of older Americans must be acknowledged. By the year 2030, minorities will represent 25 percent of the population over age 65. As Americans live longer and amidst greater diversity, our decisions and actions will have tremendous impact upon our children and grandchildren. Thus all families have a stake in decisions affecting older persons." The fact that the WHCoA has been held and resolutions adopted with a report being prepared does not mean anything unless recommendations are implemented. To get the recommendations implemented, we will have to ensure that those who can make changes or change laws do so. We need to bring pressure wherever and whenever possible to establish policies and make changes to put the recommendations from the WHCoA into effect. For that reason, ACB has recorded on cassette the resolutions contained in the proposed report to the governors (dated August 3, 1995). The WHCoA adopted 51 resolutions but the WHCoA staff reviewed them for duplication and reduced the number to 45 which are now on tape. The material in the resolutions is useful, now and in the future, for background and data in writing, calling and talking about our needs in policy changes, legislation and regulations. Many of the changes will involve local, state and national actions. The two-tape set is available upon request by telephone or letter to ACB. READING MACHINES: WHAT THEY SEE IS NOT WHAT YOU GET! by Janis Stanger (Editor's note: Janis Stanger is an employee of Utah's division of services for the visually handicapped in Salt Lake City.) When my husband and I looked for a home to buy shortly after we married, one of our main concerns was storage space. Fortunately for us, one of the first houses shown to us fit the bill perfectly. In the basement was a storage room that had floor to ceiling shelves along three of the four walls. The house also had two extra bedrooms and a large family room, all of which had closets with floor to ceiling shelves. We were in seventh heaven and that day told the realtor we wanted the house on Charlton Circle. Why did we need all that storage space? Braille. My husband reads braille. He listens to NLS tapes on a pocket-sized APH tape player/recorder. He has me read short articles of interest from the newspaper and magazines. He has made tapes of himself reading braille books he has had on loan from the State Library for the Blind. But when it is time to really read something, he uses braille. When he writes, either by hand or by computer, for personal or professional reasons, he writes in braille, and when he thinks, his thoughts appear before him in braille, as if on a long roll of braille paper. You may say he's old-fashioned and that he needs to wake up and be a '90s kind of blind guy. After all, we've heard a thousand times that braille is bulky (our shelves are almost full), that it is cumbersome (no pocket would ever hold the braille edition of "Webster's Pocket Dictionary"), that it is slow (how many words can you read an hour?), that it is often unavailable (NLS has a great new release þ Rex Stout's "The Father Hunt" þ I read it first in 1961) and that it is always censored. All of it is true. So why doesn't he wake up and join the enlightened speech technology groupies? There are many reasons, but the main one is that those reading machines are highly overrated. We are very familiar with these reading machines through our work, through our association with others who own them, and through our use of the one sitting right next to me as I write this on our personal computer. My husband and I are both employed by our state's rehabilitation agency. I am a low vision adviser, and he is a rehabilitation teacher. In addition, he teaches braille computer technology in the master's degree program in visual impairment at the University of Utah. Both at work and at conventions of both consumers and professionals in the blindness field, we have had repeated experiences with reading machines. We have both used stand-alone units and those which are connected to a computer with either speech or braille output devices. Manufacturers of this equipment are always eager to share their latest wizardry, and we always like to see what is "new" on the market. We can honestly say we've seen it all. Quite honestly, the reading machines have as many failings as they do strengths. They are finicky. They only like certain kinds of print, they detest glossy or onionskin paper, they can easily turn items printed in column into alphabet soup, and they simply refuse to do hard-bound books that are still new. Yesterday morning I used a reading machine to scan an article I wanted from a magazine I was borrowing. Here's what the scanner told me was the title of the article, **ARIAGE1 TBE **EAT *LAN OF *B*PPIN*SS*. The title to the article was really, "Marriage: The Great Plan of Happiness." The paper was a little glossy, the print was clear and sans serif, the contrast was good and the page was able to lay flat on the flatbed. This experience is not atypical. We have friends who own reading machines. The president of our local affiliate