The Braille Forum Vol. XI March-April 1973 No. 5 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 Old Editors Just Fade Away(?) by Earl Scharry Help Wanted!, by Mary Ballard An Art Experience Through Touch, by Margaret E. Freer Knoxville, 1973: Convention Notes Special-Interest Organizations: Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association Editors Workshop Disability Olympics Held in Vermont, by Al Nichols IFB Seeks Executive Director Read as Fast as You Can, by Karen Gearreald Pass the Word Along, by Sue Graves Milestones of Progress in Eye Surgery, by George Card How Fast Can You Listen? More on Health Insurance, by Ellen Starr A Blind Librarian, by Merrill Maynard Robert S. Bray Leaves DBPH Remember Her as a Friend, by Fred Krepela Leader Lost to Michigan, by Kenneth Hinga The Blind Drug User, by Carolyn Carney Here and There: "News and Views," by Xena and Victor Johnson Important Information for Tenants ACB Committees 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. ***** ** Old Editors Just Fade Away Introducing the New Editor By Earl Scharry The Board of Publications has very considerately decided to relieve me of my responsibilities as Forum Editor during my incapacity; and they have been resourceful enough and fortunate enough to procure a highly competent replacement, Mrs. Mary Ballard, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, New York 14620. Henceforth, please send any material for publication in the Forum directly to her. It is with relief and gratitude that I relinquish the Editor's pencil to so capable a successor. Yet, it is with a little sadness as well. I enjoy doing this kind of work, and I have been associated with our magazine in one way or another ever since the days of the old Braille Free Press. I anticipate some interesting and exciting developments ahead for ACB under the wise and innovative leadership of my old comrade-at-arms, Floyd (Borderline Lee) Qualls. I think I would have had a lot of fun piloting the Forum through these interesting times ahead. Some of the attributes ascribed to Mrs. Ballard by those who know her best are vigor, enthusiasm, dependability, dedication, discrimination, and creativity. I am completely confident that under her editorship the Forum will continue to be the kind of publication of which we may justly be proud. I will of course make helpful suggestions from time to time and will contribute material for publication whenever time and my health permit. I hope that you will accord Mrs. Ballard the same courtesy, cooperation, and encouragement which you have so generously bestowed upon me. ****** ** Help Wanted! By Mary Ballard No, we are not initiating a classified ads column. Rather, it is your Acting Editor who is looking for help. What kind of help? The kind that will make possible broader coverage, both regional and as to subject matter for the Braille Forum. We solicit reader contributions and suggestions for a number of reasons. With activities in the area of work for the blind expanding so rapidly, it is impossible for our small editorial staff to cover all aspects of the field. Additionally, many of you may have interests or abilities, or may know of persons outside our organization who have interests and abilities, of which we are unaware and which would be of real value to Forum readers. A simple news item is often worthy of follow-up or expansion into a full-length article. Ideas (or actual articles) from such sources are welcome and encouraged. While reprints have their place, original material makes for a much more exciting and interesting magazine. Should the trial "State Convention and Seminar Highlights" column be continued? Your comments here will be most helpful, as will your newsletters and/or reports (in braille, where possible) on such conventions and seminars. Please help! ***** ** An Art Experience Through Touch By Margaret E. Freer When the director of the Life Enrichment Series of Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a college of the fine arts, asked me what I thought would be a good project for the blind, I readily answered, "An art experience." Having joined the world of the blind just three years ago, I found a particular lack here, bowling, bingo and ball games notwithstanding. Having moved in the world of the arts before blindness struck, was I being unrealistic in thinking that there were others who felt that there was a lack of an aesthetic experience in our organized blind? I set out to find the answer. Armed with Allen Eaton's book, Beauty for the Sighted and the Blind, and his statement, "The greatest need of those who do not see is communication on all levels of human interest with those who do see," I began my search for other art buffs. My circle of artist friends were convinced that the aesthetic experience of art could still be mine. Several were working in the direction of tactile appreciation through raised-line etchings and acrylic emphasis, a plastic paint that accentuates line and form to both the eye and the touch. They believed that I could continue my art appreciation through touch -- but what about congenitally blind persons, I wondered? Could their curiosity be enticed into the stimulation that art could offer? More important, as Allen Eaton believed, could art be a communication bridge between the sighted and the blind? It had worked for me, and I set out to try to produce an art experience in the Life Enrichment program at Alverno College. Allen Eaton had ten years and a grant from Health, Education and Welfare to assemble his permanent tactile show and write his book about it. I had ninety days. There was no turning back ... the Life Enrichment program listed me as the coordinator of An Art Experience Through Touch show for October, 1972. First of all, I had to find acceptance among my blind peers. I expounded on the idea of broadening our horizons in this field in my column in the association bulletin, but left my editor, congenitally blind, quite cold. Yet, she allowed me to talk about it in "The Jewel Box," a column dedicated to jewels of thought that might expand our thinking. I suggested that they read Eaton's book as preparation if they had not had an art experience. It was reward enough when a seasoned man of the woods told me he had taken my suggestion and ordered the book from his Regional Library for the Blind. With the help of interested artists and the Alverno art classes, the show came off as a "first" for Milwaukee. Visionaries in Topeka, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Daytona Beach, Florida, Hartford, Connecticut, and other cities have caught the dream of Allen Eaton. Through far-sighted individuals, Lions Clubs and other organizations, tactile exhibitions have been established for permanent enjoyment, some changing exhibits monthly. As a special feature of the Alverno Art Fair, held out-of-doors on a bright blue October day, the inside gallery featured the tactile show for the sighted and the blind. On Saturday, children were invited to share the experience of touching art treasures that would especially appeal to the sense of tactile appreciation -- a fur collage that spelled out a picture; a weaving showing the many patterns possible; a collection of miniature chairs (the favorite item) carved by a blind man from one piece of wood; porcelain eggs in a bowl; a feathered fan; a clay dove; a reed basket, among the myriad of art objects inviting the fingertips. Children in Saturday art classes at Alverno donned felt masks to heighten their tactile experience. On Sunday, over 500 adults looked in on the show, many partaking of the art lecture on the subject of "An Art Experience Through Touch," which ended with a clay exercise by all who attended, sighted or blind. The media loved it. Describing it as a chance for the sighted to "lean over the velvet ropes and paw the Picassos," they chided galleries for their reluctance to allow this natural inclination. Instructors explained that some metals and other mediums do not allow constant touching without damage, but here, all were invited to "touch away!" In evaluating the experience to gallery-gazers (and touchers), I felt that sighted members came out ahead. Why? Because many blind persons did not believe this experience was possible to them, they failed to respond. Outnumbering the congenitally blind were the newly blind, and perhaps with good reason, for this was not a new experience to them. Had the others read Eaton, they would have known that the aesthetic art experience could be theirs, too. The art experience is available to all ... and in the sharing with a sighted friend to fill him in on the details, we find communication -- a new avenue of communication. The newly blind were thrilled to find, as I, that this appreciation need not be lost. All one needs to do is reach out and Touch. Sighted persons found a new thrill in being invited to touch instead of DON'T TOUCH, the usual no-no of galleries and guards. A teacher of Art Aesthetics came to me and expressed her appreciation for broadening her thinking. And those who watched the blind use their fingertips for eyes were doubly appreciative. I heard many bridge