THE Braille Forum Vol. XXXIV November 1995 No. 4 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. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Patricia Beattie, treasurer, at the above address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the council's continuing work, the national office has printed cards available to acknowledge contributions made by loved ones in memory of deceased people. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his/her Last Will and Testament may do so by including a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, you may contact the ACB National Office. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 6 p.m. to midnight eastern time Monday through Friday. Washington, D.C., residents only call 331-2876. Copyright 1995 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Rehab Reflections, by Paul Edwards News Briefs From The ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller The 1996 Convention, by John A. Horst Title I Of The Americans with Disabilities Act: Some Practical Tips, by Julie H. Carroll Guide Dog User Wins Landmark ADA Federal Court Victory, by Charles Hodge Voc Rehab Survives Attack: A Legislative News Brief, by Julie H. Carroll Legal Access: It's The System, Stupid, by Charles D. Goldman Health Maintenance Organizations, by Glenn Plunkett Editorial: It's Time To Say Thanks, by Nolan Crabb Affiliate News Her Phone Call Changed The World For Thousands, by Nolan Crabb Here And There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Oklahoma Council Says 'Thanks' High Tech Swap Shop PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: REHAB REFLECTIONS by Paul Edwards Rehab has been saved, for the moment, from being bundled into the "one-stop shopping" model. Whether it will in the very near future become as extinct as the dodo bird still remains to be seen. In our euphoria at seeing categorical services survive, let us not lose sight of how nearly they were lost! Let us also not fool ourselves into thinking that all is well! If the figures so often quoted are even close to being correct, some 70 percent of blind people have never worked. If the figures quoted by the House committee working on this issue earlier in the summer are to be believed, the rehabilitation system is becoming less efficient and successful as time goes on. I believe that it is time that we as consumers begin to ask rehabilitation services to be more accountable to us for what they do. In traveling throughout the country, I believe there are fewer blind people working in the rehab system today than there were a decade ago. I don't have figures to back up this observation but I nevertheless believe that it is true. Why is this? More significantly, why is rehab as unsuccessful as it appears to be? What is rehab doing to find the answer to this question? What are we doing to assure that the services we believe to be valuable and necessary, in fact, accomplish what they are supposed to accomplish? Obviously these are complex questions and I have no intention of trying to answer them here. However, I think they need to be raised and I think every state agency in this country needs to be asking these questions as well! I am also convinced that rehabilitation agencies cannot solve this problem by themselves because I believe that the failure of rehab betokens far deeper problems in our society than the mere incompetence of counselors or agencies. The American Council of the Blind is an organization of blind people dedicated to making things better for all blind people in this country. We must begin to work with agencies, on advisory committees and, perhaps, as well, in a national cooperative effort to explore ways that we can demonstrate the value of rehabilitation. Agencies must be more open to looking at their weaknesses and must go beyond lip-service compliance with the 1992 rehab amendments. We must somehow reach out to blind people seeking rehabilitation and demand from them a seriousness and a commitment to doing as well as they can that is sometimes not there. We must all look beyond the narrow goal of successful closure of rehab cases to understanding why so many of these cases don't stay closed. Why do so many people end up asking for services again and again? We must seek to build coalitions with agencies and with the independent living movement in every state so that the needs of people with disabilities do not disappear as funding streams become more generic. We can rejoice in our recent victory but we cannot afford either complacency or empty-headed satisfaction with things the way they are. This Congress is determined to cut federal spending and to make states more responsible for how dollars get spent. If rehabilitation is to survive and prosper, it must recognize that we, the consumers of its services, must be persuaded to become its staunchest supporters. We must be sure that we trade our wholehearted support for a commitment to real and meaningful reform of the rehabilitation system. We are at the beginning of a new era. It is a time for the building of real partnerships and it is the time for taking a long, hard look at what rehab is and how it can be made better! If we wait too long, it may be too late. Categorical services are too valuable a thing to lose! Let's get busy! NEWS BRIEFS FROM THE ACB NATIONAL OFFICE by Oral O. Miller How would you like to climb the highest mountain in North America þ Alaska's Mount McKinley, elevation 20,320? No, we are not assembling a mountain-climbing party for that purpose, but the name of the American Council of the Blind was taken to the top in June of this year as Erik Weihenmayer, a blind teacher from Phoenix, scaled Mount McKinley as a demonstration of the ability of appropriately trained and dedicated blind people to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Erik was sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind, but the name of the American Council of the Blind went to the top with him thanks to a thoughtful donation by a dedicated friend of ACB in Louisville, Ky. It was my pleasure and that of several other ACB national staff members to meet Erik recently at a reception held in his honor in the United States Capitol and hosted by Sen. Connie Mack (R-Fla.). Although the ACB president will probably comment separately regarding the fall meeting of the ACB board of directors in Chicago, it is newsworthy to mention that several staff members attended and took part as the board and new officers moved forward in implementing the significant amendments to the ACB Constitution and Bylaws that were approved at the 1995 national convention in Greensboro. In his report the ACB president asked the board members to think seriously about how the amendments would change the way in which ACB operates. At that time, the board also examined, among other things, various service programs that will need increased membership financial support if they are to be expanded to meet increasing needs. Although it is not especially unusual for ACB staff members to go in and out of the United States Capitol in connection with ACB's governmental advocacy program, it is somewhat unusual for staff members to attend almost back-to-back receptions or briefings involving disability issues being publicized by non- congressional entities. The second such event which it was my pleasure and that of other ACB national staff members to attend at the United States Capitol within a period of a week recently was a briefing breakfast hosted by the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee which will conduct the Paralympic games or "Olympics for the disabled" in Atlanta in August of 1996. The 1996 Paralympics, which will bring together approximately 4,000 disabled athletes from throughout the world, will be the largest gathering of disabled people in history and will be conducted in the same venues and facilities used by the 1996 Olympics approximately a week earlier. The highlight of the briefing was a presentation by Trischa Zorn, a legally blind teacher from Indianapolis, Ind., who won a record 10 gold and two silver medals at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona and who earned her way through college at the University of Nebraska on a swimming scholarship (involving competition with sighted athletes). Zorn, who is a member of the board of directors of the United States Association for Blind Athletes, summarized for the congressional and other attendees the preparations being made by APOC for the Paralympics, including the raising of more than $100 million. The federal government is being asked to assist the Paralympics, as it does the Olympics, and some of the members of Congress who were seen at the breakfast briefing included Sen. Sam Nunn (D- Ga.), and other influential Georgia members. How many of you when you were in high school and not yet old enough to vote considered yourselves, nevertheless, sufficiently empowered to make a difference politically? Several history students in a very progressive residential school for the blind became very interested in the legislative process recently when they learned of the proposed legislation then being considered by Congress that, if adopted, would have consolidated rehabilitation training programs for blind people into all other job training programs. Their fast-thinking teacher arranged for them to devote one period around a conference telephone discussing (at ACB expense) that issue and others with ACB Governmental Affairs Director Julie Carroll and me. We commend those students for seeing the importance of that issue and realizing that they could ask their friends and relatives to contact their congressional representatives about those issues and others in the future. We encourage other teachers to give their students similar opportunities to learn from blind professionals about issues that could have an enormous impact on all blind people. Both Julie Carroll and I will be pleased to discuss such arrangements with other classes. Because ACB President Paul Edwards was on such a busy schedule during his recent visit to Washington in connection with an advisory committee meeting at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped it was difficult to keep him in the ACB national office long enough to take part in a small reception hosted by ACB for the purpose of introducing him to governmental leaders and the blindness community in the Washington area. Although many of the attendees that evening knew Paul Edwards already, the event was an opportunity for dozens more to meet him for the first time. In 1994 I served as a member of an advisory committee assembled by the National Academy of Science to consider, among other things, the identification of American paper money by blind and visually impaired people. The study was part of a much larger study dealing with possible changes in the production of paper money; it did not focus primarily on tactile identification or any similar issues. No, at that time, those of us who took part did not expect major changes that would be important to blind people, so we were not surprised recently when Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin announced at a large briefing held in the spectacular Cash Room of the Treasury Department that the soon- to-be-released new $100 bill will essentially look and feel the same as the old one. As part of the Treasury Department's effort to reduce counterfeiting of American currency throughout the world the new bill will, however, contain a number of publicized and unpublicized technical changes þ such as greater contrast in colors, a larger and clearer picture of Benjamin Franklin, location of Franklin's picture further to the left, inclusion of watermarks in the picture and elsewhere, inclusion of identification