The Braille Forum Vol. VII November 1968 No. 3 Published Bi-Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * Editor Ned E. Freeman 136 Gee's Mill Rd. Conyers, GA 30207 * Associate Editors George Card 605 South Few St. Madison, WI 53703 Earl Scharry 5714 Ridgeway Ave. Rockville, MD 20851 * Executive Office ACB Board of Publications 652 East Mallory Ave. Memphis, Tenn. 38106 * President Reese Robrahn 329 Woodbury Lane Topeka, KS 66606 * National Representative Durward McDaniel 20 E. Street NW Suite 215 Washington, DC 20001 To inform its readers and to provide an impartial Forum for discussion. *** In its consideration of a revised statement of editorial policy for the BRAILLE FORUM, the ACB Board of Publications will welcome any suggestions our readers might have. ** ACB Board of Publications Chairman - Appointment to be announced Mrs. Harriet Fielding 2910 Calderwood Lane, Apt. 92 Sacramento, CA 95821 Mrs. Alma Murphey 4103 Castleman Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 Jack Lewis 770 Hemlock St. Macon, GA 31201 George Fogarty 2107 - 28th St. San Francisco, CA 94112 *** ** Notice to Subscribers The BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large type and on tape, 7-inch, dual track, 3-3/4 ips. All requests, changes of address, etc., should be sent to the BRAILLE FORUM, 136 Gee's Mill Road, Conyers, GA 30207. Letters and material for publication should be submitted to the Editor or to one of the Associate Editors. ***** ** The Braille Forum Contents November 1968 ACB Board of Publications Notice to Subscribers Holiday Greetings Fabulous Dr. Leila Mosher New Members on NAC Board Legislation Why Michigan's White Cane Law is Best The Making of a Blind Man Needed — Specific Job Training CNIB's Golden Anniversary The Volunteer — An Unpaid Employee More About the San Francisco Convention Striving for Independence States in Action Buying a New Tape Recorder? The Pre-School Child and His Parents A Sit-In at the Fair A Light Went Out — Poem Ned's Corner A Useful Little Braille Writer That Useful Braille Slate Brailled Jetliners Now International Convention Speaker Inspires Job Hunt Loretta's Corner Here and There Letters from Readers Refugees from the Round File ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ***** ** Holiday Greetings Peace be to you, and to your house And all your kith and kin; May Christmas joy surround your home, And love abide therein. A Joyous and Blessed Holiday Season To You and Yours -- The FORUM Staff The Editors are highly pleased with the number and quality of articles which have been submitted recently. We hope you will continue to share your ideas with other FORUM readers. True to its name, the BRAILLE FORUM presents varied viewpoints on many questions. The opinions expressed in the signed articles and letters appearing in these pages are those of the authors. They are presented for your information and consideration. No implication of approval or endorsement by the editors or the American Council of the Blind should be inferred because of publication in this magazine. It has been suggested that during this Holiday Season some of you might like to make a special Christmas gift to the BRAILLE FORUM or to the American Council. Publication costs are high (about $4 per year per name) and the new ACB Washington office is being called upon to render many special services. All of this costs money and any contribution you may wish to make will be gratefully received. They should be sent directly to ACB Treasurer Fred Krepela, 363 Court St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301. Membership in the American Council of the Blind is available in two ways. If you are, or wish to be, an active member of one of the twenty state organizations affiliated with ACB you automatically become a voting member of the American Council. Others interested in membership may apply for membership-at-large. No annual dues are required for this class of membership, only an initiation fee of $3.00. Send application and fee to the ACB Treasurer. ***** ** Fabulous Dr. Leila Mosher (From Coronado (Cal.) Journal, courtesy C. Fred Pearson) A close friend of Helen Keller and equally amazing was Dr. Leila H. Mosher, who died this year at her home in Coronado. Dr. Mosher's eighty-three years were packed full of interesting activity including careers on the concert stage, in medicine, psychiatry and in public service despite the fact that she was blind from early childhood. As an interpreter for the United Nations, Dr. Mosher served with the United States mission to the Nuremberg trials of German war criminals following World War II. She was fluent in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. At 16, Leila Holterhoff was graduated from the Marlborough Finishing School in Los Angeles and went to Europe to study music. She graduated from the University of Berlin conservatory. As a coloratura soprano she sang in concerts in Europe and for Royalty. She also was a pianist. She left the concert stage to study at the Columbia University School of Medicine in New York and then earned a degree in psychiatry from the University of Berlin. She was the last private pupil accepted by Dr. Sigmund Freud. In public service, Dr. Mosher helped the French government to introduce modern obstetrical methods in North Africa. Her husband was the well-known portrait artist, Evan Royal Mosher. Dr. Mosher practiced psychiatry up until shortly before her death, but she never accepted money from her patients, many of whom were referred to her by church groups. She believed that blind persons should take their place among sighted groups and did not believe the blind should organize themselves. Her own vision was so clear to her that she spoke of the expression of a pet dog as if she could see his face, and she traveled to the desert each spring, she said, to see the wild flowers in bloom. ***** ** New Members on NAC Board THE STANDARD BEARER, bulletin of the National Accreditation Council, in its latest edition introduced new members of its Board of Directors, including -- Hon. Reese H. Robrahn, Judge of the Shawnee County Magistrate Court, Topeka, Kansas. Judge Robrahn is president of the American Council of the Blind, and has also served as president of the Kansas Association for the Blind, chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Kansas Rehabilitation Association and president of the Topeka Sunflower Alliance, an affiliate of Lions International. He received the 1964 award of the Kansas Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped; and Douglas C. MacFarland, Ph.D., chief of the Division of Services to the Blind in the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Dept. of HEW. He is past president of the American Association of Workers for the Blind. Dr. MacFarland was a member of the COMSTAC Committee on Standards for Vocational Services and now serves on the Council's Commission on Accreditation. He is chairman of the Committee on Industrial and Rural Employment of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind. This adds two more totally blind members to this policy making board. ***** ** Legislation According to the AFB "Washington Report" edited by Irvin P. Schloss, the President has signed the following: A bill which included $600,000 more than previous appropriations for the Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped program of the Library of Congress. This represents about a 10% increase; A bill establishing a National Eye Institute as part of the National Institutes of Health; A bill providing grants for the establishment of pre school programs for handicapped children. No action was taken by the 90th Congress on the proposed amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Vending Stand Act. Demands for public hearings made by organizations of the blind who opposed the bill resulted in killing it for this session. A report from the Secretary of HEW advises that the District of Columbia is the 42nd U.S. Jurisdiction to launch a Medicaid program providing medical care and services for health needs of those under age 65, and thus not covered by Medicare. Although much progress has been made, there are still 21 states which have not yet begun Medicaid programs. "A large part of what Medicaid has accomplished so far has been treatment of acute or chronic illness," said Secretary Wilbur Cohen. "This program, will, but of the course, always be an important part of the program, but the 'broadening scope' envisaged in the law puts great stress on preventive medicine. Thus, by July 1969 all State Medicaid plans must provide for the early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment of eligible individuals under 21. It is surely no overstatement to say that this single provision in the law, by discovering and treating incipient illnesses in young persons, will perceptibly raise the health standards of the Nation." ***** ** Why Michigan's White Cane Law Is Best C. LaVerne Roberts Michigan has one of the foremost White Cane Protection Laws in the United States. The National Federation of the Blind is actively promoting a so-called Model White Cane Law which falls short of the guaranteed protection provided by the Michigan Law as it now stands. The law drafted by the late Dr. tenBroek and Mr. Matson has as its essential feature (House Bill #2407, Sec. 4) "The driver of a vehicle approaching a totally blind pedestrian who is carrying a cane or walking stick, white in color with or without a red tip, or using a guide dog shall take all necessary precautions to avoid injury to such blind pedestrian. Any driver who fails to take such precautions is liable in damages for any injury caused such pedestrians." The Michigan Law reads: "Any driver of a vehicle who approaches within ten feet of a person wholly or partially blind, carrying a cane or walking stick white in color, or white tipped with red, shall immediately come to a full stop and take such precautions before proceeding as may be necessary to avoid accident or injury to the person wholly or partially blind." Those advocating the "model law" urge that motorists do not obey our present law. This is not material. It does not make the "model law" any better. What counts is what happens to you and me, as blind pedestrians, if we get hit. I am a lawyer, and have been for thirty-three years. In Michigan, and in every other state, it is necessary, when a person is hit, to show three things: First, That the pedestrian himself is free from contributory negligence -- that means that he has not in any way contributed to his own difficulty; Second, That the driver was negligent; Third, The damages are how much. The present Michigan Law states specifically, and without any question, what the motorist must do. The "model law" advocated by the NFB lets the Jury speculate on what the motorist ought to do, and what might be reasonable to do. It is a God-send to insurance companies. The law requires that a motorist must come to a stop within ten feet of the blind pedestrian -- and this law has been tested at least three times in our Courts, and upheld -- so, if a blind person, living in Michigan or coming into Michigan, is hit while using his white cane or dog guide, this automatically proves that the motorist failed to stop. I will be glad to correspond with any organization of blind people from other states who want further information about our Michigan Law. (Address: 529 Tussing Bldg., Lansing, Michigan 48933.) The NFB tried to upset our Michigan Law last spring, but we were successful in having their attempts buried in the House Committee of Social Services. We expect a repetition of this next January, and we also expect to have similar results. ***** ** The Making of a Blind Man Robert A. Scott, Ph.D., Princeton University (Condensed from a paper presented at the Southern Sociological Assn. meetings in Atlanta in 1968) ... The people to whom I refer are the blind, and the blindness organizations that serve them. Common sense suggests that a blind person's behavior is given to him by the condition of blindness itself, that the attitudes and behavior of blind people inevitably result because of the catastrophic impact that the condition has on every aspect of human organism functioning. In short, it is blindness that makes a blind man. The results of a study I have recently completed suggest a different view; namely, that the attitudes and behaviors characteristic of the blind are learned, and that an important part of this learning occurs in the context of agencies and rehabilitation centers for the blind. In effect, it is not blindness, but organized intervention programs, that make blind men. ... In order to determine if severely vision impaired persons are blind, it is necessary for them to receive a careful clinical examination by an ophthalmologist or other qualified eye specialist. This fact is one of the important contingencies affecting the subsequent experiences that such persons undergo. Some unknown but apparently substantial portion of the blind population never become the clients of blindness agencies because their vision has not been tested. ... such persons describe their impairment as "seeing trouble"; neither they nor other people label it as blindness. The attitudes and behavior of such persons are not those characteristic of blind men; rather, they consist of personal attempts to alleviate the inconveniences that are created for them by their impairment. Even those who have been designated as blind by qualified authorities may never become clients of blindness agencies. This can occur because a patient may ask his ophthalmologist not to report his name to a blindness register, or because he refuses any assistance offered him by an organization for the blind. ... Like those who have never been detected, these persons continue to regard themselves, and to function as normal. Not all people who have been labeled "blind" can do this. Often, strong pressures are exerted upon them to begin to think of themselves as blind men. Blindness has traditionally implied a complete absence of vision, a deficiency which, except in the case of a miracle, is assumed to be incurable. ... Once an ophthalmologist has determined that an individual is officially blind, he often refers the patient to a welfare authority, with the reminder to "come back in a year for a checkup" -- implying that the person's problems are no longer medical ones of vision but psychological and social problems of adjustment. Whereas the person who is vision impaired was previously regarded as a sighted person who experienced difficulty seeing, he is now treated as a blind man with residual vision. This redefinition of his condition is further reinforced in those who become clients of agencies for the blind. This reinforcement takes several forms. Many of the techniques of counseling and most of the technology used in blindness agencies was devised for people who cannot see at all. They are often taught braille and to use special mobility devices even though most of them have enough vision to read large print and to get around by themselves. They are trained to do jobs that are specifically devised for persons with no vision at all. ... The vision impaired person is treated as if he were in fact blind. ... His readiness for any services which may be offered is measured by evidence of his willingness to admit to himself the fact of his blindness and to show signs that he is resigned to the alleged permanency of his condition. Withstanding the force of these pressures is not easy. ... When a person who is legally blind comes to a blindness organization, he usually requests services that he feels will solve some of the specific problems he experiences because of his impairment. Many want only to read better and therefore request optical aids, talking book machines, or instruction in braille. Others desire help with mobility problems, or with special problems of dressing, eating or housekeeping. Most need money or medical care. A few contact agencies for the blind in search of scientific discoveries which will restore their deteriorated vision. Although the exact type of help that is sought varies considerably, many clients feel that the substance of their problems is contained in the specific requests which they have. These conceptions that new clients have about the nature of their problems are in sharp contrast with the beliefs of blindness workers concerning the problems of blindness. Most of them feel that blindness is one of the most severe of all handicaps, the effects of which are long-lasting, pervasive and extremely difficult to ameliorate. They feel that if these problems are to be solved, blind persons (who are now called "clients") must understand them in all of their manifestations, and willingly submit themselves to a prolonged, intensive and comprehensive program of psychological and restorative services. Effective socialization of the client largely depends upon changing his views about himself and his condition. Workers must convince him that simplistic ideas about solving the problems of blindness by means of one or a few services are unrealistic. ... He is listened to attentively and sympathetically. However, when concrete plans are formulated, the client learns that his personal views about his problems are largely ignored. His request for help with a reading problem produces a recommendation by the worker for a comprehensive psychological workup. ... Some clients voluntarily leave the agency at this point ... particularly the elderly, the multiple handicapped, the uneducable or unemployable. For most persons who have come this far in the process, however, dropping out is not a particularly realistic alternative, if only because this option implies that the blind person has other resources open to him. For the most part such resources are not available. ... The ability to withstand the pressure to act, think, and feel in conformity with the beliefs that workers for the blind have about the model blind person is further reduced by the fact that blindness workers have a virtual monopoly on the rewards in the system. By manipulating these rewards they are able to pressure the client into rejecting personal conceptions of problems in favor of their own conceptions of their problems. The client is sanctioned if he persists in viewing his "presenting problems" as the real ones. Such behavior results in labels such as "unacceptable" or "uninsightful." The client is said to be "blocking" or resisting the truth. ... A fundamental tenet is most agencies for the blind is that a client must accept the fact of his blindness and everything implied by it before he can be effectively rehabilitated .... Most blind persons are anxious to move along in the program as rapidly as possible, the implications of being labeled uncooperative are very great indeed. The uncooperative client is assigned low priority for entering preferred job training programs. ... As a result, the alert client quickly learns to become "insightful," to behave as workers expect him to. ... Under these circumstances, an unusually complete transformation of a person's attitudes and behavior becomes possible. ... Thus, people who have trouble with their eyes are made into blind men. (Dr. Scott has written a book "The Making of a Blind Man," which will be published shortly.) ***** ** Needed -- Specific Job Training Leonard C. Aymon (Editor's Note: Mr. Aymon, totally blind, served for more than twenty years as County Field Agent for the Blind, Hamilton County Tennessee, in which capacity he acted as home teacher, counselor to parents of blind children, and placement officer. During this period he was also responsible for maintaining all pianos in the city and county schools. After most of his counseling duties were assumed by the State -Federal rehabilitation agency in 1948 he was elected to five consecutive two-year terms in the State Legislature. Although Mr. Aymon "retired" eight years ago at the age of 70 he still maintains an active interest in the well-being of blind and otherwise handicapped persons.) We have many types of workshops and work centers for the blind, but none of them is specifically geared for the training of the blind for specific jobs in industry. One hears every day on the radio and TV "hire the handicapped," "hire the blind!" For the sake of all concerned: the blind, the handicapped, industry and commerce, how on earth are we going to supply all these workers if we don't have the means and the facilities wherewith to train this skilled labor they are talking about? As is well known, this phase of "new job training" among the sighted is taken care of beautifully through our vocational schools throughout the nation, but they are not prepared to handle our blind. What are we to do in order to equip people for the many, many opportunities in industry and commerce? I realize how impossible it would be to train the blind and handicapped in all phases of industrial and commercial endeavors. Why can't our vocational schools be prepared and instructors employed to train the blind and handicapped? If our government can pay a 15-year-old boy, a drop-out, $15 a week to learn a trade, why can't our blind enjoy this same chance? Isn't this discrimination? No doubt safety measures would have to be provided for the training; however, this could be done at a very nominal cost. Since planning a new program means starting from scratch, why not insist on our blind and handicapped being privileged to participate in an already well organized set up, already financed by Federal-State and local funds? How can we insist on industry and commerce hiring the blind and handicapped when we have such limited facilities and equipment for their training? I feel reasonably sure that industry and commerce would be glad to shoulder their share in such a program if they could be given some assurance of skilled labor. No doubt such a program would necessitate congressional legislation if brought under the benefits of Federal direction and money. I would like to see this subject given serious consideration and would hope it could be made a part of the program of the American Council of the Blind. ***** ** CNIB's Golden Anniversary From a brochure titled "The CNIB Story": When the blind of the First Great War returned home, conditions were hardly conducive to a normal existence. It was evident that the general public associated blindness with weakness of mind and complete physical incompetence. Employment of the handicapped was practically non-existent, consequently begging was common among the sightless civilians. It was important to provide employment for the blind, not only to prove their abilities, but to bring them out on the streets, not as peddlers of pencils, but as regular citizens on their way to work. Industrial placement work was first tried by the Institute in 1920 with some small measure of success. In one case, 47 calls were made on one firm before final approval was secured. Today blind persons have become an integral part of the overall labor force and are no longer thought of as unemployable handicapped persons. -- Across the country are a number of small clubs for the deaf-blind where qualified volunteers develop interesting and appropriate programs. CNIB tries, in every way, to