The Braille Forum Vol. XII January-February 1974 No. 4 Published Bi-Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * President: Floyd Qualls 106 N.E. 2nd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104 * National Representative: Durward K. McDaniel 818 18th Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, DC 20006 * Editor: Mary T. Ballard 190 Lattimore Road Rochester, NY 14620 (716) 244-8364 The Braille Forum seeks to promote the independence and dignity of all blind people; to stress responsibility of citizenship; to alert the public to the abilities and accomplishments of the blind. The Braille Forum carries official news of the American Council of the Blind and its programs. It is available for expression of views and concerns common to all blind persons. ***** ** Contents Notice to Subscribers Rehabilitation -- Self-Rehabilitation -- No Rehabilitation: A Brief Look at the Blind of Israel, by Lea Levavi Equity, Equality, and the Energy Crisis Preview -- ACB 1974 Convention Post-Convention Northwoods Tour The "Resignation" of John F. Nagle, by Durward K. McDaniel Brother, Can You Spare a Letter?, by Ione B. Miller Gadgets -- Eh?, by Miriam Lipman "It Sensitized My Awareness," by Pat Price The Optacon -- A Personal Report, by Harry Bassler ACB Members Attend Writers Conference Report of ACB Committee for Deaf-Blind Adults, by Joseph Wiedenmayer Lawyers Conference First-Class All the Way, by Oral O. Miller ACB Service Net, a Link with Folks Back Home Guide Dog Users, Inc. Holds First Annual Convention World Council of Blind Lions -- Fifth Annual Meeting, by William Ferrell Lone Star Leader Passes, by Robert and Layleth Qualls Politics -- and the Blind Hurdling a Handicap Legislative Roundup, by Durward K. McDaniel The New Outlook for the Blind, Reduced Subscription Price for ACB Members Washington Report and AFB Newsletter in Print and Braille Here and There, by Billie Elder ACB Officers ***** ** 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 cassette (ips 1 7/8). Subscriptions and address changes for all four editions should be sent to Floyd Qualls, 106 N.E. 2nd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to ACB Treasurer J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina 28205. Anyone who wishes to remember the American Council of the Blind in his or her Last Will and Testament may use the following language in a special paragraph for that purpose: "I give and bequeath unto the American Council of the Blind, a District of Columbia not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $ _____ "; or: " _____ %of my net estate"; or: "the following described property: ... ". "Said bequest is made and devised to be used for the Council's corporate purposes, in the interest of blind and visually impaired persons." If your wishes are more complex, have your attorney communicate with the Council's national office. ***** ** Rehabilitation -- Self-Rehabilitation -- No Rehabilitation: A Brief Look at the Blind of Israel By Lea Levavi (Editor's Note: Lea Levavi, formerly Linda Podell, was born in the United States and attended several ACB conventions during her student days at New York University, where she majored in journalism. Now a citizen of Israel, Lea works as journalist, public-relations practitioner, and interpreter and is also a graduate student of Arabic.) Shortly before the State of Israel became independent in 1948, the number of blind persons in the country barely reached 100. Most of those were aged and had come here "to die in Jerusalem." A year later, the blind population of Israel numbered several thousand, and ours became the country with the largest percentage of blind persons as compared to total population. This situation was the result of what we in Israel call "the law of return" -- the principle that every Jew has the right to return to Israel and to become a citizen. The unfortunate fact, though, was that the blind newcomers, most of whom came from the Middle East and North Africa, where they had received no education or rehabilitation, came at a time when the country was racked by war, overwhelmed by mass immigration, and unable to give its new blind citizens the help they needed. So the blind became welfare cases in a state whose treasury was empty. They received help from charity appeals launched among Jewish communities around the world, and one of these charitable ventures created the shameful spectacle of Village for the Blind. There, blind people who could not find their places elsewhere in the country, worked in a sheltered workshop, while their sighted relatives (where there were any) worked the land. The village thankfully was disbanded a few years ago, and the Government, aware that this had been a terrible mistake, has helped these blind people, most of whom are by now too old for job training, obtain decent housing and reasonable levels of welfare assistance. Even in those dark days of 1948, there were some blind people who rehabilitated themselves. The most shining example is Professor Haim Blank, a Professor of Arabic Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has become such a leading figure in his field and is such an excellent teacher that students literally fight with each other at registration time each year to get into his classes, as this writer can vouch from experience. Over the years, as Israel's economic, social, and defense position improved, the situation of the blind became steadily better. Though we do not yet have anything like the comprehensive rehabilitation programs which the blind of America enjoy, we now have two rehabilitation centers, and blind persons who complete elementary or high school are trained for factory work or telephone operating. There have been courses in computer work, stenography, and teleprinter work, but for various reasons not much success has been achieved in these fields. Dictating machines are almost unheard of in Israel which eliminates one employment area which has become popular in the United States. Several government agencies are looking for typists who can transcribe Arabic from tape, and one official approached me regarding the possibility of training blind girls for this work. The difficulty here is that typing in Arabic presents special problems to the blind typist because there are certain letters in the language which must be connected to the letters preceding them in some cases and left separate in others. If one does not see a very good memory is required to remember when to use which alternative key for one of these letters. There are, however, a few of us who do type Arabic, and careful selection plus good training should solve the technical problems. Though we have a residential school for the blind in Jerusalem (the same institution, incidentally, which previously served the aged blind who came to die in the Holy City), its classes continue only until the ninth grade, and thereafter all blind students are integrated into the sighted schools. Even on the elementary level, the tendency is toward integration with the facilities of the residential school being used primarily for multi-handicapped blind children and for those who cannot, for one reason or another, live with their families. Until recently, going to college was a luxury only a few blind people could afford. Therefore, our college graduates are few, far between, and really the cream of the crop. In addition to Professor Blank, we can claim three excellent psychologists (one of whom is a highly paid consultant to government and to private enterprise), several school teachers (including one Arab), a lawyer, and various and sundry others. Within the past two years, however, scholarship funds have been set up to open the doors of our universities to more blind students. This year our roster of college students has jumped to 60, which is quite a feat, considering that four years ago we could have counted them on the fingers of one hand. Though social work, psychology, Arabic studies, and education are the fields which have attracted most of the blind students, additional majors include law, music, and administration. So far, no blind Israeli has braved mathematics or the natural sciences, but that, too, will come to pass soon, I am sure. In short, the situation of the blind has improved tremendously over the 25 years of Israel's history. For lack of sufficient services, the more ambitious still must rehabilitate themselves, but the days of no rehabilitation, of charity and welfare, are over for all those who have the ability, will, and desire to enjoy a better, fuller life. ***** ** Equity, Equality, and the Energy Crisis: A Letter to William Simon Mr. William Simon Energy Policy Office Washington, D.C. 20006 Dear Mr. Simon: The American Council of the Blind is gravely concerned about the impact of the energy crisis on the blind, physically handicapped, and others who do not operate motor vehicles. Where public transportation is inadequate or nonexistent, we must rely on the generosity of others for transportation. Monetary considerations will not compensate for limited gasoline. Many blind and handicapped persons work and must rely on fellow workers to get them to and from employment. Non-workers must get to grocery stores, the doctor's office, to church, and other places necessary to them. Willing people cannot afford to use their rationed gas to provide this kind of assistance. When stand-by plans for gas rationing are prepared, the American Council of the Blind strongly urges allocation to the blind, physically handicapped, and other non-driving members of society who are compelled to depend on others for transportation. Friends and fellow workers can and will go out of their way to aid us, but they cannot afford to do this when it uses the gasoline rationed to them. I request you to give this serious matter favorable consideration in your rationing plans. Sincerely yours, Floyd Qualls, President ***** ** Preview -- ACB 1974 