of the American Council of the Blind has a braille transcription business. In plain English, she has a computer with speech. The computer is connected to a reading machine which scans the printed material into her computer. The computer is connected to a braille embosser. Presto! Print is turned to braille! WRONG! Because the reading machines are so finicky, she hires a sighted person to go through and get rid of all the asterisks and other unrecognizable garbage the scanner throws out when it sees glossy print, italics, columns, or tight binding. Then the sighted employee copies from the printed material what should have been scanned. Our friend has a small business. Even if the demand for braille transcription greatly increased, she would still have a small business because those reading machines only tell you what they want to tell you, and not what is there. My husband really is a '90s kind of blind guy. We were the first among our friends to buy our own reading machine. Our experience supports what has already been said. It is a great machine þ for some things. I teach a class in our women's organization at church. Sometimes I like class members to read quotes from the lesson manual to the rest of the class. The manual is paperback, the print is dark and sans serif, and the paper isn't too glossy. The reading machines saves me some real time when I scan a page or two into the computer and then cut the quote from the printed page. With my vision impairment it is much easier than direct data entry. Sometimes my husband likes me to scan short articles of interest for him. My personal computer is interfaced with his braille word processor. I download the scanned material into a WordPerfect file, save it in DOS format and then "send" it to him for him to read on his braille display. However, we bought the reading machine to read books. We wanted to read books that are not available either on tape or in braille from NLS. They are also not available at our local library. We bought them at our local Christian bookstore. For all those reasons already listed, it didn't work. By the time we would have had one of those books scanned into our reading machine, NLS would have gotten permission to record all of them, and it would have had them available in both braille and on tape. Fortunately, we found the books on computer disk. I downloaded them into Word Perfect files, saved them in DOS format, and "sent" them to my husband. It is a cinch! Our experience as professionals in the blindness field, our friend's experience as a small business owner, and our own personal experience as consumers beg, when it comes to alternatives to braille for the blind, that we not throw the baby out with the bath water. Technology is wonderful. We can do many things with its assistance. So far, however, nothing completely replaces braille þ especially not those wonderful reading machines! AFFILIATE NEWS KANSAS CELEBRATES 75 The Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired celebrated its 75th anniversary at its convention September 15-17 in Topeka. Mitch Pomerantz, president of the California Council of the Blind, was the banquet speaker. OHIO CONVENTION The ACB of Ohio convention will be held Nov. 3-5 at the Holiday Inn on the Lane in Columbus. The theme this year is "Invest in Yourself." Workshops, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, will include "You and Your Mobility," "What's New in Fashion," "Improving Your Self-Esteem," "Drama Therapy," "Interview Skills," "You and Your Significant Other," "Coping with Blindness," and more. There will be exhibits on Friday and Saturday. Single, double and triple occupancy rooms are all $60 per night. Preregistration for non-members is $70, members $60. Registration after Oct. 15 or at the door adds $10 to all registration fees; cost includes breakfast, lunch and the banquet on Saturday, and breakfast Sunday. For more information, call Arlene Cohen at (216) 449-2212. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Editor's Note: The June "From Your Perspective" piece garnered more mail of a more highly emotional nature than we've seen here in some time. The following letters are representative samples of the opinions from readers. Reading by Finger or "Reading" by Ear In the June issue of "The Braille Forum," there is an article by Mr. Don Crawford which many of us consider a downright sacrilege. Here is a man who has been thoroughly acquainted with braille and its history for nearly seven decades now blatantly scoffing at those of us whose advocacy of learning braille "has been elevated almost to a religious tenet." Mr. Crawford is obviously not of our creed. As a braille infidel, he has gone to great lengths to downgrade braille as a means of literacy. In his first six paragraphs, we learn how he has been able (and very willing) to limit his use of braille. His first two paragraphs end with the words "my reading machine." "Braille has its problems," he says, "and each problem limits its usefulness." In the century and a half since its invention, "braille has suffered ... because of its