threads and use of an ink in one section which appears green or black depending upon the angle used. By the time you read this article, you probably will have received the only fund-raising appeal the American Council of the Blind makes to its members and friends throughout the year. The dues paid by each member average less than $3 yearly, yet it costs an average of $25 per year to send the braille or disk editions of "The Braille Forum" to each reader. If the American Council of the Blind is to maintain many of its very worthwhile programs and expand many even modestly, it must receive more assistance from its members and friends. For that reason, we are asking each member or friend to respond to our fund-raising letter by contributing something; a donation equal to the cost of just one soft drink a week would do wonders. You are reminded also that as job site fund-raising campaigns are conducted by employers during the coming weeks you may direct that your contribution that is to be withheld from your paycheck is to be sent to the American Council of the Blind in Washington, D.C. If your employer is served by the United Way, simply write in the name of the American Council of the Blind in Washington, D.C., and let us know that we have been so designated. It is important that you let us know of the designation because some United Way chapters have been lax in honoring the wishes of their donors. Although the uniform identification number for the American Council of the Blind in the Combined Federal Campaign continues to be 0222, there is no single uniform identification number used in other local or state campaigns, so merely write in the name of the American Council of the Blind, Washington, D.C., and notify us accordingly. CAPTION Oral Miller takes time out from the hectic convention schedule to smile for the camera with Jessica Beach. THE 1996 CONVENTION by John A. Horst, Convention Coordinator The 1996 ACB convention is slated for June 29 through July 6, 1996 in Tulsa, Okla. As was the case last year in Greensboro, convention attendees will have the opportunity of learning something of the history, culture and people of a different part of our great country. Like Greensboro, Tulsa is a smaller city and has much to offer. The cost of food and services will be very reasonable, transportation from the airport to your hotel is free and the hotels and convention bureau are assisting ACB with the cost of shuttles and covering the rental for the convention center. Convention attendees will find the staff of the hotels and convention center very accommodating and the local population very courteous. There are advantages in holding the ACB convention in smaller cities. Don't write off 1996 just because Tulsa is not a Chicago or San Francisco. If you do, you will be the one to miss out on a great opportunity. The Oklahoma Council of the Blind under the direction of President Diane Bowers has organized a strong host committee. Dale Lamar is the chairperson who is working closely with the convention coordinating committee. Planning for a great convention in 1996 is well under way. Both Charles Glaser and Laurinda Steele-Lacey, assistant convention coordinators for 1996, are working closely with us to assure a fabulous convention. The three hotels to be utilized in Tulsa are the Doubletree, the Adams-Mark and the Howard Johnson. Rates at the Doubletree and the Adams-Mark are $47 per night plus tax for single through quad; at the Howard Johnson, $40 per night plus tax for single and double, plus $6 for each additional person in the same room. Telephone numbers are: the Doubletree, (918) 587-8000; the Adams- Mark, (918) 282-9000; and the Howard Johnson, (918) 585-5898. Shuttles will operate regularly among the three hotels and the convention center. The Doubletree connects with the convention center via a covered walkway. The plenary sessions, exhibits and some of the breakout meetings, meals and receptions will be held at the convention center. Some additional functions will take place at the Doubletree. MID-YEAR MEETINGS The meeting of the ACB affiliate presidents and the board of directors will take place at the Tulsa Doubletree Hotel Friday through Monday, February 2-5, 1996. Also, a number of the boards of special-interest groups and some committees will meet that weekend. Please note that the schedule has changed for 1996. The affiliate presidents meeting will begin Saturday morning and continue through Sunday noon. The ACB board of directors will meet Sunday afternoon through Monday noon. Special-interest affiliates and committees that are meeting mid-year will be sent a response form. Please use this form to advise us of the estimated number of your group who will attend, the date and time of your session, and any special arrangements you desire. This should be done as soon as possible but no later than December 31, 1995. Information should be sent to Laurinda Steele-Lacey, assistant convention coordinator, 5004 Jamestown Rd., Bethesda, Md. 20816; phones: home (301) 942-7682, work (202) 272-5434. Hotel reservations for these mid-year meetings and for the 1996 convention can be made at any time; however, the cutoff date for the mid-year meetings is Jan. 12, 1996. TRAVEL AGENCY For 1996, the selected travel agency for ACB will again be International Tours of Muskogee, Okla., (800) 259-9299. In today's airline travel market, one often is informed of a different cost directly from the airline or another travel agency. We strongly recommend that you call International Tours of Muskogee first. After that, if you can obtain a more reasonable fare from another source, please advise International Tours and they will research the issue and provide you with the lower fare. If you have any problems, ask for Nancy Mayberry. Please use International Tours of Muskogee for all your ACB- related travel. ACB's agreement with this agency includes a profit-sharing plan that earns income for our organization and makes free flights available to convention planners. If you care about ACB expenditures, you should make International Tours of Muskogee your travel agency. caption Convention Coordinator John Horst and his wife June catch up with one another for a brief moment at the 1995 convention. TITLE I OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: SOME PRACTICAL TIPS by Julie H. Carroll, Director of Governmental Affairs Introduction The Americans With Disabilities Act is still in its infancy, and many employers as well as disabled individuals are struggling to understand its practical applications. Judging by the questions the ACB national office receives from blind and visually impaired individuals and from employers, there is still some confusion surrounding the ADA employment provisions. This article will attempt to address the most commonly asked questions that pertain to the ADA employment provisions and how those provisions affect people who are blind or visually impaired. The focus in this article will be on preventing discrimination. A discussion of legal and administrative remedies for redressing discrimination is beyond the scope of this article. Employment Discrimination Prohibited Title I of the ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified disabled individuals in all employment practices, including recruitment, job application procedures, testing, hiring, firing, promotions, training and compensation. The ADA merely prohibits discrimination; it is NOT an affirmative action or employment preference law. No employer is required under the ADA to hire a disabled individual solely because that individual has a disability, even if the individual is as qualified as other applicants. Neither is an employer required to lower performance standards to enable a disabled employee to perform essential functions. The employer simply may not discriminate against a disabled individual because of the individual's disability. Covered Entities Effective July 26, 1994, all private employers with 15 or more employees were covered by the ADA employment provisions. Employers with 25 or more employees were covered effective July 26, 1992. State and local governments are covered regardless of their size. Employment agencies and labor unions are also covered by Title I employment provisions. An employer who is covered by Title I cannot avoid its ADA obligations by contracting with outside firms to carry out such activities as recruiting, training, testing, etc. Protected Individuals The ADA employment provisions protect qualified individuals with a disability, even if those individuals require reasonable accommodations in order to perform essential job functions. People who are blind or visually impaired are considered disabled for purposes of ADA definitions. The second threshold that must be met to invoke ADA protections is to be qualified. This requires a two-step analysis. First, an individual with a disability must possess the prerequisites for the job, including having any degrees, licenses, work experience or skills required for the position. Second, the disabled individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, even if reasonable accommodations are needed to make that possible. Reasonable Accommodations Employers covered by Title I must make reasonable accommodations in three areas. First, reasonable accommodations must be made in order to ensure that disabled individuals have access to their employment opportunities. For example, employers must make job announcements available in alternative formats. Merely advertising openings in print newspapers may have the effect of screening out blind applicants, and such applicants are within their rights to request the information in an alternative medium, such as tape, disk, or by simply having someone designated in the employer's human resources department to read job announcements over the telephone for interested blind applicants. Additionally, the entire application process must be made accessible, including reasonable accommodations for testing if there are pre-employment tests. The second situation in which covered employers must make reasonable accommodations upon request is in order to enable a qualified disabled individual to perform the essential functions of a job. Note that employers are under no obligation to provide such accommodations unless requested to do so by a disabled employee. The essential functions are those that must be performed by a particular position in order for the employer to carry on business. A reasonable accommodation may include such changes as reassigning non-essential job functions to other employees, changing a work schedule, or providing adaptive equipment. It is important to be aware that, although an employer must give primary consideration to the type of accommodation requested by the disabled employee, the employer has the right to make the ultimate decision about which reasonable accommodation to use. Unfortunately, the law does not require an employer to make the most effective accommodation. Thus, when a disabled individual is asked for suggestions about the type of accommodation needed, he or she should make those suggestions carefully and suggest only accommodations that would be truly workable. If an employer has made a "reasonable accommodation" that is not effective for the disabled employee, it is important for the disabled individual to bring the matter to the employer's attention as soon as the employee has determined that the accommodation will not work. It can be especially important to raise the issue before the employer finds fault with the employee's job performance. The same is true for testing accommodations. Where an employer provides alternative testing arrangements that an employee finds are so inadequate that they will have a detrimental effect