The Braille Forum Vol. XII July-August 1973 No. 1 Published Bi-Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * Editor: Earl Scharry 5714 Ridgeway Ave. Rockville, MD 20851 * President: Floyd Qualls 106 N.E. 2nd St. Oklahoma City, OK 73104 * National Representative: Durward K. McDaniel 818 18th Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20006 * Acting Editor: Mary T. Ballard 190 Lattimore Road Rochester, NY 14620 * Associate Editors: George Card 605 South Few St. Madison, WI 53703 Margaret Freer 11816 West Blue Mound Rd. Wauwatosa, WI 53226 Ione B. Miller 9291 Fermi Avenue San Diego, CA 92123 To inform its readers and to provide an impartial Forum for discussion. ***** ** Table of Contents Notice to Subscribers Ramblings of a Little Old Lady in Tennis Shoes, by LaVerne Humphrey On Taylor Street: A Tribute to Robert S. Bray, by Earl Scharry There's No Place Like Home! Social Security Conference on Supplemental Security Income Program, by Durward K. McDaniel Marjorie Hooper Honored by NAC Mayor's Office for the Handicapped: Advocate for the Disabled National Blind Bowling Tournament Goes International, by Oral O. Miller Hyde Park Corner: What About Those Braille Magazines? Braille Services Needed, by Merrill A. Maynard Who's Who Among the Blind, by J. Wiedenmayer Resolution on Library Funding State Convention Highlights Music City Soundtrack: Association Convention, by Crawford Pike New Chief Named to Head DBPH Blind Man's Home Set on Fire A New Aid from an Old Source, by Alice Bankston Sonic-Signal Glasses Assist Blind in "Seeing" New Glaucoma Detection Device A Great Loss, by Alma Murphey New Directors and Officers Elected by NAC SIGCAPH Conference in Atlanta Clear Sailing for Blind Here and There, by George Card ACB Officers and Directors ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large type, open-reel tape (7-inch reel, dual track, ips 3 3/4), and on cassette (ips 15/16). Subscriptions and address changes should be sent to Floyd Qualls, who is in charge of the four mailing lists. His address is: 106 N.E. 2nd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104. Items intended for publication should be sent to the acting editor or to one of the associate editors. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to ACB Treasurer Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Ave., Charlotte, North Carolina 28205. ***** ** Ramblings of a Little Old Lady in Tennis Shoes By LaVerne Humphrey For a number of years I have been a member of the organized blind movement. My observations are that many of us are enthusiastic when we first join, and yet we go to conventions and/or meetings, local, state, and national. We elect a group of officers and board members. Then we sit back and wait for these members elected to solve the many problems that affect the blind. This is not something unique to the blind: It is in every organization. Yet if we who are Indians instead of chiefs would show more interest between conventions, our organization leaders could, with our help, accomplish much more, and we would grow into the really powerful organization that we are destined to become in less time than most of us imagine. I know from my own experience that it is easy to sit back and say "THEY" should do so and so. But we would help our cause a great deal more if our thoughts, statements, and actions were "WE" should do so and so. It has always been a puzzle to me why the membership is not more active. It would take so little effort -- a letter, a phone call, or even just a vote cast -- to assure prompt action. In such various areas as legislation, training, and job placement, just a tiny bit of effort from so many could be a power to reckon with. I attended a meeting about "Thursday's Child." Everyone said it should be shown and publicized. Everyone agreed that all publicity channels available should be used to spread the word. Various individuals knew people engaged in the publicity area. Then we went home. The film was shown with only one newspaper article for publicity. I assume that everybody thought somebody would do it. Somebody thought anybody could do it. Anybody thought everybody would do it. As a result, one man did it. Nothing else was done. Had everyone there that night contacted someone in the publicity field, public interest in the handicapped children would have been overwhelming. Think of the gains that could have been that were lost. Does this sound familiar? I hope not. But I am afraid so. ***** ** On Taylor Street A Tribute to Robert S. Bray By Earl Scharry On Taylor Street, on Taylor Street The books are standing shelf on shelf A monument more lasting than concrete To one who loved his weaker brothers as himself. Since Bob Bray saw the need and set about to feed Not just the body, but the hungry intellect The handicapped, rejoicing in the chance to read Returned in equal measure both his love and his respect. When he has left, we'll be bereft But neither cruel fate nor base, detractor can defeat. The work he wrought with purpose high and talents deft Nor quench his dauntless spirit still inspiring us on Taylor Street. Without our captain, we his crew his worthy goals will still pursue And steer his gallant little fleet Along the course he charted, on safe, sure routes he started To rich new havens far from Taylor Street. Author's Note: Taylor Street has been the location of the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress since February 1967. After a long and serious illness, Mr. Bray found it necessary to retire as Chief of the Division as of December 11 last. These lines were written on the occasion of a farewell luncheon given in his honor and attended by over 100 friends, associates, and admirers. They were written by me as one who has had the pleasure of working for and with Mr. Bray over a period of nearly fifteen years, even though I, too, am now in retirement. They purport to speak on behalf of all the other members of the staff of DBPH; and I am sure that all of them, particularly the handicapped ones, would concur in my expression of admiration and respect. Mr. Bray has many friends among the members of ACB; and these, too, I am sure would join me in paying this little tribute to him. (Editor's note: Mr. Bray now resides in Florida. ACB is pleased and honored to have his active membership on our Committee on Libraries.) ***** ** There's No Place Like Home! Earl Scharry is moving back to his old home town, Dubuque, Iowa, where he was engaged in business and in the practice of law for many years before he moved to Washington, D.C. in 1957. Earl retired last year from his job at the Library of Congress. Earl and Hazel will reside at 1102 Race Street in Dubuque. Their many friends in the Iowa Council of the Blind are happy to have them back in Iowa. ***** ** Social Security Conference on Supplemental Security Income Program By Durward K. McDaniel Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the name under which the all-Federal welfare programs for adults will be operated beginning January 1, 1974. On June 11, the Social Security Administration conducted an informational conference which involved participants from thirteen states in the three northeastern regions of HEW. Participants were invited by the Administration from lists suggested by the American Foundation for the Blind and the American Council of the Blind. SSI staff members explained the new program and answered numerous questions about the eligibility standards and benefits. At the end of this year, the SSI program will replace the present federal-state welfare programs for adults. Some of the defects and limitations of this new program were published in the November-December issue of the Braille Forum. In many details, the Federal eligibility standards will be more liberal than those now in force in some of the federal-state programs. However, the maximum benefit in the new SSI program will be $130.00 per month for an eligible individual or $195.00 per month for an eligible couple. At present a substantial number of states provide a substantially higher maximum than those amounts. As we go to press, serious proposals are before Congress to increase the benefit amounts and to include a Food Stamp Program in SSI. SSI staff speakers predicted that the number of blind persons who would be eligible under the new program will be twice as large as the present number. The Eagleton Amendment assures that everyone who is eligible under the federal-state program in December, 1973, according to the terms of a state plan which was in force in October, 1972, will be eligible in the new SSI program. The transfer to the new program will be automatic. Applications will be processed during the last half of 1973 in Social Security