ability to represent only 64 distinct symbols." (Actually, it's 63 symbols; most of us do not consider a space as a symbol.) "The problem was further compounded when persons came along and took this too-few- symbols system and invented braille shorthand, and called it grade one and a half, grade two, and heaven forbid grade three." (Actually, none of these grades has ever been considered a shorthand system.) If there has been any compounding of braille problems it was probably New York Point along with the old system known as American braille. Unfortunately, it's all too true that a rather small percentage of the "blindness community" is using braille these days. But this is not because of the "problems" cited by Mr. Crawford. Nor does it mean that 90 percent of the "blindness community" is against braille as a reading-and-writing system. This 90 percent of the community is divisible into various segments, each of which may or may not be using braille in some degree, having distinctly different reasons not to be counted among braille users. There are those who just haven't had the opportunity to learn how to use braille. There aren't enough good braille teachers nowadays. In earlier days, the schools for the blind were very strict in the teaching of braille; but public schools have not been. Indeed, there have been too many counselors who have advised that braille might be too difficult and complicated. There are blind people who, even if they weren't blind, wouldn't care to do much reading anyway. There also are those who wouldn't be able to read braille, even if they wanted to, because of a very poor sense of touch. And let's face it: there are those who prefer to be read to because it's more comfortable and somewhat easier that way. Ever since talking books came into being, listening "readers" have established unbreakable plurality over tactual readers. But let's not forget that there are blind people who cannot hear. For them, braille is indeed the only reading medium there is. I cannot believe that there are many blind people who have rejected braille because it requires the consumption of so much physical energy. "However, advances in information technology will begin to question the bureaucracy and cost of the Library of Congress Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 50 or more different state libraries for the blind, regional libraries for the blind, private libraries for the blind such as the one in New Jersey, printing houses for the blind such as those in Louisville, Cincinnati and Boston, studios where they read books on audio tape for blind people, makers of braille writers and braille printers, contractors who manufacture slow-playing phonographs or clunky tape playback machines for the government, the need for religious organizations to publish special items for the blind, the need for the state and local governments to publish voters' pamphlets in a special form for blind people, or, the unthinkable, even the need for hundreds of teachers who teach braille." Thus Mr. Crawford seems determined to deprive all blind people of the only literacy system we have. Reading and writing are still fundamental elements in basic education, and some form of braille has been for a century and a half, and must continue to be, the only system that can make reading and writing possible for blind people in general. The only other literacy available to some of us who are visually impaired is large print. But Mr. Crawford doesn't really want to be a reader. He prefers to "read" with the help of his reading machine. He doesn't seem to care that the very scanner which helps him to be read to synthetically can also enable him to read braille, which it can produce with the help of an embosser. "The blind community," he says, "should adopt the rapid advances in communication technology, and use the technology to its advantage." But information through modern technology (if you can afford it) is a matter of extension and broadening of our basic education. It is not meant to take the place of reading and writing. For those of us who still believe in fundamental education, let us remember that in the past century and a half the invention of Louis Braille has evolved and developed magnificently as a tactile system of reading and writing throughout the world, and there will never be anything to take its place! John di Francesco, Oakland, Calif. Let's Not Forget the Children Nolan Crabb, Editor: In his article, "From Your Perspective" (June 1995), Don Crawford left no doubt that he believes braille to be an expensive, outdated, bulky and cumbersome tool. This may well be true for Mr. Crawford, but I was saddened to find this article attached to a cover letter congratulating Judith Billings, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, for preventing the passage of the Braille Bill. Both ACB and NFB state chapters are hard at work educating legislators and enlightening educators regarding the importance of personal communication skills for blind children. As a strong advocate of braille instruction for blind and severely visually