The Braille Forum Vol. XV November-December 1976 No. 3 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 ACB Officers Notice to Subscribers A Tribute to Earl R. Scharry, Past Editor of the Braille Forum Curb Ramps and Blind Pedestrians, by Roger D. Petersen Women with Vision, by Margaret Freer Bureaucrats, Buck-Passing, and the Randolph-Sheppard Regulations Jimmy Carter on Americans with Disabilities ACB Summer Intern Program Report on the Political Health of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind Weaving Texts Recorded for Blind Craftsmen Hyde Park Corner: Technical Services Division -- A Complaint, by Chris Gray ACB Affiliate News: Connecticut Council Convention, by Anna Godrie American Council of the Blind Comes to New Jersey, by Therese Snyder Bay State Council Is Born, by Phyllis Mitchell Vermont Council Convention, 1976, by Al Nichols Here and There, by George Card ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Floyd Qualls, 501 North Douglas Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 * First Vice President: Alma Murphey, 4103 Castleman Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 * 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, 1120 Coddington Place, Charlotte, NC 28211 ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large type, open-reel tape (dual-track, 3 3/4 ips) and cassette (1-7/8 ips). Items intended for publication may be submitted in print, braille, or tape, and should be addressed to Mary T. Ballard, Editor, 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 N. 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 wishing 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. ***** ** A Tribute to Earl R. Scharry, Past Editor of the Braille Forum "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away." On November 6, Earl Scharry "just faded away," but he will live on in the hearts and memories of his many friends in volunteer and professional services to the blind and physically handicapped and in the American Council of the Blind. His contributions are many and varied, ranging from lobbying for legislation for the blind to co-authorship of the Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing -- the text of the Library of Congress used in training hundreds of braille transcribers each year. Earl was born on May 7, 1908, in Dubuque, Iowa, and it was in Iowa that he obtained his education, receiving his B.A. in 1931 from the University of Dubuque and his J.S.D. in 1934 from the University of Iowa. That same year, he was admitted to the Bar in that state and practiced law for the next twelve years. The following years were spent managing a vending machine business. It was in the mid-'50s that he became a well-known and respected figure in organizations of the blind. In 1959, he joined the staff of the then Division for the Blind of the Library of Congress as a braille assistant. In 1961 he accepted a better position at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville as head of the Stereograph Department. He returned to the Library of Congress in 1967 as Braille Adviser to the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, where he remained until February, 1972, when he suffered a cerebral thrombosis resulting in paralysis. Earl is survived by his wife and four children, three of whom reside in California and one in Maryland. Hazel, his wife, will remain at 742 Wilson Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, for the time being. Through his four and a half years of suffering, he maintained his interest in work for the blind and treasured the notes and letters received from the members of ACB, past co-workers and, above all, from volunteer braille transcribers whom he had so ably assisted in his capacity as Braille Adviser for LC. In 1975, his wife accepted for him a Distinguished Service Award from the Iowa Council of the Blind. Those who knew him well will long remember his competitive spirit, his rare sense of humor, his love of books, and his friendly, understanding manner. In the words of a braillist whom he assisted, "Society has lost a truly great man." ***** ** Curb Ramps and Blind Pedestrians By Roger D. Petersen In recent years, groups of the disabled have been working very intensively for the removal of environmental barriers to their mobility. An important aspect of this movement, and the one which has been most evident to the blind pedestrian, is the installation of curb ramps at street intersections to make it possible for people in wheelchairs and others who have difficulty stepping up or down to cross streets. Many blind people have expressed concern about these ramps, claiming that they are hazards to blind mobility. Some have even come out against curb ramps in letters to the editor and resolutions of organizations. However, in view of the strength of the anti-barrier trend, and in view of the American Council of the Blind's policy of cooperation with other groups of the disabled, it is time to re-think our attitudes toward facilities which are so obviously necessary for other disabled people. Curbs are usually ramped by removing a three-foot segment of the curb and creating a shovel-shaped incline which extends about three feet back from the curb into the sidewalk. The exact size and shape of the cut and its location with respect to the crosswalk vary, but the ramp must be at least three feet wide, and the transition from walk to ramp and from ramp to street must be smooth (no more than one-half inch vertical discontinuity). The details of construction and location can make a great deal of difference in the difficulty the ramp poses to blind travelers. A ramp with round sides is much less an ankle-turning hazard than one with straight sides. A ramp which is parallel to the crosswalk is much less confusing than one which faces the intersection. (In some cities, ramps are being cut right at the corner of the curb, facing diagonally out into the intersection, so that one ramp will do for both crosswalks.) In fact, a ramp in the most typical position, at the edge of the crosswalk away from the intersection, may actually be useful as an indicator of the position of the crosswalk, especially where the corner is very round or where the streets are at a very oblique angle. Thus, instead of opposing curb ramps, we should advocate them, both because our friends with other disabilities need them and because we need to be in on the design process to make sure they meet our needs. We should also remember that there are blind people who have other disabilities which make it hard for them to deal with curbs, and that ramps come in very handy for baby strollers and shopping carts, whether pushed by blind or sighted people. And when we have