Convention Members of the American Council of the Blind will convene at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago, Illinois this year. Special-interest organizations will begin their sessions on Sunday, July 28, and the formal opening of the ACB sessions will be on Wednesday, July 31, at 1:00 p.m., through Saturday, August 3. Bradley Burson, 917 Kenyon Street, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, is General Convention Chairman. Oral Miller, of Washington, D.C., is the ACB Convention Coordinator. The ACB program will include special features such as a follow-up on the regional conferences on Supplemental Security Income; Civil Rights and attitudes toward blindness; implications of continuing education; employment, technology and communications; organized recreation; legislation; and special seminars on editing, leadership training, citizen participation. Committees will meet and report, and all officers and directors will be elected. Ronald W. Workman, 1611 West Pike Street, Goshen, Indiana 46526, is chairman of the Resolutions Committee. Please send advance copies of proposed resolutions to him. Located in the heart of America, Chicago should draw conventioners from all points. The LaSalle Hotel, with its fine accommodations, is located in the heart of Chicago's downtown loop at LaSalle and Madison Streets. Leisure Guide says, "Chicago has 224 square miles of things to do," and the ACB Convention Committee is at work planning an exciting week of fun and work. The city is located on a crescent-shaped harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan and offers culture and cuisine with an international flavor. Families will find the planetarium, the aquarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry fascinating pursuits. Here, too, they will find the world's tallest building, Sears, and the intriguing World Board of Trade, where they can see and hear the grain market in action. Further details will be available soon. The room rates will be $12.00 per single, $15.00 per double. For specific information, write the Convention Committee or the ACB National Office. Coordinate vacation plans with convention dates and enjoy more in '74. The next Forum will bring you more information on programs and convention issues, special seminars and conferences of vendors, lawyers, teachers, secretaries, guide dog users, ham radio operators, students, Lions, and computer programmers. You may wish to register now with the LaSalle Hotel, 10 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602, to assure your convention seat and sleeping pad. Be sure to request the ACB convention rate. ***** ** Post-Convention Northwoods Tour Those planning to attend the American Council of the Blind convention in Chicago next July, who have never enjoyed the pine-scented Northwoods country of Wisconsin and Michigan, may be interested in a bus tour the following week. Betty Hoffman of Evergreen Travel Service, who specializes in tours for the handicapped, is making tentative plans for such a tour if there are enough interested. Leaving Chicago, a chartered bus will head for Wisconsin, stopping at interesting scenic and historical sites along the way. Motel accommodations will await the group each night, with frequent hiking tours and boat rides to break the monotony of bus travel. On to Upper Michigan, where one highlight will be crossing the famous Mackinac Bridge into Lower Michigan. Down through the fruit-bearing lake country of the Lower Peninsula, the bus will make similar stops on its way back to Chicago. The trip will comprise about six or seven days. Betty Hoffman must know early how many are seriously interested before she can commit motels, resorts, and the bus line. Only a limited number can be accommodated, depending on the bus capacity and the rooms available en route. Write Betty Hoffman, Evergreen Travel Service, Inc., 19429 44th Street, W., Lynwood, Washington 98036, for tour cost and information. ***** ** The "Resignation" of John F. Nagle By Durward K. McDaniel Fifteen years ago, John F. Nagle closed his law practice in Massachusetts and came to Washington to work as a lobbyist for the National Federation of the Blind. Prior to his coming to the job, the Federation for year or so had two staff people, Earl Scharry and John Taylor. Scharry "resigned" before Nagle came, and Taylor later went to work for the Iowa Commission for the Blind, leaving Nagle as the only staff. As was the fact with. the late A. L. Archibald, who represented the Federation in Washington for several years until he was fired. In 1957, Nagle achieved a reputation within the field of blindness for his lobbying work. In 1969, Nagle received a Miguel Medal award given by the American Foundation for the Blind in this instance primarily because of his intensive work for an amendment to the Social Security Act which would qualify blind persons for benefits with only six quarters of coverage and with no limitations on the beneficiary's earnings. His work on that Social Security amendment was specially recognized by Congressman James A. Burke of Massachusetts, who is still a leading exponent of the amendment, when he published his commendations in the Congressional Record in April, 1969. All of the major organizations of and for the blind support this amendment, but it was Nagle's major effort. Ironically, within a few days after his "termination," the Senate passed the amendment for the sixth time as a part of H.R. 3153, which was still in joint conference committee at the beginning of the second session of the 93rd Congress. Nagle's letter of "resignation" published in the December 1973 Braille Monitor spoke of "strength and energy'' which was translated into "health problems" by the NFB president. Whatever the considerations may have been for the letter of "resignation" (and there are numerous unconfirmed facts circulating in the undercurrents of the Federation), his friends and partisans within the Federation do not believe the official rationale. Some of them know that Nagle has continued to work individually with others for Federation-sponsored legislation since his "termination." They also know that Nagle was fully able and prepared to testify on vending-stand legislation on November 19, had he been permitted to do so. John Taylor made a special trip to Washington to speak for the Federation on that occasion. Nagle was in great demand as a state convention speaker and traveled extensively. Friends say that Nagle's political and job problems began after the death of President Jacobus tenBroek in 1968. Some professionals in the field of blindness have been speculating for some time, off the record, that Nagle's "termination" was probable, if not inevitable. People in and out of the Federation believe that Nagle was the NFB's greatest asset. All wish him well in whatever job he may secure. It is assumed that NFB's Washington office will re-open (the office secretary was also terminated), but John F. Nagle will be a tough act to follow. ***** ** Brother, Can You Spare A Letter By Ione B. Miller The Randolph-Sheppard Act Amendments as introduced in the 92nd session of Congress were not passed. Instead, an investigation and accounting of the revenue from vending operations on Federal property was requested of the United States Comptroller General. This report from the General Accounting Office was finished and the evaluations of the report placed before the 93rd session of Congress. The Randolph-Sheppard Act Amendments of 1973 (S-2581) have been introduced by Senator Randolph from the basis of the findings of the GAO report. Senators Hathaway, Kennedy, Pell, Stafford, Taft and Williams have co-authored S-2581. The provisions of S-2581 would allow for additional and more secure opportunities for blind persons to become self-supporting under the vending stand program for the blind and would allow the program to function in a more effective manner than it has been able to function in the past. There are many instances where blind vendors are being squeezed out by other entities intent on using revenue from sales of food and beverage in public buildings for purposes other than those stipulated in the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Some of those entities are union and employee association groups in Federal buildings. Operators that come in daily contact with Federal workers do not believe that the average Federal worker is either opposed to blind persons being in the vending facilities or that the individual worker usually receives high individual benefits from the present arrangements of vending machine revenue from Federal employee groups. However, statistics of the GAO report show that a great deal of money is being collected from vending operations in Federal buildings while the income to blind operators of the buildings is on the average quite meager. There are many more Federal employees than there are blind vendors, so the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America are asking all interested persons to write to their Congressmen asking them to support S-2581. If this bill fails, the vending stand program for the blind may be out of locations in a few years so Brother, or Sister, if You can spare a letter, will you send it off today to your Congressman? ***** ** Gadgets -- Eh? By Miriam H. Lipman My Talking Book is loud and clear My Brailler goes "clack clack" Tapes and cassettes are always near As typing keys go "smack." Coordinated gadgetry has cast its awful spell on me ... Though what can be the use of it Is hard for all my friends to see ... ***** ** "It Sensitized My Awareness" By Pat Price At the close of the first National Symposium on Employment of the Visually Impaired in Secretarial Fields, held in Houston, Texas, December 11, 12 and 13, 1973, the unanimous reaction voiced by some sixty sighted and blind secretaries, employers, and professional rehabilitation workers from all parts of the United