The Braille Forum
Vol. V March 1967 No. 5

Published Bi-Monthly by the
American Council of the Blind
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

* Editor:
Ned E. Freeman
136 Gee's Mill Road
Conyers, Georgia 30207

* President: 
Reese Robrahn
541 New England Bldg.
Topeka, Kansas 66603

* Associate Editors:
George Card
605 South Few St.
Madison, Wis. 53703

Earl Scharry
264 Saunders Ave.
Louisville, Ky. 40206

* Executive Office:
Board of Publications
652 East Mallory Ave.
Memphis, Tenn. 38106

To inform its readers and to provide an impartial Forum for discussion.

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** Statement of Editorial Policy

The BRAILLE FORUM is dedicated to promoting the greater independence, autonomy and dignity of all blind people. 

The FORUM will carry ACB official news and programs, but its pages will also be available for free expression of views of organizations and agencies of and for the blind and any developments of interest to its readers. Timely material is solicited. 

Selections of material will be made on the basis of interest, timeliness, originality, clarity and forcefulness of expression. In controversial matters space will be made available for the presentation of divergent points of view.

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** Notice

The BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, inkprint and on tape. Miss June Goldsmith, 652 E. Mallory Ave., Memphis, Tennessee 38106, should be notified of any change of address or of any person desiring to receive the braille or inkprint editions. 

The tape edition may be obtained from Mr. Ned E. Freeman, 136 Gee's Mill Road, Conyers, Georgia 30207. 

Letters and material for publication should be submitted to the Editor or to one of the Associate Editors.

*****

** Table of Contents

Look Well to This Day

ACB President's Message, "And of These Rights"

An Open Letter from June Goldsmith

Come to Wichita in July!

Institute for Training Homemakers

Sensory Device Studied

Call for Ambassador Nominations

For Youth: Summer in the Vermont Mountains

Family Counseling Center

The "Humphrey Amendment" Again

Some Employers' Appraisals

New Federal Regulations for Public Assistance

Ned's Corner

Physical Medicine Comes into Its Own

The Healing Power of Love

ACB Tape Chatter

Loretta's Corner

Opportunities through Vocational Rehabilitation

Report from Germany on World Congress

Letters from Readers

Air Force Employee Honored

Here and There

Refugees from the Round File

Guide Dog Encounters Master's World of Blindness

ACB Officers and Directors

*****

** Look Well to This Day

Look well to this day for it is life: the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the verities 
And realities of your existence: 
The bliss of growth, The glory of action, 
The splendour of beauty: For yesterday is but a dream, 
And tomorrow is only a vision: But today well lived 
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, 
And every tomorrow a vision of hope. 
Look well therefore to this day! Such is 
The salutation of the dawn.

(From the Sanskrit)

*****

** ACB President's Message
"And Of These Rights"

Much has been spoken and written by blind and sighted persons alike on the subject of discrimination against and equality of the blind minority in our society. Many of 
these speeches and articles develop and establish certain premises that are reasonably valid, and some draw analogies that are reasonably appropriate. 

What never ceases to surprise and even shock me and never ceases to do violence to the depths of my concept of human dignity, my sense of justice, and my understanding of the inalienable rights and constitutional rights of the individual in this Democratic Republic of ours is the so frequent -- and almost inevitable -- assumption or conclusion enunciated that the blind are somehow something less than or other than individuals and citizens. Therefore, according to this view, the blind are not entitled to or capable of exercising or enforcing their rights, and, indeed, it is most presumptuous of the blind to attribute unto themselves those precepts unless and until they earn the right or somehow demonstrate their worthiness to claim this American heritage.

Space here restrains the torrent and confines the deluge that is wont to vent. Let it suffice here, these queries and brief commentary.

Is the farmer whose industry is substantially subsidized because he cannot make an adequate income from his produce thereby any degree less than a full citizen or in anywise deprived of or denied the exercise of his rights as an individual? Does the veteran who receives a disability pension, to which he is entitled, without regard to income, resources, age or other consideration, sacrifice therefor any right or privilege of citizenship? What slightest impingement is there upon the rights of a well-to-do citizen who accepts his social security benefits? In this land would it ever seriously be contended that the poor must earn or otherwise establish their status as citizens before being accorded their rights as individuals? 

The rights of which we speak, and so sought by some to be denied or withheld or conferred conditionally upon the blind minority, are the birthright and heritage of every citizen of the United States, thus secured and guaranteed by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. They are not contingent. They are not subject by act or deed to acquisition. They are not to be conferred upon any condition subsequent. These rights are vested in each of us at birth and we have only to assert them or enforce them if the need shall arise. 

No one of us would make claim that these rights secure equality in terms of dollars and cents or material worth any more than they secure equality of innate ability, native intelligence, or talent. But, what we do assert and make emphatic claim for is that we are whole individuals notwithstanding our lack of sight, and that we are full citizens and first-class citizens, and that as such we are entitled to equality before the law, equal protection of the law and equal opportunity to realize our potential and achieve self-attainment. 

In the January issue I made some brief comments concerning one phase of the many-faceted problem of the multi-handicapped blind, both children and adults, by limiting my remarks to the education and training of multi-handicapped blind children. It was not intended by me to imply that this is the only phase with which a proposed committee on the multi-handicapped blind would concern itself. The proposed committee would concern itself with all categories and all combinations of handicaps with blindness. The committee chairman and members are as follows:

George Fogarty, Chairman, 731 Faxon Avenue, San Francisco, California 94112

Mr. Jack C. Lewis, Bibb County Health Dept., Division of Mental Health, 770 Hemlock Street, Macon, Georgia

Esther V. Taylor, 219 N. 16th St., Kansas City, Kansas

Mr. Boyd Wolfe, 74 N. Huron Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43204 

Mr. George Card, 605 S. Few Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 

I invite anyone to address inquiries comments and suggestions to the chairman or any member of this committee.

*****

** An Open Letter to Forum Readers

From June Goldsmith, Chairman, ACB Board of Publications

Dear Friends, far and near:

I have been wanting to write to all of you for a long time to thank you for your thoughtfulness, your many kind notes of praise for the magazine, and for your cooperation. But you know how it is with letter-writing -- there are so many interruptions, there's work, there are callers, there s TV, and you keep putting it off till next week. As my sister tells the family, "If you all could read all the letters I write to you while I'm at work, or doing dishes, or cooking, or riding the bus, you'd get a letter every day." 

You know, our magazine goes to every continent on the globe and to every state in the Union. I have seen some of your names so often that when I come across you in my file cards I greet you as old friends.  Most of you have been on the mailing list since its inception.

Now then, as I'm sure all of you know already, the Post Office has instituted a ZIP Code number delivery system. Postal officials say it will speed up the distribution and delivery of mail and that the system, the efficacy of ZIP Code numbers, was proved during this past Christmas season's rush. So if and when any of you have changes of address to send in be sure to include your zip code. If you don't know it, just call the P.O. and they'll be glad to give it to you. Also, if there are any corrections which should be made in your address, just let me know and I'll take care of it. 

Oh, yes, by the way. To the thoughtful people who have been sending their magazines back to me. It is not necessary that you do this. The "return to" note on the ink print copy is for the post office. One of the requirements for our free mailing certificate is that a return address be given. It costs anywhere from four to sixteen cents for you to return these magazines, so just keep them or pass them on or discard them. 

Do you know that on February 14th this publication was eight years old? On that date in 1959 a small group of people, mostly Memphians, got together and held a serious discussion about the need to put out some kind of publication that would help to clear up some bad misunderstandings that were besetting the National Federation, and to reaffirm the philosophy upon which the Federation has been founded. To show our loyalty and our ties to the Federation, it was decided to call this magazine the Federation Free Press. A great deal of hostility about this name was expressed by some members of the Federation, so in July 1959 in Santa Fe, a group got together and a loosely knit organization was formed. This organization was called the Braille Free Press Association. Its purpose was to publish and circulate a magazine which was named the Braille Free Press. We lived on a shoestring and a lot of faith in those days, but we published, and we paid our bills. Sadly, we did not find areas of agreement, and moderation, and arbitration in the Federation as we had hoped to do. But as time passed, many of the more articulate and liberal people joined us. 

Then in Kansas City in July 1961, the American Council of the Blind was organized, and it assumed the possessions, assets and debts of the Braille Free Press Association. BFPA disbanded. In all those eight years, the only change has been in the name. The publication's purpose in 1959 was, as it is now in 1967: "... to promote the greater independence, autonomy, and dignity of all blind people. ... its pages will also be available for free expression of views of organizations and agencies of and for the blind, and any developments of interest to its readers. ... In controversial matters, space will be made available for the presentation of divergent points of view." 

Just one more thing. Will all of you who write braille please write to all the deaf-blind you know, or hear about. They are a marvelous people, and they are so eager to know what is going on.

With warmest regards to all of you. June Goldsmith

*****

** Come to Wichita in July!

The 1967 ACB convention promises to be one of the most challenging and entertaining in the organization's history. Plan now to be at the Broadview Hotel, Wichita, Kansas, July 19 through 22. 

The Broadview, one of the Midwest's finest convention hotels, is fully air conditioned, and is complete with swimming pool, putting greens, and a play yard for children. The hotel management is cooperating fully with the convention committee to see to it that every ACB conventioner will receive preferential treatment.