apparent disagreements such as this one with other disabled groups, let us get with them and talk over the problem. We are probably not as far apart as we seem. ***** ** Women with Vision By Margaret Freer (Note: Reading of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based FOCUS in the May-June Braille Forum, Mimi Winer of Wayland, Massachusetts, wrote the Editor about a similar project in the Boston area. Many Vision members are a part of the new Bay State Council ACB affiliate. By sharing and comparing grass-root ideas such as these, we progress.) At a recent "cluster meeting" of Vision, a self-help group of women with visual problems in the Boston area, Coordinator Mrs. Mimi Winer tape recorded daily frustrations of its members. The purpose was to give agency people understanding of their needs. "After progressive sight loss due to diabetic retinopathy," one member said, "my doctor told me I would have to quit work. If only he had told me of a group called Vision, I would have had the direction I needed at that time." She added, "Though I wasn't legally blind then, I could have had the much-needed emotional support I needed with the prognosis of future blindness." When contact was finally made with Vision, I found the resources I needed to go on." Margie, another cluster coordinator, told of her first bout with blindness. Driving alone, she noticed the center line of the road was very curvy. "The man who painted this must have been drunk," she thought. But upon consulting her eye doctor, she found she had macular degeneration. "I went to bed for two weeks," she said, "facing the prospect of blindness. But I finally got up and found I could still read the 'Chat' column in the Boston Globe. That day's message was about a group called Vision. I wrote to the column, signing my name as 'Dark Tomorrow.' In time we made contact, and I became a member of the group." Though Margie is still not legally blind, she serves as a coordinator, with complete understanding of what it's like to face the prospect. "We share everyday issues like the feeling of inadequacy about household chores and learn from each other. Bathroom and kitchen sink duties are just something you do daily to make sure they are clean." Members' ages range from the 20s through the 80s, and lifestyles are as varied as eye problems ... But all have the common denominator of the creeping fear of further sight loss. Mrs. Winer explained the group organization, which began quite informally. "Vision is set up in clusters -- small groups in one area, with a coordinator responsible as leader. Our chief purpose is to offer emotional support to the newly blind and those with progressive eye diseases. Through a 'hot line,' buddy phone calls from those with like problems in time of crisis, and dissemination of information about available services, members are made aware of resources open to them." Mrs. Winer has brought in many resource people, such as Otis Stephens, president of the National Association of Blind Teachers and political science professor at the University of Tennessee; speakers on BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development); and Floyd Qualls and Durward McDaniel of the American Council of the Blind to introduce the group to its purposes. That there is need for such a group is evidenced by its rapid growth in five years. Today there are over seventy members, with new calls coming in weekly. In its initial years, Vision members were exclusively a women's group facing the problems of sight loss in their respective roles. Today Vision, in its ever-changing pattern to serve, also includes men with visual impairment. What began as a desperate call for help in the "Chat" column of the newspaper has become a self-starting, people-to-people movement, recently incorporated as the Vision Foundation of Massachusetts, spreading insight, information, and inspiration. "How did you learn acceptance?" a newcomer asked a seasoned coordinator. "First find replacements for things you used to do and find you now can't," she answered. "Keep up with old friends -- don't expect rejection. Don't think of yourself as a burden. Reach out to your friends who want to help you, but may be speechless and unaware of how to help you. Tell them of your needs. Let your husband and your friends know that you need them, instead of withdrawing with hostility." "Let them know you are a vulnerable human being," a young mother added. "Even children respond to that. Be honest and teach them honesty. One day my five-year-old was too quiet, and when I asked her what she was doing, I said she would not be punished for the truth, but for lying. She finally told me she was painting the chair with shoe polish." The one thing Vision members completely agree upon is, in their words, "We want to be part of a sighted world, to study, work, play, and live like everyone else." If you would like more information about Vision, you may call or write the following coordinators: Marjorie O'Sullivan, 113 Tarbell Spring Road, Concord, MA 01742 (617 369-4765); Gloria Tryphonas, 104 Hartshorn Road, Redding, MA 01867 (944-0873); or Mimi Winer, 14 White Pine Knoll Road, Wayland, MA 01778 (235-2606). ***** ** Bureaucrats, Buck-Passing and the Randolph-Sheppard Regulations The following correspondence demonstrates the continuing efforts of the American Council of the Blind and the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America to bring about publication of the final regulations for and implementation of the Randolph-Sheppard Amendments of 1974. The correspondence further dramatically demonstrates the weak leadership and bureaucratic "buck-passing" which has characterized the conduct and operation of the Rehabilitation Services Administration under Commissioner Andrew S. Adams. It is anticipated that the new Carter Administration will act swiftly to bring an end to this lack of leadership and the divisiveness of preferential treatment of organizations of handicapped individuals, and that rehabilitation services programs once again will move forward. * October 12, 1976 F. David Mathews, Secretary Department of Health, Education and Welfare Room 5246 330 Independence Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20201 Dear Secretary Mathews: I enclose petitions received from licensed blind vendors in Florida, which are matched by countless telephone calls from vendors and administrative people from all over the country. While the last draft of potential rules contained many defects and some contradictions of the statute, there is no apparent acceptable reason for the extraordinary delay in this matter. The projected goal of doubling the number of job opportunities within five years has been seriously and unnecessarily