penetrate their lonely and isolated existence. Today deaf-blind persons are working in industry and in CNIB shops. -- Each of the provinces has a law relieving employers of all responsibility in case of an accident to a blind worker and this has proved to be an enormous help in industrial placement. White Cane Acts are now in force in 9 of the 10 provinces. The Institute makes it possible for any eligible blind Canadian to receive a guide dog free of charge. -- Today CNIB's comprehensive service program, administered through its fifty offices, in some way touches Canada's 26,049 registered blind and 131,330 prevention cases. -- In the next 40 years medical techniques will undoubtedly allow doctors to perform eye operations inconceivable today. We can foresee new devices and special low vision aids which will revolutionize life for the blind. We would hope that the means test will be abolished. In the final analysis, it is the blind and the sighted working and living side by side, understanding each other's problems and cooperating to solve them, who will mold the shape of things to come. ***** ** The Volunteer -- An Unpaid Employee Raymond M. Dickinson, Coordinator, Visually Handicapped Services, Illinois Dept. FCS (Excerpts from an interesting presentation at the AAWB Conference in Toronto) When we think of volunteer service, we tend to think of it as something given free and, therefore, not of very high value, or we think of it as a luxury service that we ought to have paid workers to do, but we can't afford in the foreseeable future. Also, because it is a luxury service and given free, how the job is done is pretty much up to the volunteer. This is why some of us do not have very good volunteer services. Some agencies, however, not only value the volunteer, but they value highly the work that is being done, because they give to their volunteers only work that is worth doing. Our whole pattern of living has changed. We don't need to spend as much time earning a livelihood, but we need more than ever to balance our lives. I like to put it this way: There are three basic elements in creative living. These are: work, play, and service. These, under best conditions, are self-evolving and self-appreciating. Taken together in the right proportion, they make us bigger people. Every one of us should be a volunteer in some area; not the one in which we work. ... A volunteer has been defined as an employee who serves without pay. A good volunteer is this and more. He is a human mind and heart dedicated to a cause. He needs what the volunteer job has to offer. Because what he is doing needs to be done by somebody, it is not just a prestige job for him or the agency. It is a soul-making process for the volunteer, support for the agency and tangible service to its clients. This is why volunteer service today is as much a necessary part of the individual volunteer's life as work or play. ... To secure and keep good volunteers, an agency must have a job that needs to be done. It must be a meaningful job that supplements and enlarges the agency's program. ... Volunteers should be registered and given a certificate in the area of their skills. They should be reimbursed for necessary out-of-pocket expenses. They should have car insurance, carried by the agency or personally. There should be a volunteer services supervisor to keep the program organized and moving, as well as to recruit new volunteers as required. And there should always be a closer relationship with the professional worker whose clients are being served by volunteers, whether this be a case worker, home teacher, or a group worker. Only in this way can we be sure that the volunteer is extending the professional worker's service to his clients. The volunteer needs also a complete picture of the agency and its services to whom they are given and why. This enables the volunteer to give the best service and to help in building the agency's public image. ... Volunteers should be trained for the job they are to do. They should be given regular guidance and supervision and above all there should be periodic programs for giving recognition to the volunteers for the jobs they are doing. Many volunteer groups are engaged in transcribing educational materials. Filling individual requests is good and should continue where the need is individual, but teamwork among volunteers is necessary. ... Each state and province needs to set up a facility of its own to bring about teamwork among volunteers and circulate information in its own locale concerning the availability of educational materials and how they can be secured. In Illinois a statewide conference resulted in a plan for an Educational Materials Coordinating Unit and library. ... Our country is full of people who want to help, usefully and in a professional manner. All we need to do is to make the job we ask them to do meaningful for us, our blind clients and above all, for them, the volunteers. The volunteer spirit itself is as old as our civilization. It has created many of our agencies and services and its work will never end if we use it wisely. ... Volunteering is the balance in our lives. It makes us creative and selfless. We should not only use volunteers for our agencies and our clients, we should teach our clients and provide opportunities for them to become volunteers. All of us should give as well as receive. Of course, it would be better for blind people who want to volunteer to serve in areas other than work for the blind. This would help them gain the full life for which they are striving. It is one of the best contacts with the seeing world they could have. We say in Illinois, "Be a good worker, be a good player, and be a good volunteer." (Further discussion of the use of volunteers, as presented by W. A. Tymchuk, CNIB, Alberta, will appear in a future issue of the FORUM.) ***** ** More about the San Francisco Convention Richard Knight, President of the Florida Federation, tells in the Florida "White Cane" about his first ACB convention. "The 1968 convention of ACB in San Francisco was one of the most interesting and informative I have ever attended. The Key Note address, "Golden Gates To Opportunity," was delivered by Durward McDaniel, ACB's National Representative in Washington. ..." "There were panels on "Blind Teachers in Public Schools," "Thoughts of Parents of Blind Children," and an employment panel featuring the owner and operator of a large telephone answering service in San Francisco, Dorothy Glass; a physiotherapist, Don Swartz; a court reporter and teacher, Margaret Wilson; a judge of a Superior Court, Don Wilkinson; an employee of the municipal government in Washington, D.C., David Krause; and a dairy farmer, George Giloetti. It was with a great deal of pleasure that I received, for the Florida Federation of the Blind, the Certificate of Affiliation with the American Council. ... It is my feeling that the Florida Federation has become an affiliate of a dynamic progressive national organization of the blind dedicated to the betterment of the welfare of the blind of this nation. ..." Cathy Skivers, ACB convention chairman, in reporting to her group through the ACB Digest, summarizes in her own inimitable way some of the incidents that made the San Francisco convention memorable to many. Cathy's remarks are also soothing to those who have been responsible for conventions and should be helpful to those who may have this experience ahead of them. -- "It's all over -- the national convention has come and gone, and some of us, particularly the working convention committee, aren't over it yet. For many Californians and hopefully for our guests, it will not soon be forgotten. It was an informative, fun-filled, hard working time, and as your president let me say that I was proud of our group. We had some very unusual happenings, throughout which our Californians proved themselves able to adapt to just about anything. Those of you who were not present do not know that the elevators stuck with people in them -- the public address system failed us for two days -- and one of the busses taking us on a tour of San Francisco broke down on top of Telegraph Hill, where those of us aboard had time to sit and ponder many things for quite a while. They say the view was excellent but it didn't do much for the more than 40 blind persons who were aboard. Our out of State guests were wonderful, taking everything in their stride, proving once again what a grand group of people belong to the ACB." ... Many others have commented on the interesting Bay Tour, the gracious hospitality of the California folks, the many fine speakers, the fun riding the cable cars, the unusual weather -- and a wonderful time was had by all! ***** ** "Striving for Independence" Assunta Lilley Real Independence Through Employment, Inc. (RITE), a local St. Louis organization of blind people, was host at a luncheon and program in October to which business men and civic leaders of the community were invited. The purpose was to spotlight National Employ the Handicapped Week, October 6-12, which the organization felt was fitting since the club's activities are concentrated on improving the employment opportunities for the blind. Highlighting the program was the premiere showing of the film "Striving for Employment," produced for RITE by McDonnell-Douglas Corporation. This film, which is in color, has already won two national industrial film awards and is in line for an international award, depicts blind people in their home performing household duties and caring for the family, at school and at work. It accents the ability of the blind person to move about independently rather than just sitting in an office or factory performing his job, and it is hoped that when the potential employer views this independence of movement he will realize that he is not compounding his problems when he employs a blind person. Although the film does show a few skills of the blind, it does not attempt to cover the gamut of jobs which are capably performed by visually handicapped people. The movie is available on loan to any group or organization wishing to show it. The luncheon program started with the formal presentation of the film to Alma Murphey, president of RITE, by a representative of the McDonell-Douglas Corporation. Fred C. Lilley, who with his wife Assunta co-chaired the program, was Master of Ceremonies. Roy Davidson, Chairman of the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, was presented by Mr. Lilley, who in tun introduced Miss Elaine Viets, a high school student and winner of an essay contest sponsored by the Missouri Society for Crippled Children." Title of the Essay was "Why I Would Employ the Handicapped." When Miss Viets finished reading her essay, V.S. Harshbarger, Chief, Bureau for the Blind in Missouri presented a certificate to Mallinckrodt Institute in recognition of their outstanding record for training and employing the handicapped. No one can ever really know what a great impact such a program may have on a community. The luncheon was covered by all news media so that the story reached far more than the people who were in attendance. The members of RITE themselves, whose fund-raising efforts made this project possible, feel that the money could not have been spent for a better cause. Requests for the loan of the film "Striving for Employment" may be addressed to Mrs. Assunta Lilley, 7629 Dale St., Richmond Heights, MO 63117. ***** ** States in Action The 27th annual convention of the Tennessee Federation was held at the Reid House Hotel in Chattanooga, August 31- Sept. 1. Guest speakers who took an active part in the program on both days were