THE Braille Forum Vol. XXVIII May/June 1990 No. 6 Published By The American Council of the Blind PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE AND EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY Oral O. Miller, J.D., National Representative Nolan Crabb, Editor National Office: 1010 Vermont Ave. N.W. Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 393-3666 THE BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large type, and cassette tape (15/16 IPS). Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to: Nolan Crabb, THE BRAILLE FORUM, 1010 Vermont Ave. N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. Those much-needed and appreciated cash contributions, which are tax- deductible, may be sent to Brian Charlson, Treasurer, 1010 Vermont Ave. N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. You may wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The ACB National Office has available printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his/her Last Will and Testament may do so by including a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, you may contact the ACB National Office. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" at (202) 393-3664 Eastern Time, 24 hours a day; or toll-free, (800) 424-8666, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday. Copyright 1990 The American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message, by LeRoy F. Saunders Bush Hosts Historical Press Conference on Disabilities, by Nolan Crabb News Briefs From the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller On the Road to Denver, by Robert J. Acosta ADA Clears Another Hurtle, by Kathy Megivern Legal Access 1990, by Charles D. Goldman, Esq. ACB Bids Fond Farewell to Roberta Douglas Protect Yourself From Warranty Problems, by Stephen Speicher Here and There Parent Group Gets Name Change, by Nola Webb High Tech Swap Shop PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE THE INDIVIDUAL MAKES THE DIFFERENCE By LeRoy F. Saunders During the past several months, I've had the pleasure of visiting a number of state affiliates. While the issues vary from state to state, I've found a common thread of innovation and creativity which runs throughout ACB. No matter how often I travel, I always return home impressed with one idea--in ACB, the individual still makes a difference, and the state and special-interest affiliates are the very heart of ACB. I have come away from those weekend meetings repeatedly impressed with the quality of leadership I've seen. State and special-interest affiliates throughout this country are finding creative solutions to problems in their areas. Size isn't necessarily a determining factor where creativity and innovation are concerned. I've seen some relatively small gatherings where good leaders and strong members are in abundance. Of course, ACB must maintain a vigorous national presence, especially when dealing with national issues. The ALL legislative seminar earlier this year is a good example of what can happen when people come together on a national level, get the necessary training and encouragement, then go home to continue to make a difference there. So while a national presence is vital to ACB, people are often more directly affected by what goes on at the state and local level. New leaders receive quality training when they experience all that membership has to offer in state and special-interest affiliates. ACB represents one of the finest examples of the democratic process I can think of. It works at the state and local level and certainly at our national convention as well. It's my fervent hope that ACB members everywhere will come to Denver and participate fully in the living, evolving democratic process that is such a great tradition at our convention. Speaking of the convention, I'm announcing a meeting for all state and special-interest affiliate presidents. The meeting will be held Thursday, July 5, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. We will discuss a variety of issues. I'd like to express my best wishes to Roberta Douglas who has left ACB for another job after nearly 10 years of distinguished service. (See "ACB Bids Fond Farewell to Roberta Douglas" in this issue). Roberta has been a dedicated member of the ACB family. She will be greatly missed. However, I'm confident that the national staff will continue in the great tradition that Roberta represents. BUSH HOSTS HISTORICAL PRESS CONFERENCE ON DISABILITIES By Nolan Crabb Braille literacy, telephone technology as it relates to blind people, social security, and the Americans With Disabilities Act were among the topics address by President George Bush when he hosted a May 1 press conference for reporters and editors who cover disability issues. "ADA will form the foundation of policies and programs that can create opportunities for Americans with disabilities to find and hold jobs," Bush confidently told reporters gathered in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. "I see my part in this as trying to speak out against the ignorance and prejudice that deny opportunities to millions." Bush complimented those on his staff who have negotiated with members of Congress on ADA-related issues and commended House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., for his efforts in behalf of the bill. ACB Member Scott Marshall, director of governmental relations for the American Foundation for the Blind, asked the president how he would include braille literacy in the administration's literacy initiatives. "I think it would be through exhortation," Bush replied. "I'm told that only a relatively small percentage of people whose sight is impaired use braille, and some of that's because of new technology in terms of audio. So far what we've done is encourage, through our education program, parental leaning on the local school system. So much of it is that parents of kids that can't see are going to other systems." Marshall urged Bush to encourage educators to instruct new teachers of the blind in the use of braille on a wider basis. Asked whether he favored legislation which would allow the Bell Operating Companies to provide talking or electronic yellow pages among other things, Bush said he had no position yet on a change in the nation's telecommunications laws. "Nolan," he said, "I'm embarrassed to say I don't have a detailed view on this. I don't have an answer as president what I think, and that's why I was a little caught up by Scott (Marshall)'s question. I don't really know enough of the details." Bush said while he didn't have the answers to many of the questions related to blindness issues, he is determined to learn more about those issues. "I hope that that answer doesn't come out as showing a disinterest in the subject," the president said. "I've got to learn more; I've got to have recommendations that come into the Oval Office across the hall that here's something that the president should do. "The way this operation works," he continued, "that has not come to me yet, and thus I'm unequipped to discuss it in an intelligent fashion with those of you who have given a lot of your time to try to help people. In terms of interest, in terms of do I want to be informed on these questions that effect the lives of so many, the answer I hope would be yes, and I'm going to demonstrate that to you. I just can't answer the specifics on it. I don't know that anybody else wants to--Roger, do you want to speak on that?" Roger Porter, assistant to the president for economic and domestic policy, said the telecommunications issue is still being studied by staff members from the Department of Commerce. "Well, that particular issue is under consideration right now within the Economic Policy Council," Porter said. "As you know, there are lots of strong arguments on both sides and it's also in the courts, but nothing has come up to the president yet on it. It's still under discussion." The question was raised regarding ways to educate Social Security Administration employees