district offices for new applicants who want to qualify for benefits commencing in January, 1974. Three Social Security publications are recommended for reading on the Supplemental Security Income program. They are titled: "Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind and Disabled"; "Supplemental Security Income: Introduction to the New Federal Program of Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled"; "1972 Amendment Summary ... A Summary of the Social Security Amendments of 1972 as They Relate to Title 16 of the Social Security Act." These should be available through the Social Security district offices, but if you have difficulty in obtaining them, you may write the ACB National Office. Other regional conferences will be conducted by the Administration, and persons wishing to participate in them should write to the ACB National Office without delay. ***** ** Marjorie Hooper Honored by NAC The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped has selected as recipient of its 1973 Award for Outstanding Leadership in Improving Standards of Service to Blind People Nationwide, Miss Marjorie S. Hooper, Editor, American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky. The award, a sculpture by Steuben Glass, was presented to Miss Hooper at the Council's annual award dinner on June 20 in Des Plaines, Illinois. To protect both blind people and the contributing public, NAC develops and updates standards for management and services of agencies and residential schools for the blind. It administers a nationwide program of accreditation which publicly identifies agencies and schools that meet its standards. Miss Hooper has devoted her entire professional life to the production of materials for the use of the blind. She is active in the American Association of Workers for the Blind, the National Braille Association, and the World Council of Welfare of the Blind, and she has participated in numerous braille conferences both here and abroad. Previous recipients of the NAC award include the late Mary E. Switzer, Vice President, World Rehabilitation Fund, Washington, D.C., and Dr. Berthold Lowenfeld, Consultant in Psychology and Education, Berkeley, California. ***** ** Mayor's Office for the Handicapped: Advocate for the Disabled In December 1972, Mayor John Lindsay of New York City announced formation of the Mayor's Office for the Handicapped, to serve as advocate for the city's estimated one million mentally and physically disabled. This is the nation's first governmental unit for the handicapped to be located within the office of the chief executive. The new office will address itself to the problems of the handicapped relating to health, employment, architectural barriers, transportation, income maintenance, institutional care, civil rights, job training, and research. To accomplish these goals, the Office of the Handicapped will develop city and state legislative programs and review and recommend federal legislation; coordinate existing programs and plan and promote new programs; serve as consulting resource to public and private agencies in the development of their individual programs; offer direct services to the handicapped through a new information and referral service; attempt to locate the "hidden handicapped" who are unable or do not know how to seek help; and engage in policy analysis of existing programs. Mayor Lindsay said: "With the establishment of the Office of the Handicapped, New York City reaffirms its position as world center for care and concern of the handicapped. This new office will provide the political clout to assure this minority group the dignity, the rights, and the opportunities it so justly deserves. While the state and federal governments have repeatedly turned their backs on the needs of the handicapped, New York City has refused to accept the alternative of allowing the needs, the rights, and hopes of its less fortunate citizens to go unmet. The Office of the Handicapped not only will serve as a model to governments on all levels nationwide; it will be a source of hope to the handicapped, who can look to its city government as a compassionate ally. I have directed the Office for the Handicapped to complete preparation of a Bill of Rights of the Handicapped which will unequivocally articulate a new commitment toward realizing the promise of equal opportunity for the handicapped. " Mrs. Eunice Fiorito, handicapped by blindness since age 11, is serving as Acting Director of the new office. Ms. Fiorito formerly served as Acting Director of the Mayor's Advisory Committee and as Assistant Director for Psychiatric Social Work and Rehabilitation at New York University's Bellevue Medical Center. ***** ** National Bind Bowling Tournament Goes International By Oral O. Miller Now we understand even more clearly why there is no need for fortifications along the border of Canada and the United States. The spirit of friendship and cooperation which characterizes Canadian-American diplomatic relations was clearly in evidence to the more than fourteen hundred people who attended and participated in the 1973 national tournament of the American Blind Bowling Association, held over Memorial Day weekend in Toronto, Canada. Although Canadian bowlers have been taking part in the national tournament for many years, the 1973 event was the first one held outside the United States. The fact that the national blind bowling tournament was held in Canada takes on added significance when we consider that ten-pin bowling is not nearly as popular in Canada as it is in the United States. Five-pin bowling is the most popular bowling game in Canada and believe me when I say that the games are different; they use different sized balls, different sized pins, and different playing rules. In short, in undertaking such a large project the Toronto host organization committed itself to something which most leagues would do only if they were sure that they would receive assistance from several other bowling organizations. Our Canadian friends were superb as hosts. Although most Americans and most Canadians speak the same language, there were just enough differences in language, customs, money, brand names and cultural heritage to fascinate the Americans who had never spent appreciable amounts of time in Canada before. For example, what do you think a Canadian educator was asking me one morning in the coffee shop when he asked if I would like to have "sugar for your porridge"? I will give you the answer a little later. As of now (mid-June) the Tournament Director has not finished compiling the official prize list, so we do not know the names and scores of the official winners -- although we do know of several dozen people who have been loudly insisting for weeks that they are sure they are in line for one of the booby prizes (which really are not given). The Tournament Director has indicated, however, that this year's scores were a little lower than in the past, so this means that some of the self-proclaimed booby prize winners may have done a little better comparatively than originally expected. At the convention business meeting in Toronto several important decisions were made. For example, during the next two national tournaments a rule is to be tried, on an experimental basis only, that would allow one of the two totally blind bowlers now required on each five-man team to be replaced (under certain circumstances) by a partially blind bowler having a comparatively low bowling average. It was also decided that the 1975 national tournament is to be held in Washington, D.C., where the host organization will be the Southeastern Blind Bowling Association. Representatives of the leagues in Milwaukee were encouraged to resubmit their excellent invitation in the near future. The 1974 national tourney is to be bowled in Cincinnati, Ohio, over Memorial Day weekend. The convention elected LeRoy Saunders of Charlottesville, Virginia, to serve as President, Donald Franklin of Louisville, Kentucky, to serve as First Vice-President, and Walter Burmeister of Chicago, Illinois, to serve as Second Vice-President. The outgoing President, Charles Morgenstern of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, was elected to Life Membership in the Association. An article such as this one cannot possibly explain what there is about organized blind bowling that attracts the number of people present in Toronto, but I shall be more than pleased to introduce you to organized blind bowling and this Association. We have both ink print and braille material concerning such varied subjects as learning to bowl, teaching someone else to bowl, forming a league, etc. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, would like to explore the subject further or would like to obtain informational material. As for the question which the Canadian educator asked me in the coffee shop of the Royal York Hotel, he merely wanted to know if I wanted any brown sugar for my oatmeal. Oral O. Miller, Publicity Chairman, American Blind Bowling Association, 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Apt. 220, Washington, D.C. 20008. ***** ** Hyde Park Corner (Editor's note: This column exists to provide a forum for the expression of divergent views of writers on timely subjects. Views expressed need not necessarily be concurred in or endorsed by the publisher.) * What About Those Braille Magazines? (The following letter was received in response to an article in the September-October, 1972 Braille Forum, entitled "Improving Magazine Covers," by Margaret Freer, Associate Editor.) I enjoyed reading your idea about designed covers. I have seen a few magazines with designed covers, and they look up-to-date and distinguished! I am congenitally blind, but I am interested in art and writing and love to keep up to date. So, you see, I'll enthusiastically follow opinions on your idea. I also would like to see braille magazine editors ask for renewal requests, instead of assuming that readers wish to renew a subscription. For example, a braille magazine would be offered on a regular subscription for a definite time. At the end of that period, the editor would ask about renewal. In this way, magazines would find savings and readers would not be bombarded with unwanted literature. I would like to hear opinions on this idea, too. -- Carole Walker, Nashville, Tennessee * Braille Services Needed By Merrill A. Maynard (Mr. Maynard is head of the Maynard Listener Library, Taunton, Massachusetts. In addition, he plays a key role in distribution of the Braille Forum, duplicating and circulating the taped edition to readers in the New England area.) Operations Manuals for domestic and shop equipment, kit assembly directions, special product use directions, knitting patterns, crafts directions or recipes and home-use formulas all prove highly desirable for braille users when they are to be had in braille. However, they can only be done after student material is completed by any of the established agencies. Should there be another agency for home-living needs of braille users? If so, how do we go about reaching the transcribers and letting the blind people know how to reach the transcribers? There have been times when living-use transcribing was available. That time is nothing but a wonderful memory. We need to do something about providing the service as it is currently needed in the flow of change and time. It seems unlikely that established transcribing services will ever really be able to keep up with student transcribing speed, particularly when instructors do not know how much of a book the student will require and a whole book may be done for a single chapter of study needs. There have been transcribers who find doing textbooks difficult. If a clearinghouse such as ACB headquarters could do a formulation service as liaison between willing transcribers and braille users with genuine living-use needs, a further degree of independence would be possible for a great many blind homeowners and housewives. ***** ** Who's Who Among the Blind By Joseph Wiedenmayer "Of course it costs more to hire the handicapped, who simply cannot compete with the able bodied." That untrue and unfair statement was written recently by the nationally known columnist, Jack Anderson. His intent was not to hurt the handicapped, but because he did not have the facts straight, it made many of us dedicated workers unhappy. Unfortunately, though, too many non-handicapped employers do not understand how very well the blind, the deaf, the deaf-blind, and other physically handicapped business and professional people perform their daily tasks. To correct and improve the public image of the blind and others with a disability, it is incumbent upon all of us writers in the American Council of the Blind to write human-interest success stories about our interesting members for local newspapers, the Braille Forum, and ACB chapter newsletters. Therefore, ACB members are encouraged -- indeed, urged -- to submit one-page biographic sketches of themselves to ACB editors. Not all of them can be published, of course, because of insufficient space. But it is hoped that the Braille Forum might perhaps sponsor a special publication, "Who's Who Among the Blind," for all the world to see, hear, or feel. It would be of value to employers and an inspiration for relatives of handicapped youths of today who will become employees or self-employed tomorrow. ***** ** Resolution on Library Funding WHEREAS, persons who are blind and physically handicapped are entitled to excellent library service, equivalent to that enjoyed by the sighted populace; and WHEREAS, said library service costs more per capita than library service to the sighted; and WHEREAS, said library service to the blind and physically handicapped is threatened due to loss of federal funds; and WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind recognizes the problem and has proposed a solution whereby the Library of Congress, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped will receive a federal appropriation for contractual arrangements with regional and subregional libraries; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Southern Conference of Librarians for the Blind and Physically Handicapped commends Mr. Durward K. McDaniel for his tireless efforts and legal guidance, the members of the American Council of the Blind Library and Legislative Committees for their work, and the American Council of the Blind Board of Directors for its willingness to support the proposal. May 18, 1973, Daytona Beach, Florida ***** ** State Convention Highlights * DAYTONA BEACH HOSTS FCB CONVENTION -- The annual convention of the Florida Council of the Blind was held May 18-20 in Daytona Beach. Following a Friday afternoon board meeting, the convention really got off the ground at the hospitality party that evening, highlighted by the performance of a young local talented singer, Tony Bond, who composed a special song for the occasion. Saturday morning was devoted to speeches and panels on subjects of interest to all blind people -- legislative activity on various levels, work being carried on by national organizations of the blind, and reports on activities of the Bureau of Blind Services. The American Council of the Blind was represented by Floyd Qualls, President, and by Durward McDaniel, National Representative. Saturday afternoon was set aside for a tour of the facilities for the blind in Daytona Beach, including the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and the new addition to the talking-book library, the Elizabeth Cope Annex. This 9,875 sq. ft. addition was constructed entirely of gift money; no state funds were used. The annex was named for Mrs. Elizabeth Cope, a visually impaired resident of Ormond Beach, who has been using the library service since 1969 and who was a major donor of funds used for construction of the annex. The building houses the entire collection of books on record and tape circulated to over 6,800 residents of Florida. Included in the new facility are the Telephone Pioneers work area for repair of talking-book and cassette machines and a tape duplicating area which houses the library's high-speed duplicating equipment. Guest speaker at the Saturday night banquet was ACB President, Floyd Qualls, whose topic was "Upward and Onward." Awards for outstanding service during the past year were presented to Mrs. Susan Root and to Mrs. Jody Jackson Miller. Mrs. Root received an additional award this year, the annual "Pie in the Face." At the business meeting, James Root was re-elected president. Also it was voted to change the name of the group from Florida Federation of the Blind to Florida Council of the Blind. * Washington Council of the Blind Holds Second Annual Convention in Spokane The Washington Council of the Blind held its second annual convention in Spokane on April 14th, with members from all parts of the state in attendance. Keynote of the convention was "Cooperation." Dr. Jerome K. Dunham, Supervisor of the State Services for the Blind and Dr. Samuel Ornstein, Chief of the Office of Developmental Disabilities spoke on the numerous ways in which such private organizations as the WCB could cooperate with the State Services in helping to educate the public to the needs and the capabilities of blind people and expand the services available through governmental organizations. Mr. Francis Pearson, well-known blind leader in supporting work for the