Kenneth Jernigan, president of the National Federation of the Blind and Durward McDaniel, Washington Representative of the American Council of the Blind, in place of ACB president Reese Robrahn who was unable to attend. A special feature of the banquet Saturday evening was the presentation of the Temple Israel Sisterhood Achievement Award to Richard Cooper, Chattanooga, a computer programmer. Arnold Whaley, Chattanooga, is the new TFB president. *** The Oregon Council has announced a Tuition Award for post-high school education of graduates whose parents are blind. The announcement states that the legally blind parent(s) must reside in Oregon; the award -- one academic year -- may be used at an accredited institution of the recipient's choice and the amount will be influenced by the established financial need of the recipient in relation to the costs of the chosen institution. For applications and information contact the chairman, Dr. Charles Margach, College of Optometry, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116. The Oregon Council is experiencing a very healthy growth among its chapters and we will hope for a full report of their convention in Portland, October 19-20. *** The 48th annual convention of the Kansas Association for the Blind, Inc., unanimously approved a contribution of $750 to the Washington office of The American Council of the Blind. The action was taken following a report by Judge Reese Robrahn, ACB president, on the court action to retain Federal locations for blind vending stand operators. There were no restrictions placed on ACB's use of the money. More than 200 persons attended the state convention held the first weekend in October, at the Town House Hotel, Kansas City, Kansas. Judge Robrahn's report concerned the stand operator in the Post Office in Kansas City, Kansas. Postal officials are attempting to give vending machine proceeds, which had been a part of the stand operator's income, to Post Office workers' employee union and welfare committee. At the time of the KAB convention, no decision had been made, although testimony had been completed. Durward McDaniel ACB's Washington representative, served as counsel for the KC stand operator. Miss M. Helen Vargo, KAB's new president, and Mrs. Esther V. Taylor, program chairman, handled the meetings to illustrate the theme, "Every Member a Contributing Citizen." Following a day which included outstanding speakers and in-depth study reports, the banquet speaker, L. D. McDonald, Kansas City attorney, enthusiastically emphasized that worthwhile achievements are obtained by those who take "The Extra Step." McDonald presented a plaque and trophy to L. A. Dubbs, Ransom, Kansas, KAB's Legislative Chairman. Dubbs, a former teacher, a farmer, grain dealer and civic leader, became blind in later life. The audience stood and cheered as this strong and kindly man was recognized as a contributing citizen and friend to blind persons everywhere. This was the first time the McDonald award, presented many times to deserving individuals, was given to an adult representing an organization. -- Bonny Byington *** Representing ACB at the convention of the North Dakota Association was Vernon Williams, South Dakota attorney and First Vice-President of ACB. Newly elected president of NDAB is George Sizler, 2220 6th Ave. N, Grand Forks, ND 58201. Secretary is Mrs. Don (Olga) Neal, 914 Stanford Rd., Grand Forks, who was also designated official delegate to the ACB convention in Charlotte. ***** ** Buying a New Tape Recorder? Although, as reported last month, the Library of Congress will continue to circulate tape recorded books at 3-3/4 ips, dual track, as long as there is a substantial demand for them, it is being recommended that anyone contemplating the purchase of new tape equipment give careful consideration to the advantages and disadvantages of the new 4-track slow speed system. The Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, LC has set forth three criteria for tape recorders to be used for reading their circulated books: 4-track; at least two speeds, including 3-3/4 and 1-7/8 ips; and capable of playing standard 7" reels. The FORUM has made some inquiries concerning suitable quarter track recorders at a reasonable price. The American Printing House is recommending the Sony 105 to which they have made some modifications especially for students and groups specializing in the recording of textbooks. This modified 105 is quoted by APH at $139.50. For the general reader these modifications are probably not necessary, and the standard Sony 105 is available at a somewhat lower price. There are many makes and models which will meet the LC recommendations, and it would be well to do considerable shopping around to get the best at the price you can afford. It must be kept in mind that 4-track equipment is a little more complicated to operate and may require more frequent adjustment and maintenance attention than your older machine. However, anyone with reasonable manual dexterity should have no difficulty learning to manage the new type machine. Although the Library is embarking on an experimental program involving the use of cassette playback equipment it is not recommended at this time that anyone purchase a cassette recorder except as secondary equipment for hobby or personal use. For the immediate foreseeable future LC taped books will be circulated on 7" standard reels. If and when the Library does convert to cassettes most readers will probably be provided with playback machines. ***** ** The Pre-School Child and His Parents Vernon Metcalf, Southeastern Regional Consultant, American Foundation for the Blind (Editor's Note: Part I of an Address to the annual Convention of the Georgia Federation) Let us first talk about children -- some of the problems and some of the things that need consideration. One of our major problems is simply finding these children who need attention. This would seem simple. You'd say, "Why, people with visual problems come to agencies for the blind!" But this isn't necessarily so. Too often children are not brought to the attention of service agencies until they reach school-age -- and sometimes later. So, early finding these people is very significant in terms of helping them to achieve the best -- in providing them the best possible services, the best guidance that is possible. Early finding is particularly important now that we know there are a great many multi-handicapped, visually impaired children in this country, some resulting from a so-called epidemic of rubella measles of a few years ago. Mothers may have experienced rubella without awareness. Their children may or may not have physical or other problems; mental retardation, heart problems, hearing and seeing problems and combinations of these and other complications. To find these children YOUR help is needed. If you are aware of a child who is having growth and development difficulties, certainly I would hope that you or the parents would bring this to the attention of a responsible service agency in your community. Of course, if you don't know the resources, call us, write us, or visit our Regional Office. We, in turn, will advise regarding appropriate resources. The major goal is finding and identifying these children and having their needs determined at an early age so that appropriate programming can be accomplished. We also have concern about the emotionally disturbed, visually handicapped children. This is a significant problem and possibly a much larger one in terms of prevalence than we are really aware. We must recognize that there are many young people who are emotionally disturbed and visually handicapped. This is true, of course, in other disability groups as well. Emotional problems are not limited to the visually handicapped, nor to other physically handicapped persons. So, let me again stress that you can have a part in helping look around your communities and let needs be known. There is needed in Georgia a service -- a complete service -- for pre-school blind children and parents of children who have visual problems. You may say, "We have vocational rehabilitation," but Vocational Rehabilitation doesn't serve these young people. VR is reaching to lower ages, and that in many ways is good, but they are NOT charged with the responsibility for providing counseling nor other services for this group of visually handicapped persons and their families. Having just become a father a few months ago and having a child who has a physical problem -- a heart problem -- it made me think and feel in ways that I am not accustomed. Parents who have children with physical problems -- or mental problems -- do need help. They need counseling and guidance in thinking and feeling as they deal with the problem themselves; they need help in "parenting," areas of child growth and development and planning the child's early life. My wife and I are having a problem because we are being very protective (possibly over protective) with Mark. Now that "ain't" good, I'm a social worker and should know better than to be over protective of our child. I can preach to others about good child-rearing practices, but the sermon is very difficult to apply to myself. I can't be our social worker; so we are using guidance of other professionals. This is what I'm saying about parents with children who have visual problems. They frequently need outside professional help. Now you may say parents of these children are able to help other parents who have handicapped children. Well, this may be true to some extent, but there is a need for professional counseling and other services for parents of children having visual problems and I maintain that this should be a governmental service. Now this is nothing new. In my region there are states that decided years ago that, "yes indeed, this is a desirable governmental function which should be assigned to an agency already located in state government with the expertise or at least with the overview that would be appropriate for dealing with people problems." I see no reason why concerned persons such as yourself cannot support this idea. I urge you to think about the needs and ask our government to take action. There is a private agency in Georgia which exerts good attempts to serve visually handicapped children and their families. But this agency has limited funds and only two professional staff to serve Georgia, the largest state east of the Mississippi River. With present funding and limited staff this agency can't possibly serve all Georgia's needs. Governmental action would not necessarily duplicate existing services -- in fact, the Foundation would, I am confident support and help design such a service. We could go on and on about needs in such areas as socialization, recreation, educational planning, the whole person being considered, merits of residential schools for the blind, the public-school program, etc. Time is our limit. ***** ** A Sit-In at the Fair (The Sacramento Bee (Cal.), Sept. '68) A State Fair amusement ride was closed twice Sunday by the persistence of a blind Sacramento attorney, who was prevented from boarding it because of his handicap. Russell Kletzing was refused when he attempted to buy tickets for himself and his son Jimmy, 5, for the cable-car Sky Glider. Kletzing promptly blocked the ticket booth and halted business for the ride ... for about an hour. He was finally permitted on the ride -- along with an official of the California Exposition Fair Corp., who said, "We're just concerned about his safety." Safety insurance on the ride doesn't cover persons with handicaps, pregnancies or braces or leg casts. Kletzing, executive