Rates are as follows: 

Rooms with one double bed:
One person $7.90 - $8.90 
Two persons $5.00 - $6.00 each. 

Rooms with twin beds:
Two persons $6.75 to $7.75 each.

Parlor bedroom for ____ persons, $11.00 - $15.00, single $27.50 - $45.00, double.

All rooms have private bath and are air conditioned.

The ACB President named Bonnie and Jack Byington, John Thomas, and Rosemary Distifan, all of Wichita, and Helen Vargo, Topeka, to serve with him in planning the convention. Tentative plans include a "Hi, Neighbor" type reception for the early comers Tuesday night, a pre-convention special Wednesday morning, for those not involved in committee assignments, and a program designed with YOU in mind. 

Preliminary plans for the tour illustrate the change in less than a hundred years from "Cow Town" to the jet age. Four aircraft companies, Boeing, Beech, Cessna, and Lear-Jet, are located here, and the tour will include the chance to examine a B-52. The tour committee and Boeing officials are planning the inspection with plenty of personalized explanation and a minimum of walking. Tentative plans also include a visit to the Institute of Logopedics, the largest habilitative speech correction center in the world, where actual demonstrations of training techniques could be observed. It is hoped to cap off the tour with, perhaps, a buffalo barbecue at "Cow Town," an authentic re-creation of early Wichita. (Some modern innovations such as air conditioning have been added.) The tour will be climaxed with a program by the "Sing Out Kansas" group, about 150 enthusiastic teenagers, patterned from the national "Sing Out" organization. 

Of course, plans are being made to obtain provocative panel discussions and speakers whose experiences and convictions will be of value. 

Come prepared to have fun and contribute to your organization. Make reservations directly to the Broadview Hotel, 400 W. Douglas, Wichita, Kansas. Please indicate ACB convention. Also, please send duplicate reservation to Bonnie Byington, 950 Drury Lane, Wichita, Kansas 67207.

*****

** Institute for Training Homemakers
Miss Dora Burke, Home Economist, Ontario Department of Agriculture

(Editor's Note: From COMMUNICATOR, October 1966, a joint publication of the four conferences of Home Teachers in North America. Miss Burke reports on an Institute on problems of Training Newly Blinded Homemakers held at Western Michigan University. Participating were nine teams, each consisting of a home economist, a home teacher and a rehabilitation counselor.) 

... This was my first association with blind people and I was most impressed with the poise, courage and alert awareness of the men and women I met that week. In fact, much of the time it was easy for me to forget that these people couldn't see. I left the seminar with the feeling that in many cases the solution to the problems of the blind homemaker would be putting her in touch with existing facilities rather than creating special programs for her. ... The problems and thoughts expressed by a panel of four blind homemakers were much the same as those frequently heard from sighted homemakers. The newly blind homemaker often feels left out of community activities: she would like to learn better methods of coping with certain household tasks such as laundry, floor care, cooking and sewing. Perhaps the greatest difficulty expressed by these women was how to get dependable up-to-date information about household equipment, furnishings, textiles, new products and seasonal good buys in food and other commodities ...
 
It would appear to me that part of the solution to the problems of the newly blinded homemakers is locating them and putting them in touch with the services and information which are already available in the community. Since many of the Home Economists work through organized groups of homemakers, such as Women's Institutes (in Canada), we should encourage the members of these groups to seek out the blind homemakers in their neighborhoods and take them to their meetings and other activities. The Home Economists and the Home Teachers for the Blind should get acquainted and work out some means of getting more blind homemakers to take part in Extension Programs. ...

In many communities there are numerous resources for homemaking and consumer information already available to the blind and the sighted homemaker. Any Homemaker may telephone the local Extension Home Economist for help of this type. (Usually listed in the telephone directory under United States Department of Agriculture, or your County Agricultural Agent.) The Home Economist may not know the answer, but she'll probably know where to find it. In urban communities the utility companies have Home Economists who can be reached by telephone, and in some cases they will make home visits. The radio is also a good source of consumer information.

I believe that the Extension Home Economists would welcome an opportunity to work with the Home Teacher for the Blind in locating the blind homemakers and in helping them to take advantage of the existing resources, and, if necessary, to work out some special programs.

*****

** Sensory Devices Studied at International Conference

Following are excerpts from a report in THE BEACON (England) of an international conference held in June 1966 on sensory devices at St. Dunstan's, the English Veterans Orientation, Rehabilitation and Training Center, located just outside of London. This conference was attended by representatives from European countries, the British Commonwealth and the United States. A number of blind persons, including Fred Gissoni, Kentucky, reported their personal experiences with the devices under study. 

In addition to our own English researchers at the National Physical Laboratory on the problems of converting the printed word into a form that blind people might hear or feel, there were papers on associated projects supported by the Veteran's Administration in America. Four papers were devoted to this subject and one to the evaluation of the American "Optophone."

While reading rates with the latter were not very promising, "synthetic speech" devices of more advanced design seemed capable of outputs approaching "reading aloud" speeds. Their cost, however, would preclude them from use in the home and they may be destined eventually for library installation for the use of a group of blind people in one area. 

There were five papers on the field trials of the ultra sonic torch -- the only production engineered aid constructed to date. The authors of this group came from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States of America. In addition, a paper was read on the results of evaluation trials in several countries where only one or two ultra-sonic torches had been tested. 

The United Kingdom contribution concerned a batch of twenty-five aids and three groups of blind people in the London area. St. Dunstan's set up this particular trial in 1965 based on the National Physical Laboratory, with a small team under the supervision of a member of our Scientific committee. It was clear from all the results reported that field trials or evaluations are still of an exploratory nature. For while the ultra-sonic torch proves to be reliable in use, the task of learning to use it efficiently will call for a formal training course in practically all instances. 

Three stages are involved with all sensory devices envisaged to date:

1.  Gathering the information.
2.  Analysing or translating it.
3.  Acting on the result of the latter.

There is currently the technology to deal with the information-collecting stage -- whether it is reading or mobility -- but the manner in which it is presented to the user either to hear or to feel is vitally important.

With reference to mobility aids of the instrumented type, there is now a fairly clear consensus of opinion that devices are best employed as a means of supplying additional information about the near surroundings to a traveler already versed in the use of a cane or stick.

Five papers on prototype mobility aids prototypes completed the mobility section of the conference. These included a novel design from the United States of America in which a "laser" is incorporated in a long cane, mounted some two feet from the tip to give focused beams -- one pointing slightly downwards along the path ahead, a second pointing horizontally straight ahead and the third slightly elevated to cover head high obstacles. The lasers provide a minute concentrated beam of light from a crystal in a nacelle mounting on the cane. Detectors pick up reflections from objects in the path of the beams and signal the result to hand stimulators on the grip of the cane. Another paper from California described an "optical image converter" with a tactile output. This "touch" output has been the subject of both reading and mobility studies under the United States Aero Space Research Programme, as a possible means of transmitting information to astronauts.

Professor Leslie Kay, the inventor of the ultra-sonic torch, described his new ultra-sonic spectacles design in which the echoes received from objects in the vicinity are heard in both ears, in contrast to the use of one ear only in all other designs contemplated. While this leaves both hands free, the problem of localising sounds artificially in this way is at present little understood and fundamental psychological investigation and engineering development at the laboratory level will be the next step. 

These examples serve to illustrate the ingenuity and technology that are at present being expended in this field and while mobility aids may appear to be more prominent than reading aids, the primary reason is that there is much linguistic underbrush to clear before even an expensive computer installation could be programmed to handle the context, pronunciation and spelling to give tolerable speech.

*****

** Call for Ambassador Nominations

One of the highlights of the ACB convention is the presentation of the Ambassador's Award during the convention banquet program; and one of the pleasures of convention goers is the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with the recipient of the award, Our Ambassador. The Board of Judges issues a call for nominations for our 1967 Ambassador. Nominations should be submitted on or before June 10, 1967 to the chairman of the Board of Judges with a copy to the members of the Board of Judges whose names and addresses appear below. 

In order to qualify, the recipient must be blind and must be a citizen of the United States or one of its possessions. The purpose of the award is to give recognition annually to some blind person who, through his employment or profession, civic, political or cultural activities, exemplifies the citizen integrated into the total life of the community. It is not important that the recipient be a member of any organization of the blind, active or otherwise. 

Submit your nominations now. See your favorite Ambassador join our select group.

Chairman of Board of Judges Ambassador Award:
George Fogarty, 731 Faxon Avenue, San Francisco, California 94112

Members of Board of Judges Ambassador Award:
John P. Nelson, Montevideo, Minnesota 56265
Miss Lovelia Hilty, 309 Van Buren, Topeka, Kansas 66600

*****

** For Youth: Summer in the Vermont Mountains

For the past several years the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind has operated a combined academic and camping program during the summer months at Camp Wapanacki (Hardwick, Vermont), high in the green mountain country. Plans are now under way for the 1967 camp and applications must be received at the Institute prior to May 1st.

The camp brochure advises:

Section I: "A course of study for students who need remedial instruction in basic subjects, such as Braille reading and writing, English, mathematics, basic sciences and languages. Only students enrolled in high school will be selected, that is, grades 9, 10, 11 and 12."

