THE Braille Forum Vol. XXX November/December 1991 No. 3 Published By The American Council of the Blind PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE AND EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY LeRoy F. Saunders, President Oral O. Miller, J.D., National Representative Nolan Crabb, Editor Nicole Willson, Editorial Assistant National Office 1155 15th St. N.W. Suite 720 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 467-5081 Fax (202) 467-5085 THE BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large type, half-speed four-track cassette tape, and MS-DOS computer disk. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to: Nolan Crabb, THE BRAILLE FORUM, 1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. Those much-needed and appreciated cash contributions, which are tax-deductible, may be sent to Brian Charlson, Treasurer, 1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. You may wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The ACB National Office offers printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his/her Last Will And Testament may do so by including a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, you may contact the ACB National Office. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 8 p.m. to midnight eastern time Monday through Friday. Washington, D.C., residents only, tel. 296-3552. Copyright 1991 The American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Rehabilitation Reauthorization Committee Established News Briefs From the ACB National Office ADA: Get Ready To Implement Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun Three Randolph-Sheppard State Licensing Agencies Win Major Victory in McDonald's/Burger King Arbitration Case The Umbrella That Caused a Storm Bush Honors RP Foundation "Washington Post" Now Available Through Dial-In Service Money Talks Financial Aid on Cassette Talking Toys Worth Talking About Affiliate Profile: Visually Impaired Veterans of America, Serving Those Who Sacrificed Here and There High Tech Swap Shop PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE REHABILITATION REAUTHORIZATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED by LeRoy F. Saunders, President The reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act is perhaps the most important item on the Congressional agenda where the American Council of the Blind is concerned. ACB employees and members have already participated in one such hearing and in an oversight hearing on the Randolph-Sheppard Act. I'm pleased to announce that I've established an advisory committee who will help the staff and Board of Directors chart ACB's course in reference to the reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act. The committee is comprised of ACB Board Members Dick Seifert and Patricia M. Beattie, Carl McCoy, director of the Florida Division of Blind Services, R. Creig Slayton, director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind, and me. We're working in coalition with other agencies to ensure that the reauthorization language will be written in such a way as to enhance the lives of ACB members and other disabled people. Input Requested I've sent a memo to all the state and special-interest affiliate presidents, informing them of our upcoming presidents meeting in Phoenix on January 26 and 27, 1992. Frankly, I'm disappointed. As of this writing, virtually none of the presidents have responded to my request for input on the agenda for the upcoming meeting. I realize that many of the presidents are busy having their annual conventions and meetings with their boards of directors. I'm sure I'll receive substantial input after those meetings are over. I hope we will have an excellent turnout for our presidents meeting in Phoenix; I look forward to seeing each of our presidents and others attending the various boards of directors meetings of the special-interest affiliates. Speaking of Phoenix, I've just had an opportunity to visit the hotels and convention center where ACB will meet this summer. I was very pleased with these facilities. The exhibits will be in the Civic Center across the street from the Hyatt Regency, which is our lead hotel. I think it will be accessible to everyone. A TRIBUTE TO AN ACB MEMBER In late October, I attended ceremonies at the American Foundation for the Blind in New York. ACB Board Member Durward K. McDaniel received AFB's prestigious Migel Medal. The Migel Medal is the most significant award a person can receive for their efforts in behalf of blind and visually impaired people in this country. William Gallagher, former executive director and president of AFB, was the other recipient of the award. AFB gives the Migel medal annually. I'm sure ACB members everywhere join with me in congratulating Durward McDaniel. He is indeed a worthy recipient who has spent his life working to improve the quality of life for countless numbers of blind and visually impaired Americans. Durward has concentrated much of his effort on such programs as the Javits-Wagner O'Day Act and the Randolph-Sheppard Act. The Migel ceremony will be covered in greater detail in the January/February 1992 issue of The Braille Forum. JAPAN CONFERENCE My wife Pat and I recently had the honor of being part of a small group which represented ACB at a conference on services to the elderly blind in Japan. Other ACB representatives included ACB National Representative Oral O. Miller and his wife Roberta Douglas, Dr. Rose Resnick, executive director emeritus of the Rose Resnick Center for the Blind and Handicapped in San Francisco, and Mary Mahoney, executive director of Channels for the Elderly Blind, Inc. in Rockville, MD. This was the first time I've ever visited that part of the world and the first time I've spent 15 hours on a nonstop flight. Pat and I flew from Dallas to Tokyo, caught another plane to Osaka,then traveled by car to Kyoto for the first two days of the meeting. We took a one-and-a-half hour bus ride to Nara for the remaining two days. Sponsored by the Japanese, the conference drew attendance from 14 countries. Since my last message in the Forum, I've taken some shorter trips as well. I've visited four state conventions--South Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, and Oklahoma--in the last couple of months. It's always a real pleasure for me to meet so many ACB members at these state conventions. Many of these people don't attend the national convention, and I wouldn't have the opportunity to meet them were it not for my visits to the states. It's very interesting to see what each of these affiliates is doing on the local level to enhance the lives of their members and others in their particular state. I can't stress enough the importance of our state and special-interest affiliates to ACB. Since this is the last issue of The Braille Forum you will receive before the holiday season, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a most happy holiday and a prosperous new year. NEWS BRIEFS FROM THE ACB NATIONAL OFFICE by Oral O. Miller, National Representative With the arrival of fall comes the return of the children to school, the beginning of football season, and ... the return of Congress to Washington following its late summer recess! The arrival of fall, following the publication by several federal agencies and departments of their regulations pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act earlier in the summer, also signaled interest in what those regulations say and really mean. The producers of ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" contacted the national office to inquire principally about the effect the regulations would have on the banking industry and especially automatic teller machines. (See "News Briefs From the ACB National Office," September/October.) The interview and demonstration that were filmed at that time aired on the morning of October 10. It happened again! When I reported to the District of Columbia Superior Court for jury duty on September 25, I was informed again that the court system is still "reviewing its policy" concerning jury service by blind citizens--then I was deferred for six more months. That incident proved, as far as I am concerned, that the so-called review is merely a sham and a delaying tactic. Since that day, it has been my pleasure to discuss this issue in some detail with reporters from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, "The Washington Post," and