the river of adjectives such as "lovely," "beautiful," and "exquisite," with specifics such as "satin texture," "nature form," and "clean lines." Objects of nature were included as art pieces; a quartz specimen, shells which appealed to both touch and ear, and an ancient artifact of stone brought natural history alive. Whether it be a water-washed stone or something that man has created, art objects can serve, for some, as tools of communication for the blind. If we but open our windows beyond the stereotyped pleasures for the blind, we may find something to enrich our lives beyond the bowling ball. It is when we realize that an art experience is the right of every individual, not a cultured few, that we know its impact on our lives. Whether it is in the joy we feel in a well-crafted basket or in a meaningful sculpture, we know its importance of communication in the family of man. In the fall 1972 issue of DIALOGUE, the editor pleads for an awareness of the new concepts in fulfilling the needs of the blind; a realistic approach to the rehabilitation of the whole person. Is it too unrealistic, then, to offer something beyond the common pursuits of the blind? Mary E. Switzer, Director of Rehabilitation in Health, Education and Welfare, before her recent death, believed, with Allen Eaton, that beauty was essential in the life of the blind person as well as the sighted. The remoteness that was once the lot of the blind can be bridged by this experience, she said, when used as a sharing experience with the sighted. As a missionary in including the aesthetic experience in rehabilitation, she believed that the restoration of the physical, intellectual, vocational, social, and spiritual well-being of the disabled was necessary. The dignity of the individual was paramount in this program. From Allen Eaton she caught the vision of the role of beauty as a therapeutic tool. Several museums throughout the country have established permanent touch exhibitions, and others are experimenting with the idea. All of these efforts deserve applause. Are we ready for the broader approach to rehabilitation that Mr. Nold of DIALOGUE urges? Are we ready for the life enrichment that art offers? EDITOR'S NOTE: That interest in touch art is growing is evidenced by a recent announcement that Neville Gallery, an art gallery for the blind, opened last June at the University of Pennsylvania, It has both a permanent collection and rotating exhibits. In addition, many cities throughout the country are sponsoring exhibits such as the one described in the following article excerpted from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Feb. 1973): "Art for Touching Instead of Seeing" Anyone who thinks art and sculpture were only made to look at ought to get the "feel of things" at the new "Touch and Know" exhibit opening Friday at the Memorial Art Gallery. The paintings and sculpture in this show are being put in a darkened room. The reason? Appeal to the fingers instead of the eyes. The exhibit features moving sculptures and three-dimensional paintings designed to respond to the touch. For example, New York City artist Arnold Zeitner has designed a tabletop with rods that move in response to the touch of the hand. It is called "Harvest," and this is on loan to the museum from a private collection. ... The Gallery will provide illuminated labels for sighted visitors and braille labels for the blind. ... *** Knoxville, 1973 ** Convention Notes Plans are progressing for the Knoxville convention, and the pre-registration notices should be received around the first of April. If you do not receive yours, you should write to the President's Office for it. The next issue of the Braille Forum will contain a major feature on the convention and conferences of special-interest organizations. For further information on the special conferences and organizations, you may write or call the ACB National Office. There will be more than a dozen special conferences, and everyone will be able to find an area of particular interest, in addition to the Council's annual convention, which runs from July 18-21. The Council will be privileged at its banquet on Friday, July 20, to hear Dr. Andrew D. Holt, President Emeritus of the University of Tennessee. Dr. Holt is former president of the National Education Association and chairman of the American Delegation to the World Organization to the Teaching Profession in Bern, Switzerland. Dr. Holt is a Governor of the U. S. Postal Service, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of South Central Bell Telephone Company, Provident Life and Accident Life Insurance Company, Hamilton National Bank, and McDowell Enterprises. He is educational consultant to Delta Airlines, Holiday Inns, Inc., and American School. Dr. Holt has addressed audiences in every state of our nation, Canada, and various countries of Europe and Asia. ***** *** Special-Interest Organizations ** RANDOLPH-SHEPPARD VENDORS OF AMERICA will hold their fifth annual convention in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 15-18, 1973. The RSVA Board of Directors will meet on Sunday evening, July 15. Sessions will begin Monday morning, July 16, and last through Wednesday noon, July 18. There will be business sessions, guest speakers, and open discussions on stand policies in various states. Panels of operators and agency people will be on the agenda. There will also be side trips to Tennessee vending stands. Open House will be held Monday evening -- entertainment for the evening to be a fascinating one-piece band. On Tuesday evening, there will be a country-music show. Rates at the Hyatt Regency Hotel will be $12.00 single, $18.00 double, and $4.00 for each extra person in the room. RSVA is anticipating operators from several states in the Union. Y'all come now! ** Attention: All Secretaries, Transcribers and Those Interested in Office Work The 1973 Convention of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association will be held from Sunday July 15 to Wednesday noon, July 18, at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Room rates will be: Single, $12.00 Double, $18.00 The program planned for this year will center around the active participation of those attending. The tentative agenda will include the following: 1. The use of equipment in the office -- devices presently available and existing needs for future research. 2. Development of necessary skills and personal habits to improve job performance. 3. Placement and advancement problems and possibilities -- opening new fields. 4. Work problems and their solutions or learning to cope with them. 5. Working at home and "moonlighting." 6. The business meeting which will include a discussion of our publication and the election of the Directors. Plan to attend the 1973 Convention of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association and to stay for the Convention of the American Council of the Blind which will begin on Wednesday afternoon, July 18, and end on Saturday, July 21. Please make your hotel reservations now for the best room selection. For more exact details concerning the VISTA Convention, contact Miss Betty Ann Jones, 907 Harper Street, Utica, New York 13502. ** Editors Workshop Helen Vargo, Chairman of the ACB Board of Publications, announces that although plans are presently incomplete, it is hoped that an Editors Workshop will be included among the pre-convention conferences again this year, to be held in Knoxville on July 16 or 17. Its purpose will be to continue the training and exchange of ideas among editors of periodicals and chapter newsletters, so enthusiastically received by those who participated in the Milwaukee and Portland sessions. If you edit such a periodical, or if your chapter is interested in starting its own paper, you are urged to attend and to participate. Persons interested are asked to communicate with Helen Vargo, 833 Oakley Street, Topeka, Kansas 66606. ***** ** Disability Olympics Held in Vermont By Al Nichols The first event of its kind to be held in Vermont, the Disability Olympics took place January 20-21, 1973, at the Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, sponsored jointly by the Orleans County Council of Social Agencies, the Northeast Kingdom Disability Organization, and Lyndon State College. There were 94 entries, seven of whom were legally blind. All participants other than the blind were required to perform their activities in wheelchairs; those sighted persons who desired to participate in activities designed for the blind had to wear blindfolds. Events in which the blind participants were expected to compete included bowling, checkers, chess, cribbage, and archery. One partially sighted young fellow tried Ping-pong and basketball. Incidentally, he became confused and scored a basket for the opposite team, much to his chagrin. Hayden Nichols won gold medals in checkers and cribbage, and Bob Green won gold medals in bowling and archery. They are both totally blind. The entire cost of the affair was borne by the sponsoring organizations, with no cost whatsoever to participants. Spectators were asked to contribute $.50 to help defray some of the