Section II: "This section will include advanced work in courses such as English, Social Science, Business Economics, Languages ... French, Spanish, Mathematics Music Arts and Crafts. Section II will be a course designed for intellectually superior boys and girls who can carry work, some of which will be at the college freshman level. The final curriculum for the summer school program will be determined by the needs of the applicants that have been accepted. All students attending the school-camp program will be expected to take part in the camping activities. They, of course, will not be expected to carry all of the camping activities. Their program will be coordinated with the most important part of the camping program so that they might have the camping experiences which we have found so essential to the development of self-reliance among blind children.

"Programs of both the accelerated and remedial groups are richly amplified by the many field trips and excursions which are provided. The Congregation of the Arts at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, the University of Vermont Shakespeare Festival, summer theatre, concerts, three-day sightseeing trip to New York City, canoe trips and mountain climbing expeditions were events which greatly enriched the academic and camping portions of the program. Participating in the 1966 school program were ten boys from continental Europe, which is expected to be an exchange continued in future seasons.

"We intend to select and invite as many as 50 students for the academic program and 100 students to the camping program for the 1967 season. The program for the 1967 season was outlined above in Sections I and II. The program will be operated for eight weeks during the months of July and August. A tuition fee of $100.00 will be charged for the eight weeks academic summer session. There will be no charge for the camping program. The large number of students the institute turned down this past year for the school year makes it necessary that applications be sent in as soon as possible."

Prospective applicants for this valuable and most enjoyable summer program should be recommended by the Principals of their schools. In addition to the $100.00 tuition, students will be expected to finance their travel expenses and should have a little spending money in addition. 

Applications and further information may be obtained by writing to Dr. M. E. Frampton, Principal, The New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, 999 Pelham Parkway, Bronx, New York, 10469.

*****

** Family Counseling Center
Charles W. Beam, Family Counseling Center, Atlanta, Ga.

(Editor's Note: Mr. Beam was scheduled to speak to the ACB convention in Atlanta in July. When procedural complications arose and prevented his appearing on the program, he graciously prepared the following as a summary of his remarks.) 

The Atlanta Family Counseling Center is one of many nation-wide Family Agencies approved by and affiliated with Family Service Association of America. People from all walks of life, faith and creeds come to these agencies for personal counseling. Some are referred by physicians, lawyers, ministers, other professional people, or even other agencies. Many come on their own. But no matter how people hear of family Counseling Agencies they come because they are beset by complex problems of everyday living. Marriage problems, trouble with their children, personal mental conflicts -- these and other worries bring hundreds of people to these agencies every year. We feel that people who are afflicted by sight problems have common family problems and need to benefit from these agency services as much as people with vision. A person who is blind might well have a marital problem, find his teenager having adjustment problems, or find himself to have total adjustment problems to his environment. We exist to help people cope with certain of life's problems. Trained counselors listen, discuss and offer suggestions in order to strengthen and better family life. We all believe that the biggest problem in the world could have been solved when it was small. Our goal is keeping little problems from becoming big ones. In this way we offer preventive counseling. The proper time to apply for a family counseling agency's service is when resentments and irritations flare up constantly; when married couples disagree about money or children; when problems begin to outweigh the satisfactions of marriage; when a husband or wife is unable to talk things out with his spouse; when the marriage is characterized by bitterness rather than love and trust.

Parents might well feel the proper time to apply to our agency is when a child seems to stay irritable, cross, discontented or have problems at school. When a child seems to be unhappy, has no friends and seems no longer to enjoy his family or those friends that he formerly enjoyed; when the parents seem to do little other than nag, especially in the area of poor school performance. 

In making these few comments to the readers of the Braille Forum it is our sincere hope that many will feel this article is written with the idea of Family Counseling Agencies reaching out toward blind individuals in order to strengthen your family life as well as other families within the community.

*****

** The "Humphrey Amendment" Again

We are indebted to the National Federation of the Blind for this memorandum.) (NOTE: However, the correct number for the King Bill is H.R. 3064 and should be so designated in writing to your Congressman!)

H.R. 3064, introduced by Congressman Cecil R. King, California, would liberalize the provisions of the Federal Disability Insurance Law for blind persons. Measures identical to H. R. 3064 have passed the U. S. Senate twice as floor-offered amendments to pending Social Security bills. ... H.R. 3064 would liberalize the Federal Disability Insurance Law for blind persons by including in the law the generally accepted definition of blindness and allowing a person who meets this definition in visual loss, and who has worked for six quarters in Social Security -- covered work, to draw disability insurance cash benefits so long as he remains blind, and irrespective of his earnings. 

Under existing law, it is not enough that a person is disabled by blindness to qualify for disability payments, nor is it enough that he is unable to get a job because he is blind. Rather, a person must be physically unable to do a job to become eligible for disability insurance benefits. Thus, many blind persons, able to work, desiring to work, but unable to get work because they are blind, still are not able to qualify for disability benefit payments. Under existing law, a person must work in Social Security-covered work for twenty of the last forty quarters -- five of the last ten years -- to become eligible for disability insurance payments. 

Because employment opportunities for blind people are greatly limited -- limited, not by the nature of blindness, but limited by the reluctance or the refusal of employers to hire blind persons, however well-trained and qualified they may be; because, when blind men and women are able to secure work, they are usually hired for short-term jobs requiring little or no skills, jobs being rapidly automated out of existence; because of these reasons, many blind persons are unable to work long enough in Social-Security-covered employment to meet the twenty of the last forty quarters eligibility requirement. 

Therefore, the six quarters requirement provided for in H.R. 3064 is much more realistic, much more reasonable, under the special circumstances which confront blind people. ... The blind man who is trying to compete with sighted men in a business, trade, or profession, would have available to him a continuing source of income to help pay the "equalizing" expenses he must incur because he is blind, "equalizing" expenses he must incur in hiring sight, for he cannot function without it ... In short, H.R. 3064 as Federal Law would serve, in part, to reduce the economic uncertainties and economic disadvantages of trying to function competitively without sight in an economy, in a society, structured for men with sight.

The great importance and grievous need for the enactment of H.R. 3064, the King Disability Insurance for the Blind bill, is indicated by the vigorous support this measure has received from all national organizations of blind people and all organizations and agencies which are professionally engaged in serving blind people   The National Federation of the Blind, the Blinded Veterans Assn., the American Council of the Blind, the American Association of Workers for the Blind, and the American Foundation for the Blind.

*****

** Some Employers' Appraisals

Editor's note -- This is part 2 of the paper by Louis H. Rives, Jr., of VRA. Part 1 appeared in the March-May 1966 issue of the BRAILLE FORUM. 

We would not be human if we did not add to this report for the World Council a few model instances in which our men and women are doing very well indeed. For the record then, there is appended to this paper a group of letters from employers which tell something about their attitudes toward blind people, as well as what blind workers are doing: 

* WIRE TRIMMER -- From Electrical Appliance Corporation 

"Miss ___ is employed as an assembler and wirer in the circuit module assembly department at the Radio Division of our city. She joined the company in March of 1951 and has been in her present assignment for the past six months. 

"Her current responsibility involves a process of lead trimming or 'nibbling'  capacitor and transistor wires which are soldered between two printed circuit boards. The boards, about one inch by one-half inch in size, are spaced one-half inch from each other and the protruding wires must then be trimmed for subsequent potting and inserting in various communications electronics subassemblies.

"The procedure for Miss _ , begins when a box of about two dozen modules is placed alongside of her left hand. She takes each module in hand and, to the ordinary viewer, either side appears the same, but Miss __ (by detecting with her fingers a buss wire laced inboard) determines the side appropriate to either a one-half inch 
length cut or one thirty-second inch cut. After trimming the circuit module boards, she then places the item in a completion carton and performs the same operation again on another module. According to Miss __'s supervisor, she is currently meeting the standards of quantity and quality. 

"Her attendance record has little or no absence notations, while her general enthusiasm in the department is a model for her co-workers. Truly, Miss ___ is an integral member of our employment force."

* ASSEMBLER -- From a Manufacturer of Stoves 

"In reply to your inquiry, we wish to state that Mr. __ is still very much an employee of this company. Our record shows that he was employed in July, 1945, after receiving training through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

"Although he is totally blind, he does all of the door assemblies on our heavy-duty commercial ranges. The doors are of several different sizes and colors. Using a power drill, tapping gun and power screw driver he turns out fifty of the large doors and more than twice this number per day when working on the smaller doors. He has a perfect safety record, and his attendance has been excellent. It is true that he works in a restricted area, but his materials and tools are well organized which, in part, accounts for his excellent production.

"Although he was employed during a period of war production, we find his services no less valuable today."

* MACHINE OPERATOR -- From An Automotive Parts Mfg. 

"We are glad to endorse the placement of blind workers in business and industry. About ten years ago our company employed a totally blind young lady who performed a packing operation in our shipping department. Later she took dictation in braille shorthand and typed correspondence for members of our sales force. Unfortunately, she left us to become a housewife. 

"Another totally blind worker, Mr. ___ , has been with us for fifteen years. He is an operator on our main production line which turns out clamps used in the automotive industry and other industries. He operates a forming device which is used to shape the wire component utilized in many of our clamps. His speed and skill on this job must be equal to that of other operators in order to maintain the flow of production.