on the test outcome, the employee who raises the issue only after performing poorly on the test may have a difficult time demonstrating that his or her low test score is attributable to the accommodation rather than his or her own competency. The third situation in which covered employers must make reasonable accommodations is to give disabled employees equal access, to the extent possible, to employee benefits and privileges enjoyed by non-disabled employees. Thus, benefits such as employer-provided transportation, educational benefits, health services, recreational facilities and services, etc., must be accessible to disabled employees as well. An employer may not discriminate against a disabled employee because the employer's health insurer would charge more in premiums or cancel the employee policy if the disabled individual is added to the group. While the ADA does not prohibit health insurers from avoiding risks by refusing to cover certain illnesses or conditions, nor does the ADA prohibit insurers from charging higher premiums to higher risk groups, the ADA does prohibit employers from allowing the practices of health insurers to affect the employer/employee relationship. Discrimination Evidence There are many qualified individuals in today's job market þ both with and without disabilities. Generally, an employer has his or her pick during the hiring process. This can make it difficult to know whether a rejection was the result of discrimination or merely indicative of a crowded job market. It is especially problematic for blind or visually impaired individuals because a vision impairment is usually apparent to the interviewer very early in the application process. Nevertheless, merely being blind and getting turned down for a job, in and of themselves, do not form the basis for an employment discrimination claim. To make an employment discrimination claim under the ADA, there must be some indication that discrimination played a part in the rejection, such as an overemphasis by the interviewer on the vision impairment during the interview, stereotypical statements by the interviewer about people who are blind or visually impaired, disparaging statements by the interviewer about a previous experience with a disabled employee, or some other evidence that the disabled applicant is being processed with less serious consideration than non-disabled applicants. The burden of proof is on the disabled individual. An employer does not have to prove he or she did not unlawfully discriminate unless the disabled applicant puts forth at least some credible evidence that there was discrimination. Of course, taking steps to prevent discrimination is far preferable to seeking a remedy after the fact. Preparing for the Interview The interview can be the most critical part of the application process. There are certain steps an applicant can take to make the process go smoothly. First, determine whether the employer typically has applicants fill out an application when they arrive for the interview. If so, consider asking for a copy of the application prior to the interview either by having it mailed, if there is time, or by dropping in and picking it up. This allows the applicant time to arrange for his or her own reader to assist in completing the application. The applicant can then arrive at the interview with the application already filled out and will not have to ask for assistance during the interview. Of course, if assistance is needed to complete the application process, the ADA requires covered employers to make reasonable accommodations during the application process. However, there can be disadvantages to having a stranger complete an application form, such as poor penmanship on the part of the assistant, misspellings, or more substantive errors in taking dictation that could color the employer's impression of the applicant. The Equal Employment Opportunity commission (EEOC) recommends that disabled applicants prepare in advance how to respond to questions about their disability that might be asked during a job interview. An employer is permitted to ask specific job-related questions about an applicant's disability once he or she knows of the disability. Individuals with hidden disabilities have an added protection because, generally, an employer will not learn of their disability until an offer of employment has already been made. Blind people do not have this advantage because the employer is generally alerted to the applicant's disability when he or she appears for the interview using a cane or dog guide. There has been an important change in EEOC's approach to disability-related questions by employers. When EEOC regulations were initially promulgated for the ADA, there were strict restrictions on an employer's right to ask questions relating to an individual's disability, even if the disability was apparent. This may have resulted in missed opportunities for disabled applicants to educate the interviewer about the various adaptive techniques that would be employed in performing the job duties. Recognizing that it is better to allow this type of exchange so that disabled applicants have the opportunity to convince employers of their capabilities, the EEOC has eased the restrictions on employer inquiries. Now, once an employer is aware that an applicant has a disability, the employer is permitted to ask questions relevant to how the individual will perform the essential duties of the job. Some employers may not be aware of this change, however, and it will be necessary for the applicant to take the initiative if he or she wishes to discuss compensatory skills and adaptive techniques. EEOC also recommends that the applicant try to keep the interviewer focused on capabilities by talking about how job functions can be performed, rather than allowing the interview to focus on what the applicant is not able to do. When discussing adaptive techniques and technologies one would use on the job, this author recommends that applicants be certain to let the interviewer know of those devices already owned by the applicant. If vocational rehabilitation funding is available to the applicant for accommodations, and it should be in most cases, let the interviewer know this also. While employers are not supposed to allow the cost of reasonable accommodations to influence hiring decisions, many employers are accountable to someone else for expenditures, especially unbudgeted expenditures, and it is better not to alarm prospective employers unnecessarily about the cost of accommodations. Also, keep in mind that the cost of accommodations can be shared by the employer, the disabled employee, and third-party funding sources, such as state vocational rehabilitation agencies. While vocational rehabilitation funding is to be the source of last resort, the ultimate goal of securing employment is of critical importance for people who are blind or visually impaired, and an applicant must use his or own judgment as to whether asking a prospective employer to purchase expensive adaptive equipment might jeopardize an employment opportunity. CAPTION Legislative Assistant Chris Kupczyk and Julie Carroll pose for the camera after the banquet. GUIDE DOG USER WINS LANDMARK ADA FEDERAL COURT VICTORY by Charles Hodge On July 8, 1993, Franklin Johnson accompanied by his guide dog and two sighted friends traveled to the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, which is owned and operated by the Gambrinus Company. It was the intention of the Johnson party to take the public tour of the brewery, and then to refresh themselves by sampling some of the free products the brewery offered during the customary visit to the hospitality room which traditionally ends all of the brewery's public tours. Johnson presented himself along with his guide dog and his sighted friends at the brewery's gift shop to sign up for the 11 a.m. tour. After listening to a short oral presentation by Bernadette Fikac, a brewery staff member, the Johnson party watched a short film on the beer- brewing process, which they were about to see during the tour. While Johnson and friends watched the movie, Fikac contacted brewmaster John Hybner by telephone to alert him that Johnson intended to take his guide dog on the tour. Hybner informed Fikac that company policy barred animals from the public tour or visits to the hospitality room. In justification of this policy, the brewmaster relied on public health concerns and the fact that the brewery must comply at all times with federal and state health regulations regarding sanitary processes in food production. At the conclusion of the short movie, Fikac notified Johnson of the brewmaster's policy decision that Johnson could not tour the brewery, nor visit the hospitality room with his guide dog. Instead, Fikac offered to serve as a human guide and narrator for Johnson if he wished to take the public tour (or a private tour) and visit the hospitality room without his guide dog. Fikac further offered to keep Johnson's guide dog in the air- conditioned gift shop under the supervision of company employees, if Johnson decided to take the tour under those conditions. Johnson steadfastly refused the woman's assistance and rejected the exclusionary conditions imposed by the brewery. He also informed Fikac that he believed the brewmaster's policy to be discriminatory in violation of federal law. Johnson and his guide dog stayed in the parking lot while his two friends took the public tour. Johnson and friends cut their visit short, leaving the brewery without visiting the hospitality room. Following Johnson's unsuccessful attempts to persuade the brewery and its parent company to change the exclusionary access policies, Johnson filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the southern district of Texas on July 1, 1994. In his suit, Johnson alleged that the brewery and its parent company had violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Following pretrial motions, District Judge John D. Rainey issued an opinion on June 8, 1995 granting the plaintiff partial summary judgment. The court ruled that Johnson's exclusion from the brewery's hospitality room was a violation of Title III of the ADA. The brewery and its corporate parent unsuccessfully argued that since free product samples from the brewery were given away to the public in its hospitality room, the facility was not a public accommodation or commercial facility inasmuch as nothing was being sold to or bought by the public in its hospitality room. In rejecting this argument, the court observed that members of the public were routinely invited to the hospitality room for refreshment and the building of goodwill by the company at the end of all public tours. Such goodwill may well result in future sales of the brewery's products. The court went on to state that the brewery's hospitality room fell within the definition of a public accommodation, and that the exclusion of Johnson and his guide dog from such a public accommodation violated Title III of the ADA. The June 8th opinion, however, left unresolved Johnson's claim that his exclusion from the public tour constituted a violation of ADA's Title III. This claim involved unresolved issues of material fact which required trial before the court, which occurred on July 18 and 19, 1995. On August 22, 1995, Judge Rainey issued his findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding Johnson's unresolved ADA Title III violation claim. At the outset, the court observed that in its earlier opinion it had held that the hospitality room and the entire brewery facility is a public accommodation within the meaning of ADA Title III. The court then relied heavily on provisions of the Justice Department's implementing regulations under Title III of the ADA, which require