The Braille Forum Vol. XII March-April 1974 No. 5 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 May Their Tribe Increase, by Billie Elder How to Plan an Organization Garden ACB Convention -- What's in Store for '74 Essential Information for All Prospective ACB National Convention Hosts, by Oral Miller Award Nominations Requested The Blind Can Lead, by Robert McCann VISTA Selects "Secretary of the Year," by Betty Ann Jones Seeing the World, by Joseph Wiedenmayer Maxine Dorf Receives Meritorious Service Award Check Mate! -- The U.S. Braille Chess Association Come to the Fair! Hyde Park Corner: Three Cheers for "That Old-Time Religion," by George Fogarty More on the Energy Crisis, by Walter J. Hogan Missouri Federation Wins Exclusive Right to Use "Federation of the Blind," by Durward K. McDaniel Legislative Victory in Kansas The Deaf-Blind in Sweden Health Plan: Nixon v. Kennedy Here and There, by Sue Graves 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. ***** ** May Their Tribe Increase By Billie Elder I. General Concepts A program is the substance of which organizations are made. The program is the sum total of the activities in which the membership is involved. If the activities are varied, meet the needs of the members, captivate their imagination, draw them into participation, command their loyalties, and enrich their lives, that program is strong and healthy. On the other hand, if the activities are limited, do not meet the needs of the members, are built around the interests of a few, are self-serving, secondary in importance, demand little or nothing in the way of time, talent or resources, and leave the lives of members unchanged, that program is weak and ineffective. An organization that deserves to survive must engage in activities which shape its image or identity. Like individuals, organizations have personalities. Personality is that quality which makes one unique, identifiable, and unlike any other in the world. The name AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND is a precious heritage. It represents something that is unique and essential. It calls forth associations in the mind that are wholesome and ennobling. Its existence is important in the scheme of things. The founders who gave the organization its form and shape were wise when they stated that the primary purpose of the American Council of the Blind is: "To strive for the betterment of the total community through a representative national organization composed primarily of blind people." (Article II A) These simple words define the unique reason for the existence of this organization. The remainder of Article II enumerates the activities necessary to accomplish the purpose of the organization. A national organization is what its name implies -- it is national in scope and rests upon the loyalty, commitment, and devotion of the members from boundary to boundary and from sea to sea. Its strength is drawn from the vitality resources, and loyalty of the membership at the grass-root$ level. The word "organization" comes from the root word "organism," a complete or whole system. The quality of wholeness must be appreciated. A head without a body or a body without a head is unthinkable. In either case, you have a corpse, not a living organism or a unique whole. A national organization is not, and can never be, a splintered and fragmented one which exists only on paper. Such a thing, like a "paper tiger," has no strength. It may purr softly, but fools no one. The existence of a national organization in no way lessens or detracts from the importance of the individual member or the affiliate. On the contrary, it enhances them. Health of an organization or of the body depends upon the proper functioning of all parts. In Old English, the word "health" meant wholeness. It still does today. A dysfunction or loss of any part of the organism is felt throughout its entirety. II. Basic Resources Among the resources of an organization, membership is the greatest. Human resources constitute the real strength of a body politic. Some of these resources are intangible existing in the form of talents and creativity of the members, their families and friends. Another intangible is the ability of the organization to influence the attitudes and thinking of non-members. A tangible form of human resources lies in the earnings and possessions of members, their families and friends. This also includes the donations and potential donations of non-members. Other tangibles are the time and labor donated by all involved -- everything from brains to brawn, from money to service, and from creative imagination to craftsmanship Too often resources are measured narrowly in terms of money. Services can be bought, but the qualities of enthusiasm, dedication, cooperation, and a capacity to do the drudgery connected with the day-to-day operations of a smoothly functioning organization are priceless. The member who performs the necessary chores without demanding recognition for every lick is a jewel and an asset. III. Essential Activities Certain activities must be carried out routinely, such as those activities necessary to sustain the life of the organization. These life-supporting activities include housekeeping chores, fund-raising, services to members, leadership development, and publications. The failure to carry out any of the preceding will result in stagnation. In today's highly complex society, survival of an organization depends upon a well-rounded program of publications, designed for communication with the membership and with the public. Communication is one of the vital systems which sustain the life of the organization. Newsletters, bulletins, and other types of publications intended for internal consumption are necessary in order to educate and inform the members about goals and activities. A well-informed membership can act, but an ill-informed membership cannot make intelligent decisions or take action when it is required. Publications intended for external use must inform the public of the capabilities of blind people and help break down the attitudinal barriers which bar the blind from full participation in community life. The task of raising funds commensurate with the needs of a rapidly growing organization which has special needs created by their handicap requires knowledge and experience. The limited personal resources and the limited experience in raising funds of the magnitude needed by the ACB at this strategic point in its development impels members to study and devise appropriate fund-raising activities. Maintenance of a national office is an imperative. Every member benefits a hundredfold for each dollar he invests in the National Office. No member can logically expect to reap the benefits of a national program throughout the year unless he is willing to support the national program. Minority groups can participate constructively in today's complex society only after they acquire a measure of expertise in organization and leadership skills. Many visually handicapped persons have been denied opportunities to develop leadership potential. The American Council of the Blind has found the seminar format a very effective method of educating and developing leadership qualities. It has experimented with various seminar formats and has demonstrated the feasibility for greater use of the seminar to provide a steady supply of leaders for all levels of the organization. The seminar experience enhances the interpersonal skills necessary for greater involvement in community life and heightens the sense of self-fulfillment of individuals coping with a handicap to which a stigma is attached. Other essential activities are those which weld or bond the membership together. The nucleus around which the bonding activities revolve is the common core of needs experienced by the group for whom the organization is formed. The basic need to belong is experienced as acutely by the socially deprived as by those who are more socially visible. The lonely individual who looks forward to a night out once a month in the fellowship of Council members deserves the consideration of the organization as well as the one who can speak eloquently before legislative hearings. The most powerful bonding activity is mutual work undertaken for a common cause. The organization that works together stays together. But balanced with work, there must be play, because meaningful work and joyful play help individuals become more human and infuse life of spirit into the structure. Life is the characteristic which distinguishes between a machine and an organism. In many ways, a well-run organization functions like a machine, but the most magnificent machine falls far short of a living system. One need but look thoughtfully at the world to observe well-functioning, efficient groups of people which resemble old, lifeless machines because they do not have bonding activities which ensure growth and spirit. IV. Identification Activities Naming and identifying are words which are synonymous with public education and information. An individual or a group of individuals is known by a name which defines its characteristics. Businesses spend fortunes creating a