The Braille Forum Vol. XIV March-April 1976 No. 5 Published Bi-Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * President: Floyd Qualls 501 N. Douglas Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73160 * National Representative: Durward K. McDaniel 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 506 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 833-1251 * 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 So Many Owe So Much to So Few, by Floyd Qualls A Hint of Good Things to Come -- ACB 1976 Convention ACB Awards College Without Sight and Hearing, by Geraldine Lawhorn ABLA Expands Services to Blind Attorneys Randolph-Sheppard Proposed Rules ACB and ACCD Testify in Rehabilitation Act Oversight Hearings Whither Braille? Why Braille? ACCD to Hold Second Delegate Assembly The Meeting That Was, by Reese Robrahn Women's Leadership Rally for National Health Insurance, by Kathy Megivern Ski for Light, 1976, by Paul Filpus The Question Box, by O.L. Joiner, Jr. National Exhibit by Blind Sculptors Need Something Brailled? Here and There, by Elizabeth Lennon ACB Officers ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, in large-type, and on open-reel (dual-track, 3 3/4 ips) and cassette tape. Send items intended for publication 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, WI 53703 Margaret Freer, 11816 West Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226 Ione B. Miller, 9291 Fermi Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123 Joseph Wiedenmayer, 5604 Montgomery Street, Chevy Chase, MD 20015 Subscriptions and address changes for all four editions should be sent to Floyd Qualls, 501 North Douglas Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to ACB Treasurer J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Avenue, Charlotte, NC 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. ***** ** So Many Owe So Much to So Few By Floyd Qualls In the most recent issue of the Braille Forum, I announced that Judge Reese Robrahn has been added to the American Council of the Blind's Washington staff. In the article following mine was an account of the lawsuit against the Department of Health, Education and Welfare which deals with the education of handicapped children. This set me to thinking. How many of our members have any concept of what a tremendous job our Washington Office has been doing and is now doing? To establish a yardstick for measurement, I point out that the American Foundation for the Blind has in its national office one national representative, two professional staff, and two clerical persons. Until Judge Robrahn joined our Washington staff, ACB had one national representative and one secretary. Those of you who follow Washington legislation are aware of how many times ACB has appeared before Congressional committee hearings and how often testimonials have been prepared in writing and read before public committees. If legislation affects blind people, then ACB is there at the hearings, in person or with written testimony. Whether in person or in written testimony, much research is essential before a factual and objective statement can be made. Volunteers have helped some in this area, but for the most part, Durward McDaniel and his one secretary have met deadlines with influential and factual statements. Judge Robrahn will be most helpful in this area. His knowledge of legislation and his experience in preparing and evaluating legislation will prove advantageous when public hearings on bills are called for. ACB's Washington Office is not concerned with national legislation alone. It is constantly called upon by state agency directors for consultation regarding local legislation and preparing drafts of bills which meet the needs of state organizations and agencies. These are on request, not volunteered because the National Representative of ACB thinks such legislation should be enacted. Examples of the above circumstances are the vendors in the State of Illinois. Our National Representative aided this group in getting named as the licensing agency for vending stands in Illinois. He, today, serves on the Board of the Illinois vendors, and this group has proved beyond any doubt that blind vendors are capable of running their own affairs. The National Office has involved itself and ACB in the Amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Most recently it has consulted and advised with the University of Tennessee in an effort to acquire a grant for training representatives on advisory boards to state licensing agencies. The American Council has sponsored radio talking book services from near the beginning. The National Office has pressed constantly for the expansion of this service. It participated in the first national conference in Oklahoma City last year on this subject and will also participate in the forthcoming conference this spring in Minneapolis. Participating in such activities takes more than just appearing. The participant must be knowledgeable in the field of discussion, and this calls for hours of research. In the area of radio talking book, Mr. McDaniel calls Oklahoma City the first Tuesday night of each month, at Oklahoma's expense, to report on legislation, activities on the Washington scene, and to answer questions from listeners. The ACB National Office was the prime mover in setting up the conferences on Supplemental Security Income two years ago. Program agendas, speaker personnel, and invitation lists were largely arranged by the National Office. Because of this, literally thousands of questions came into the National Office concerning SSI and Social Security. All must be answered. Our National Representative is involved in many activities, all related to work for the blind. He is a member of the Board of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped and serves on several of its committees, particularly the Committee on Standards. For four years, he was a very active member of the National Industries for the Blind Board of Directors and is a member of the Legislative Committee for National Industries and the General Council of Workshops for the Blind. He is a long-time member of the Board of the Oklahoma League for the Blind and most recently was appointed by the Governor of Maryland as a member of the Board of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland. He has been personally, or by correspondence, involved in most major state-level pieces of legislation affecting the blind. Mr. McDaniel, on behalf of the American Council, has been very active in the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, in various consumer organizations, in civil rights on behalf of the blind; and most recently he has been invited to be involved with Law and the Handicapped and the National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting. The latter will probably require Board sanction; but, as with so many other requests, it requires research and understanding. The National Office is called upon to assist with membership, with fund­raising, with all legal contracts between ACB and fund-raisers; the Legislative Committee, the Convention Program Committee, and numerous personal problems are brought to the door of the National Representative. The staggering amount of work that is and has been turned out by our National Office is fantastic. Our circumstances are slowly improving. As we are able, additional help will be added to the National Office. The Board has just approved ACB's affiliation with the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind. All these activities demand more space and more office help. Your Board is not dreaming of mountains too high to climb. We see solid footholds ahead, and we recognize the ever-growing importance of the American Council of the Blind. Our growth and our prestige in the blind community make growing demands on our National Office. We must, and we will, meet the challenges and face up to the responsibilities of a viable organization of blind persons. The National Office is very much a part of the coming convention. Be at the Arlington Hotel, Hot Springs, Arkansas, July 4-10 and see firsthand a few of the multitude of activities to which your National Representative and the National Office have contributed to generously and in such an outstanding manner. ***** ** A Hint of Good Things to Come -- ACB 1976 Convention From north, south, east and west, for ACBers all roads lead to Hot Springs, Arkansas, the week of July 4-10, 1976. The occasion: the fifteenth annual convention of the American Council of the Blind. The time from Sunday, July 4, through Wednesday noon, July 7, will be devoted to a wide range of special-interest activities. These include annual conferences of ACB's special-interest organizations: American Blind Lawyers Association, ACB Service Net, Guide Dog