blind was the guest speaker at the banquet. A state senator for many years, then director of the State Commission of Utilities and Transportation, now Commissioner of Utilities and Transportation, Mr. Pearson emphasized the need for all organizations of the blind to find some common ground in their efforts toward the promotion of progressive legislation for blind people, on both state and national levels. A new slate of officers was elected for ensuing two-year terms, headed by Gary Myrene for president. Mr. Myrene is a psychiatric social worker with the North Central Washington Center for Youth Services. One of the important matters taken up was the decision to establish chapters around the state, within the WCB state organization, as a move toward developing more local activity and individual projects of concern to the blind people of the various sections of the state, where needs and interests often differ significantly from those of the urban centers. Among the several resolutions passed was one to appoint a delegate to the ACB annual convention in Knoxville, who should be instructed to take up with the convention the desirability of furthering a positive public relations program; and further, that this delegate shall be responsible for proposing a resolution to this effect. * Arkansas Focuses on Vocational Opportunities at Convention "Creating Vocational Opportunities for the Blind in the Land of Opportunity" was the theme to which the Arkansas Council of the Blind addressed itself at the 1973 State Convention, held in Little Rock, April 13-15. From his vantage point with the American Foundation for the Blind, Bill Gallagher, Director, Program Development Division, discussed new vocational opportunities recently opened to the visually handicapped of the nation. He stated that modern technology is creating many new vocations and those willing to train or retrain themselves in order to meet job qualifications will find many new opportunities opening which were heretofore closed to them. The application of technological "know how" to overcome the "vocational barriers" which have barred visually handicapped individuals from many vocations was dealt with by Elmo Knoch, Director of Training, Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind. The most popular device exhibited was the paper money identifier developed at the Southwest Research Institute in the NASA Biomedical Applications Program. This small, portable device was of special interest to vending stand operators and others required to give change for bills of varying denominations. "Option of 1973" was introduced by Mrs. Nan Snow and Mrs. Debbie Nutt. This healthy, thriving "option" arrived on the scene in Little Rock last January. The option's name is "Civil Service Information Specialist" (no gender). Nan Snow, Personnel Management, Civil Service Commission, Little Rock office, related the chain of events which led to the establishment of the new training course at Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind through the cooperation of public and private agencies. Mrs. Nutt, course instructor, gave an account of the training program and predicted that it will equal the older Taxpayer Service Representative "option" which has successfully placed so many visually handicapped individuals with the Internal Revenue Service across the nation. Harry Vines, Deputy Commissioner, State Rehabilitation Services, was welcomed to his first Arkansas Council State Convention. His assigned topic, "What's New With Harry," provided him ample opportunity to discuss the proposed changes and innovations in services for the blind. During the session "Options on Parade" several "mini" panels were presented beginning with one from the Arkansas School for the Blind entitled, "Creating Awareness of Vocational Options Among Students" and ending with the Employer of the Year Award, given by the Council to the First National Bank at Crossett, Arkansas, for creation of a vocational option in their bank, made possible by a new braille switchboard and a light probe. The award was presented by Lt. Governor Bob Riley, a member of the Arkansas Council and winner of the 1972 Ambassador Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a visually handicapped person by the American Council of the Blind. Floyd Qualls, President, ACB, and Durward McDaniel, National Representative, attended and contributed by sharing their vast knowledge and expertise. President Qualls set the tone of the convention and gave a sense of historicity required for the deliberations of the convention. His address made his hearers feel that "the past is prologue" and that the organization can meet the challenges of the present and create the future. Mr. McDaniel helped delineate the new directions legislation must take to meet present conditions. The legislative breakfast was well attended, and the participation was evidence of the keen interest in legislative affairs. Election and installation of officers and board members concluded the convention: President, Billie Elder; Vice-President, Raymond Pasley; Second Vice-President, Leon Sykes; Secretary, Debbie Nutt; Treasurer, Christine Taylor. * Music City Soundtrack Association Convention By Crawford Pike The third National MCS Association convention was held in Nashville, Tennessee. The festivities began Thursday night with a picnic and moonlight sing on the banks of the Cumberland River. The river was beautiful, the moon was full, the food was delicious, and the singing was lively! The gala event was held at the home of Louie Swift, owner manager of Mission Records. The Mid-State Association of the Blind provided transportation and arranged for food. Friday morning began early with an all-day trip to Opryland U.S.A. The rides were just as thrilling as advertised, and the music pavilions provided enjoyable entertainment. The Jerry Clower luncheon on Saturday highlighted our convention. His stories are every bit as great in person as when told on his albums. Miss Stella Parton, sister to Dolly Parton, captured the hearts of all who attended the luncheon with her rendition of such great gospel songs as "How Great Thou Art." Music for this event was provided by Benny Kennerson, a blind pianist in Nashville, and his band. The business meeting resulted in several changes to our charter. Dues were raised to five dollars biannually, and a new category of life membership was added and set at fifteen dollars. The site for the fourth convention was slated for Birmingham, Alabama, in conjunction with the ACB. At this time, we plan to sponsor a concert which will feature several of the top names in the country music field. Our officers for the next two years are: Crawford Pike, Talladega, Alabama, President; Oral Miller, Washington, D.C., Vice President; Mary Collins, Chester, Virginia, Corresponding Secretary; Joyce LaBonne, New Orleans, Louisiana, Recording Secretary; Desma Pike, Talladega, Alabama, Treasurer; Jimmy Jordan, Talladega, Alabama, Convention Chairman; Fred Kelley, Pell City, Alabama, Finance Chairman. Those of you who wish to pay and join our association should send five dollars to: Desma Pike, Treasurer, 605 North Street, Talladega, Alabama 35160. Membership in this association will make your 1975 ACB Convention a much more memorable occasion! After the July, 1973, issue of MCS, the magazine will be sent directly to members of the Association only. Anyone who wishes to read the magazine may borrow it from regional libraries, but membership in the association will ensure your receiving the magazine more promptly. * District of Columbia Low-Vision Clinic Successful By Leonard A. Robinson In July of 1971 the Low-Vision Clinic of the George Washington University Medical Center was ready to serve the public. It had come about after two years of very careful planning which began some eighteen months prior to my government retirement. There is nothing new about low-vision clinics. Any vocational rehabilitation agency or private agency for the blind that has access to such a clinic in its own back yard, so to speak, can consider itself fortunate. I began using such clinics for my rehabilitation clients almost twenty years ago, but we had to send them to the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, some forty miles from Washington. Many of my clients were helped with certain optical aids which were responsible for their getting the type of employment they sought. My most famous case was a client, age 54, who was sent to our office by his government personnel office after he was advised to apply for disability retirement because of his failing eyesight. His annual salary was thirty thousand dollars. After studying his eye report, which was sent to us by his