name and the associations that they wish the public to connect to that name. The trademark or logo of a business or product is powerful. Consumers use brand names as guides to excellence, reliability, fidelity, and other desirable qualities. Likewise, an organization must plan a series of activities designed to create a favorable image. These require special thought and skill. Once the uniqueness, usefulness, and purpose of the American Council of the Blind is fully grasped, its story must continually be retold -- to remind those who know it lest they forget, and to inform those who have not heard, lest their ignorance be their peril. The American Council of the Blind National constitution is a beautifully written statement of ideals bequeathed as a heritage by the inspired organizers of the Council. Yet how many members joined because they were inspired by the beauty, simplicity, and eloquence of the statements in the constitution? The great majority joins because of a person who embodied or personified the ideals. This type of individual is the greatest asset an organization can have. The American Council of the Blind has its heroes those who have earned their right of passage through toil and personal sacrifice. They have been trail-blazers who made the path smoother for those who followed. They have truly made life better for everyone, especially the blind. But, in addition to the heroes, there are the thousands of "ordinary" members. They have the privilege of working together as co-creators of tomorrow. Each member is a co-creator forming and shaping the ACB of the future. The ultimate requirement of an organization is "a vision of what shall be tomorrow." The ultimate question: What are members willing to create? ***** ** How to Plan an Organization Garden (Reprinted from the Standard Bearer) Plant four rows of peas: Personality, Perseverance, Promptness, Preparation. Plant four rows of lettuce: Let us obey the regulations. Let us be true to our obligations. Let us do our duty. Let us love one another. Plant four rows of squash: Squash gossip, squash indifference, squash criticism, squash negative thinking. Plant four rows of turnips: Turn up for organizational meetings; turn up with a friendly smile; turn up with new ideas; turn up with determination. Cultivate well, perspire a little, and reap the benefits of an outstanding organization! ***** ** ACB Convention -- What's in Store for '74! Plans are well under way for the 1974 annual convention of the American Council of the Blind, to be held at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago from July 28 through August 3, 1974. Come early and stay late is the advice of the Convention Planning Committee: You won't be sorry. From Sunday noon, July 28, through Saturday, August 3, at 5:00 P.M., an action-packed, work-packed, fun-packed week is being planned, which will hold something of interest for everyone. The LaSalle Hotel is situated in the center of downtown Chicago, three short blocks from the Greyhound bus station and six blocks from the Trailways bus station and the Union railroad station. Limousine service is available to and from O'Hare Airport. The hotel is within easy walking distance of Chicago's major department stores, theaters, and numerous restaurants and shops. Special ACB convention rates are as follows: singles, $12; doubles and twins, $15; triples (three adults), $21; quads (four single beds), $20; one-room suite, $25; two?room suite (double bedroom plus separate parlor), $35; three-room suite (two double bedrooms plus separate parlor), $50. No charge will be made for children sharing a room with adults, if they use the existing furniture in the room occupied by the adults accompanying them. Roll-away cots are available at $2 per additional person in any room. The registration desk will open at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, July 28, on the mezzanine floor. Separate registration clerks will be available for the ACB convention and for each special-interest activity that will be taking place from Sunday afternoon through Wednesday noon. The ACB Registration desk will re-open in the 19th-floor Ballroom lobby at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. The registration fee for the ACB convention is $5, or $3 if you pre-register. Pre-registration forms will be mailed to you in the near future. The time between Sunday noon and Wednesday noon will highlight meetings of special-interest organizations, conferences, and seminars. The schedule of special-interest activities is as follows: American Blind Lawyers Association - To convene Monday, July 29, at 9:00 A.M., through Wednesday morning, July 31. Guide Dog Users, Inc. - Thursday, August 1, 1:30 P.M. National Alliance of Blind Students - Tuesday, July 30, 9:00 A.M. National Association of Blind Teachers - Tuesday, July 30. Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America - To convene Sunday noon, July 28, through Wednesday morning, July 31. Visually Impaired Data Processors International - To convene Monday, July 29, at 9:00 A.M., through Wednesday morning, July 31. Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association - To convene Monday, July 29, at 9:00 A.M., through Wednesday morning, July 31. World Council of Blind Lions Annual Luncheon - Tuesday noon, July 30. Editors Workshop - Tuesday, July 30. Seminar on Citizen Consumer Participation - Sunday, July 28, 7:30 P.M. Leadership Training Seminar - Tuesday, July 30, 7:30 P.M. Seminar on Women's Concerns - Tuesday, July 30, 7:30 P.M. Credit Union Seminar - Wednesday, July 31, 9:30 A.M. ACB Board of Directors meeting - Tuesday, July 30, 7:30 P.M. Throughout the week the ACB Service Net will operate its radio ham shack in the Caucus Room on the 18th floor. There will be an opportunity for blind musicians to get together on Monday at 9:00 A.M. to consider the formation of a special-interest organization of their own. At the request of previous participants, the ACB Board of Publications is arranging a fourth Editors Workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, July 30. The tentative format of this year's workshop is for one half-day under the direction of an authority in the field of writing and publications and one half-day devoted to conversation among editors or chapter publications. Prospective participants for the 1974 workshop should make their intentions known as soon as possible, and not later than July 1, by advising M. Helen Vargo, Chairman, Board of Publications, 833 Oakley Street, Topeka, KS 66606. "The Practice of Law by the American Blind Lawyers Association" will be the theme of this year's ABLA conference. From Sunday afternoon registration through the annual banquet, an informative program is being planned. There will be time for socializing and discussion of mutual problems encountered in the practice of law, and it is hoped that some functions can be arranged with the Chicago Bar Association. The Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association will hold its conference July 28-31. From the opening registration hour and Coffee Clatch on Sunday afternoon through t business meeting on Wednesday morning, the program will feat items of interest to those working in offices throughout the country. As in the past, new and innovative office machinery will be displayed. The highlight of this year's program will be selection of the "Secretary of the Year" (see details elsewhere in this issue). Are you looking for an investment? A Leadership Seminar will be a vital program of this year's ACB convention. Plan now to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from successful leaders how you can improve your skills and develop your potential. Invest in yourself; attend the Leadership Seminar on Tuesday evening, July 30. You and ACB will be the richer. Many of the special-interest organizations will be contacting their members directly through special mailings as program details become available. The main event, the 1974 ACB convention, will convene at 1:15 P.M., Wednesday, July 31, in the Ballroom. The program will include discussions of recent developments and research in medicine related to blindness, laws and pending legislation affecting blind citizens, problems encountered by blind persons with urban transportation, employment, and a review of opportunities and activities in recreation for blind youths and adults. In addition to the informative part of the program, the agenda will include committee reports, action on by-laws and resolutions, and, of course, the important business of electing officers and members of the Board of Directors. If you have resolutions to present to the convention, your ideas will have a better chance for favorable action if you will get them to the Resolutions Committee in advance. Send your draft resolutions to Mr. Ronald W. Workman, 1611 W. Pike Street, Goshen, IN 46526. There will be an Officers Reception on Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M., immediately after the opening session of the convention. Thursday afternoon is being left open for "play time." A list of Chicago's endless recreation and cultural resources is being prepared. The variety is so