expenses. Although this was the first time such an activity has been held in Vermont, it is hoped it will become an annual event. We have been given assurance that some blind people will be expected to attend meetings of the committee in charge of arrangements and promoting future meetings. All of those with whom we have come in contact seem to have had a most enjoyable experience. ***** ** IFB Seeks Executive Director The Illinois Federation of the Blind is interested in hiring an executive director. Qualifications are: he (or she) must be legally blind and have a college degree and relevant experience; he must be able to do public speaking and be willing to travel throughout Illinois and work closely with members and affiliates. Beginning salary range will be from $8,0000.00 to $10,000.00 per year. Interested applicants should send a resume and college transcript to Mr. Richard Schrempf, Chairman, Selection Committee, P.O. Box 1336, Springfield, Illinois 62705. ***** ** Read as Fast as You Can By Karen Gearreald When the plane took off for Salt Lake City on July 9, 1972, my mind was full of excited questions. As an Easterner who had seldom ventured beyond the Mississippi, I wondered what life would be like in Utah, on the campus of Brigham Young University. Even more, what would my life be like for the next two weeks while I participated in the world's first workshop on rapid reading of braille? Since the age of six, I had been an avid reader of braille. Using a two-handed technique, I had built up a speed that was considered excellent for touch reading. I knew, however, that I could not begin to match the rates of competent sighted readers. The more I heard about courses in speed reading in print, the more I longed for similar training in braille, though I assumed that the wish would remain unfulfilled. Thus, in the spring of 1972, I was startled and delighted to learn that Nancy Steinhauser, a blind senior at Culver-Stockton College, had been trained to read 2,000 words per minute, with 85 percent comprehension. I was more than per pleased when the Hadley School commissioned me to attend the rapid-reading course which, for students and teachers of braille, would be conducted at Brigham Young by Nancy's teacher, Dr. Vearl McBride. Spacious, gracious, and still pioneering, Brigham Young proved to be an ideal setting. After a spectacular salute of thunder and lightning, the weather settled into a rain-free pattern of cool mornings and warm afternoons, tempered by the air conditioning of the modern campus buildings. The congenial people, the extracurricular tours and concerts, the crisp mountain air, and the hearty food would have been enough to make the days delightful. Yet all of these the advantages were almost forgotten in the excitement of the workshop itself. Dr. McBride, a professor of education, began our courses by recounting his experiences as a teacher of reading. Through long experimentation he had developed his techniques for rapid reading, which he had taught to many sighted people. Though he himself was fully sighted and had no knowledge of braille, he had also been successful with Nancy, his only blind pupil. By the end of the school year, after just a few months with Dr. McBride, she had reached 4,300 words per minute. Dr. McBride felt that some of us might soon equal that speed, whether our medium was print or braille. The main requirement, he said, was diligence. In addition to our four-hour morning sessions of classroom instruction, we were to practice as much as we could on our own, for a minimum of an hour a day. Once we had determined our current reading rates, we were launched into our first new activity -- "unreading." This meant moving as fast as possible through all the maximum amount of material. Provided we encountered all the stimuli on the pages, we could use any motion we chose. If we comprehended anything, we were going too slowly. Constantly, in time trials of one or two minutes, Dr. McBride urged us to go so that we could unlearn our old ways of slow motion. Comprehension could come later. In any case, we were to avoid "subvocalization," the habit of mentally pronouncing the words we encountered. "Unreading" remained an important warm-up routine; as the days passed, we also worked for greater and greater comprehension. Slowing down only when necessary, we sought various degrees of understanding, from "bits and pieces" to "book report." Emphasis was always on individuality. Books could be propped at any angle or height; bodies could be tilted into any position of sitting or standing; and hands could be swiveled, spiraled, or patterned in and out. Almost any innovation was acceptable if it increased the reader's comprehension and comfort. The whole project was exhausting but never dull, for the intense work was mingled with hearty laughter. Despite differences in age and occupation, in ways of living and media of reading, a spirit of warm camaraderie developed among the thirty participants in the course. Experiments, observations, successes, and failures were freely shared. Pillows, tables, and hunks of foam rubber were merrily manipulated as participants helped one another to try various stances for reading. Though the sighted readers were of course moving their eyes rather than their hands there was the unifying belief that, through braille or large type or standard ink-print, the process of retraining was essentially the same for all of us There was also the fun of a quick return to childhood, since Dr. McBride insisted that we practice with elementary books. Adult tensions and stiffness were blessedly shed in the youthful world of "Charlotte's Web," "Hobo the Toad," and "A Ghost Named Fred." Then, too, Dr. McBride knew how to pace us. Under his leadership the class sessions became a happy blend of practice, discussion, and lecture. He talked about training the memory, about keeping the mind and body alert and rested, about picturing the action rather than hearing the words of a book. Whether his lecture was a professorial discourse or a coach's pep talk, whether he was exhorting the group or counseling an individual, Dr. McBride was unfailingly kind, with a sense of humor and a contagious optimism. Not surprisingly, success came. My own peak occurred at the beginning of the second week, when -- through numerous short stints -- I read the three volumes of On the Beach in little more than three hours. In my old way, the same book might well have taken ten or twelve hours. The new average speed, I calculated, was more than 500 words per minute. Though I was not grasping every detail at that rate, I was retaining so much that upon completing the book, I would gladly have given a report of the content. A plateau -- even a valley of fatigue -- was inevitable after such a pinnacle. Nevertheless, my enthusiasm remained so high that when the workshop ended, I determined to follow a methodical program of practice at home. ack in Illinois, friends helped me locate a handy timer in a photographer shop. Adapted with a few pieces of adhesive tape, the timer became an accurate, inexpensive substitute for Dr. McBride's stopwatch. For the next three weeks I practiced faithfully and kept a journal, as all participants in the workshop had been asked to do. Thereafter, practice sessions were more difficult to schedule because autumn activities interfered; but despite the lack of regular drilling, many good effects of the Brigham Young experience have stayed with me. Specifically, my pattern of motion has become more efficient. I used to read from left to right, with index fingers only. The left hand would begin the line; the two hands moved together through the middle; and then, while the left hand dropped down to be in readiness, the right hand completed the line. That pattern had seemed logical for more than two decades of reading; but during the workshop, when we were asked to abandon old habits, I suddenly realized that the constant colliding of the hands was unnecessary, that I ought to take better advantage of the kinesthetic sense. I also started some "sensitivity training" for the third and fourth fingers of both hands. The result, still being perfected, is a six-finger in-and-out motion, with a light touch and no collisions. Instead of covering thirty-five to forty-five pages in an hour, I can now hurry along through sixty or seventy. That number should increase still further if I can learn to practice more and subvocalize less. In any event, reading is more fun than ever because of new flexibility in the mind as well as in the hands. After my own period of initiation and experimentation in rapid reading, would I recommend similar training for other blind people? Emphatically I do. Now that we are blessed with glorious mountains of books and magazines, I would be pleased if every braille reader in the United States had the opportunity to try Dr. McBride's methods. Whether or not we can attain Nancy Steinhauser's stature, we can all benefit from the effort to develop our full potential. Conscious of our blindness, too often we hold ourselves back mentally and physically, because we lack confidence in our ability to do and to endure. By