ophthalmologist two weeks later, I advised his counselor to send him to the Baltimore low-vision clinic. He came away from there with seven different optical aids, and after trying them out for two months he wrote Dr. Louise Sloane, in charge of the clinic, how each of them was helpful in its own peculiar way. Instead of retiring with disability, he was assigned a more responsible position with his federal government department, and he will be able to remain his full thirty or more years with the government if his eye condition holds out. Dr. Mansour Armaly is the Chief Ophthalmologist at the Medical Center. He agreed to establish the low-vision clinic if I could raise some twenty thousand dollars for it. Through the Foundation for the Handicapped and Elderly, which I agreed to head up, I was able to raise the necessary money during the first two years of the clinic's existence. Our affiliate, the D.C. Association of Workers for the Blind, through its able president, Mr. Jean Dorf, contributed $3,000 of this amount. Now, we have a very fine and successful low-vision clinic in our own back yard. ***** ** New Chief Named to Head DBPH The Librarian of Congress recently announced appointment of Frank Kurt Cylke as Chief of the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, effective July 9, 1973, to succeed Robert S. Bray, who retired on December 11, 1972. An experienced administrator of national and local library programs, Mr. Cylke has been in library work full-time for over sixteen years and an administrator of library programs for about half that time. He has been with the Library of Congress since January 1970, as Executive Secretary of the Federal Library Committee, and since April 1972 also as Chairman of the United States National Libraries Task Force on Cooperative Activities. In his new position, he will direct a staff of 99 in operating the 42-year-old national program that produces and distributes special reading materials for the blind and physically handicapped. The Federal Library Committee that he has served as Executive Secretary for the last three and a half years is an inter-agency group under the auspices of the Library of Congress and the Office of Management and Budget. Composed of representatives of the Executive Department and of independent agencies, the Committee's mission is to improve coordination and planning among research libraries of the Government so that common problems may be identified, solutions sought, and services improved. As Chairman of the United States National Libraries Task Force on Cooperative Activities, he has directed an extensive program for developing a national data bank of machine-readable cataloging information as a central resource for all libraries. Mr. Cylke joined the U.S. Office of Education in 1968, where he served first as a Research Associate and later as Chief of the Library and Information Science Research Branch. From 1965 to 1968 he was with the Providence Public Library, where as Assistant Librarian he was responsible for state and federal regulations in a library system comprised of thirteen central library departments and eight branch libraries. He devised and implemented a regional communication network for a reference and inter-library loan system, directed conversion of several library services and operations to automation, and moderated a weekly radio interview program about books and reading. A native of New Haven, Mr. Cylke first became interested in a library career through part-time work at the Yale University Library during the years he was attending the University of Connecticut. He is a member of the American Library Association and assisted in establishing the ALA Federal Librarians Roundtable. At the present time, he is an observer on the Committee on Scientific and Technical Information, Federal Council for Science and Technology. Mr. Cylke, his wife and two children reside in Arlington, Virginia. ***** ** Blind Man's Home Set on Fire (Editor's Note: Frank Johnson is a member of the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind and a former employee of the Oklahoma League for the Blind. The following article is offered as a reflection of the weird working of some minds, even in this age of education, and social concern.) First it was threatening telephone calls, then it was gas fumes. Finally, on Wednesday someone tried to burn down Frank Johnson's house. Johnson, 38, is blind. He works as a rehabilitation counselor with the State Commission for the Blind, specifically with patients at the Austin State Hospital. Police Thursday morning were investigating the apparent arson of the house, at 11620 Natrona. Johnson said fires were ignited in the living room and in his five-year-old daughter's room. Piles of clothing were set fire in these rooms and additional piles, which didn't catch, were found in another bedroom and in the bathroom. Johnson was talking with a neighbor when the neighbor first saw the fire. He had been resting earlier and was aroused by his seeing-eye dog barking. Admitting to being in a financial bind because of the fire loss, Johnson said he plans to rent a house until after his home is repaired. When the telephone calls began three weeks ago, he thought it was a joke. Now, Johnson says, he feels frustrated because despite the fact he has earned two college degrees since his sight failed, someone doesn't want a blind man living in the community. ***** ** A New Aid from an Old Source By Alice Bankston A new way to use a familiar product can sometimes be as exciting as a brand-new product. Really, this new way to use radio broadcasting is a new invention, and it holds a promising potential for blind people. "INFO" was developed by two ingenious and imaginative young Montana engineers out of their knowledge of electronics and their deep desire to find ways to assist blind people to lead more independent and expansive lives. It is a small, low-power, short-range radio station which can be operated on house power or on batteries, so that it may be used either as a stationary or as a portable unit. The only equipment needed to pick up transmitted information is a car or small transistor radio, items that almost all blind people have as standard equipment. The message can be carried on a continuous tape, or they may be programmed from a live microphone or from any recorded tape. This unique INFO system also doubles as a sound system at sports or other public events, both indoors and outdoors. How can this INFO system help the blind in particular? Easily. When you replace the printed word with the spoken word, many varied uses suggest themselves. The first INFO systems were used in Yellowstone Park to call attention to and explain points of special interest. Now there are many at Interstate Highway rest areas, calling attention of tourists to nearby historical scenic interest, recreational attractions, local activities, commercial services and other information of service to strangers. In a large shopping center you can be directed to the various stores and services, and daily special sales. Large hotels can use the INFO system to direct guests through their often confusing lobbies, corridors, arcades and other facilities; to inform of special services available and the location of special meetings or attractions. The state of Montana has 44 INFO systems set up at various points; the state of California is using INFO systems to direct traffic on some of its congested highways. Anywhere where a large, localized audience is found, an INFO system may be used to inform, without the printed word and without blaring loud speakers. In all these ways the INFO system serves all people, sighted and blind. But the two young engineers are particularly desirous that their invention be used to the greatest advantage for blind people. They would like to hear from any blind person who has an idea as to how this device can be used most advantageously to serve the needs of those whose visual handicap sometimes put them at a disadvantage in obtaining information. One of the most enthusiastic advocates of this new system in its potential aid to blind people is our new ACB member-at-large in Montana, Mr. R. Kenny Richardson. Kenny will welcome any inquiries about this new device, and will forward to the firm manufacturing it, the Development Technology, Inc., of Bozeman, Montana, any suggestions sent to him. His address is 1020 S. Grand, Bozeman, Montana 59715. ***** ** Sonic-Signal Glasses Assist Blind in "Seeing" United Press International When Charles Leroy returns home to San Antonio, Texas, in a few weeks, he'll be able to "see" his favorite easy chair for the first time in 12 years. Leroy, 38, blinded in 1961 in a missile explosion