who feel that disabled people should not attempt to make the transition to self support programs. "I don't think I can ask you to do more on that," Bush replied, "I think it's something we have to do more on because I think to sensitize bureaucracy, a president has to hear something like this, to understand it, and then try through various means to keep the focus on priorities." Joe Shapiro, associate editor of "U.S. News and World Report," questioned the president regarding the case of a disabled Georgia man who would like to work, but cannot leave a nursing home and retain his medicaid benefits. "We've encountered a couple of cases we've been able to solve through bureaucratic flexibility," Bush replied. "If we can change (the law) by putting pressure on the bureaucracy, we ought to take a hard look at changing it. "My view on that, Joe, is the more we can encourage home care, the more we can encourage flexibility in in-hospital care, (a person could go in, come out, go back in for a check, rather than having to stay there), in the long run, it's far better for the individual and I'm convinced cost-wise it's going to be better, too." Kenneth Jernigan, executive director of the National Federation of the Blind, raised the tired question of exit row seating and blind airline passengers. "Ken," the president said, "I've never thought of you as a reporter, but here you are and I'm delighted to see you." Jernigan assured Bush that he is the editor of "The Braille Monitor." "You do head that? Well, I take back my attack on you," Bush quipped, getting a chuckle from his audience. Jernigan criticized recently-released Federal Aviation Administration regulations which prevent blind airline passengers from sitting in exit rows. Bush defended Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner "who, on this subject, is about as sensitive as anyone I know." Bush said Skinner "tested doors" on airlines and formed the regulations based on his tests. "Whether the regulation can be changed so as to have flexibility in instructing a non-sighted person who sat there, I don't know," Bush said. "It's not just aimed at disqualifying non-sighted people sitting there; I believe there has to be some evidence that the person is physically able to open that hatch. It's almost like an additional safety factor for the airlines." Bush said he would ask Skinner again regarding the regulations, but defended them, saying they were written "not to discriminate, but really to try and save lives by being sure that whoever sat there was totally capable without instruction of knowing where you grab (the door handle)." The president stopped short of promising a single agency on disability. He said a single agency which would work with all other agencies would be difficult because of the "jurisdictional problems up on the hill and the maze of interactions and bureaucracies." Bush said the ADA should cover people with mental disabilities to the best possible degree. "I would opt for tolerance and understanding," Bush said. "People with mental disabilities should be treated with equity and fairness." Bush carried his press conference themes to the opening session of the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities which was held May 2. "It is time, past time, that people with disabilities are included in the mainstream of American life," Bush told his audience. "More than two-thirds of our fellow citizens with disabilities of working age are indeed unemployed. That is intolerable; and much of that unemployment stems from a lack of opportunity. We welcome you, the disabled, into the mainstream of American life, because it is your life as well as ours. Every American should be able to join the workforce to the fullest extent of their abilities." NEWS BRIEFS FROM THE ACB NATIONAL OFFICE By Oral O. Miller National Representative Everybody loves a parade! But would that apply also to a march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the U.S. Capitol in support of a very worthwhile cause like the Americans With Disabilities Act? Several thousand other disabled people and I received unseasonably early sunburns during such a march on March 12, 1990. We traveled down Pennsylvania Avenue to the cheers and encouragement of thousands of spectators, many of whom heard of the ADA for the first time. The rally concluded at the Capitol with stirring speeches by Rep. Major Owens, D-N.Y., Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colo., and Justin Dart, Jr., chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities. The rally attracted a variety of disabled people from throughout the United States. During much of the march, I walked beside a young woman from Louisville who traversed the nearly two-mile distance in an electric wheelchair; I walked most of the distance behind a high- ranking blind federal employee who was on annual leave for the day. Although other articles appear in this issue regarding the ADA, I mention the march at this time to underscore the variety, scope, and frequency of activities that have occurred in the Washington, D.C., area in recent months as the ADA has wound its torturous way through the Congressional labyrinth. It is almost impossible to remember how many task force meetings, telephone conferences, strategy-planning gatherings, coordinating conferences, and Congressional hearings in which I have participated while working for passage of the ADA. That number would have to be multiplied many times to reflect the activities of the other advocates in the field of blindness alone. Now that the ADA has been approved by all four of the House of Representatives committees which maintained jurisdiction over the bill for six months, a decision by the full House is eminent. The necessary attention given to the ADA has, to some extent, overshadowed other governmental or program issues deserving attention. The American Council of the Blind and the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America sent representatives recently to the Washington meeting of the Coin Coalition, which is made up primarily of trade associations representing businesses using coin-operated machines such as juke boxes, bus fare boxes, video games, and food/beverage vending. The Coin Coalition seeks the adoption of a clearly-identifiable $1 coin and the fazing out of the $1 bill, among other things. Since joining the coalition, both ACB and Randolph-Sheppard Vendors representatives have continuously urged that, if adopted, the $1 coin must be substantially different from the ill-fated Susan B. Anthony Dollar coin, which both sighted and visually impaired people frequently confused with the quarter. Canada has recently adopted a $1 coin and has begun fazing out its $1 bill. The issue of services to elderly blind people is one to which I have devoted much time in recent weeks. It appears there will not be a White House Conference on Aging in 1991 as expected. Nevertheless, the National Coalition on Aging and Vision Loss to which ACB belongs is preparing position papers on relevant topics and is looking into the feasibility of conducting a national forum on this important subject in conjunction with another scheduled national meeting in 1991. Going home is always fun! In this case, I'm referring to an opportunity I happily accepted to speak to the members of the District of Columbia Association of Workers for the Blind, an ACB affiliate. Readers of The Braille Forum will recall that the D.C. association is one of the oldest organizations affiliated with the American Council, having been formed in 1913. Members of the D.C. association have played an active part in ACB activities since its affiliation with us approximately 15 years ago. Most recently, for example, several DCAWB members assisted in screening the hundreds of ACB scholarship applications before they were forwarded to the members of the ACB Scholarship Committee for further evaluation. This year the Rehabilitation Services Administration set a precedent when it officially requested both