The Braille Forum Vol. VIII January 1970 No. 4 Published Bi-Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * Editor: Alma Murphey 4103 Castleman Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 * Associate Editors: George Card 605 South Few St. Madison, WI 53703 Earl Scharry 5714 Ridgway Ave. Rockville, MD 20851 * President: Reese Robrahn 329 Woodbury Lane Topeka, KS 66606 * National Representative: Durward K. McDaniel 20 E Street NW Suite 215 Washington, DC 20001 To inform its readers and to provide an impartial Forum for discussion. ***** ** Table of Contents Notice to Subscribers Alabama Is No. 23 -- Welcome to ACB Where to Be and What to See in July, 1970 Impressions of India, by Nelda Robrahn New Chapters in New York Vending Stand Amendments of 1969, S-2461 Oklahoma Vendors Consolidate Groups An Affiliate Is Born, by Earl Scharry Two Important Developments in Milwaukee VIDPI Lifts Off, by Helen E. Moore Blind Woman "Proof Listens" How to Build a Closed-Circuit Television Reading Aid, by John H. Kuck Visual Sense, Special Tools Sustain Busy Blind Builder Vermont Convention Report, by Mary Jane Schmitt New Device Promises "Sight" Farewell to the Fair Here and There, by George Card Christmas Wishes, by Earl Scharry The New Year, by Horatio Nelson Powers ACB Officers and Directors ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large type, and on tape -- seven-inch, dual track, ips 3 and 3/4. Subscriptions and address changes should be sent to Floyd Qualls, who is in charge of our three mailing lists. His address is: 106 N.E. 2nd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104. Items intended for publication should be sent to the editor or to one of the associate editors. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to ACB Treasurer Fred Krepela, 241 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97301. ***** ** Alabama Is No. 23 -- Welcome to ACB The Alabama Federation of the Blind by action of its convention on October 19th voted to apply for affiliation with the American Council of the Blind. The application was accepted by the Council's Board of Directors on November 8th. The Alabama Federation is a statewide membership organization with more than four hundred members and seven active chapters. It has a long history of successful operation. The Gadsden Chapter featured a unique attract ion as a part of the convention. It rented the city auditorium to house an exposition to display and demonstrate activities of and for blind persons in Alabama, using blind people to man the 18 booths in the exposition. More than 1,600 delegates and towns people inspected the exhibits and enjoyed the entertainment furnished by musicians and singers, many of them blind. A special feature of the exposition and the convention was the participation by Miss Alabama of 1969. This exposition has been described in a special pamphlet produced for the information of its visitors with feature articles about convention participants. This unique production was a major addition to an already successful convention. The convention substantially revised the organization's constitution and brought it up to date with its current status. Durward K. McDaniel, National Representative of the American Council of the Blind, delivered the banquet address on Saturday evening to more than 125 delegates and friends. B. Roger Smith, Chairman of the Legislative Committee, presided over a Legislative Luncheon on Sunday to close out a very successful convention. The following officers were elected: Mrs. Evelyn Lee, President from Birmingham; Bill Howard, 1st Vice President from Huntsville; Herman Lowery, 2nd Vice President from Anniston; Mrs. Doris Beavers, Secretary from Talladega; and Lester McGlaughn, Treasurer from Gadsden. These officers and two delegates chosen by each of the seven chapters will comprise the board of directors. The Alabama Federation sent 11 observers to the Council's 1969 convention and a large number of official delegates are expected at the 1970 convention in Oklahoma City. President Reese H. Robrahn of ACB has extended an open invitation to observers from any organization of the blind interested in learning firsthand about ACB. ***** ** Where to Be and What to See in July, 1970 Where to be -- Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City, July 15 through 18. While there, be in the luxurious Tower Club enjoying delicious refreshments, in the spacious roof garden swimming pool (available to all hotel guests) and all the while within walking distance of downtown shops, theatres and restaurants. What to see -- The world-famous Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, Oklahoma Historical Society Building, the Lyric's live theatre, night clubs, oil, Indians and wide-open spaces. Oklahoma City sprang from a stretch of rolling prairie to a population of 10,000 in one day. Today it has a metropolitan population of nearly three-quarters of a million. During the two days prior to the Convention (July 13 and 14) the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, the Visually Impaired Data Processors International, the Blind Lawyers Association and the Ham Radio Operators will hold annual conventions. The week will be filled with profitable information, fun and frolic. The Skirvin Hotel has fourteen fully air-conditioned floors. All convention meetings are scheduled on the mezzanine. No winding halls or inconvenient stairs. The hotel management promises full cooperation and the program planning committee guarantees a convention you will long remember. Will Rogers World Airport serves five major airlines. Transcontinental bus lines from most major cities lead to Oklahoma City's downtown bus station and the Santa Fe Railroad offers passenger service, north and south, between Fort Worth and Chicago. ACB and the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind are doing their best to give you your greatest convention. You do your part by being in Oklahoma City July 15 through 18. ***** ** Impressions of India By Nelda Robrahn Being met at New Delhi Airport by a College Social Work student, who was a volunteer, was our introduction to the care and thoughtfulness of the Indian people responsible for arranging this WCWB Assembly. Organizations of the blind in India began local preparations as early as September 15, when the National Assembly staff arrived from Bombay. Their work throughout this conference has been an extension of those qualities. At this season New Delhi compares with the Midwest in mid-summer -- hot (days 94 degrees, nights 68 to 70 degrees). The conference rooms are air-conditioned at the Bigyan Bhavan and our hotel is continental style with air conditioning. Travel from the hotel to meetings, by the buses which are provided, or by taxi (at 2 rupees -- 27 cents) is something else. Traffic has no apparent structure. Although there is left-hand driving, most automobiles, primarily vintage cabs, drive down the middle stripe and the driver honks for first-passing privilege. Much dodging in and out is necessary. Three-wheel open taxis, motorcycles, and bicycles will move to the edges but all honk. There are constant bell tingles, buzzer horns and bulb-squeezed horns. Add to these the yelling of drivers of horse and cow carts, just-missed pedestrians, and the speed-as-you-please hurry. That is New Delhi traffic at its best. The paper today reports a bus turned a corner here; four people fell from their door-step position. All were hospitalized, one