operators of public accommodations to alter their policies and procedures that exclude individuals with disabilities who use service animals, in such a fashion as to grant the broadest feasible access to their facilities to disabled individuals and their service animals. The court emphasized that these regulatory requirements were entitled to great weight and must be given deference by the federal courts. The defendants unsuccessfully argued that if the company permitted service animals to be included on the public tours of its brewing facility, it would run a substantial risk of contamination or adulteration of its product, beer, from airborne animal hair and the presence on the animals of insects and vermin. The defendants argued that even the possibility of contamination or adulteration of the company's food product would open it to serious liability for breach of state and federal food, drug and health regulations. While the court took the brewery's argument concerning the potential contamination of a food product and resulting legal liability seriously, the court observed that the brewery did not screen its human public invitees who routinely tour its facilities in any way. The brewery did not ask visitors about their record of even infectious diseases such as tuberculosis or hepatitis, which can become airborne. The brewery also did not require human tour- takers to wear any head covering or protect in any way against airborne facial hair which could contaminate its beer. Thus, the court held that inclusion of service animals on public tours would not expose the brewery to any greater risk of liability for violating state and federal health requirements than it was already exposing itself to by conducting public tours with the utter lack of health and safety precautions for human tour- takers. The court additionally emphasized that the food safety and health requirements of the state and federal regulations were not in inevitable or necessary conflict with the anti- discrimination provisions of the ADA and the Department of Justice's implementing regulations. The court held that the legitimate objectives of both legislative schemes could be simultaneously harmonized and accommodated to each other. The court then held that the brewery's utter exclusion of Johnson and his guide dog from the public tour of its brewing facility constituted a violation of ADA Title III despite the brewery's offer of a human guide for either the public tour or a private tour of the brewery. The court held that the Department of Justice regulations specify that the proper reasonable accommodation is alterations of the brewery's access policies to permit the broadest feasible access to its facilities to individuals with disabilities who use service animals, nothing less. The court then ordered the defendants to seek technical assistance from the Department of Justice and the Food and Drug Administration in order to modify its access policies to grant the broadest possible access to its facilities to disabled service animal users and their animals, consistent with the requirements of the state and federal food processing and health regulations. The court then required the defendants to submit their revised access policies to the court for review. Even though the court exercised continuing jurisdiction over the matter, and authority to review the brewery's amended access policies, thus the August 22, 1995 opinion was not a final order of the district court. At the date of the writing of this article, the defendants have filed notices of appeal in an attempt to take this matter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. While the brewery may be able to impose some limits on service animal access to its facility, such limits may not discriminate. The court's June 8 and August 22 opinions are, when taken together, landmark decisions in favor of the rights of blind guide dog users under Title III of the ADA. VOC REHAB SURVIVES ATTACK: A LEGISLATIVE NEWS BRIEF by Julie H. Carroll, Director of Governmental Affairs I am pleased to report that both the House and the Senate have passed job consolidation bills which leave the vocational rehabilitation system intact. The efforts by Congress to return most federal job training systems to the states and localities has been of concern to people who are blind or visually impaired because both the House and the Senate started out this term with every intention to also block grant vocational rehabilitation. Thanks to a tremendous grassroots effort, Congress changed its course. The Senate version of job consolidation, S. 143, the Workforce Development Act, passed on October 11 by a vote of 97 to 2. Senators Feinstein and Simon opposed S. 143. S. 143 would replace more than 80 federal programs with a single block grant to states. This bill specifically provided that the current federal vocational rehabilitation system would remain intact. The House version of job consolidation, H.R. 1617, the CAREERS Act, passed on September 19th by a vote of 345 to 79. It would have block granted vocational rehabilitation services had it not been for an amendment offered by Rep. Gene Green (D- Texas). The Green amendment, which passed by a vote of 231 to 192, removed vocational rehabilitation from job consolidation. Congratulations to ACB members for outstanding advocacy efforts. ACB was mentioned on the floor of the House during the debate on the Green amendment. ACB has also received a letter from Congressman Green commending us for our efforts. The voting record on the Green amendment is available on ACB On-Line. We should each thank our representatives who voted with us on the Green amendment. We should also thank Congressman Green for his leadership. Congressman Green's letter is reprinted below. Dear Ms. Carroll: Thank you for your kind letter and for your support of the vocational rehabilitation program. I appreciate hearing from you. On September 21, the House of Representatives voted 231 to 192 in support of my amendment to strike the vocational rehabilitation title from the CAREERS Bill (H.R. 1617). The success of my amendment ensures that the current vocational rehabilitation program remains intact. I believe this program is too important to continue to make arbitrary changes without any real thought about those most affected. People with disabilities face extreme challenges in the pursuit of meaningful employment þ challenges far beyond those faced by persons who access most federal job training programs. I want to ensure that any work force training consolidation legislation preserves a distinct vocational rehabilitation program. Your support of the program was instrumental in the passage of my amendment. The numerous telephone calls, faxes, and letters were essential in convincing my colleagues of the need to maintain this program. Again, thank you for your support. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best Wishes, Gene Green LEGAL ACCESS: IT'S THE SYSTEM, STUPID! by Charles D. Goldman (Reprinted with permission from "Horizons," November 1995.) Thanksgiving is the time we gather around for a sumptuous family repast; it is also a time for football and parades. Let me try and add a little food for thought to your holiday fare. In the wake of one notorious ex-football player's trial and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice falling farther and farther behind in processing cases under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is time to examine just how well the legal system is really working. Or is the last phrase somewhat oxymoronic because the system is NOT working? I submit that the O.J. Simpson case should spur much thought and possible change not only in the criminal law system but throughout the entire legal system þ including that mini part of it which relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The O.J. Simpson case will leave its mark on the American system of jurisprudence. The case will surely lead to much debate over the criminal justice-jury trial system. Was the televising of it a fundamentally good or bad thing? When all was said and done was the case simply one of race? More technical criminal law issues will arise, too. Questions such as how jurors are selected, the number of peremptory challenges (challenges for no reason or no merit) are allowed, the role of experts in picking juries ("jury consultants") will be at the fore. Would the case have had a different result if it had been tried in Santa Monica (where it could have been filed and drawn on a different, less African- American jury pool) instead of Los Angeles? How much deliberation did the jury do if it took only a few hours and there were 128 witnesses, thousands of hours of testimony and hundreds of exhibits? And what about the lawyers? Does the Simpson case prove that the first thing we do is kill all the lawyers, as the sagacious Shakespeare wrote three centuries ago? Did Johnnie Cochran's comparison of Fuhrman to Hitler make you sick, too? Already the conduct of the attorneys is being examined by the California State Bar. Is the Simpson case simply another example of the proposition that we have the best/worst justice money can buy? But remember one critical thing about the Simpson trial. It showed that cases þ investigations and trials þ are not nice little stories which television can wrap up in an hour (commercials included). The Simpson case was all over in a little more than a year. At first reading that seems relatively long. However, when we think about how long a complaint of a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act can languish at the Department of Justice or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, it is clear that O.J. Simpson did get a speedy trial þ as the United States Constitution mandates. The criminal justice system did work in a timely manner þ regardless of your view of the outcome. The same cannot be said of the systems in place to process ADA violations. The systems in place at EEOC and Justice, simply put, are not working for an individual who cannot afford an attorney (and sometimes even counsel is involved). EEOC has such a backlog of charges (complaints) under all the equal employment laws that it could literally refuse to take any new cases for two years and still have years of work. The Department of Justice effort on the ADA is still running like the old Office for Civil Rights at the late Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The caseload of complaints at Justice is not nearly what EEOC has. Yet Justice persists in making referrals to civil rights offices at the other federal agencies on subject matters. When was the last time you heard of a civil rights agency at the Department of the Interior or the Department of Transportation or the Department of Veterans Affairs doing anything positive in civil rights for persons with disabilities in a timely fashion? Filing complaints with those agencies directly or having your complaint to Justice wind up there does not often result in something productive happening for a person with a disability. Other complaints just sit at the Department of Justice unacknowledged and apparently unprocessed, in legal semi-limbo. Some complaints are returned with a form closeout letter without any investigation being done by the department. Bear in mind, unlike going to court for a jury trial, which costs $120 in the District of Columbia, there is no filing fee when you submit a complaint to Justice or EEOC. One of the clearly legitimate roles of government is do for people that which the individual cannot do for himself. Let's examine that proposition in the context of persons allegedly aggrieved by violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under ADA Title I an individual þ before going to court þ must first file a charge with EEOC. However, that person can escape the agency morass by requesting a "Right-to-Sue" letter from EEOC and go to court for their case of employment discrimination. Under ADA Titles II (state and local government services) and III (public accommodations and commercial facilities), a person wronged can go directly to court and need not file with the Department of Justice. In reality, the persons getting "Right-to-Sue" letters and persons filing directly in court under ADA Titles II and III are persons who have access to (and commonly can pay for) legal counsel. The cases left at EEOC and Justice are claims by persons with disabilities who cannot afford (or choose not to have) legal counsel and who believe/need EEOC and Justice to be the advocates those agencies proclaim themselves to be. Reality is that EEOC and Justice are litigating so few cases the odds are literally hundreds to one AGAINST the agency taking an individual with a disability's case to court. Clearly there are major problems at EEOC and Justice if their systems do not address all the complaints, let alone address them in a timely fashion. Investigators at EEOC have intolerably high workloads þ not only from ADA cases. It can easily be more than a year before an investigator gets on site with an EEOC complaint. Justice claims it does not have the staffing ability to even acknowledge the complaints it gets. (Memo to DOJ: Have you ever thought of a form letter or postcard?) Greatly compounding the weaknesses in systems at EEOC and the Department of Justice is the Congress. Congress simply has not given those agencies anything close to the resources they need to address their ADA (and other subject) workloads. When ADA was brand-new and would obviously, based on the historical experience with other new laws, be generating much new work for the federal agencies, the Congress did not give the EEOC and Justice the money that was needed. And future congresses won't either. Advocates must realize that more than half of the senators and representatives now serving are NOT the persons who voted for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The turnover in Congress in just five years (and more is expected in the next election) means a growing decrease in the institutional commitment to the ADA and even less hope of getting the necessary funding in this era of deficit and budget-cutting. And if you think you hear the Clinton administration beating the drums vigorously for fully funding the ADA enforcement efforts, please a) let me know and show me and my skeptical friends and b) go see your nearest medical/mental health professional immediately. Let me suggest that as we calm down from all O.J., we not begrudge Mr. Simpson any representation he can afford. That is his right. We make a fundamental error in denying him the right to use his money for competent counsel. But while we dare not deny O.J. Simpson his attorneys, let us recognize that he is truly the exception. Many people cannot afford attorneys þ let alone a "dream team" þ to help them on basic issues such as discriminating refusal of service by a taxi driver or a state government not making its print materials accessible in an alternative format. If money can buy you all the legal eagles your plate can hold, what is our þ the legal profession, indeed society's þ responsibility for those who cannot afford lawyers? Surely, the legal professional has a duty to contribute to society by doing more than taking out dollars from well-paying clients. The legal profession, unlike others, has organized pro bono efforts. Lawyers, as a profession, do as much pro bono work as any other group. But obviously that has not been and is not enough. It should not be all the fault or credit of one group þ be they lawyers or politicians. It is time to realize that changes in the system are both long overdue and necessary. The inevitable has arrived. What if all civil rights authorities from all federal agencies were consolidated into a single civil rights agency or civil rights court? Would there be a savings from the consolidation or a risk of putting all the eggs in a single basket? What if lawyers were excluded from parts of the process þ as some would propose in the reauthorization of special education? What if the EEOC, like the National Park Service and the courts, began charging people for using their services? What if the loser at EEOC or the Department of Justice had to pay costs and attorneys' fees? What if the EEOC and the Department of Justice were given subpoena power as part of their investigative powers? What if the local bar associations were enlisted by the EEOC's field directors and by Assistant United States Attorneys to provide organized pro bono legal assistance to claimants and defendants or to be volunteer mediators and arbitrators as part of their efforts involving alternative dispute resolution? Would any or all of these changes make the system work more equitably and more timely? During the 1992 presidential election, James Carville, who was running the Clinton campaign, kept the candidate hammering away at the economy. The cutesy phrase, "It's the economy, stupid," is one of his legacies. My recollection is that when O.J. Simpson was a member of the Buffalo Bills he played in games on Thanksgiving Day. By Thanksgiving the immediacy of the impact of the results of his trial will have subsided. The shock of the quick verdict hopefully will have been displaced by contemplation of the failures and flaws of the administration of justice, including that part of the legal system that relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Simpson case should be a wake-up call to the general populace that not only is the criminal system different from popular belief, but, after reflection, the civil justice system þ especially at the agencies who serve people (including persons with disabilities) who do not have attorneys also is badly in need of reform. It's the system, stupid! HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS by Glenn Plunkett With the upheavals going on in the provisions of health care, the term "health maintenance organization" has become well-known to most of us. But just how many of us really know much about such organizations and others in managed care situations? Many individuals are already in an HMO of their own choosing or have been forced into them by their employer or by their states if they are eligible for Medicaid. Further, some of the major changes being proposed by the Congress would encourage individuals with Medicare coverage to seek enrollment in "less costly" managed care programs. The question arises as to whether an HMO is the place for us, if we have a choice, and if so, which HMO is the best. As with all hard choices, there is no one answer or a best answer for all situations þ you can only make a decision based on the best information you can obtain. Currently there is only one organization that I know of that allegedly measures the quality of care of an HMO; it is the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA states that it is dedicated to measuring and reporting on HMO quality þ see explanation toward end of article about NCQA. NCQA does not give specific information about a plan þ it tells you if the plan has been accredited by it or if the plan is under review. You are really on your own and your decision should be based on as much information as you can obtain. Answers (if you can get them) to the following somewhat obvious questions may help in your decision-making. Even the lack of response to some or all of your questions might give you pause in deciding to join a particular HMO. The questions are: 1. Is the organization a non-profit? This does not say that only non-profits are good health maintenance organizations. However, non-profits generally have been in the business longer and, since they do not have to show earnings, may be more likely to make medical decisions based on the need of the patient rather than a profit motive. 2. How much does the organization spend on patient medical care (percentage on patients rather than on administration)? The more spent on patient care would indicate to me that the organization has a greater concern for patients than others who spend less. 3. How are the doctors paid? If they are paid a salary there is some indication that the doctor would not be as concerned over referrals to specialists and for other treatment. If a doctor is paid so much per patient and must absorb the loss caused by too many referrals to specialists or by expensive tests, he or she may be motivated to handle whatever care is provided by themselves. 4. How many of the doctors on staff have been board certified in their area of expertise? Lack of board certification does not mean that a doctor is not competent. I would much prefer to be treated by a doctor that has been tested and has been certified. 5. How much of a turnover does the HMO have in doctors and other medical personnel such as nurse practitioners each year? A high turnover rate may indicate many things but a high turnover rate would indicate that you may not be able to see the medical practitioner that has been treating you very long. Also, it might indicate that the medical practitioners had problems with how patients are given treatment or referred for additional treatment. 6. Does the HMO have a large or small turnover rate in patients each year? A large turnover rate in patients each year could mean a large degree of dissatisfaction. At least you would want to know if the turnover was caused by some outside influence such as a large employer changing HMOs. However, the reason the employer changed HMOs could be a deciding factor in whether you wished to join þ if you can find that out. 7. Do you have a friend or relative in an HMO? Ask him or her what they think about the medical services they have received þ their recommendations may be the most help to you. 8. Last but not least, read each plan's literature including all the fine print. Find out what it will pay for and what are the co-payments or limitations. Find out under what conditions you can receive care locally and while outside of your plan's coverage area. What about emergency care? Follow up with questions to clarify any parts of the plan that you do not clearly understand. If something is not written into the plan, I would not rely on verbal statements if I were considering enrollment in an HMO or any other managed care plan. The organization mentioned above, NCQA, now reports on its findings and says its evaluation can be used by purchasers, regulators, and consumers to assess managed care plans. NCQA says its "accreditation evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system þ physicians, hospital, other providers, and administrative services þ in order to continuously improve health care for its members." You can find out the accredited status of an HMO by calling (202) 955-3515 and asking for the status list of the HMO(s) you are considering. You will likely get a voice machine but leave your name, telephone number, mailing address and the names of the HMOs you are inquiring about and you will be mailed the latest status listing. Staff at NCQA advise me that about 55 percent of all HMOs are accredited or are scheduled for review by NCQA. There is no toll-free 800 telephone number. If you wish to write NCQA, the address is 200 L St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036. In the future, additional information for consumers should be available to potential HMO enrollees from an organization being established by the Health Care Financing Administration and a number of large employers to help individuals know the quality of managed care plans. According to HCFA staff, the development