written and oral testimony for its guidance in preparing for the re-authorization of the Rehabilitation Act next year. The testimony which I presented at the hearing included recommendations for increased and stabilized funding for services for older blind people, increased funding for the Randolph-Sheppard vending program, meaningful accreditation as a pre- requisite for federal funding, more meaningful participation by subdivisions within RSA containing specialized knowledge or unique expertise and the better examination of little-known programs having implications for disabled people. The beat goes on; the song is the same and the record is broken, broken, broken! That's another way of describing our reactions when blind consumers in Florida informed us that the National Federation of the Blind had launched a vicious attack aimed at preventing the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind from applying for re-accreditation by the National Accreditation Council of Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The tactics were the same as many times before-- allegations that most misdeeds and mishaps by the school are the fault of the accrediting body, allegations that the accrediting body is so lax that it will accredit anyone, allegations that the accrediting body has never refused to accredit anyone, allegations that current supporters of the accrediting body are not supporting it at all, allegations that the accrediting body gets no input from real consumers, and allegations that there are other accrediting bodies more qualified than NAC to accredit providers of services to blind and visually impaired people. I shared the microphone with ACB First Vice President Paul Edwards and former ACB President Grant Mack while exploding these and other allegations that had been made to the Board of Trustees of the Florida School. After hearing our statements and answers to many questions from the board members, the two board members who are active members of the NFB withdrew their motion to block application for re-accreditation. It is, indeed, unfortunate that so much time and effort must be spent by the "truth squad" in correcting misinformation and providing additional relevant information. Multi-talented, energetic, versatile, dedicated, tireless, creative, knowledgeable, resourceful, patient, industrious, and friendly! Who possesses all those talents and skills? ACB's Office Manager and Director of Development from September 1980 to May 1, 1990- -Roberta Douglas. It was with incredibly mixed feelings that all the members of the ACB National Office staff said goodbye and best wishes to Roberta as she left employment with ACB to assume her new duties as Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Ear, Inc., the outstanding radio reading service that serves the Washington metropolitan area and that is now looking into the feasibility of producing an electronic edition of the "Washington Post." There is no way an organization can replace a Roberta Douglas; it can only hope to some day approach doing things as well as it did when she was a member of the staff. Her departure was absolutely ACB's loss and absolutely the Metropolitan Washington Ear's gain. I know I speak for all the members of the American Council of the Blind in wishing Roberta success and happiness in her new position. (See "ACB Bids Fond Farewell to Roberta Douglas" this issue.) ON THE ROAD TO DENVER By Robert J. Acosta National Convention Coordinator The 29th Annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind to be held in Denver promises to be the largest and finest ACB convention ever held. Our great Colorado affiliate stands ready to meet every possible need. Volunteer Coordinator Margarine Beaman says she will fill 2,100 volunteer slots with helpful, high-quality volunteers throughout convention week. You don't need a calendar to know that the most exciting, informative convention in ACB history is only days away. The time has indeed come to make the necessary reservations and plans to be part of a great convention. The convention is slated to begin June 29 and conclude July 7. The convention hotel will be the Sheraton Denver Tech Center located in Englewood, a Denver suburb. You can phone in your hotel reservations by calling toll-free (800) 552-7030. The overflow hotel will be the Denver Hyatt Regency Tech Center, a short block from the Sheraton. Telephone toll-free (800) 233-1234 to reserve your room. Both hotels charge $45 for single, double, triple or quad rooms. In the Sheraton, 600 rooms have refrigerators. Agents at the Wilson Travel Service are ready to help you with your travel plans to and from the convention. By using Wilson, you help ACB minimize convention costs for the staff and convention personnel. Call the Wilson Travel Service toll-free at (800) 523-2742. Kentucky and Indiana residents call collect (812) 945-2517. Our tour committee, under the capable leadership of Pat Beattie, has worked very hard to assure that you have a truly enjoyable week in Denver. All tours are accessible to those who are ambulatory and to guide dog users. We regret that due to Denver's topography, only a small number of tours is accessible to wheelchair users. However, on the afternoon of Saturday, July 7, we have scheduled a Wilderness on Wheels tour for wheelchair users and their friends. Lift-equipped vans will be available for this tour. The National Convention Committee will host a "Meet the Candidates" forum on Thursday, July 5 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. This forum will allow our members to meet those candidates running for the several ACB Board and Board of Publications positions. The format will be similar to that used on NBC's "Meet the Press" with written questions invited from the audience in either braille or print. We intend to ask editors from our state and special-interest affiliates to serve as a panel. The moderator will be Ronald Staley. All candidates interested in taking part in the forum must register with the Convention Press Room by no later than noon on Thursday, July 5. ACB once again leads the way as the most democratic organization of its kind in the nation. We hope that all convention attendees will come to the forum. The opening ceremonies of the convention will be held Sunday, July 1 at 8 p.m. While these opening ceremonies do not constitute the first session, they are an important part of the convention. As the result of some shifts in convention assignments, the Diabetes Seminar which was scheduled as part of the convention has been canceled. The fund-raising auction has also been canceled due to assignment changes. Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kan., and Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colo., have been invited to speak to the convention. At press time, neither had confirmed. Bob Askey, a narrator in the NLS Talking Book program, is confirmed as a speaker on July 2. If recorded book production and library services hold your interest, you'll want to attend sessions featuring Ritchie Geisel, director of Recording for the Blind, and Frank Kurt Cylke, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Both will speak on July 2. Other speakers slated for convention week include: Rod MacDonald, president of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind, Julia Strong, director of social services, AIDs Atlanta addressing the topic of AIDS and vision loss. Laurie Everett, representing WGBH-TV's Descriptive Video Service, will also speak. You'll get the latest in technology news and trends when you attend a panel on technology moderated by Pat Beattie, representing the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America. You won't want to miss the fine food and festivities of this year's convention banquet to be held July 6. The featured speaker is Former California Congressman Tony Coehlo. Let's go to Denver with joy in our hearts, renewing old acquaintances and making new friends. Let's come together to deliberate and debate the great