Users, National Alliance of Blind Students, National Association of Blind Teachers, Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, Visually Impaired Data Processors International, Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, and World Council of Blind Lions. In addition, a half-day "short course" will focus on the interrelated areas of publications, public relations and fund-raising, and the rehabilitation teachers, who have met informally for the past several years during Convention Week, are sponsoring a workshop on advocacy and have enlisted the services of an outstanding authority to lead the workshop. There will be others. See the May-June Braille Forum for more complete details, and for information on any of the special-interest organizations, write the ACB National Office. The main ACB annual convention will convene at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 7, with adjournment at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 10. Convention headquarters this year is the Arlington Hotel--a delightful place, with a charm and atmosphere dating from an era when Hot Springs earned its well-deserved reputation as the "Spa City." Somehow, amazingly, the Arlington has retained its unique character, while at the same time keeping pace with the ever more sophisticated needs and desires of today's traveler and tourist. Within the hotel itself are thermic baths, twin cascade swimming pools, a reflector sundeck, barber and beauty shops, a liquor store, several excellent restaurants, and a wide variety of small shops. Special ACB convention rates are $18 for a single room, $16 for a double. Although the Arlington Hotel does not accept credit cards in payment of hotel charges, it will accept them as identification and as reference for billing guests directly. Pack an outfit to wear prospecting for diamonds. Thursday afternoon, a bus trip to the diamond fields is planned. In addition to the charge for transportation, group admission rates are $1.00 per person, and you may rent your prospecting tools for $.50 at the site. Some people find it preferable to do their prospecting barefoot, because they say they can cover more territory with the feet than with the edge of a shovel or hoe. The diamonds are near the surface of the ground, and just before a group enters, the ground is turned with a deep plow, so that your educated feet have just as much chance of locating a diamond as a person with vision. A sighted person might mistake a dirt-encrusted diamond for an ordinary clod of dirt and pass it by. Fingers and feet may have the edge in this situation. You may travel to Little Rock by either Greyhound or Continental Trailways bus, but only Continental continues on to Hot Springs. So those riding Greyhound will have to transfer to Continental in Little Rock for the last lap of the journey to Hot Springs. The only airlines to service Hot Springs directly are Texas International and Frontier. It is suggested that conventioners planning to travel to Hot Springs by air make reservations immediately with Frontier Air Lines. Call the toll-free number, 800-525-1138, and tell the representative that you are a member of ACB and want to make travel plans to and from the Hot Springs convention. Frontier will make your plans for you. They have agreed to allot a portion of their available space to convention-bound ACBers. Act promptly to be assured of the best accommodations. Again, remember the toll-free number: 800-525-1138. If it is not possible to take a route through Memphis, Oklahoma City of Dallas, and you find it necessary to come through Little Rock, the Transportation Committee is planning for bus or private station-wagon transportation service between Little Rock and Hot Springs. A variety of activities and entertainment is planned. Among them are a pool party at the mountain-side pool which is accessible from the seventh-floor corridor of the Arlington Hotel, a hoe-down replete with country music, sponsored by the National Alliance of Blind Students, and on Thursday evening, a Southern barbecue on the shore of Lake Hamilton. Hot Springs is situated in the Hot Springs National Park, and the park, as well as the town, has many hiking trails, where young and old may hike through the scenic Ouachita Mountains. Be sure to pack comfortable walking shoes. Families who plan to spend time camping will find pleasant camp sites around Hot Springs and all over the state. The convention program will be varied and interesting. One of the major concerns to be dealt with is the blindness system itself. The keynote address will focus on the inadequacies of the service delivery system and the fact that many blind persons are not receiving the services they want and need. Other programs will focus on education and rehabilitation needs and concerns. Outstanding personalities from the fields of government, education, entertainment, rehabilitation, business and industry will contribute their expertise to the program. Representatives from the Labor Department and from the Civil Service Administration will be present to discuss affirmative action. The term "affirmative action" is one of great importance to members of ACB, because affirmative action is the name given to a fair employment program requiring the employer to actively seek and hire the handicapped, minorities, and women. Questions regarding the role of the Civil Service Administration and the Labor Department in implementing affirmative action will be answered. Because this is an election year, a day and a half will be devoted to internal business -- committee reports reflecting ACB's progress during the past year, Constitution and By-Law amendments, resolutions, and election of a full slate of officers to lead the Council during the coming two years. Remember that in addition to one affiliate vote for each 25 members as of December 31, 1975, each member of ACB present at the convention and certified to the Treasurer at least sixty days prior to the convention also has the privilege and responsibility of an individual vote, and thus a voice in the policies, concerns, and leadership of the American Council. If you have suggested amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, the Constitution and By-Laws Committee will appreciate receiving them in advance of the convention, if possible. In any event, the Constitution provides that proposed amendments must be submitted to the Committee in writing on or before the first day of the convention. Send suggested amendments to Vernon Daigle, Chairman, Constitution and By-Laws Committee, 5230 Wilson Drive, New Orleans, LA 70122 Similarly, the work of the Resolutions Committee will be greatly facilitated if as many resolutions as possible are submitted in advance, and in as complete form as possible to reflect policies and concerns of ACB. This year's Resolutions Committee chairman is Gordon Haldiman, 5353 North Berkeley Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI, 53217. Pre-registration forms for the 1976 convention and for the special-interest activities will be in the mail by early May. In the meantime, anyone wishing to do so may make reservations directly with the Arlington Hotel, Central Avenue and Fountain Street, Hot Springs, AR 71901; telephone: (501) 623- 7771. All these plans and it's only March! Read more in the May-June Braille Forum. And, above all -- Come to Hot Springs July 4-10. ***** ** ACB Awards In these days of medal winners, your attention is called to the American Council of the Blind award presentations for 1976. The Awards Committee is now waiting to receive your nominations for those you deem worthy to receive either the George Card Award or the Ambassador Award. The Ambassador Award is presented annually to a blind person who has performed distinguished service in his own community or state in which he resides. The George Card Award is periodically presented to an outstanding blind person who has contributed significantly to the betterment of blind people in general. This award is not limited by locality or nature of contribution, and it is not necessarily awarded each year. If you know of a blind person who in your op1n1on is worthy of the recognition afforded by either of these awards, the Awards Committee would appreciate hearing from you no later than June 1, 1976. Please enumerate your reasons for making the particular nomination, so that the award presentation can be suitable for the occasion. Nominations should be sent in triplicate, since each committee member should have a copy for consideration. Committee members are: Carol Derouin, Chairman, 3655 Monroe Avenue, N.E., Salem, OR 97301; Morris Ward, 257 Bermuda Drive, Jackson, MS 69208; and Philip Pofcher, 749 South Street, Roslindale, MA 02131. The Robert S. Bray Award was created in 1975 in memory of Robert S. Bray, who died November 