of information on quality of managed care plans is on a "fast track".....your guess is as good as mine as to when such information will actually be available. I mention it, however, so that you will be aware that the "Foundation for Accountability" is being established. When the information does become available you will be able to access it through the telephone or addresses given below. Some immediate help may be obtained by Medicare-eligible people who are interested in enrolling in an HMO by calling the HCFA hotline at (800) 638-6833 and asking for the following booklets: Medicare and Managed Care Plans, publication number HCFA 02195; 85 Commonly Asked Questions, publication number HCFA 02172; The Medicare Handbook, publication number HCFA 10050; Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare, publication number HCFA 02110. In addition, your local Social Security field office has a directory called the "1995 Medicare Managed Care Resource Information Directory" from which you can be given the name, address and telephone number of the Medicare-contracting coordinated or managed care plans near your residence. I have the reference directory. Also, I have asked HCFA to send a copy to each of ACB's state affiliate presidents for reference. Further, HCFA advises that Medicare-eligible individuals may obtain information on a wide range of beneficiary-related questions, including whether a managed care plan is located in a particular area. A list of regional offices, states within each region and telephone number of contact points are as follows: Boston þ Region I John F. Kennedy Federal Bldg. Room 2373 Boston, MA 02203 Beneficiary Services Branch (617) 565-1232 States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. New York þ Region II 26 Federal Plaza Room 3800 New York, NY 10278 Carrier Operations Branch (212) 264-8522 States: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. Philadelphia þ Region III 3535 Market Street Room 3100 Philadelphia, PA 19104 Beneficiary Services Branch (215) 596-1332 States: Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia. Atlanta þ Region IV 101 Marietta Tower Suite 702 Atlanta, GA 30323 Beneficiary Services Branch (404) 331-2549 States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee. Chicago þ Region V 105 West Adams Street 15th Floor Chicago, IL 60603 Beneficiary Services Branch (312) 353-7180 States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin. Dallas þ Region VI 1200 Main Tower Building Dallas, TX 75202 Beneficiary Services Branch (214) 767-6401 States: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas. Kansas City þ Region VII New Federal Office Building 601 E. 12th St. Room 220 Kansas City, MO 64106 Program Services Branch (816) 426-2866 States: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska. Denver þ Region VIII Federal Office Building 1961 Stout St. Room 522 Denver, CO 80294 Beneficiary Services Branch (303) 844-4024 Extension I States: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming. San Francisco þ Region IX 75 Hawthorne St. 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Managed Care Operations (415) 744-3617 States: American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada. Seattle þ Region X Mail Stop 44 2202 6th Ave. Seattle, WA 98121 Beneficiary Services Branch (206) 615-2354 States: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington. EDITORIAL: IT'S TIME TO SAY THANKS by Nolan Crabb From where I sit, the fall TV season is a disaster. That's a good thing, because in fleeing the piles of garbage hurled relentlessly at my cable box by the networks, I've become a little more introspective and a lot more grateful to a bunch of folks I'd never thought much about before. Instead of doing the sensible thing and turning the set off, I've become a bigger fan than ever of the movie classics channel my cable company offers. I tuned in one night just in time to see a movie that made me recognize it's high time I said thanks to a group of people who have probably influenced my life more than I ever realized þ those who lost their sight in combat during World War II. The picture was called "Bright Victory," and it was based on a book entitled "Lights Out." The picture stars Arthur Kennedy as Sergeant Larry Nevins, a soldier blinded in combat during World War II. Well-scripted and well-acted, this picture details Nevins's transformation from the bitter, suicidal young man who first entered the Valley Forge veterans facility in Pennsylvania to a young blind man with much to offer, a girlfriend who cared unconditionally, and a new-found interest in practicing law. Those who have seen the movie will quickly agree that my over- simplification of the plot does it no justice; if you've never seen it, it's far better than what I've described briefly here. As I watched that film, it occurred to me for the first time that the nearly 2,000 blinded vets who came home from World War II had a powerful and lasting impact on services to blind people generally. This was the era of Dr. Richard Hoover and his long cane technique; the movie depicts Sergeant Nevins learning braille, learning to travel with a cane, and allowing the can-do spirit of the returning war hero to emerge from the adjustment process. Ultimately, Nevins must choose between security without fulfillment or the riskier path to security with fulfillment. Speaking to the girl he had planned to marry before he was blinded, Nevins futilely attempts to explain why he must leave the small Florida town of his youth and make his own way. She offered a marriage and a charity job at her father's factory. When he explained his desire to leave their community and strike out on his own, she asks incredulously, "Why would you want to do a thing like that?" His reply was gripping indeed. "Because I don't know I can't," he explains. I trust there are statistics out there that detail precisely the impact these vets had on blindness services. But it's that "I don't know I can't" attitude that arguably had the greatest impact of all. Many of these guys came home thinking they could do the same job and love the same girl they'd loved before the war and before they were blinded. It seldom worked that way, but their assumptions forced the service providers to rethink traditionally held ideas about jobs that could and could not be done by blind employees. A sighted friend of mine worked at Valley Forge during the war. He knew Dr. Hoover and he knew many of the vets who went through the facility. I asked him once recently what he remembered most about his time there. I'm not sure what kind of answer I expected, but his came as a pleasant surprise. "Oh, I remember the sense of humor those guys had," he said fondly. "They were always playing tricks on one another and on us." More so than many, 1995 seems to be the year we looked back at the events of World War II. Media outlets, both local and national, have paid ongoing attention to the commemorative ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. That era in American history fascinates me more than any other. Few things if any compare to the excitement and entertainment of radio broadcasts from that time in our past. As a young boy, my boundless imagination transformed the bathtub into some unnamed section of the south Pacific and a few small plastic boats became the invincible U.S. Seventh Fleet. (My dad served on the U.S.S. Maryland, a battleship assigned to the Seventh Fleet.) He was careful not to fuel the imaginative fires of my youth. His stories about the war were brief and few. The stories he and mom told were designed to teach the premise that war carries with it more of sacrifice and sadness than it ever does of glamour and excitement. While I know that's true, I'm also keenly aware that my parents and their generation did not shrink from the task at hand. They fought bravely abroad and sacrificed endlessly at home, and for that, they have my utmost gratitude and admiration. Those then-young people who lost their sight, lost their lives, or lost precious years in service to this nation are the most fascinating part of that era. As you read this, Veterans Day will be over and Thanksgiving will be rapidly approaching. It seems to me the perfect time for those of us who are part of the dog-using, CCTV-operating, cane- carrying cavalcade who fell into step behind these blinded vets of World War II to pause and extend our thanks to them for their sense of humor and their can-do spirit that changed forever the provision of services to blind and partially sighted Americans. AFFILIATE NEWS COLORADO STORE Rocky Mountain Visual, Inc. has opened at the ACB of Colorado office. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. It has games in braille, TV magnifier, Seiko watches, kitchen and sewing needs, rulers, timers, telephone sensors, signature guides, slates and styli, pens, calculators and more. For more information, call (303) 832-7844. BAY STATE CONFERENCE The fourth annual fall conference of the Bay State Council of the Blind was held October 28 at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown. Presentations included: Nicholas Racheotes on his trip to Russia, Gayle Yarnall on her trip to Bangladesh, and Cafer Barkus on his trips to Turkey and India. In addition, there was a representative from the Perkins/Hilton International Program, Regina Chavez on the International Friendly Circle, and Amy Hasbrouck. There were also workshops on the Internet, grooming tips from a pro, stir-fry cooking, and Norm Nathan, WBZ radio's late night weekend talk show host. The day ended with a showing of the DVS movie "Sister Act 2." HER PHONE CALL CHANGED THE WORLD FOR THOUSANDS by Nolan Crabb There isn't much that's newsworthy about a guy taking a phone call from his mom. It happens constantly every day somewhere in the world. So when Edward Bettinardi, president and CEO of Innoventions, Inc., picked up his phone that night in 1990 and heard his mom's voice, he had no idea that the ensuing conversation would change his life and that of thousands of visually impaired people throughout the world. According to Tom Winter, vice president for marketing at Innoventions, Inc., that simple phone call started a chain of events that would ultimately result in the introduction of low- priced portable magnification devices. "Ed's mom had been dealing with vision loss for several years," Winter recalls in a telephone interview. "She was living in a retirement facility and had seen a demonstration of a closed circuit TV system designed to enlarge printed material. Knowing that her son was an engineer and had some experience with optics, she called to seek his advice. She had wanted to buy the CCTV, but thought she should talk to him first." Winter says when Bettinardi heard about the device and its nearly $5,000 price, he urged his mom not to buy it until he could get a closer look at one. "She was thrilled by the fact that she could read print again," Winter recalls, "but she was concerned about the price; as it turned out, so was her son." Winter says the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and various eye doctors had told Bettinardi's mother that hand-held magnification devices were no longer viable for her; her macular degeneration had progressed to such a degree that the hand-held magnifiers then on the market wouldn't work for her. That's where Bettinardi's degrees in physics and electrical engineering paid off. He knew what questions to ask when he got a look at a CCTV. The two questions he asked most frequently were, "Why is this so big?" and "Why does this have to cost so much?" He began answering his own questions by building prototype cameras that were smaller and cheaper than models then available. Bettinardi became a one-man crusade at that point, taking his prototypes to rehabilitation agencies and ophthalmologists. "Their reaction was overwhelmingly positive," Winter says. They began urging him to buy an exhibit booth at the American Council of the Blind convention that would be held in Denver that summer. He sold 12 units at ACB's Denver convention, according to Winter. If that wasn't enough to put Innoventions on the Fortune 500 list, it at least provided some cash flow and the necessary emotional capital to keep the business going and growing. Tom Winter got his introduction to Innoventions at ACB's Denver convention as well. The two had worked for the same large corporation in previous years. Bettinardi was invited to make a presentation about his product during the convention and asked Winter to come in and just man the booth. "I knew nothing about magnification devices," Winter explains. "I just sat there and urged people with questions to come back when Ed would be there." Winter recognized the potential of Bettinardi's work immediately and began working with Innoventions in 1990, demonstrating the units in homes, schools, libraries, and other agencies in the Denver area. The Littleton, Colo.