issues facing us today. This convention provides blind Americans the opportunity to democratically develop those policies which affect our lives now and in the future. This is my final year as your National Convention Coordinator. The decision to step down was mine alone. I notified our national president of my decision following our great convention in Richmond. I have truly had a wonderful time as your coordinator. While I will be more specific with acknowledgements in a post-convention article, let me thank all of you for your many kindnesses and help. I believe each coordinator and ACB convention leaves its personal stamp toward the expansion of our great social movement. It is my fervent hope that history will record my efforts in the same light. I shall continue to serve the American Council of the Blind in other capacities in the coming years. ADA CLEARS ANOTHER HURTLE By Kathy Megivern By the time you read this issue of The Braille Forum, it is possible that the Americans With Disabilities Act will already have been passed by the House of Representatives--I hope so! In any event, as we go to press, advocates are optimistic that we will see the bill come to the floor of the House for a vote no later than the end of May. The final committee mark-up was completed on May 2 when the bill was reported out of the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 32-3. The two-day Judiciary Committee mark-up was a lively, entertaining event, thanks primarily to the "down home" style of Committee Chairman Jack Brooks, D-Texas, and the bizarre preoccupation of Rep. William Dannemeyer, R-Calif., with AIDS and homosexuality. Dannemeyer has made it his personal mission to ensure that this bill does not become a "homosexual rights act." Specific language in the bill excludes homosexuality and bisexuality as disabilities. Nevertheless, Dannemeyer continues his fight because the bill extends its protection to those who are disabled as a result of AIDS. He proposed several amendments which would have, in one way or another, excluded homosexuals who carry the HIV virus. Some of his amendments were so poorly written and so confusing that the question and discussion among committee members deteriorated rapidly. By the second day, Chairman Brooks was referring to Dannemeyer as "Wild Bill" and a collective groan went up every time the California Congressman asked for the floor. While all of Dannemeyer's efforts were defeated, there were other weakening amendments offered, one of which had some Democratic support and will likely haunt us when ADA comes to the floor. Those amendments would seek to carve some sort of exemption from the Public Accommodations provision for small businesses. So much misinformation and hysteria has been spread about the "onerous" requirements in this bill that many small businesses fear they will be driven into bankruptcy. The effort which attracted some of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee was a proposed "phase-in" for small businesses. It would exempt businesses with 25 or fewer employees from the Accommodations provisions for some period of time (one version was 18 months, one was six months). The deadliest part of this provision is the fact that the effective date would be tied to the issuance of final regulations. The disability community's experience with the issuance of regulations has not been encouraging--you may remember that it took sit-ins and demonstrations to get Section 504 regulations issued some four years late. (The Department of Transportation took 16 years to issue their 504 regs!) Thus tying the effective date to final regulations could, in effect, suspend the Public Accommodations provisions in this bill until the 21st century! The last procedural "hoop" through which ADA must jump is the all- important Rules Committee. ADA supporters hope to come out of the Rules Committee with one consolidated bill and a limit on the amount of debate and amendments which will be allowed on the floor. As we go to press, there is still a major battle ahead, but hopes are high that this most historic legislation will soon be the law of the land. Stay tuned for the details of this most important fight. LEGAL ACCESS 1990 A KEY NEW DECISION AND THE NEW ADA DEBATE By Charles D. Goldman, Esq. Reprinted with permission from "Horizons" January 1990. Editor's Note: (While this column makes some reference to the new year, the issues it addresses are as fresh and provocative today as they were in January.) January is the month in which new things dominate. We have a new year, a new decade, and soon a new law. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is on the horizon after what will undoubtedly be heated debate in the House of Representatives over its impact on small businesses. The new politics requires the debate be on the merits of the virtue of the law. However, before passing to the new, one important update of the "old" must be noted. The United States Supreme Court made it a happy holiday for persons with disabilities when it refused to consider the case of Timothy W. v Rochester, New Hampshire School District. The Court refused to hear the appeal of the school district which sought to cut off help to severely disabled children. The school district was claiming the law does not require it to serve children who may not benefit from special education. This case, which was noted in this column in August, 1989, is a major victory for it reaffirms the right of all children, even those like Timothy W. who are mentally retarded and physically limited, to a free appropriate public education. The decision reaffirms the "zero-reject" policy of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. At the same time it must be observed that the Court's decision also embodies the same spirit of opportunity for all that undergirds the Americans With Disabilities Act. As the new year commences and the prospect for enactment of ADA heightens, it is likely that the debate will get increasingly distorted and bitter. Contrary to the views espoused by some, this legislation is not a lawyers' relief act, whereby unscrupulous attorneys will be able to take wealthy corporations to the proverbial cleaners. For a lot of reasons, no one will get rich and no one should go broke from this bill. Let's look at the realities of discrimination law. Most important in ADA are the delayed effective dates of the law. These dates are critical because they are the times that rights and responsibilities come into play. The employment sections (Title I) are not effective for two years after the law is finally enacted. (Small employers, with 15 or fewer employees, are not covered for an additional two years after that.) The public accommodation sections (Title III) are not effective for 18 months after the law is enacted. The delay in effective dates takes an edge off ADA. First, it allows employers and businesses necessary time to bring their practices and facilities into compliance. The good guys get time to do it right. Second, experience teaches us that the number of complaints of alleged violations of a law usually is greatest shortly after the law is enacted. In the reality of ADA, the periods in which the greatest number of complaints would normally be expected are periods in which the law would not yet be in effect. State and local laws will be the exclusive remedies available at this time. Disabled persons may feel somewhat frustrated when they go to their lawyer the first year after the bill is enacted and are told that ADA does not yet apply. In political realities, the delayed effective dates of the titles were a shrewd compromise, making enactment in 1990 probable (as opposed to not getting ADA enacted for at least two more years). The existence of other laws prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities means the concepts in ADA have a track record. State and local laws as well as Title V of the Rehabilitation Act have been in effect for many years. This means that ideas such as "reasonable accommodation" and "accessibility" are not new terms. The business community, including federal contractors and recipients of federal aid, has had to live with these ideas for more than a decade. To my knowledge, not one company has gone broke or gone out of business because of these laws. Finally, there is the reality of employment discrimination litigation. Management, not the frustrated would-be or former employee, has far greater resources to maintain and wage a long legal fight. Former employees usually do not have the financial resources to maintain cases in the same manner as a thriving corporate defendant. The former employee's concern is commonly on such fundamental concerns as getting a new job and feeding the family. Experience in other discrimination cases presently handled by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is that management wins more than 90 percent of the cases that go all the way through the process. EEOC would be the lead federal agency on employment issues under ADA. A recent sampling of cases from one state civil rights agency revealed similar results: management had attorneys in less than half of the cases, and complainants had counsel in only one-third of the cases. From a practical viewpoint, no one seemed overburdened with undue legal expenses. There is another factor in litigation in federal courts, which is where ADA cases would ultimately be filed. That is the provisions in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure whereby the attorney who files a frivolous case can be sanctioned. This rule is taken quite seriously, especially in the District of Columbia, and deters unwarranted litigation. The ADA debate will mark the new year. In the Timothy W. decision, we have the recognition that all persons are entitled to basic rights, such as education. The trick will be to translate that theme into ADA and not be deterred by unfounded cries of hysterical costs. Stay tuned. (Charles D. Goldman, Esq. is a Washington, D.C., attorney who specializes in disability rights. His book, "Disability Rights Guide, Practical Solutions to Problems Affecting People With Disabilities" (Media Publishing), won the 1988 Book Award from the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities.) ACB BIDS FOND FAREWELL TO ROBERTA DOUGLAS Roberta Douglas has resigned as director of development for the American Council of the Blind after nearly a decade of landmark service. She left ACB to assume the executive directorship of the Washington, D.C., area radio reading service. When Roberta left the national office in late April, she left behind a legacy of dedication, innovation, and energy no one will forget. Roberta's voice was often heard when ACB members called the Washington Connection; that same voice greeted countless convention attendees at the registration desk for many years. She was ACB's office manager and its director of development. She filled a host of untitled positions and carried out a number of diverse assignments with a quiet professionalism that rapidly became her trademark. "I was the national representative when we hired Roberta," recalls ACB Board Member Durward K. McDaniel. "Actually, it was my wife's idea to hire her as an office manager." McDaniel says Roberta was hired with a handshake on a sidewalk in front of a Washington, D.C., restaurant. "I'd invited her to lunch," he recalls. "After lunch, we were standing together on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant when she said, 'I'll take the job.' We shook hands on it right there." McDaniel characterizes Roberta as a problem solver. He says when others thought something couldn't be done, Roberta often found a way to do it. "In addition to her fine personality," he explains, "she was never one to be inclined to think it can't be done. She was never one to procrastinate; she saw what needed to be done and she did it. She often short circuits the problem at its base. She just seems to think in terms of solutions." "When I think of Roberta, I think of an ideal person to work with," says Laura Oftedahl, former ACB director of public affairs. Currently employed as a development specialist at WGBH-TV in Boston, Oftedahl says Roberta is creative and enthusiastic. She says Roberta was a great organizer. "Many of the fun things we did at the national office comes to mind, especially the receptions," Oftedahl recalls. "Roberta always did a great job of organizing them and was a gracious hostess." She remembers Roberta as a person who worked well under stress. "We were all under a great deal of stress preparing for a press conference during the braille Playboy issue," she says. "Roberta pulled everything together and helped us staff members do what we needed to do in an orderly and effective fashion." Oftedahl says Roberta has "a special intuition" for recognizing when a blind person does and doesn't need help. She says Roberta's decision to "stay in the blindness field" is a welcome one. "As the producer and host of "ACB Reports", I look forward to continuing my association with Roberta in her new capacity." Barbara Nelson, former ACB staff attorney, remembers Roberta's skills as a great organizer. She recalls legislative seminars which Roberta helped organize. "Those seminars were like planning the invasion of Normandy," she reminisces. "Roberta kept a long list of appointments for the ACB members who came to Capitol Hill for our legislative seminars. Every 15 minutes or so, Roberta would stand up and yell out all the names of all the people going to see their various legislators." Nelson says despite the intense activity of those seminars, Roberta "organized the troops and sent them into the vast expanses of the Capitol like a general. But she managed to do all that with a cheerful, upbeat manner." She remembers a lighter side to Roberta as well. She recalls Roberta's sense of humor and "...the jeans skirt and a funny pair of bright striped socks and tennis shoes." ACB Second Vice President Charles Hodge says his most vivid recollections of Roberta centered around conventions. "She seemed to work a 20-hour day at least during conventions," Hodge says. "She was energetic and always involved in carrying out programs that were well organized." Hodge believes Roberta's fund-raising efforts were among her most important contributions. "Getting those pledges from the membership, keeping track of them, working with our Combined Federal Campaign, all of those fund-raising efforts have been an important part of the organization, and will continue to make a big difference in the coming years," Hodge says. ACB Past President Otis Stephens echoes Hodge's thoughts on fund- raising. "She had a lot of ideas," Stephens recalls. "Her follow-through on projects was excellent." Stephens remembers a Roberta who was "extremely resourceful in getting out the fall fund-raising letter. She provided the kind of staff support that a volunteer president needs in an organization such as ACB." "Caring and competence--those were my first impressions of Roberta Douglas," says ACB Member Scott Marshall, director of governmental relations at the American Foundation for the Blind. "She confirmed those qualities every day since my first meeting with her. I'm really lost for words to talk about this terrific lady." Jim Olsen, ACB's assistant treasurer, recollects Roberta's efforts in advancing the public awareness of ACB and alerting media regarding the job potential of blind and partially sighted people. He remembers a demonstration of the Talking Optacon staged for Congress's benefit. "Roberta not only coordinated the conference for ACB," Olsen says, "but good old Fergie, her Fiesta, transported the equipment to Capitol Hill." Olsen says Roberta's concern for ACB didn't stop with the membership. She was always looking to find new ways to get ACB more involved with the public. She developed a traveling exhibit booth designed to educate the public about the abilities and achievements of blind people and to provide people with a working knowledge of ACB and the benefits