States was, briefly, "My awareness has been greatly sensitized." From the opening welcome by Dr. S. Bradley Burson, Program Coordinator, and the keynote address by Betty Ann Jones, Conference Chairman and president of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, on through each successive symposium activity, participants were continually informed, challenged, and made acutely aware of the needs and expectations of both the consumer (the blind employee) and management (the employer). Workshops provided an opportunity for extensive brainstorming and fact-gathering through discussions dealing with such topics as mobility, employer/employee relationships, the image of the blind worker, and exploration of vocational areas as yet undeveloped. Equipment demonstrations focused on the specific skills and techniques and the use of special sensory aids by the blind secretary. Perhaps the high point of the meeting was the actual on-the-spot encounter by small groups of symposium participants with some fifteen Houston businesses to pursue job opportunities for the blind secretary and transcriber. Never before has any known attempt been made to intensively study the employer's attitude toward hiring and advancing the visually impaired in secretarial fields. Yet this conference conceived in the minds of creative, forward-looking VISTA leaders, was dedicated solely to that task. Funded by HEW and implemented through collaboration with the Houston Lighthouse for the Blind (Jeri Rougagnac, Director and Conference Co-Chairman) and Upper Midwest Area Manpower Institute for Development of Staff, of Minneapolis, Minnesota (Timothy Costello, Deputy Director), the symposium brought together an unprecedented roster of leaders in their respective fields. Included were blind secretaries and transcribers, employers, trainers, instructors, vocational rehabilitation personnel, and visually impaired consumer trainees from a vast cross-section of our society. The impact of the symposium, however, will not be limited to only those individuals who were personally involved. Written proceedings will be published, and anyone wishing to receive a copy may write to Miss Betty Ann Jones, President, Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, 907 Harper Street, Utica, New York 13502. From these proceedings, the Office of Education will draw guidelines for the employment of visually impaired secretaries. Thus, heretofore scattered information on employee qualifications, problems confronting blind secretaries, and solutions which successful blind secretaries have evolved will be brought together and made available to assist blind secretarial students, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and potential employers in training and planning for successful employment of blind persons in special and technical secretarial occupations -- truly a giant step forward. ***** ** The Optacon: A Personal Report By Harry Bassler The Optacon over the past six months has opened up for me a world of new experiences. This tactile reading device is more and more arousing the interest of blind people all over the country, and I want to share with those people some of my own personal observations and try to answer a few basic questions. What is the Optacon? It is an electronic device which enables the blind to read most ink-print materials. Printed materials are read through the conversion of optical images into tactile ones; it does not convert into braille. The user must know or learn the print alphabet, digits, and commonly used punctuation marks. An array of tiny stimulators (pins) vibrates in such a way as to form the shapes of the symbols perceived by a small "zoom" lens camera. Tracking with the camera is not automatic, but must be done manually. This is somewhat difficult at first, but gets easier with practice. Operated on either rechargeable batteries or alternating house current, it is completely portable, weighing just 4 lb., and is the size of the average cassette tape recorder. What can be read with the Optacon? Here are some items which I have read successfully: Personal mail, when printed or typewritten; bills and pay checks; labels on medicine containers and on pre-packaged food products; recipe books; telephone directory (for verifying addresses), magazine articles, and newsletters; hard-cover books; computer programming manuals and computer printouts; hard-cover books; commercial record jackets and the labels on the discs; and photocopies of printed documents. Other Optacon users have told me that they read many of these same items. Can anyone learn to use the Optacon? I think it is evident that not all people can learn to use the Optacon successfully. One needs reasonably good (though not exceptional) sensitivity in one's fingers. This means that some diabetics would have great difficulty. Rather than special skills or exceptional intelligence, I feel success in learning the Optacon is more a matter of motivation. How badly do you wish to read print? If a person tends to be pessimistic and negative in his outlook and general attitudes, to give up easily, I would advise against the Optacon. It requires real work to learn to use it during the first few weeks. But with patience and perseverance, reading soon comes much easier. Also I should point out that some print fonts are much easier to read than others. The rate for reading with the Optacon is very slow at first, but with practice, speed gradually increases. There are two people who claim they can read 85 to 90 words per minute. I do not doubt this, for they are both exceptional people and have had the Optacon for over two years. According to the manufacturer, however, the average user should be able to attain speeds of 55 to 60 words per minute. Where can the Optacon and necessary training be obtained? For information on the Optacon, contact Telesensory Systems, Inc., 2626 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, California, 94304. Although this is the only manufacturer, several organizations offer the training course. These include Telesensory Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, California; the Cleveland Society for the Blind, Cleveland, Ohio; Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Lighthouse for the Blind, New York City, New York. The latter will lend blind persons the purchase price of the Optacon ($3,450.00) for two years at 1 percent interest, with monthly payments of $147.00. Borrowers, however, must receive training from the New York Lighthouse in order to participate in this loan program. How can one afford to buy an Optacon? There are few of us for whom the cost of such a device is not a great burden. Therefore, may I offer the following suggestions as possible sources of financial assistance: Some employers have already purchased Optacons for their employees. IBM has bought five for its computer programmers employed throughout the country. Numerous Federal agencies have bought Optacons for blind people working for them, and a few state rehabilitation offices have purchased them for employees and clients. Blind residents of Western Pennsylvania should be interested to know that the Mellon Foundation stands ready to subsidize such purchases. Some Lions Clubs might also be interested in the project. A person who has the necessary determination to use the Optacon should also have enough determination to find a source of financial assistance. ***** ** ACB Members Attend Writers Conference Several American Council members attended Dialogue's first "Writer's Conference" held October 26, 27, and 28 at the Oak Park Arms Hotel Oak Park Illinois. Directed by Annette Victorin, Dialogue's literary editor, the three-day session was crammed with gems of hints on writing fundamentals, emphasized by successful guest speakers of national reputation. Sessions included workshops on fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Stories, articles, and poems were read and openly criticized and praised. Some of those read were by successful authors; others by blind writers in attendance. Active ACB members in attendance were Mary Ballard, Braille Forum editor; Margaret Freer, Forum associate editor; Billie Elder, ACB board member; Phyllis Stern, Shirley Boaz, Kathleen Toomey, and Joanna and Floyd Cargill. Conferees gave a long and enthusiastic response to Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer prize-winning poet who spoke at the Saturday afternoon luncheon. Her warm personality added immensely to her of several of her poems, some of which depicted the emotions reading of a black girl growing up in Chicago's deprived neighborhoods. She gave the conferees an added bonus by bringing one of her proteges, Carolyn Rogers, who read a few of her acclaimed free verses. Wilma Burton, Moody Bible writer and outstanding author of many poems, spoke to the group on fundamentals of poetry writing, citing some of her works as examples. Bernice Clifton, author of two books on blindness, spoke at the Saturday luncheon program on how she approached her writing duties. At the final session, the Sunday one o'clock dinner, Frances Altman, editor of Suburban Week, a magazine supplement to the Chicago Daily News and Sun-Times, addressed her audience on "What Editors Are Looking For," advice on how to write for editors' acceptance. In a workshop session Sunday morning, Lorraine Hardt, women's editor of LaGrange Citizen, LaGrange, Illinois, a successful greeting card verse writer, gave many hints on how to enter this field, emphasizing her talk with cogent examples of those she has had published by leading greeting card manufacturers. Don O. Nold, Dialogue editor-publisher, conducted a session on writing news stories and press releases. B.T. Kimbrough, Dialogue managing editor, led a panel discussion on a variety of subjects relating to writing for publication. On his panel were Rose Krol Burnham, Dialogue women's editor; Frances Jennings, creative writing