"Blind workers of the caliber that we have known can hardly be considered handicapped and would be definite assets to the employer." 

* CLERK IN BANK PRINTING DEPARTMENT 

"Principal duties include packaging and mailing of check orders; and performing the finishing work on various types of printed matter. Also operates the perforating and binding machine. Mr. __ is totally blind. " 

(Note -- In addition to the above, Mr. Rives included letters concerning Medical Records Transcribers and Darkroom Technicians from Hospitals, Typists from a Manufacturer of Kitchen Utensils and Vending Stand Operators from a Postmaster.)

*****

** New Federal Regulations for Public Assistance

The Welfare Administration of the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare has issued new requirements and interpretations which will go into effect July 1, 1967. Some very material alterations have been made which will require drastic changes in the previous policies of some States. Some of the more important provisions of these new regulations are listed below. The American Council of the Blind, which has been in consultation with Federal officials on these matters, will continue to strive for further liberalization in the Federal requirements for State plans of public assistance. 

* Rights of Individuals 

A State plan must contain policies and procedures for determination of eligibility that are consistent with the objectives of the program and the constitutional and statutory rights of applicants and recipients and that do not violate those rights or the individual's privacy or personal dignity, or harass the individual. States must especially guard against violations in such areas as entering a home by force, or without permission, or under false pretenses, making home visits outside of working hours, and particularly making such visits during sleeping hours; and searching in the home, for example, in rooms, closets, drawers, or papers, to seek clues to possible deception. 

* Prompt Action Required 

A time limit of thirty days is clearly established for promptness in acting on information about changes that may affect a recipient's eligibility. 

A practice previously recommended, relying on the individual as the primary source of information and limiting the verification of conditions of eligibility to those "reasonably necessary to assure that expenditures under the program will be legal," will be made mandatory. Reliance on the applicant (and public records) as the primary source of information will ordinarily make it unnecessary to consult other sources of information. The agency should take no steps in the exploration of eligibility to which the applicant does not agree, including contact with collateral sources. When information is sought from collateral sources, there should be clear interpretation of what information is desired, why it is needed, and how it will. be used. Agencies should not rely on a "blanket" consent for outside contacts, but should obtain specific consent for each contact, whether with social agencies, doctors, hospitals and similar resources, or with relatives or other individuals.
 
* Written Notice

Applicants and recipients will be notified in writing that assistance has been authorized in a stated amount or that it has been denied or terminated for a specified reason. 

The requirement that applicants and recipients be notified in writing that assistance has been authorized in a stated amount requires such notification both at the initial determination of eligibility and each redetermination that results in a change in the amount of assistance to which the individual is entitled. When assistance is denied to an applicant and when a recipient's assistance is terminated, the written notice to him must contain the reason why he has been determined to be ineligible. The written notice will provide a basis for the individual to express dissatisfaction with the agency action.

* Purpose of Grant-in-Aid

The purpose of assistance payments under the Social Security Act is to supplement the income and resources of an individual when these are inadequate to provide him an opportunity to secure for himself the State's defined standard of economic security for people in need. Under the Act, State agencies have the responsibility for seeing that assistance payments are made in such amounts and in such a way as to make it possible for eligible individuals to function as responsible members of the community. Need is the eligibility factor common to the assistance titles. A needy individual is one who does not have income and resources sufficient to assure economic security, the standard of which must be defined by each State. The act recognizes that the standard so defined depends upon the conditions existing in each State. 

* Income and Resources 

The act requires that all income and resources of an individual applying for assistance be taken into consideration, except as required or permitted to be disregarded or set aside under the various titles of the Social Security Act or other Federal law. The acceptable outer limits on real and personal property provisions are: The Home: No monetary limit required; no recovery provision required. Personal and Household Effects and Automobile: No monetary limit required. Income-Producing Property: No monetary limit required, but required that all net income be accounted for under State's policies governing income and resources or the disregard thereof. The policies may allow reasonable proportions of income from businesses or farms to be used to increase capital assets, so that income may be increased. Reserves: Two thousand dollars limit for individual recipient in addition to property described above.

* Availability of Income and Resources

In some States, policy has been in effect whereby income and resources not actually available have been assumed to be available to applicants and recipients, and have been considered so as to reduce the amount of assistance and thus the total amount actually available for meeting the essentials of living. To meet this inequity, a requirement is being added, to become effective July 1, 1967, for all new cases of eligibility thereafter. Contributions from Relatives: The Federal Act does not require States to hold relatives responsible for the support of applicants for or recipients of assistance. Regular and substantial contributions to the support of an applicant or recipient by relatives must be taken into account when they are actually available. Gifts from relatives and contributions of small value and occurring infrequently and unpredictably as expressions of affection are not related to the support of the recipient and should not be considered as income.

The above provisions are quoted from Handbook Transmittals No. 77, dated March 18, 1966, and Handbook Transmittals No. 86, dated July 6, 1966, issued by the Welfare Administration of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D.C.

*****

** Ned's Corner

Whew! Have the past few weeks been hectic! The Georgia General Assembly is in the midst of its 40-day biennial appropriating session and the Georgia Federation of the Blind has a rather ambitious program which we are trying to sell. This includes increased AB grants, a comprehensive home teacher program available to all, not only rehab clients, implementation of the daily living training, and health care services as provided for in the Federal Social Security law. In all of these areas we have been working with the state agencies concerned and attempting to ward off the "economy axes" being wielded by some members of the legislature. As in baseball, we'll probably win some and lose some, but in any event the Assembly and the public will be more aware of the unmet needs of our blind and seriously disabled citizens. Many of you have been through this experience and know the time and effort which such activities require. However, we have managed to get this issue of the FORUM together. We appreciate the number of letters and other contributions from readers which have made our task easier -- and, of course, the FORUM would be impossible without George Card's invaluable assistance. We prefer to use, so far as possible, original material and we do need more from YOU. This could be your own ideas or, perhaps, material you request from others whose experiences or thoughts might be of interest to our readers. Thank you for your help -- and keep it coming. ... We are reporting in this issue the International Conference on Sensory Device held in England last June. This whole matter of such great sums being spent on research for reading and guidance devices has bothered me for some years. It would be wonderful, of course, if each of us could have some little gadget that would read our mail, the newspapers, and all the other mass of printed material which is available to the sighted; and another little gadget that would permit us to walk down the street without worrying about step-offs, step-ups, obstacles, other pedestrians, traffic, etc.

In spite of all the effort and money that has been expended on reading machine research, no really satisfactory device is even promised in any reports I have seen. In my opinion, this money would be of greater service to most blind persons by making available more and better tape facilities and recruiting and training volunteer readers. The COMSTAC standards for library services, which we reported last year in these pages, call upon local libraries to make available to blind and partially seeing readers  facilities for the recording and playing of current and research material as well as projection type magnifying devices for the large print readers. This, too, needs financing -- but the equipment and personnel are available now. Why wait for some enormously expensive computerized mechanical reader vaguely visualized in the distant future?

The same arguments could apply to guidance devices. Nothing which has been proposed so far promises any feasible improvement in mobility over what is available with the white cane or the dog guide. And nothing will ever take the place of what one friend refers to as his "seeing eye doll!" ...

Speaking of sensory devices, we are reporting in the Refugee File a relatively inexpensive one developed by our good friend Tom Benham (without benefit of research funds) which may solve some of our minor problems and inconveniences.

*****

** Physical Medicine Comes into Its Own

(Excerpts from an article by J. Wayne McFarland, M.D. in LIFE AND HEALTH, January 1967, published by Christian Record Benevolent Assn., Lincoln, Nebr.)

During the past half century a change has come about in medical science. A few years ago it was not popular to speak of treating disease with such humble agents as heat, cold, light, massage, and exercise. Now it is recognized that such physical agents are beneficial in treating disease. They are being used more and more in diagnosing and preventing illness. ...

What is the future of Physical Medicine? Dr. Frank Krusen, former chief of the Mayo Clinic, said some years ago; "At last the long-delayed development of physical medicine seems at hand." 

Today medical schools of university after university are establishing full departments of physical medicine, and research in many areas is being activated in the use of natural agents. With interest in physical medicine running at a new high, it emerges as a young and vigorous field in medical science. It comes into its own.

For several years ACB has been working to open up the profession of physical therapy to blind persons at the full professional level. There are many blind masseurs in this country, and a few even refer to themselves as physical therapists, but your editor knows of no blind, registered (professionally recognized) physical therapists. 

The situation is quite different in a number of other countries, including England, Germany, and Japan, where physical therapy is recognized as a profession particularly suited to blind people. A recent letter from Dr. Krusen, now coordinator of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Temple University, Philadelphia, reporting on plans for the establishment of a School of Physical Therapy at Temple, says: "The new Dean of our College of Allied Health Professions, Dr. Aaron Andrews, plans to start the Schools of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in the fall of 1967, but probably won't be able to consider establishing a program for the blind until 1968. As you know, there are certain special devices which are helpful to the blind student Physical Therapist, and it's also necessary to build a good braille library for such students; this, of course, will take some time. I am still hopeful that we can get a program for training blind Physical Therapists underway ..."

Letters from prospective students and from rehabilitation counselors expressing interest in the proposed program for blind students could be effective in encouraging this program. So far as we are aware, this is the only school of Physical Therapy which is presently even considering integrating blind students into its classes.