secretary and general counsel for the California Council of the Blind, said he intended to return "with more blind people at every booth, because we haven't tried the other rides yet." He did return the next day with other blind persons and his family and enjoyed some of the rides without incident. But fair officials again refused permission to ride the Sky Glide unless Kletzing signed a waiver releasing the Exposition from responsibility, as required by the insurance underwriters. After tying up the ride for about an hour by merely sitting in one of the buckets of the Sky Glide, which gives riders a view of the fair from 20 feet up and travels several hundred feet, Kletzing was removed by members of the Exposition's security staff and carried firmly, but still kicking, to a waiting car. (The clipping includes a photograph which clearly illustrates this incident.) Sacramento city police arrested Kletzing on a charge of disturbing the peace, on complaint of the ride foreman, and he was later released on $125 bail. ***** ** A Light Went Out Fred Lilley in the Missouri Chronicle The world has lost a little light. The sun a slender ray; The heaven gained another soul To brighten up its day. Now Helen Keller's eyes and ears Can see and hear at last; And note the joy she brought the world. The hope her shadow cast. For God so loved us earthly men He sent her to reveal That handicaps are meant to show How trust and faith can heal. Four score and seven years she lived, And traveled near and far; And though her world was dark and still, She dimmed the brightest star. Now God has lifted off her cross, Redeemed her with His love; And granted her eternal life, With rest and peace above. ***** ** Ned's Corner In this issue Vernon Metcalf talks about some gaps in services for the blind and Dr. Robert Scott has some things to say about other aspects of this subject. Both of these authors will continue their discussions in future FORUM articles. While the editors may not agree with everything said in these pages, we believe that all of us who are concerned for better services should consider all viewpoints. The needs of blind people vary so widely and so many different programs are involved in trying to meet these needs that it is impossible for any one person or agency to understand or encompass them all. There is certainly no uniformity throughout the country in the type or quality of services rendered. The programs in a state or community may be good, bad or indifferent. A single locality may have excellent service of one type and completely ignore other equally pressing needs. Your help is needed in order that the American Council and the FORUM may have a clearer picture of the needs not presently being met by existing programs. This will assist us in formulating our campaign for better, broader, and more progressive services to meet the needs and aspirations of all the blind. We would like to have you take a good, objective look at the whole field of services to the blind in your area and then to let us know what you see. By the "whole field" we mean from the cradle to the grave. Of course, it is realized that you may not be familiar with all the facilities in your locality, but we would like to have your appraisal of those you do know about. Groups requiring specialized treatment which we would like to hear you discuss include: the pre-school child and his parents, children in residential and day schools, youths and young adults, the multi-handicapped of all ages, employable adults and the aging blind. Specialized areas upon which you may like to comment could include library and reader services, recreation, sports, and socialization. Some of the questions you might ask yourself (and your agencies) are Public Assistance -- is it adequate to provide a standard of living "compatible to health and decency?" Do your rehab counselors demonstrate the initiative, imagination and diligence necessary to find the job "best suited to the interest, training, and abilities" of the individual client? Are there special counselors to advise and assist the parents of blind children so that these children may achieve maximum potential? Are the teachers of visually impaired children trained in special methods appropriate to braille users? -- large type readers? Do newly blind older persons receive services of real value toward regaining a full and satisfying life? These are merely suggestions to trigger your thinking. We would like to know about the strengths as well as the weaknesses and, above all, we would like to have your suggestions as to how conditions might be improved. Do let us hear from you and please keep your comments as brief as possible. We will report to you in later issues as to the results of this reader survey. ***** ** A Useful Little Braille Writer C. Fred Pearson The Banks Pocket Braille Writer is small enough and light enough to be carried in a man's coat pocket or a ladies' pocketbook and utilizes a roll of half-inch tape approximately three inches in diameter, It is especially useful for temporary notations, but the strips of tape notes may be filed on alligator clips for future attention. However, more lengthy materials, such as lecture notes, can be rolled up and held by rubber bands, and braille letters can be sent through the mails in typewriter ribbon boxes or similar containers. The machine was indispensable in my general insurance business for taking orders for policies and endorsements and reports of accidents and losses, For this purpose I used it in conjunction with a combination telephone receiver and transmitter headset, which is available from the telephone company for a small monthly charge. Through 1965 the sole distributor of the Banks Pocket Braille Writer was the Lions Club of San Diego. Now blind applicants for the writer must make application and pay $5 to their nearest Lions Club, which forwards the application and the full price of the writer ($26) to -- London (Host) Lions Club, Banks Pocket Braille Writers Trust, 43 The Paddocks, Wembley Park, Middx., London, England. This is in accordance with a contract entered into between the inventor, Dr. Alfred E. Banks, and the Lions. Also, the manufacturer (originally IBM and now V. L. Martin & Co., Ltd., England) must produce the writer at cost. Tape for the Banks Writer is available through the London Lions at $ .14 per roll, or from Howe Press, Watertown, Mass., at 40 cents per roll. Gummed tape, making it possible to attach the strips to file cards, etc., may be purchased from the Lions Club of San Diego, 326 Broadway, Suite 226, San Diego, CA 92101. ***** ** That Useful Braille Slate Elmer Lee Eveland, Binghamton, NY Charles Thibodo's article (Forum, July '68) on braille slates was most interesting. Mr. Thibodo points out two very important matters which educators and home teachers should give thought to. The slate is certainly a good teaching tool which compels the braille student to really concentrate on his letters and contractions, thereby making him a faster reader. He is also correct that there should be 8 x 11 braille paper for standard three-ring notebooks which are readily available from local merchants. I would like to add that we also need slates which would provide for interpointing or interlining. This would appeal to volunteer transcribers and libraries where bulk of hand-transcribed books is to be considered. Is it not odd that we have the advantages of Grade Two braille, and to some extent Grade Three and Braille Shorthand, and yet must be compelled to lose one whole side of the paper we're writing on? As for braille writers, these are very helpful and I have been able to get much done speedily with my little Lavendar. True, it would be hard to use in the lap, but can be used handily on any nearby table since it takes up little space. Also, any paper up to 11-1/2" wide may be used. A problem with braille writers is the cost, the Lavendar being the least expensive and that over fifty dollars. The ingenious Banks Writer is compact and portable, but uses a roll of paper tape rather than sheets of paper, which may be of use for some purposes. Possibly some foreign braille writers are more compact and offer interpointing or interlining. The English Stainsby Writer is an excellent example of this. We must remember when talking of either slates or braille writers that we must take into account the needs of volunteer transcribers as well as the blind themselves. The Perkins is a fine writer with many conveniences and is a pleasure to use, but it is almost as large as a standard office typewriter and it does not interpoint or interline. Moreover, it costs in the vicinity of a hundred dollars, a problem for many blind persons on small resources. It is time our ingenious Yankee Inventiveness at Howe Press or at the Printing House came up with a really compact, inexpensive writer -- for less than thirty dollars. While one admires the ingenious new IBM Electric braille typewriter which is designed for transcribers, one wonders why a really inexpensive braille writer which is compact and allows using both sides of the page hasn't been developed long ago. Both the slate, stylus and slate board and the braille writer are most excellent tools, but I think the student ought to be completely familiar with the slate and stylus before he even hears of a braille writer. I would encourage those who don't now use braille to learn it because it is such a valuable tool, as I also have found the typewriter and the Marks Scrip Guide as writing instruments. Tape recorders can help in some instances, but for notes and records, braille can't be equaled. ***** ** Brailled Jetliners Now International Steve Lee in "The Braillist's Brief" The Boeing Jetliner brailled pages are now becoming popular to readers on an international basis. The Boeing Company Wichita Division and BAK (Braille Association of Kansas) developed these sheets as handouts in July 1967 during a tour of Boeing-Wichita by visitors to the American Council of the Blind Convention. Another tour of blind students of Boeing-Seattle was the occasion for handing out more of the embossed pictures. ... (Several fine articles have appeared about this project and information has been distributed to agencies and other interested persons including airline public relations officers.) We have had inquiries or thank-you letters from many far-off places from people who want to supply these to their blind friends. United Arab Airlines, Cairo, asked if we could braille the description in Arabic. British Overseas Airways gave a set to the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London, who asked for more copies. Lufthansa German Airlines is ordering some brailled in German. To fill a request from Columbia, South America, we prepared a Spanish master. This was quite a project. ... We have heard from Spain, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Ethiopia and Hawaii. It is amazing that our small project has attained this international interest and recognition. ***** ** Convention Speaker Inspires Job Hunt Fred C. Lilley In July of 1967 Edward Rose of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, Washington, D.C., spoke before the ACB convention in Wichita. His subject was the employment of the handicapped in the Federal Civil Service. Among other things he told of the "reader service" which is available through rehab and which I for one knew nothing about. (Incidentally, I later took advantage of this service.) Mr. Rose was very encouraging in his presentation and urged the listeners in his audience to qualify themselves for employment in the Federal service, One of those taking advantage of his