at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, has been developing a "sixth sense" by wearing a pair of special glasses which emit an ultrasonic signal. The signal bounces off objects around him and is translated into special sounds which he's learning to decipher much like sonar detects underwater objects. The device, somewhat larger but not unlike hearing aid glasses, emits a tone to each of two receptors, one in each ear, helping the wearer determine the size, location and type of an object within a 16-foot range. "There's no way this will phase out leader dogs," said Marvin Weessies, assistant professor of blind rehabilitation at Western Michigan University, where the device is being evaluated. "It's a supplement to a long cane or guide dog -- not a substitute." The device costs about $550 and requires four to-six weeks of training before it can be worn efficiently, Weessies said. ***** ** New Glaucoma Detection Device A new device for earlier and more accurate detection of glaucoma has recently been announced by Dr. Owen Lawrence, an Australian eye specialist. Glaucoma causes a steady build-up of fluid inside the eye, resulting in a gradual loss of vision and often in blindness. Although in its early stages it is one of the most easily curable of the major causes of blindness, it is frequently not detected until too late. In current use for glaucoma detection is an instrument known as a tonometer, which measures pressure in the fluid of the cornea, the transparent lens covering the front of the eyeball. Dr. Lawrence's device uses a film transparency that fits into ordinary spectacle lenses, working on the same principle as a prism, which splits light into seven rainbow colors. Anyone looking through this instrument and seeing fewer than seven separate rainbows may have glaucoma. Dr. Lawrence claims his instrument is better at early detection of this disease, which, according to estimates of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, is suffered by more than 1.7 million people over the age of 35 in the United States alone, half of them not realizing it. "When the pressure of the fluid inside the cornea may be so slight as to remain undetected by a tonometer, my test can spot the trouble," reports Dr. Lawrence. Dr. Lawrence, a member of the Australian Association of Ophthalmologists, gave up his Melbourne eye practice to be able to devote full time (often 20 hours a day) to improving his invention. The instrument will also detect color blindness, "lazy eye" condition, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis. ***** ** A Great Loss By Alma Murphey The death of G. Arthur Steward on May 4, 1973, was a great loss to his many friends and colleagues. Born in St. Louis in 1907, Arthur became totally blind at about the age of 35 years. Yet, undaunted by this catastrophe -- and unaided by anyone -- he procured a job with Modern Engineering, Inc. in 1943, where he worked steadily until his retirement in December 1972. In the words of Laura Welle, Editor of the Missouri Chronicle, "He came into the world of blind people because he had become one of us; he saw (through personal experience) our needs, hopes and ambitions; and he helped to lessen the trials and tribulations of his fellow blind through active participation in the organized blind movement." A charter member of the American Council of the Blind, Arthur Stewart served on its Legislative Committee some years ago and was reappointed to the position by President Floyd Qualls. He was also one of the Missouri Federation of the Blind's most prominent and versatile members, having served as MFB president, legislative chairman, and public relations chairman, and as one of the Federation's representatives on the recently appointed Advisory Committee to the Missouri Bureau for the Blind. He is survived by his wife, Vivian, a married daughter, and two stepsons. The Forum extends heartfelt sympathy to them. ***** ** New Directors and Officers Elected by NAC At its annual meeting in Chicago in June, the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped elected ten new persons to its Board of Directors: Howard H. Hanson, W. Harold Bleakley, William T. Coppage, Dr. John Crandell, Jr., Julius D. Morris, the Honorable Robert Riley, Louis H. Rives, Jr., Floyd Hamman, George W. Henderson, Jr., John P. McWilliams, Jr. The first seven listed are blind persons. The following officers were also elected: Daniel D. Robinson, President; Huntington Harris, Vice President; McAllister Upshaw, Vice President; Howard H. Hanson, Vice President; Mrs. Adele D. Campbell, Secretary; Mrs. Claire W. Carlson, Treasurer. Upshaw and Hanson are blind persons. ***** ** SIGCAPH Conference in Atlanta SIGCAPH (Special Interest Group on Computers and the Physically Handicapped) will hold its 1973 conference in Atlanta, Georgia, August 27-29, 1973. An affiliate of ACM, SIGCAPH is composed of three sub-groups: the blind, the deaf, and the motor-impaired. Dr. Marion E. Boyles, Director of the Computer Braille Project for the Atlanta Public Schools, has kindly offered to provide a tour and demonstration of their braille production facilities, in cooperation with Tom McConnel, Director of the APS Computing Center. The tour will be held on Wednesday, August 29, from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.; place: Vision Center, Atlanta Public Schools, 210 Prior Street, N.W. (near Underground Atlanta). A sign-up sheet will be posted on the conference bulletin board so that those in charge may obtain a reasonable estimate of attendance and plan accordingly. For further information, contact Berl Colley, SIGCAPH Public Relations Chairman, 1317 S. Cherry, Olympia, Washington 98501. ***** ** Clear Sailing for Blind Reprinted from Boston Globe, June 22, 1973 It is a hot, sticky afternoon at Castle Island. Beach blankets clutter the sand, radios blare, children catcall from the piers and step in melted popsicles. Silently streaking across Pleasure Bay, away from the clammy din, is a sleek, 20-foot sailboat. Its skipper listens attentively for the flapping sound of luffing sails, delicately balances between a 60-degree heel and capsizing. The skipper feels the hot sun beating down on his head, but he does not see the clouds, nor the puffed-out mainsail, nor the tiller he is grasping. He is blind. An implausible scene? Up until this May, yes. But not since Harry McDonough decided that even blind children should have the chance to learn a sport which he has loved for over 45 years. McDonough runs the Metropolitan District Commission's summer sailing program, which began late last August after a nine-year struggle to secure funding and has been growing by leaps and bounds ever since. "It was a question of stick-to-it-wity," McDonough, a grizzled salt in battered Khakis, straddled the prow of his pet 21-foot sailboat, Cherokee Lady, describing his efforts at politically maneuvering his lifetime dream of a free sailing program into reality. The program for blind children, who come from the Perkins School for the Blind twice a week, was conceived one day early in the season when McDonough noticed a woman on the dock describing to her blind son what the sailing class was doing. "It hit me like a sledgehammer," McDonough recounted, "that the way my father taught me to sail was by blindfolding me." "Blind people's affliction makes them better sailors," said McDonough, pausing from splicing a mainsheet. "They have much better sensitivity to balance and feel, which are the basics of sailing. They also have no concept of fear, which is the stumbling block of many seeing would-be sailors." McDonough's blind students are now able to skipper a boat with only one other person aboard to warn them of approaching obstacles. A regatta is planned for them in September, for which McDonough has concocted buoys with cowbells to direct the sailors audibly. ***** ** Here and There By George Card Nellie Melba and the "Divine Sarah" (Bernhardt) indulged in many last tours and farewell appearances so maybe I can have one more farewell column. The current issue of Horizon, organ of the National League of the Blind in Britain, Scotland and northern Ireland, contains an extremely interesting article on the situation of the blind in Italy. As elsewhere, no real progress came about there until the blind organized some 40 years ago. The Italian Union of the Blind would seem to be a hard-fighting and very purposeful group and it has gained much ground. For instance, in the area of employment, the hiring of blind physiotherapists and blind switchboard operators is compulsory, if the applicants are qualified. There are some 600 of the former and 3,500 of the latter now working. Our own record in these areas appear pitiful by comparison. An