died. The driver didn't stop. Injury and fatal accidents seem almost a daily occurrence. The smells are strange to an American nose, but one becomes very aware of them when the "tourists" illness is brought on by drinking the water or milk products. The mixture of cooking spicy food, open sewers, street-side toileting, drying dung and crowded people in some places creates an Eau-de-Delhi unmatched at home and unrivaled by the blossom bouquet of the shrubs and trees here. The air is best around the 12-5 a.m. quiet. In this cosmopolitan city every kind of dress is evident, from some naked infants to the richest of gold and silver embroidered siIk Saris. Even the moderate Sari attracts foreign women, but I've heard no man wish to change his western style for the traditional draped male garb some Indian men continue to wear. In this vast country, many dialects are specific to the various inhabitants and the people appear to depend on English for communicating with those from sections other than their own. I asked one of the women to remind me of the Hindu word for "Thank you." She thought a minute and asked another. Neither knew it. They both agreed, "I don't know. We just say, Thank you." French and English are the official languages of this Assembly but the predominance of English is so apparent, some of the French seek to make Esperanto a requirement for future communicating. I am not satisfied with the terms used to distinguish nations. There is, however, some justification for categorizing them as "developed" and "developing." While I do not view us as developed in any final sense, to compare our facilities for learning to deal with blindness with those which have developed over a much shorter period of time, is nearly impossible. The disparity is greatest in quantity. Quality comparison is statistically, at least, more elusive. When one recognizes the opportunities available for education where a child may have 8 to 10 professionals involved in his learning and compares this with the multitude of blind Indian children who may not in a lifetime have contact with even one teacher, the contrast is staggering. Provision of educational services in addition to their location and/or availability depends on other factors: degree of blindness (at least sees fingers at 2 ft.), caste, economic and cultural home environment and opinion rating of intelligence. Many more people appear to be gaining awareness of the prevention problem presented in the "developing" countries. From facts I have heard, I believe that unless a crash program intervenes, the dearth of knowledge and acceptance of minimal prenatal and immediate post-natal care, along with malnutritional blindness in a geometrically increasing population, will result in an insurmountable problem of blindness -- if the time is not already here. The United Kingdom and American Overseas Program are working in prevention and restoration but their officials seem to feel the work is minimal compared to the need. Yet, one of them, describing the ophthalmologists in an "eye-camp," stated that he had seen a doctor perform as many as 400 cataract operations in one day. Glasses with lenses of plus 9, 10, or 11 (take their choice) are available for 4 rupees (55 cents). (Note: Above was prepared by Nelda before she and Reese left their hotel in New Delhi, India.) ***** ** New Chapters in New York On October 1st and 2nd meetings were held in Rochester and Buffalo and resulted in the formation of chapters of blind persons interested in the establishment of a statewide membership organization in New York State. An Organizing Committee has been established and organizing activities are going forward in several areas of the state. Interested persons are invited to communicate with Mary Jane Schmitt at 510 Terrington Road, Rochester, New York, 14609. The Organizing Committee plans to hold a constitutional convention early in 1970 to perfect the organization. ***** ** Vending Stand Amendments of 1969, S-2461 S-2461 is still pending in the Sub Committee of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. The names of the Sub-Committee members are listed below for your information and use. An explanation of this widely supported liberalizing legislation was printed in the September issue. It has been reliably estimated that three times as many blind people as are now employed could have jobs in vending facilities on federal and other property if these amendments were adopted by Congress. All proponents of this bill enthusiastically agree that it would greatly enlarge employment opportunities and improve existing programs. It is very encouraging that the major organizations of and for the blind are backing this measure. This fact alone will not assure its enactment in the face of serious opposition from vested interests which are fighting it. Each of us must do his part individually and through his organization to encourage the Senate to adopt the bill. First, the members of the Sub-Committee should be urged to act favorably; second, all other Senators should be asked to support it. Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia is the principal author of S-2461 and almost one half of the entire Senate has joined as sponsors. In writing to your Senators and to the Sub-Committee, please send a carbon copy where convenient to the American Council office, Suite 215, 20 E St. Northwest, Washington, D.C., 20001. Members of the Sub-Committee on Health may be addressed at the Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. They are: Chairman, Ralph Yarborough, Texas; Harrison A. Williams, Jr., New Jersey; Edward M. Kennedy, Mass.; Gaylord Nelson, Wisconsin; Thomas F. Eagleton, Mo.; Alan Cranston, Calif.; Harold E. Hughes, Iowa; Peter H. Dominick, Colo; George Murphy, Calif.; Jacob K. Javits, New York; Winston L. Prouty, Vermont; and William B. Saxbe, Ohio. ***** ** Oklahoma Vendors Consolidate Groups On November 22nd, two groups of vending stand operators in Oklahoma put aside any points of disagreement and merged their organizations into one in their common interests. The Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Oklahoma now includes more than 70 members and will be a greatly strengthened host affiliate for the 1970 convention of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America which will be held in Oklahoma City on July 13th and 14th at the Skirvin Hotel. The officers of the organization are: Charles Simpson, Okla. City, President; Gerald Bradley, Tulsa, Vice President; Jerry Litterell, Okla. City, Vice President; Ray Washburn, Okla. City, Secretary; Beatrice Stephens, Okla. City, Treasurer; Board member are: Lester Shipman, Lawton; John McCrawley, Chickasha; Shirley Croxton, Tulsa, and Aubra Hurt, Okla. City. Mergers of organizations are unusual. This one was accomplished by the unanimous adoption of a joint resolution which is reprinted below as a constructive example and for public information. * Joint Resolution for Consolidation WHEREAS, there are two organizations of blind vendors in Oklahoma having substantially the same purposes and objectives; and WHEREAS, it is recognized that the establishment of a single unified organization of blind vendors would be in the best interest of all concerned; and WHEREAS one of the organizations is affiliated with the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America and has had its constitution and by-laws accepted by that organization, which will hold its national convention in Oklahoma City in July 1970; and WHEREAS, in order to accomplish the consolidation of the two organizations at their November 1969 meetings it is desirable and necessary that the terms of this resolution provide for certain agreed changes to govern. the conduct of a consolidated meeting of the merged organizations; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Oklahoma Vending Stand Operators Association and the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Oklahoma in meetings November 22, 1969 as follows: 1. The effect of adoption of this joint resolution will be instantaneous consolidation of the two organizations into one. 2. The consolidated organization shall be an affiliate of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America without interruption of or reapplication for that status. 