contrast, in rapid reading we are invited to bump joyously and creatively into as many stimuli as we can manage. The result, after a few sore fingers and disrupted patterns, may be an unexpected liberation of ability and attitude. Since July I have had little contact with other participants in that first workshop. I know, however, that interest continues and that Dr. McBride has scheduled additional workshops at Brigham Young and elsewhere. Inquiries may be addressed to Dr. John M. Crandall, Jr., or Mrs. Ruth Craig at 250 Training Building, Lower Campus, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84601. Dr. McBride himself may be reached at Culver-Stockton College, Canton, Missouri. For those who cannot attend a workshop in person, there is the possibility that a correspondence course in speed reading may be developed and offered by the Hadley School if there are enough potential students. Expressions of interest in such a course should be addressed to the Registration Department, Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, Illinois 60093. What is the maximum rate to which a fluent reader of braille can aspire? How much does comprehension suffer at high speeds? How long can a whirlwind pace be maintained without fatigue? What would training do for a person who was not yet fluent in braille? What is the optimum age for students of the technique? These and many more questions, which were being asked last July, have yet to be fully answered. One thing, however, is already clear: the province of speed reading is no longer closed to the blind. "Read as fast as you can" has at last become a viable slogan among readers of braille, as it has long been for readers of print. Despite the wonders of discs and reels and Cassettes, of compressed speech and reading machines, braille retains an important place in the blind person's resources for education and independence. Who knows? Braille may turn out to be the fastest, most reliable, most comfortable medium of them all. ***** ** Pass the Word Along By Sue Graves "Oh, do you do all the cooking yourself?" How many times have you had such words as those spoken to you, with a bit of disbelief not too well hidden in the speaker's voice? Instead of following your first impulse and responding with something like, "Well, who else would if I didn't?" you simply smile and answer with a calm, non-offending "Yes." This article is not being written to show anyone how to deal with the problem of why blind people must constantly and repeatedly prove their capabilities, although that does seem to be a never-ending struggle. Rather, it is written to present an idea for a fund-raising project which cannot succeed without the help of as many people as possible. It is a known fact that not only do blind people cook, but some of them do it quite well and have much to offer their friends, blind or sighted, through the exchange of recipes and cooking ideas. Therefore, why not capitalize on it and publish our own cookbook? This idea has been used quite successfully by other organizations. The book would not be designed as a teaching tool, but would be a collection of recipes from all over the country. Not only would such a publication be good public relations, but it would also be good publicity for our organization. We intend to make the book one you will be proud of, both as a member of ACB and as a contributor. The amount of money raised will depend primarily upon your interest, support, and contributions. We already have volunteers for testers, tasters, and editors. What we need now will take only a few minutes of your time. All types of recipes are needed. They should be for dishes you like and which you think you prepare as well as, if not better than, anyone else. We do not want to overlook our sighted members, and we hope they will submit their favorite recipes too. Likewise, we are aware that many of you men are talented cooks, and your participation is strongly encouraged. All contributions will be tested by competent blind cooks to authenticate the idea that this collection comes from cooks who are blind. This is a good opportunity for all of us to serve ACB, so why not put your recipes in the mail while the idea is still fresh in your mind? Then call a couple of friends and get them to help. The more areas represented in our cookbook, the easier it will be to market. In submitting recipes, please include the following information: name, address, and whether you are blind or sighted; any comments you wish to make about the origin of the recipe or helpful suggestions about its preparation; and of course, the recipe itself. Print, braille, or recorded communications are all acceptable and will be gratefully received. As many recipes and comments as possible will be used, and credit will be given unless the sender requests that his name be withheld. All recipes and/or comments about the proposed cookbook should be sent to Mrs. Sue Graves, 5017 Starker Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53716. Let's all work together to make this project a successful and profitable one, and our cookbook one which we can present to anyone with pride. ***** ** Milestones of Progress in Eye Surgery By George Card In its issue of February 19, NEWSWEEK reports two very Promising developments in the field of prevention of blindness. When one eye is seriously injured, the surgeon is faced with a real dilemma. If he waits long enough to determine whether useful vision can be saved in the injured eye, sympathetic ophthalmia may result in the good eye. This happens because under these circumstances, the body's defense mechanism seems to regard both eyes as foreign tissue -- the same situation as in various tissue transplants. At a Los Angeles seminar on Research to Prevent Blindness, a Washington scientist announced that routine administration of certain anti-cancer drugs can stave off this immune reaction and give the surgeon all the time he needs to treat the injured eye. A major difficulty in testing the vision of young children arises because they are unable to tell what they can or cannot see on an eye chart. At this same seminar a Boston scientist described a technique for determining vision by measuring electric waves in the brain's vision center. One extremely important gain from the use of this technique will be the detection and prevention of amblyopia -- lazy eye. Unless this condition is discovered before the age of seven the affected eye may become entirely useless, or at least develop untreatable astigmatism. When amblyopia is detected early enough it can be eliminated by surgery or other treatment and whatever degree of the condition has already developed can be cured by using a patch over the normal eye until the other has recovered its strength. The vitreous humor is the jelly-like fluid which almost entirely fills the eyeball and holds it in shape. Up until now, when this substance became opaque by reason of diabetic hemorrhages or from other causes, the result was incurable blindness. The vitreous could not be drawn out because the eyeball would then collapse. Eye surgery has made gigantic strides during the past few decades, but the above-described condition has baffled the skills of the greatest ophthalmic surgeons. Now, however, a procedure has been perfected by which the vitreous can be removed and a saline solution injected simultaneously. The operation is an extremely delicate one and requires from four to seven hours. It is performed under a very high-powered microscope and requires other costly equipment. Two famous surgeons, one in Florida and one in Milwaukee, Wis., are already performing this operation and six others are acquiring the necessary skill through the use of laboratory animals. Dr. Thomas Aaberg, the Milwaukee surgeon, appeared before a meeting of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind on January 20th and told this group that after exhausting all other possible sources he still needed a little over $12,000 to complete the purchase of additional equipment, including a microscope having a fantastic magnifying capacity and specially made for him in Germany. His presentation was so convincing, and his listeners so impressed by the prospect of being instrumental in restoring sight to some of those considered hopelessly blind, that the entire amount was granted by unanimous vote. ***** ** How Fast Can You Listen? New Cassette Equipment Available A high-quality cassette player/recorder is now available from the American Printing House for the Blind. A two-speed, variable-speed machine, the APR-modified GE M8355A, operates at either ips 1-7/8 or ips 15/16. At either setting, reading speed can be increased about 40 percent or decreased about 30 percent. The machine may be either battery or AC operated. Optional accessories (patch cord, $4.00; foot-pedal switch, $6.95) are also available either through APH or from your local GE dealer. Of particular value to students and professional workers, where locating specific page references often creates so much aggravation and time loss as to discourage use of recorded materials, is the tone indexing capability of this GE recorder. This