Cable News Network. I'm confident that this enlightening publicity will help us as we move to correct this absurd and blatantly discriminatory practice in the nation's capital. During much of September, it was my pleasure, working in conjunction with ACB President LeRoy Saunders and two other members of the American Council of the Blind who are knowledgeable concerning services to older blind people, to prepare a lengthy, detailed demographic survey and two professional papers in preparation for our participation in an international conference in Japan in October concerning services to older blind people. The other two members of the delegation were Dr. Rose Resnick, executive director emeritus of the Rose Resnick Center for the Blind and Handicapped and Mary Mahoney, executive director of Channels for the Elderly Blind, Inc. in Rockville, MD. All of us helped prepare the survey; Dr. Resnick prepared the professional paper dealing with services for older blind people in the United States, and I prepared the professional paper dealing with air travel by older blind people in this country. The first two days of the conference, which was attended by representatives from 14 nations by invitation from the consortium sponsoring and funding the conference, took place in the city of Kyoto. The conference featured the presentation of professional papers on subjects assigned by the conference facilitators. The second two days of the conference took place in the city of Nara and featured more general presentations and participation by hundreds of blind people and professional service providers. The last day consisted of a trip by bus to a famous 1,300-year-old mountain top Buddhist temple,a tour through Japan's first home for its older blind citizens, (the home, Jibo-en, is affiliated with the temple), and as incongruous as it may sound, an outstanding outdoor concert on the steps of the temple by famous Japanese singers and musicians. The conference planners did a very thorough job planning the conference. We found evidence of that in the pre-packaged plastic raincoats and umbrellas which were instantly passed out to the crowd of several hundred people when a rain storm appeared and stayed overhead during most of the concert. Since the conference attendees represented both developing countries such as mainland China, India, and the Philippine Republic and highly industrialized nations such as Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and since economic conditions and cultural values play a strong role in determining the status of older blind people and the nature of services to them, the conference didn't attempt to determine which practices are preferable. At the final session, a single, comprehensive resolution was adopted calling for the creation or expansion of meaningful services for older blind people in all nations. There are now approximately 60 homes for elderly blind citizens in Japan. At the conclusion of the conference, President Saunders and I, accompanied by our wives, paid a brief visit to the members of the East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Blind Union in Tokyo. Let me emphasize that during that meeting and throughout the conference, we were treated with exceptional hospitality. It was our pleasure to again greet our long-time friend Mr. Hirutsugu Jitsumoto, chairman of the Japanese National Committee for the Welfare of the Blind and the keynote speaker at the 1987 ACB National Convention in Los Angeles. It was also our pleasure to greet Mr. Masahiro Muratani, president of the Japan Federation of the Blind and Mr. Tadeo Tada, general secretary of the Japanese National Committee for the Welfare of the Blind. Again, our sincere thanks to our Japanese hosts and friends. The sun was bright, the air was clear, and the temperature was crisp on Sunday morning, October 20, when all the members of the ACB National Office staff and their families or significant others took part in the first Lions Walk for Sight and Independence. Yes, everyone took part; Nolan Crabb and his wife wheeled their two youngest children in a double stroller, and Paul Schroeder and his wife wheeled their baby in a stroller over the five-kilometer course through Rock Creek Park. We thank everyone who pledged support for the benefit of the American Council of the Blind this year, but we hope that support will be much greater next year. Although my own participation as a volunteer in behalf of the United States Association for Blind Athletes is not a part of my official duties with the American Council of the Blind, many issues dealt with by the two organizations proceed on parallel tracks. During September, a little more than a week following the attempted ouster of Mikhail Gorbachev in the USSR, it was my pleasure to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Blind Sports Association in Moscow. Our hosts, the All Russia Association of the Blind, were determined to hold the meeting in spite of the unsettling developments of prior weeks, and they did an outstanding job. Indeed, political and economic conditions there are difficult and uncertain at present, and we commend the All Russia Association and the Russian people for the fortitude and determination they are showing under very difficult conditions. Along another parallel track in this country, it is noteworthy and unfortunate from the disability advocacy standpoint that as of now, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, the organization that will host the 1996 International Olympics in Atlanta, has refused to also host the 1996 Paralympics or "Olympics for the Disabled." in 1988, the Seoul Olympic Committee hosted the "Disabled Olympics" and in 1992, the Barcelona Olympic Committee plans to conduct the Paralympics following the 1992 International Olympics. The decision of the Atlanta organization is based, in part, on a university study which incorrectly determined that the Paralympics would cost an additional $80 million. I can't help but wonder what that study cost! Representatives of the disabled sports national governing bodies in the United States are attempting to undo the damage caused by the erroneous study and the decision of the Atlanta Committee. ADA: GET READY TO IMPLEMENT by Paul W. Schroeder Director of Governmental Affairs This is the first of a series of articles designed to provide brief, but detailed, descriptions of some of the most important rights and protections provided in the Americans with Disabilities Act as enumerated in its implementing regulations. The focus here is on transportation because those provisions go into effect on January 26, 1992, and planning is required now. These summaries are intended to provide an explanation of details most relevant to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. While the regulations do provide specific guidance on many matters, flexibility in meeting individual needs is also included. Use the summaries presented here to guide your efforts to make your community a more accessible and welcoming place to people who are blind. TRANSPORTATION Two truths must be stated up front regarding ADA transportation provisions: the ADA was intended to be a civil rights and equal opportunity bill, not an improvement in services to people with disabilities. Second, most of the attention to transportation portions of the Act was focused on putting lifts on buses. Paratransit services (which began as a response to the transportation access requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) are required under the ADA to be provided as a complement to fixed-route transportation. Fixed-route transportation features vehicles (bus or rail) which travel along a specific route at a specific time and is available to anyone waiting at a designated stop. Complementary paratransit means service to ADA-eligible passengers whose departures and destinations lie within a corridor of three- quarters of a mile on either side of the fixed route (for bus systems) or within a three-quarter mile circumference around a rail station. Paratransit service (which generally means door- to-door transportation scheduled by the individual) must be available to ADA-eligible individuals. Transportation providers can qualify to receive a waiver of certain paratransit requirements based on proof of an undue financial burden caused by providing the comprehensive service. While paratransit services can be provided to areas outside the ADA required area, only the