offer to answer questions after the meeting was Linda Podell of New York City. Miss Podell was at the time a college student and had her heart set on becoming a writer. She. was confident that she had talent but she needed guidance and direction. Mr. Rose assured her that the Government was always looking for talent and that blindness need not be a handicap. Later, during the flight home, Assunta and I met Linda for the first time. Our conversation led to discussion of employment of blind people and our own hopes and desires for going to work with the Federal Government. Having just passed the entrance examination, I was hopeful of getting into Federal service shortly. We promised to correspond and report our experiences. When I received my appointment in September '67 we wrote Linda about the good news, and she was more encouraged about her own future. When we saw her in San Francisco she had just graduated from college and was ready to face the world. Now, we have received a letter from Linda informing us that she has been appointed to a position as a writer with the Social Security Administration in Baltimore. In her position she will write informative pamphlets on Medicare for use of doctors, nursing homes, etc. To say she was thrilled would be an understatement. Her fears were gone and her fondest hopes were realized. To us it means just one more person out front, proving that a well-qualified, well-trained blind person can compete in a sighted world. Of equal importance is the fact that speakers and panel discussions presented at the ACB conventions can be of great service to the blind people who attend. So the next time you are tempted to miss a meeting, remember, the next opportunity you miss may be your own. (In "Letters from Readers" we have a message from Linda.) *** A partial check of some recent placements in Civil Service employment of visually handicapped persons discloses the following: In the Southeastern Area: Three with Internal Revenue Service; a computer programmer and a technician in the Small Arms Repair Dept., at Anniston (Ala.) Army Depot; a receptionist at Patrick Air Force Base, Cocoa, Fla.; a Housekeeping Aid, VA Hospital, Birmingham (Youth Opportunity Program); Two computer programmers at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command, Warren, Mich; three programmers at the Aeronautical Center, Oklahoma City. Most of these employees are totally blind or very nearly so. Also, from Chattanooga comes a news item about Mrs. Kathleen Wallace who is being trained at the Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind for a position with Internal Revenue in Nashville. Mrs. Wallace's interview with the IRS director was arranged through the joint efforts of her counselor, Milton Alford, and rehabilitation officers W. T. Ferrell and Floyd Morgan. She is the first in Tennessee to take advantage of this new occupational opportunity and there are only twelve others in the Southeast. *** Aileen McDaniel reports that in making out applications for Federal employment in Washington she found an interesting change in the application form. Standard Form 57 had the following questions relating to physical disability: Have you any physical handicap, chronic disease or disability? Have you ever had a nervous breakdown? Have you ever had tuberculosis? Standard Form 171 (July 1968) which replaced Form 57 contains one item: To insure that you are not placed in a position which might impair your health, or which might be a hazard to you or to others, we need information about the following: Do you have or have you had heart disease, a nervous breakdown, epilepsy, tuberculosis, or diabetes? ***** ** Loretta's Corner Come with us now as our great plane descends very slowly, bypassing a small, rugged island, and coming to rest at a bustling airport much like the one we had recently left "on the mainland." We were actually now in Honolulu and to my surprise we were met by one of Julie's (Bindt) wonderful friends, Lan Toy Stokes -- as charming, gracious and attractive a hostess as one could find anywhere on this planet, about whom I want you to know more. Driving to our hotel, Lan Toy introduced us to many of the unusual and intriguing streets, sights and customs of this island which were to completely capture my heart as it had Julie's on an earlier visit. Julie was escorting me on this trip. The Princess Kaiulani Hotel is ideally located only a few steps from the "Beach at Waikiki" where, even in my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd be. The water is the bluest of blue, the waves rough enough to actually roll us up on to the sandy beach, which caused Julie and me to become so weak with laughter we could hardly get a firm footing before another wave bowled us over -- and our bathing suits were heavy with sand! To walk along the street, or stand and watch, was an adventure. Just behind the hotel is the fabulous International Market Place where one could spend days visiting the dozens of huts and stalls exhibiting wares and foods of every conceivable type. Tourism has become the leading industry of the Islands of Harmony where "Aloha" is more than just a greeting -- it is a way of life. Sugar cane and pineapple rank next and the fourth is mumus. Mumus, too, are a way of life -- and such a comfortable, carefree way it is! All mumu fabric is made up into matching sport shirts and the properly dressed couple wears matching garments. I missed having my boyfriend along to match my one native frock, a long straight splash of color, with slits up the side -- blue with larger-than-life size deep pink hibiscus flowers and buds. This was worn to the Royal Hawaiian Luau where a beautiful lei was bestowed, with a kiss on the cheek of each of the 1200 visitors. Mine was the heavenly scented white plumeria; a creamy, wax-like blossom with five flat, overlapping petals. Leis are made from hundreds of varieties of flowers in many lovely colors. The native festival meal served with rum punch unlimited (mild!) -- followed ceremonial lifting of the roast pig from the pit and the lighting of torches. A string quartet, singers and hula dancers entertained throughout. Honolulu and Waikiki comprise the greater part of the small island of Oahu, which, like each of the volcanic islands of Hawaii, is a fantastic composite of varied topography, beautiful beaches, sharp rugged mountains, lush valleys, colorful canyons atop the edges of which are sometimes extensive sugar plantations, smoking volcanoes, barren stretches of black lava, waterfalls and serene rivers. There are simple Chinese folk and farm dwellings, vast wealthy estates, the most modern hotels, quaint villages, fabulous beach resorts, Buddhist and Mormon temples, as well as the oldest Episcopal cathedral on U.S. soil, built on land given by King Kamehameha IV, and which I discovered in the older urban area of Honolulu. All of this we toured by bus and looked down upon from the air, but there were also many places to be reached only by foot -- deep down through dense foliage to a picturesque cave overhung with ferns where native musicians sang for us; stepping gingerly from rock to rock around the unusual Pagoda; strolling through the quaint old whaling village, the center of which is shaded by a banyan tree which spreads out over three quarters of an acre; touring the beautiful orchid gardens on the island of Hawaii where active volcanoes cover most of the area. The week was much too short, one should spend several on these enchanted islands where fresh pineapple and papaya are always on hand and a box of orchids or plumeria blossoms rests on the hotel desk so that all may wear flowers in their hair. Aloha! Did you hear about Phyllis Diller's cute new car? She knitted it herself out of two thousand pounds of steel wool. ***** ** Here and There By George Card From the OCB BULLETIN: Clyde Ross has been reappointed to the Ohio Commission for the Blind for another six-year term. -- Twice in one week, I was asked whatever happened to the highway that Mr. Shaw tried to put through the Ohio State School for the Blind grounds, writes Clyde. Apparently, we never told you that the highway did not go through. Don't celebrate too much. I have been told that the highway has not gone anywhere else. This could mean another battle in the next session of the Ohio legislature. (The threat to the Ohio School grounds had been reported in an earlier Forum item.) From the NAPH PIONEER: A cogent, handy capsule of words was uttered many years ago by Edgar James Helms, founder of Goodwill Industries of America -- "The best help is the help which helps others to help themselves by helping someone else." Congratulations to the Georgia Federation of the Blind on the first issue of the GFB DIGEST, a quarterly, under the capable editorship of Jack Lewis. Those few state organizations of the blind who still do not have something in the nature of a regularly published newsletter are passing up a wonderful opportunity to keep their members interested and to hold them together between annual conventions. From the ILLINOIS BRAILLE MESSENGER: The Illinois Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is currently providing services to six times as many blind and visually handicapped clients as were served in 1960. -- A staff of trained vocational counselors, guided by a philosophy of diversification and flexibility, assist in preparing and placing blind clients according to each individual's interests, aptitudes and abilities. Many individuals who applied for and were denied rehabilitation services twenty years ago might now find beneficial services available. Some who attained success as a result of previous rehabilitation services may need additional help because of technological unemployment, a change in marital status, a change in health condition, a forced geographical relocation or a meaningful experience which has developed new skills not previously identified. -- The latest edition of Dorland's MEDICAL DICTIONARY is being made available in Braille at cost by the American Printing House for the Blind. The more than 13,000 pages will require 49 volumes. The price is $198.45 to individuals or agencies. -- Parents are strongly advised to keep aerosol spray cans, particularly those containing oven cleaners, paint, hair fixatives, deodorants and antibiotics, out of the reach of children because more than 40% of the accidents causing visual impairment occur in the home. Missile-type toys are the cause of 17% of the serious injuries to children's eyes. -- Estimates of the annual injury toll caused by bumping into glass doors range from 40,000 to 100,000. A piece of a newly developed tempered safety glass was tested. The glass is from four to five times stronger than ordinary plate glass of the same thickness, and bent, rather than broke, under impact. The glass broke under an especially heavy blow but "failed safe" by crumbling into small granular pieces, as required by the USA Safety Standard, rather than into large, sharp fragments. The new president of the Virginia Federation of the Blind is Mrs. Dorothea Foulkrod, 2000 Riverside Drive, Richmond 23225. UNITED PRESS, August 17: An Ogden, Utah, youth who was born blind can now see well enough to read stock market quotations in a newspaper, thanks to four-lens spectacles devised for him by Dr. William Feinbloom. Feinbloom said Billy Gibson was born with a non-hereditary condition known as microphthalmia (small eyeballs). Gibson, an only child, had been taken to more than a dozen specialists without result. His parents read about Feinbloom's work eight years ago and have been saving their money ever since to bring the boy to New York. "In