involves a "beep" tone too high-pitched to interfere with microphone recording, yet which is clearly audible upon fast-forward or rewind. Your reader just presses the indexing button at the beginning of each page. Then, from a given page, it is a simple matter of counting "beeps" backward or forward to the page you need. This system is being used by Recording for the Blind in its open-reel tape textbooks, and your Editor can testify from personal experience as to its usefulness. The price (braille instructions are included) is $72.50; Catalog No. 10701. For complete information, write American Printing House for the Blind, Inc., 1839 Frankfort Avenue, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, Kentucky 40206. Though considerably more expensive, for students and professionals who must cover large amounts of reading material, the Varispeech-1 represents a giant step forward in the field of speech compression/expansion. Through a computerized electronic signal-processing system, by the turn of a dial, speech can be expanded or compressed without the least distortion or change in Ritch or voice characteristics. The annoying "Donald Duck" effect is gone completely. Although in its basic form it plays only cassettes, Varispeech is equipped with an auxiliary input jack, making possible its use in conjunction with an ordinary tape recorder or talking book machine. Varispeech measures 14 by 13 by 6 in. and weighs 18 lb. Price to individuals is approximately $1,500.00; to agencies and schools, $1,200.00. For full information, write. Lexicon, Inc., 60 Turner Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02154. How often has your cassette ended without your, realizing it, so that an important part of your class or meeting has been lost? The answer may be a motion indicator sold by the American Printing House for the Blind. This little device is placed over the left spindle of the cassette machine after a tape has been inserted. The motion indicator has a raised tip which can be felt rotating as long as the cassette is in motion. The speed of the indicator increases as the end of the track approaches; a sudden stop indicates the end of a track has been reached. Price: $.30. ***** ** More on Health Insurance By Ellen Rae Starr In the last issue of the Braille Forum, I discussed the Health Security Act introduced by Senator Kennedy and Representative Griffiths. It was stated that Wilbur Mills, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, planned to review national health insurance prior to other legislation. However, since that time, he has made it clear that a national health insurance bill will be passed during this Congress, but not before October of this year. The Nixon Administration has not yet introduced a national health insurance bill into the 93rd Congress. Furthermore, there was no provision for such a program in this recent budget proposal. Accordingly, I will discuss the health insurance proposal from the American Medical Association, H.R. 2222, commonly referred to as the Medicredit Plan. Under this alternative, our present health care system would not be encouraged to change its concepts. There is no provision in the proposal for increasing manpower or facilities, or for redistributing them to areas of need. It is not a plan for all the people as is the Health Security Act. According to the Ralph Nader organization in its report entitled Who Runs Congress, it is stated that the American Medical Association forced Americans to spend $75 million for health care in 1971 which caused medical costs to rise at a rate double that of the cost of living. It states further that "The AMA represents just under half of the country's practicing physicians, a figure which is declining due to dissatisfaction in the profession over the AMA's desultory performance." In the Medicredit Plan there are no provisions for limiting health care costs. With no new controls, health costs would probably continue to increase. The financing of this system would fall under a tax credit category. Under the plan, the federal government would buy private health insurance for the poor. All others would receive a deduction from their federal income tax if they bought their own private health insurance. However, whether or not one's policy is financed through the government deductibles are still quite high and would have to be paid by everyone. Because of this, most low-income people would be unable to afford the deductibles and co-insurance and, therefore, would not receive the medical care they deserve. More specifically, the patient would have to pay the first $50 of hospital charges plus 20% of the first $500 of hospital charges. He would also have to pay 20% of all physicians' charges. Another disadvantage of the Medicredit Plan, especially to the blind and visually handicapped, is that there is no coverage for eye care or for pre-existing conditions. Also excluded from coverage are dental services social services and drugs. The Medicaid program would also be eliminated under the AMA plan. In addition, unlike the Health Security Act, there are no provisions for consumer input into policy-making. Peer review by doctors and other health professionals would be the only method used to regulate policy quality and control. In other words, this system would remain relatively the same as the present system. Senator Kennedy's proposals suggested that there would be strong incentives toward furthering the role of preventive medicine. However, because the Medicredit Plan would continue to pay providers, i.e., doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, etc., on a fee-for-services basis, preventive care would tend to be discouraged. In conclusion, the plan suggested by the American Medical Association is not a plan for all the people. Health care would remain relatively poor and our present system of unequal health care for all Americans should be encouraged. ***** ** A Blind Librarian By Merrill A. Maynard For nearly twenty years I have operated a free tape lending library from my home. I required a great deal of sighted help until I devised a quite handy system whereby I am able to do the actual library work without sight. A checklist of all available book titles is prepared for duplication. Notice of new checklists go out to periodicals and when requested a checklist is mailed to the blind borrower. e checks titles he wants to borrow. All titles checked are used. to make his mailing list by us. Our tapes are shipped in fiber mailers. The address slot takes a 3-by-5-inch address card. On the side of the card addressed to return the package, I have the borrower's name in braille. I check the box in and put the new tapes and ship immediately. Ordinarily the parcel carrier will pick up what must go when he brings mail to us. However, if a day goes by when there is no mail, I phone the supervisor of mails and ask for somebody to pick up what is available so it will not pile up on us. They are good about this with us. At present our operation serves nearly one hundred different people all over the country. Our checklist includes more than 400 titles, most of which are not available anywhere else on tape. Our tapes are read by people who do textbooks on tape, and the books we circulate serve to relax the tension of the difficulties with textbook reading. It has been a wonderful team enterprise. It is particularly gratifying that I can do what is required without having to have a sighted person at hand during operations. I work for nothing and I cannot expect to get sighted help at my wages on the job. I do it as my little bit to help my fellows. ***** ** Robert Bray Leaves DBPH The Library of Congress has announced the retirement of Robert S. Bray as Chief of its Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, effective December 11, 1972. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Bray came to the Library of Congress in 1940 as a desk attendant and by 1957 had risen to head the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Under his leadership during the past fifteen years, the Division's budget has risen from a little over $1 million to nearly $9 million; recorded books (talking books, open-reel and cassette tapes, and just recently sound?sheet recordings) increased from less than 300 to over 1,200 titles per year; the number of braille and recorded magazines has risen sharply; equipment has advanced to keep pace with the technological advances of the 1950s and '60s. Mr. Bray is a man of moderation. This attitude is evident from the following words spoken in response to critics of DBPH programs: "Unfortunately, many of them are not as successful as they should be largely because they present a single viewpoint without giving serious thought to alternatives and consequences. Simply making demands may work from time to time, but if not tempered with a more acceptable approach, may tend to cause irritation, which makes people lose interest." Despite great strides forward, Mr. Bray realized there is yet much work to be done. Of the estimated two million eligible persons in our country, only one-quarter million are presently taking advantage of the Division's programs. In Mr. Bray's retirement, the blind of the United States have lost a true and dedicated servant and friend. We wish him well. ***** ** Remember Her as a Friend By Fred Krepela Lucile E. (Aspinwall) Krepela was born in Salem, Oregon, November 3, 1912. She graduated from Salem High School in 1930 and a year or two later from business college in Portland. Lucile's first job was as a receptionist to an optical firm where she earned $5.00 a week during depression times. Apparently her devotion and interest was then aroused for the underprivileged and handicapped. Following this, employment was obtained with the Oregon Industrial Accident Commission, where she worked for over six years. This further developed her sensitivity for the injured and handicapped. Her employment was terminated when she married Fred Krepela, June 25, 1939, and shortly following this marriage, Fred's work also terminated. Although the loss of jobs by both Lucile and Fred seemed like an unbearable catastrophe, it was really a blessing in disguise. Without work and back in Salem, Lucile and Fred purchased The Ink Spot, a mimeo and addressing service. With tears, sweat and determination, this business grew and prospered, and in 1961, a small offset printing school was developed into a job-creating business for many students. In 1954 Lucile was active in the formation of the Oregon Council of the Blind as well as the Willamette Chapter thereof. She was Recording Secretary for the OCB for some fifteen years, finally asking that she not be re-elected in October 1972 for health reasons. Besides her accurate and interesting records, her outstanding accomplishment was to dream up the OCB Grant-in-Aid program and guide it to acceptance some five years ago. This provides grants to blind parents, when qualified, to give their children a post-high school education, either academic or vocational. She undoubtedly did more driving for more blind people in Oregon than anyone else. She was constant companion to her husband, Fred, at national conventions and meetings of the OCB and Oregon Commission for the Blind. To those who knew her, she served as reader, errand girl, phone operator, dress advisor, and above all, she was the eyes of the ACB Board, and during ACB conventions she served wherever she was needed. She enjoyed a quiet drink with intimate friends or a room party where new friends were made. Her life made living more livable for the blind. Lucile condensed over a hundred years of living into her life of little over 60 years. Besides The Ink Spot and Offset & Duplicating School businesses and her work with the blind, she was a licensed amateur radio operator W7WTK since 1955, she was past Worthy Matron of Gervais Lodge 118, member of Salem Chapter 162, Order of Eastern Star, as well as being a member of the Salem Chamber of Commerce. She enjoyed her home, especially the yard, flower garden, and the singing birds; and during the summer months was a busy bee outside. She became ill in September 1972, and on October 1 was admitted to the Salem Hospital, Memorial Unit. On October 13 she underwent an operation for lung cancer. After two or three trips in and out of the hospital, she was taken for the last time on January 24, 1973. At 1:20 p.m. on January 25 she joined with God. With all her abilities and accomplishments, she would only want you to remember her as a friend. ***** ** Leader Lost to Michigan By Ken Hinga John Luxon, President of the Michigan Federation of the Blind, and very well known to many ACB members, passed away on January 16. John had been in poor health for the past year and spent the last four months in the Ford Hospital in Detroit. Mr. Luxon was a powerful force in promoting the affairs of the blind in Michigan and on the Federal level as well. Often he irritated agency heads and professional workers for the blind, but he refused to be deterred from his convictions and worthwhile goals for his fellow handicapped citizens. The blind of this state owe much to John, and his voice and pressures will be greatly missed. ***** ** The Blind Drug User By Carolyn Carney In today's fast-moving society, much attention is constantly being given to the problem of drug abuse. Being blind myself, and working as a counselor in the area of drug abuse in San Bernardino County, California, I began to ask some questions about the blind drug user. I have never encountered any blind clients in my work for the largest county in California, yet several blind clients do utilize our other social services. The program in San Bernardino County is only a little over two years old, so I thought perhaps blind people might not be aware of this service. Los Angeles County has many similar programs and has given these programs extensive publicity. When I checked with several people there, I was told that only one blind client had taken advantage of the drug counseling service. I began to ask whether it was that blind people simply were not drug users, or whether perhaps they were just not coming into the centers. I considered that perhaps blind persons were not coming into the centers because of transportation problems. However, many of the agencies maintain telephone "help lines" and a counseling referral service, where trained therapists come to the homes of drug users who request their assistance. These agencies keep records, and none of the twenty-four polled reported ever having been asked to visit a blind drug abuser or having received a telephone call from someone on drugs who also reported visual difficulties. Of course, it is possible that a blind person could omit mentioning his blindness in such a telephone conversation, but all of these organizations maintain home follow-up treatment if the drug problem is serious or continues over a long period of time. I found it hard to understand why there was an increasing use of illegal drugs among sighted people without a proportionate increase among the blind of the same age and population group. In trying to find an answer to this question, I interviewed seven blind high-school students from Riverside and San Bernardino counties. I also interviewed four blind college students, other blind acquaintances, and two psychiatric social workers in further exploration of this problem. My sighted clients also helped me because, although they provided an outsider's point of view, they had engaged in almost every facet of the drug culture and could comment on some of the problems a blind person would encounter in this environment, as well as upon drug use in general. The most common reason the eleven blind people interviewed gave for not using drugs if they wanted them was difficulty in obtaining them. Some of their comments were: "How could I ask my parents to take me to get a 'fix'?" "I'd be afraid to ask my reader to drive me to see the local pusher." A blind person would have to be introduced to drugs, and the most common way this occurs among the sighted is through a "pusher" met on the streets or through one's involvement in a particular peer group. As one blind person put it: "I think a friend or pusher would be less inclined to try to interest a blind person in drugs out of sense of conscience. People seem to want to protect me because I can't see. Indeed, parental approaches are not uncommon." When working with clientele from poverty areas, I take less verbal abuse than my sighted counterpart because of my blindness. From this it might follow that a pusher, too, might hesitate about "turning on" a blind person to drugs out of a sense of protectiveness and guilt. Economics is also a factor. Because of extra time needed for study, the average blind person cannot work as long hours as his sighted counterpart. Additionally, job discrimination and limits on the kind and number of jobs available because of lack of sight make it harder for the blind person in general to find employment. Pushers quite often give a prospective customer his first few doses free of charge so that he may become either physically addicted to or interested in drug use. But the pusher must have a reasonable expectation that this person has the potential to support a drug habit before offering free samples. The problems involved in maintaining a habit, once firmly established, are of paramount importance for a blind person. To obtain drugs, it is often necessary to travel extensively. Suppliers are frequently apprehended, and it is then necessary to find a new source. To avoid suspicion, the delivery point is constantly changed. These frequent changes in source and pick-up point pose travel and transportation problems for the blind. Often the pusher hides his wares to avoid suspicion, and the buyer picks them up in obscure places, which generally require visual searching. A blind person is often quite closely observed on the streets. Sighted travelers may watch out of sheer curiosity or just to be sure the blind person is all right. Thus, it would be difficult for him to engage in a discrete search and pick-up. Once drugs are used extensively, finances become a big problem for every user. Since a habit can cost hundreds of dollars a day, it is generally supported through