26, 1974, and who was known to blind persons throughout the country for his long and distinguished career as Chief of the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. The award is presented from time to time, not necessarily each year, by the American Council of the Blind, to recognize outstanding achievement in extending library service or access to published materials, or in improving communications devices and techniques. For example: This award may be given to recognize increased availability of materials in any format usable by the blind and/or the physically handicapped. It may recognize improved announcement services or bibliographic control of materials. It may recognize development or operation of information services beneficial to the blind and/or physically handicapped. It may recognize the extension of "conventional" library service to a blind and/or physically handicapped segment of the population. It may be awarded for a local effort that has been or might be applied regionally or nationally. The award is to be in the form of a certificate, supplemented by an appropriately boxed cassette recording of the presentation ceremony and words of appreciation by beneficiaries of the services recognized. Nominations should be received no later than June 1, 1976, and should be sent to Elizabeth Lennon, Chairman, Robert S. Bray Award Committee, 1315 Greenwood Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007. The Ned E. Freeman Article of the Year Award is presented annually in memory of Ned Freeman, first president of ACB and editor of the Braille Forum from the time he stepped down from the office of president in 1966 until his death in 1969. His widow, Loretta Freeman, has commented that although her husband considered his leadership of the American Council to be an honor and a privilege, the work he enjoyed most, and in which he found great personal satisfaction, was editorship of the Braille Forum. After his death, much thought was given to what would be the most fitting and appropriate memorial to Ned Freeman. In 1971, the ACB Board of Publications established the Ned E. Freeman Article of the Year Award, to consist of a check for $100 and a certificate to be presented at the time of the annual convention. It is based upon the best article written specifically for the Braille Forum and appearing in issues between July 1 and June 30 of a given year, the recipient to be selected by the Forum's editorial staff. After reading issues dating from that 1966-69 period, it is obvious that Ned Freeman was a born editor, and that he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving the Council through the Forum. This award in his honor is designed to encourage readers to contribute articles which will help maintain the Braille Forum at the highest possible level, a level which will reflect favorably upon the American Council as it grows in importance and prestige. ***** ** College Without Sight and Hearing By Geraldine Lawhorn Laura K. McKittrick was the first winner of the Richard Kinney Challenge of Living Award, presented annually by the Hadley School for the Blind in recognition of outstanding achievement by one of its deaf-blind students. Realizing that double effort is needed to meet the challenges of the twin handicaps of deafness and blindness, Laura McKittrick supplemented her high-school studies by completing over eight correspondence courses from the Hadley School. Because she is partially blind and totally deaf, one of these eight courses was essentially preparatory -- "Independent Living Without Sight and Hearing," specially prepared by Dr. Richard Kinney, deaf-blind president of the Hadley School. That was in 1973. Laura, in her early 20s, was born in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She has been deaf from early childhood and lost her sight in 1963. She is a graduate of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Talladega, and is presently a junior at Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a Special Education major, studying under a Helen Keller Scholarship. Recently I received the following letter: Starting this fall, I will be a junior at Peabody College. I have made good grades -- 2.63 grade point average out of a possible 3.00 -- and have been on the Dean's List every semester so far. Last spring, I passed through Peabody's Teacher Education program. As a special education major, I am planning to work with higher-level deaf and deaf-blind young people who have language problems -- no, not speech therapy, but problems with written and spoken English grammar. I handle my classes mainly through interpreters. There is a small organization across the street which maintains a 24-hour interpreter service. Through this organization, I have found several interpreters and have also met a few people on campus who know the sign language. I arrange my interpreters' schedules at the beginning of each semester, find out which classes they can most conveniently attend, and pay them out of my Helen Keller Scholarship. As for class notes, I can simply arrange for another student to make carbon copies of his own notes and give them to me. Quite a few people have learned to communicate with the deaf-blind. With these friends, I have a pretty normal social life. Over spring vacation, I went to New Orleans with some of these great people and did all the exciting things you can expect to do there -- even went on a river cruise on the Mark Twain. It helps that many people know me and know how to communicate with me. When I first came to college, I was scared to death! Now, I have matured, gained a lot of self-confidence and independence. With a white cane, I can get around the campus and go shopping alone; I can handle my own business at the administration building and bank. Best of all, I am not shy any more. In fact, I discovered that most people were as scared of me as I used to be of them. At least, we're getting across! Peace, Laura Kay McKittrick ***** ** ABLA Expands Services to Blind Attorneys Philip E. Pofcher, president of the American Blind Lawyers Association, has announced that the Bismarck, North Dakota-based Thomas W. and Frances Leach Foundation has donated a $10,000 grant to establish a Central Legal Index for blind attorneys and blind law students. The index will be organized by subject matter, which will make it the first of its kind. Since all reference works for the blind are not organized in this manner, legal research has traditionally been painstaking and time-consuming. A blind student or attorney will be able to consult the index (which will consist of braille and recorded materials) for information on a particular subject and be directed to any number of textbooks, periodicals, or standard works which might prove helpful. The Leach Foundation has also donated $1,000 to ABLA for purchase of a rapid cassette duplicator, which will facilitate duplicating recorded sections of the American Bar Journal. These and other recorded materials relating to the practice of law by the blind attorney have been provided for some time by ABLA, despite slow, time-consuming duplicating methods. A new service, begun in January of this year, is ABLA's "Ninety Minutes of Cases on Cassette." The first issue of this newsletter was sent to all names on the Association's mailing list. It will be sent hereafter to members only, but will be furnished upon request to non-members supplying a 90-minute cassette. The Leach Foundation will donate $1,000 annually to sponsor future work of ABLA. The Thomas W. and Frances Leach Foundation (Mrs. Thomas Witt Leach, President) was established in 1958. Mr. Leach was an eminently successful oil man. He owned land in North Dakota on which the Amerada Petroleum Corporation drilled the discovery well of the Williston Basin. Mr. Leach passed away in 1969. Mrs. Leach has directed the vigorous philanthropic efforts of the Leach Foundation, which during the past seventeen years has supported numerous religious, educational, and medical institutions, including a grant of $30,000 for construction of a music library (named after Mrs. Leach) at the International Peace Garden in North Dakota. The Foundation has also awarded about a dozen scholarships. Mrs. Leach maintains a winter residence in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She resides most of the year at her 14,000-acre Lea Land Lodge, a Hereford breeding ranch in Bismarck, North Dakota. The American Blind Lawyers Association, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, is a non-profit organization, supported for the most part by membership dues. It was formed in 1969 to provide a forum for discussion of special problems encountered by the blind attorney and blind law student. It seeks to protect the interests of blind members of the legal profession; to acquire, preserve, and