subtropical Paraguay, a country where only 1% of the general population reaches secondary education, only one school for the blind -- 34 students -- exists in the whole nation, and is open only in the afternoon ... The well-run School for the Blind in Santiago, Chile, was founded following a visit many years ago by Dr. Helen Keller. At the end of my lecture I was touched when the Spanish-speaking children of the School rose and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in English, a truly gracious gesture on which they had worked for many preparatory days! -- Dick Kinney. From the AFB NEWSLETTER: Helen Keller, who died on June 1, would have been 88 had she lived until June 27. The funeral services were held in the National Cathedral in Washington. Sen. Lister Hill delivered the eulogy. Miss Keller's ashes were buried next to those of her "teacher" Anne Sullivan Macy and those of her former companion, Polly Thompson. -- The firm of Helena Rubenstein, known for its fine cosmetics, is now teaching beauty techniques to blind girls and women. Because Mala Rubenstein, niece of the late Helena Rubenstein, was interested in cosmetology for the blind, she has put one of her technicians at AFB's disposal at no cost for teaching and supplies. It is hoped that these techniques may be demonstrated at regional conferences in the rehabilitation field and in day and residential schools for the blind. Dick Kinney writes: "Peggy Butow, who spent many years at the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, is doing pioneer work with the Visotoner, an electronic scanning device that enables the trained blind person to read ordinary inkprint by interpreting patterns of tonal notes and chords. Hadley will soon have a tape-recorded course on interpreting the 'language' of the Visotoner. Those interested should write directly to Miss Margaret Butow in care of the Hadley School." From the WCWB NEWSLETTER: Hungary -- The Workshop for the Blind in Budapest employs 400 workers and has up to now concentrated on brooms and brushes but its director has been sent to London to study more modern and more profitable workshop products. India --The AFOB has been asked to assist in the preparation of detailed plans for the establishment of adjustment and vocational training centers in Bangalore, Bombay and Madhya, and for aid in training and employing a number of placement officers who would not only help blind workers find jobs but would also assist in securing living accommodations and give after-care and follow-up services. This is a hopeful step to break away from the custodial concept prevalent in India. Ireland -- The National League of the Blind of Ireland is still fighting hard for a handicap allowance free of means test for all blind persons, pointing out that such a program is already available to the blind of the German Federal Republic, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. Israel -- The blind of this progressive country are demanding a number of concessions which have long been available in other countries, such as income tax allowances, reduced fares on public transport, special social security payments, additional grants for education at all levels and for rehabilitation. Netherlands -- For the first time in Europe, a course for teachers of deaf-blind children was held at the Institute for the Deaf at St. Michiels -gestel, Holland, attended by teachers from Denmark, France, German Federal Republic, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland. The main topics of the course were diagnosis and evaluation, use of residual vision and hearing, systems of communication, development of language, special equipment, parent-child relations, social needs, etc. Spain -- A disastrous railway accident occurred last spring which resulted in the death of four members of the String Sextet of the National Organization of the Blind. Because all of its members were blind this sextet was unique among top-flight chamber music groups. Sweden -- The Swedish Post Office Bank offers a number of special services to the blind such as bank account statements in braille and procedures for bill payments which do not require the blind person to come to the post office. Switzerland -- A new residential home for the blind was opened near Lausanne last March, with 60 single rooms, each with its own balcony and toilet facilities, and four double rooms. The Organization for the Blind which is managing this home is celebrating its 125th birthday. -- The 1964 rubella epidemic left at least 20,000 and perhaps 30,000 U.S. babies crippled or blinded from viral damage sustained in early gestation. The next epidemic is predicted for the U.S. in 1971. The new rubella vaccine, now being extensively tried out in Taiwan, is not available in the U.S. because its safety and effectiveness have not been fully demonstrated. From the PALMETTO AURORAN (S.C.): While our sister state of North Carolina has nearly 200 Blind Workshop employees who earn an average of almost $70.00 weekly, our workshop has less than 30 blind employees who earn an average of just over $30.00 weekly. Despite developments almost everywhere else, the conservative management still sticks to broom making. The Shop is operated by the South Carolina Association of the Blind, which has heretofore maintained a closed membership policy and what amounts to a self-perpetuating Board. The Association is subsidized by the State to the extent of $25,000 a year but this year the allocation of this money was conditioned upon a change to open membership available to all blind South Carolinians. It is probable that the expanded membership will vote some radical changes in the leadership. From the American Medical Association NEWS: Proposal to create a national eye institute that would concentrate on research into treatment of vision diseases has been approved by Congress. The current work of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness with respect to eye diseases would be transferred to the new agency, which will become a part of the National Institute of Health. From WE THE BLIND (Pa.): There is a sinister plot to destroy the Blind Pension and the foundation of the Federal-State program which would collapse and plunge every blind person down to a pauper's relief level. It would force the blind to return to the streets of every hamlet and large city with a tin cup, create marital difficulties in the case where one of the spouses was blind and cause the loss of self-respect and dignity in the home where you could not hold your head up and pay your way. (Apparently this disaster could be avoided if a bill sponsored by the PFB could be released from the Public Welfare Committee where its chairman flatly refuses to give the members of the legislature a chance to vote on it). The Badger Association of the Blind, one of the Wisconsin Council's five statewide affiliates, has as two of its major activities the largest wholly blind operated residential home for the blind in the country and the Sunrise Home for Senior Blind. The latter provides a comfortable and congenial abode for blind persons who have reached an age when they need special care. The BADGER INFORMER reports: "Since January, 1968, we have been able to staff each of our three shifts with licensed nurses, thereby qualifying for certification under the standards prescribed by Title XIX of the Medical Assistance Act. In June we signed a contract with the U.S. Veterans Administration to provide extended care for sightless veterans and we are proud of the fact that we are the only nursing home in Milwaukee that currently meets federal standards." From the MISSOURI CHRONICLE: Anyone interested in obtaining a Racine Braille watch at about 50% discount may write to Mrs. Rena Wampler, 3444 Pestalozzi Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63100. -- I suppose we would sound conceited if we attempted to compare our latest news with the famous Hollywood "Oscar," but we are proud nevertheless. We were just notified that our film "Striving for Independence," produced for RITE by McDonnell-Douglas Corporation, has won an award in the annual competition conducted by Industrial Photography magazine. It is a highly coveted honor in the industrial field. The President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped requested and was granted a preview showing of the movie. They were greatly impressed and are anxious to publicize the film when it is available for public viewing. The current issue of the HOOSIER STAR-LIGHT reports an important breakthrough in the employment of blind teachers in sight-oriented schools when Hall Easterling was hired by the Elkhart School System. THE BLIND ADVOCATE (U.K.) reports the case of a Scottish truck driver who had become blind through optic atrophy -- a situation heretofore regarded as hopeless. He was given injections of a new vitamin preparation, hydroxocobalamin, and the stimulation to the optic area resulted in the restoration of his sight. -- With the completion of the new addition to the famous R.N.I.B. Center for the Blind in Torquay, costing 45,000 pounds, 72 trainees can now be accommodated at a time, with an annual intake of 400. -- The cost of a cataract operation at one of the mobile clinics sent to India by the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind is only 3 shillings (36 cents). In the last quarter of 1967 the clinic treated 17,644 patients and by cataract operations alone restored the sight of 503. But there are still a million people in India who are blind for the lack of a 10-minute cataract operation. -- A South African surgeon states that his team in a Capetown hospital has restored the sight of a practically blind man with a cornea graft from a baboon. The patient can now read newsprint. -- Prolonged field tests by both St. Dunstan's and the R.N.I.B. seem to indicate that the sonic torch, in its present stage of development, is too complicated to be as useful to the blind as a cane or a guide dog. -- The death of John Oriel, blind, who served as Shell Petroleum's chief chemist for many years, has been reported. Our old friend and former ACB Board member, Delbert Aman, of Aberdeen, is the editor of the current issue of the S.D. NEWSLETTER and he has done a fine job with it: He reports the arrival of the new superintendent of the South Dakota School for the Blind, Mr. George McCrae, formerly Administrative Assistant at Overbrook. He succeeds the late beloved Walter A. Hack. Incidentally, Delbert and Genie became the parents of a third daughter last summer. Wis. Congressman Reuss has introduced a bill to correct an apparent oversight in the Medicare law. A device known as the "ptosis bars" is very useful for those who suffer a disorder of the eye muscles. The bars are attached to the frame of the eyeglasses and literally hold the patient's eyelids open. The cost of this device is not now covered under Medicare. The WASHINGTON STATE WHITE CANE reports that a 36,000 square foot addition, costing $300,000, has been authorized for the Lighthouse in Seattle. This addition will permit a great expansion of work opportunities for the blind. The Lighthouse now employs 120. -- The lot of most blind persons in the so-called "emergent countries," which cannot even provide for the bare existence of its sighted citizens, is truly wretched, but they do have one advantage -- they can't see the squalor in which they live. The Editor believes that the World Health Organization, a branch of the U.N., offers the best hope for this tragic situation and should be strongly supported. Recordings for the Blind has now completely abandoned disc recording in favor of tape. As