of membership. "In recent years," Olsen recalls, "Roberta has worked hard to diversify and strengthen ACB's financial support. Affiliate support of key ACB programs, corporate and foundation grants, and the Combined Federal Campaign funding sources have been expanded at a very solid and successful rate due to her efforts." Olsen expresses optimism that while Roberta's job has changed, her willingness to help ACB has not. "Knowing Roberta," Olsen says, "her volunteer assistance to ACB will remain strong. Her seemingly endless hours in the office and her relentless efforts at conventions will be missed by her many ACB friends. She is part of our great ACB family." Stephanie Cooper, ACB's coordinator of membership and student services, remembers her experiences with Roberta this way: "As readers of The Braille Forum may be aware, my time with ACB has been divided. I began work in the national office in 1985 under the able tutelage of Roberta Douglas. In 1986, I was laid off during the financial cutbacks. In the spring of 1987, Roberta called me at my new job and asked that I come by the office after work and chat with her and Oral. Little did I know at that time that that was to be the beginning of my re-employment with the ACB National Office. It is, without a doubt, the capable and professional way that Roberta works with her employees and manages an office which convinced me that my return to ACB would be the right decision. In the years since that time, I have come to know Roberta not only as a most capable and versatile co-worker but also as a friend. I remember 'puppy watch' when we all waited anxiously for Abbie to have her litters; I remember the Friday afternoon ritual of watering the plants and feeding the fish; I remember Roberta racing around the office in her 'Yellow Jacket' sneakers; and, I remember our 1989 trip to Hawaii and our first sight of a whale off Maui. Roberta, I wish you much luck in your new position with the Washington Ear! Our loss is truly their gain." PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WARRANTY PROBLEMS WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE By Stephen Speicher President, American Blind Lawyers Association There is a big difference between buying a product and having one sold to you. Perhaps you know this from experience. Have you ever bought adaptive equipment based on a sales pitch and later found out that the device did not meet your particular needs? Have you tried without success to get your money back? The approach described below should help you avoid such situations. Not so long ago, the rule in sales transactions was caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. When products were relatively simple and familiar to those who bought them, it made sense for the buyer to be responsible for choosing the goods which would suit his needs and rejecting those which were inappropriate. But as products became more numerous and more complex, even the most vigilant consumers in many cases lost the ability to make the necessary judgments on their own. Among the laws developed to give buyers greater protection, perhaps the most useful for purchasers of adaptive equipment is the "warranty of fitness for a particular purpose." In all states except Louisiana, the Uniform Commercial Code regulates sales transactions, such as the purchase of computers, clocks or carving knives at an ACB convention. It encourages sellers to be honest by requiring them to make good on the warranties they give concerning their products. Generally speaking, warranties are statements or promises by the seller that the goods you are buying have certain characteristics. Warranties can be created in various ways: They can be written or oral; they can be "express" (explicitly stated by the seller) or "implied" (created by law without the seller having to do or say anything); they can be communicated by a physical sample or by a picture of the product. For example, assume that the seller of a braille embosser tells you that it can be relied on to produce "good braille" and gives you a sample of the machine's output. Further assume that you decide to buy the embosser and that you tell the seller your decision is based in part on the quality of the braille in the sample. A warranty now exists that the braille produced by the unit sold to you will be at least as good as the braille in the sample. Save the samples and the product literature you pick up at the convention. If you decide to buy one of the products, this seller-supplied information can be important evidence of what the terms of the deal really were. Getting what you really need, however, requires more than just saving the handouts. First, many handouts don't give you much hard or useful information. Software may be advertised as "powerful," "flexible" or "comprehensive" because it has 300 features; but it may lack the two features which are critical in your job. You should completely disregard phrases like "easy to use" and "works with virtually any program," because they give no empirical standard against which the product's actual performance can be objectively measured. If there's no objective standard, it's almost impossible to prove that the seller did not comply with the contract. Second, handouts must be read with considerable skepticism. One braille brochure for Enabling Technology's Marathon printer calls it a "portable braille printer" on page 1 and notes on page 5 that it comes in a "carrying case." Not until page 6 do you learn that this "portable" device weighs 75 pounds. An early release concerning TSI's VersaBraille II+ stated that one of its disks could hold the same amount of information contained in a stack of braille 10 feet high. You had to do some independent math to determine that the correct figure was one foot instead. While this mistake was quickly corrected, it serves as an excellent example of why consumers must be wary of promotional literature. The same principle that applies in buying adaptive equipment applies to the football field. The best defense is a good offense. Determine what you need; write out your requirements clearly and concisely; communicate these specifications to the seller; and make sure the seller knows that you rely on his ability to select appropriate equipment. If the seller will not accept this responsibility, you may wish to buy elsewhere. If the seller says his product meets your specifications, and it turns out not to, then the chances of getting your money back are much improved. Of the four steps I mention, the law actually requires only the third and fourth. The first two should be thought of as essential homework. Determine Your Needs. If you don't do this, the three other steps will be impossible or useless. You must identify each of the tasks you want the product to perform and the conditions under which performance will be required. For example, if you want to record staff meetings, you should determine such things as the acoustic properties of the room normally used and how far the furthest person to be recorded will be from your microphone. Do you need a scanning system that can handle particular colors of ink or formats? If you do use a computer for word processing rather than programming, will a screen reader program let you move around by paragraphs and sentences rather than lines? What programs and program features must an access device be able to work with? The more detailed list you make, the more likely you are to wind up with what you really need. Write Out Your Needs Clearly and Concisely. In the rush of convention shopping, this step will help you to be sure you've discussed with the seller all the important points. It saves time by focusing such conversations; and it begins the process of creating a warranty of fitness for a particular purpose by telling the seller what your particular needs are. But before you present your list to a seller, try it out on others to be sure the language you use means the same thing to you and to those less familiar with your individual