wide that no single group tour is being planned. Arrangements for such tours may be made at registration time. Thursday evening will again be "fun time," with a party and dancing to live music. Friday evening will feature the annual convention banquet in the Grand Ballroom. For those interested in continuing Convention Week with a few days' vacation through the Northwoods, an attempt is being made to arrange a bus tour around Lake Michigan, up through Wisconsin, and back to Chicago via Michigan. For information, write Betty Hoffman, Evergreen Travel Service, Inc., 19429 44th Street, W., Lynwood, WA 98036. You will soon be receiving a hotel reservation card and pre-registration form. Reservations should be made directly With the LaSalle Hotel, 10 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60602. If you write the hotel earlier, please send a copy of your letter to the ACB Registration Office (address below). In any event, be sure to request the special ACB convention rates, even though you are coming only to attend one of the special-interest meetings or seminars. To be assured of accommodations, reservations must reach the LaSalle Hotel before July 16. For additional information or pre-registration forms, write the ACB National Office, 818 18th Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006, or to Dr. Bradley Burson, General Chairman, ACB Convention, 917 Kenyon Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Pre-registration forms and fees (send only check or money order; do not send cash) should be sent to Mr. W. Staley, ACB Registration, c/o VHMI, Room 1025, 53 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60604. Make checks payable to 1974 ACB Convention Fund. ***** ** Essential Information for All Prospective ACB National Convention Hosts By Oral O. Miller ACB Convention Coordinator In November, 1973, the ACB Board of Directors accepted and adopted the guidelines proposed by the ACB Convention Guidelines Committee. One of the reasons for updating the convention guidelines originally adopted several years ago was the desire to standardize as much as possible the procedures to be followed by prospective convention hosts in preparing their invitations, making their convention plans, and implementing those plans. The main purposes of this article are to inform you of the adoption of the guidelines and to summarize the sections which relate directly to organizations which are interested in serving as hosts for future ACB national conventions. Because of their length, it is not feasible to publish the Guidelines in their entirety as part of the Braille Forum. However, copies may be obtained from the ACB President and the ACB National Representative. The Guidelines provide, in pertinent part, that an affiliate organization which is interested in hosting a future ACB national convention shall submit to the ACB President and the ACB National Representative a written invitation at least 120 days before the convention at which the invitation is to be considered. (Since the 1974 ACB National Convention may be less than 120 days away by the time this article is published, this provision will have to be waived during 1974.) The invitation shall include, among other things, the name of the prospective host organization, all pertinent dates; the name and location of the hotel or other facilities to be used, proposed room rates (which may be negotiated further by the Convention Coordinator), a brief description of the hotel's restaurant and meeting facilities, and any other information the prospective host considers appropriate. Thereafter, the Convention Coordinator will contact the prospective host organization and arrange to inspect the facilities, negotiate with the hotel (if necessary), and otherwise work with the prospective host organization in completing its invitation. The Convention Coordinator will make a recommendation to the ACB Board of Directors, and ultimately the decision as to where future conventions will be held will be made by the ACB membership during the national convention, as in the past. Let me emphasize that the preceding paragraph is only a very brief summary of the guidelines. Any organization which may be interested in hosting a future ACB convention should read the Guidelines first. If the above-summarized procedure is followed, the ACB membership will have much more detailed information on which to base its decision. Let me emphasize, also, that no quantity of written guidelines can guarantee a perfect convention which pleases everyone. The quality of any convention will depend ultimately upon the quality of planning and execution by the host organization. As the convention guidelines are put into effect and applied in coming years, it is almost inevitable that friendly differences of opinion will arise from time to time between the Convention Coordinator and host organizations, in spite of the fact that both will be working toward the objective of planning and conducting outstanding conventions. I am now asking each of you for your assistance and cooperation, but I also want to take this opportunity to apologize in advance for any "toes I may step on" in following the adopted guidelines. The privileges and responsibilities of host organizations in connection with the actual conduct of national conventions are substantially as they have been in the past. While our past conventions have been outstanding, it is believed that future conventions will be even better as a result of the adoption of the 1973 Guidelines. If there are any questions after you have read the Guidelines, please feel free to write to me at the address of the ACB National Office in Washington. ***** ** Awards Nominations Requested The ACB Awards Committee is seeking nominations for two award presentations at the 1974 ACB Convention in Chicago. The Ambassador Award is presented annually to a blind person who has performed distinguished service in his or her own community or state. The George Card Award is periodically conferred on an outstanding blind person who has contributed significantly to the betterment of blind people in general. This award is not limited by locality or by the nature of the recipient's contribution, and is not necessarily made each year. If you know of a blind person, who in your opinion, is worthy of the recognition afforded by either of these awards, the Committee would greatly appreciate hearing from you by no later than June 1. Please give us a brief written or typed summary of your reasons for making a particular nomination. These awards are a cherished part of ACB tradition, and your participation in helping us make the selection is vitally important. Nominations may be sent to any of the following: Otis Stephens, Chairman, 2021 Kemper Lane, Knoxville, TN 37920; Mildred Kline, Rt. 1, Box 132, Mandan, ND 58554; Gary Myrene, 115 Brown Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98801. ***** ** The Blind Can Lead By Robert McCann The National Association of Blind Teachers is convinced that the blind can lead, but that the public must be convinced of this. The people most capable of proving that the blind can lead and teach are the blind teachers themselves. How can this public distrust and lack of understanding be overcome? The National Association of Blind Teachers believes that those teachers who are now working, either with sighted students or in the special-education field, should come forward with convincing arguments by showing what is now being done. Many blind teachers have been working for years in their respective fields without a question from the community in which they serve. How is it possible? Why should the school administration of today back away when a blind applicant appears for a position? How can that administrator be convinced that the blind applicant will do as well as, and maybe even better than, a sighted applicant? The National Association of Blind Teachers wants to hear from blind teachers all over the country. Let the Association know what methods can be most effective in informing the public. Are there any teachers who will show by their records and histories that they have been successful in their particular field? All information that can be gathered will be presented to the annual meeting of the National Association of Blind Teachers at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago on Tuesday, July 30, 1974. Communications should be addressed to Bob McCann, NABT President, at 2638 N. Troy Street, Chicago, IL 60647, who will coordinate all information that is volunteered. ***** ** VISTA Selects "Secretary of the Year" By Betty Ann Jones Highlighting the 1974 conference of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association (VISTA), to be held at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago, July 28-31, 1974, will be selection of the "Secretary of the Year." Candidates for this honor will be introduced as part of the program on Monday afternoon. Names to be submitted should be sent to Mrs. Audrey Hebner, 12011 Lorne, North Hollywood, CA 91603, or to Miss Roseanne Diehl, 4301 Columbia Pike, No. 728, Arlington, VA 22204. Nominees for "Secretary of the Year" will be presented