impaired children, and newly blinded adults, I do not believe braille has outlived its usefulness, but, on the other hand, I'm not a fanatic worshiping at the feet of some braille god. Braille is a communications tool, nothing more, nothing less. Like print, braille has its limitations. Both are extremely bulky and cumbersome compared to the storage and recovery capabilities of today's technology; both are limited in adapting to the fast-changing communications needs of the modern world. Nonetheless both continue to be necessary tools. So long as sighted children are taught to read and write, blind children need a comparable skill. Perhaps a day will come when all children are handed some wonderful little box into which they speak their commands and the little box answers them in like manner. Until then, a scrap of paper and a stub of a pencil are the most convenient and cheapest means of storing information, unless you are blind. Then, the slate, stylus and a piece of braille paper are your most inexpensive options. The "doom-and-gloom" folks have been predicting the death of braille for many years. When I became blind in 1965, I was told þ by my vocational rehabilitation counselor þ not to worry about learning braille. The modern tape recorder would soon make it a lost art. I chose to learn braille, not an easy task at the age of 30. It turned out to be a wise choice; the tape recorder did not replace braille, nor will the computer. Certainly not in the lifetime of blind children entering school this fall. Here, in my office, I sit at a keyboard. My computer is speech-adapted, and beside it is my Braille 'n' Speak. At the back of my desk is a braille writer and in the top drawer is a collection of slates and styli and note cards. What would I do without braille? How would I label my computer disks and tapes? Just in case one of my marvelous gadgets crashes, I keep backup files, such as telephone numbers and addresses, in braille file boxes. As a person who has retired from state employment but not from the world of work, I use every tool available to me. I need braille as surely as I need the fax machine þ which does not replace the post office þ or the telephone or the computer or my wife's visual assistance. I wish I could afford a scanner and some of the newer, more sophisticated equipment, but I can't. What does surprise me is that just because Mr. Crawford can afford such equipment and enjoys spending his days strolling to and from the public library, he now proclaims braille to be a useless, archaic form of communication. It's certainly his right to declare this true for himself, but not for me þ not for all the children who want the opportunity to earn the kind of life that Mr. Crawford earned for himself. But the playing field is not level for blind children. In order to achieve success, they need every tool available þ especially one as basic as braille. I am an outspoken supporter of public education. It is one of the basic building blocks that has made us such a strong, free nation. When I was a child, we were committed to ending illiteracy in the United States. Isn't this still a goal of ours? How can we taxpayers support penmanship and reading for sighted children, while denying such a fundamental skill for blind children? Is it the cost? The price for not educating blind children to be competitive adults is far greater than the dollars required to provide proper training. During my years with the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, I worked with scores of adults, blind since childhood, whose basic education had been neglected. It is so very hard, trying to put dreams and hopes and self-belief back into someone who had all traces of them smothered. We educate our children by word and deed. What message are we sending to blind children by denying them the same education expected for sighted children? Carl Jarvis, Director, Peninsula Rehabilitation Services, Quilcene, Wash. Is Braille Obsolete? After reading Mr. Crawford's entry in the "From Your Perspective" column, I feel compelled to write a response. I am a totally blind college student from Ohio and an avid braille user. I admit that braille is quite bulky and takes up a lot of space. I also am quite aware that braille is difficult for many people to learn because it must be read in context since one symbol may represent several different things. For these reasons the blind community is coming together to attempt to modify the braille code in order that it might be learned and used more easily. Braille, however, has not outlived its usefulness as Mr. Crawford suggests, nor does braille exist simply for the benefit of the paychecks of those who teach and produce braille and braille-related equipment. Modern technology can greatly help persons who are blind. I own a computer with a speech synthesizer, a printer, a braille embosser, an Arkenstone Easy Scan software package, a Hewlett- Packard scanner and a Braille 'n' Speak, all of which help me immensely in obtaining my college education. My technology, however, is imperfect. I do not have a Kurzweil, Arkenstone