situation. Avoid fuzzy generalities like "the program must be easy to use" in favor of specific criteria like "can all commands be issued using the right hand by itself?" Communicate Particular-Purpose Needs to the Seller. For there to be a warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, the law first requires that the "seller at the time of contracting has reason to know any particular purpose for which the goods are required." The list you made in step two can be used to give the seller such knowledge. But the knowledge in question must exist at the "time of contracting"; and you want to be able to prove that the seller actually got the list. Mail sent "return receipt requested" can be useful in this context. Reliance On the Seller's Skill. Such mail can also be useful in proving the second legal requirement - that the seller knows "the buyer is relying on the seller's skill or judgment to select or furnish suitable goods." Some form contracts contain language saying that the buyer is relying on his own skill in selecting the goods purchased. Be very careful not to sign such a contract unless you are very confident in your own skill and ability. Similarly, you should reject any language such as "there are no warranties which extend beyond the description on the face hereof." Be aware that such clauses can show up on an invoice, in the bottom of the packing box, on the last page of the manual, and in other obscure or unexpected places, even though the law says they are effective only if "conspicuous." A number of other legal issues can affect the scope and effectiveness of the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. I offer no guarantee that the approach I've suggested will assure you a victory in court, but I strongly believe that it will greatly increase your odds of getting the right product the first time and of reaching a satisfactory settlement if a dispute does arise. Besides, if enough of us require adaptive technology to meet user- defined, task-oriented criteria, we may be able to push product design toward giving us better options in the future. HERE AND THERE HERTZ RENTS TO BLIND Blind or visually impaired people who rent a car from Hertz can do so now easier than ever as a result of a new company policy, according to a press release. Under the new policy, drivers for the blind and visually impaired who have a valid driver's license may rent from Hertz using the blind or visually impaired customer's credit card and are considered authorized drivers under the term of Hertz' rental agreement. Prior to the introduction of the policy, the customer renting the car had to have a valid driver's license. "Hertz has instituted this new rental policy, recognizing that there are occasions when the blind or visually impaired need or want a rental car for transportation and must rely upon the services of a driver," said Craig R. Koch, Hertz executive vice president and president, North America Rent A Car. The new policy eliminates the additional driver charge and reduces the amount of paper work, according to the press release. Hertz recommends that blind and visually impaired customers notify the reservations center that he or she is blind and will be renting the car with a driver. The customer must be present at the time of the rental. The driver must meet the minimal age requirements which may vary from state to state. WINNERS ANNOUNCED The President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities honored companies who employ disabled people at its annual conference in early May. E. I. Du Pont De Nemours Co., based in Wilmington, Del., was named Private Sector Large Employer of the Year. More than 5 percent of the company's workforce is disabled. The Public Sector Large Employer of the Year award went to the Department of the Navy, New Orleans, La. Some 10 percent of Navy New Orleans' workforce is disabled. The city of Wilson, N.C., was the recipient of the Medium Public Sector Employer of the Year award. According to a PCEPD press release, more than 34 percent of the municipality's staff are disabled. Integrated Microcomputer Systems, Inc. of Rockville, Md., was named Medium Private Sector Employer of the Year. The company's workforce is 10 percent disabled. Red Lobster of Erie, Pa., proved the big fish in the small employer pond when it received the Private Sector Small Employer of the Year award. Forty-eight percent of the company's workforce is disabled, according to the press release. PCEPD also announced its selection of the 1990 Disabled American of the Year. The winner was David Schwartzkopf, a program manager of Special Education Projects with IBM in Rochester, Minn. The 47-year-old computer expert is legally blind and has Cerebral Palsy. Schwartzkopf was misdiagnosed as retarded until he was a teen- ager. The President's Committee also announced the first place winners of the 1990 Media Awards competition. In the category of Commercial, electronic medium, John Seigenthaler won for "Breaking Down the Barriers," shown on a Nashville, Tenn., television station. The Montana Governor's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities won the award in the Government, electronic medium for a 30-second public service announcement titled "Montana." In the Government, print medium category, the winner was the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services for its "Disability Employment Awareness Month media packet." "Careers and the Handicapped," a publication of Equal Opportunity Publications of Greenlawn, N.Y., won first place in the Commercial, print medium category. BLINDED VETS TESTIFY Representatives of the Blinded Veterans Association testified before Congress in mid-March regarding proposed Veterans Administration changes in disability rating schedules and eligibility requirements for other benefits. Henry J. Berube, BVA national president, expressed concern that the changes proposed by the VA were sought without prior input from veterans service organizations. According to a BVA press release, Berube feels the proposed changes are designed to reduce the budget rather than provide equitable benefits and services. NEW MAGAZINE PUBLISHED The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has announced the publication of "Cooking Light," a bimonthly magazine dedicated to food, nutrition, health, and exercise. For more information or to be placed on the mailing list for the braille edition, contact your regional library. (Excerpted from the "White Cane Bulletin" March-April 1990,a publication of the Florida Council of the Blind). CENTER HOSTS PROGRAM The Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Mass., has established an international exchange program for professionals working in the blindness field, according to "Mobility International USA" Winter 1990. The center will host an eight-week program this summer focusing on orientation and mobility skills, low vision, rehabilitation teaching, and communications skills. For more information, contact the Carroll Center for the Blind, 770 Centre St., Newton MA 02158-2597. Tel. (617) 969-6200. AUDIO DESCRIPTION EXPANDS TO NEW PROGRAM Descriptive Video Services has announced the expansion of DVS to another Public Broadcasting System program. According to the March 1990 "DVS Bulletin," "Degrassi High," a program which deals with adolescent life, was supplemented with video descriptions beginning with the April 28th broadcast. DVS is available on the Separate Audio Program channel of public broadcasting stations equipped to transmit stereo telecasts. To receive the audio descriptions of the video portion of a program, viewers need either a stereo TV or VCR or a special adapter decoder which can either stand alone or be hooked to an existing television set, depending on the model. For more information on DVS, see "Descriptive Video Services-- Making TV Accessible for Visually Impaired Audiences" The Braille Forum, January-February, 1990. Contact Sharon King, Outreach Director, Descriptive Video Service, WGBH, 125 Western