3. The constitution and by-laws of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Oklahoma as amended by this joint resolution are hereby adopted for the consolidated organization, subject to future amendments by the membership. 4. The first order of business of the consolidated organization shall be the election of a president. It is hereby requested that the director of the Division of Visual Services preside temporarily over the consolidated meeting during the election of a president, who shall thereafter preside over additional proceedings. 5. All officers and members of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Vending Stand Operators Association whose terms of office have not expired will automatically be voting members of the board of directors of the consolidated organization for the duration of their existing terms of office. Thereafter, the board of directors of the consolidated organization will be as provided in the constitution and by-laws. Any temporary overlapping of duties of members of the consolidated board of directors shall be resolved by action of the board of directors. 6. Persons entitled to vote shall not include persons who are not engaged in the operation of vending enterprises or concessions. Voting members of each organization who are in good standing on November 22, 1969, shall be entitled to vote in the consolidated meeting. 7. The treasuries, assets, and liabilities of the two organizations shall be merged into one. 8. The election of officers and directors by the consolidated meeting shall be governed by the prohibition that no more than three may be elected from within any one county, except that those serving unexpired terms as specifically provided for in paragraph 5 above will not be affected by this prohibition. 9. The board of directors of the consolidated organization is hereby authorized to do all things necessary to complete the consolidation. 10. It is recommended to the Division of Visual Services that its rules and regulations be amended to permit the deduction from the payment of set-aside charges each year the amount of dues payable to this consolidated organization as a trade or occupational organization. ***** ** An Affiliate Is Born By Earl Scharry Last April a small group of interested persons met in Baltimore to organize a Maryland affiliate of ACB. A constitution was adopted and officers elected. It was decided that residents of the District of Columbia as well as of Maryland would be eligible for membership. The name American Council of the Blind of Maryland was adopted and affiliation with ACB was voted. Ray Powers was chosen as delegate to the Charlotte convention. Our first convention was held October 25 at the Governors House Motel, Bethesda. The writer acted as Convention Chairman. It was an outstanding convention. Durward McDaniel reported on current projects and programs of the ACB. Next Mrs. Helen Tullis, Assistant Supervisor in Pedestrian Education with the Maryland State Board of Education, talked very competently and entertainingly of her experiences as a blind person and on her work. It was only during her talk that I learned she had had her own TV program in Baltimore for three years. Then Mr. John Kuck, of the Applied Physics Laboratories of Johns Hopkins University, described and demonstrated a new low-vision reading device which he has developed, utilizing closed-circuit TV. A number of our partially sighted members and guests tried the device and most of them felt that it was indeed a help in reading print. We have just learned that Mr. Leonard Robinson, Supervisor of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the District of Columbia and an ACB members is planning on conducting extensive tests with a view to making this equipment available to rehabilitation clients and others. After an excellent luncheon the program resumed with a talk by Mr. George Keller, head of Services for the Blind in Maryland. His frank and factual discussion was very well received. Mr. Albert Derda, a medical transcriber from Baltimore, presented some inspiring remarks on the theme "Ask What You Can Do for Humanity." Mr. Lester Citron then gave a talk in which he shared with us his boundless enthusiasm for physical fitness for the blind. Mr. Citron gives generously of his time to conduct physical fitness classes for the blind every Saturday at the D.C. YMCA. At the business session most of the resolutions were in support of positions previously taken by the ACB but one of them took an even stronger stand in support of a tax credit for employers who hire and train blind employees. One of our members, Al Saile, of the Federal Department of Labor, suggested that our proposal might be incorporated into similar legislation for other disadvantaged groups being sponsored by the Department of Labor. It was voted that the next convention should be held in Baltimore the last weekend in October, 1970. At the luncheon, your reporter served up a course of his homemade philosophy on organizations of and for the blind. At the banquet Mrs. Betty Krause ably presided as toastmistress. Mrs. Caroline Fales was the principal speaker and described in a delightful manner the work of the Maryland Association for the Visually Handicapped. The officers of the ACBM are as follows: President, Charles McIntyre, Baltimore; Vice-President, Ray Powers, Silver Spring; Secretary; Wanda St. Clair, D.C.; Treasurer, Al Derda, Catonsville; Board Members, Charles Johnson, Baltimore, Lorraine McCracken, Baltimore, and Ron Eller, D.C. Anyone desiring information or membership, contact Mrs. St. Clair at 20 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. ***** ** Two Important Developments in Milwaukee Employees of Industries for the Blind have ratified a collective bargaining agreement with their employer. The contract contains several improvements in wages and fringe benefits. To the best of our knowledge this is the first agreement reached between an affiliate of National Industries for the Blind and its employees. Several attempts have been made to organize the blind elsewhere in the past. None of them has been successful to the point of a labor-management contract. The organizing union is the International Association of Machinists, District 10, of Milwaukee. The beautiful new building complex in Milwaukee which now houses the Badger Home for the Blind was formally dedicated during a three-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Badger Association of the Blind, September 12-13-14. This event represented the triumphant culmination of a 32-year struggle to accumulate funds for the construction and equipment of the new complex. Four years