maintain law libraries and periodicals of special interest to the blind; and to promote the production and dissemination of legal materials in braille and recorded form. Future goals include developing a more equitable method of gauging the importance for blind persons taking the Law School Admission Test and forming a placement service to assist the newly graduated blind law student. For further information concerning the American Blind Lawyers Association, contact Philip E. Pofcher, Esq., President, 749 South Street, Roslindale, MA 02131. ***** ** Randolph-Sheppard Proposed Rules (Editor's Note: Because the vending facility program and its expansion are so important to a substantial number of blind persons, we are publishing the introduction and conclusion of comments made by the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America on rules proposed by HEW last December. Persons interested in obtaining the specific comments and an analysis (14 pages) may do so by requesting a copy from the National Representative at Suite 700, 818 18th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006). This national membership organization of visually impaired vendors in the Randolph-Sheppard program is chartered by the District of Columbia and is affiliated with the American Council of the Blind, which concurs fully in this statement. ... * Background and Overview of the Proposed Rules When the Randolph-Sheppard Amendments of 1974 were being enacted, we agreed fully with the findings of Congress that the program had not developed and had not been sustained in the manner and spirit which the Congress had intended, and that, in fact, the growth of the program had been inhibited by a number of external forces. We agreed with Congress, and believe now, that the potential exists for doubling the number of blind operators on Federal and other properties within the next five years, if the obstacles to growth are removed. Among the purposes stated in the findings by Congress were: the establishment of uniform treatment of blind vendors by all Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities; the establishment of guidelines for the operation of the program by state licensing agencies; the requiring of coordination among the several entities with responsibility for the program; and the requiring of stronger administration and oversight functions in the Federal office carrying out the program. The Amendments centralized Federal authority in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, through the Rehabilitation Services Administration. They also vested much more authority in state licensing agencies and created a participating partnership between the state licensing agencies and elected committee of blind vendors in each state. The basis for divesting the various departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of their authority in the vending facility program is clearly shown in the committee report on S. 2581, in part as follows: "The Committee finds that there is a record of abuses and neglect of the Randolph-Sheppard program by officials of various Federal agencies that is adequate to justify the placement of increased over-all authority for its operation with the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare." (Senate Report 93-937, p. 16). Nevertheless, the proposed rules attempt to restore, and even to strengthen, the controls previously exercised over the program by Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities. If these proposals should be finalized as rules, they would substantially contradict the law and assure unequal treatment of blind vendors on Federal property. Moreover, the purported restoration of authority in other Federal departments, agencies and instrumentalities would encourage the perpetuation of those "external forces" which have inhibited the growth of the program. Specific reference is made to Federal employee organizations and interests which have been permitted to profit from vending concessions on Federal property without statutory authority and in violation of a conflict-of-interest statute, 18 USC 209. The proposed rules do establish some guidelines for state administration of the programs, but for the most part, they direct the state licensing agencies to tell the Commissioner what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. The proposed rules grossly fail to deal with the partnership functions of the state licensing agencies and the Elected Committees of Blind Vendors. The state licensing agencies have been waiting for more than a year for Federal leadership in the implementation of this unique partnership. The only reference in the proposed rules to the Elected Committee of Blind Vendors is an isolated paraphrasing of the related section of the law. This major omission fails materially to require coordination among the several entities with responsibility for the program. The Amendments direct the Secretary of HEW to assign to the Office for the Blind and Visually Handicapped of RSA ten additional full-time personnel to carry out duties related to the administration of the Act. This has not been done, and this omission, added to the passive nature of the guidelines and requirements for state licensing agencies, indicates that there probably will not be stronger administration and oversight functions in the Federal office. We believe that affirmative and progressive administration can achieve the employment goals of the 1974 Amendments. With that goal foremost, we offer the following comments and suggested revisions of the rules, in which this organization would welcome further participation. * Conclusion The proposed rules contain many restrictions and de facto amendments to the Act which would, if finally promulgated, inhibit the growth of the vending facility program and stimulate and encourage further competition and controversy with external forces which seek financial advantage in the use of vending-machine commissions, notwithstanding the apparent conflict of interest prohibited by 18 USC 209. We have advocated a Federal requirement that state licensing agencies submit a five-year plan for expansion of the vending facility programs. We also advocate that the rules require a supplemental five-year plan for the acquisition and operation of vending machines on Federal property as vending facilities. Such expansions in the vending facility program can create the additional jobs intended by the Act and can resolve the contest for vending machine income, when the machines are operated, serviced, or maintained by blind licensees. A major consequence of the rules as written will necessarily be an extraordinary number of arbitrations between state licensing agencies and officials in charge of Federal property. The rules need to be revised affirmatively to implement the letter and spirit of the law, to make the program work smoothly, and to double the job opportunities in this program within a five-year period. ***** ** ACB and ACCD Testify In Rehabilitation Act Oversight Hearings On February 26, the American Council of the Blind appeared before the Senate Select Subcommittee on the Handicapped to give its oral testimony on the oversight hearings being conducted in Congress on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its 1974 Amendments. ACB teamed up with the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in giving joint written testimony, and the oral testimony likewise was presented jointly by Reese Robrahn for ACB and by Eunice Fiorito on behalf of the American Coalition. The session on the 26th was the culmination of several days of testimony received by the Subcommittee, for the most part from non-Government witnesses. Administration witnesses and Government witnesses will be heard sometime during the month of March, and additional hearing days for other witnesses have been scheduled for the 30th and 31st of March. In all, eighteen amendments were proposed by ACB and ACCD, and both organizations requested and were granted leave to give additional written testimony in which more amendments will be proposed. Space does not permit the review of all proposed amendments here; however, copies of the testimony or a summary in detail will be forwarded to members of the ACB Board and to affiliate presidents. Anyone who wishes to receive a copy of either the written testimony or the summary may have the same upon request directed to the ACB National Office. The following represents a statement of some of the highlights of the major proposals: (1) State Planning Council -- The Planning Council in each state, a majority of the membership of which must be handicapped individuals, with adequate staffing to carry out its functions; and which is charged with the function and power to assist in the preparation and design of the state