instructor, Hadley School For The Blind; and Annette Victorin. Each blind conferee was given a folder containing texts of many of Annette's lectures and writing hints gathered over many years of teaching and writing for today's competitive markets. Most of the conference was taped, and those attending will have the option of securing copies when they are ready, according to Don Nold. "If feasible," Nold added, "they may be offered to others at the cost of production." What about a repeat performance for next year? "Let's rest up from this one before answering that," said Annette Victorin. "It has been a highly exhilarating experience, but an exhausting one, too." Annette, who celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary more than a year ago shortly before she lost her husband, has more energy than many who are much younger, evidenced by her ubiquitous performance, being in the center of all activity during the meetings. ***** ** Report of ACB Committee for Deaf-Blind Adults By Joseph Wiedenmayer The nation's first volunteer committee for the deaf-blind, established by the American Council of the Blind in early 1973, met in Knoxville, Tennessee, to outline future activities and to lay the groundwork for a program to be presented to the Council at the earliest possible date, prior to implementation. Members of the committee are: Joseph Wiedenmayer, Chairman, Washington, D.C.; Judy Pool, Oklahoma; Desma Pike, Alabama; Boyd Wolfe Jr., Ohio; and Jack Murphey, Missouri. Dr. Robert Smithdas, of the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, serves the Committee as consultant. It was decided to focus attention on the so-called "hard core" deaf-blind adults, very roughly estimated at some 20,000, not including those with partial sight and residual hearing, who also have serious problems. The aim of the Committee is to support and to cooperate with Federal, state, and local programs for the deaf-blind, and most important to make this forgotten minority segment of our population remembered by the general public. The Committee agreed on the need to improve conditions for deaf-blind adults so as to make them feel more wanted and needed in our society. Each Committee member was requested to submit to the chairman suggested major areas of involvement in 1973-74. Such areas might include vocational, social and public relations (image of the deaf-blind), problems, and solutions. Three resolutions pertaining to the deaf-blind, unanimously approved by the Committee, were subsequently adopted by the general convention, as follows: * Resolution 73-03 WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has always supported Senator Adlai Stevenson's efforts to win Congressional permission for airlines to grant fare concessions to physically handicapped persons when accompanied by a suitable companion-guide; and WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind feels that such fare concessions would be a great boon to the deaf-blind, few of whom are willing to attempt traveling by themselves; and WHEREAS, due to widespread unemployment that and meager public assistance grands, it rarely happens that a deaf-blind person can afford to pay full fare for himself and his companion-guide, a fact that effectively excludes a deaf-blind person from enjoying the speed and convenience of transportation by plane; and WHEREAS, this exclusion from the airways tends to perpetuate the loneliness and isolation of deaf-blind persons who, for lack of sufficient funds, are unable to visit their friends and relatives in distant parts of the land; and WHEREAS, it would be far more profitable for a given airline to permit a deaf-blind person and guide to travel for one fare than to transport two vacant seats; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled at Knoxville, Tennessee, this 21st day of July, 1973, that this organization instruct its officers and National Representative to continue giving all possible support to Senator Stevenson's airfare concession bill, and that special emphasis on its relation to the needs of deaf-blind citizens be stressed. * Resolution 73-04 WHEREAS, it is the duty of the American Council of the Blind to promote the social and economic advancement of all citizens who are either seriously or totally deaf and blind; and WHEREAS, the Council believes that such rehabilitation of those doubly handicapped persons depends in very large measure on the success of the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, an agency which, despite insufficient funds, inadequate facilities and limited staff, has been serving the deaf-blind with remarkable success for years; and WHEREAS, the President's veto of the Rehabilitation Amendments of 1972 deprives the National Center of the necessary funds with which to build, staff, and operate its long-needed facility at Sands Point, New York, where fifty (the present capacity is only eighteen) clients could be trained simultaneously; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled at Knoxville, Tennessee, this 21st day of July, 1973, that this organization instruct its officers and National Representative to give the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults all possible assistance in its campaign for prompt and adequate funding by the Federal Government. * Resolution 73-05 BE IT RESOLVED by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled at Knoxville, Tennessee, this 21st day of July, 1973, that all Congressional bills and the succeeding laws relating to the deaf and blind, and to other handicapped persons, include the word "deaf-blind." ***** ** Lawyers Conference First-Class All the Way By Oral O. Miller The forty or so licensed attorneys and law students who attended the fifth annual conference of the American Blind Lawyers Association, held in Knoxville last July, preceding the ACB national convention, were able to luxuriate in a veritable bath of legal scholarship, intellectual stimulation, and practical information. The dozen or so presentations and lectures which made up the two-day program were divided about equally between selected members of the Association and sighted lawyers, judges, and law professors. For about half of the blind participants on the program, this was their first blind lawyers conference, and they and their presentations were received very cordially. The subjects covered in the program ranged from somewhat technical topics such as public-interest lawsuits and class actions to more controversial topics such as the Supreme Court and confessions of guilt. It also included a number of professionally oriented "how-to-do-it" presentations on such subjects as the furnishing of a law office, techniques of practicing law without sight, and the use of the Optacon in practicing law. It was a pleasure, indeed, to hear the material presented in the varied speaking styles that were in evidence -- such as the relaxed professorial style of Professor Otis Stephens and Professor Mayo Coiner, the judicial tone of Judge Mario Pieroni, the experienced trial lawyer technique of J.D. Lee of the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the charming style of Ms. Marcia Bergdorf of the National Center for Law and the Handicapped. Partly by accident and partly by design, the Association was able to include on its program, at no cost to the Association, two rather "high-priced" speakers. At the time the Association was holding its conference, the American Trial Lawyers Association was also conducting, in the same hotel, a professional seminar and course, the admission fee for which was $1,000 per attorney. It is almost needless to say that those in attendance listened very carefully while being addressed by two of the course's lecturers -- J.D. Lee, President of the American Trial Lawyers Association, and Professor Mayo Coiner of Memphis State University Law School. This article has touched on only a few of the highlights of the 1973 ABLA conference. ABLA members believe the conference was another success in every way and that its overall quality and high professional standards are evidence of the value which the Association has become to its members. Sincere appreciation goes to everyone who took part on the program or may have been involved with it in any way. As suggested earlier in this article, several of the topics on the ABLA program were of considerable interest to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. While there are practical limitations as to how many non-lawyers may attend ABLA conferences without notice, it is suggested that readers of this article may be interested in attending future sessions as observers. ***** ** ACB Service Net A Link with Folks Back Home From high atop the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Knoxville, messages went winging their way last July to all corners of the United States. For the fourth year in a row, the ACB Service Net played an important part in the success of the National convention of the American Council of the Blind, running phone patches and handling messages for almost 100 persons. Those individuals who had the privilege of checking back home and talking with loved ones know something about the services of this very fine station during the convention. The Service Net has had a club station at each of the national conventions for the last four years, beginning in Oklahoma. However, Richard Stansfield did himself proud in arranging for one of the finest setups ever this year. Contacts were made not only throughout the United States, but with Puerto Rico and the islands of the Pacific. The station was quite busy much of the time, furnishing communications back home for many of the participants, as well as providing education for those interested in ham radio. Some thirty hams put in an appearance at the club station, and many of them spent time operating the station. At the business meeting, Bill McIlvain was elected secretary to the ACB Service