unusual feature of the pension system is that the totally blind receive almost twice as much as do the partials. The blind people of this nation lost a wonderful friend when Hubert Smith, of Augusta, Georgia, founder of Ways and Means for the Blind, passed away last December 21. From the Free Press: City Court Judge Ray Churchill, Memphis, Tennessee, was struck by names which had turned up on his docket recently. They included a Nixon, Wallace, Johnson, Mitchell and Roosevelt. "I don't believe I've ever had such an illustrious group of names on my docket at one time," the Judge said. He said they were all before him on drunkenness charges. Probably a pre-inauguration celebration. -- The Karachi (Pakistan) School for the Blind turned out to be an eye opener for the Provincial Education Minister. He discovered on an unscheduled visit that all 350 pupils had 20/20 vision. He told reporters he had ordered an inquiry into the affairs of the school and its management for apparently misusing funds and facilities established for the nation's blind. From Quazar (Arkansas): Your Editor attended the mid-year meeting of the American Council which was held in the Press Gallery of the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago on December 9, 1972. What an assemblage of talented individuals; what involvement; what enthusiasm; what dedication; what vision; what concern for individuals and groups; what a democratic organization. -- Billie Elder. -- Wanda Larman writes of the Optacon, "The sensation of the vibrating rods upon the ball of the index finger is much like that which occurs if your finger 'goes to sleep'. Tolerance for this sensation must be built up and the beginner must stop reading several times during an instructional period to rest his finger ... The Optacon is not a toy. I feel that it has many very practical applications ... With training, the Optacon can be of great help to visually handicapped persons." The CCB Outlook (Canada) reports that now more than 2,000 black Africans have been trained as farmers and are actively engaged in this occupation. -- For every blind villager whose sight was restored in an Asian Eye Camp, 50 remain blind for lack of simple surgery. From the Illinois Braille Messenger: There are an estimated 1.7 million visually impaired persons in the U.S., largely old, mostly unaware of their eligibility for help, and often not considering themselves blind. This new higher figure is the result of a population study compiled by the AFB and is based upon every significant statistical study of the visually impaired population in the U. S. made in the last 15 years. The object of the program is to get the many newly developed, sophisticated sensory devices for the blind -- now lying dormant in laboratories -- into the hands of blind people. -- One of the topics discussed at the Illinois Federation's annual convention was hotel-motel management as a job opportunity which should be explored. From the Standard Bearer: A survey is quoted as revealing that, in order to comply with higher National Accreditation Council standards, 32 agencies reported that they had made or were in process of making 557 changes in function and structure, personnel administration and social services. From the World Council Newsletter: Bangladesh has been admitted to membership of the World Council, thus becoming our 61st member country. -- Plans are afoot for establishing at Lake Tahoe, California, a sports center for the handicapped, reports the New Outlook. The center will be named the Sonia Henie Healthsportcenter in memory of the Norwegian Olympic ice-skating champion and will be patterned after the Beitostolen center in Norway pioneered by the blind skier Erling Stordahl. Among the sports planned for the blind are skiing and target shooting using electronic sights. These and many other activities, including water sports, riding, golf, gymnastics, running and dog-sledding, will be available to any disabled person. Any of us who hold the baccalaureate degree in law can become "Doctors of Jurisprudence" by paying a nominal fee. It is said that many small colleges, and a few larger ones, have been adding substantially to their endowments by granting honorary doctorates where certain financial arrangements have been made. Thus what was once the most coveted and prestigious of academic degrees has become so cheapened that it has all but lost its meaning and value. The American Foundation for the Blind has announced the election of Judge Reese Robrahn, former ACB President, to its Board of Trustees. From the Lion Magazine: Sometimes we forget to turn off the sound when our minds go blank. Vendorscope reports that the Illinois vending stand program, which is unique because it is managed by the blind themselves, is registering a splendid growth; 1972 sales represented a 19% increase over the same period in the previous year and over half the operators have incomes above $9,500. -- The bureaucrats would just as soon now mow down the blind, but the little blind stands happen to block the way to something they want. What the civil servants are after is money to finance employee recreation and entertainment ... The big national government employees' unions are fighting the blind for every last nickel ... The commentator, with tongue in cheek, says to the postal employees, "Don't let the sightless Mafia take over." The Social Security Administration reports that there are currently nearly 7,000 men and women who have passed age 100 on the Social Security rolls. That's an increase of about 1,800 Centenarians over a year ago. One California centenarian gave up smoking at age 97 "to protect my health." From Visually Handicapped Views (South Dakota): The net proceeds from this year's raffle of a Browning Automatic shotgun will exceed $2,500. -- The Governor's order on executive reorganization abolishes both the Service to the Visually Impaired and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. A new division of Service to the Visually and Physically Handicapped will be created under the Department of Social Services. -- Senate Bills 219 and 220 will provide for a nonoperative driver's license which the visually impaired can use for identification. A scathing report issued by Educational Evaluation Associates and the New Mexico Department of Education, following a joint survey of the State School for the Blind in Alamogordo, was summarized thus in the Albuquerque Journal of February 16: The amount of financial waste, mismanagement, under-utilization of facilities and simply poor education for the money is beyond belief. From the Arizona Newsletter: If you need an unusual tool, send for a catalog of Hard-to-Find Tools and Other Things, Brookstone Company, Dept. C-12, Brookstone Building, Peterborough, N.H. 05438. Alma Murphey, President of the Missouri Federation of the Blind, and her deaf-blind husband, Jack, both well-known to ACB convention-goers, visited the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in January. Alma writes: Despite its inadequate temporary facilities, the National Center has ushered in a new era of hope for the nation's lonely, untrained, long-neglected deaf-blind citizens. The AARP News Bulletin reports that more than 960 Dallas area residents participated in a visual screening program using the new non-contact tonometers, which measures intra-ocular pressure with a brief air pulse, rather than the traditional mechanical process which requires touching the eye. From the GFB (Georgia) Digest: At a recent meeting the Board admitted the GFB's sixth affiliate, the Floyd County Chapter, which has a beginning membership of 33. -- Our neighboring states actually believe in the abilities of blind people. In North Carolina, of the 138 on the professional staff, 47 are blind. In Florida 18% are blind and in Alabama 40% are blind. South Carolina and Tennessee also employ blind on their professional staffs. Ethel Everett, noted actress and first woman to record for Talking Books, died in April. From the World Council Newsletter: A Congress on Blind Computer Programmers, organized by WCWB, the All-Russia Society for the Blind, was held in Moscow from November 14-16. Thirteen European countries, as well as the United States and Japan, were represented. -- The overall blindness rate for Africa is 856 per 100,000, a figure four to five times higher than reported from the financially favoured countries. -- The Berufsforderungswerk in Heidelberg, Germany, has purchased a number of Optacons to be used in the training of blind computer programmers. -- A new law adopted by the U.S. Congress states that the blind and the otherwise physically disabled have the same right as the able-bodied to the full and free use of all public