rehabilitation plan, and which must approve the plan before its submission to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare for approval by the Secretary. (2) National Advisory Council on Services and Facilities for Handicapped Individuals -- This Advisory Council, as proposed, would have nine ex officio members who are high-level administrators in HEW and other departments or agencies which administer programs and services for handicapped individuals, and sixteen appointed members, a majority of whom must be handicapped individuals. The function, among others of this Council would be the review and oversight of all rehabilitation programs and services and grant applications, and to advise and recommend on the same to the Secretary of HEW, and to make an annual report to the Congress, directly and not by way of the Secretary. (3) An advocacy system in each state to protect and enforce the rights of handicapped individuals, which must be separate and independent from any department or agency providing rehabilitation services, and which is federally funded; and each state must furnish proof of the existence of the same in order to receive its allotment of Federal dollars for rehabilitation services. (4) Client Assistance Program -- A client assistance program in each state which would serve as an outreach service to all handicapped individuals, to advise and provide information and representation like that provided to veterans under the Veterans Administration Act, operated by non-Government private organizations under grants approved by the Secretary of HEW. (5) Arbitration procedure for the settlement and prosecution of complaints by handicapped individuals under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, the affirmative action program for employment of handicapped individuals in the Federal Government; and under Section 503 of the Act, the affirmative action program for handicapped individuals in employment by those having contracts with the Federal Government; and under Section 504 of the Act, which prohibits discrimination and denial of participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity which is assisted by Federal funds. In each instance, the handicapped individual who believes himself to be aggrieved may file a complaint and designate one arbiter; the second arbiter is designated by the accused department or agency or entity; and the third is designated by the two arbiters thus designated. A timetable is provided for in the language of the proposed arbitration procedure, to the end that no decisions of the arbitration panel shall be rendered more than ninety days after the complaint is filed, and the right to review and appeal to the courts is reserved to the complainant. In each instance, the expenses of the arbitration procedure are paid for by the Federal Government. In brief, other major proposals include: (6) Reliance upon nationally recognized accreditation bodies by rehabilitation agencies in the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards, utilization of personnel, facilities, and programs of rehabilitation services and delivery systems; (7) Provisions to improve wage and working conditions and the rights of handicapped individuals in workshops; (8) 100% Federal funding of rehabilitation services for blind and severely handicapped individuals; (9) Incentive grants to rehabilitation agencies, based upon the number of handicapped individuals placed by them in competitive industry or in other gainful employment; (10) Specialized services or older aging blind individuals; (11) Comprehensive rehabilitation services for those handicapped individuals for whom there is not a vocational goal, as determined after extensive evaluation and assessment and review. ***** ** Whither Braille? Why Braille? (Reprinted from New Outlook for the Blind, "Editorial Notes," June, 1975) When I began thinking about writing this editorial commemorating the 150th anniversary of the "invention" of braille, it seemed fitting to discuss braille's future rather than its past. What better compliment, after all, to the past of something than to celebrate its future, its aliveness? In my mind's eye, the editorial was called "Whither Braille?" and would deal, optimistically, with what Mann calls the "enhancement of the availability of braille." Following on a long period during which braille was very much on the "back burner" as a subject of interest to practitioners and researchers, the last few years have seen a number of exciting and promising developments in the use and production of braille. Some of these developments grew out of modern technology. The Argonne Braille Machine will make it possible to convert symbols on ordinary magnetic tape into raised braille dots on a plastic belt that moves past the fingertips of the reader. The MIT Braillemboss and the Tri-Formation LED-120 braille computer terminals can be used in a number of ways: with the addition of a Teletype, as a news wire, for direct access to computer-stored material, as a time-shared terminal for blind computer professionals; given a compatible computer-assisted method of type setting for ink print materials, near-simultaneous typesetting and printing of a braille edition. Not all of the recent developments are technological. Considerable work is being done in the area of speed reading of braille, and a number of blind persons have already participated in training programs. The use of Grade 1 1/2 braille seems to be an effective means of teaching multiply handicapped blind children to read. The development of the beginning braille reading materials that take into account problems such as the frequency of difficult contractions is receiving attention. Before I even sat down at the typewriter to begin writing this piece, my thoughts about it had turned darker. The irony of writing about exciting developments in braille in some quarters, while its future was being written off in other quarters, could not be ignored. So "Why Braille"? was tagged on to "Whither Braille?" The "mass market" mentality that thinks first in terms of numbers -- and only notices large numbers -- seems to be assuming increasing importance in decisions about availability of reading materials for blind persons. More blind people read recorded materials; ergo, attention and funding should be concentrated on increasing the amount of recorded reading materials. And since neither attention nor funding is limitless or even expanding, the real meaning is that the same-sized pie must be cut into different-sized slices. So braille's slice gets smaller. On the surface, the reasons given for emphasizing recorded over braille materials sounds rational. And they are simple to understand. The number of congenitally blind and early blinded persons is decreasing, and a majority of this group is multiply impaired. The number of persons losing sight late in life is increasing. Diabetes is now the leading cause of blindness both in the aging and young adult populations, and the neuropathy that many diabetics develop lessens considerably the sense of touch. Braille is not as "efficient" as the various recorded media. Technology has made recorded materials both more accessible and less expensive than braille materials. The falacies behind this reasoning are at once more complex and more subtle. Yes, the congenitally blind population is -- thank heavens -- getting smaller. But there still are blind children and braille is still the crucial and basic element in their education. Grammar and spelling and syntax and sentence structure cannot be learned from a recording. The blind child cannot learn to write from a recording. It seems to be pretty well accepted as fact that persons who have lost sight late in life are not interested in learning braille and that blind diabetics cannot learn braille. Is this fact or myth? I have met or known of a number of blind persons in both groups who have learned braille and find it valuable. Braille is, supposedly, a less "efficient" -- not as fast -- method of reading than listening is. But speed-reading techniques for braille are a reality. Furthermore, speed is not necessarily crucial; for certain kinds of materials, it can be detrimental. Many books demand slow and careful reading. The subtle complexity of the novels of Henry James -- their heart -- would be lost in a fast, "efficient" reading. Nor is braille less efficient than recording when one is consulting a dictionary, studying charts or tables, doing mathematics, sight­reading music, reading a label on a can or door, checking a footnote, parsing a sentence, checking a computer printout. There is, too, a powerful, if often intangible, benefit to direct access to the printed page. When one listens to a recording, one is hearing the author's words and ideas and style filtered through at least two