crime. The most common crimes are prostitution and robbery. How many extremely financially successful blind prostitutes and thieves do you know? But what about the blind person himself? Are there features of drug use which might attract him? Since few blind people have reported drug experiences, what follows is mere conjecture, deduced from comments about drug experiences made by my sighted clients. It must be noted that the effects of drugs vary greatly from drug to drug and depend upon the amount taken and the purity of the substance involved. Also, the physiological and environmental conditions under which a person takes drugs play a great part in determining the type of reaction he will have to a particular drug. The effect of drugs, particularly hallucinogens, are more frightening if taken alone. One client commented: "I never enjoyed drugs by myself until I became addicted and needed them physiologically. I always took them with my friends before." But the actual drug experience is different for a blind person. A young woman stated, "Most of my fun with acid came from the beautiful colors." Sometimes color is also sensed through the ears. However, for a congenitally, totally blind person, it would be impossible to experience any color sensation, since the sensations occur as a de-storation of the ordinary sensory functioning. As for the person blinded later in life, visual sensation would come through memory and through expectations about the drugs provided by hearsay. The amount of vision possessed would directly influence the amount of visual sensation received. It is true that some drugs provide auditory and other sensory experiences, but most experiences are visual. Thus, the attractiveness of taking drugs is greatly lessened for a blind person. Under some drugs, it is also more difficult to ambulate. Since mobility is of utmost concern to the blind, few people would choose deliberately to increase the difficulties in moving about. Also, environmental perception changes. One person reported: "I found it frightening to walk because it felt like the ground was moving. I got help for my environment when I could see that the ground really wasn't moving." Interference with the sensation of motion, along with lack of vision to provide reassurance, is an added factor detracting from the pleasures of a drug experience for the blind. Although some drugs sharpen the senses, others dull them, resulting in definite dangers for the blind person. In traffic, one must constantly be alert to what is going on around him, for instance, in crossing a street. Even the apparently sharpened senses coming with a euphoric state can prove disastrous if one is so "high" that he becomes careless in terms of watching out for the natural hazards of the everyday environment. The question of drug usage among the blind is a complex one due to the varying effects of each drug, general environmental factors, and the small amount of information currently available in this area. It is hoped that general exploration of the question will continue so that more knowledge can be gained about a current problem which both directly and indirectly concerns us all. ***** ** Here and There "News and Views" By Xena E. and Victor C. Johnson Greetings, Readers of The Braille Forum: Xena and I have been invited by some of the officials of the American Council of the Blind to guest edit a column akin to the venerable George Card's "Here and There" which over the years has been so ably written by him. Both Xena and I have known George and Darlene Card for many years, and although we have disagreed with them as to policy and method at times, we have always recognized their able leadership in, and dedication to, the organized blind movement. It might be said that both the Cards and the Johnsons find themselves separated from the original nation-wide organized blind movement -- The Cards' separation having occurred several years ago, whereas separation came to the Johnsons much more recently. Despite this fact, and as I at the time of my separation pointed out to those responsible, said separation cannot, and will not, prevent us from doing in the future what we have done in the past, namely, support the organized blind movement to the limit of our ability and circumstances. We feel humbled, but also complimented, by even being asked to attempt to contribute in some way something similar to what has been acknowledged far and wide as tops in journalism, George Card's "Here and There." Naturally, we would not be so presumptuous as to call our contribution "Here and There," but prefer to title it "News and Views." We are not exactly very well prepared for a newsy column such as all of you deserve, for we have been out of touch with all but a few for so long. Our news will almost entirely be from clippings and one or two publications we now have on hand. So here goes: From Illinois Federation of the Blind, "The Braille Messenger. " An item worthy of national recognition: The Illinois school code was amended when signed into law July 18, 1972, with. the following amending clause: "No person otherwise qualified shall be denied the right to be certified, to receive training for the purpose of becoming a teacher or to engage in practice teaching in any school because of a physical handicap, including but not limited to, visual and hearing handicaps; nor shall any school district refuse to employ a teacher on such grounds, provided that the person is able to carry out the duties of the position for which he applies." This legislation was introduced at the request of the Illinois Association of Blind Teachers. From the same source: Mrs. Lois Wiley, blind, of Oak Park, Illinois, using braille playing cards, tied for the Swiss title in the 15th Annual Spring Championship for the American Contract Bridge League held in Ohio. From the press all over the country have come clippings, etc., concerning the October 5 release in Federal Register from GSA that Government intended to change regulations "to give GSA more explicit authority to regulate the type of food items at blind vendor stands." This proposal quietly sent to Federal Register late in September and printed October 5 has been cited as an attempt to rescind or modify the Randolph-Sheppard Act which was first enacted in law in 1936 and for 36 years has been one of the greatest strides forward as far as furnishing capable blind people a means of earning better than an ordinary living, creating more profitable employment than any single legislation. (San Francisco Chronicle.) Not long ago we heard on a popular CBS morning TV program in its editorial comment the heading "Stealing from the Blind." so we perked up our ears to listen to former "Life" staff writer and frequent commentator on CBS, John K. Jessup state: "Blind vendors have law on their side but government employee unions defy the law and stack the cards while some four or five thousand blind are waiting for a decision." Mr. Jessup deplored "the greed of the Washington bureaucrats." Our own St. Joseph, Mo., News Press quoting an editorial from Omaha World Herald on Saturday, December 2, stated: "It is emphasized that the regulations will not apply to blind and poor persons already in business, but are aimed at new stands or existing ones which change hands. Even with this proviso it seems to us that the government is using its muscle at the expense of persons who have enough problems already. There must be several thousand better ways for Washington to exercise economies." It had already been announced by the press that on November 30 GSA again "quietly published another item in Federal Register, noting the proposed regulations are hereby withdrawn." It is also reliably reported that Senator will again introduce legislation to provide specifically that blind persons be given preference in operation of vending machines and that a percentage of profits shall go to the U.S. Treasury rather than to the welfare funds of employee unions. Sorry we do not know exactly how many strictly federally operated stands presently exist but according to San Francisco Chronicle, there are 60 blind-operated stands in the state of California. So this ruling certainly could affect several hundred blind. Washington Report for October could not very well report progress of Congress. We are informed the Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1972 had passed both houses. The Vocational Rehabilitation Act had expired as of June 30 and operated temporarily on continuing resolutions. Many provisions of the Older American Act may affect the blind, but will have to be reported at a later time. On October 4 in an HEW News Release it was announced that the publication "A Common Thread of Service" (65 cents) and the 1972 Catalog of HEW Assistance ($2.00) are available by single copies from the Department of Health Education and Welfare, North Building, 330 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, or in multiple from Superintendent of Documents. The first traces historical growth of HEW as well as its predecessor, Federal Security Agency. The October New Outlook for the Blind contains a detailed description