impeded. But the problem is greater than the mere absence of rules, because the mandated Federal oversight and a leader to develop and expand this program does not now exist in the Rehabilitative Services Administration. The mandated staff positions in the Office for the Blind and Visually Handicapped have not been filled, and appropriations have not taken into account the additional costs which would be involved in such an expansion. Future authorizations and appropriations must be for 100% Federal funding of the costs of establishing new vending facilities. Otherwise, the projected goals will not be met. We believe that conflicts between final rules and the statute can be resolved by litigation. But that remedy should not be forced upon the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America to obtain the promulgation of the final rules. We request your personal intervention to expedite the final rules and to assure that they will conform to the statute. Sincerely, American Council of the Blind By Reese H. Robrahn Director of Research and Governmental Affairs * October 14, 1976 Mr. Reese H. Robrahn American Council of the Blind 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Dear Mr. Robrahn: Thank you for your letter of October 12 relating to the Randolph-Sheppard Act of 1974. I have referred your letter to Mr. Stanley Thomas, Assistant Secretary for Human Development, and asked him to respond to you on my behalf. If I can be of further assistance to you, please let me know. Cordially, David Mathews, Secretary * Mr. Reese H. Robrahn American Council of the Blind 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Dear Mr. Robrahn: Mr. Stanley B. Thomas, Jr., has asked me to reply to your recent letter enclosing petitions from licensed blind vendors in Florida. We certainly understand and appreciate their deep concern about progress on the issuance of regulations implementing the Randolph-Sheppard Act Amendments of 1974. Following the issuance of proposed regulations on December 23, 1975, we received extensive comments from a broad range of affected organizations, agencies, and individuals. The Randolph-Sheppard Amendments constitute a unique piece of legislation which will have serious repercussions on Federal departments and state licensing agencies, as well as vending facility operators. Appropriate changes have been made, taking into account the problems of all concerned, and especially to ensure the primary purpose of increasing employment opportunities for blind persons for whom the Amendments were developed. Following necessary clearance, we anticipate the final regulations will be published in the Federal Register as soon as possible. Please be assured that every effort is being made to expedite the promulgation of regulations implementing the new Amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Very sincerely, Andrew S. Adams Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services * October 15, 1976 Hon. Jennings Randolph 5121 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Randolph: Reference is made to this organization's letter to you dated November 20, 1975 (see The Braille Forum, November-December, 1975), and to a memorandum dated March 10, 1976, to you and all members of Congress from the Randolph Sheppard Vendors of America. The failure of the Rehabilitation Services Administration to issue final rules and to meet other duties and deadlines imposed by the statute continues to be a critical concern of these organizations. In the November 20 letter, we expressed the opinion that litigation might be necessary to compel the issuance of rules and compliance with provisions of the Act. Drafts of potential rules which are still languishing somewhere in HEW conflict materially with provisions of the law. The Amendments will be two years old on December 7, and expansion of this successful program is being unnecessarily delayed by the default of personnel in HEW. Homer Steele, President of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, has instructed me to file suit to compel the issuance of final rules which will conform to the statutory mandates. He has also requested that I invite you and all members of Congress to join in this suit as plaintiffs. Your cooperation and interest are and will be deeply appreciated. Respectfully, American Council of the Blind By Durward K. McDaniel National Representative ***** ** Jimmy Carter on Americans with Disabilities Over 28 million of our people are disabled. In the next Administration, the disabled will be active partners in our attempt to achieve our common goals — full civil rights, full personal dignity, and full human happiness for all Americans who are physically or mentally disabled. Many critical problems face our disabled citizens today. These are not only problems of medicine, but problems of law, of education, of employment, and others. One of the most urgent of these is the denial of basic civil rights. I am committed to the proposition that disabled people deserve to control and shape their own lives. I am committed to ensuring that our disabled citizens have the right and the opportunity to function independently and creatively in our society, rather than to be segregated from it. As President, I will take all necessary steps, through specific legislation and the appropriate exercise of executive powers, to ensure our handicapped citizens equal protection under the law, equal opportunity for education and employment, and other services, and equal access to public accommodations and facilities. I oppose discrimination in any form, and when my Administration moves against discrimination, it will vigorously seek out and redress discrimination against the handicapped, as well as all other discrimination. I will support legislation to allow workers in sheltered workshops to negotiate wages and use the executive authority of the President to ensure employment opportunities for handicapped individuals in projects funded by the Federal Government. And I will constantly work to see that discrimination in private industry is also eliminated. On September 6 I gave a speech at Warm Springs, Georgia, where I spoke of the history, the hope, and the leadership associated with that facility and its most famous occupant, Franklin Roosevelt. We have accomplished a great deal in the past thirty years, and we have made an important beginning on a constructive and creative agenda for all our people with handicaps and disabilities. But in eight years of aloofness and insensitivity, that agenda has been left unfinished. A government that was competent and concerned would not leave 28 million people outside the mainstream of our national life. The Republican Administration has offered no housing policy. It has offered no transportation policy. It has proposed education without rehabilitation, and rehabilitation without jobs. From 1970 to 1973, President Nixon vetoed nine important pieces of legislation of concern to the disabled. Together, Mr. Ford and Mr. Dole cast eight votes in support of these vetoes. The battle over the Rehabilitation Act of 1972 was a tragedy in itself. President Nixon vetoed it twice, and was assisted by a sustaining vote in the Senate by Mr. Dole. President Ford has exercised six vetoes of concern to disabled citizens, including a veto of the 1974 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act. This last veto was overridden in Congress by the largest margin in our history. Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act requires each department of the Federal Government to develop an affirmative action program for hiring the disabled. Section 503 requires affirmative action for Government contractors. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against disabled citizens by recipients of Federal financial assistance. These are fine in theory, but they will mean very little until an administration in full accord with their spirit stands behind the law. No administration that really cared about disabled citizens would spend three years trying to avoid enforcing Section 504. No compassionate administration would force disabled consumers to take it to court before it would enforce the law. The Education Amendments of 1972 are designed to prevent discrimination against the blind. But the Department of Health, Education and Welfare has flatly refused to enforce them. We have a Federal architectural barriers law, but it is not being adequately enforced. We all realize that the problems we face are not simple. There are many different kinds of disabilities, and many competing interests among the disabled. There are sometimes disagreements between consumers and professional groups about the most desirable approach. But our laws must be enforced, and the full resources of the Presidency must be enlisted toward that goal. And in the next Administration, our partnership with the disabled will address the problems and start finding the solutions. My commitment to this cause is not new. Under my administration, the State of Georgia took over management of Warm Springs, and average daily patient attendance at the facility rose by nearly 75% during the first year. Because of our efforts there and elsewhere in the State, Georgia stood, during every year of my administration, among the top five states in the nation in its proportion of successful rehabilitations. We passed a building-access law in Georgia. If a citizen cannot get into a courtroom, a polling place, or the office of a government official, it is the same as being turned away. More than one hundred new public buildings have come into compliance with the law. We fought disabling birth defects with extensive programs of prenatal nutrition and care. Our network of day-care centers for mentally handicapped children was greatly expanded. We established 44 pilot programs which provide diagnostic services and development and educational programs for young children. We established a program for deaf persons through which a consumer organization contracted to provide interpreters for the deaf whenever they conducted business with a state agency or the courts. ... I pledge to bring this energy and this commitment to Washington. My experience in Georgia makes me all the more determined that our Federal programs must be overhauled. For eight years, our disabled citizens have dealt with an administration that is incompetent and aloof. Many thousands of dedicated professionals, both inside and outside the Government, have been hamstrung by uncoordinated, overlapping and unresponsive Federal programs. There are many programs and kinds of programs designed to assist the disabled. Often they work at cross-purposes. A disabled person must deal with one agency when he is of school age, another if he takes vocational training, and several more when he is an adult. With a weak political will and a lack of coordination, no number of agencies is enough. But with a deep moral and political commitment, with a sense of sound management, and with a willingness to involve those who are affected by its programs in its design and application, then one Democratic Administration's determination to do the job simply and efficiently can make the difference. We must reorganize our government. We must coordinate our programs. We must streamline functions and operations. We must plan for increased efficiency and increased responsiveness, and the programs affecting disabled citizens are a good place to start. First, we need an increased and much better coordinated program of research and development, and we must be sure to apply the results of our knowledge. I support strong efforts to fill our knowledge gap in current service delivery systems by more effectively involving the basic and applied research community in the solution of critical problems, and I support adequate· funding of such programs. We must work harder on the problems of the severely disabled, and those who are institutionalized. We must strive to help them return to the productive mainstream and protect their civil rights. I will enforce the guidelines laid down for institutional care in the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Acts of 1975. We must broaden the traditional concepts of rehabilitation to include independent living as a supported rehabilitation objective. I support the extension of rehabilitation funding to provide services beyond the college level to those who have demonstrated their qualifications for further education. We must provide for more extensive development of research on the prevention, treatment, and cure of handicapping conditions. Second, we must involve all our disabled citizens much more thoroughly in the development and execution of important programs. As President, I will establish a mechanism which is sensitive to the differences and needs for each disability group, through which I can develop, with the assistance of disabled people, a clear national policy for all our disabled citizens, and through which we can ensure the existing and future programs are carried out in a coordinated and effective manner. In the next Administration, the disabled will not meet the Secretary of HEW in a courtroom, but around a conference table to jointly plan policy. We must work with disabled people to ensure that SSI and Social Security disability and insurance benefits are adjusted to reflect cost-of-living levels in each region of our country. In May of 1977 there