ago the Wisconsin Council of the Blind pledged $100,000 and $76,000 of this amount has been contributed. This is the largest home for the blind in the world, operated and managed entirely by the blind. The Badger Association also operated a modern nursing and retirement home for elderly blind. ***** ** VIDPI Lifts Off By Helen E. Moore In the past few years it has become increasingly more apparent that the visually handicapped have found another employment opportunity, namely in the field of data processing and scientific computer applications. As in other situations in which the blind are employed, the visually impaired data processor has found it necessary to adapt himself to his particular environment. In making this personal adjustment each visually impaired programmer has discovered that others have shared like experiences and gave similar needs in the way of aids, techniques, and instructional matter. One of the prime difficulties for the blind programmer has been the lack of communication between himself and those persons or organizations that could provide this desired information. The blind programmers, training institutions, placement personnel and prospective employers have great need for guidelines and information to help ensure successful placement and performance by the visually impaired workers so that he will be comparable in every respect possible with his sighted counterpart. Therefore, well realizing the important benefits to be gained through united effort to achieve these and other goals, as well as collectively attempting to solve some of the inherent problems in this kind of work, a group of blind data processors meeting in a seminar arranged by the American Council of the Blind in July, 1969, in Charlotte, North Carolina, appointed a steering committee to select a name for an organization and to draw up a constitution to be presented later for ratification. Through the efforts of this committee headed by Mr. Robert E. LaGrone, IBM Federal Systems Development, Gaithersburg, Maryland, it was decided to call the group Visually Impaired Data Processors International. The charter was granted October 1, 1969. During the conference, The Blind In Computer Programming, which was co-sponsored by the ACM Committee on Professional Activities of the Blind and the Cleveland Society for the Blind, and which was held in Cleveland, Ohio October 9-11, 1969, the first organizational meeting of VIDPI occurred at which time the Constitution and By-laws were adopted. A list of the officers elected is given below. It must be strongly emphasized here that VIDPI does not wish to take over activities or projects already underway. VIDPI would like to assist in these efforts in any way possible and is eager to promote the dissemination of useful information to institutions, agencies, manufacturers, employers, and to other visually impaired programmers. VIDPI believes one means of achieving this aim is through the experience and skills of employed blind data processors. One goal to which VIDPI is dedicated is to centralize information concerning taped and brailled manufacturers' manuals, aids and instructional materials for the blind programmer. Dr. S. Bradley Burson, Projects Officer for VIDPI, will be appointing committees to work on the above names, goals and other areas of concern, such as standardization of the braille code. It is pointed out again that these committees will work with those persons or groups already so engaged. VIDPI will be constantly endeavoring through closer communication among programmers, schools, agencies, and support groups to reduce, if not eliminate, duplication of efforts aimed at assisting the blind. It is further to be stressed that VIDPI is not affiliated financially or in any other respect to groups of organized blind persons. By being a separate entity VIDPI hopes to draw members from those persons with common needs and interests and who are desirous of working together to achieve the objectives of the entire group. VIDPI urgently needs the aid and support of those currently working for the betterment of the blind programmer. VIDPI also enlists the cooperation and support of manufacturers, employers, counselors, instructors, as well as all programmers and/or information processing personnel in attaining ultimate success of the organization. There are three types of membership available in VIDPI. Individual and group or organizational memberships are for those persons trained and employed, or seeking employment, as data processors and to the institutions, agencies and employers responsible for the training and job placement of the visually handicapped in the computer field. These two types of membership carry dues of ten dollars per year. Associate membership is available to those persons or groups not directly involved with the blind programmer but who are interested in him and in VIDPI. Associate members pay dues of five dollars per year, and these persons may not vote or hold office in VIDPI. The decision was made at the organizational meeting to consider all persons joining VIDPI before January 1, 1970 charter members. This then, is the story of VIDPI. The comments, questions, recommendations, cooperation and support of interested persons are urged. The officers of VIDPI are eager to answer questions and to receive comments and suggestions at any time. Those persons interested in paying dues or obtaining more details about membership are asked to communicate directly with the treasurer of VIDPI, Mr. Mike Mady. The next meeting of VIDPI will be held July 13-15, 1970 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is hoped that as many persons as possible will plan to attend that meeting. The growth and success of VIDPI depend upon enthusiasm and support of each of its members and their willingness to share their knowledge with others. President: Ray Jones; 2951 Southwest 53rd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73119 Vice President: Alan Schlank; 4015 Bunker Hill Rd., Brentwood, Maryland 20722 Secretary: Mrs. Helen E. Moore, 1127 South Harrison St., Denver, Colorado 80210 Treasurer: Mike Mady; 2700 Arcadia; Amarillo, Texas Projects Officer: Dr. S. Bradley Burson, Argon National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439 Board Members at Large: Richard Knauss; Route 1, Emmaus, Pennsylvania 18049 William Adler; 7719 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo. 64114 ***** ** Blind Woman "Proof-Listens" From the Hoosier Star-Light: Holding two jobs is not an unusual situation in this day and age but doing both at the same time would seem to be. Mrs. William Barbour of Westbury, Long Island, N.Y., who has been blind since birth, manages her housework and her job at the same time. While she irons or dusts or does the dishes, she also "proof listens" books recorded by the American Foundation for the Blind for publication by the Library of Congress Talking Book program. Listening about 50 hours each week, Mrs. Barbour each year processes 300 or more books -- ranging from cookbooks to biographies. Mrs. Barbour said her job requires a mind like a shopping cart, full of all sorts of bits and pieces. You have to know a little about a lot and you can't take anything for granted." Although an engineer follows along as the reader -- usually a professional actor -- records, errors are bound to slip through. The AFB, therefore, sends Mrs. Barbour the first pressing of a recording and she returns it with her suggested corrections. When