Net. The club membership continues to grow. More than 200 blind amateurs have checked into the net since its inception some four years ago. The net has met each day, seven days a week, since July 17, 1969. The net continues to handle many pieces of traffic and to provide information on such topics as library services, gadgets and gadgetry, tips on code, and technical information, especially to the blind who wish to become radio amateurs. Great plans are under way for the Chicago convention. The Service Net certainly plans to have a station on the air. Readers are urged to become acquainted with radio amateurs in their local community, telling them about the Service Net and inviting them to check in from time to time. The net meets each day, seven days a week, on 14,305 mhz., from 1700 to 1800 G.M.T. during the winter. ***** ** Guide Dog Users, Inc. Holds First National Convention One of ACB's newest and fastest growing special-interest organizations is Guide Dog Users, Inc. Now boasting some 110 members and four delegate votes, GDUI held its first national meeting concurrently with the 1973 ACB convention at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. On Thursday afternoon, July 19, a panel discussion was held on the subject of "Mobility and Rehabilitation of the Blind." The panel was moderated by Cy Selfridge, Jr., of Denver, Colorado. Panelists included Garland Dowling of Silver Spring, Maryland; Edward Ruch, Field Representative of Guiding Eyes for the Blind; Vincent Syracuse, a trainer from Leader Dogs; and Billie Elder of Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind. At the business meeting on Friday morning, July 20, three board members were elected. One was to fill a position left vacant by the death of Eli Klein of Miami, Florida, and the other two to fill vacancies due to expiration of one-year terms. Elected were Peter Leynse of Ormond Beach, Florida; Rebecca Floyd of Jackson, Mississippi; and Gerhard Van Beck of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Guide Dog Users, Inc. is an organization dedicated to promoting greater understanding on the part of the public of the guide dog user, and of the guide dog's place in the community in aiding blind persons in achieving mobility and independence. All interested persons are invited to join in these endeavors. Presently there are two state chapters, Florida and New York, and additional state chapters are welcome. Membership dues are $2.00 per year. Applications may be secured by writing to Guide Dog Users, Inc., P.O. Box 28058, Central Station, Washington, D.C. 20005. ***** ** World Council of Blind Lions -- Fifth Annual Meeting By William J. Ferrell Thirty-eight persons, Lions and their wives, met at e Skyline Restaurant in the Airport Terminal serving Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 17, 1973, for a delicious "Dutch treat" dinner which had been arranged by Lion Herbert B. Diggs, International Director, who lives at nearby Oak Ridge. The occasion was the preliminary meeting to the fifth annual meeting of the World Council of Blind Lions, scheduled to assemble at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Knoxville the following day. The group, headed by Chairman Lion Fred C. Lilley and his wife Sunny, from Richmond Heights, Missouri, formed a receiving line to greet Tris Coffin, President of Lions International, and his wife Jill. A motorcade was led by a Knoxville police escort to the hotel, where many other Lions and their wives joined the group in an informal reception sponsored by the Tennessee Lions, with Lion Diggs serving as host, in a magnificent suite provided by the WCBL. Standing on the spiral staircase leading to the spacious bedrooms with a balcony overlooking the large living-room area, Lion Diggs introduced many of the guests, including International Director William E. Steinbrueck and his wife, from St. Louis, Missouri, special guests of the Lilleys. Another special guest was Dr. Roy Kumpe, a past district governor from Arkansas. All current district governors of Tennessee Multiple District 12, as well as many past district governors, were also introduced. Short talks by Lion Bill Ferrell, coordinator of the WCBL meeting, and by the honored guests, Lion Tris Coffin and Jill, brought enthusiastic applause from the group. The following day, July 18, more than 150 persons attended a luncheon at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel, where Lion Tris Coffin made his first official appearance as President of Lions International. Lion Tris (as he is affectionately known) made a stirring speech, emphasizing sight conservation and prevention of blindness among his principal objectives as president. The Honorable Kyle Testerman, Mayor of Knoxville, made Lion Tris an honorary citizen of Knoxville, and Ralph Griffith, representing the Honorable Winfield Dunn, Governor of the State of Tennessee, made him an honorary colonel on the Governor's staff. Fred Lilley honored Lion Tris with a plaque in recognition of his service to the World Council for Blind Lions. Lion Tris presented Fred Lilley and Bill Ferrell each with one of his Friendship Flags and their wives with beautiful oak-leaf pins. Lion Charles Hein, District Gover of 12-0, on behalf of the Lions of Tennessee, presented to Lion and Mrs. Coffin a beautiful pair of doves, one mounted in a group of two and the other mounted in a group of three. As a climax to the luncheon and his visit to Tennessee, Lion Tris told of having visited the Hadley School for the Blind and of having received a braille watch from Richard Kinney, with the understanding that he might some day pass it on to some blind person. A drawing was held, and Bill Ferrell was the lucky winner. The Knoxville luncheon was the best one ever held by the WCBL and was acclaimed as one of the highlights of the entire week-long series of meetings held in conjunction with the twelfth annual convention of the American Council of the Blind. ***** ** Lone Star Leader Passes By Robert and Layleth Qualls On Thanksgiving Day the Lone Star Federation of the Blind and the ACB lost a dedicated leader. Marcus Roberson, a successful lawyer of San Antonio, Texas, passed away as a result of a heart attack. For many years Marcus was president of the Lone Star Federation and championed the cause of the blind citizens of Texas and of the nation. In 1956, it was our pleasure to assist Marcus in organizing the blind of San Antonio as a viable organization with definite goals for the welfare of the blind. In this relationship we formed a warm friendship and a deep appreciation for Marcus' great ability and tremendous knowledge. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed telling good Texas stories to illustrate a point. In all the recent ACB conventions, it has been our pleasure to be with Marcus at least one meal of each day; with him also during many convention meetings. He was up and ready to go early of a morning and would answer a telephone call or knock on his door with a friendly and exuberant "hello-O-O-O." We shall miss him, but we feel that his spirit will be wherever the cause of justice is challenged. Our sympathies go to his wife, Claudia, his daughter, Rosemary, and grandchildren. He was a devoted family man. Robert and Layleth Qualls ***** ** Politics -- And the Blind (Reprinted from The Blind Bulletin, Published by the Omaha Association of the Blind, October, 1973) (Editor's Note: At the request of ACB's Nebraska affiliate, Durward McDaniel was a speaker and a consultant at the meeting described.) Practical politics was graphically demonstrated at a meeting on October 9 of the Nebraska Council of the Blind, which includes several area blind-oriented organizations, including the Omaha Association of the Blind. The meeting was called because the popular Dean McDermott, Director of the State Services for the Visually Impaired, was threatened with loss of his job because the State Institutions Advisory Committee recently recommended that the director hold at least a Master's degree. The president of the Nebraska Council, La Von Peterson, said that McDermott's six years' experience in the field more than made up for the advantage of a Master's degree. He said that a recent poll by his group showed that 88 percent of blind persons in Nebraska favored retaining McDermott. Over one hundred persons attended the meeting and demonstrated their unanimous support for Mr. McDermott's work. State Senator Glenn Goodrich promised to initiate an investigation of the Governor's Advisory Committee's recommendation. But it turned out not to be necessary, because late the next afternoon the Governor's Office announced that the Advisory Committee's recommendation about educational degrees for the director were being withdrawn. We are, of course, very pleased that this attempt to remove Mr. McDermott was beaten. It shows how one group, no matter how apparently humble and ineffective, can rise to the occasion and with concerted action and unanimity effectively argue its rightful position. It should be noted here that through the efforts of Mr. McDermott during the last year, at least 25 blind have been taken off relief rolls and each now has regular employment averaging $600.00 a month. ***** ** Hurdling A Handicap By David Sellinger (Editor's Note: A resolution introduced at the 1972 Portland convention regarding a women's section in the Braille Forum was referred to the Board of Publications for disposition. While a was women's section per se was deemed inappropriate by the Board, it has been suggested that profiles of successful blind women be included from time to time. Readers are encouraged to contribute material for this new series.) It was half a lifetime ago, on a Chicago assembly line for the blind, that Eunice Fiorito first displayed her fiery independence and bent toward political activism. Sightless since the age of 16, she had just graduated from high school and was enrolled in a rehabilitation