facilities and provides for non-discrimination in employment and equal access to housing in the District of Columbia. -- Water skiing was first introduced in 1967 at the CNIB's Lake Joseph Adjustment Training and Holiday Center (Canada) and since then each year's teaching has brought new ideas and methods to make water skiing a safe and enjoyable sport for the blind. -- 100,000 infants went blind in the rural areas of Bangladesh during 1972, of whom probably 50% have survived. It is feared that 100,000 more children could go blind during 1973 unless the intake of Vitamin A is improved. To meet this crisis some 4,000 trained workers will visit every household in the rural area to distribute 45 million Vitamin A capsules in the next 18 months, supplied by UNICEF. -- Nigeria, which already has 350,000 blind, has been able to provide four fully equipped mobile eye clinics, one to each of its states. From the Florida White Cane: In the 1950s GAF Corporation laboratory supervisors experimented with blind darkroom workers and discovered that on the average a good blind worker could handle 160 rolls of film an hour in the darkroom while a good sighted worker could handle only 125 rolls an hour under the same conditions. So GAF now hires blind persons to process film in its laboratory darkrooms in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Kansas City, Charlotte, Spokane and Seattle. From Listen: The Blinded Veterans Association has resolved to urge the Veterans Administration to recognize radiation cataracts as an occupational disease of radar veterans and grant presumptive service connection for long-term, delayed effects on the eyes when records show that the veteran worked on or around radar. -- John Mizerak, who is blind, and his wife Anna won $1 million in the New York State Lottery. The native Czechoslovakians, both in their 70s, have only scant command of English and spoke to newsmen through a translator. They plan to use some of the money for hospital tests to determine whether Mizerak's sight can be restored. -- Merry Hamp, blinded in an explosion in a school chemistry class six years ago, has been awarded $190,000 for personal injuries compensation, the highest ever paid to a woman in Great Britain, according to the New York Times. -- Blind for 37 years, Antonio Novella, of Ocala, Florida, finally received the medals he won in World War I. The Italian government made him wait for only 54 years. From the CNIB (Canada) Annual Report: 1972 -- a definite leap year for the Ontario division. CaterPlan ventured into the competitive restaurant field 55 blind people were placed in outside industry 10 blind skiers spent a week in the Swiss Alps, a new department was established for the deaf-blind, 2,360 people had eye examinations on the mobile eye care unit; and 6,313 blind persons and 1,040 prevention clients were assisted. -- Our new computer can tell us anything we want to know about the 28,000 registered blind in Canada and the causes of blindness in 1972 by age group and province. I was quite fascinated by an article in the April New Outlook for the Blind on "Auditory Maps." These are cassette-recorded detailed descriptions of large buildings, campuses, and districts or areas and would enable a blind pedestrian to travel in unfamiliar territory in comfort and safety. The text should be composed by a mobility instructor so it will contain language meaningful to a blind person, but it can be read by anyone. It will be most useful to those having had some mobility instruction. The same issue contains a well-written article on blind welfare in Japan. 38% of the blind are employed and of these four out of five are in some form of physiotherapy, massage or acupuncture. The blind have a virtual monopoly on the first two. Other fields are slowly opening up. A warm welcome to the Braille Reporter, publication of our new Washington State affiliate. In 1939 there were some 1,600 blind people on public assistance in this state. Now there are only 400, despite the fact that the state's population has more than doubled. In a little more than a year the membership of the Washington Council has increased from 25 to over 100. -- Quoting from Mae Davidow, "It is highly gratifying and rewarding to find that the interest in the use of the Cranmer abacus among blind persons and teachers of blind children has been phenomenal. ... The abacus is being introduced in some of the mathematics classes in the Philadelphia public schools." The current issue of the Badger Informer (Wisconsin) describes a situation which may arise in many other states. Two years ago our Legislature hastily passed a bill designed to help those who use wheelchairs. It mandated the replacement of all curbs with ramps. What was not foreseen was that blind cane travelers were deprived of the warning which they had always depended upon and in many cases found themselves in the middle of traffic without knowing they had entered the street. We are seeking an amendment to place the ramps at one side and to leave the curbs as before. The Oregon Stylus reports the passing of Ruth Howeiler. Deepest sympathy to her husband, George, charter ACB member. From the KAB News (Kansas): The Board of Directors of the KAB Credit Union announced a six percent dividend March 31, 1973, on all shares as of March 10. It takes $10,000 on deposit to get that kind of interest from a commercial institution. -- Blind Kentuckians will soon have at their disposal a new computer system called Audio Response Time-Sharing. Computers ordinarily output information by activating a teletype; the ARTS system actually speaks out its answers. Audio response will make it easy for the system to be accessible via telephone. The computer serves as many as 16 users at one time without any user being able to detect that the computer has momentarily ceased to perform his particular task. --Cybertype is an electronic gadget, small box with 14 punch buttons designed to be used by blind persons. The 14 buttons activate simultaneously a braille typewriter and a standard typewriter. The Missouri Chronicle reports that the little city of Ste. Genevieve, headquarters of the Ozark Chapter, was very hard hit by the recent floods. Several blind members of that chapter made themselves very useful. Because flood water was within a couple of inches of pouring into the City Hall, Wenona and Vernor Sucher were asked to stay on duty as police dispatchers 24 hours a day -- and gladly did so. Nell Wieman baked and iced some 20 dozen cupcakes for the workers and victims of the flood. OAB's Bernetta Bader contributed countless hours of hard labor making coffee, sandwiches, chili, spaghetti; served doughnuts, cookies, and milk to hundreds of cold, wet, hungry, and weary sandbaggers during the crisis. This was all done at her own expense and without being asked. -- This issue also reports the death of Marlow Howell, one of the original founding members of the NFB at its meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in 1940. -- Victor and Xena Johnson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary during their winter sojourn in Florida. We learned from the current issue of the ABC Digest (Calif.) that two founding members of ACB, George Fogarty and Bob Campbell, well known to ACB convention goers, were clearing their desks and preparing for retirement from their respective jobs. Each was to be given a testimonial dinner. -- The recently enacted law classifying all totally blind as non-ambulatory is providing some with an excuse for denying accommodations. -- At the invitation of our California affiliate, 26 organizations of and for the blind, deaf and disabled met in Oakland on May 12 to discuss problems facing the handicapped people of California. ***** ** ACB Officers President: Floyd Qualls, 106 N.E. 2nd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 First Vice President: Dr. S. Bradley Burson, 917 Kenyon St., Downers Grove, Ill. 60515 Second Vice President: Mrs. Billie Elder, 5317 W. 29th St., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 Secretary: Mrs. Catherine Skivers, 836 Resota St., Hayward, California 94545 Treasurer: J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28205 ** Directors George Card, 605 South Few Street, Madison, Wisc. 53703 Paul Kirton, Rt. 1, Box 56 C, Woodford, Va. 22580 Lester McGlaughn, 2403 Monroe Ave., Gadsden, Ala. 35901 Wallace Menning, 2750 Ellis Ave., Salem, Ore. 97301 Norman Robinson, 7107 South King Dr., Chicago, Ill. 60619 Reese Robrahn, 329 Woodburn Lane, Topeka, Kan. 66606 Earl Scharry, 5714 Ridgway Ave., Rockville, MD 20851 John Vanlandingham, 5800 North 19th Ave., Phoenix, Ariz. 85015 Vernon Williams, P.O. Box 826, Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401 ###