these are made, full production of copies for distribution to regional libraries is started. Mrs. Barbour probably owes her ability as a proof listener to her college major in languages. ***** ** How to Build a Closed-Circuit Television Reading Aid By John H. Kuck (Editor's Note: This author is a physicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory near Silver Spring, Maryland. The FORUM is publishing the introductory portion of a 34-page pamphlet consisting of narrative, drawings and photographs, describing and illustrating his work. He is interested in sharing this information with persons who may be able to benefit from his work and experience. Inquiries and communications may be directed to the author in care of the Council's Washington Office.) * Introduction This is a description of a closed-circuit television reading aid which the writer has built for his own use and which might be of interest to some other visually handicapped persons. The television equipment is the same in principle as that used in other closed-circuit magnifiers that have been described in literature by Genensky et al., Weed, and Potts et al. The present article discusses selection of television equipment and describes in detail the writer's design for a camera stand. The stand may be advantageous for many people, because it can be easily built at low cost. Dimensional drawings are included from which the stand can be duplicated. Ideas for possible improvements in television reading aids are also discussed. The equipment picks up the image of a printed page and presents a highly magnified picture of the page on a television screen. As has been pointed out in the aforementioned references, the main advantage of closed-circuit television over direct optical projection of the light reflected from an opaque page is that one can obtain a bright, high contrast image. Direct optical projection from an opaque page is very inefficient, because a high percentage of the reflected light is lost, and there is a loss of contrast due to the scattering of light from bright to dark areas within the viewing screen. There is also loss of contrast due to stray light reflected from internal surfaces of the projector or from ambient room light. With the television method, on the other hand, printed material can actually have its contrast enhanced. Other subsidiary advantages are that less heat is generated by the television equipment and more flexibility is afforded for the arrangement for the reading aid set-up, because the location of the reading material is not fixed by the location of the viewing screen. One might well ask whether there is a significant advantage in using a projected image instead of a highly magnifying pair of eyeglasses or a reading glass. There is a subtle advantage in the increased visual depth of field that the reader enjoys, when he views a large projected image at a distance. It was this potential advantage that motivated the writer to try the TV approach. Reading had become sufficiently difficult so that highly magnifying glasses were required and, with these reading was very tiring -- apparently because the small visual depth of field imposed the requirement that the material be held at precisely the right distance. It was necessary to stop reading frequently in order to move the page in and out to find the focal plane. These difficulties resulted in considerable eye­strain. In addition, some material having thin lines, small print, or low contrast was impossible to handle. Several ophthalmologists and optical aids people were questioned about the possibilities of opaque, optical projectors, but the writer was advised that none of these devices would be satisfactory for him because of low brightness, poor contrast, and inadequate provision for moving the work. Consideration of the first two difficulties led the writer to the conclusion that some form of light amplification was needed. Possibilities that seemed interesting were: image intensifiers, light amplifier panels, and closed-circuit television. The latter appeared to be the most attractive, because the equipment was commercially available and had been in quantity production long enough so that prices were beginning to come down to reasonable levels. Considerable thought was given to the design of a camera stand that would have provisions for moving the work and would be convenient to use. The camera is mounted vertically and can be moved horizontally in two directions, by means of cranks, for gross positioning over any part of a large page. (Camera movement for gross positioning was chosen rather than movement of the work, because this conserves table space.) In addition, the work tray can be moved back and forth through a distance of two and a half inches by means of an easy-moving lever. When a column of print is too wide for full display on the screen at the magnification the reader wishes to use, this lever is moved back and forth as the reader scan each line of print. The two cranks and the scanning lever are located so that they can be reached by the reader, while he is seated in an easy chair. Figure 1 shows the equipment in use. The construction of the stand is simple enough so that it could be duplicated by a cabinet-maker using ordinary woodworking tools plus a crude metal-cutting tool such as the abrasive-impregnated cloth blade that can be substituted for a wood-cutting blade on a power saw. Thus, it is a stand that people could have built at low cost, even if it should turn out that the number of people who would use such a device is too small to justify production by a manufacturing concern. * Selection of the TV Equipment The closed-circuit television system consists of a television camera and a monitor. The monitor may be an ordinary television receiver or a specially designed, high quality display unit. If an ordinary TV receiver is to be used, some minor modifications may be necessary or desirable. These modifications will be discussed later. Before any equipment is purchased, the visually handicapped person who plans to use it should have a demonstration to determine whether or not he can read printed material easily, when it is displayed on the television screen. It is a simple matter for a salesman to set up such a demonstration, if he understands what needs to be done. He will probably need to have a set of lens-extender tubes on hand. (A set can be purchased at a nominal cost.) For the demonstration, the TV camera can be set on a table and a box with printed material (e.g., a typical newspaper column about two inches wide) taped to its side, is set in front of the camera and the magnification of the system is adjusted so that the picture of the newspaper column just fills the TV screen. To adjust the magnification, one changes the distance from the box to the camera, and the camera is refocused. Reducing the distance increases the magnification. The writer's camera required that a five-millimeter lens extender tube be inserted between the camera and the lens barrel in order to bring the camera into focus at the correct distance. The purchase should not be made until the same combination of camera and monitor or receiver that will be purchased, has been demonstrated. Careful attention should be paid to make sure that picture brightness is reasonably uniform, when the reading material is uniformly illuminated, and that the controls on the camera and monitor can be easily adjusted by the buyer to give good picture