*****

** The Healing Power of Love

(From GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, reprinted in JOURNAL OF REHABILITATION, July-August, 1966)

At the age of six, a dark-haired, waxen-faced little girl named Linda faced a lifetime of emptiness. A victim of severe mental illness, she had never spoken a word in her life. She cowered in a corner like an animal whenever strangers entered the room, refusing all contact with adults or other children. Doctors at three mental health clinics agreed on the chilling prognosis: Completely hopeless. Their suggestion: Withdraw Linda from school because she cannot be taught.

At the age of 11 Linda is today a happy, attractive child who plays with other youngsters and occasionally leads them. She is doing well in sixth grade, reads and spells adequately for her age, and is anxious to learn. Most important of all, she speaks ... not clearly, but eagerly. In fact, at times Linda is a chatterbox.

Linda's rebirth is a tribute to a remarkable group of volunteers, and a remarkable educational experiment that has been under way for seven years in the town of Elmont, Long Island, not far from New York.

This is the story of how over 75 mothers ... women with no professional training and with no personal axes to grind ... have achieved a near-miracle working with emotionally disturbed children. The volunteers, under the supervision of a handful of professionals, are proving that "unteachable" children ... "hopeless" emotional cripples ... are neither unteachable or hopeless, but with enough love and attention and time can make dramatic progress. ...  

What were those youngsters like? For the most part, they were unpredictable, frightened little people who behaved in bewildering fashion. Much of the time they lived in a dream world, shrinking from human contact or exploding into violent kicking, screaming tantrums.

Some were unable to talk; others could not coordinate their eyes and hands well enough to dress themselves, much less learn to read and write. They were easily distracted and more easily excited. They had had to be excluded from regular schools not only because they were unable to learn, but because their behavior was disrupting and sometimes dangerous to other children.

There are half a million such children in the United States today, "the most neglected of all the nation's handicapped children," says the National Association of Mental Health. Only one out of 125 (a total of 4,000 out of 500,000) is currently receiving any kind of organized teaching either in public or private schools. ...

There were simply no guideposts on how a public school system could deal with the emotionally sick ... A plan was formulated ... The school board recruited a corps of volunteer "teacher-moms" from among the women of Elmont with a view to providing each child with a teacher all his own, someone who would be able and willing to mother him, regardless of how he acted. It was agreed that what disturbed children desperately need -- and seldom get -- is someone's affection and exclusive attention. It was worth a try. Otherwise every one of those children faced a lifetime of nothing. ...

... Although the leaders of this project do not claim that it represents a cure-all for emotionally disturbed children, they do believe that its methods represent a step forward, and that it is proving that youngsters who are emotionally sick are far more capable of learning than is generally recognized. ... Regardless, though, of the long-range psychiatric significance of the project, one important fact has already been established: that ordinary women - housewives with no special qualifications other than willingness to work and capacity to love -- are able to accomplish wonders with problem children: What they need is merely an opportunity for love. ...

*****

** ACB Tape Chatter

John B. Sevier, Tape Coordinator, 449 East 28th St. Baltimore, Maryland, 21218 

BRAILLE FORUM readers responded enthusiastically to the reactivation of the ACB Tape Club as announced in the November issue. We would like to urge everyone in the local and state ACB affiliates, as well as all other readers of the FORUM who would enjoy this contact with friends around the country, to contact your coordinator with personal descriptions, recording speeds and tracks, and other pertinent data so that we may introduce you through the pages of the FORUM. There are no dues and your participation in the club is what will make it a real success. Here are some names to be added to the list which appeared in November:

The following have dual track recorders with 3-3/4 and 7-1/2 ips speeds:

Charles M. See, 508 Forster Ave., Cumberland, Md., 21502, a very busy man but would like a few additional tapespondents, is totally blind, had twenty-eight years with Maryland legislature and is director of Western Maryland Branch, Maryland Workshop for the Blind.

Eugene Fleming, 328 Gunnison Ave., Grand Junction, Colorado, 81501, is Home Teacher for his state VR, is interested in electronics, works with and for the blind and in gaining more friends and contacts.

Virgil Lake, 1407 Wall Ave., Joplin, Mo. 64803, is interested in comparing legislation and opportunities for the blind in various states.

Bud Orrell, 706 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., 37402, Director of Tennessee Business Enterprises for the Blind and ACB Treasurer, is interested in spectator sports, organizations for the blind, is 49 years old, married and has two children. 

Daisy Oie, 1941 Fairfax Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45207, likes knitting, raising birds. 

Those with 1-7/8 and 3-3/4 ips dual track recorders are: 

Lynn Dean, 13435 Pinney St., St. Pacoima, Calif., 91331, is married, has two children and her interests are general. 

Edgar Moreton, Orchard St., Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, in interested in poetry and most anything else. 

Frank Wilmot, 13564 Duffield, Montrose, Michigan, is married, has two children and is interested in law and church work. 

Bob Vroman, 603 - 17th Ave., Longview, Washington 98532, is interested in electronics and general subjects. 

Carlos Purtee, 1418 West Monroe, Jonesboro, Ark., 72401, is interested in church work and ham radio. 

Louis Hendrix, E. 7916 Boone Ave., Spokane, Wash., 99206, has general interests, is member of Blinded Veterans Assn., and a veteran of Bataan Death March.

Mary and Bernard Bagwell, 4106 Truman Ave., Memphis, Tenn. 38108, are both blind, like to bowl, enjoy baseball, like any kind of music. He sings in the choir. They have no children, but she has a dog guide.

Donald Nash, 425 Rugby Ave., Rochester, N.Y. 14619, is a 40-year-old college instructor of French and a Ph.D. candidate. He is a conservative Republican, interested in music, art and serious subjects.

Barry Bishop, 910 North 8th St., Duncan, Oklahoma 73533, has general interests and desires more friends.

Will look forward to meeting more Tapers next month.

*****

** Loretta's Corner

Here in the Sunny South we have frozen water pipes today. In fact, the noise of spouting water against the floor boards directly under Ned's duplicating machine sounds like the motor is running away with itself -- so, we just fill some large containers, remove the fuse to the pump in the well, and await the plumber. But some of you may even now be encased in snow packs, so who are we to complain! And "if winter come can spring be far behind?"

A sentence in George Card's HERE AND THERE has me wondering, though, and maybe some of you will have opinions on the subject. You'll find the statement " ... the blind care nothing or little about a great deal that is visual and, in fact, are often bored with all the worry over how things look. I haven't found this to be so at all -- or maybe I have just been boring a lot of people! Surely this kind of "training" only adds to that stereotyped image we are trying so hard to dispel. I recall Mamie Tuttle, our remarkable deaf-blind ACB ite, helping me identify trees on the lovely lawn of the Printing House in Louisville and our attractive, well-groomed Board Member MJ Schmitt saying, when I commented on a pretty costume, "And isn't it a lovely color?" Also, what about our many sightseeing friends who report with much "demonstration of joy" on the many things they see? It is Ned who reports most vividly on the wonderful sights we encountered as we toured the West. It would certainly seem to me that the trainers need some training -- or are these folks we know so unusual as to be the rare exceptions?

The above remarks were directed to nurses in training. Should they just ignore any flowers sent to their blind patients -- or give them to someone else who might "enjoy" them?

*****

** Opportunities through Vocational Rehabilitation

A pamphlet has been issued by the Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare with the lengthy title "Opportunities for Blind Persons and the Visually Impaired through Vocational Rehabilitation. We are quoting below some excerpts from the introduction to this pamphlet by Miss Mary E. Switzer, Commissioner of VRA. 

" ... For too many years the public attitude toward visually handicapped men and women has been shaped by the common misconception that blindness means helplessness. It is this misconception, more than any other factor, which has stood as a barrier between our citizens who are blind and the freedom to work and produce. 

"To acquaint you with the progress which has been made toward eliminating public misconceptions about blindness, and to help you understand the opportunities which are open to persons who are blind, this booklet has been prepared. It is addressed to the blind, including the partially sighted who have severe visual limitations, who are within the age groups of normal employment -- usually 16 to 65, but its message is of interest, as well, to the families and friends of the blind.

"Do men and women who are blind have any real chances for success in seeking careers in business, agriculture, industry, or the professions? Can a blind person compete successfully in gainful employment with fellow workers who can see? What are the attitudes of other workers and of employers toward blind men and women who are seeking or holding jobs? What public agencies help those who are blind in launching a new career, or in picking up the threads of a former career interrupted by the loss of sight?

"(In this pamphlet) are discussions of these and other questions which may be of vital concern to you. These discussions reflect years of experience of specialists in the Vocational Rehabilitation Administration who serve the blind. Work with thousands of blind men and women, and with countless employers and labor officials who have been approached on their behalf, is encompassed in the experience on which this booklet is based. The personal struggles of some of these specialists are also reflected in this text, for they too are blind. 

"Here is a message for you who -- although blind -- still can build your life on a firm foundation of happy self-reliance."

This pamphlet should be of value not only to those seeking employment opportunities but also to professional workers in the field. It is possible that we may carry some selected portions of this booklet in future issues of the FORUM, and your preferences in this matter will be appreciated by the editorial staff. If requests justify, the pamphlet will be recorded on tape and may be borrowed, or copied on your own tape. Send request to the FORUM Editorial Office.