program at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. "I knew that I didn't want to go into the classic kind of things for blind people," she said the other day, recalling her stay in a sheltered workshop where blind workers were paid only five cents an hour for their labor. So she began organizing them at lunch time. "They let me go to college to get rid of me," she grinned. The next year she was off to Loyola as one of the first women to enter that university's day school. Determined not to let her disability stand in the way, she has been busy ever since. As head of the newly created Mayor's Office for the Handicapped (New York City), she put that same energy and activism to work last April in a "Persuasion Pilgrimage" of the severely disabled to Washington. Mrs. Fiorito led four bus loads of handicapped New Yorkers to the national capital in a demonstration to persuade Congress to override a presidential veto of a $2.6 billion rehabilitation bill to aid the disabled. Although the effort failed, the trip taught the demonstrators a lesson. ... The disabled cannot count on being accommodated, Mrs. Fiorito believes, but are "going to have to do a hell of a lot more fighting" to educate the public to their problems. "If we don't do it, nobody else will do it for us." ... "The big problem in New York, as in any other city or state, is that the disabled are disorganized. The emphasis is on the disability rather than on the problems that the disabled have in common." The warm and ebullient Mrs. Fiorito was born 39 years ago in Chicago, the younger daughter of Joseph Frelly, a manager at International Harvester, and the former Anna Root. She grew up in the Windy City's west side, and it was during adolescence that a case of glaucoma resulted in her blindness. Mrs. Fiorito graduated from Loyola in three years, with a B.S. in Education, and then worked as a home teacher for the blind from 1955 until 1958. She later came to New York and continued her studies at Columbia School of Social Work, where she received her Master's degree in 1960. After that, she worked as a psychiatric social worker at the Jewish Guild for the Blind. Anxious not to be type cast as a "blind social worker," she switched to a position in the Children's Unit at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital. She advanced there to become head of the Medical Center's Psychiatric Social Work and Rehabilitation Services. But after two years at that post, she felt her work had been completed and began searching for a new challenge. Mrs. Fiorito wanted to return to work with the disabled, and she decided that "although psychiatric social work was important to many people," the solution to a host of social problems could be found only in the political arena. In 1970 she took a job as a coordinator of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Handicapped and has remained at City Hall, where she says she's called the "hellion." Mrs. Fiorito's City Hall duties have kept her from completing a doctoral degree she's begun at New York University in Public Administration, but they still permit her to travel, and she's especially fond of Monterey. "If you're up high enough, you can feel the sun." She's a "lousy" but devoted bowler. Then there's a "semi-involvement" with the National Organization for Women, trying to relate the problems of the disabled to women. But Mrs. Fiorito says she's not too much of an advocate of Women's Lib. Why? "I feel I have been liberated." ***** ** Legislative Roundup By Durward K. McDaniel Hearings were held on amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act, and action is expected in the Senate early in the new year. On November 19, Arthur Segal, RSVA Legislative Chairman, Karen Perzentka, Secretary of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, and Durward McDaniel testified in support of amendments and of a joint statement filed for RSVA and the American Council of the Blind. All of the major organizations of and for the blind support the amendments, but with some differences over specific amendments. ACB's policy conforms to that set by its affiliate, RSVA. The Administration, through witnesses representing the General Services Administration, the Defense Department, the Postal Service and, to a lesser extent, HEW, tended to favor the status quo in the vending-stand program. Except for the National Treasury Employees Union, Federal employee unions testified in opposition to that part of the bill which would deprive them of commissions from vending machines operated on Federal property. Hearings were also held in November on amendments to the Wagner-O'Day Act, pursuant to which workshops for the blind and other handicapped produce and sell products and services to the Federal Government. The principal amendments advocated by ACB would require workshops to provide regular employee benefits and pay at least 75 percent of the minimum wage to blind and handicapped workers. President Nixon has signed a bill which will: (1) Override laws in some twenty states that, in effect, outlaw Health Maintenance Organizations, and laws in another twenty that hamper them. These are mainly laws inspired by medical societies to keep out what they have called "corporate practice"; that is, laymen or forms hiring doctors, soliciting patients, and giving medical care. This is how many HMO's work. (2) Authorize $325 million over five years (which funds Weinberger promised to start spending in full) for grants, contracts, and loan guarantees to help HMO's start up, and $50 million for quality studies. (3) Most important, in the view of HMO strategists, requires every employer with workers covered by minimum-wage laws to let any employee use his firm's health insurance contribution to join an HMO instead of staying in the company's health plan. HMO's will be important adjuncts in a health-care delivery system, particularly if the Kennedy-Griffith Bill is adopted to establish a comprehensive health-care system for all Americans. The Supplemental Appropriations Bill for 1974 contains moneys for programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The amounts approved are as follows: Basic services, $630,000,000; innovation and expansion (Sec. 199(b) 2), $29,000,00 research (Title II), $20,596,000; training (Title II), $15,572,000 plus funds available from 1973 appropriations, to equal $27.7 million; special projects (Sec. 304), $11,000,000; facility construct ion (Sec. 301), $4,000,000; study of needs of severely disabled, $1,000,000; Office of the Handicapped, Architectural and Transportation Compliance Board, Sheltered Workshop Study, State Grant Allocation Study, $1,000,000. The newly enacted Social Security Bill, H.R. 11333, will replace the 5.9 percent increase in Social Security benefits effective June, 1974, by an 11 percent cost-of-living increase in two steps. The newly enacted Social Security Bill, H.R. 11333, will: (1) Replace the 5.9 percent increase in Social Security benefits effective June, 1974, by an 11 percent cost-of-living increase in two steps. The first step will be a 7 percent increase effective March, April and May, 1974. This will be followed by a second increase starting with June, 1974, to bring the benefits up to 11 percent above the present level. (2) Provide automatic cost-of-living increases. (3) Under the bill, wages taxable under Social Security will be increased from $12,600 in 1974 to $13,200. Thereafter, the wage base would increase automatically as wages rise, as under present law. (4) The new Federal Supplemental Security Income program, which becomes effective in January, 1974, would under present law provide Federal payments to assure the aged, blind, and disabled a monthly income of at least $130 ($195 for couples). Under a provision enacted in July of this year, these amounts would be increased, effective July, 1974, to $140 for an individual and $210 for a couple. The bill will make these higher amounts of $140 and $210 effective from the start of the SSI program in January, 1974. The bill also provides for a further increase, effective July, 1974, to $146 for an individual and $219 for a couple. (5) The bill has complex provisions dealing with food stamps, which will be reported upon as they are clarified. (6) In June, Congress enacted a grandfather clause to assure that current SSI recipients will have no reduction in total income when the new SSI program goes into effect in January. The amendment will permit the adjustment of the grandfather clause in such a way that it assures the same level of total family income (rather than the individual's total income) in those cases in which the SSI recipient resides with an AFDC family. (7) The Senate, in an amendment incorporated in H.R. 3153, agreed to permit states to fashion their own social services programs within the limit of the Federal funds available. The House conferees wanted time to give this proposal full consideration, but they agreed that during an interim period, the present HEW regulations should be suspended. Accordingly, the amendment includes a further suspension of the regulations until December 31, 1974. (8) The bill contains a provision which will make Federal matching available for Medicaid benefits for any new SSI recipient, although coverage of these new recipients would be optional on the part of the state. The bill would make Medicaid coverage mandatory for those persons who receive a mandatory state supplemental payment in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 93-66. The amendment also provides that for other persons receiving a state supplemental payment only, coverage would be optional, depending upon the state's decision, but that a state must make eligibility determinations based upon some rational classifications of recipients. Additionally, the provision places an upper limit on the monthly income (initially $420 in the case of an individual) which an institutionalized person can have