quality. Closed-circuit TV equipment can be supplied by many different manufacturers in a wide range of models and prices. It appears that some low-cost systems can be used effectively for reading aids. The cost of a television camera, as of 1968, ranged anywhere from $300 to several thousand dollars. The writer was advised by one distributor that a high-quality system (camera and monitor) satisfactory for the reading aid application would cost around $2,400. However, careful consideration of the resolution requirements suggested that a much lower cost system might do an adequate job. The cost of a closed-circuit television system is strongly influenced by the resolution of the system. Paradoxically, if the magnification requirement is increased, while the size of the display screen remains fixed, the resolution requirements and the cost of the system go down. This is because the resolution required is proportional to the number of letters (and spaces) that can be displayed in a line of print extending all the way across the screen, and this number goes down as the magnification is increased. The resolution of a TV camera or monitor is generally specified on the manufacturer's data sheets. It is a number which is intended to indicate the fineness of detail that can be displayed in a television picture. ... ***** ** Visual Sense, Special Tools Sustain Busy Blind Builder (From The Milwaukee Journal) Richard A. Wolter, 35, is blind but no one can say he lacks vision. Nine years ago he was struggling to get a fresh grip on the trade he had started learning before he lost his sight. Now, after five years' experience as a general contractor, including the construction of many vacation homes, he is a third of the way through his biggest single project to date. The project: Three double houses on a 200 by 294 foot tract he has never seen, in the usual sense, but understands very well from walking over it. He is now finishing the first double house -- each side has three bedrooms, living room, dining alcove, kitchen, 1 1/2 baths, two car garage and basement -- and he knows exactly what it looks like because he planned it, detail by detail, in his mind. Then he laid out the framing and built it in less than four months. The carpenter work that he didn't do himself he supervised closely, calling out measurements and precise instructions to his helper, Kurt Spaeth, 22. The structure he is now finishing presents the illusion of being a large single house because the "front" doors are on the sides. The house he starts next will be Swiss chalet style. The double houses tentatively are priced at about $40,000 each. How does he get along without vision? He has a well organize mind, a few special tools and a love of challenge. The working plans are filed away in his mind. The only really special tool he uses for carpentry is an electric, transistorized level that cost $45. Instead of watching a bubble, he listens to a buzzing sound that ceases when whatever he is installing is completely level. He uses a hammer that is exactly 16 inches long. Sixteen inches is the standard distance from the center of one floor joist, wall stud or rafter to the next. If, in putting on siding, he places his nails a hammer length apart, he knows he will hit a two by four every time. He uses a metal measuring tape with a lock button. When he has to fit a board into a specific space, he simply stretches the tape in the normal fashion, then locks it, takes tape and board to a miter box and saws the board to fit the length of the tape. He uses a saw protractor as a guide when using an electric saw. Sometimes as a help in cutting or positioning he uses templates. Where a sighted carpenter would use a chalk line, Wolter simply leaves the chalk cord in place. When Wolter puts house plans on paper, he uses a braille ruler and places quarter inch strips of cardboard to mark wall positions, tacking them through paper to a fiberboard base, working a ta scale of one-half inch per foot. The strip positions then are traced onto the paper as the first step toward preparing blueprints. Such details as rafter layout, with allowances for overhang, variable pitch, ridges and valleys are worked out in his mind, rafter by rafter. After the three double houses are completed, he will undertake an even more complicated structure, a boomerang-shaped house. It will have three gables, the one at the corner in the center made possible by an intricate arrangement of ridges and valleys. Wolter was faced with his biggest challenge 18 years ago, when he lost his sight as the result of complications from a boyhood eye injury. Building design had always interested him and, aware of what was in store for him, he quit school before total blindness set in and went to work as a carpenter's apprentice. He continued to have a job, thanks to the interest of Francis J. Schroedel, Milwaukee builder and developer, who had given him his chance, even after his sight was gone. Then he realized he needed an education. He went back to high school, then on to the Milwaukee Institute of Technology -- where he earned degrees in construction engineering and business administration. ***** ** Vermont Convention Report By Mary Jane Schmitt On September 27, 1969, the Council of the Blind held its annual convention in Ludlow with two-thirds of its membership in attendance. While Vermont is a small affiliate, percentagewise, other state groups could take a leaf from Vermont's book. Mrs. Ruth Walker, District Supervisor, Department of Social Welfare, reviewed Vermont laws affecting blind recipients of aid to the blind. Mr. Al deRosa, representative of the Vermont Occupational Training Center, gave a highly informative account of the purposes of the school as well as discussing the academic and vocational advantages extended to the students. This school is serving handicapped and wayward youth of Vermont, and its record for placement of students after training continues to show how invaluable its facilities are to the young people of the state. After a fine lunch, Mary Jane Schmitt spoke to the group on the ability for the individual to more closely identify with his national organization. The Vermont Council is currently undertaking a complete renovation of all Vermont laws affecting the blind, and there was some discussion dealing with the framing of this legislation. Several resolutions were adopted affirming decisions made at Charlotte by the ACB convention, after which the following officers were elected for a two-year term: President, Haydon Nichols (Rutland); Vice President, Dorothy Schiner; Secretary, Peggy Cody; Treasurer, Margaret McKinnel; Sergeant-At-Arms, Jim McKinnel. The Vermont Council will hold its 1970 convention in Brattleboro. ***** ** New Device Promises "Sight" From the National Observer: Two scientists have developed a prototype of a device that they say can serve as a "complete vision substitution system" for blind people. Carter C. Collins and Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita of the University of the Pacific in California say they hope eventually to develop a lightweight, portable device that will not only tell a blind person "something's there," but tell him what it is. The prototype consists of a television camera, a device for transmitting electrical impulses and a bank of stimulators attached to the blind person's back. The blind person "scans" an object with the TV camera. The TV picture is broken down into electrical impulses which are