will be convened in Washington a White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals. My Administration will closely study the recommendations that the Conference produces. I pledge that this will be a process from which vigorous action flows. Our nation has a long agenda in this area to address, and we have much lost time to make up for. We must begin again. If we neglect the abilities or rights of even one person, it does not just hurt that person. It hurts us all. ***** ** ACB Summer Intern Program The summer of 1976 brought to the ACB National Office the delightful social and work presence of two young people, the inauguration of a student intern program. Those two young interns were Ann Scheiner, of Washington, D.C., and Christopher (Chris) Gray, Washington State. Annie, as she is affectionately called, is a second-year law student at the law school of George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Her career goal is in the field of law on the handicapped, and particularly in the field of blindness. Her service was outstanding as legal intern, assisting Reese Robrahn in his work as Director of Research and Governmental Affairs. Although her summer internship has terminated, her interest and desire to learn brings her to the office two afternoons each week, in spite of the fact that she carries a full course study load. Chris Gray is blind and came to us from Washington State University. Chris enrolled in the intern program to receive his last remaining hours of credit for his four-year degree. His specific study assignment was the study of the development of radio reading services programs of this nation. Many of you had the pleasure of meeting Chris during the ACB convention at Hot Springs, Arkansas, and many more of you will meet him through the pages of the Braille Forum. ACB's initial experience with a student intern program is regarded as highly successful and warrants further development. ***** ** Report on the Political Health of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind The National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) is an organization of administrators of such agencies. For more than a year, an intense political struggle for control of the organization has absorbed the interest and concern of competing factions. Its meetings on October 22 and 23, 1976, were preceded by a series of major controversial events which contributed to a threatened division and near chaos in the organization. At its fall meeting in 1975, the stage was set for the turbulence which was to follow, by a surprising realignment in the internal factions. NCSAB's official support for the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) had been aggressively opposed by state administrators who are active members of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Some other administrators had complained that NAC had not sufficiently involved NCSAB in its standard-setting and accrediting processes and had not given due consideration to the comments of NCSAB's officers and general council on proposed standards. At that 1975 fall meeting, Robert Pogorelc of Oregon, the incoming president, and Harry Vines of Arkansas, then chosen as president-elect, were both well known to be supporters of standards and accreditation. Late in the session, most of the administrators were surprised by a motion presented by Pogorelc and Vines to withhold NCSAB support for NAC. The motion was adopted and a committee was appointed to confer with NAC. Several state administrators explained later that they would have opposed the motion if they had understood its effect and realized that its makers were taking an unexpected course. Later they and others learned through a statement by Kenneth Jernigan of Iowa, President of NFB, that he had worked out a "deal" with the offices of NCSAB on the night before the election. The appointed committee did confer with NAC's representatives. The two NFB members on the committee voted against the committee's recommending that NCSAB renew its support of NAC. Two other committee members and Pogorelc provided the majority for the recommendation, which normally would have been considered at the NCSAB meeting in February, 1976. Traditionally, NCSAB had met in February, that being the regular meeting time for the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation. There were some early indications that the February meeting would be held, but the principal officers and the NFB faction contended that a meeting of 21 administrators which was held in February was not an official meeting, even though Pogorelc presided at one session. The February meeting adopted by­law amendments and elected James Carballo of Mississippi to be President-Elect, to fill the vacancy allegedly created when Vines lost his job in Arkansas. Except for Pogorelc, those who contended that the February meetings were unofficial did not attend them. Later Pogorelc called an NCSAB meeting for May in Denver, which was attended by about twelve administrators, some of whom did not vote. The majority of administrators boycotted the Denver meeting. During the summer, 23 administrators, a majority of the membership, replied to a Pogorelc questionnaire, expressing a preference for holding NCSAB's fall, 1976 meeting at Hollywood, Florida, in September, when the National Rehabilitation Association and the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation also would be meeting. Pogorelc did not call the meeting for September in Florida, but indicated that one would be called for St. Louis in October. Carballo, acting as President-Elect, issued a call for an NCSAB meeting in Florida in September. A few days prior to the September called meeting, NCSAB, through Pogorelc, sued Carballo in the Federal Court in Mississippi, asking for a temporary restraining order and for a permanent order to enjoin Carballo from holding himself out as president-elect and from conducting any activities in the name of NCSAB at the called meeting in Florida. A temporary restraining order was issued, but more than twenty other state administrators who had not been restrained did conduct meetings, which were boycotted by NCSAB officers and the NFB faction. The court hearings later resulted in a decree directing: that NCSAB elections be held at 1:00 P.M. on October 23, 1976, at its meeting in St. Louis; that the office of president-elect be filled as a part of such election; that a list of eligible state administrators be agreed upon and approved by the court; and that all such administrators have the opportunity to pay dues and to participate in free and open elections on October 23. Thus it was that a bitterly divided NCSAB met in St. Louis. On the evening of the 21st