either by a member of the Secretary-of-the-Year Committee or by the person submitting the candidate's name. Documentary proof and testimonials from the nominee's company, his fellow workers, and others with whom he has been associated will be offered for consideration by the panel of judges. This panel will be made up of representative businessmen in the Chicago area. Finally, the candidates will appear before the judges, when they will be quizzed on general business procedure. Selection will be based on accuracy of answers, poise, appearance, and written testimonials outlining work accomplishments and efforts to improve the public image of the visually impaired secretary and transcriber. VISTA plans to arrange for TV coverage of this event so that the general public will be made aware of the accomplishments of individuals in the field. Plan now to submit names of those to be considered for this honor. ***** ** Seeing the World By Joseph Wiedenmayer Listen, my readers, and you shall hear the story of some of my experiences while I was in the Foreign Service of the United States of America. For nearly a quarter of a century, I traveled all over the world with my family. I lived in many countries -- two years in each -- such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Thailand (Siam), and Uruguay. I visited many other countries, also, in the Far East, Middle East, South America, and Europe. I met many people, both old and young, and I learned to speak several languages. Some were famous persons, but most of them were just regular, plain people like you and me. Among the famous ones were the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of England, the King of Jordan; astronauts, musicians, and of course diplomats. But the folks I enjoyed most while seeing the world were the regular people one finds in every country. They are the peasants, barbers, taxi drivers, workmen, servants, clerks, craftsmen, farmers, and many others. I learned that no matter who a person is or where in the world he lives or whatever language he speaks, or whatever he eats or drinks, all men, women and children everywhere have one thing in common. That one thing is love and respect for their families and each other. They all cry when they are sad or sick and laugh when they are happy and well. I like people very much; it does not matter to me whether a person is rich or poor in material wealth, if he is rich in soul, spirit, and courage. I also encountered many deaf and blind persons. One was a young Chinese girl. She has been completely deaf and blind since she was a baby. Her name is Lin Chan Poh, of Singapore, and she attended the Perkins School for the Blind a few years ago. Now I shall tell you about some of my experiences with the people I met over the years. But first I should explain that I was born hard-of-hearing and later in life became deaf to a severe degree. Finally I became le ally blind as well although not totally blind, before I retired from the Diplomatic Service. Some of my experiences were amusing; others were not. Yet all of them provided me with a full, wonderful life in the service of our country. * Part I The man said, "Please sit down and have some tea with me." I had just met him in Venice, Italy. It was in 1951, and I was so excited over his invitation that I almost sat on the floor by mistake instead of in the chair. But I relaxed quickly, because he was such a kind, elderly man, with a wonderful sense of humor. I shall never forget that experience, because this man was Sir Winston Churchill. The reason I met Sir Winston was because I introduced myself to him. I have never been afraid of anybody except bad people. The more people we meet, the more we learn. Therefore, those of us with some kind of a handicap should try to avoid isolation and mix with as many people as possible, even famous ones. They can learn something from us, too, because most of them do not know how well handicapped youths and adults can do in their work. Some years after my chat with Churchill, I met another famous man. This time I was not nervous, but I was surprised. Although he had invited me to his office because of a People-to-People award I had received previously, this man had never seen me before. When I walked up to him in his huge office and we shook hands, he didn't say a word to me. I was surprised and puzzled for a moment, until his assistant rushed over and said, "Vice-President Johnson, this is Mr. Wiedenmayer, whom you wanted to see." Immediately, L.B.J. smiled and conversed with me about my efforts for handicapped children abroad. Lyndon B. Johnson was a compassionate man, a good listener, and a friend of the handicapped. When he was President, he invited me to the White House to witness his signing of a historic rehabilitation bill. Since he died this past year, my little book for the blind and hard-of-hearing, entitled, "Look or Listen," has been placed in the collection of the L.B.J. Memorial Library in Texas by Lady Bird Johnson. While these two world figures were not handicapped, they both wore hearing aids and eyeglasses toward the end of their lives, like many older people. But most of the people I became acquainted with in my world travels were not famous people. However, they were very interesting men, women, and children from whom I learned many things. What I learned from all of these people was that they have the same love and respect for their families and friends, along with the same desire to succeed in life, that we Americans have. They speak a different language, but the messages from their hearts are the same. ***** ** Maxine Dorf Receives Meritorious Service Award "Mrs. Dorf is the only blind person I know who has achieved national fame and is still universally liked." Those were the opening words with which Mrs. Maxine B. Dorf was presented the Leonard A. Robinson Meritorious Award at the annual convention of the American Council of the Blind of Maryland last October, in connection with her outstanding work at the Library of Congress. Mrs. Dorf is a member of the District of Columbia Association of Workers for the Blind, which is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. The presentation was made by Mr. Charles Gallozzi, Assistant Chief, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. His remarks and the wording of the plaque given Mrs. Dorf are eloquent testimony to the high level of her personal and professional achievements. "Mrs. Dorf is the only blind person I know who has achieved national fame and is still universally liked. As an authority on the technicalities of Braille, she is universally respected. As a warm-hearted, well-adjusted human being, her poise and charm are universally admired. It is difficult to believe that she has made no enemies and aroused no criticism. Normally, I would say that only a person who does nothing could play it so safely. But nothing would be further from the truth. "Maxine Dorf started working for the Division for the Blind in 1951, when the Division was a small unit in the Library of Congress. As the Division grew, Maxine grew with it ? in knowledge, skill, ability, and influence. Throughout that period of growth, she became an example of how a blind person can hold a full-time job, can master all the requirements of the job, and can, on her own, advance in grade and in responsibility. "She has represented the Library in workshops, meetings, and conferences all over the country, and after each one, I hear nothing but praise. She heads one of the largest sections in the Division, one composed largely of blind persons who have a wide variety of backgrounds and skills. She does it all so well that it presents fewer problems than any other section. "A number of years ago, the Librarian of Congress recognized some of the above qualities and presented Mrs. Dorf with a cash award for her accomplishments. It is most appropriate that today this Leonard A. Robinson Award recognizes Maxine as an outstanding example of a successful blind person who without too much fanfare has been doing her thing not only to the credit of all blind people, but also to their benefit." * Leonard A. Robinson Meritorious Award Presented to Maxine B. Dorf in recognition of outstanding performance in connection with her employment as Supervisor, Volunteer Services Section, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, and for the benefits arising therefrom to the blind all over the world. Presented this day, October 27, 1973, at the Fifth Annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind of Maryland. ***** ** Check Mate! -- The U.S. Braille Chess Association Over-the-board at the kitchen table, by telephone, through the mail, or on the ham bands: Wherever you play it, the name of the game is chess, say members of the United States Braille Chess Association. Chess is not an easy game. To be good requires much practice and experience. But enthusiasts feel it is one of the few activities open to the blind for satisfying competitive instincts in the sighted world and for displaying truly creative imagination. In the words of one leading chess master, "The active pursuit of chess gives the blind player the opportunity to meet