transmitted to a bank of 400 solenoid stimulators. These stimulators re-create the picture on the skin of the blind person's back through plastic-tipped vibrators. ***** ** Farewell to the Fair From the KAB News: Booths offering blind-made products for sale at fairs have been discontinued in Kansas for two reasons -- (1) Personnel had to be hired to handle items before, during and, in many cases, after the fair for if the items were unsold it had to be packaged and shipped back. (2) The trend today is to improve the image of the blind. Blind persons are engaged in many diversified fields of endeavor and should not be stereotyped as rug weavers, leather workers or broom makers before the public. Instead the Division has recently sponsored an educational booth where films, exhibits and literature are featured. The public can learn about causes of blindness, treatment, prevention, aids and services available and fields of employment. ***** ** Here and There By George Card From the ABC Digest: Guided by pop music, a relay team of four British blind swimmers, including three brothers, swam the English Channel recently. A transistor radio on the swimmers' escort boat provided the music while they swam throughout the night to land near Folkstone. --Robert S. Bray, of the Library of Congress, Blind and Physically Handicapped Division (who many of us have met at state and national conventions), was recently presented with a Distinguished Service Award for "his far-reaching vision and his brilliant and creative leadership ... resulting in greatly improved services to the blind and physically handicapped." -- "Who was that lady I saw you with last night?" "That was no lady, that was my teenage son." From the AFB Washington Report: As a result of the German measles (rubella) epidemics which affected an estimated 20- to 30,000 children in 1963-65, Congress has authorized the establishment of eight regional centers to serve deaf-blind children in 41 states. In this program the term "center" refers not to a building but to a comprehensive regional system of services for deaf-blind children, involving the states in the area and coordinated by a designated agency. From the KAB (Kansas) News: There is one phase of the prevention of blindness which cannot be dealt with as well by anyone else as by blind individuals who contemplate marriage -- that of hereditary blindness. We must take it upon ourselves to determine whether a particular case of blindness is hereditary or not. -- John Naler, AAWB Field Representative, says that in legislation the time has come when priorities and exceptions because of blindness are going to be more closely scrutinized than ever before. He urges that organizations and agencies for the blind work together to protect the advantages we have gained over many years. -- The N.C. School for the Blind has an enrollment of 360 students. The school uses the cottage arrangement for dormitories with no more than four students to a room. Next year 13 upperclassmen will attend a nearby public high school accompanied by a resource teacher. They will return to the school campus for study in the afternoon. From the Vermont Council Newsletter: A new program has been started at Haystack Mountain for the blind who would like to learn to ski. -- The highlight of the season was the beautiful wedding of our President, Bonnie Masters, to C. David Adams. More than 18 million adults in America have physical handicaps severe enough to limit in some way their ability to hold a job, according to a survey by the Social Security Administration. From the AP: Alexander J. Chavich, a 38-year-old Youngstown, OH native, has been appointed New York City's first blind teacher at a salary of about $10,000. He was rejected at first but the new law authorizing the hiring of blind teachers changed the situation, He says, "Once your kids know what you can do, they'll go along with you." From the Ohio Bulletin: Randy Austin, of Elkhart, Ind., donated $100 of his $500 Soap Box Derby prize money to a local organization which helps blind children. From the Orientation Center News (Calif.): A new lightweight type cane is now available at a price of $10 from Harry Cordellos, 827 47th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121. It is hollow, the walls being of tubular fiberglass 20/1000ths of an inch thick. The five ten-inch sections weigh 3.5 ounces. -- Olivia Ticer Tillinghast, third grade teacher in the Grant Elementary School, San Lorenzo, was the recipient of a Gold Award for Outstanding Service to the Youth of the Community, presented to her by the Alameda County Educational Association. -- Most of Ed Iverson's life was spent in grain farming but at 35 his sight began to fail and handling the necessary heavy equipment became hazardous. He now operates a 4,200-acre cattle ranch in central California. This year Ed's budget for the ranch is $50,000. He has 200 big steers sold for June delivery and 133 others half as big to be sold next year. Dr. Thomas A. Benham, head of Science for the Blind, has received a plaque from Governor Schaefer as Handicapped Pennsylvanian of the Year. Music Journal has been added to the list of magazines available on records through the Library of Congress' Talking Book program. The publication, which is issued 10 times a year, features articles by musicologists, composers and conductors on a broad range of musical subjects. It also includes reviews of books and records arid news of musical events. Readers interested in receiving Musical Journal on records may write to Mary Mylecraine, Music Services Unit, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20543. From the CCB Outlook: In Eureka, Kan., an old law still on the books stipulates that before anyone can enter the city limits in an automobile he must telephone the sheriff and warn him so that people's horses may be properly restrained. -- Babies once doomed to blindness because they were born with cataracts now are having their sight restored through surgery. Cataracts are being removed soon after birth by a method known as aspiration -- sucking the lens clean. Modern golf balls contain sulfuric acid, barium salts, zinc sulfide, silicone, gelatin, corn syrup -- under incredibly high pressures up to 2500 pounds per square inch. They should be kept away from inquisitive children who might cut them open to see what makes them bounce. Many children have received serious eye injuries from the resulting explosions. From the Illinois Braille Messenger: Nick Weems, of Jacksonville, is another skilled automobile automatic transmission mechanic who is blind. Never baffled by the ailments which can beset these complicated devices, he can tear one apart, lay out the 350 pieces which are contained in the average unit, find the malfunction, replace the faulty parts and reassemble the whole thing in record time. -- A recent article in Nation's Business described a skilled operator of a high-speed drill press at Smith and Wesson, Chicopee, Mass. His name is Robert Bizon and he works at tolerances down to one-half of a thousandth of an inch. (Bob is also a charter member of ACB). From the GFB Digest: "Blindness doesn't really make a person different -- he just has to try harder." -- Loretta Freeman. -- President Jack Lewis has announced that special attention will be given to the formation of additional chapters throughout Georgia this coming year. From Insight (Seattle, Wash.): "Although the cooperation of properly trained sighted volunteers