of October, the insurgent faction held a caucus, which quickly recessed and moved to another room when it was discovered that members of the NFB faction -- John Taylor of Iowa, Kenneth Hopkins of Washington, James Nyman of Nebraska, and Ralph Sanders of Maryland -- were present. The caucus was moved a second time in order to escape from some eavesdropping administrators who lay on the floor in the hall attempting to hear. When the meeting officially began the morning of the 22nd, Pogorelc announced that he had appointed a credentials committee to determine who were eligible to vote, and that he understood challenges would be filed against the voting eligibility of some administrators. There followed a stormy session in which the names of challengers and specific grounds for challenges were not revealed. It was stated then, and during another stormy session in the afternoon, that challenges would include any administrator whose agency is part of a larger umbrella setup, or whose agency does not have a separate state plan for services, or whose expenses to the meeting were being paid from sources other than his own funds or those of his agency. In both morning and afternoon, there were numerous threats of more lawsuits to come and of possible contempt-of-court proceedings in the Mississippi case if all administrators were not allowed to vote. Before the first day was over, Howard Barton of Idaho announced that he was responsible for all of the challenges, which included more than one-third of the state administrators present. Rives of Arkansas was specifically challenged because he is president of NAC, on the ground that this would prevent his spending full time on his state administrator's job. Hanson of South Dakota retaliated by challenging Jernigan of Iowa, President of NFB and the principal spokesman for his faction in the meeting. Jernigan argued that the "NAC group" and the American Foundation for the Blind were trying to capture control of NCSAB. Cargill of Illinois, Rives of Arkansas, and numerous others made it clear that a majority believed NFB to be the divisive factor in the political struggle. Wedewer of Florida, Morrison of Hawaii, and Cargill of Illinois complained of NFB efforts in their states to prevent their attendance at the meeting. It was learned off the floor that administrators in Virginia and Connecticut had experienced similar attempts to interfere with attendance at the meeting. Responding to a charge that the Credentials Committee was dominated by NFB members, Waters of North Carolina, a committee member, denied that he was an NFB member. Hopkins of Washington, an NFB member and chairman of the Credentials Committee, announced the time and place of the committee meeting at which challenged administrators could appear. Heated arguments and complaints continued on election day, the 23rd, but the challenges to the right of some administrators to vote were not effectuated, probably because the Court of Mississippi had retained jurisdiction of the case to assure fair and open elections. Don Wedewer of Florida was elected President, defeating Harry Vines, now of Texas. Jernigan of Iowa, nominated Vines for President-Elect against Carballo, contending that Vines' election would be in the interest of unity. Enough members of the majority faction voted for Vines to elect him by a narrow margin. The following persons, all supporters of Wedewer for president, also were elected: Wayne McEachin of Georgia, Secretary; Henry Watts of South Carolina, Treasurer; and Rodney Kossick of Wisconsin and Mervin Flander of Nevada, Board members. Ortiz of New Mexico refused to vote because the elections were not by secret ballot. ***** ** Weaving Texts Recorded For Blind Craftsmen There exists a need to provide information in an acceptable format for handicapped persons. To this end, volunteer readers have recorded several textbooks for use by visually impaired handweavers. A master copy of each recorded book is kept on file by the producing agency, and when requested by an eligible borrower, a lending copy is duplicated for the individual's use, to be returned upon completion. This is the first time tape-recorded books on handweaving have been made available for loan to visually impaired weavers without charge. Recording for the Blind, Inc., 215 E. 58th Street, New York, NY 10022, has the following books available in either open-reel or cassette mode: Textile Design Course for the Weaver, Series 1, 2, 3, by Kay Geary Designing and Drafting for Handweavers! By Berta Frey A Handbook of Weaves, by G.H. Oelsner Weaving, a Handbook for Fiber Craftsmen, by S.E. Held Rug Weaving for Everyone, by O.G. Tod and J. del Deo Oriental Rugs, Antique and Modern, by W.A. Hawley The Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542, has cooperated by producing in a cassette mode The Encyclopedia of Textiles, by the Editors of American Fabrics Magazine. Please contact the respective agency to borrow any of these textbooks. An effort is being made to continue to record other important works on handweaving, to be available in the near future. ***** ** 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. * Technical Services Division -- A Complaint By Chris Gray I never cease to be amazed at the poor caliber of equipment being developed and distributed by Technical Services Division, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Instead of getting better each year, their equipment gets markedly worse. Instead of technical advance, we witness with every new model and machine an advance of technical decay and, worse still, a flood of machines which are just not adequate to get the job done. Have you tried to get a new talking book or cassette player lately? Unless yours is an old one, you probably have. Generally the new ones do not last for more than six months without something major going wrong. I thought it might be worthwhile to share my recent experience in trying to get a working talking book machine. This past June, I moved to Washington, D.C. for the summer to get into an intern program for college credit. In considering what to bring with me for the ten-week period, a talking book machine was one of the items which simply was not going to fit. And then there was the problem with its motor, which was too weak to work with a variable speed control attachment anyway. So I decided to pick up one in Washington. Once there, getting the machine was one of my first priorities. I arrived in Washington on Monday evening and went to the Martin Luther King Memorial Library on Wednesday afternoon. While there, I also picked up a few books, hoping they might help me forget about the heat, which, compared to my home in Seattle, seemed unbearable. Back in my room, I