we reach the 30th anniversary of the Wagner-O'Day Act, which provides for government purchase of blind-made products, National Industries for the Blind now channels contracts to 78 workshops for the blind, employing 4,600 workers and producing 300 different items. Helen Garran, long time ABC member and Al Nichols of Brattleboro, Vt., were married in Alameda on August 31. They met at the last ACB convention, reports the ABC DIGEST (Calif.). -- For the first time, representatives of the organized blind are meeting regularly with executives of the State Department of Rehabilitation to discuss current problems and policies. The KAB NEWS reports that Mary Walton, who has contributed a number of times to the BRAILLE FORUM, has entered the work of a full-time song evangelist. She is a charter member of ACB and formerly lived in Topeka, but her new address is 8211 West 58th Street, Merriam, Kansas 66202. -- Also recorded is the sudden death of Adam Wilson, blind stand operator at the Kansas City Post Office, who has been the subject of ACB-sponsored litigation to determine how far the Randolph-Sheppard Act permits encroachment by organizations of postal employees. -- "Blind persons must be more flexible, have more courage, be 'thicker skinned', be better organized and be better informed on at least a few things, than the non-handicapped individual." -- Bonnie Byington. "Hindsight is 20/20." -- Dr. Abraham Nemeth. -- This famous blind mathematician reads calculus for entertainment like others read novels. ***** ** Letters from Readers (Addresses furnished on request) Miss Henrietta Tacher, Brooklyn NY: I just received the second issue of your "great" magazine for which I wish to thank you. I find the articles most interesting and informative. Neither I nor my friends had ever heard of the ACB before ... (and we would like more information about your organization) ... Best wishes for continued success with the magazine and the organization's efforts in behalf of the blind. *** Robert S. Bray, Library of Congress: I have seen the BRAILLE FORUM for September. I want to thank you for the sections "Don't Be Alarmed" and "Sound Off for Library Services." *** Lamar Rickey, Geraldine, Ala.: I recently received my first issue of the FORUM . ... it has lots of useful information but, too, I like the letters to the, editor. May I say here that it is my opinion that one of the greatest needs of the blind is information. ... I think all the blind should have access to all the information they can get then we should use it to not only help ourselves but to educate the sighted majority as to what the blind minority need in the way of education and rehabilitation. Then we who are educated can show what we can do to become a part of society. *** Miss Linda Podell, 116 W. University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21210: During the ACB convention in San Francisco I had a long conversation with Loretta during which I told her of my search for professional employment in the public relations field. I promised to write as soon as anything good happened and I am therefore thrilled to report that I will be a writer in the Professional Relations Dept. of the Bureau of Health Insurance (Medicare), Social Security-Adm., Baltimore. Although it was always easy to find those who told me my efforts to enter this field were doomed to failure, it was most difficult to find young blind people like myself who, after having succeeded in finding work of this kind, could give some moral support to a slightly younger blind person "on the way up." I therefore hope that, if you should come across young blind college students or recent graduates who think they're destined for defeat and want proof that they're not, you will put them in contact with me. I am, of course, not equipped to find employment ... but I do have the experience of having been "in the same boat" ... I can say "Look, I'm a blind person just like you. I'm no genius -- just a girl who got through college with decent grades and who got part -time work experience wherever and whenever she could. If I could get into my chosen field despite what were allegedly overwhelming odds, so can you." Believe me, I would have given a lot to have someone say that to me a week ago when I was sure I would have to settle, gratefully, for a clerical job which I could perform without special training or education. ... I will contact you again as soon as I have worked long enough to talk more intelligently about my job. *** F. McRae, Philadelphia: Your publication as well as your organization ACB interested me greatly until I read in your latest issue the resolutions passed at the July convention. Your disgusting prejudice against other handicaps than blindness, groups who are far less able and less capable than the blind to fend for themselves is rather sickening. I do not care to have anything to do with such an egotistical, self-centered group. Please cancel my subscription. (Editor's Note: Sorry this reader doesn't know about ACB's having been the only organization of blind people which fought for the expansion of talking books and other library services to include the physically handicapped, for instance.) *** George W. Johnson, Lucedale, Miss.: Got my first two copies of the FORUM. After thinking it over a bit I felt I should write you. A very sad situation exists here in our county in regard to the vending stand program. There are no suited places here in this area for vending stands. ... The stand in the hospital is going to be closed down in 30 days. ... I have a good thing going that is as good as a vending stand, though I do not clear as much. I am contract dealer for (a nearby) newspaper. It is an afternoon paper published 6 days, no Sunday. I do all my delivering walking. I have been with them now 8 years. ... *** V.K. Balan, Government School for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, Karalla, India: I am a blind man who is working here in the school for handicapped children under our State Government. The only way to utilize my leisure time is reading. Please do all possible help in this connection in the case of mine. *** N.R. Satyananayana, Bangalore, South India: I am a visually handicapped music teacher .... I am interested in reading books and magazines to widen my knowledge. I therefore request you to enroll me kindly and send me your magazine to enable me to spend my time usefully. *** (Editor's Note: We have had recent requests also from Egypt and Brazil. These are always received with much interest. Often the letters have been so long traveling to us that they are crushed and sometimes torn so that we have difficulty reading them. This will explain to our readers in other countries why we are unable to respond to every request we may have made an error in reading the address, or not been able to read it at all. So, try us again. It is interesting to note that some of the braille letters come to us with the edges sewn together with needle and thread, or tied at each corner with a tiny piece of string, or with a piece of thin wire. However they come we are happy to receive them.) ***** ** Refugees from the Round File From DBPH News, Library of Congress: Spanish is the mother tongue of a large percentage of the U.S. population. Until recently the talking book program has had little or nothing to offer its blind and physically handicapped readers who came to the States from south of the border. Last fall the Puerto Rico edition of the Reader's Digest and a popular Mexican novel were introduced. Eleven additional titles have since been selected and another Spanish language magazine is soon to be added. ... The Library proudly reports that one of its readers has completed a monumental project -- reading the entire braille edition of the World Book plus supplements, a total of 167 volumes in 4-1/2 years. ... The Library has received some tapes in Danish from Denmark. Lists of titles are available. Miss Terrell Pauline Parker, Talladega, Ala., was recently presented a certificate naming her the local "Blind Worker of the Year." Miss Parker, who is a seam stress at the Alabama Industries for the Blind, thus became eligible to compete for the Peter J. Salmon Award which was presented for the first time this year to the country's outstanding blind industrial worker by NIB. Miss Parker is a poet of note and participates in many community activities. Also from Talladega, home of the Alabama School for the Blind and its Rehabilitation Training Center, comes word of the quarterly magazine "Country Music," which contains articles and some musical selections. This is available on tape and will be dubbed for you if you send a 7" reel of 1,800 ft. For information write Crawford Pike, Music City Sound Track, 605 North St., Talladega, AL 35160. From DIE BLINDENWELT we learn of progress in Spain where a school for telephone operators was established several years ago by the Spanish organization for the blind, ONCE. This organization is supported through the sale of lottery tickets which are sold by the blind. The organization also owns a school for poultry husbandry. At the conclusion of their course the students are awarded credentials enabling them to establish their own chicken farms in their villages. In the Center for Vocational Education of Young Blind, those who previously were active in selling lottery tickets, but who exhibit capabilities for other vocations, are educated until they are prepared to perform useful work in private industry. Students are trained in the testing of materials or as operators of machines, lathes, presses, etc. Most leave the schools as specialists. In THE NEW OUTLOOK Earl Elliott tells of the "Touch Me" exhibit held at Houston's Museum of Fine Art. This is the second year for the show which is made up of pieces from private collections and works donated by artists themselves as well as the museum's permanent collection, and is designed to provide both blind and sighted persons an opportunity to perceive the beauty of objects of art through senses other than sight. Two of the objects "Tonal Piece" and a bronze wind bell could be perceived through sound also. Many of the very low objects were placed directly on the floor so that blind children could easily find and touch them. All were placed so that visitors would have easy access to them. Sculptures were mounted on pedestals behind wooden railing. Franklin Clark, president and founder of the "Go-Sees," who devised the Sensi-Quick cane, was featured recently on the front page of the "Manhattan East," a community newspaper for this busy area. ***** ** ACB Officers President: Reese Robrahn, 539 New England Building, Topeka, Kansas 66603 1st Vice President: George Card, 605 South Few St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703 2nd Vice President: Vernon Williams, 217 Western Union Bldg., Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401 Secretary: Mrs. Mary Jane Schmitt, 510 Tarrington Rd., Rochester, New York 14609 Treasurer: Fred Krepela, 363 Court St., N.E., Salem, Oregon 97301 ** Directors Mrs. Catherine Skivers, 836 Resota St., Hayward, California 94545 Floyd Qualls, 106 N.E. 2nd St., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 F.W. Orrell, 5209 Alabama Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409 Dr. S. Bradley Burson, 917 Kenyon St., Downers Grove, Illinois 60515 J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Ave., Charlotte, North Carolina 28205 David Krause, 2121 - P St. N.W., Apt. 615, Washington, D.C. 20009 Fred Lilley, 7629 Dale St., Richmond Heights, Missouri 63117 Don Cameron, 724 So. Davis Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609 ###