his opponent on equal terms." The U.S. Braille Chess Association (USBCA) was formed in July of 1967 by a small group of blind players in the San Francisco area. Its purpose was to promote chess, a game long popular in England, Russia and most other countries of Europe, among blind chess enthusiasts of America. Under the leadership of Dr. James R. Slagle (now of Bethesda, Maryland), its first president, and Grant Metcalf, of San Francisco, its first secretary, the group set out to contact blind players across the country. The result today is a small but active group, with chess affiliations both on the national and international level. Nationally, USBCA is a member of the United States Chess Federation (USCF), the governing body of chess in this country. USCF is responsible for organizing various national championships and provides a link to the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), the international body of chess with which all national chess organizations are affiliated. Roderick Macdonald, USBCA secretary, a deaf-blind computer programmer with the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., presently serves as Chairman of the USCF Committee on Chess for the Blind. USBCA-sponsored activities have included five postal championships (a sixth is now in progress), two over-the-board U.S. championship tournaments (a third. is being planned for the summer of 1974), and many individual friendly games between players. All Association play is organized through a tournament director, presently Clayton Walker of Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Walker, incidentally, won the fourth and fifth postal championships. The first over-the-board U.S. championship tournament for the blind was held in Bethesda, Maryland, in October, 1971, with eight players participating, and was won by Dr. James Slagle. A second championship tournament with nine players taking part, was held in Bethesda in September, 1973. This was won by John Manetta, 24, a graduate student in history and political science at Fordham University. USBCA is also affiliated with the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA), the international body embracing all national chess organizations for the blind, which in turn is also affiliated with the Federation Internationale des Echecs. Mr. Macdonald is the U.S. delegate to IBCA and also a member of its Executive Committee. IBCA sponsors postal competitions of various kinds. In addition, every four years it holds a team championship (Blind Chess Olympiad) during the Olympic Year and an individual championship (World Championship for the Blind) two years after the Team Olympiad. USBCA sent teams to the 1968 and 1972 Olympiads, placing seventh among 22 countries in 1972, behind the U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia, Rumania, East Germany, Spain and England. In April of 1970, Albert Sandrin of Chicago represented USBCA in the second individual world championship tournament 1 held in Ermelo, Holland. He placed tenth among 22 players, with Milenko Charbarkapa of Yugoslavia retaining the title he had won in the first such event. John Manetta, the present U.S. champion, will represent USBCA in the third individual world championship tournament, scheduled for Israel in October of 1974. Official rules and regulations for the game are set by the Federation Internationale, and for the most part these are the same for blind as for sighted players. One exception, however, is that for the blind, both for play against one another and in tournaments, two sets are used -- one by each player. The desirability of each blind player being able to study the board even when it is not his move is obvious. When a move is made, the player makes the move on his own board and then announces it orally to his opponent, who repeats it and then makes the move on his own set. In international play, where often no language or system of notation is in common use by both players, moves are announced in German, using a system of letter-names (Anna, Bella, Caesar, David, Eva, etc.) and German numbers to identify squares on the board. For instance, if a player wishes to move the pawn in front of his king forward two spaces, he would announce, "Eva zwei, Eva vier." Who plays chess? Dr. James R. Slagle, USBCA president 39 is Director of the Heuristics Laboratory at the National Institute of Health. He holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from M.I.T. and was named one of the ten outstanding young Americans of 1969. Albert Sandrin, the Association's vice president, is a Chicago piano tuner. For many years he was a leading master in Midwest chess circles, and he won the 1949 U.S. Open Chess Championship. He is the highest-ranking blind chess player in this country. E. Schuyler Jackson is often referred to as "the grand old man of American chess" -- now 77 years old and still going strong! He won the U.S. amateur chess championship twice during the 1940s. James Willows, 41, is a computer programmer and, his friends say, he plays more for fun than for "blood." Robert Rathbun is a Baptist minister in Lowell, Massachusetts. So anyone, at any age, plays chess! The Hadley School for the Blind is presently considering adding a chess course to its curriculum on a trial basis. Anyone interested in either a beginning or intermediate course should write directly to the Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093. Since the success of the pilot course depends upon how much interest is shown, those interested are urged to write without delay. Books on chess are available from the regional libraries, and several are available for purchase from the American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky, and from the Royal National Institute for the Blind, London, England. Braille chess sets are available from the Howe Press, Watertown, Massachusetts, and from the American Foundation for the Blind in New York City. A quarterly "Braille Chess Magazine" may be borrowed from the regional libraries. Quite a number of taped books on chess and a taped monthly chess magazine, "En Passent," may be obtained by writing John Graham, 109 Kelvington Drive, Monroeville, PA 15146. Membership in the United States Braille Chess Association is open to any blind player at a one-time entry fee of $1.00. For further information, write Roderick J. Macdonald, Secretary, U.S. Braille Chess Association, 800 4th Street, S.W., Apartment 707, South, Washington, D.C. 20024. ***** ** Come to the Fair! What might well be called an Electronics Expo for the Blind is being sponsored by the Electronic Aids Committee of the Howe Society of Greater New York -- ACB, the weekend of May 4-5, 1974. The first event of its kind by consumers for consumers, the two-day exhibit will bring together many of the reading, mobility, and other electronic aids for the blind -- closed-circuit TV, auditory, and tactile reading devices, mobility aids, speech expansion/compression equipment, and many more. According to the Committee, a small percentage of the equipment on display will be in the prototype state, but the greater part will consist of products presently in manufacture and available to the consumer. The exhibit will be held in the Blue Room of the Hotel McAlpin, 34th Street and Broadway, New York City, May 4 and 5, 1974 from 10:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. This is not, the committee stresses, a lecture type meeting. The blind, the deaf-blind, the partially sighted, the press, and the general public are invited to come and see the latest equipment in operation, to ask questions of those who have developed or are experienced in using it, to help advance the field generally through the exchange of impressions and ideas, and by so doing, to be "in the know" concerning what to expect for the blind in this era of electronics. The meeting will serve a twofold purpose. First, it will provide actual exposure to all consumers able to attend. Secondly, each exhibitor will be required to submit a paper describing the device on display, setting forth its potential and/or current research status, and giving details as to current price and availability. From this information, a monograph will be compiled for national circulation, in braille, large type and recorded form, thus providing for the first time a single source for this now widely scattered information. Persons desiring further information may contact Shirley Kimmel, Chairman, Electronic Aids Committee, Howe Society of Greater New York, 751 Warwick Street, Brooklyn, New York; telephone: 212 992-0895. ***** *** Hyde Park Corner (Editor's Note: This column exists to provide a forum for the expression of divergent views of writers on timely subjects. Views expressed need not necessarily be concurred in or endorsed by the publisher.) ** Three Cheers for "That Old-Time Religion!" By George L. Fogarty (Editor's Note: The following excerpts are from a letter to George Card, written in response to his article, "That Old-Time Religion!" in the November-December, 1973 Braille Forum.) Dear George, Reading your writing never ceases to stir me and to renew an incentive all too frequently dulled in recent years. Reading "That Old-Time Religion!" did it again. To every sentiment expressed therein, I said "Amen!" I think it is particularly pertinent at this time, with a new slate of officers to be voted in at Chicago. It is so important that those representing us be completely aware of the importance of the role they assume. Such representation n can only be assured when the membership selecting it is fully informed of the need for such leadership. When our needs were more obvious, though no more necessary, such an awareness was much more apparent. It is time we again renewed our fervor with a pertinent proclaiming of our pledge and purpose at the banquet immediately prior to that important task ... We must encourage a knowledgeable, yet new group of candidates for assuming leadership if we are to continue to grow in a meaningful way. All the more reason, then, to rededicate ourselves annually with a pertinent expression at the annual banquet. Would that others, George, could acquire your fervor and spirit of dedication, and by doing so, the more assure you that the torch is in good hands and will forever burn and give forth a clear and meaningful light. ** More on the Energy Crisis (Editor's Note: The following letter is self-explanatory. Mr. Hogan is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Blind Lawyers Association and a member of the Legislative Committee of ACB of New York State.) Dear Mr. Qualls: Your letter to Mr. Simon as it appears in the January Braille Forum in reference to gasoline rationing and the blind was of great interest to me, a blind lawyer and diabetic. I would like to add one footnote. In World War II, I was granted extra ration stamps for necessary meat and dietary needs. I would suggest that the legally blind be granted stamps for them to reimburse sighted motorists who help them perform necessary errands. Respectfully yours, Walter J. Hogan ***** ** The Missouri Federation Wins Exclusive Right to Use "Federation of the Blind" By Durward K. McDaniel The Missouri Federation of the Blind was chartered by the State in January, 1957. At that time, it was affiliate with the National Federation of the Blind. That affiliation was terminated in November, 1961, after the MFB refused to accede to new conditions of affiliation, one of which was the expulsion of its president from membership. In September, 1962, a new NFB affiliate, the Progressive Blind of Missouri, was chartered by the State. In Jul 1971, it obtained an amendment to its charter, changing its name to the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri. The MFB filed suit against the NFB of Missouri alleging that "The new name of the defendant is so similar to the name of the plaintiff that confusion will arise in the minds of potential members, contributors, and members of the general public in Missouri, who will be misled by the similarity of names, and caused to be misled in dealing with defendant to believe that they are dealing with the plaintiff, both to the injury of the plaintiff and the members of the public. Plaintiff's goodwill and good name will be jeopardized by defendant's operation ..." MFB petitioned for judgment and decree of the court enjoining defendant or its affiliates from: "(1) using the name of National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, Inc., or any other name so similar as to cause confusion to the public; (2) holding defendant out in any manner as being ... associated in any way with the plaintiff; (3) carrying a listing in the telephone directory, or circularizing and advertising in any other directory or publication, bearing or using any name similar to plaintiff's name; ..." The National Federation of the Blind was permitted to intervene as a defendant in the case. The trial court decreed that: " ... The plaintiff is entitled to a permanent injunction against defendant, National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, Inc., with respect to the use of its name only, and that such injunction shall preclude the future use by said defendant of any combination of the following words: Missouri, federation, and blind, unless they wish to revert to the use of their prior name, Progressive Blind of Missouri. "7. By the application of the above, defendant?intervener is not entitled to the affirmative relief prayed for. "8. That plaintiff is entitled to a permanent injunction against both defendant and defendant-intervener enjoining them from in any manner holding themselves out as being affiliated or associated with plaintiff; and from listing themselves in a Missouri directory or publication as other than the present name of defendant?intervener and the newly chosen name of defendant." The defendants appealed. The NFB contended that the trial court erred in refusing to enjoin MFB from the use of a name and emblem so similar to its own as to be calculated to confuse, mislead, and deceive the public. NFB asserted a paramount right to its name and emblem under state laws. Its affiliate contended that its name, NFB of Missouri, Inc., was not so deceptively similar to that of the plaintiff as to authorize a court of equity to enjoin its continued use, and that since there was no evidence of name confusion or pecuniary injury to MFB, the judgment should not stand. The Missouri Court of Appeals found that NFB had acquiesced for ten years in the plaintiff's use of its name and symbol; that MFB's services have become identified with its trade symbols in the public mind; that under that identification, MFB has operated the MFB Credit Union, has successfully solicited from the public contributions necessary to its existence and function, has merchandised its products, has held publicly advertised annual conventions, and has done its charitable work in affiliation with nine chapters throughout the State; that from NFB's prolonged silence and inaction after knowledge of MFB's adverse use, MFB had reason to believe NFB had abandoned whatever protectable right to exclusive use of the trade symbol the law otherwise allowed. ***** ** Legislative Victory in Kansas The right of protection against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations has now been assured to citizens of Kansas who are blind or otherwise handicapped. On February 20, 1974, Governor Robert Docking put his pen in signature to House Bill 1426. The signing of this measure was the final stepping stone in legislative procedure enacting amendments to the Kansas Civil Rights Act to include the handicapped, thus securing to them by mandate of law their right to such protection. This day marked the victorious end to a three-year effort by the Kansas Association of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. The drive to secure passage of the legislation was initiated and directed by Reese H. Robrahn, long-time chairman of KAB's Legislative Committee, past president of ACB, and presently a member of ACB's Board of Directors. Judge Robrahn stated that the fight was almost a single?handed one on the part of the Kansas Association. Strong opposition was voiced by other minority groups already covered by the Civil Rights Act and by the staff of the Kansas Civil Rights Commission. The former groups urged that broadening the Act to include the handicapped would be to dilute it. The latter contended that investigating complaints of discrimination against the handicapped and enforcing provisions of the Act would greatly overburden the Commission's staff. It therefore requested an approximate 100 percent increase in operating funds. Judge Robrahn, however, was quick to make much of the point that such protest and fear was in itself proof of the widespread discrimination against the handicapped and of the need for such legislation. The efforts of the Kansas Association in securing passage of this measure indeed represent a giant step forward in the march to elevate the social, cultural, and economic status of handicapped persons. ***** ** The Deaf-Blind in Sweden (Editor's Note: The following letter is self-explanatory and should be of general interest. The Braille Forum welcomes such contributions from its readers abroad at any time.) Foreningen Sveriges dov Blinda In the Braille Forum, No. 6, 1973, I have read the article, "The Neglected Minority, the Deaf-Blind," by Joseph Wiedenmayer, and with reference to that article, I would like to tell a little about the Association of the Deaf-Blind in Sweden (FSDB). FSDB was founded in 1959 by a small group of deaf-blind, and its aim was to speed up social development for this group of severely handicapped persons. The Association has today 106 members all over the country. It is directed by a committee of five persons, where at least three have to be deaf-blind themselves. During the fourteen years that the Association has existed, it has been proved that it can work as a pressure group not only on society, but also on organizations for the blind and for the deaf, as these organizations often see only to their own group interests. One of our first aims was to get a permit for a weekly newspaper in braille. This aim was fulfilled as early as 1961. It has, however, shown that within the group of deaf?blind, there is a fairly large group of primarily