Open Book, or Xerox reading machine, nor, being a college student on financial aid, can I afford one. I obtained all of the equipment except the Arkenstone software and the scanner because I convinced the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired in Ohio that this equipment would greatly assist me in college. BSVI would not buy me any kind of reading equipment because they claim I have no need of it since they pay my live reader. Never mind scheduling conflicts, convenience, and the joy of being able to read my own mail. I obtained the Arkenstone software and scanner because a local Ruritan club was willing to foot the bill when Arkenstone began its First Reader program through which blind people could obtain older reading equipment for a low price. Because my reading software and scanner were among Arkenstone's first products, they are imperfect. Thus, though my scanner is better than no reading equipment at all, I still rely a great deal on live readers, tape recorders and braille. I probably will not be able to afford a reading machine of today's best quality for at least five years. In the meantime, how am I to enjoy and obtain information from books and publications at my own convenience if braille and the work of such organizations as the National Library Service is not an option for me? Second, I use braille because I believe it helps me to learn. I take notes in class on my Braille 'n' Speak and braille them out on my braille embosser. I do not know the reason, but being able to look at my notes when I am studying seems to help me understand the material better than if I simply listen to the Braille 'n' Speak or tape recorder drone on and on. Third, while braille may be bulky to carry, I find it useful in many meetings of campus organizations of which I am a part. It can be difficult to remember points that I wish to bring up at a meeting, and since I have no vision, reading handwritten notes is out of the question. I find it quite convenient to braille these notes on a piece of paper, slip them into my backpack or purse, and refer to them in the meeting. In addition, if a document such as an organization's constitution needs to be reviewed, I find it much easier to refer to a braille hard copy while discussing the document than to try to remember what thoughts I might have had on its revision when I first had it read to me. Finally, restaurants are just beginning to braille their menus. At last, blind people can choose what they want to eat based on what they like and how much they want to spend without worrying that a reader might leave certain details out. It would be quite ridiculous to lug a laptop computer into a restaurant so a floppy containing the menu could be inserted and perused. Braille has another advantage. Using manual braille equipment such as a brailler or a slate can allow a blind person to write without the use of computers. Finally, I have to let the old argument of literacy show its face. Webster's dictionary defines literacy as the ability to read and write. While it is necessary to learn to spell in order to operate a computer, learning to use modern technology alone for reading and writing does not make a person literate. Being able to understand something that is read aloud, whether it be on tape, computer disk, read by a reading machine or read aloud in person, is no more than comprehending spoken language. Even illiterate sighted people can understand a piece of written material if it is read to them. A blind person who is able to read a piece of writing him/herself, however, with his/her own fingers, is the equivalent to a sighted person reading the same piece of writing with his/her eyes. This is especially and perhaps exclusively true for children who lose their sight before learning to read. Obviously, a person who loses his/her sight in adulthood has already learned to read, therefore, he/she is already literate. A child who loses his/her sight before learning to read, however, will not be truly literate unless he/she learns to read braille with his/her hands in the same way sighted children learn to read print with their eyes. I am very much in favor of technology that helps blind and visually impaired people perform more effectively in their jobs. To discard braille completely and replace it with more modern technology, however, would be going overboard. It would leave blind people totally dependent on technical devices, which despite their great contributions are sometimes unreliable. It would also leave blind children who lose their sight before they learn to read definitionally illiterate, a notion which hardly contributes to the battle for the independence of individuals who are blind. In addition, while it may not be useful for all blind people, braille has helped and continues to help blind individuals find access to the great realm of written materials in their world. For this reason, braille should continue to exist for blind people at least as long as handwriting and print material exist for sighted people. Berna King, Carrollton, Ohio Braille Needs No Apology