portions specified in the ADA can be counted by the provider in determining the financial burden associated with providing paratransit service. In practice, we expect most transportation providers will limit paratransit service only to the strict requirements of ADA. However, even if you live outside of the covered corridor, or your destination is outside it, you may still be able to use paratransit services. You would simply have to arrange for a pickup or dropoff somewhere within the ADA-required corridor. In addition, the Department may allow service providers to expand the width of paratransit service corridors in suburban areas. Passengers should receive paratransit service throughout the same hours that the fixed-route system runs, with that requirement extending to each route, e.g., if buses run until midnight along Main street, so must paratransit, but if buses on Fifth Avenue run only until 10:00 p.m., paratransit along that corridor is required only until 10:00 p.m. Are blind people eligible for ADA paratransit? Individuals who are blind or visually impaired are not, as you may have been told, ineligible for paratransit under the ADA. However, the key is not blindness itself, but rather, it is the inability to use fixed-route transportation which is at issue. If an individual lacks sufficient mobility or independent travel skills to use fixed-route transportation, he or she is probably eligible for paratransit under the ADA. Or, if conditions such as street and sidewalk construction, weather or other substantial changes render an independent blind traveler unable to use his or her normal fixed-route stop, this individual may be eligible. Finally, an individual who normally uses fixed-route transportation may be eligible for a specific trip on a paratransit vehicle if his or her destination for that trip is an unfamiliar, or difficult to navigate, area of the community. This "trip-by-trip" provision in the regulations is likely to be extremely difficult to administer. However, the Department of Transportation suggests that providers ease the administrative burden by allowing individuals to be eligible for all trips under certain circumstances such as all non-work trips, or all trips during months of heavy snowfall. Other important provisions concern fares which can be charged, trip-purpose restrictions, service to visitors, trip scheduling requirements and number of passengers served. Fares for paratransit service may be double the fare for a similar trip on the fixed-route system, not including discounts which may be provided for senior citizens or individuals with disabilities. No questions about passenger trip purpose are allowed nor are waiting lists of passengers awaiting paratransit service. Visitors to a community are eligible for local paratransit service for at least three weeks. The Department allows providers to require passengers to schedule paratransit trips on the day prior to the needed trip, though not necessarily 24 hours before the trip. Because transportation providers must provide paratransit to ADA-eligible passengers, no waiting list of passengers can be established. If the provider cannot serve all passengers, it must request a waiver from the Department of Transportation, under which it can restrict certain services. Some communities will benefit from these new requirements: those that did not provide paratransit, those communities which do not run paratransit services for as many hours as fixed-route vehicles, those which restrict the number or type of trips for which passengers can use paratransit. In other communities passengers living far from routes on the current fixed-route system will be hurt when paratransit service to their area is eliminated. In either case, it is required by the regulations that transportation providers submit a plan for paratransit service beginning on January 26, 1992 with up to five years for complete implementation of paratransit service. The plan must include public input and participation. Council members and others concerned about paratransit services to blind people must give local providers input into the plan and the implementation of the services. ACB is establishing an informal network so that Council members can support each other across the nation in implementing ADA transportation provisions. Contact the National Office if you are interested in working on transportation, particularly paratransit, issues. Other Transportation Provisions Transportation vehicles and facilities must be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The regulations do provide some assistance in efforts to improve access to and use of fixed-route transportation systems. For example, vehicle signage must be visible, bus schedules must be accessible to those who cannot read print, stops must be announced, facilities must have accessible signage and detectible warning strips at platform edges. BRAILLE LITERACY WEEK The Braille Revival League one of ACB's special interest affiliates, has announced plans for the celebration of Braille Literacy Week. The week, January 4, through 10, 1992, commemorates the birth of Louis Braille on January 4, 1809. Recognition of the week has been spurred by introduction of a Congressional Joint Resolution which designates the week as Braille Literacy Week and calls upon the President to issue a proclamation. Rep. Cass Ballenger, R-N.C., introduced the resolution, H. J. Res. 353, at the request of the American Council of the Blind. In his introduction he noted, "My hope is that this resolution will draw attention to the importance of teaching Braille at an early age. The ability to read and write independently is a great asset and an immeasurable joy." Ballenger mentioned that he vividly remembers hearing the talking books which his mother received as a blind patron of the National Library Service. ACB state affiliates and BRL members are planning several activities to celebrate the week. Some of the ideas included in a packet compiled by BRL include: set up a Braille awareness display at a local mall; hold a Braille awareness day at the State Capitol; assist restaurants with putting their menus into Braille and produce a directory of restaurants with Braille menus. Many other ideas for celebrating Braille Literacy Week can be obtained by contacting the ACB National Office. PHOENIX AND THE VALLEY OF THE SUN by John A. Horst, Convention Coordinator As many Braille Forum readers know, the site of the 1992 31st Annual National Convention is Phoenix, Ariz. Many readers will recall ACB's last visit to Phoenix for the 1983 convention. Phoenix is situated in the Sonoran Desert Valley which is surrounded by mountains and a number of lakes. It is the eighth largest population center in the country and is projected to be the fastest growing area in the nation. Phoenix is a modern city with all the facilities necessary for a great convention. In addition, it is located in an area that offers convention attendees the opportunity to step back in time to see frontier and mining towns with an authentic recreation of the old west. Phoenix also offers the advantage of being relatively close to the Grand Canyon, Laughlin, Nev., and many other attractions. All in all, Phoenix is a great place for an excellent convention in 1992. The convention dates are Saturday, July 4 through Saturday, July 11. The place is the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phoenix, located in the heart of the city where nearly all of the activities of the convention will take place. The Hyatt is a luxurious 24-story four-star hotel which is making 600 rooms available and sufficient meeting room space for our convention needs. The second hotel, the Sheraton, located just behind the Hyatt, will provide an additional 200 rooms. This hotel was formerly the Hilton where the ACB convention was held in 1983. Room reservations for the 1992 convention can be made at any time with either hotel. The rates are $45 per night for single, double, triple, and quad occupancy. The telephone number at the Hyatt is (602) 252-1234. To contact the Sheraton, call (602) 257-1525. Room reservations should be made before June 4, 1992. After that, rooms will be offered only on a space-available basis. The ACB Board of Directors will again hold its midyear board meeting at the headquarters hotel on January 25, 1992. Several special-interest groups will also schedule board meetings over that weekend. In addition, President LeRoy Saunders is