*****

** Report from Germany on World Congress

(Condensed from Dr. Alfonse Gottwald's report -- published in Die Blindenwelt -- of the 10th World Congress for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped held in Wiesbaden, Germany, September 1966) 

The international Association for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped, which conducted the World Congress, was founded by orthopedists. Today the questions concerning the bodily handicapped, those formerly referred to as "cripples," occupy major attention and stand in the foreground of its interest. Under these circumstances it is only natural that blind problems receive minor consideration. Nevertheless, several papers were discussed concerning occupational abilities of the blind, the rehabilitation of the late blinded and the education of the visually handicapped. 

With the congress a rich exhibition was assembled illustrating the theme "Industrial Business and Rehabilitation -- Aims and Fulfillment." Picturizations of occupations, apparatus and aids for the handicapped were shown, along with outstanding exhibits. In the rooms devoted to this exhibition, the blind occupied a special place. In the area of our special concern there were not only pictures and exhibits shown but also three of our comrades demonstrated on the spot their occupational ability. Heinrich Otto, who is employed as a lathe operator by the firm of Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz, worked at a semi-automated double-lathe. Reinhold operated wonderfully, by means of punched card apparatus, a teletype machine which was connected with the public teletype network so that every visitor had the opportunity to send a teletype message directly to New York or some other spot in the world. Karin Fischer took dictation with the blind-stenographic- machine, transcribed it on the typewriter and, according to request, produced the work in German, French, or English. Thus, the visitor received an immediate impression of the successful occupational integration of blind people. 

For the initiate it was especially interesting to be able to see at once, and for the first time, the electric-blind stenographic-machine and the combined electric typewriter, which produces the text simultaneously in ordinary type and in braille. The latter is a companion product to the punch card operated teletype equipment.

*****

** Letters from Readers

Bashir A. Masoodi (Resource Teacher), 411 West 8th Ave., Gary, Indiana: For the last year I have been reading the FORUM and have enjoyed it very much. A paper of this kind was long needed in this country. The selection of articles is superb. I also enjoy the section about latest devices in the field of work with the blind and various news items. 

Teaching has been one of the professions that blind persons have engaged in since the dawn of our civilization. ... In his very esteemed book "Blindness," Father Carroll lists teaching as one of the professions that does not need sight. It would be a pity if this profession were denied to a person simply because he happened to be blind. Unfortunately, this attitude is quite prevalent among the College Administrators in charge of teacher education. Many institutions preparing teachers of the blind too, have adopted the policy of refusing admission to blind applicants ... It is rather amazing that the same people who advocate so strongly the educational rights of the blind child will not give this same child a chance to become a teacher when he grows up though he has the personality and the desire to be one. ...
 
I think it is the duty of organizations of and for the blind to take a stand in this area. Today when there is such a shortage of qualified and trained teachers all over the country it is their duty to see that no person with the necessary qualifications is denied admission merely because of his lack of sight. ...

I would like to hear from visually handicapped persons who are teachers, social workers, secretaries, counselors or who are engaged in other professions. I am a teacher of blind children in the local public school system. My interests and hobbies include boating, swimming, reading, political affairs and visiting various places of interest. I would like to correspond with blind persons with similar interests in Braille or Type. 

***

From California -- (Name withheld by request): I would like to protest the deplorable impressions of the blind which are spoon fed to the public by the entertainment world. According to these people, overnight the blind have graduated from beggars to detectives and murderers. 

As you know, in a good many dramatic plots the blind person is either heroically aiding in bringing a criminal to justice, or baffling the police with his criminal act. According to these stories, at the time the individual becomes blind, either his keen senses develop then and there, making him some sort of a superman, or his personality changes so drastically that he becomes the most vicious of killers ... 

People see these stories about the blind and many form opinions from them. 

I believe that entertainment may be the cause of many problems faced by the blind today. These movie, television and radio dramas can either cause many sighted people to expect too much too soon from a blind person, or they could give a sighted person the idea that he has to handle a blind person with a glove.

You don't see blind people as they really are through the entertainment media unless you see a movie, T.V. program or hear something on the radio which is produced by either an organization of or for the blind. 

As blind people, I suggest that we let the entertainment world know how we feel about this situation. I do not suggest that we march on Hollywood. We can make our feelings known in other ways.

***

Mr. J. K. Neuschel, Box 666, Honestville Rd., Richfield Springs, N.Y. 13439 (Referring to Article "Playing the Percentages" in January FORUM): Kells has a right to his opinion as I have to mine but we are far apart. I understand that only 10 percent of the so-called blind or blinded are TOTALLY blinded -- I am in that class. We ARE dependent and a case in point is, I receive scores of letters from correspondents all over the land and as far as Central East Africa. My wife or some sighted person must read these to me, else I am not able to answer .... When I type and am called to answer the door or the phone, I must postpone continuation of any letter I should be typing until some sighted person can set me chronologically in order. ... Nearly every "Success" story I learn of about the blind fails to give credit to our unsung heroes -- those who untiringly read our mail, those papers and magazines not put in talking books. Let's unveil this myth about the blind being so capable ... From reliable sources I am informed 60 percent of the blind are over 60. This implies (as I interpret it) that circulatory ailments could deter the reading of Braille. In my case, Braille might help me in a limited manner, but I prefer to use that time in contacting action that will ease the burden of other unfortunate folk, be they shut-ins, blind or handicapped. ... In baseball, smart managers often play the percentages but without being facetious it is a cinch the percentages they use are not those chosen by Kells. Or Edison. 

This is the first winter in the past 14 years that we have not been in Tucson, Arizona, or Long Beach, California, where we were members of Adult Clubs for the Blind. In Long Beach, we had joint meetings with Clubs for the Blind. Nearly 100 percent of the blind had sighted escorts. We attended dances and social gatherings and the same things; that is, just about 100 percent with sighted escorts. 

When the blind make such remarks as "Blindness is of the mind -- there is no other kind," as in the book, "The Teacher in Room 18," or when some blind person says "Blindness is just an inconvenience" -- they know this is not being honest.

I have been through the mill business-wise and otherwise. Long ago I braced myself for come what may. I have been coping (I think) valiantly with the affliction caused by a highway accident. Without my wife by my side, I'd be a number in some institution.

***

John P. Patterson, Attorney-At-Law, 508 Dun Bldg., Buffalo, N.Y. 14202: Mrs. Patterson and I continue to read with much interest the BRAILLE FORUM; and I particularly look forward to reading George Card's "Here and There." 

In the last issue I took special note of Bill Taylor's letter regarding the White Cane Law. May I call the attention of our readers to the fact that in most of our States the law giving the right-of-way to blind persons accompanied by "dog guides." (I use a dog.) 

Bill Taylor is right in that we should not seek to penalize some of these careless violators of the law. We should seek rather to educate them. With this in mind, I recently persuaded the New York State Commission for the Blind, of which I am chairman, to send out notices of this White Cane-Dog Guide law to some 600 police chiefs and other law enforcement officials. Other State Commissions for the Blind or similar agencies might profitably follow New York in this process of educating the public. I am convinced that the enforcement officers do not know of it and consequently do not enforce it.

Sometime ago I visited a city, which I cannot recall now, where a bell rang whenever the lights changed. It seems to me that this would be of inestimable value to all blind travelers. Will readers please write me of any town or city where bells are used with lights.

*****

** Air Force Employee Honored

(From Performance)

When a man is honored by his fellow employees, he is doubly honored. William R. Gotcher was selected by his co workers at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma to receive the Double Eagle Award, an award based on error-free performance during a 60-day period.

Mr. Gotcher was chosen not only for his error-free record but for exceeding standard requirements in production, for a perfect sick leave record during the 60 days, and for setting an example for his employees by expending no unnecessary time away from his work area. 

Although blinded by a brain tumor when he was 17 years old, Bill Gotcher has established an outstanding performance record during the 23 years he has worked at the Base, the last 3 years being in his present capacity as a fuel pump mechanic. His suggestions in working out problems on all types of fuel pumps have been adopted by the Air Force, and his latest suggestion is expected to become a Technical Order requirement by January 1, 1967. The Double Eagle Award is the result of a Double Eagle Program established in July by the Directorate of Maintenance at Tinker AFB. At the end of each 60-day period, winners are selected by their co-workers. 

Bill Gotcher has acquired a reputation of being a most cooperative and congenial worker, and his fellow workers consider him an asset to the shop.

*****

** Here and There

From the PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE on EMPLOYMENT of the HANDICAPPED NESLETTER: In America, work is not only essential to the sustenance of life -- it fulfills the individual's need for self-esteem and for a feeling of worth. -- Harold Russell, Chairman, P.C.E. of H. -- Freeze-dried cadaver heart valves are being used to mend punctured eardrums by a New Zealand physician. C. Bruce Cornish, M.D., has restored hearing in almost 100 patients with this method. This technique has been effective in about 90% of the patients."

From the Minnesota BULLETIN: "John Ross, who has been totally blind since the age of 7, is now a man of 30, a teacher of English and a wrestling coach at the Comfrey (Minn.) High School. He was a state champion high school wrestler and won his letter in wrestling at the University of Minnesota." 