plugged the machine into the wall and switched it on. Everything seemed all right -- at least, the platter turned. However, when the tone arm was placed upon the record, there was no sound. Somewhat dismayed, I began rolling the two wheels which control tone and volume. -- As usual, not being able to remember which was which. Neither of them did a thing. Finally, I unsympathetically jammed a pair of earphones into the front panel, only to be defeated once again. The next day I made arrangements to exchange that machine for another of its kind. I was assured that this one would work. But when it was delivered the next afternoon, it had the identical problem. Trying not to let myself get upset this time, I reached to take the record from the turntable, when my hand chanced to bump against a button with which I was not familiar, located at the back of the machine. I must have overlooked it in my anger the day before. A little sheepish, I pushed it down and immediately there was sound. In fact, I soon found I could neither turn it down nor off. With the volume in the extreme "Off" position, it was still loud. Then I proceeded to turn the machine from a neutral to the 16-2/3 r.p.m. position. As before, there was sound. Specifically, there was more sound -- a kind of crescendo-decrescendo, rattling accompaniment with every revolution of the turntable. Touching it tentatively, I found it turned, but was appalled to find it also shaking up and down as if under a severe attack of nerves. Thinking it might be loose, I placed my hand firmly on the top of the platter to make this electronic palsy cease, which, with a couple of grinding clunks, it did, and it has worked fairly well ever since. I tried to feel a little grateful. But, really, I do not feel any gratitude at all for this kind of thoughtless, incompetent, demeaning, half-way service — if it can be called service at all. I have never found poor service pleasing, and I do not know anyone else who feels otherwise. And this is only one aspect of the Technical Services Division's total lack of concern over the quality of equipment which it supplies its blind and physically handicapped patrons. Anyone who has used one of the Division's Waters Conley cassette players is familiar with another. The Division has yet to do anything meaningful to provide braille in a less bulky and more usable form, although DBPH representatives have told me secretively that "something" is going to be done very soon. This was in late 1973. They have made little, if any, progress in computerized braille to expand their book collection. It was not they, but the American Printing House for the Blind, which provided its patrons with speech compression -- possibly the greatest advance in equipment for the blind since the inception of the talking book program itself. Of course, the compressors are virtually useless with DBPH talking book machines, since variable-speed controls are no longer being supplied, but only the jack for connecting them. Perhaps the worst indictment of the Technical Services Division is that it has the capability to do all of these things, and more besides. In June of this year, I was given a tour of their facilities, on which I saw many interesting items. To begin with, I saw a cassette player with a built-in speed control and speech compression knob, of better quality than the outboard unit supplied by APH, both in overall sound quality and in that this unit has the pitch correction and speed control in one knob. I was told, however, that this is not going to be distributed. Next I saw a talking book machine with a built-in variable-speed knob. This was going to be distributed, but on an extremely limited basis. Also I saw a combination talking book/cassette player. Again I was told that this unit will never be distributed. The Technical Services Division feels it is too complicated for its users. But is this policy of non-distribution really the way to solve the problem of showing people how best to use their machines? I think that it is not. Rather, it is an excuse both for lack of initiative on the part of the Technical Services Division and for lack of confidence in those patrons who use its equipment. After all, if I had only known about it, I would have pushed the circuit breaker and made my first talking book machine work. The real problem is that I simply was not given the necessary information, and for that, there is simply no justifiable excuse. No! I do not feel any gratitude for this kind of service. As stated before, I am amazed that this situation exists and a little ashamed that we allow it to continue to exist. I admit that I hesitated to write this article, although I have contemplated its basic content for over a year, because of the vitriol which is constantly spread by the National Federation of the Blind concerning so many agencies of and for the blind. Yet I feel that the time has come for someone or some organization to demand a change in the policies of the Technical Services Division. Is this not a responsibility which can and should be taken on by the American Council of the Blind? The justification is in many of your homes and in all of the machine distribution centers. Enough time certainly has gone by so that the Division should be able to provide good service in this area to its patrons. Let us further discuss this matter in coming issues of the Braille Forum, using the word "forum" in its most complete sense of free exchange of ideas. We can then determine the most effective course to be followed. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * Connecticut Council Convention By Anna Godrie The Connecticut Council of the Blind held its fall convention at the Lordship Community Church Hall, Lordship, on October 23, with the Bridgeport chapter hosting the event. Following registration, President Arthur Eagen called the meeting to order at 10:30 A.M., and as has been the practice in the past, the morning session was devoted to guest speakers. Paul Fabian, a representative of the telephone company, departed somewhat from the usual format. Instead of half an hour of "boring statistics," as he himself put it, he began his part of the program with a question-and-answer period which proved so lively that it could very well have taken up much more than the time allotted. The morning session was rounded out by speakers representing the State Board of Education and Services for the Blind. Mr. George Precourt, supervisor of the newly revitalized Home Industries program in Connecticut, and Mr. John David, Chief of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, each gave an informative talk which brought those present up to date on new developments in these respective departments. Following