calling for a meeting of ACB affiliate presidents which will occur January 26 and 27, 1992. If you are attending these January meetings, room reservations at the Hyatt should be made promptly. They must be made before January 1, 1992. The $45 convention rate will apply. Special-interest groups planning January meetings should respond immediately on the forms sent by Patricia Beattie, assistant convention coordinator. She is making arrangements for all meeting room space. This year, because more members of ACB will be attending these January meetings, Laurinda Steele, assisted by members of the Arizona affiliate, will provide an information table in the meeting room area of the hotel, available Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. The Sky Harbor Airport located five miles from downtown Phoenix is serviced by 15 major airlines. Upon arrival at the airport, there are direct line telephones in the baggage pickup area to call an Air Courier or Super Shuttle van for transportation to the hotel. The cost per person is $5 to $6. Taxi fare is about $12. Again in 1992, ACB will be contracting with International Tours, Inc. of Muskogee, Okla., as our official travel agent. This agency has provided excellent service through 1991 and the Board of Directors has approved its continued use in 1992. In planning for all your travel as an ACB member, we urge you to use this travel agency. Call Nancy or Michael at (800) 847-7676. Oklahoma residents call (800) 722-9822. International Tours of Muskogee has negotiated special agreements for ACB with Delta and American Airlines. This results in special benefits which reduce ACB's travel costs for convention planners. Your convention committee, assisted by Arizona affiliate members Ruth and Edwin Druding, is planning great tours for 1992. Under consideration at present are a western style dinner and a mountain retreat for Wednesday evening, a train ride with tour guide through the Grand Canyon, a trip to Laughlin, Nev., with its casinos, visits to frontier towns to observe life as it was in the late 19th century and much more. With the assistance of President Robert Williams of the Arizona Council of the Blind and members of his host committee, an exciting convention is being planned. We're constantly working to eliminate difficulties and improve services. You, your family, and friends won't want to miss a fabulous and dynamic convention in 1992. THREE RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD STATE LICENSING AGENCIES WIN MAJOR VICTORY IN MCDONALD'S/BURGER KING ARBITRATION CASE by Charles S.P. Hodge In 1985, with much fanfare in all of the major weekly news magazines, the Department of Defense awarded nationwide contracts to McDonald's and Burger King to operate nationally recognized fast-food outlets on military installations. However, the Department failed to notify the appropriate Randolph-Sheppard state licensing agencies and afford these agencies any real opportunity to assert the priority provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act on behalf of their respective blind licensees. Immediately, the American Council of the Blind and its special-interest affiliate, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, brought suit in the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C. to block implementation of the contract awards to McDonald's and Burger King. Eventually, the federal courts held that RSVA's legal action was premature, and that the proper procedure to follow was for one or more aggrieved state licensing agencies to bring arbitration proceedings against the Department before the U.S. Department of Education. Three state licensing agencies, from Florida, Massachusetts, and Virginia, brought arbitration proceedings alleging violations of the notice and priority provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act in award of the McDonald's and Burger King contracts. On January 18, 1990, the arbitration panel, which had been organized by the Department of Education under the Randolph-Sheppard Act to hear the three consolidated arbitration cases, issued an interim decision. It held that the Department of Defense had violated the notice provisions of the Act in advertising and soliciting bids for the contracts in question, and also that the priority provisions of the Act in favor of qualified blind licensees did indeed apply to the vending operations and facilities operated under those contracts. However, the arbitration panel indicated that it would take further testimony and written submissions as to what the proper remedy should be for these violations of law. On August 15, 1991, the arbitration panel issued its award in the consolidated arbitration cases. In its unanimous award, the panel first reiterated its earlier holding that the Department of Defense had failed to abide by the notice provisions of the Act and had not afforded the state licensing agencies adequate opportunity to assert their priority rights under the Act. However, the panel stated that it could not fashion any appropriate remedy for the past violation other than to order both the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and the Navy Department to give the appropriate state licensing agency 120 days' notice of its intent to establish any further Burger King or McDonald's locations within the state licensing agencies' respective jurisdictions. The panel also rejected at the outset the Defense Department's contention that the arbitration panel could only declare the respective rights of the parties under the Act and had no power to mandate remedial action by the Secretary of Defense. The panel went on to order broad remedies for violations of the priority provisions of the Act with respect to each of the contracts. In the case of AAFES and the Burger King contract, the arbitration panel ordered that all currently-operating Burger King locations within the jurisdiction of the three complaining state licensing agencies must be made available promptly for assignment to blind licensed managers. The panel ordered AAFES to meet with each of the agencies within 60 days of the award. Participants would negotiate a plan for the orderly and prompt installation of qualified blind managers in all such existing Burger King locations. The panel did indicate that the parties would have to negotiate over the income which currently flows from existing Burger King locations to the Defense Department's morale, welfare and recreation activities. The panel did not indicate what will happen if negotiations on this point reach an impasse. The panel also indicated its sensitivity to the fact that the installation of blind managers in existing Burger King locations within the three complaining states might well lead to dislocation of personnel and disputes between AAFES and Burger King. The panel indicated that AAFES would have to negotiate the best resolution of such problems with Burger King and its affected managers and franchisees. With respect to future Burger King locations within the three complaining states, the panel ordered AAFES to give the appropriate state licensing agency 120 days' notice of its intent to establish additional Burger King locations within its jurisdiction. The state licensing agency would then have to respond within 60 days of receipt of the notice as to whether or not it intended to exercise the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority by placing a licensed blind vendor as manager of the proposed Burger King location. For a variety of reasons, the panel did not order the Navy to turn over management of existing McDonald's locations to the complaining state licensing agencies. The reasons included the fact that the Navy had already paid out construction costs for existing locations. In addition, some testimony from the complaining agencies cast doubt as to their ability to have financed such construction costs at the time of the award of the existing locations. However, the panel did order the Navy Department to commence negotiations within 60 days with each of the complaining agencies to develop plans for future McDonald's locations. Such plans include the implementation of appropriate training requirements for blind managers, designed to assure the availability of trained blind licensees for prompt assignment as managers to future McDonald's locations. The panel also ordered the Navy Department to give the appropriate agency 120 days' notice of its intent to establish