other persons' sensibilities and interpretations, the reader's and the person who assigned the reader. Finally, there is the numbers game, both in terms of size of audience and cost. Because the audience for recorded materials is so large, the technology involved has been refined to the point where the per-copy production costs are very low. The costs of producing the three editions -- print, braille, recorded -- of the New Outlook are a striking case in point. The per-copy cost of the recorded edition is the lowest. The per-copy cost of the print edition is in the middle. The per-copy cost of the braille edition is three times as high as the print edition and three and one-fourth times as high as the recorded! All true, but the technology, albeit not yet so refined, for more automatic and ultimately less expensive and faster production of braille exists. All of the earlier devices listed in this piece conceivably could be used to produce braille from a compositor's tape used to produce ink print. It is not Utopian to dream of the day when best-sellers are available in braille almost simultaneously with the print edition, or when a large school system that has adopted a new textbook can arrange with the publisher -- who will typeset the print edition on his own in-house computer typesetting terminal -- to have the additional coding needed to produce a braille edition included on the original tape. It is indeed not Utopian. The New Outlook right now is making plans to embark on such an experiment within months -- not years. Costs and numbers are, at any rate, beside the point, aren't they? If they are not, then one would have to ask why ink print is allowed to exist alongside television and radio, since studies show that a majority of sighted persons depend most heavily on the latter two for information, knowledge, and entertainment. To close, back to Louis Braille's invention of the braille alphabet. From that point, the modern era in the life of blind persons can be dated. Since then, the goal has always been to develop and make accessible a multitude of methods through which blind persons could compensate for sensory deficit. We are at the point where it is becoming possible to provide blind persons with a choice of how to deal with specific problems -- mobility, access to information, etc. Whether or not they will be able to choose is up to us. ***** ** ACCD to Hold Second Delegate Assembly The American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities will hold its second Delegate Assembly beginning Saturday evening, April 24, through Tuesday, April 27. This immediately precedes the annual meeting of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. ACCD is a Washington, D.C. based coalition of disabled activists and activist organizations, formed in 1974. It is designed to bring together on the national, state and local level the combined energies and resources of interested individuals and numerous, diverse organizations in a campaign to include disabled persons in all laws protecting the rights of minorities and women, and to seek stricter enforcement of legislation already including disabled persons. To encourage participation of persons wishing to give individual support, the Coalition's by-laws provide for individual memberships. In states where there is presently no affiliation with ACCD, fifty members-at-large will comprise a coalition to the extent that they will be entitled to one delegate vote at the national assembly. There will be an open Board meeting on Saturday evening, with registration and committee meetings scheduled for Sunday morning. The first business session on Sunday afternoon will include reports of the president the first vice president on behalf of the Board, the treasurer, the Nominating Committee, the By-Laws Committee, and the preliminary report of the Resolutions Committee. Monday morning will be devoted to reports of various committees reflecting the priorities and concerns of ACCD, including committees on affirmative action employment, education, civil rights, environmental concerns, transportation, life support services, ad hoc committee on rehabilitation, and others. "Political Techniques in Organizational Life" is the theme of a seminar being planned for Monday afternoon. Participating will be lobbyists from such organizations as NAACP, NOW, and Urban League, who will work with ACCD members in terms of how to become more effective organizational political persons. Final action on resolutions and election of officers will take place at the closing business session on Tuesday morning. Nominations from the floor for the offices of president, first and second vice presidents, secretary, treasurer, and one Board member will be accepted at the time of the Nominating Committee report on Sunday afternoon. Persons nominated from the floor must be present and agree verbally to run, or if not present, must have agreed beforehand in writing to do so. All resolutions will be reported, whether or not endorsed by the Resolutions Committee. These must be developed and submitted in advance and should be sent to President Eunice Fiorito at the ACCD Washington office. A cash-bar reception will be held on Monday evening, to which will be invited members of the Administration, as well as members of the Senate Subcommittee on the Handicapped, the House Select Committee on Education, and others. Reservations should be made directly with the Woodner Hotel, 3636 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20011. Be sure to indicate that you are attending the ACCD Delegate Assembly. Special hotel rates are $22 for a single room, $27 for a double. For further information concerning the Assembly or ACCD, write Eunice Fiorito, President, American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, 1346 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 308, Washington, DC 20036. ***** ** The Meeting That Was By Reese Robrahn On February 8, 1976, at the Twin Bridges Marriott Hotel, Arlington, Virginia, members of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind gathered, as was their custom, in conjunction with the meeting of the National Council of State Agencies of Vocational Rehabilitation. It was discovered, however, to the surprise of all, that the only officer present was one member of the Board, James Carballo, of Mississippi. After some discussion and delay, it was determined that there was, indeed, a quorum of members present and that a Board member under the By-Laws could serve as chairman of a meeting, in the absence of all other officers. Mr. Carballo thereupon assumed the duties of the chair and the meeting got under way. There was a discussion of a letter sent to the membership by its president, Robert Pogorelc of Oregon, concerning the meeting, and there was a vote called for and taken on the question of whether the members present interpreted that letter as a cancellation of the meeting; and the vote was unanimous that the meeting had not been cancelled. Among other actions considered was a motion to adopt the report of a liaison committee that the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped is responsive to the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, and that NCSAB should give its moral and financial support to NAC. Again the vote was unanimous in favor of the motion. The following day, the membership of NCSAB assembled once more, under the chairmanship of its president, Robert Pogorelc. Mr. Pogorelc, in a lengthy soliloquy, explained that his letter had cancelled the meeting of NCSAB and that the meeting of the previous day, therefore, was not an official meeting of the organization and did not happen; and he further proclaimed that the meeting he was then chairing is a nullity for the same reason. After much discussion from the floor, and after reviewing and explaining the actions of the meeting of the previous day, a motion was made to declare both meetings official meetings under the By-Laws, and ratifying and affirming all actions taken at the February 8 meeting, 1976, including the motion concerning the National Accreditation Council. And again, the vote was unanimous in favor; however, with two abstentions. Other actions taken included the election of James Carballo as president-elect, replacing Harry Vines, who is no longer a director of a state agency for the blind and is therefore ineligible to serve in that office, and the election of Mervin Flanders of the Nevada agency, to fill the vacancy on the Board created by the election of Mr. Carballo. Glenn Crawford of the Colorado agency departed the meeting room after the crucial vote to declare the meetings official, and he punctuated his departure by slamming shut the meeting room door. Burt L. Risley of the Texas agency, always an active participant, was conspicuously absent, though