-based company had a clear vision of its mission and was focused on its future. With Winter out demonstrating the devices, Bettinardi set about to improve them. The original camera that was introduced at the ACB convention in 1990 cost $495. In the spring of 1991, Bettinardi unveiled a unit that significantly improved on the 1990 model, Winter says, and included better optics and lighting. It sold for $695. Once again, the two employees of the little company born out of a phone call from the woman who had given birth to its founder hit the exhibit circuit again; it didn't take long for Magni-Cam (TM), the name given the Innoventions units, to become a household word. Winter says between the spring of 1991 and June of this year, thousands of Magni-Cams have been sold; the customer list includes some 40 state rehabilitation agencies and individuals and organizations from 18 other countries. Further improvements to the Magni-Cam (TM) were introduced in June. The latest model offers significant improvements in the areas of magnification and field of view. Winter says unlike CCTV's, the Magni-Cam remains in focus even when the object being examined is moved. "That means people can use it to read prescription labels on bottles or soup cans," Winter explains. "You can read frozen food packages with this thing, and it reads right down into the folds and creases in the packaging. When we demonstrate the Magni-Cam, we try to provide people with real-world situations so they can judge for themselves whether this will work for them. We not only let them look at the prescription labels on the bottle, we'll put one of their pills under the camera to magnify that if that's what the person wants to see." According to Winter, the Magni-Cam can be positioned to allow users to write while viewing what they've written. "The camera has built-in lights which attach to spacer blocks with Velcro strips. These blocks hold the camera above the paper," he says. "A third spacer block lets you angle the camera so you can write." The current model also offers an optional stainless steel clamp which facilitates hands-free operation. Winter explains that the hands-free operation could be very useful to anyone who needs to read a syringe. The Magni-Cam's portability means it can work with TV sets or computer monitors. The currently available models can include a six-inch portable liquid crystal display screen, a stand for the portable monitor, a battery pack, a microprocessor designed to monitor batteries to warn users when the batteries get low, and, of course, the Magni-Cam unit. Weighing in at 8 pounds, this particular configuration sells for $2,300. Winter says Innoventions is now marketing a Magni-Cam (TM) which includes a seven-ounce headset worn by the user, a Magni- Cam (TM) in a fanny pack, and the batteries to power the system. "In essence," Winter explains, "we're offering something that will give folks 25 power magnification on what looks to be a 20- inch screen just in front of their face." The portable headset is similar to those worn by arcade game and virtual reality game players. Its relatively small size means a visually impaired user could walk through the aisles of a store and read labels or other things without the headset seriously hampering their field of view, according to Winter. Those Magni-Cam (TM) users interviewed by "The Braille Forum" gave Bettinardi and Winter high marks. One user suggested the product works as advertised, but it doesn't work for everyone. According to those who have dealt with Innoventions, Bettinardi and Winter are not snake oil salesmen by any means. If it becomes clear that their product won't work for someone with a certain type of vision loss, the company won't pretend. "We know there are some people with retinitis pigmentosa whose field of view is such that our product just won't work for them," Winter concedes. "We're not going to sell something to someone and insist that it works for them when it doesn't. We're not going to paint an overly optimistic picture of this device for someone; we don't need to do that." Winter says while selling Magni-Cam (TM) units is obviously important to Innoventions, the little company's three employees haven't lost sight of the whole picture. "Around this time of year," he explains, "around the holidays, we're constantly reminded that our work is important and that we're making a difference. Invariably, we get letters from a great many folks who tell us we've essentially given them back a view of their grandchildren. They'll tell us they're able to see pictures drawn by their youngest grandchildren þ something impossible without the Magni-Cam. Or they'll write and tell us that their kids and grandkids live hundreds or even thousands of miles away, and they're able to see pictures of them for the first time in years. "That's what this is ultimately about," Winter says reflectively. "It's a wonderful feeling to see someone work with our equipment for the first time and watch the excitement they feel when they read something they haven't been able to read for years." With more than 400 distribution sites these days, Innoventions doesn't have to worry about long delays in getting its products into the hands of potential buyers. For additional information on the Magni-Cam (TM) or to find a demonstration or distribution site near you, call (800) 854-6554 or write to Innoventions, Inc., 5921 S. Middlefield Rd., Suite 102, Littleton, CO 80123. 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. JOB OPENING The Badger Association of the Blind in Milwaukee, Wis., is seeking a development director. The job involves providing leadership, organization and structure to a major gifts campaign, including development of all presentation materials; supervising and organizing all mail appeals, including the annual campaign, personal appeal and direct mail for donor acquisition; directing the efforts of volunteer committees in external relations and donor recognition; overseeing production and distribution of the annual report, and more. Applicants must have excellent organizational skills with attention to detail; strong written and verbal communication skills; a minimum of two years experience in non- profit fund development, and the ability to work effectively with a diverse group of people. If you're interested, send your resume and references to the attention of Patrick Brown, Badger Association of the Blind, 912 N. Hawley Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213. ORDER QUICKLY! The Seeing Eye is offering holiday cards depicting a wicker basket that contains three puppies, with a background of poinsettias. The inside greeting says "Tidings of comfort and joy." Cards come in boxes of 20 for $12 plus $2.50 shipping and handling. Cards can be ordered by mail, phone or fax from The Seeing Eye, P.O. Box 375, Morristown, N.J. 07963-0375; phone (201) 539-4425, fax (201) 539-0922. Include your name, address, telephone number and credit card information, or include a check made payable to The Seeing Eye. Cards are also available at the school's headquarters on Washington Valley Road weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. NEW ADDRESS Tina Blatter, who does braille greeting cards, has moved. Her new address is: Artistic Touch, 2600 W. 28th St., Sioux Falls, S.D. 57105; her new phone number is (605) 335-1736. TACTILE CARDS Creative Adaptations for Learning has put together a set of tactually illustrated cards for all occasions, including "Season's Greetings." Each 5- by 7-inch card is embossed on white plastic and framed on white card stock backing for durability and easy braille writing. One card and envelope costs $2.50; a set of 10 cards costs $18.75. Add 10 percent for shipping and handling, and send your orders to Creative Adaptations for Learning, 38 Beverly Rd., Great Neck, N.Y. 11021, or phone (516) 466-9143. GREETING CARDS The holidays are coming soon. Are you ready? The following places offer braille or braille-and-print greeting cards: Rhonda Kraft, DesignKraft, 4822 Chilton Dr., Dallas, TX 75227-2918; phone (214) 249-4201; Prophecy Designs, PO Box 84, Round Pond, ME 04564; phone (207) 529-5318; and Tina Blatter, Artistic Touch, 2600 W. 28th St., Sioux Falls, S.D. 57105; phone (605) 335-1736. SIERRA SKIING Sierra Regional Ski for Light wants you to come and enjoy cross-country skiing at its third annual event Feb. 23 through 25, 1996, at Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Ski Resort in Truckee, Calif. The program consists of one-to-one instruction and guiding by experienced sighted skiers. Beginners will receive training in safe techniques. The total cost is $155 for those who need to rent skis, $140 for those who have their own skis. This includes room, two breakfasts, two dinners, trail fees, registration and equipment. Ground transportation between Sacramento and Truckee will be provided. Out-of-town participants may arrange their own housing for Thursday, Feb. 22; there is a centrally located hotel with rooms at a modest cost. Send application requests to: Sierra Regional Ski for Light, 3510 Gold Creek Ln., Sacramento, CA 95827; call Julie Lisenby at (916) 362-5759. Completed applications must be received no later than December 5, with a $25 deposit; applications will not be processed without the $25 deposit. HOLIDAY HOMECOMING "Holiday Homecoming" is a cookbook from Kraft Creative Kitchens that has 87 easy, festive recipes for appetizers, main dishes, accompaniments and desserts, as well as menus, food gift ideas and more. It costs $12, and is available from Braille International, 3142 SE Jay St., Stuart, FL 34997; phone (800) 336-3142. REFRESHER COURSE The National Braille Association has published a refresher course to help teachers, transcribers and proofreaders. It's a 300-page book of exercises, self-tests, and up-to-date rule summaries that reviews literary braille. Correct braille is shown for all exercises; answers are given for all tests. References are given to the latest edition of the official literary code, "English Braille American Edition, 1994." Order before December 31 and receive your print copy at the introductory price of $25 (a braille edition is not available at this time). Make a check or money order to National Braille Association, and send it to the company at 3 Townline Circle, Rochester, N.Y. 14623-0263. WINDOWS 95 AUDIO TAPE "What is Windows 95?" is an audio cassette which can be used by people who want more information about Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. Available from Audio Computer Information Inc., the audio tape guides users through the basics of the operating system. According to "News Bits," the tape begins with a background on why Windows is so popular, and the differences between the various operating systems. After that, the "guided tour" deals with the new "Taskbar." Then the "Start Button," explaining its menus. Accessories provided with the tape are used for practice sessions and examples. The cassette case also includes a double-length folded "J card" that contains a non- technical glossary of Windows 95 terms, along with a screen shot of Windows 95 that shows the various features of the operating system. The card is in print only. Other Windows 95 features discussed include the "My Computer" area and an explanation of files and folders, the use of TrueType fonts, and a definition of "system resources." The tape is about 85 minutes long. It's available in stores and direct from ACI. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for "What is Windows 95?" is $18.95. If the user buys direct from ACI, shipping is included in the price. Call Audio Computer Information at (507) 498-3279 for additional information or to order. SULLIVAN HONORED The Canadian National Institute for the Blind recently presented the Winston Gordon Award for Technological Advancement in the Field of Blindness and Visual Impairment to Joseph E. Sullivan, president of Duxbury Systems, Inc., for his work in the Duxbury braille translation software. The award consists of $10,000 in Canadian money and a 24-carat gold medal. UPDATE ON UBC The first phase of the research project to unify the braille codes (except music) used in the major English-speaking countries is complete, according to an update from the International Council on English Braille. Its first research report and draft code for evaluation have been accepted; the motion of acceptance states that the research project committee would not discuss the type of numbering system to be used until after the evaluation has been completed. Evaluation of this draft code will be designed by the Braille Research Center and conducted in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, and will involve a large number of knowledgeable braille readers, teachers and transcribers. Evaluation results will assist the working groups undertaking the second phase of the unified braille code research. TAX EXEMPT DOGS According to a press release from Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, the state of New York recently exempted from sales or uses taxes "any goods or services necessary for the acquisition, sustenance or maintenance of a guide dog, a hearing dog, or a service dog. The guide, hearing or service dog must be used by a person with a disability to compensate for an impairment to the person's sight, hearing or movement ... Those eligible to claim this exemption are a person with a disability and an individual whose dependent is a person with a disability. People who have been given express authority by an eligible person to make purchase on the eligible person's behalf may also claim the exemption." RECORDED TUTORIALS Top Dot Enterprises offers these new recorded interactive tutorials: Top Windows Demystifier, for beginning users of Windows 3.1, $19.50; Top WP6.0/DOS, for beginning and intermediate users of the word processor, $19.50; Top Commo Teacher, instruction on the popular communication program and advice on navigating bulletin boards, $19.50. All the above recordings come with supplemental disks. Also, Top BNS/TNS, a new tutorial for users of the Braille 'n Speak 640, Type 'n Speak, and Braille-Lite, $16. Include $2 shipping/handling for orders under $30 and $1 for each $15 over that sum. To order, or to receive a disk, print or cassette catalog, write to Top Dot Enterprises, 8930 11th Pl. SE, Everett, WA 98205; (206) 335-4894; e-mail, deamar@eskimo.com. AFB WINNERS The American Foundation for the Blind awarded 12 scholarships to blind and visually impaired college students. The winners of the Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship were: Alison Bessenecker of Orlando, Fla.; Rebekah Brod of Santa Monica, Calif.; Michael J. Graham of Greeley, Colo., and Ramiro Martinez Jr. of Denton, Tex. R.L. Gillette Scholarship winners were: Kara M. Green of Richmond, Va., and Juliana Lynn Raiche of Carlsbad, Calif. The winner of the Gladys C. Anderson Memorial Scholarship was Jennifer Gundlach of Denton, Tex. Robin Langman of Culver City, Calif., was the winner of the Delta Gamma Foundation's Florence Margaret Harvey Memorial Scholarship. Jennifer Tatomir of Norfolk, Va., was the winner of the TeleSensory Scholarship; Lisa Kiesel of Seattle, Wash., won the Karen D. Carsel Memorial Scholarship; and Timothy J. Cordes of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and William Stevens of Prospect, Ky., were the winners of the Frederick A. Downes Scholarship. BVA NEWS Major General Richard Fazakerley (Army, ret.) of Alexandria, Va., was elected president of the Blinded Veterans Association. He was a battery commander in Korea; he took part in seven campaigns and was awarded the Bronze Star. He later served on Gen. C.W. Abrams' staff in Vietnam from 1969-1970. He retired from the Army in 1981. BVA recently opened a field office in Los Angeles; field representative Earl Ivie works there. To reach him, write: Blinded Veterans Association, 11000 Wilshire Blvd., Room 1006, Los Angeles, CA 90024; or phone (310) 235-6125. The newest field service representative is Robert Del Malak, who oversees the midwestern region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. To reach him, write: Blinded Veterans Association, VARO, Vets Assistance Section, P.O. Box 8136 M/P 80, Chicago, IL 60680; or phone (312) 353-1740. RP PACKETS The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national research organization that studies retinal degenerations (a group of blinding diseases that affect more than 6 million Americans), is offering information packets on retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and Usher syndrome. To request a free packet with answers to the most commonly asked questions and updates on the latest research, call (800) 683-5555. OKLAHOMA COUNCIL SAYS 'THANKS' Dear Nolan, The Oklahoma Council of the Blind created a Disaster Relief Fund for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. The monies collected go to those persons who are blind or visually impaired and directly affected by the tragedy. Victims who were OCB members worked in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, lived in the high-rise apartments close by or had vending facilities located in the immediate area. The station housing the Oklahoma Council's post office box was situated diagonally across from the blast site and has temporarily relocated. ACB affiliates and members from throughout the country continue to send letters and donations. Whether one dollar or hundreds of dollars, it is apparent that every dollar given comes from the warm generosity and sacrifice of ACB members. The letters include needed donations and they bring concern for our well-being and support for the healing process. Vicky Golightly, Chair of the Disaster Relief Fund Screening Committee, and I would like to express OCB's gratitude for the wonderful letters and donations. We are often overwhelmed by the caring and support so many have sent to the Oklahoma Council. Sincerely, Vicky Golightly, Chair, Disaster Relief Fund Screening Committee Diane Bowers, OCB President HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: 1996 Rose Parade programs in braille, including background articles on the parade theme, royal court and Bowl Game, as well as float descriptions. No deadline for ordering. Please send your address on a label or clearly brailled. Juliet interpoint braille printer. Maximum of 56 braille characters a line. Graphics. Under warranty until October 1996. Looking for an ACB chapter or individual wanting a stable product. Will take layaway payments and will keep serviced like new until sold. 386 mHz-42 computer with the latest version of VocalEyes, DECTalk PC card, WordPerfect 5.1, 4 meg RAM, ScanJet Plus HP scanner. For information on prices, call (818) 793-9684 on weekends, and weekdays between 5 and 11 p.m. Pacific time. Or write in braille or typed to C. Griesmer, 836C Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101-1233. FOR SALE: VersaBraille II with dual disk drive. Comes with all print and braille manuals. Asking $900. Contact Michael Sibole at (212) 951-4523, or write hm at 155 E. 31st St., Apt. 15A, New York, N.Y. 10016. FOR SALE: TeleSensory Navigator 40 braille display, 8-dot braille, with carrying case. Call Sean Cummins at (520) 639-2111. FOR SALE: TeleSensory CCTV. Perfect condition, great picture. Asking $995. Contact Tom Blom, 5400 Ocean Blvd. #55, Sarasota, FL 34242; phone (813) 349-5755. FOR SALE: CCTV. Asking $900 or best offer. Contact Vivian Smith at (301) 248-3142. FOR SALE: TeleSensory VersiColor XL CCTV. Purchased in 1993 for $2,800. Perfect condition; minimal use by one owner. Select color of letters and background for maximum contrast with minimum glare, vertical and horizontal underline, many features, with manual. Asking $1,100 or best offer. Will show, deliver, and set up for you in D.C., Maryland, Va., or insure and ship. Contact Barbara at (202) 720-8577 days or (301) 261-7057 evenings. FOR SALE: Memorex 386DX 33 mHz computer. WMATH coprocessor; Ami BIOS; 8 megabytes of RAM; 3.5-inch disk drive; 120-megabyte hard drive; 28 dpi; VGA monitor with graphics card, 1 megabyte video RAM; 6.0 enhanced keyboard. Asking $500. Call Lilly at (301) 953-1806. FOR SALE: Used Perkins braille writers. Asking $250 each. Contact Southwest Kansas Association for Visually Impaired, c/o Darlene Howe, president, 2518 Bell, Dodge City, KS 67801; phone (316) 225-6818. NEEDS A GOOD HOME: Law dictionary in braille, perfect for law students. Contact Dee Snider in braille or on tape at 1527 W. Clinch Ave., Apt. C, Knoxville, TN 37916, or phone her at (615) 546-4746. WANTED: Optacon line scanner or mechanical tracker at a reasonable price. For information on prices, call (818) 793-9684 on weekends, and weekdays between 5 and 11 p.m. Pacific time. Or write in braille or typed to C. Griesmer, 836C Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101-1233. WANTED: Type 'n' Speak in good working condition. Contact Norma Boge in braille or on tape at 939 44th Pl., Des Moines, IA 50311; phone (515) 255-2850. WANTED: A single-line slate made of brass. Call Rick at (818) 773-1964. WANTED: An Optacon. Call Luis Sanchez at (619) 292-4073. ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sue Ammeter, Seattle, WA Ardis Bazyn, Cedar Rapids, IA Christopher Gray, San Jose, CA Charles Hodge,Arlington, VA John Horst, Wilkes-Barre, PA Jean Mann, Guilderland, NY Kristal Platt, Omaha, NE M.J. Schmitt, Forest Park, IL Pamela Shaw, Philadelphia, PA Richard Villa, Bedford, TX LeRoy Saunders, Immediate Past President, Oklahoma City, OK BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS Carol McCarl, Chairperson, Salem, OR Kim Charlson, Watertown, MA Thomas Mitchell, North Salt Lake City, UT Mitch Pomerantz, Los Angeles, CA Jay Doudna, Lancaster, PA Ex Officio: Laura Oftedahl, Watertown, MA ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT PAUL EDWARDS 20330 NE 20TH CT.. MIAMI, FL 33179 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT BRIAN CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVE. WATERTOWN, MA 02172 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT STEPHEN SPEICHER 825 M ST., SUITE 216 LINCOLN, NE 68508 SECRETARY CYNTHIA TOWERS 556 N. 80TH ST. SEATTLE, WA 98103 TREASURER PATRICIA BEATTIE CRYSTAL TOWERS #206 NORTH 1600 S. EADS ST. ARLINGTON, VA 22202 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ELIZABETH M. LENNON, Kalamazoo, MI