any additional McDonald's locations within the jurisdiction of the three complaining agencies, and provided the state licensing agency 60 days from receipt of the Navy Department's notice to indicate whether or not it would assign a blind vendor to be manager of the proposed McDonald's location. Finally, the panel retained jurisdiction over the consolidated arbitration cases in order to resolve any disputes or eventual impasses which might develop in the ongoing negotiations between the parties over several crucial and complex matters which had been ordered by the panel as a part of its award in these cases. While the terms of the arbitration panel's award still leave much of importance to be negotiated between the Defense Department agencies and the respective state licensing agencies, the award is a major legal victory for the three complaining state licensing agencies and their licensed blind vendors. The award, if implemented in good faith by the parties, will undoubtedly result in many well-paying job opportunities for licensed blind vendors in Florida, Massachusetts and Virginia. Also, the steadfast legal position of the American Council of the Blind and the Randolph- Sheppard Vendors of America regarding the defense department's conduct with respect to these fast-food contract awards has been all but vindicated. THE UMBRELLA THAT CAUSED A STORM by Bonnie Thompson and Billie Jean Hill Scene One: In a lovely flower garden on the campus of the Mississippi School for the Blind is a statue of a little girl. The model for this gentle statue was one of its students. More later. Scene Two: Early in 1988, Mississippi celebrated the inauguration of its new governor Ray Mabus, who had campaigned on a platform of better education and saving money, saying "Mississippi will never be last again." We all drank to that. Saving money was essential and if Governor Mabus could save money without raising taxes, this was the dream come true. Scene Three: The governor's plan: One hundred and thirty state agencies would be reorganized into nine umbrella agencies. Hearings were held throughout the state. Disabled Mississippians testified that they were concerned about losing services as was the case in states with large umbrella agencies. ACB Members Carter Gable, Morris Ward, Donna Turner and Bonnie Thompson testified. Then came the governor's compromise plan: 130 state agencies would be reorganized into fifteen umbrella agencies. Scene Four: Away from Mississippi at the ACB Convention in Denver, President LeRoy Saunders chaired an affiliate presidents' meeting. About 40 presidents and representatives attended this forum for problem sharing and problem solving. One problem singled out by participants was the deterioration of services that occurs when state agencies for the blind are merged into other agencies. Scene Five: Back home, Mabus appointed a Mississippian, Beatrice Branch, to head the new Department of Human Services and its 5,200 employees. Branch holds a degree in special education and had worked in Washington D.C. at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She had been the head of the Administrative Section. Her duties included supervising switchboard personnel and overseeing Xeroxing contracts. She never dealt directly with service delivery or disability issues. Scene Six: Under the umbrella, seven state agencies became the Department of Human Services. With the stated intent to achieve greater efficiency, staff were taken from each of the seven agencies and became a centralized, separate division of support services. The new division included accountants, computer operators and programmers, systems analysts and purchasing agents. Right away, things slowed down. Disabled consumers in line for assistive technology for education and employment waited many months for DHS to process the paperwork. Give reorganization time to work, advised counsellors. Two years later, it was taking more than a year for consumers to get essential equipment. Purchases were held up by frozen paperwork. Newsletters and communications from DHS were bogged down for months in the approval process. Large print letterhead stationery for vocational rehabilitation for the blind was not allowed because it was not consistent with all other DHS stationery. Telephones were to be answered in a standard manner throughout DHS; no one was to announce the name of the particular division called. Callers often thought they had the wrong number. More consumer input was sought. Consumers expressed concerns that disabled Mississippians were receiving less services than before the reorganization. Although they were assured that their "valued" opinions were needed and their complaints were being investigated, nothing improved. In July 1990, The Executive Director of the vocational rehabilitation department for the blind resigned to take another job at Mississippi State University. The Director of the Addie McBryde Independent Living Center retired that same month. It took a year to appoint a new rehabilitation director. The Addie McBryde Center still does not have a permanent director 15 months later. Scene Seven: By March 1991, disgruntled consumers and their family members finally caught the attention of state legislators. The deadline had already passed to introduce new bills, so a resolution was adopted to suspend the rules. A bill was introduced to create a separate agency for Vocational Rehabilitation services. Major support for this action came from the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, an organization representing 20 disability-related advocacy groups of which the Mississippi Council of the Blind is a member. The Mississippi Council sought to have Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind included in the resolution along with Disability Determination Services. They succeeded and the bill passed by a vote of 93 to 25 in the House and by 43 to 5 in the Senate. An April 18th editorial in the state's major newspaper "The Clarion-Ledger" spoke volumes in its first paragraph: "Gov. Ray Mabus should have vetoed the bill removing vocational programs for the handicapped and blind from the Department of Human Services. By refusing to sign it, he gave an impotent rejection, allowing it to become law. The Legislature this session--and now the governor--caved in to the special interests who wanted their own agency, their own fiefdom, to do their bidding without giving the reorganizational agency a chance to work". Consumers were outraged. The mother of a hearing-impaired child who had not been able to get two hearing aids wrote: "The very name of the department (DHS) is a joke. Human Services implies serving people, or helping people find ways to help themselves. My feeling about this department is that it is one that wishes to keep its employees busy by constantly bringing in more clients to receive government checks for the rest of their lives, rather than promoting self-sufficiency. It is a terrible shame that bureaucracy causes so much grief." Another letter from a visually-impaired advocate stated: "Now that Rehabilitation has been successfully removed from DHS, it is time to review what really happened. I fault this newspaper ('The Clarion-Ledger') for its editorial position that the governor should have vetoed this legislation. The governor would have LIKED to veto this legislation; after all, it eroded his own reorganization plan. If we had given the "system" more time as this newspaper had suggested, rehabilitation of this state's disabled population would have been set back at least ten years. During the course of advocating this legislation, it was a surprise to learn that Rehabilitation's budget had been cut nearly $800,000. (This translates into about $3.8 million with federal matching funds.) No lobbying to retrieve this money was allowed. All state departments lobby, or educate and advocate, whatever you want to call it. The fact is that the heads of the departments are the ones who decide who does it and for what issues. There's good ol' politics again--don't you just love it?" Scene Eight: During the first week of May 1991, the head of the Office for Vocational Rehabilitation was fired by Beatrice Branch, head of DHS. According to "The Clarion-Ledger," "Branch would not say why she dismissed Morris Selby, head of the office of rehabilitation that will be part of a new department, July 1." The article continued, "Branch told the Human Services board at its April 