present in the hotel. And so, after all, was the meeting that the meeting was after all! ***** ** Women's Leadership Rally For National Health Insurance By Kathy Megivern Washington, D.C. was the scene on March 9 and 10 of the Women's Leadership Rally for National Health Insurance. The conference was organized by a special Women's Committee of the Health Security Action Coalition, of which the American Council of the Blind is a member, and it was co-sponsored by several organizations, including the Council. Why a conference specifically for women? Certainly national health insurance is an issue of major importance for all Americans; but, like handicapped persons, women as a class face special problems in the area of health care, particularly discrimination in obtaining health insurance. Sessions were held to examine the various health insurance proposals now before Congress and to explain why the Kennedy-Corman Health Security Bill is the best solution to the dire problems facing America's health-care system. Sessions also dealt with the specific issues of interest to women, and there were work sessions on how to organize for action and how to work with Congress and make national health insurance a campaign issue. These workshops were summed up with remarks by Leonard Woodcock, president of the United Auto Workers. In addition to program talks by some of Washington's most prominent women lobbyists and leaders, on Wednesday the rally participants traveled to Capitol Hill for a communication session with legislators, including Senator Edward Kennedy and Representative James Corman, co-sponsors of the bill, as well as Senator Hubert Humphrey and Representatives Bella Abzug, Corinne Boggs, Cardis Collins, Millicent Fenwick, Elizabeth Boltzmann, Martha Keys, Marilyn Lloyd, Paul Rogers, and Gladys Spellman. Despite the Ford Administration's insistence that this is not the year for national health insurance, proof of the fact that the American voters see it as a priority issue was made clear in the recent Massachusetts primary. Supporters of health security sponsored a rally which was attended by six of the eight Democratic candidates. Although all claimed to be in favor of some sort of national health insurance, the two who most strongly supported the Kennedy-Corman bill were Henry Jackson and Morris Udall. The results of the primary certainly indicate that this stand was one of which the voters approved. Also, both Jackson and Udall acknowledged that this vote was an indication of support on this particular issue. The Health Security Act now has 105 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, the largest number to ever support this measure. We urge you to contact your Congressional delegation, urging support of H.R. 21 and S. 3, the Health Security Act. It's up to us to make our lawmakers understand that now is the time for a comprehensive health security system. Health care is our right. ***** ** Ski For Light, 1976 By Paul Filpus The second annual Ski for Light cross-country skiing for the blind event was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from January 24 through February 1. And what a success it was! I had the privilege of spending five days there and taking part in most of the scheduled activities. Ski for Light began last year in Breckenridge, Colorado. Next year's event is tentatively scheduled for Woodstock, Vermont. How did Ski for Light begin? A blind Norwegian man named Erling Stordahl started a program of physical fitness for the handicapped in Norway. Stordahl is the director of the Beitostolen Sports and Health Center for the Handicapped, located about 140 miles from Oslo. Sixty handicapped persons can be accommodated at any one time at Beitostolen. Among the activities which are carried out there are horseback riding, paddling, and cross-country skiing. I had a chance to talk with Mr. Stordahl over a brockwurst sandwich and learned a little about the blind people of Norway. There are approximately 5,000 blind people in that country, 700 of whom are employed. Many are not of employable age, and others are not physically able to hold steady job, explained Stordahl. Factory work and piano tuning were the two categories of work for the blind which he related to me. He was most interested in hearing about the professional careers wherein the blind are successfully employed over here. A popular event called "Race for Light" is the highlight of the cross-country skiing program at Beitostolen. It was changed to "Ski for Light" in this country to de-emphasize the racing aspect of the event and declare everyone a winner. From the interest shown throughout the days of skiing, each person was, indeed, a winner. Nonetheless, the week culminated with a five-kilometer (approximately three miles) race on Sunday which produced some distinct winners. As a prelude to this event, a short "Celebrity Race" was held, with Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson coming up the winner. Among the other participants were Minnesota Viking Linemen, Carl Eller and Ed White. The over-all winner of the race was a Norwegian, Magnus Strand. There were fifteen Norwegians and Swedes in the race, and they easily outclassed the Americans. Winners were also declared for "Best American Man" and "Best American Woman." They were John Novotny of Chicago and Carolyn Crotty of Jackson, Michigan. Both John and Carolyn were awarded a trip to Norway to take part in further competition. Each participant in this year's Ski for Light race was given an award, and several of these awards were presented by none other than Senator and Mrs. Hubert Humphrey. A banquet for all the blind skiers and all their guides and spouses was held on Friday evening. Many speeches were given by members of the Sons of Norway, who played significant roles in setting up this year's Ski for Light. Mr. Soren Sommerfelt, Norwegian ambassador to the United States, was also on hand to say a few words. The multi-talented Mr. Stordahl played a beautiful Norwegian rhapsody on his accordion as part of the entertainment. Other evening activities included a mixer, a presentation by two doctors on diet and exercise, and a panel discussion on several sports activities which are currently being enjoyed by some blind persons. The latter was chaired by John Ross, founder of the Braille Sports Foundation and editor of Feeling Sports Magazine. The sports covered were golf, bowling, beep baseball, and long-distance running. This year's Ski for Light was a well-planned and successful event. Thanks to the Sons of Norway, cross-country skiing for the blind is coming into its own in the U.S.A. ***** ** The Question Box By O.L. Joiner, Jr., Chairman, ACB Public Service Committee Have you as a reader of the Braille Forum ever wished for a place to get a question answered? Your question may be a simple one, such as where to buy it. Another type question may require another type answer. I am asking you for input and ideas for a possible column for the Braille Forum. If you will mail your questions (in print, braille or tape) to the Editor or to me, your question, along with the answer, will appear in the next issue of the Forum. If you have questions or input concerning a column of this sort, kindly forward them to Mary Ballard, Editor, Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620, or to me, O.L. Joiner, Jr., Chairman, ACB Public Service Committee, P.O. Box 775, Alachua, FL 32615. ***** ** National Exhibit by Blind Sculptors The Philadelphia Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped will celebrate the Bicentennial by hosting a National Exhibit by Blind Sculptors. The exhibition is now planned to run from June through September of 1976. The purpose of this show will be to give proper public recognition to quality sculpture work created by the blind; to stimulate interest in art in the blind community; and to make the sighted more aware of the potential of the blind in the field of art. The Library is centrally located in the most historic area of Philadelphia, and will be visited by thousands of tourists. A grant has been obtained by the Philadelphia Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to sponsor a judged show. Local art museums and art schools, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, as well as the Bicentennial organization -- Philadelphia '76 -- are giving their support and will be working closely with the Library on this exhibit. Entries will be limited to sculpture and other three-dimensional forms. Prizes will be awarded. Blind artists nationwide are invited to submit entries. For further details and applications, contact Ms. Sandra Viddy, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107. ***** ** Need Something Brailled? The National Braille Association announces a field test of its new Reader-Transcriber Registry, which will accept print materials to be brailled on personal order from readers. Utilizing the services of Library of Congress certified braillists when they are not occupied with local assignments, the Registry is intended to help provide readers with any items they would find helpful in their work, recreation, or daily living. The Registry is not for text­books, however, since they are brailled by many transcribing groups. For the duration of the field test, charges are 1-1/2 cents per brailled page, including any necessary binding. Address all inquiries to NBA Reader-Transcriber Registry, Mrs. Lawrence M. Levine, Chairman, 5300 Hamilton Avenue, No. 1404, Cincinnati, OH 45224. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth Lennon From The Standard Bearer -- The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped has received reports from four state affiliates of the American Council of the Blind, noting they have publicly urged agencies in their respective states to continue with or to initiate efforts to achieve accreditation in order to bring about improvement in service to the blind. Taking this action were the Arkansas Council of the Blind, Iowa Council of the Blind, Michigan Association of the Blind, and American Council of the Blind of New York State. Two new films on the deaf-blind are now available on free loan, according to the ACEVH Educator. They are Dark Silence, a twelve-minute, 16 mm. sound film, describing the National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults at New Hyde Park, New York, available from National Audio-Visual Center, Washington, DC 20409, and a 29-minute, 16 mm. sound film in color, The World of Deaf-Blind Children -- Growing Up, on loan from Film Librarian, Campbell Films, Saxtons River, VT 05154. From ACB of Maryland Newsletter -- Richard Patrick has set up a duplicating facility in his garage, which produces the cassette edition of the Braille Forum in 500 copies. ---- In a joint program of the Commission on Aging and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, seven senior aides have been hired in Maryland to provide self-help training for blind persons who do not have a vocational objective. This supplements, but does not duplicate, other ongoing programs. From Information Bulletin, Michigan Division of Services for the Blind -- Appollo Lasers, Inc. has announced two new developments. One is a microfiche, microfilm, and other related materials. It can accommodate 105, 77, 35, 16, and 8 mm. microfilm. The cost is $395. The other is the Apollo Voice Output Calculator. For more information, contact George V. Gregory, 806 City Bank Building, Jackson, MI 49021. From Today, publication of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind -- With just a statement from a doctor that the assistance of a companion is all that a handicapped person needs to enjoy going Greyhound, that bus company will permit the handicapped person and a companion to travel for the price of one ticket. If local Greyhound information or ticket offices are notified a half hour before the handicapped person leaves home, "first on" service will be provided and front seats reserved if passengers so wish. An article in The Chronicle, publication of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, describes the Mowar Sonar Sensor, an auxiliary mobility aid for use by dog of cane users. Hand-held, but kept in the pocket or purse when not in use, the aid will help to locate doorways, telephone booths, driveways, spaces between cars, etc. The instrument operates by using pulses of high-frequency sound energy which are well above the audible range. When an object is within range, the sensor housing vibrates. The speed of vibrations increases as the object becomes closer. From Performance, President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped -- Doubleday and Co. has announced publication of The New Testament of the Jerusalem Bible -- Large-Type Readers' Edition. Printed in giant, clear, 20-point type face, it features a handsomely designed, single-column format, and is printed on a high-quality paper, noted for its durability. To order, write Doubleday and Co., Publicity Department, 245 Park A venue, New York, NY 10017. 1120 pages; price, $12.95. Frank A. Peterson, National Camps for Blind Children (a service of the Christian Record Braille Foundation) writes: "An article in your November-December issue stating that we had available a directory listing all the camps for blind children in the country is not exactly correct. We only have a listing of our own camp schedule, which we will be happy to send to anyone requesting it. We are planning three or four camps for adult blind persons this year, also, and will send information on these as soon as dates and locations are finalized. These will be free, as are the ones for the blind children." Write National Camps for Blind Children, 4444 South 52nd Street, Lincoln, NE 68506. The Christian Record Braille Foundation also has a WATS line for any blind person who wishes to receive or discontinue any service or just to ask questions. The number is 800-228-4189 From The Log, quarterly progress report of Dialogue Publications, Inc. -- A bill requiring manufacturers of elevators to be installed in public buildings to include floor numbers in braille on all panels built and installed after January 1, 1976, passed both houses of the Illinois Legislature unanimously. The bill also provides that self-service elevators now in operation should have temporary braille markings installed on existing panels until permanent plates with braille indicators can replace present ones. From the MAB News, publication of the Michigan Association of the Blind -- A tape cassette, Sounds of History, containing samples of the voices of Will Rogers, Charles Lindbergh, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and others is available from National Archives and Records Service, Washington, DC 20408; price, $2.50. The Six Dot Society for the Blind was organized over five years ago when five Lions Clubs of District 118 (Turkey) conceived the idea of organized rehabilitation and vocational training programs for blind adults. According to recent Census figures, there are over 50,000 blind persons in Turkey (and probably another 20,000 not reported to government agencies), only about 500 of which are being served by the three schools for the blind which operate in that nation. Facilities for adult blind who chose to pursue vocational training were until recently almost non-existent. The Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Istanbul officially opened in March, 1974. The Center teaches mobility and techniques of daily living, as well as vocational skills, including packaging, telephone operating, basic assembly, and the operation of some simple machinery. Blind persons who have completed training have had unusually good success in finding employment. William T. Snyder, Jr., blind public relations counselor who has owned and operated a public relations firm in Baltimore for more than 25 years, has been named to head the Maryland State Conference on Handicapped Individuals, to be held later this year. This is one of a series of state conferences to be held prior to the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals in December, 1976. The state meetings will serve to assist in determining the agenda and priorities for the national meeting. From New Outlook for the Blind -- A prototype reading machine capable of translating printed material into English speech has been developed by the Kurzweil Computer Products, 68 Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. The reading machine electro-optically scans lines of ink print, recognizes the scanned characters, determines the correct pronunciation of each word, and then relays the information in the form of synthesized speech. From the Fountainhead -- The National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., has made many of its exhibits available to blind visitors. A map of "touchable objects" has been prepared, and the Museum's sound system can, through earphones, provide information. Currently the Museum is in the process of developing cassette tape tours of the halls, emphasizing touchable objects. For groups, special tours can be planned. ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Floyd Qualls, 501 South Douglas Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 * First Vice President: S. Bradley Burson, Sussex House, Apartment 406, 4970 Battery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20014 * Second Vice President: Billie Elder, 5317 W. 29th Street, Little Rock, AR 72204 * Secretary: M. Helen Vargo, 833 Oakley Street, Topeka, KS 66606 * Treasurer: J. Edward Miller, 2621 Chesterfield Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205 ###