When I finished reading Mr. Crawford's tirade on braille in the June issue of "The Braille Forum," my feelings were mixed þ anger, pity and amazement. Anger, because of the lack of gratitude for the liberty which braille has provided to him. Sixty-six years ago, when he learned braille, he was probably grateful that he could now read independently without having to wait until someone had time to read to him. I know I certainly was. I had normal vision until February 1936, when I had my second accident and was left totally blind. It was the heart of the Great Depression, and although my parents had never owned a radio, they went out and bought one because of my blindness. Due to the traumatic loss of vision, people were willing to read to me. Although I was only seven, I was already a prolific reader. When someone gave me a "Big Little Book," I could not have been happier. With the loss of vision, I thought my reading days had ended þ then I learned braille. Under my fingertips, I traveled with Red Feathers across the Great Plains, got lost with Tom Sawyer in Injun Cave, and floated down the "Father of Waters" with Huck Finn. I boarded Spanish galleons with Captain Blood, rotted in a dungeon with Edmund Dantes, and sailed on the Bounty with Captain Bly ... and on and on it went. Using braille at the School for the Blind in Texas, I learned history, geography, arithmetic, English grammar, and a multitude of other subjects. About two years after arriving at the school, I met the Talking Book machine, which again opened a new vista. Even now, I am not a fast braille reader, and I use the Talking Book for much of my pleasure reading. However, braille has been an integral part of my life since September 1936, when a frightened little boy first put his hand on a page of strange dots that were as incomprehensible as the first page of print I had ever seen. Within a few days, it began to take shape. Then, "See kitty" turned into the world of literature. Secondly, I feel pity, because Mr. Crawford seems to have lost sight of the fact that every blind person on this planet cannot afford a computer or reading machine. It was only after a lot of serious consideration that my wife and I agreed to buy a Reading Edge. However, we do not own a computer, nor do we, at our stage of life, anticipate buying one. Much of the present confusion in the world of braille is caused by the computer. I am rather resentful that many of the established braille symbols have been altered to accommodate the omnipotent computer. Thirdly, I am amazed that Mr. Crawford seems to think that electronic technology will leave braille in the "garbage dump of history." The truth is that the use of braille is still expanding throughout the world. There is no way in the foreseeable future that braille will be replaced by technological advancements. I am not opposed to these advancements, but as long as there are blind people, there will be braille. The computer is not about to replace the printed media, and it will not replace braille, either. Braille is here to stay. I think that Mr. Crawford spoke in a demeaning way about braille. He seems to think that because braille is cumbersome and voluminous, that it has outlived its usefulness. In my briefcase, I carry a slate, stylus, braille paper, braille-on tape, file cards, and a small pack of telephone numbers. On my desk are a Perkins brailler and a two-drawer file cabinet containing addresses and phone numbers of friends, tradesmen and business contacts. Because of the way this material is organized, it can be quickly and easily retrieved. In the desk drawers are slates, styli, braille-on tape (for labeling records, CDs, books, tools and other things not easily recognizable by touch) and guideline checks for the blind. With the aide of my brailled check sheet and the guideline checks, I am able to take care of my own finances, including my bank statement, without waiting for sighted assistance. Braille has seen me through grammar school, high school, college, and two and a half graduate degrees. Although I have used, and will continue to use, talking books, anything I want to seriously study, be it my Bible, psychological information, or my latest hobby, ham radio, I want it in braille under my fingers. Contrary to Mr. Crawford's view, I do not find braille at all confusing. I have known blind people whose IQs would not exceed 90, but who were excellent braille readers. I become very angry with people, sighted ones in particular, who think that because we are blind we are easily confused and disoriented. Using the prescribed rules of braille, it is easily understood, and easily read. In Britain, children are taught braille at the age of five, and go straight into grade two braille when they have mastered grade one. Mr. Crawford makes a very valid point in stating that the material available in braille is quite limited. However, I do not see this limitation as a reason to abolish the entire system. At last year's convention, Mr. Cylke insisted that any braille book ever produced could be easily reproduced. I doubt this, but it would