From the K.A.B. NEWS (Kansas): "The K.A.B. Credit Union held its 5th Annual Meeting October 15 and the big news of the day was the declaration of a 5% dividend on savings. You just can't beat it -- 5% plus insurance coverage!! Officers elected were: Ray McGuire, Pres.; John Thomas, Vice Pres.; Minnie Dalton, Treasurer; Rosemary Distifan, Secretary ... In a continuance of inter-city blind bowling league rivalry, Wichita again defeated the newly-organized Topeka group by 361 pins." 

From PERFORMANCE: "Mrs. Thelma Van Norte of Macon, Georgia, was honored by the President's Committee at its October 19 meeting in Milwaukee as the 1965 Public Personnel Award winner for proving that blind and other severely handicapped persons can work efficiently as medical transcriptionists." 

From the HOOSIER STARLIGHT: "The late Walt Disney recently directed a three-part color television film depicting the life of a Seeing Eye dog from her birth at the farm to her development as a working dog guide. It is called "Atta Girl, Kelly." Brandy, a beautiful silver-blond German shepherd trained at The Seeing Eye, plays the title role to the hilt. During the filming she had stand-ins and make-up artists, and even answered to her stage name "Kelly." 

A primitive early model of the typewriter, the long-playing record and the ball-point pen were all originally invented and designed for the benefit of the blind. 

From the AP (Washington, D.C.): "Art Edgerton, 38, a blind radio-TV newsman and jazz musician from Toledo, Ohio, was named handicapped American of the year for 1966. The president's committee on employment of the handicapped, which makes the annual award, noted that Edgerton for the last two years had covered the committee's annual meeting and had interviewed many of the participants. Born blind to a Philadelphia family of limited means, Edgerton earned his way to three college degrees and now works on the news desk of WTOL-TV in Toledo." 

At the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Torquay, England, a student constructed a relief map of the city as his project in ceramic clay. A newly-arrived girl student said wonderingly, while examining it, "I always thought a relief map just showed public conveniences."
  
Education replaces cocksure ignorance with thoughtful uncertainty. 

From HOLIDAY: "... It is only on water that you can loaf with a clear conscience and elevate laziness to the state of a fine art."

In his PEORIAREA OBSERVER, Vic Buttram describes a shocking situation involving the elimination of the jobs of five blind switchboard operators at the Peoria State Hospital. "Bell Telephone already had a Braille attachment on order for the new board but some high crackpot is evidently throwing his weight around." With his usual energy, Vic is carrying on a vigorous campaign to stimulate letters of protest to legislators, civic clubs, Lions, influential friends, anyone who will help bring this matter to the attention of the governor and other state officials. We need more fighters like Vic.  

From the WASHINGTON STATE WHITE CANE: "Although funds for research on blindness are far too low in relation to funds expended to take care of the apparent effects of blindness, many communications media are educating the public to an awareness that all may not be as it seems. For instance, are we sure that a certain blind child is retarded? Or, for that matter, that he is blind? A child declared both retarded and blind was found to be neither. But it took loving care and interest to find that out. Alas, there are too many blind children who have either no love or no intelligent care." 

The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness warns parents that 17% of the more serious injuries to children's eyes are caused by missile-type toys. 

From the ILLINOIS BRAILLE MESSENGER: "'Our Blind Children' by Berthold Lowenfeld has been translated into Hebrew and published in Tel-Aviv ... The Committee on Professional Activities of the Blind of the Association of Computing Machinery, in cooperation with the A.A.W.B., has published 'The Selection, Training and Placement of Blind Computer Programmers.' This will be useful to many workers in the field of blind welfare and especially to the blind person who wishes to seek a livelihood in this profession. Many problems in communication had to be solved before there could be complete integration of blind individuals in the computer profession. Free copies of the 45-page pamphlet may be procured from the A.A.W.B., 1511 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005 " 

From the ABC DIGEST (Calif.): "The current 150 pupils enrolled at the State School for the Blind at Berkeley represent less than 10% of the more than 1,600 blind children of school age now in Calif. A large number of those attending the school are multi-handicapped, most of whom cannot hope to enter high school ... Half the fun of repeating gossip is to see how much you can improve it ... The Division for the Blind of the Dept. of Rehab. now has a staff of 24 Rehab. Counselors for the Blind, a like number of counselor-teachers, and a number of Business Enterprise Officers. They are all under the direct supervision of District administrators who are in turn under Vocational Rehab, rather than the Division for the Blind. We believe that the blind would be better served if there were more supervision and control from the office of the Chief of the Division for the Blind ... At its October convention the A.B.C. adopted a resolution urging that rehabilitation agencies serving the blind review their present policy of refusing rehab. service to blind diabetics because of medical non-feasibility ... Another resolution urged the establishment of an additional school for the education of multi-handicapped blind children, with a specially-trained staff and special equipment. It was pointed out that the Berkeley School has neither the staff nor the equipment essential for this purpose and that the education of normal blind children is being seriously jeopardized by the presence of so many multi-handicapped blind children ... The New York Times states it will publish a special weekly edition in large -size type for persons with impaired vision. Its new weekly is designed for an estimated 6 million Americans who have poor vision. 

The HOOSIER STAR-LIGHT reports that the average earnings of the more than 3,000 blind vending stand operators in the U.S. rose last year to $4,932.

It's better to give than to lend -- and it costs about the same.

Here are the final paragraphs of two Missouri Federation resolutions adopted at the recent state convention: (66-03) "Be it resolved ... that we join in making a strong protest to the President of the U.S. and to the Postmaster General, requesting the deletion of all discriminatory regulations and manual sections which purport to deny licensed blind operators of vending concessions of the right to be represented by an attorney or agent of their choice ... (66-05) Whereas the General Services Administration has issued regulations purporting to exempt postal facilities in some Federal buildings under its control from the provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act and extended to regional directors the authority to make further exclusions; therefore, be it resolved .. that the General Services Administration be notified of our concern and objection to that regulation, and further, that an immediate rescission thereof be requested ... USAF 1st Lt. Leon J. Murphey, son of Jack and Alma Murphey of St. Louis, an electrical engineer, has been a vital cog in the government's aerospace program ... RITE, one of the St. Louis chapters of the M.F.B., is planning to produce a film in the spring to demonstrate employment possibilities for the blind." (Courtesy of the MISSOURI CHRONICLE) 

From the WASHINGTON WHITE CANE: "The Seeing Eye would like to remind graduates that maintenance costs for a Seeing Eye dog may be included in the Income Tax return as a medical deduction. ...  Aerosol spray cans containing many different pressurized liquids such as insecticides, deodorants, antibiotics, oven cleaners, paint and hair fixatives, should be kept out of reach of children at all times. These liquids, if accidentally sprayed into the eyes, can cause severe corneal damage." 

From the HOOSIER STAR-LIGHT: "Professor Edward L. Glaser of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology teaches electrical engineering and designs computers. Until recently, however, he hasn't been able to 'talk' directly with the machines he designs because he is blind and was unable to use the teleprinter which feeds material into the computer. Now, thanks to a new high-speed braille embosser, developed by the mechanical engineering department of the institute, he can transmit the
information himself at speeds equal to the fastest office electric typewriter."

From the LION: "Following a sermon by Rev. Hilton Whitaker in Michigan City, the congregation was asked to pledge their eyes by signing pink slips which were put on the altar. One hundred seventy-four eye bank cards were filed."

From the American Foundation for the Blind NEWSLETTER: "A new booklet, 'Blind Workers in Service Occupations in Hospitals: Guidelines for Selection, Training, Placement', will be published shortly by AFB available free upon written request. VRA and AFB were prompted to take advantage of the nationwide shortage of hospital personnel in order to provide greater employment opportunities for blind and partially sighted persons ... Mr. J.M. Woolly, superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind, was elected vice-president of AFB at the annual meeting of the board of trustees on October 27.

From the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NURSING, November, 1966: "Knowing how to provide the information that a blind person needs is an art that should be a part of every nurse's training," is the contention of C. Warren Bledsoe and Russell C. Williams. The article suggests that nurses remember that "the blind care nothing or little about a great deal that is visual and, in fact, are often bored with all the worry over how things look. They should not be expected to demonstrate any great joy in visualizing." The person who is suddenly blind may not realize that there are resources at his command, that he is not alone. Blind people and the services that help them are not easy to bring together, and nurses are in a unique position to see and intervene effectively. 

From LISTEN: The new research library at Perkins School for the Blind is the only spot on earth where the scholar stands a chance of laying his hands on anywhere near all the notes mankind has made on blindness. Contributions to the unique Perkins collection, started by the school's first director, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, have been made by all succeeding directors. Dr. Edward J. Waterhouse, present director of the school, will long be remembered for the truly spectacular building. The historic volumes in the so-called blindiana collection (the oldest was published in 1491) were housed in fireproof vaults until the new building on the Watertown campus was constructed ... New Zealander Bert Smith, who has competed in long distance races in his native country despite his blindness, has been barred from the Boston Marathon by the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union. The decision, according to a report in the Boston Traveler, was based on the belief that Smith's competition would be unsafe. Since publication of an earlier story about Smith, however, LISTEN has been informed that Charles Timpany of Dorchester, Mass., who is blind, finished the marathon last year. So? ... In most states, blind persons of all ages who have not been receiving Aid to the Blind may now be eligible for medical assistance, by reason of the recently enacted Title XIX of the social security law, even though they are not eligible or do not care to apply for Aid to the Blind maintenance payments. Eligibility depends on the level of income and now varies from state to state. In Massachusetts, for instance, a single person having a monthly income of less than $180 is eligible and, if there is a dependent wife, $245. It may be worth your while to check your own state's provisions."