deaf, with residual vision. For a year, we distributed a paper in large print on trial, with a simplified language for partially sighted deaf persons. Another aim was fulfilled in 1966, and this was to get a special social welfare service for deaf-blind people. Today we have a full-time adviser who continuously keeps in contact with deaf-blind persons in Sweden. In his files, there are about 400 deaf-blind registered. Each year our Association arranges a two-week camp at a vacation home outside Stockholm, where about 30 to 40 of the members gather. During those weeks, we take part in practicing braille and the hand manual. We also have physical activities such as walking and swimming. During this period, the Association has its annual meeting. We also try to make society take some responsibility concerning adjustment courses for the adult deaf-blind. Such a course takes place in Uppsala every year. Furthermore, we are working to get a center for employment of the deaf-blind. We regard ourselves as an independent organization. We are connected to the National Council for the Handicapped. Due to our weak economy and small personal resources, we are dependent upon good cooperation with the National Association of the Blind and the Swedish National Association of the Deaf. I hope that this short article may be of interest in your plans for the Committee of Visually and Hearing Impaired Adults. ***** ** Health Plan: Nixon v. Kennedy (Reprinted from the Washington Post, Feb. 11, 1974, by Stuart Auerbach) Nixon v. Kennedy -- one of the oldest political road shows in the country -- is rolling again, this time over national health insurance. President Nixon made it clear in his State of the Union address and in his speech to the American Hospital Association that the main rival to his national health insurance plan is one put forth by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D., Mass.) and supported by organized labor. Without mentioning Kennedy by name, the President in both speeches attacked other plans that he said would require $80 billion to $100 billion in new taxes. Yet the differences between the two plans have nothing to do with their costs. In fact, the costs of the two plans are just about the same. Americans spent an estimated $87.5 billion for personal health care last year. Max W. Fine, Executive Director of the pro-Kennedy Committee for National Health Insurance, estimated the Kennedy plan will cover 70 percent of those health bills. While refusing to list what part of the nation's health bills the President's plan would cover, Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, said that it will cover "the great bulk" of America's health bills. Talking with newsmen Thursday, HEW Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Stuart Altman, put the figure at the same 70 percent as the Kennedy bill -- which would put the cost of the two programs in the same ballpark. There are, nevertheless, great differences between the two plans. These involve how much of the medical bill comes from an individual's pocket and how much is covered by insurance; the amounts of Government control over what doctors and hospitals can charge; and how much of a family's income goes for medical care. It is clear, for example, that the poor and the aged will do better under the Kennedy plan than under the Administration's. In many cases, especially for most of the aged covered by Medicare, they do better under the present system. Under the Administration plan, a family making less than $2,500 a year -- below the poverty level -- will have to pay as much as 6 percent of its income on medical care before the Government takes over all the costs. A family making $30,000 a year, however, will only pay 5 percent of its income on medical bills before it reaches its $1,500 maximum liability and Catastrophic Coverage takes over. A middle-class family earning $10,000 a year gets hit worse than the poor. It has to pay 15 percent of its income before it reaches the $1,500 limit and the cost-sharing of medical bills stops. "It helps people in terms of catastrophic health insurance," acknowledged William Hutton of the National Council of Senior Citizens, "but 95 percent of the elderly will not be helped." The disparity comes in setting the deductibles and co-payments under the Administration plan which are not part of Medicare. This was done purposely, Weinberger said, to discourage unnecessary use of medical resources. The Administration relies on the private insurance industry to supply the health-care policies paid for from employer-employee contributions, and in the case of the poor and aged, from Federal funds. Kennedy, on the other hand, says that about $7 billion in windfall profits will be channeled into an industry that has been unable to control health-care costs and to provide coverage for many Americans. The Kennedy plan would treat people of all incomes alike, and the taxes to support it would be collected on the basis of income -- half from general revenues and half from employer?employee taxes (3.5% of payroll paid for by the employer and 1% of the first $15,000 in income paid by the employee). The plan would be run by the Social Security Administration. The Nixon Administration plan would attempt to control costs and assure quality care through peer review programs -- especially the controversial Professional Standards Review Organizations -- that have doctors in an area checking on the medical care given by other doctors in the same area. The Kennedy plan would rely on stronger Government control of national standards of quality care. It would require hospitals to budget in advance on costs and then stick to those budgets. As Walter McNerney, president of the Blue Cross Association, said last week, the President has picked "the middle ground" in the national health insurance debate. Kennedy indicated that he is willing to compromise with the Administration on the issue. But it is unlikely, despite the predictions of both Kennedy and Administration experts. (Editor's Note: More detailed information on the Nixon health plan and others may be obtained from the ACB National Office.) ***** ** Here and There By Sue Graves In November, 1973 issue of the Observer, there was a report concerning the confusion which people have had when trying to purchase Amtrak tickets with their concession books from Amtrak agents. The Observer is grateful to Bill Gannon for the following information: "Effective July 1, 1973, the blind individual and the HUMAN guide must each purchase a ticket when traveling via Amtrak. Whereas before one ticket was for the full fare and was free, now EACH TICKET COSTS 75 PERCENT OF THE FACE VALUE." From Germany comes news of a new invention which should be great news, especially to the deaf-blind. A device which enables people who are both deaf and blind to enjoy telephone communication has been developed by the Siemens Electronics firm. The invention joins the braille system to the advantages of the conventional telephone. The caller dials the number he wishes to reach, just as with a regular phone. But instead of ringing on the other end, the signal alerts the person being called by triggering a vibration in a special receiver. When the connection has been established, the message is typed out on a keyboard on the sending Braille?ophone and is "printed out" on the other end in braille symbols embossed on a narrow ticker tape. It is anticipated that this system will eventually be integrated with standard telephone equipment, making it possible for the deaf-blind to communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world. From the MISSOURI CHRONICLE: The Missouri Federation's Credit Union held its annual meeting on October 12. It has 218 members and almost $76,000 in total assets. It paid a 5% dividend on deposits. Last year it introduced one-year savings certificates which pay an interest rate of 6%. Congratulations, Missouri, on another good year. Yours is one of the credit unions for the blind represented on ACB's Credit Union Committee, which will meet in Chicago during the national convention. -- The Braille Forum congratulates Laura Welle, who received the Missouri Federation's Federationist-of-the-Year Award at its October convention. Laura is the editor of the Missouri Chronicle. She was MFB's first president and is now chairman of its Legislative Committee and a member of its Library Committee and member of the Board of the Credit Union. She is deeply involved in the work of the Summer Camp Committee and is on the advisory committee of Station WMRY. She is president of the United Workers for the Blind, an MFB affiliate. -- A program to serve hot meals five days a week to senior citizens, particularly blind senior citizens, is being carried out by RITE (Real Independence Through Employment), an MFB affiliate. The program was spearheaded by Fred Lilley and Frank Matoushek of MFB, with the backing and cooperation of the Mayor's Committee on Aging and the Federal Government. Menus are prepared under the direction of a doctor and a nutritionist, and meals are delivered to RITE Hall daily. They are generous, well balanced, and wholesome and are served for a