19 meeting that Selby gave incorrect information earlier this year at a Senate hearing." Finale of Act One: Mississippi Political Columnist Bill Minor said it best in his column headed: "Donna Turner, not Beatrice Branch, heads Rehab Services--I saw a new star born in state government the other day." Part of the column states: "Donna Turner, her black Labrador guide dog leading the way, strode confidently into the initial meeting of the State Board of Rehabilitation Services. An hour later, the tall 32-year-old blind woman wound up being elected chairwoman of the newest state board--a sharp defeat for the Mabus Administration's carefully laid plans to take control of the board...When the new Rehabilitation Services Board met to organize last week, the Mabus administration script called for election of Beatrice Branch, the executive director of Human Services, to be chairwoman. "Turner, one of two Mabus appointees on the board, would of course vote for Branch. After all, Turner is employed by Mississippi Industries for the Blind and technically works for Branch. But Turner didn't go along with the script. Just as the election of Branch was about to become a fait accompli, the articulate blind lady spoke up, reminding that it had been protests by handicapped persons against the Department of Human Services that had brought the new board into existence. 'I think having the executive director of Human Services as chairman is going to pose difficulties for us. This is not personal, I'm strictly telling you what we'll be hearing,' Turner declared. "Quick as a gnat's eye, Dr. Alton Cobb, the state health officer, who had nominated Branch, withdrew his nomination of Branch and nominated Turner, acknowledging that she had made her point well. Turner was elected unanimously by the new board. Anne Sapp, a Mabus staff assistant who hovered over the meeting, looked as though she had been zapped. "Turner told this columnist later, 'I had some people in the governor's office express dissatisfaction with what I had done.' In fact she said, 'I was rebuked...but I was not threatened (with being fired)...I don't think anyone would attempt to do that.' "Sapp admitted she had called Turner, but she denied she had rebuked her. 'Oh, no, not at all,' Sapp said. But Sapp said she expressed regret that Turner had not raised her concerns about Branch before she was appointed on the board. "Turner's courageous stand is just one surprise development in a broad spectrum of what a state legislator called a 'turf battle' being waged by the Mabus administration to keep total control of rehabilitation services or to prove that separation from Human Services was a mistake." It's too soon for anyone to take a curtain call, but disabled Mississippians truly have shown that by working in coalition, they can make a difference for themselves and for others who have felt powerless in the game of good ol' politics. Some key players in ACB should be mentioned: Carter Gable spent so much time at the Mississippi Capitol, he was mistaken for a legislator. Morris Ward testified often with a voice that was heard in and out of hearing rooms. And the statue of the little blind girl in the flower garden? The model for the statue was Donna Turner. (Bonnie Thompson is president of the Mississippi Council of the Blind. Billie Jean Hill is chairman of the ACB Board of Publications.) BUSH HONORS RP FOUNDATION On April 16, 1991, several leaders of the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation Fighting Blindness visited the White House for a meeting with President George Bush. Gordon Gund, chairman of the RP Foundation, Edward Gollub, president of RP, and Dr. Alan M. Laties, the president of the RP Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board, met with the President in conjunction with a two- week celebration of the President's "1,000 Points of Light" program. For the past 20 years, the RP Foundation has been raising funds for the research of several causes of blindness, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration, and Usher's Syndrome. Because of recent advances in genetic research, Dr. Laties said that the RP Foundation's outlook on the possibility of cures for these conditions has improved: "Instead off feeling hopeless, we're now hopeful." Both Laties and Gund stressed that the foundation's success depends largely on the help of volunteers, who raise funds, maintain existing RP centers, and aid in developing new centers. The meeting was informative for both parties. The RP Foundation's representatives learned about President Bush's commitment to volunteerism, which Gund termed "extraordinary." The President, in turn, learned more about the diseases which the RP Foundation hopes to eradicate. Gund also felt that the President was very generous in helping to make people more aware of the existence of these diseases and of the RP Foundation itself. Interested persons can contact the RP Foundation at 1401 Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217. Tel. (800) 638-2300. "WASHINGTON POST" NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH DIAL-IN SERVICE As of October 1991, The Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc. has made the Washington Post available to blind and visually-impaired persons through its Dial-In Newspaper Service. The Service is the first of its kind on the East Coast, and the fourth to go on-line nationally. (See "Daily Newspaper Now Available to Blind New Mexicans," November/December 1990.) Each day, 18 to 20 hours of features from the paper is read by volunteers and entered into a computer system. Subscribers can access the system using a personal identification number. Once in the system, callers can select from more than 20 menu categories, and skip and scan through articles. The service is open to anyone unable to effectively read ordinary print because of a visual or physical limitation. Subscribers currently do not pay a monthly fee. People outside the Washington, D.C., area would pay any long distance charges incurred. Interested people should contact Dial-In Newspaper Service, c/o The Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc., 35 University Blvd East, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Tel. (301) 681-6636. MONEY TALKS FINANCIAL AID ON CASSETTE by Nicole E. Willson MONEY TALKS: Financial Advice You Can Listen To, available from FINTAPES, INC., Dept. ACB, PO BOX 66536, Washington, D.C. 20035- 6536. $12.95 (plus $2.00 shipping and handling) per tape. What will you do when you can no longer take care of yourself? When, and how, should you start saving for your retirement? These and other financial questions are addressed by "Money Talks: Financial Advice You Can Listen To," a series of cassette tapes developed by FinTapes, Inc., a Washington, D.C.- based company. Founded in 1986, FinTapes originally created the series to help divorced or widowed women unaccustomed to being in charge of a family's finances. However, the tapes proved so popular with men and women alike that the series has expanded. There are now seven "Money Talks" cassettes: "Put Your Money to Work: What You Should Know Before You Invest"; "What Every Wife Should Know: A Financial Guide for Widowhood"; "Suddenly Single: A Financial Guide for Women Facing Divorce"; "Single, Together and Savvy: A Money Guide for Unmarried Couples"; "Prepare Now for a Richer Retirement"; "Protect What is Precious: A Sensible Guide to Insurance"; and "Eldercare: When You Can't Do it All Yourself." I recently received copies of "Eldercare" and "Prepare Now for a Richer Retirement." If the rest of the series is as well- organized and comprehensive as these two tapes are, then the $12.95 cost for each cassette will be money well spent. The audio quality of both tapes was excellent, and the tapes were carefully organized into topics and subtopics, so that the rush of information doesn't seem too intimidating. "Eldercare," written by Susan Polniaszek, deals with many different aspects of long-term care, including how long the average person needs this care and how people can pay for it. The tape's organization reminded me somewhat of a school textbook; the subject of long-term care is broken down into several different sub-topics, with hypothetical examples to illustrate each segment. The tape also covers such volunteer services as the community-based Meals-On-Wheels program, which I thought was a nice touch. I also found it interesting that the tape itself