and still be deemed in special need and therefore eligible for Medicaid coverage in a state without a medically indigent program. When the Senate considered H.R. 3153, it added numerous amendments which were not included in the bill described above, which passed. Among those amendments was the one which the Senate passed for the sixth time, which would make blind persons eligible for benefits with only six quarters of coverage and with no limit on earnings. That amendment and others were still pending in H.R. 3153, in joint conference at the beginning of the second session of the 93rd Congress. Notwithstanding the Administration's budget request for zero funding for all libraries, including libraries for the blind and physically handicapped, Congress did appropriate $46,470,000 for Title I of the Library Services Construction Act, from which funding for these special libraries is normally derived. In recent years, libraries for the blind have received approximately $2 million annually from this source. The President is authorized to reduce program items by no more than 5 percent of the amount appropriated. ***** ** The New Outlook for the Blind, Reduced Subscription Price for ACB Members The New Outlook for the Blind is published ten times annual by the American Foundation for the Blind in three editions -- print, braille, and recorded disk. The regular subscription price for each edition is $6.00 annually. Through a special arrangement made with the Foundation by Reese Robrahn, ACB members in good standing may purchase any edition for the reduced rate of $4.50. ACB members wishing to subscribe should send an order to the ACB National Office, with name, address, specified edition, and remittance payable to ACB. The subscription year will commence for each person with the next issue following the placing of his or her name on the mailing list. Accordingly, each subscriber will receive ten issues of the magazine. Since subscriptions will not be based on the calendar year, ACB members in good standing may place orders at any time. If you are a member of an organization affiliated with ACB or are a member at large, you are eligible for this special offer. When a subscriber's name goes on the mailing list for the New Outlook, it will also be placed automatically and without additional charge on the mailing list for the Washington Report and the AFB Newsletter, in print or braille. ***** ** Washington Report and AFB Newsletter in Print and Braille These periodicals are published by the American Foundation for the Blind and are available in print and braille, without charge. Requests for the preferred edition of these publications should be sent to the American Foundation for the Blind, 15 West 16th Street, New York, New York 10011. Washington Report is published bi-monthly and includes Congressional and Executive Branch news. Its editor is Irvin P. Schloss, Coordinator of Governmental Affairs of the American Foundation for the Blind. Normally its length is approximately one-third of an average issue of the Braille Forum, which does not deal with those subjects as extensively. The AFB Newsletter is published quarterly by the Foundation and is intended to keep those involved in services for blind persons informed about the Foundation's activities. Its editor is Susan Gruenstein. Normally its length is about one-half that of the Washington Report. In the braille edition, Washington Report and AFB Newsletter will be combined four times a year, and the Washington Report, which is bi-monthly, will appear alone two times a year. ***** ** Here and There By Billie Elder National Center for the Deaf-Blind: The announcement of a $5 million grant for construction of permanent quarters for the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults was made by HEW's James S. Dwight, Jr., Administrator of Social Rehabilitative Services. This announcement climaxed several years' endeavor in which ACB played a significant role. The National Center for Deaf-Blind, the first of its kind in the world, serves a much-neglected group whose cause the Council has advocated for years. In a letter dated September 27, 1973, Dr. Peter J. Salmon, Administrative Vice President of the National Center and the Industrial Home for the Blind, expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Council and its National Representative, Durward McDaniel, for their support and legal advice in securing the original legislation in 1967 and their continuing help during the intervening years. Dr. Salmon said the help of ACB was a very important factor in the commitment of the additional $5 million granted by HEW. The new facility to be constructed at Sands Point, Long Island, New York, will have a radio system which will transmit vibratory signals for use as a fire alarm or for communicating with individual trainees. Fifth Panamerican Congress Meets in Miami: Over fifty representatives from fifteen countries of the Western Hemisphere, plus four from Spain, convened in Miami October 19, 1973, and remained in session until the 28th. Their creative thinking was focused on a two-pronged challenge: first, planning for a better life for those who must live with a visual handicap; and second, championing the right to see for those who need not lose their vision. The National Organization for the Blind of Spain was taken in as a collaborating member of the Panamerican Congress. Plans were formulated and recommendations made for the development of programs for adjustment training and job placement for the visually handicapped. Special attention was given to the need for the training and development of employment opportunities for women. Some of the interesting ideas discussed as employment opportunities for the visually handicapped were agricultural and rural-based jobs, technical openings such as radio, professional challenges such as teaching and counseling, and paramedical positions. The challenge to combat unnecessary blindness through a program of public education was presented, and a request was made by the representatives of Spain that the book, "Your Eyes," be translated into Spanish. "Your Eyes," by Thomas Chalkley, M.D., will soon be published by the Charles C. Thomas Co., Springfield, Illinois. The book will serve as a weapon against ignorance and superstition about the human eye and will be available in print, braille, and on cassette. The tape edition will be read by the author in both English and Spanish. You Can Have a Piece of the Action: A recent GAO review of the financial accounts of seven Government military locations revealed that the ratio of vending operations earnings was five to one in favor of non-blind operators. GAO states that the potential for increasing the vending stand program for the blind depends upon three things: (1) increased efforts of licensing agency personnel to place blind vendors in Federal Buildings; (2) an attitude of responsiveness on the part of officers responsible for placing installations in Federal buildings; (3) clarification of laws granting preference to blind vendors in public buildings. Reflection upon these statements makes it clear that the blind have their work cut out for them. Everyone has a part in the action in the mammoth challenges to overcome slovenliness on the part of some licensing agencies, to break down prejudicial attitudes of those responsible for granting vending locations, and a vigorous effort to have laws relating to vending operations on Federal property clarified and enforced. Wally Menning, President of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, says: "Change does not come about quickly or easily. We are witnessing changes from California to Florida and from north to south, because of the determination of our people to find better and more effective ways to deal with our problems than we have had in the past." Every Council member can have a piece of the action by working with RSVA and pushing for the new Randolph-Sheppard Act amendments. The ACB is an organism unique, whole, and inclusive. Its health depends upon the strength and proper functioning of each affiliate. RSVA's problems are the problems of all. If one vendor is denied his rights, each of us is thereby diminished. The Golden Year: July, 1973 through July, 1974 was declared the Golden Year for Senator James Randolph by Salem College and the home folks back in West Virginia at ceremonies commemorating his fifty years of service as trustee to the College. He was depicted as "profit with honor in his own country." The Council adds its testimonial to the greatness of Honorable Senator Randolph, Humanitarian, champion of the less fortunate, helper of the young, the old, the weak, and benefactor of the blind. He stands in that "endless line of splendor" of servants of humanity. He is of the people and for the people. Senator, the American Council of the Blind salutes you. In our hearts, we honor you. Memoriam to Canadian Trail Blazer: Mae Brown, first deaf-blind Canadian to earn a college degree, died November 4, 1973. Mae was a specialist on deaf-blindness for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. She had just completed the "Independent Living Without Sight and Hearing" course with the Hadley School. Her certificate for the course was sent to the family and marked "Completed for credit." "Future oriented" Mae was making plans to live alone in her own apartment at the time of her death. She was also investigating a course in amateur radio by touch. ACB joins our Canadian friends in a tribute to a courageous pioneer and trail blazer whose example will continue to inspire others with the dual handicap of deaf-blindness. "Sound Service" Broadcast: In February, 1973, the Blind Leadership Club of Massachusetts, affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, aired its first edition of "Sound Service." The program, which has been quite a success for almost a year now is heard every Monday evening