Ave., Boston, MA 02134. Tel. (617) 492-2777 Ext. 3490. DIRECTOR NAMED Rosemary Lalevee Carroll has been named director of development and public relations at the Seeing Eye, Inc. in Morristown, N.J., according to President Dennis J. Murphy. She will direct fund-raising and promotional activities for The Seeing Eye throughout the United States and Canada. Carroll is president of the National Federation of Press Women and has more than 20 years of fund-raising and public relations experience. BLIND ATHLETES HONORED Blind athletes James Neppl of Rock Island, Ill., and Trischa Zorn of Indianapolis, Ind., were honored at the second annual National Disabled Sports Awards banquet held at Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort in Colorado Springs, CO. The two athletes represented the United States Association for Blind Athletes, one of eight disabled sports organizations holding membership in the United States Olympic Committee. BRAILLE DISK OFFERED Brown Disc offers the Braille Diskette to blind or visually impaired computer users. The design of the diskette labels enables a blind person to read the contents of the package and the description of each diskette in braille. Each box of 10 diskettes contains a special Label Kit designed so that the user can create in braille specific information concerning individual diskettes. Brown Disc offers braille diskettes at the same price it charges for its standard products. Contact Brown Disc, 1120-B Elkton Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. Tel. (719) 593-1015 or toll free, (800) 654-4871. SAFEWAY DELIVERS Safeway stores in select states now offer Shoppers Express, a home delivery system. Certain stores offer same day and next day delivery. You can call in your order and pick it up on the way home, if that's more convenient. Available in New Jersey, Ohio, New York, metropolitan Washington, D.C., metropolitan Richmond, Va., Washington state, and Oregon, the Shoppers Express is available to blind shoppers as well as senior citizens at the senior rate of $9.95 per delivery. For more information or to place your grocery order, call (800) 284-7467. SEMINAR PLANNED "Life Choices and Blindness" is the theme of the fifth annual seminar presented by Candle in the Window Foundation. The seminar will be held August 15 through 19 at Wilder Forest, Marine on St. Croix, Minn., according to a press release. The seminar features small-group discussions, outdoor team- building experiences, and panel presentations on a variety of subjects. The cost of the seminar is $175. The fee includes transportation to and from the airport, room, and meals. Contact Lolly Lijewski, by calling (612) 651-9243. PARENT GROUP GETS NAME CHANGE By Nola Webb President, ACB Parents The American Council of Blind Parents is planning to change its name to match its philosophy. At a January pre-convention board meeting, ACBP's Board voted to change its name to the Council of Families With Visual Impairment. The name change, which has been approved by the ACB Board, will become official if approved by a majority vote at the ACBP business meeting on July 4. ACBP has always been devoted to the support and education of blind parents with sighted children and sighted parents with visually impaired children. The ACBP Board felt the old name was misleading and gave the public an incomplete understanding of the organization's true purpose and philosophy. We feel this is an important milestone in the history of ACBP. The name change is only the beginning. We are making plans to increase our membership and search for deserving projects. Yet another change involves our newsletter. It's now available in print and on tape. These format changes will make it easier for our members to access vital information. IN SEARCH OF A CHILD We are searching for a deserving child in Orange County, Calif., who is in need of a specific piece of equipment. ACBP has received a generous donation with the stipulation that the money be used in Orange County. We want to hear from parents, itinerate or resource teachers, or friends of any child 18 years old or younger who could benefit from a donation of a specific item. To notify ACBP of such a child or to send comments and suggestions for other worthy projects, contact Nola Webb, ACBP President, 14400 Cedar Road, Apartment 108, University Heights, OH 44121. Tel. (216) 381-1822 after 6 p.m. Eastern Time. High Tech Swap Shop FOR SALE: Brand new accordion, recently imported from Italy, $2,000. Contact T. H. Bernhardsen, P.O. Box 1447, Iverness, FL 32651. Tel. (904) 637-3304. FOR SALE: NEC Powermate Portable computer, an 80286 machine running at 10 MHz. The transportable system includes 640K of memory, a 40-megabyte hard disk, built-in 720K floppy drive, two standard AT- compatible expansion slots and one NEC proprietary modem slot. Includes carrying case and MS-DOS 3.2. The Provox screen review software can be included at a nominal additional cost, $2,000. Also available, an Apple IIE computer with 128K memory, two disk drives, an Image Writer printer, 1200 BPS modem and lots of software including Bex version 2.2, Prowords and Proterm, Lister Talker, two banking programs and many back issues of AppleTalk magazine, public domain games and more. The system includes an Echo synthesizer and all manuals, many of which are in braille, $1,500. Also for sale, two copies of "Microsoft Works" for MS-DOS computers $100 per copy, and a copy of Andrew Tobias's "Managing Your Money," $125. Neither of which has been used. Contact David Andrews, 906-1/2 Fruit Ave. N.W. Albuquerque, NM 87102. Tel. weekdays (505) 841-8847. Weekends and evenings (505) 243-5160. FOR SALE: Old-time radio programs for four-track half-speed tape players. Two cassette catalogs, $2 each. Add $0.50 per tape for first class mailing if desired. Make checks payable to Bonneville Council of VIP., Duane Griffin Radio Library, 2265 Wahlquist, Idaho Falls, ID 83401. Tel. (208) 522-9008. FOR SALE: Hall Braille Writer in good condition, desk slate and board, and three other smaller slates. $100. Contact Florence Hyde, 201 E. Mechanic, Yale, MI 48097. FOR SALE: Toshiba 1200FR computer with Accent Speech Card. Computer includes two 3.5-inch floppy disk drives with a RAM disk as drive C. An external Weltec WP625 5.25-inch disk drive configured for the Toshiba is also included. Bundled software includes MS-DOS 3.30, Flipper speech program (demo version), and start-up disk. The package contains the Accent manual and a Sidekick program as well as a PC Quick Pack from Toshiba, $2,050. For an additional $120, the purchaser receives four unopened boxes of 3.5-inch TDK disks, an external speaker for the Accent, and a case to carry computer accessories like the 5.25- inch disk drive. Contact Judy Davidson, 252 Thorncliff Road, Buffalo, NY 14223-1206. Tel. (716) 873-4056. FOR SALE: Bank Street Braille Writer, excellent condition, $150 or best offer. Also, AM/FM BIT Talkman, reads NLS-formatted cassette books; includes taped instruction manual, $110 or best offer. Contact Isaac Obie, 55 Waverley Ave., Apt. 210, Watertown, MA 02172. Tel. (617) 923-3050. FOR SALE: Optacon, includes soft pack and carrying case. Does not include recharger. $1,000 or best offer. Contact Rhonda Partain, 8025 Huey Rd., Douglasville, GA 30134. Tel. (404) 944-7052. WANTED TO BUY: Versabraille II or II+, reasonable price. Contact Isaac Obie, 55 Waverley Ave., Apt. 210, Watertown, MA 02172. Tel. (617) 923-3050. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT LEROY SAUNDERS P.O. BOX 24020 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73124 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT PAUL EDWARDS 170 N.E. 123rd STREET NORTH MIAMI, FL 33161 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT CHARLES HODGE 1131 S. FOREST DRIVE ARLINGTON, VA 22204 SECRETARY PATRICIA PRICE RILEY TOWER 2, APT. 2300 600 N. ALABAMA STREET INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46204 TREASURER BRIAN CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVENUE WATERTOWN, MA 02172