minimum donation of $.50. There are many senior citizens in the area of RITE Hall, and transportation is provided where necessary. Mary Berdel, member of the American Council of the Blind and the Iowa Council of the Blind, is the first blind woman to be named to the Waterloo, Iowa City Council. She was named as the result of a tie between herself and her opponent in a recent run-off election for Waterloo's Fourth Ward. Ms. Berdel's name was drawn by the Black Hawk County Supervisor. Ms. Berdel is currently a counselor at East High School in Waterloo. Incidentally, she is also the first black woman to be a member of the? City Council. From the GFB DIGEST (GA): Simply making a living is not enough for Bob Jones of Montezuma. He operates a vending stand to serve the public and writes songs to serve the Lord. A graduate of the Georgia Academy for the Blind, Mr. Jones wrote his first song to be published, "I've Got a Friend." Several other songs have been published in the Tennessee Song Book within the past four years. Mr. Jones explains: "I do not write songs to make money. I write them so someone else can be blessed. Whatever I make from them goes into the service of the Lord." He spends much of his spare time visiting the sick in hospitals and is very active with the choral group in his church. Mr. Jones has been writing Gospel lyrics for about ten years, and several years ago he teamed up with Rev. Rupert Cravens, who writes the music for the lyrics. These songs are becoming quite well known throughout the Holiness Churches, since the Tennessee Song Book is widely circulated throughout those churches. From the BRAILLE REPORTER (Washington State): A device enabling the blind to receive audio rather than visual read-outs of computations from calculators, computers, meters, and the like is being developed by an independent company in the Seattle area. The Telephone Activated Computer Service provides answers to computations in the four basic mathematical functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. By punching the information into the telephone by using the normal numerical buttons and pressing several special buttons in proper sequence, the user feeds numbers into the machine and receives a voice repeat for each set of numbers and a mathematical instruction, and the final result. Thus, each input is verified for accuracy, and any misinformation can be immediately corrected. The girl's pleasant voice that replies to buttons punched on this standard-appearing telephone shows what today's technology can do. The voice, which conjures up a smiling, cooperative person, has been produced entirely by electronics. Senator Daniel K. Inouye (Hawaii) recently introduced S.2711, a bill to correct the injustice of providing a tax exemption to the blind on Federal income tax, but not the deaf. ln effect, it inserts the words, "deaf, blind, or deaf-blind" into the present legislation. Presently Hawaii is the only state which provides exemptions to both legally blind and profoundly deaf. The following excerpt from the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD gives a good description of what is in Bill S. 2733, which calls for the embossing of our paper currency with numbers which can be "read" by the blind. This bill was introduced to the Senate by Senators Hartke and Abourezk, with a similar proposal introduced to the House by Representative Rarick. According to Senator Hartke: "Many have thought it impossible to create an identification on our currency which would benefit the blind. I, therefore, am pleased to inform my colleagues that I have received from Mr. F. Morton Reed of Wooster, Ohio, an example of monetary embossing which has been suggested to the Bureau of Engraving. Under Mr. Reed's creativity, the numbers in the corners of our currency would also contain a braille number raised for easy identification. The number 1 on a $1 bill, for instance, would contain three vertical rows of dots within its borders. The number 5 would be overprinted with a V, the number 10 with an X, the number 20 with two horizontal parallel lines through its center, the number 50 with a L, and the number 100 with a C. Each of these embossed numbers would be easily identified by a blind person. An illustration of Mr. Reed's proposal can be found in the Aug. 4, 1971 edition of "Coin World." Prizes were mailed early in December to the winners of the "Image of Blind People" essay contest sponsored by Hearsight. The winners were: first prize, Mrs. Iva Menning, Salem, Oregon; second prize, Mr. Lynn Brooks, Napa, California, and Mr. Wilbur Lane, Spokane, Washington; third prize, Mr. Rollin Moseley, Atmore, Alabama. "Seeing Sound" is a new program on Radio Station KBPS, Portland, Oregon. The station has given its time from 9:30 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. each Sunday to programming for blind listeners, covering a 20-mile radius of Portland. Information on new items in communications, facts about occupations in which blind persons are engaged, and information on the media available to the visually impaired are among types of information broadcast. The Oregon Council of the Blind is taking a very active part in the content and production of the material being used. From VISUALLY HANDICAPPED VIEWS (S.D.): Under Treasury Department regulations, a blind taxpayer or blind spouse is entitled to an extra personal exemption for Federal income tax purposes. To claim this exemption in the past, however, a person who was not totally blind, but otherwise qualified as blind, had to attach an eye doctor's or registered optometrist's statement that the individual met the required conditions to each year's tax return. Now a change in the regulations provides that if the examining physician certified that the condition is irreversible, and a copy of the certification is filed with the return for that year, no further certifying statement need be attached to later returns so long as the condition remains irreversible. A copy of the certified opinion must be kept by the taxpayer, and a simple statement referring to the opinion must be attached to future returns claiming the exemption. From JOURNAL OF REHABILITATION: A record 360 726 disabled Americans were rehabilitated to productive activities during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973. The 1973 figure, up 11 percent over fiscal 1972, is the highest yearly total ever reached since the State-Federal vocational rehabilitation program began in 1920. Texas led the nation, with 29,009 rehabilitations. In a congratulatory telegram to the State, James S. Dwight, Jr., SRS Administrator, also cited Texas for being the first state to exceed 25,000 rehabilitations in a single year. A new 90-minute videotape entitled "Public Attitudes Toward the Physically Disabled" is available from the Research Department of the Curative Workshop of Milwaukee, 10437 W. Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, for $10. A discussion of public attitudes is presented by a group comprised mostly of severely physically disabled individuals who describe the problems in terms of their own experiences. Most of the participants are college graduates, some with advance degrees. The tape was made for and shown on a local educational television station, with a professional moderator. Although not designed for this purpose, the film has been effective in influencing employers' attitudes. Thirty-four placements of disabled clients were made after interested employers had viewed the tape. From the NEW OUTLOOK (Jan., 1974): A study of four prevalent eye diseases is being conducted in Framingham, Massachusetts, under the sponsorship of the National Eye Institute. The four-year study will concentrate on senile cataracts, senile macular degeneration, chronic simple glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. It is hoped that the identification of possible coexistent risk factors in the development of these diseases will be useful in defining causes. -- More than 11,000 handicapped people are employed in over 300 different jobs in Veterans Administration hospitals. Some 1,200 have impaired vision and another 800 have hearing or speech impairment. -- The 1973 Directory of Residential Camps for the Disabled, a 67-page booklet listing 240 camps, is available for $1.00 from National Easter Seal Society, 2023 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612. -- Teleprompter Cable Television, serving Upper Manhattan, has devoted Channel F to the presentation of current books. Each day a new chapter is serialized and runs continuously for 24 hours. For more information, write Joe Goth, Teleprompter, Inc., 60 W. 44th Street, New York, NY 10036. Announcement has been received of an opening for a teacher of the visually impaired in a public-school setting in southern New York State. Because of an expanding program, a second teacher is being sought to work with an already established program for visually handicapped students. Contact Linda B. Carlson, Jenny F. Snapp Junior High School, 101 Loder Avenue, Endicott, NY 13760. ***** 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 ***** ** 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 ###