is narrated by an elderly woman. Polniaszek's writing never loses sight of the "Money Talks" goal: to make financial processes clear to people considering them for the first time. "Prepare Now for a Richer Retirement," by Virginia A. McArthur, discusses how to save now for your retirement. Like "Eldercare," the tape stresses that although many people put off financial planning, the sooner you start, the better. (If you wait until your children are through college, you're too late.) This particular tape comes with a worksheet to help people determine whether their retirement income will cover expenses. The tape also covers how such systems as Social Security and IRA should figure into your planning. I found this tape a little more difficult to follow than "Eldercare," but that may have been due to my own phobic attitude towards finances, and not the fault of the tape. And since the idea behind putting the "Money Talks" series on cassette was so that people could listen to the tapes until they understood the ideas clearly, FinTapes seems to have anticipated this minor problem. Based on the above two tapes, I think that people will find the "Money Talks" series interesting and very informative. As I said before, both tapes stress that it's never too soon to start planning your financial future. So, to order tapes from the "Money Talks" series, send $12.95 per tape, along with $2.00 for the first two tapes and $.50 for each additional tape, to FinTapes Inc., Dept. ACB, PO Box 66536, Washington, D.C., 20035- 6536. FAMILY FORUM TALKING TOYS WORTH TALKING ABOUT by Nolan Crabb (We offer this story with the hope that it will inform readers of new toys which can either be adapted or are ready for play out of the box. The mention of any product in this story should not be viewed as an endorsement of that product by the membership of the American Council of the Blind, its elected officials or employees.) Each year as the holidays approach, I recall the past season with the conviction that the upcoming holidays can't possibly be better. Thankfully, every year, I'm proven wrong. After last year's talking toy review, (see "Talking Toys: More Than a Mere Conversation Piece," November/December 1990),I smugly assumed we'd come close to covering the market for at least two years. Once again, I was proven wrong. This year's cavalcade of talking and otherwise noisy toys will undoubtedly contribute to happy memories for the holidays and beyond. GOOD CLEAN FUN If you're concerned that the little one in your life lacks for good clean fun, you may want to look at Electronic Talking Murduck, the Original Scrubbaducky, new this year from Video Technology, 380 Palatine Rd., Wheeling, IL 60090. Marketing Director Diane Goldsher says Murduck is designed for play in the bath tub, despite his battery-operated voice synthesizer. "There's absolutely no danger to the child or the duck," Goldsher says. "The voice synthesizer and batteries are in a water-tight case." Murduck has a seven-phrase vocabulary which includes such charmers as "you quack me up," "let's have quackers and milk," and "Waddle we do now?" The voice sounds a little muffled, coming from a water-tight compartment as it does, but it's easily understandable, and Goldsher assured me you don't need dynamite to change the batteries. Murduck costs $24.99. Looking at Murduck made me wonder how long it will be before the talking lap top computer in the shower is a fact of life--never, if we're lucky. Goldsher says Video Technology also offers Talk To Me Mirror And Activity Zoo. A preschooler with vision can play "find the clown" games with the mirror, but the toy would be useful for children with no vision, since the dog, elephant, and horse talk, and play little tunes. All of the buttons and animal shapes are raised. You can get this toy for around $29.99. My Pal 2, Electronic Talking Robot, seems to be new this year as well. Children with some vision will probably enjoy the ring toss game--you toss rings at the robot's head--and the basketball game you can play with the robot. Make a basket, and the robot will cheer for you. It also talks and plays question- and-answer games. If you have $49.99, My Pal 2 can be yours. It's made by Toybiz in New York city. Tel. (212) 682-4700 and ask to be connected with Toybiz. BONING UP FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL This year, Milton Bradley, 443 Shaker Rd., East Longmeadow, MA 01028, (413) 525-6411, introduces Mickey Says, an electronic talking preschool game which includes three activities, according to Public Information Director Mark Morris. Using the actual voice of Mickey Mouse, one game encourages children to touch Mickey's foot, ear, hand, etc. The child can also play Mickey Says, (similar to Simon Says), and a challenge game in which Mickey adds new parts to the list of things to find. If the child finds the foot, Mickey then asks him to find the foot and the hand, and so on. The voice is very understandable, very much like that of Disney's famed mouse, and the areas the child needs to find are distinctive and raised. LET'S TALK DOLLS If you've ever watched ABC-TV's "Family Matters," you're all too familiar with Steve Urkel, the nerdy, bumbling, but good-natured neighbor to the Winslow family. Now Hasbro has immortalized the Urkel character with a talking Urkel doll which speaks many of the phrases made famous on the show, including the Urkel snort. While the voice is that of the Urkel character, the two models I tested had so much flutter in the voice, it sounded like one of those voices you hear on "60 Minutes" when they're trying to disguise someone's identity. You'd be better off to hold onto the $30 the toy stores want for Urkel. Tyco, Tel. (800) 367-8926, is introducing Magic Bottle Baby. With this toy, the action's all in the bottle. Easily distinguishable buttons on the bottle activate the crying, drinking, and burping sounds. The doll itself doesn't make noise. According to Tyco's Public Relations Representative Caroline Gaffney, there are two versions of this doll--a newborn and toddler size, selling for $24.99 and $29.99 respectively. If TV's famous talking horse Mr. Ed were still around, he'd probably insist that his friend Wilbur buy Hasbro's My Little Pony Sweet Talking Pony for him. The long-haired pony figures have been around for years, but this is the first year I've seen one that talks. The voice is almost syrupy sweet, but it isn't overly loud or overly expensive--$9.99. Buddy L makes a $7.99 long-haired pony which whinnies and makes a clopping sound. There are a host of other talking products I don't have room to mention here. Your best strategy may be to use this story as a guide and visit the toy stores to find out what else is available. You'll find a parade of toys waiting to talk up a storm of happy holiday memories. CAPTION The Magic Bottle Baby, manufactured by Tyco, is one of many talking toys available this holiday season. AFFILIATE PROFILE: VISUALLY IMPAIRED VETERANS OF AMERICA, SERVING THOSE WHO SACRIFICED If you have served in any branch of the United States Armed Forces and are eligible to receive services from the Veterans Administration, you are invited to become a member of the Visually Impaired Veterans of America. Organized in 1977, this ACB affiliate is dedicated to providing resource information to veterans and their families, protecting and promoting the legislated rights and benefits available to visually impaired veterans, encouraging research and development of products and materials that will aid visually impaired veterans in their pursuit of personal and professional goals, providing counseling to assist in readjustment, and holding meetings and conferences designed to improve and educate VIVA members. VIVA's leaders are blind or visually impaired. Annual dues are $5. For more information, contact Charles Rhein, President, 5016 Silk Oak Dr., Sarasota, FL 34232-5410. Tel. (813) 371-2153. HERE AND THERE by Elizabeth M. Lennon The announcement of new products and services in this column should not be considered an endorsement of those products and services by the American Council of the Blind, it 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. OPTICAL SCANNER Telesensory Systems, Inc., Mountain View, Calif., says its optical character reading system OsCaR (tm) now costs $3,895. According to a TSI press release, the complete system includes customized user-interface software, a high-resolution flatbed scanner, Calera TrueScan-E