be nice if it could be easily done. What I am about to say will be interpreted as a very strong statement, but I will not apologize for it. Those blind people who are able to learn braille, and yet do not, must be considered illiterate, just as a sighted person who cannot read and write is illiterate. I realize that there are some blind people who are physically unable to use braille because of defective tactile capabilities. This is very unfortunate. To those of you who have the money or have found financial assistance in obtaining computers, let me wish you well. Sighted and blind people alike seem to have embraced computers almost as a religion. Meantime, the rest of us will continue using our staid, tried and true braille system. There is a happy medium. There must be room for both systems. Computers will never replace print, they will never replace braille. Both are needed to promote the welfare of blind people. Therefore, let us strive for the place where they will augment each other. There is no need to promote a fight between them. Let me quote once again from the old Texas philosopher, "Up with braille, down with illiteracy." Donald A. Davis, Doylestown, Pa. HERE & 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. NIB MOVED National Industries for the Blind's New Jersey office has relocated to 1901 N. Beauregard St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22311-1727; phone (703) 998-0770. MERGING MAGAZINES "Lifeprints" and "Dialogue" magazines, published by Blindskills, Inc., have merged. The new periodical will be called "Dialogue þ A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired People of All Ages." It will include career interviews, hands-on and how-to methods, "what's new and where to get it," and more. It will be published quarterly. The annual subscription/donation will be $25; the magazine will be available in braille, large print and cassette. Freelance submissions are encouraged. Subscription forms and writer's guidelines can be obtained from Blindskills, Inc., P.O. Box 5181, Salem, OR 97304-0181; phone (503) 581-4224. KANSAN HONORED Congratulations to Michael Byington, who recently received the 1995 John F. Eberhardt Blind Employee of the Year Award from Wichita Industries and Services for the Blind, where he works as a technical consultant. He is the eighth person to receive the Eberhardt Award. NEW DIRECTOR Ray Joyce, formerly WGBH's DVS Home Video marketing director, was promoted to director of WGBH's Descriptive Video Service October 1. Laurie Everett, former director, is now the director of new business development for DVS. HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: Prose 4000 speech synthesizer, excellent speech quality, works best with Vert software, $600. Pocket-Braille, handy portable notetaker, works like Braille 'n' Speak, has had light use, $500. DECTalk Express speech synthesizer, brand new, includes one year warranty, $1,050. If you are interested in any of these items, call (303) 388-4023. FOR SALE: Several Perkins braillers. Costs start at $300. All are in excellent condition. Trade-ins accepted. I also offer a complete Perkins brailler service. For more information, contact Nino Pacini (evenings and weekends only) at (313) 885-7330. FOR SALE: Several new Walkmates, mobility assistive devices to be used with a cane. $189 each. Will take in trade tape recorders in working or non-working order, and other items such as microphones, cassette tapes and other electronic devices designed for the blind. Trade items represent a discount on the price. Write to William Parker at 2311 W. 183rd St., Apt. 201B, Homewood, IL 60430; phone (708) 798-2838. Please, no braille. FOR SALE: American Heritage Dictionary on cassette. Fast- forward indexing, five volumes, $25. Perkins brailler, well- conditioned, with dust cover, $300. Prices include shipping. Contact Bill Lewis, 3509 E. 2nd St. N., Wichita, KS 67208; phone (316) 681-7443. FOR SALE: Versabraille II+, with internal drive, $2,000 or best offer. Versabraille II, two drives, $2,000 or best offer. Navigator 20 with Screen Power, $2,500 or best offer. Optacon R1D with one-line scanner and extra camera, $1,250 or best offer. Artic Symphonix 215 board for PC with Business Vision software, $350 or best offer. APH four-track cassette recorder with tone indexer (2), $100 each. Monochrome 14-inch computer monitor, $50. Brother portable electric typewriter, $75. Board slates (2), $50 each. Call Sue Horvath at (215) 457-2141. FOR SALE: 1996 Rose Parade programs in braille. For information on prices, call (818) 793-9684 on weekends, and weekdays between 5 and 11 p.m. Pacific time. ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sue Ammeter, Seattle, WA Ardis Bazyn, Cedar Rapids, IA Patricia Beattie, Arlington, VA Christopher Gray, San Jose, CA John Horst, Wilkes-Barre, PA Jean Mann, Guilderland, NY Kristal Platt, Omaha, NE M.J. Schmitt, Forest Park, IL Pamela Shaw, Philadelphia, PA Richard Villa, Bedford, 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 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ELIZABETH M. LENNON