from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Radio Station WBUR (Boston University Radio), 90.9 on the FM dial. It is largely an information program for the visually handicapped residents of the Boston area. The members of the Blind Leadership Club are responsible for producing and airing the show and gather all material presented. Information is given about specially important or entertaining current events. On-the-spot interviews are held concerning the very latest in visual aids. Usually the television schedule from the TV Guide and the schedule for movies being shown in the Boston area are read. Occasionally there is an entertainment portion of the show, when visually handicapped persons have the opportunity to share their talents with the listening audience. On Christmas Eve, "Sound Service" broadcast excerpts from the Perkins School for the Blind Christmas concerts which have been held over the past ten years. We are hopeful that in 1974, "Sound Service" will continue to inform and entertain the visually handicapped residents of Massachusetts. Banks Offer Blind Customers Improved Services: The United Bank of California and the Worthen Bank of Little Rock, Arkansas, now provide blind customers a braille check-writing device which gives the blind person greater independence, dignity, and privacy in financial affairs. The aluminum check writer allows the custom to record information in braille, as well as writing checks. The check can be inserted between the two hinged plates of the template, which has openings to permit entry of all check data in writing, as well as cell openings which provide space for recording information in braille. The blind person can now put information on the stub of his check because of the arrangement of the cell openings on the template. The banks provide a braille statement, and this gives personalized banking to the blind customer -- a service never before available. The Bank of California will maintain braille accounts at its main office in downtown Los Angeles, where the brailled statements will be prepared. All 251 offices throughout California can now process applications for the braille accounts. The Worthen Bank in Little Rock is prepared to offer the braille account service throughout the State of Arkansas. Until now, blind persons in these states have had to rely upon friends and relatives, and sometimes strangers, to assist them with financial matters. With the new service, privacy, independence and dignity enter the scene. Audio Directory System Facilitates Student Mobility: The campus of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale is a maze of winding walks, buildings and trees. A new Audio Directory System will help the 40-plus visually handicapped students enrolled there to travel from place to place. This unique system consists of sound stations located at strategic points on the campus. The cylindrical-shaped stations are battery powered and emit a loud tapping sound. On the outside of the steel cylinder, on a bronze plaque, is brailled information which is helpful for orientating one's self and locating various objectives. Information and directions are given in a clear, concise "mobility terminology," which students find a great boon to travel. The stations do not point or say, "Over there." Six sound stations are now in operation, and ten more are under construction. Marion Mitchell, who worked out the system, got the idea observing his blind father, who roams a small farm just by the sound clues given by certain trees, especially the oak trees, which keep their leaves most of the year. Mississippi Gets New Library Building: Last October, a handsome new structure was dedicated which will house the Mississippi Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Lions Club headquarters, and the Vocational Rehabilitation Offices for the Blind. Located in Jackson, the beautiful multi-purpose building was erected at a cost of over $400,000. Is Justice Blind? Janet McGahee, a freshman at Florida Junior College, was summoned to jury duty on her 19th birthday. When she arrived at the courtroom with her guide dog, the bailiff informed her that the court made no provision for pets. Janet's mother offered to return home and fetch Janet's cane, but the bailiff stated there would not be time. Janet was then asked to sign a paper, which she later discovered was a form dismissing her from jury duty. According to Janet, the bailiff consulted with Judge Howell and he agreed that she should be dismissed. Later, the bailiff and Judge Howell said that Janet was not barred from the courtroom and that she knew she was signing a dismissal form. Furthermore, they say it was Janet's mother who later became concerned and wanted to make an issue out of the incident. Judge R. Hudson Olliff, presiding judge of the courtroom in question, said that the incident happened before he arrived at the court, but that he would be happy for her to serve, as it is difficult to get people to do so. Judge Olliff recalls having blind persons on the jury before. "Being able to see," he stated, "is not one of the qualifications for being a juror." Janet added, "Sight has nothing to do with the power of judgment, and you can't tell whether a person is guilty by the look on his face." Florida Statute 413.08 allows a seeing-eye dog in all public buildings. Anyone who interferes with or denies admission to public facilities to a blind person is guilty of a misdemeanor in the second degree. Paper Money Identifier: The PMI (abbreviation for Paper Money Identifier) was designed to prevent losses from money transactions. It is a spinoff of NASA aerospace research. The PMI is reliable, compact, durable, portable, inexpensive, and simple to operate. It will relieve the blind businessman of the uncertainty inherent in identifying paper money of different denominations. When a bill is laid in the identifier and a button pressed, the PMI will emit a different musical tune for each denomination. It is available to individuals, training centers, schools, and organizations providing equipment for the blind and is tax deductible. Cost of the complete unit is $149.50, plus tax, and it is available from Applied Rehabilitation Systems, 3902 Idlewild, Austin, Texas 78731. En Garde: Fencing is now being taught to twenty blind men and women at the Orientation Center in Albany, California. The Errol Flynn generation of movie-goers know that fencing is the art of attack with a sword or foil. The great Flynn could fence up and down the palace stairs nimbly as a gazelle. Qualified instructors feel that fencing is an excellent way to learn body control, mental agility, quickness, and proximity in space. They say that the senses of touch and hearing are honed to a fine degree. The head is protected by a helmet and a face mask, and the fencers use the sound of the foil (a rapier tipped with a blunt piece of metal) to orient themselves in space and locate the opponent. New York Times in Large Print: A large-print edition of the New York Times weekly is available to members of the American Association of Retired Persons at a 20 per cent discount. The 32-page digest of the week's news is mailed every Monday to AARP subscribers for $28.00. Order from Large-Type Weekly, New York Times, Box 1227, Flushing, New York 11352. Blender Cookbook Available: Homemakers who use the Oster blender can now have the blender cookbook in braille. The Oster Corporation announced that it is underwriting the cost of putting the Osterizer Cookbook into braille for the blind homemaker who finds the blender a convenient aid to meal preparation. The braille edition may be borrowed from regional libraries throughout the nation. Those desiring their own copy may order from the American Printing House for the Blind at minimum cost. Something New Under the Sun: The American Foundation for the Blind has published the International Catalog of Aids and Appliances for the Blind and Visually Impaired Persons, a 214-page compilation of special aids and devices for the blind which are available for purchase from manufacturers around the world. This compilation is not a catalog in the true sense of the word, because one cannot order directly from it. Rather, it lists sources from which devices and apparatus may be purchased, complete with manufacturer's name, address, and description of the items listed. The catalog will prove useful to agencies and individuals, because it contains aids and apparatus which offer optional solutions to some pressing problems. Like any good catalog, it excites the imagination and broadens the store of information for the blind. Blind Old Hound Has a Seeing-Eye Dog: Blackie, a faithful guide dog, lost her sight, but Jim O'Brien of Florida, her owner, refused to give her up. Cresta, Blackie's replacement, now serves as guide for both Jim and Blackie. They all three go for a stroll together, with Blackie tied to Cresta's leash. ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Floyd Qualls, 106 N.E. 2nd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 * First Vice President: Dr. S. Bradley Burson, 917 Kenyon Street, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515 * Second Vice President: Mrs. Billie Elder, 5317 W. 29th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 * Secretary: Mrs. Catherine Skivers, 836 Resota Street, Hayward, California 94545 * Treasurer: J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina 28205 ***** Items intended for publication in the Braille Forum should be sent to the editor, Mary T. Ballard, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620, or to one of the associate editors: George Card, 605 South Few Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 Ione B. Miller, 9291 Fermi Avenue, San Diego, California 92123 Margaret Freer, 11816 West Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53226 Joseph Wiedenmayer, 5604 Montgomery Street, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20015 ###