is always desirable and frequently essential in the implementation of its programmed activities, NWFB believes that the interests of blind persons can always be most efficiently served when assessed, evaluated and directed by qualified blind administrators." -- Frank M. Stewart From the Montana Observer: A member of the Montana Association for the Blind, Mrs. Bertha Kleinert, 90, has her dues paid to 1974. The OCB Bulletin reports: The father of Boyd Wolfe, Columbus, passed away September 21 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife Helen and his son. Mr. Wolfe was a retired employee of the U.S. Post Office where he was employed 42 years. Our deepest sympathy is extended to Helen and Boyd, ACB charter members. -- There is probably little truth to this story, but we understand that Bob Jester was considering attending the late OCB convention, so he wrote to the hotel manager, inquiring if dogs were allowed. The manager replied: "I have been in business for a great many years and never have I had to call the State Police to remove an intoxicated dog. Never have I known of a dog swiping a towel or a blanket. Sure, your dog will be heartily welcome at my place and, if he will vouch for you, you can come along too." From the Washington State White Cane: In Seattle blind persons are allowed access to Space Needle elevators and its observation platform only after normal hours. -- Talking to sighted people around the state about the programs and objectives of blind people and the obstacles they face is a real eye-opener. Invariably someone will ask, "Aren't the blind taken care of by the State?" From the AAWB News and Views: Louis H. Rives, Jr., a former President and one of AAWB's staunchest supporters, was the recipient of the Ambrose M. Shotwell Distinguished Service Award this year. It was presented in a very moving address by Mary E. Switzer. -- In the past two years 30 states have formed AAWB chapters and 10 more are in the works; individual memberships have increased by 60 percent and agency memberships by 400 percent. Blinded veteran, Isaac Handly, in Brinkley, Ark., has been successful in a very unusual occupation, that of supplying cement monuments. He uses a power mixer. Raised metal letters and numerals are set in forms similar to the way a hand printer sets his type. The inscription can then be pressed into the fresh concrete when it is firm but not hard. From the NAPH Pioneer: Two University of Nevada scientists have taught a young female chimpanzee to talk in the same kind of sign language used by the deaf. The chimp knows about 60 words such as "gimme," "more," "toothbrush," "sorry," "you" and "me." -- In a Washington orphanage two blind children may be denied the opportunity to attend the Maryland School for the Blind because they do not have foster homes to visit on weekends. Clyde Ross, winner of the ACB's 1969 Ambassador Award, suffered still another heart attack early this fall but is now back in harness. Despite all medical warnings he is again giving his all for his fellow blind. He writes: "The trophy sits at the back of my desk where all can see it. On the west wall of the office the framed Certificate hangs where it can be readily seen. I am proud of both of them." The Braille Forum adds its congratulations to the many others Frank Lugiano is receiving because of an official citation from the Pennsylvania legislature which reads in part: "Frank Lugiano has served the blind on Capitol Hill since February of 1927, appearing faithfully each week from that time to the present. He is a familiar figure known to all members of the General Assembly and is highly respected by them." From Viewpoint: A square piano, one of the, earliest to be built, has been restored to good condition by a Birmingham (England) blind man and is now being played for the first time in 50 years. From Listen: Julius D. Morris, of New Britain, Conn., blinded veteran, lawyer and member of the Conn. Legislature, is the new President of the BVA. -- Perkins is in the process of enlarging its facilities for children with multiple handicaps. It has just enrolled the first victims of the 1963-64 rubella epidemic. If facilities and teachers are available, plans are afoot to admit 60 pupils next year with 100 deaf-blind enrolled by 1972 or 1973. -- Plumbing trade publications have featured the career of Joseph L. MacDonald who had been active as a plumber for 46 years, 32 of them while blind. -- It is reported that microwave leakage in microwave ovens is a potential cause of cataracts. A company check of the oven after installation is suggested to assure safety. -- Although much progress has been made, 2/3 of the blind population within the working age is still unemployed. -- Katherine Cornell, one of the great ladies of the American theatre, announced recently that she plans to star in a series of dramatic recordings especially for the blind. -- Blind Harry Taylor, 72, of New York City, a former professional entertainer, has recently spent his time singing with groups at hospitals. Now welfare cuts have eliminated the allowance he had for food for his guide dog, his telephone allowance, his carfare allowance and a weekly sum that paid a cleaning woman. "I guess they want Shep and me to go out and beg," was his comment. The New Outlook reports that the Overbrook School has initiated a department for the education of the deaf-blind. From the AP: Dr. Lois Wiley, blind, of Oak Park, Ill., playing with her sighted husband, won the mixed pairs championship at the American Bridge League fall tournament in Miami Beach. ***** ** Christmas Wishes By Earl Scharry Morning, and a world of white, A laden tree; And may no disappointment blight Your ecstasy! Church bells, and Christmas tidings, And after that the feast; And may there be no out raged stomach's chiding, When you have ceased! Reunion and Christmas cheer, And Tom and Jerry; And may no throbbing head appear To mar your making merry! Fireside, and a book to read -- "A Christmas Carol;" And may no ghosts of guilty greed Your peace imperil! A manager, and a lowly life, And love untainted; May men with base and strident strife Be unacquainted! ***** ** The New Year By Horatio Nelson Powers A flower unblown, a book unread; A tree with fruit unharvested; A path untrod, a house whose rooms Lack yet the heart's divine perfume: A landscape whose wide border lies In silent shade, 'neath silent skies; A treasure with its gifts concealed -- This is the year that for you waits Beyond tomorrow's mystic gates. ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Judge Reese Robrahn, 329 Woodbury Lane, Topeka, Kansas 66606 * First Vice President: George Card, 605 South Few Street, Madison, Wisc. 53703 * Second Vice President: Vernon Williams, 217 Western Union Bldg., Aberdeen, South Dakota 54701 * Secretary: Mrs. Mary Jane Schmitt, 510 Terrington Rd., Rochester, New York 14609 * Treasurer: Fred Krepela, 241 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97301 ** Directors Mrs. Catherine Skivers, 836 Resota St., Hayward, California 94545 Floyd Qualls, 106 N.E. 2nd Street, Okla. City, Okla. 73104 Dr. S. Bradley Burson, 917 Kenyon Street, Downers Grove, Ill. 60515 J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28205 David Krause, 2121 P Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037 Fred Lilley, 7629 Dale Ave., Richmond Heights, MO 63117 Don Cameron, 724 S. Davis Blvd., Tampa, Fla. 33609 Arnold Whaley, 8458 East Brainerd Rd., Chattanooga, Tenn. 37421 ###