circuit board, and software. For additional information, contact Telesensory Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 7455, 455 N. Bernardo Ave., Mountain View, CA 94039-7455. A FRIENDLIER ARKENSTONE Arkenstone, Inc. now supplies a friendlier user interface with its scanning hardware/software system. A company press release says the new interface simplifies the operation of the system significantly. Current Arkenstone users have already received a free copy of the interface program; the program is bundled free with the system for new purchasers. The company also offers a toll-free number for technical support and general information. The Arkenstone Reader is now distributed through Easter Seals System Centers nationwide. The readers are also available through a nationwide dealer network. Arkenstone may be contacted at its new address, 1185-D Bordeaux Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94089. Tel. (800) 444-4443 or (408) 752- 2200. LEASE THE ARKENSTONE Arts Computer Products, Inc. announces the availability of a lease option on the Arkenstone reader and its relevant components. Such an option would allow users to make monthly payments, according to "Newsletter, Winter 1991," a publication of ARTS Computer Products. For more information, contact the company at 121 Beach St., Suite 400, Boston, MA 02111. Tel. (800) 343-0095. TOUCH SCREENS HumanWare, Inc. announces MasterTouch, a software/hardware combination that allows blind computer users to touch any part of a computer screen and hear words or lines spoken through the Keynote GOLD speech synthesizer. The user touches a tablet which has been tactually divided into 25 lines corresponding with the lines on a computer screen. Touching any part of the tablet produces spoken information about the section of the screen touched. For more information, contact HumanWare, Inc., 6245 King Rd., Loomis, CA 95650. Tel. (916) 652-7253 or toll-free (800) 722-3393. To hear a sample of the Keynote GOLD synthesizer, call (800) 722-2822. The press release did not include prices for the TouchMaster or Keynote GOLD products. VERSANEWS ON DISK "VersaNews," a publication originally designed exclusively for VersaBraille users, is now available on PC/MS-DOS compatible computer disks. The new format makes the publication available to a larger market, according to a press release. Subscriptions cost $25 annually. Specify which format you want when ordering. The publication is available in VersaBraille II disk, VersaBraille tape, print, and PC/MS-DOS disks. Contact David Goldstein, Editor, 87 Sanford Ln., Stamford, CT 06905. Tel. (days) (203) 366-3300. ADA INFORMATION VIDEO The Foundation for Exceptional Children in conjunction with the Southwest Cooperative Foundation and Communicorp Television Productions has released a video which explains how the Americans With Disabilities Act will affect everyone. According to a press release, the video deals with issues of reasonable accommodation, explained by Paul Hearne, one of many who contributed to the language in the bill. Designed for business leaders, educators and others, the video discusses transportation issues, public accommodation and more. The tape costs $59.95 plus $4.50 for shipping and handling. To order or obtain more information, call (800) 433-9819. WALL CALENDARS Remarkable Products announces the availability of a laminated wall calendar featuring 4/14 by 3-5/8 inch squares. Low vision people can easily keep track of appointments by filling in the squares. Simply wipe the calendar clean at the end of the month and start again. The calendar costs $14.95. For a catalogue, write Remarkable Products, 245 Pegasus Ave., Northvale, NJ 07647. Tel. (201) 784-0900. LARGE PRINT SAFETY More than half a million Americans over age 65 are treated in emergency rooms every year for injuries associated with appliances they live with and use every day, according to "See Note," Spring 1991, (a publication of the Utah State Library for the Blind). The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers "Safety for Seniors: Home Safety Checklist" in large print. According to "See Note," the checklist identifies and suggests ways to rectify household hazards connected with electricity, medication, space heaters, flammable liquids, lighting, appliances, stairs, the kitchen, and the bathroom. For a free copy and additional information, contact Consumer Product Safety Commission, Safety for Older Consumers, Washington, DC 20207. LARGE PRINT WEEKLY "The World At Large" is a new 40-page large print weekly news magazine which contains stories drawn from such weeklies as "Time" and "U.S. News and World Report." Available at many newsstands in New York City, the publication is also available by mail, $65 per year or $37 for a six-month subscription. The magazine also includes an enlarged crossword puzzle taken from "The Los Angeles Times." For more information, contact The World At Large, P.O. Box 190330, Brooklyn, NY 11219. Tel. (718) 972-4000. HISTORY OF VENDORS The Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, an ACB affiliate, has released "Trail of the Advocate," a history of RSVA from its early years to the present, according to "The Vendorscope," Spring 1991. Authored by Ione B. Miller, the 186- page book is available in large print and on cassette. To order, send $15 to Dean Flewwellin, 1527 Royal Rd., Aberdeen, SD 57401. Copies of the book were available at the 1991 convention in Tampa. Those interested in ordering should do so as quickly as possible, since a limited number were produced. BRAILLE RULES BOOK A booklet entitled "Rules for Braille Contractions" is available for $2. The book is based on the braille code from the Braille authority of North America and the instruction manual for braille transcribers released by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. To order, contact the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, 200 Ivy St., Brookline, MA 02146. Tel. (617) 738-5110. Massachusetts residents only, call (800) 682-9200. ELECTRONICS CATALOG A free four-track cassette catalog published by Electronics Marketing Associates is now available. The 1991-1992 catalog lists hundreds of brand name electronic products including batteries, computers, stereos, televisions, telephones and more. To order write to Electronics Marketing Associates, 234 Cherry St. Second Floor, Sharon Hill, PA 19079. Tel. (800) 484-1096 Ext. 1947. USHER'S SYNDROME BOOK "The 'Madness' of Usher's--Coping With Vision and Hearing Loss" is a book which deals with the actual experiences of the author and others who must cope with hearing and vision loss as a result of Usher's Syndrome. Written by Dorothy H. Stiefel and narrated by Bob Askey, a prominent narrator for the National Library Service, the book is available for $12.50 on two two-track cassettes or $7.50 in soft cover 12-point bold print. (Add $2 for first class shipping of tapes or print books in the United States. Tapes may be sent free matter. For additional information, contact The Business of Living Publications, P.O. Box 8388, Corpus Christi, TX 78468-0388. HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: "Run For President," a new computer game for IBM and compatible computers. The game pits you against your computer in a race for the presidency. You face the ups and downs of a political campaign. The game includes sound effects and is speech-friendly. Send $20 to Richard De Steno, 20 Meadowbrook Rd., Short Hills, NJ 07078. Tel. (201) 379-7471 for more information. The game will be sent on a 5.25 inch disk unless a 3.5 inch disk is requested. WANTED TO BUY: Hall or Lavender Braille writers in working condition. Will pay top dollar, but final price depends on condition of the machine. Contact Mike Manning, 1026 Willow River Ct., Florissant, MO 63031. Tel. (314) 443-4321. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT LEROY SAUNDERS P.O. BOX 24020 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73124 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT PAUL EDWARDS 170 N.E. 123rd STREET NORTH MIAMI, FL 33161 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT CHARLES HODGE 1131 S. FOREST DRIVE ARLINGTON, VA 22204 SECRETARY PATRICIA PRICE 5707 BROCKTON DR. #302 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46220-5443 TREASURER BRIAN CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVENUE WATERTOWN, MA 02172 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ELIZABETH M. LENNON