of making travel maps for blind travelers and indicates a great need for such aids, showing also the difficulties and lack of standardization of markings. The author, Billie Louise Bentzen, mobility instructor, used the campus of Perkins School for the Blind to a great degree of success. In fact, the entire October Edition is devoted to this subject. Same source: Noel Runyan, University of New Mexico, blind, has been named top engineering student in the United States in a competition sponsored by Eta Kappa Nu, national electrical engineering honor society. In a paper and display, he showed and described his inventions designed to assist blind persons to use electronic equipment. There were over 200 entries in the competition. Same source (Nov.): The Michigan State Vocational Rehabilitation Service has contacted with the League for the Handicapped-Goodwill Industries, Detroit, to provide evaluation, testing, personal adjustment, training, and vocational placement services to as many as 1,400 physically, emotionally, mentally, or socially handicapped persons during fiscal year 1973. The contract totals $583,560.00. St. Joseph, Mo. News Press (AP) Dec. 12, 1972: Michigan's first braille nature trail at Fenner Arboretum, Lansing, using more than 200 cedar posts, 3,600 feet of rope, guides the blind along a trail to feature 25 points of interest. Later it is planned to furnish portable cassette players for non-braille readers. HEW News Release, Dec. 3, 1972, states the number receiving aid to the blind (AB) remained the same for June and July: 81,200 with money payments per recipient being between $107.85 and $108.05, whereas one year previously it was $104.55. Only General Assistance average per case is higher -- $109 to $110; that is the average per case which may include a family. Another release of Dec. 21, 1972, states seven new members have been appointed to the National Advisory Council on Vocational Rehabilitation, with Alfred Slicer, Springfield, Ill., being designated chairman. It is interesting to note that Burt L. Risley, Executive Director Texas Commission for the Blind, was already a member. These latest appointments bring membership of the Council to 12. Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine (August-September 1972): Mr. John Miller, blind, a concession operator at Lake County Courthouse, Crown Point, Ind., was presented with a specially made American flag at a public ceremony on Washington's birthday by Julia Watkins Brass Chapter, D.A.R. The flag, 18 by 12 inches, was made from a pattern originated by Mrs. A.K. Stebbins, California State Chairman of D.A.R. for the flag of the U.S. The fifty white stars are embroidered to a degree that they are raised on a blue broadcloth field. The red stripes are made of sateen and white stripes are made of Indianhead. The differences of materials are easily distinguishable by touch. We have previously reported concerning this special project of the D.A.R. and where the kit may be procured. Similar flags were presented to school children without sight on Flag Day. A commendable project of love and patriotic devotion. The New Outlook for the Blind, Nov. 1972, announces completion of Addie McBryde Rehabilitation Center for the Blind on the grounds of the University Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi -- a four-story structure, 44,000 square feet, providing medical, social, and psychological evaluation and training; orientation, mobility, and small business training, with dormitory facilities for 36 trainees. Same source: "Newspapers for the Blind" -- a live radio program with volunteers reading entire newspaper articles for blind listeners -- is being broadcast on KQED, San Francisco, Monday thru Friday, sponsored by Blind San Franciscans, Inc. (We might add WMRY, Belleville, Ill., is providing a new service of interest to blind listeners near E. St. Louis, Ill., and St. Louis, Mo. Called "Talking Books," it is operated in connection with Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, and is ably directed by Father B.L. Wittenbrink.) Tampa Tribune and other sources: Blue-blindness. Testing vision at a Houston, Texas school, Drs. H.F. Sassoon and Margie Tolder found children with normal intelligence but reported to be "slow learners" may not be able to see blue. Many test papers are presented on duplicated sheets which are violet-blue color and may look gray or yellowish to some pupils. The old tests were for red and green, which told if a person was what was known as "color-blind," but new tests show these persons may distinguish a red traffic light from a green one, but may have difficulty with reading, which causes the "slow learner" type. Therefore, more sophisticated equipment is recommended for testing and upgrading of reading materials. It is also suggested that persons with color distinction difficulties never be designated "color blind," as in many cases such people fear complete blindness and develop an inferiority complex. Color-blindness is reported to be more common in men who inherit the genetic trait from their mothers. Women are color-blind only if both parents are carriers, which explains why only one girl in 100 is thus afflicted as compared with one boy in 12. The Missouri Federation of the Blind held its annual state convention at Kentwood Arms Hotel, Springfield, October 19-22. Outstanding events were the speech of United States Senator Eagleton at the banquet, discussing H.R.1; attendance throughout the convention of Dr. Robert J. Smithdas and his contribution of information concerning training and rehabilitation of deaf-blind youth and adults; the musical contribution of the Shriners' Abou Ben Adam Chanters, which was an outstanding event and a first for MFB banquet entertainment. Elections were a feature of the closing session: Mrs. John J. (Alma) Murphey, re-elected President by acclamation; Mrs. Edward A. (Louise) Rieman, First Vice President; Mrs. Fred (Assunta) Lilley, Recording Secretary; Vernor Sucher, Second Secretary; Vice President; Mrs. James R. (Mildred) Taylor, Corresponding Secretary; Victor C. Johnson, re-elected Treasurer, also by acclamation. American Council of the Blind was represented by its president and ambassador of Goodwill, Mr. Floyd Qualls. We, V.C.J. and X.E.J., are proud to have been identified with the organized blind movement during a long period of time. We thank you for asking us to make a little contribution to THE BRAILLE FORUM. ***** ** Important Information for Tenants From the Union Labor News (Wis.): Internal Revenue Service investigators are actively participating in a National Rent Watch to protect recipients of increased Social Security payments from having their rents illegally raised. On October 1, 28 million Social Security recipients received a 20% increase but most of those receiving welfare aid did not benefit because the exact amount was deducted from their monthly checks. Landlords are being urged not to raise rents unless they are certain such increases are legal. In many cases landlords have already raised rents this year and must wait until 12 months have elapsed since that increase before raising rents again. Landlords must not raise rents beyond a maximum 2.5% a year increase plus prorated passthroughs of increased taxes, municipal fees and services and capital improvements. Tenants should also receive a detailed 30-day notice. The Cost of Living Council has given the IRS new administrative sanction powers to protect tenants from illegal rent increase. Now the IRS can order landlords violating regulations to restore overpayments to tenants, roll back rents to legal limits and impose penalties of double the overcharged rent. ***** ** ACB Committees Following is a list of names and addresses of chairmen of ACB committees. With convention time fast approaching, it is hoped this information will be useful. AWARDS (Ambassador and George Card): Wallace Menning, 2750 Ellis Street, N.E., Salem, Oregon 97301 BUDGET: Reese H. Robrahn, 329 Woodbury Lane, Topeka, Kansas 66606 CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS: Floyd Cargill, 216 West Miller Street, Springfield, Illinois 62702 CREDIT UNION: John Vanlandingham, 5800 North 19th Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85015 CREDENTIALS: Garland Dowling, 1606 S. Springwood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20901 EDUCATIONAL RADIO: Travis Harris, 3840 N.W. 31, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112 FINANCE: Fred Lilley, 7629 Dale Street, Richmond Heights, Missouri 67117 LEGISLATIVE: Dr. S. Bradley Burson, 917 Kenyon St., Downers Grove, Illinois 60515 LIBRARIES: Crawford Pike, 603 E. North Street, Talladega, Alabama 35160 MEMBERSHIP: Alice Bankston, 747 N. 135th Street, Seattle, Washington 98133 RESOLUTIONS: Becky (Rebecca) Floyd, 850 North Jefferson Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39202 SEMINARS (Leadership Developing and Recruiting): Billie Elder, 5317 W. 29th St., Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 SPEAKERS BUREAU: Ray Powers, 304 Marvin Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901 ***** ** 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 ###