*****

** Refugees from the Round File

(From the Palmetto Auroran) -- Dr. Fred L. Crawford, Director of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, was honored at a luncheon and press conference held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago on Wednesday November 16, 1966. The sponsor of the press conference was the Hadley School for the Blind, a correspondence school with more than 4,000 students in the United States and abroad. The school is using Dr. Crawford's new book, "Career Planning for the Blind" as a textbook for a correspondence course on career planning. The course is being offered free to any blind person. Although the Hadley School is forty-five years old, this is the first time a course has been offered in every media used by the blind for study: Braille, records, tape, print and large type. 

Speaking to newsmen and guests Dr. Crawford said, "Routine repetitive work which once offered numerous opportunities for employment to blind persons is rapidly becoming unavailable because of automation. The book emphasizes the need for careful career planning by each individual long in advance of the time he begins to look for a job. ...

The report of the National Advisory Council on Welfare has been recorded on tape (2 reels, 7 in., 3-3/4 ips, dual track) and may be borrowed or copied on your tape without charge by sending your request to the editor of the Braille Forum. 

This report makes a number of far-reaching and progressive suggestions for the improvement of the entire field of Public Assistance. 

Also available on tape from the FORUM office is a 5", 3-3/4 ips dual track tape recording of a number of pamphlets addressed primarily to the parents of blind children. Some of these are concerned with the pre-school child and others discuss the parents' relation to the child, the school and his teachers.

A new instrument which should be of great help to many blind persons has been developed by Science for the Blind, Haverford, Pa. 19041, and may be ordered direct. The Continuity Checker is a device for checking for lighted telephone buttons, switchboard signals and computer panels; the level of liquids in any size container; light bulbs or fuses, and to see if lights have been left on, etc. It consists of a small metal box measuring approximately 2x3x1-1/2 and containing a loudspeaker, a 9-volt battery, a transistor circuit board, and a 3-hole socket into which the accessories are plugged. Information is obtained from an audible tone ranging from a few ticks per second to a high-pitched squeal. For example, a good light bulb when connected to the clip leads will be indicated by a high-pitched tone; a burned-out bulb by no sound at all. The level indicator squeals on contact with liquid. The light sensor produces a tone whose pitch depends on the intensity of the light reaching a photocell through the end of the cylindrical cover. The Continuity Checker complete with all accessories and printed instructions costs $21.50. The Checker with leads is $15 and the accessories separately run: Plug-in light sensor, $3; Light sensor on cable, $4; Liquid level indicator $1.50; tape recorded instructions, 50 cents. 

Blind attorney Gregory B. Khachadoorian, Arlington, has been re-elected to his fifth term as a member of the Massachusetts legislature and has introduced a bill which would require all eye-glasses manufactured or prescribed in Mass. to be made of safety glass containing plastic or case-hardened lenses. Khachadoorian was also reappointed as chairman of the Advisory Board of the Mass. Commission for the Blind. 

(From COMMUNICATOR) -- A curriculum of Listening Education for clients of the Kansas Rehabilitation Center for the Blind is being explored. No evidence of specific work in listening education for the blind has been discovered. Since this is a pioneer project it was decided to attempt the preparation of an outline for a twelve-week course in listening, followed by appropriate curriculum materials. Written materials for the first 8-weeks of the course are nearing completion at this time. Audio aids and tape recordings remain to be developed. ... Present plans include the possibility of an extended research project perhaps of two or three years duration, during which time materials of all kinds could be developed and tested for validity. Should the results of such a proposed project significantly affirm the beliefs of the Center staff, national attention may be focused on the importance of listening education in the total rehabilitation picture.

A study of communications problems in the education of blind and visually handicapped children has shown that they learn equally well by listening or by reading, according to the research report from the American Printing House for the Blind. However, because of the slower pace of reading, whether braille or large type, the learning efficiency is about 230% in favor of learning by listening.

Last summer Richard Kinney, deaf-blind associate director of the Hadley School for the Blind, made an around-the-world tour. According to the detailed report which appears in the February issue of the HOME TEACHER he visited England, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Israel, India, Hong Kong, Japan and Hawaii. The purpose of this trip appears to have been two fold; to enable Hadley better to understand the problems and conditions faced by their world-wide student body, and to stimulate wider usage of and greater support for the man educational opportunities offered by Hadley ...

Dick's principal sponsors on most of the places he visited were the Lions Clubs and he spoke to many such groups. He was received most cordially by governmental officials including several cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister of India ...

The Literary Awards at the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, sponsored by Ways and Means for the Blind, Augusta, Georgia, have this year been renamed in honor of Senator Jennings Randolph, West Virginia, father of the Randolph-Sheppard Vending Stand program. In accepting the honor, Senator Randolph has written Hubert Smith, president of Ways and Means." ... I am indeed obliged to you for this kindness and it will be a distinct privilege to accept this recognition ... I know that you share with me the belief that the blind in the past have played a vital part in society and that their future contributions will be even greater."

Non-denominational (Protestant) religious and inspirational material may be borrowed in braille, talking book or magnetic tape from the Braille Circulating Library, 2823 West Grace St., Richmond, Va. 23221. This is a free service and the catalog which may be had on request lists many interesting titles by well-known personalities. 

You are also invited to subscribe to the Uniform International Sunday School Lessons, or the Life and Work Lessons as used in many Baptist churches. This is a free service offered by Christian Education for the Blind, Inc., PO Box 6999, Fort Worth, Texas 76115. Lessons for each month are mailed to subscribers on 7" (3-3/4 ips, dual track) reels and the reader requested to return the tape at the end of each month. Appropriate musical selections accompany each lesson. Correspondence is welcome on tape, in braille or regular print. Be sure to indicate whether you want the International Lessons or the Life and Work. 

(From Canadian OUTLOOK): While it is still rare for Western women to train and practice as ophthalmic surgeons, women in Russia have completely taken over this aspect of medicine. At the first Soviet-sponsored conference on ophthalmology held in Odessa in 1965 women not only outnumbered the men delegates but also presented most of the papers and took the chair. 

Wanda St. Clair in the Oklahoma Federation NEWSLETTER reports: "The annual box supper sponsored by the Oklahoma City Chapter at the new center of the Okla. Foundation for Disabled Adults was a tremendous fund-raising success as well as being a lot of fun. Proceeds totaled more than $240. Contest winners were Travis Harris, King; Shirley Castleberry, Queen; Jerry Houston and Florence Davis, Lovingest Couple; Dorothy Alsobrook, Prettiest Box; and Wanda St. Clair, Biggest Feet. ... Like other baseball fans we often suspect the umpire is blind. Recently at Wrigley Field in Chicago, during a heated argument over a close decision, some fan tossed a white cane out onto the field. ..."

*****

** Guide Dog Encounters Master's World of Blindness 

From the ABC Digest: 

"Hesitancy at the end of the leash told Jack McAdams, 23, something was wrong. It turned out, the blind was leading the blind. A veterinarian discovered that Dell, a 7-year-old Doberman Pinscher, was as blind as her master and had been leading him 'on instinct and guts alone.' Dell had cataracts, a malady common to both humans and dogs. The lenses of her eyes were so fogged she barely could distinguish light from darkness. Fortunately dogs have a second set of lenses. Dr. William Magrane of Mishawaka, Indiana, removed Dell's clouded lenses, later the stitches inside her eyelids were removed. Dell had trouble shaking off effects of the anesthetic, because she is a canine diabetic. It was discovered three years ago the dog was a diabetic, but she takes her insulin quite obligingly. McAdams knows Dell can see again, even without a veterinarian's assurance. He can feel a more confident tug on the leash. 'Right after the vet took out her stitches, she placed her paw in my hand for a handshake. She must be able to see again. She put her paw in the right place.'"

*****

** ACB Officers and Directors

President: Reese H. Robrahn, 541 New England Building, Topeka, Kansas 66603
1st Vice President: Ned E. Freeman, 136 Gee's Mill Rd., Conyers, Ga. 30207
2nd Vice President: David Krause, 4628 Livingston Rd., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032 
Secretary: Mrs. Alma Murphey, 4103 Castleman Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63110 
Treasurer: F.W. Orrell, 5209 Alabama Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn. 37409 

** Directors

Mrs. Mary Jane Schmitt, 55 Queens St., Rochester, N.Y. 14609 
R.L. Thompson, 104 W. Hanlon St., Tampa, Fla. 33604
Fred C. Lilley, 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, Illinois 60604
J. Edward Miller, 2661 Chesterfield Ave., Charlotte, North Carolina 28205
George Card, 605 S. Few Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 
Vernon Williams, 217 Western Union Bldg., Aberdeen, S.D. 57401 
Mrs. Catherine Skivers, 836 Resota St., Hayward, California 94545
Floyd Qualls, Post Office Box 1476, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

***

This sight-saving edition was assembled and mailed by members of the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind.

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