a more than ample boxed lunch arranged by the Bridgeport chapter, the afternoon was devoted to the annual business meeting. The agenda contained a number of items to be discussed and acted upon. Of major importance was the election of officers, and the following persons were elected to two-year terms: President, Gertrude De Leo; First Vice President, David Bates; Second Vice President, Elizabeth Wilkinson; Third Vice President, Leona Miklos; Treasurer, Robert Fitzgerald; Secretary, Anna Godrie. Past President Arthur Eagen was elected to a two-year term as director. In her acceptance statement, incoming President Gertrude De Leo said: "I accept this office humbly and will put my heart into it. But I will need everyone's help. We must continue to push in order to gain strength and unity." In two years of existence, the Connecticut Council of the Blind has established for itself a place among the other organizations of the blind in the State. Its voice is being heard where necessary. CCB's aim is to continue to creep in, and to move forward, and to grow and grow and grow ...! * American Council of the Blind Comes to New Jersey By Therese Snyder On July 6, 1976, the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind, meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, granted a charter of affiliation to the American Council of the Blind of New Jersey. On September, 1976, in East Brunswick, New Jersey, the first statewide organizational meeting was held. The morning session was opened by ACB's own Reese Robrahn, who delivered the keynote address. He gave an overview of the legislative activities in which ACE is involved and discussed some of the services, including a referral service, provided by ACB. Two guest speakers, Mr. Loyal Eugene Apple, Executive Director, American Foundation for the Blind, and Mr. Carl Hvarre Acting Director, New Jersey Commission for the Blind, spoke on the growing role of the consumer in services for the blind. A panel consisting of Bill Pickman, Chairman, Electronic Aids Committee, ACB, Jack Reid, Treasurer, ACB of New York, and New Jersey's own Trudie Musier, President, Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association (VISTA)· gave convincing answers to the question: Why ACB? All speakers and panelists were most generous and explicit in answering questions posed by the audience. In the afternoon, the formal organizational meeting was held, at which a constitution was adopted, officers and directors elected, and dues set. Officers include: President, John Murken; First Vice President, Therese Snyder; Second Vice President, Pinkus Hoffman; Recording Secretary, Neil Sullivan; Corresponding Secretary, Linda Salzman; and Treasurer, Richard Sarno. The four directors are: Trudie Musier, Herbert Venook, Joan Leonard, and Bob Knelle. The present address of the American Council of the Blind of New Jersey is 26 Island Drive, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857; telephone: 201-679- 2723 or 572-6078. Before and after lunch, time was allotted for personal inspection of electronic aids, including the Laser cane, Speech Plus calculator, Paper Money Identifier, and the Optacon. One of the immediate projects on which the group plans to work is the compilation and distribution of a cassette newsletter devoted entirely to the dissemination of information of concern to blind persons. The formation of a chapter in a state where varied kinds and sizes of groups of blind persons already exist made recruitment difficult. We traveled from the northern to the southern part of the state, appeared on radio programs, advertised in newspapers, and met with many groups of blind persons to try to show them not only what ACB can do for them, but what they can do for themselves in the total community through membership in our organization. Interestingly enough, the majority of members have not been affiliated closely with other organizations within the state, but are bright, active blind persons who easily identify with the goals of ACB. Although ACB is late in coming to our state, the ground is fertile, a hearty strain of seed has been planted, and with continuous cultivation, we should produce a spectacular yield in the Garden State. * Bay State Council Is Born By Phyllis Mitchell From October 1 through October 3, 1976, the Bay State Council of the Blind, new Massachusetts affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, held its first statewide convention at the 1200 Beacon Street Motor Hotel in Brookline. The Bay State Council is not the first ACB affiliate to be formed in Massachusetts. Five years ago, the Blind Leadership Club was formed and became affiliated with the American Council. Because the constitution of the Blind Leadership Club was not applicable for a statewide membership organization, plans were set in motion this last spring to form a new state affiliate which BLC would join. Result: the Bay State Council of the Blind (BSCB)! BSCB is structured as a coalition of organizations of the blind, interested individuals, and special-interest organizations having a constitution and by-laws following certain basic principles prescribed by the national ACB. The convention began with a cocktail party on Friday night, at which all prospective BSCB members were welcomed by the temporary officers and board which had been formed in the spring. The opening session of the formal program on Saturday morning was addressed by Attorney Philip Pofcher. He pointed out the value of a convention such as this as a forum for the exchange of information and stressed the importance of blind people working together for common goals. "The Effectiveness of Advocacy" was the topic selected by Senator Jack Backman of Brookline. He spoke of the vast amount of work that has yet to be done for blind and disabled persons in Massachusetts. While each minority and handicapped group has its own individual needs, he pointed out, they also have many problems in common, and to achieve success, such groups must work together. Eunice Fiorito, elected this past summer to the national Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind, addressed herself to the question, "Why ACB?" She referred to the trouble she had had in getting directions at the airport and through the hotel, her point being that as blind persons, we have to work together to educate the sighted public so that blind people need not experience the kind of humiliation she experienced in dealing with those individuals well-intentioned and willing, but ignorant of how intelligently and effectively to assist a handicapped person. As President of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities and Director of the New York City Mayor's Office for the Handicapped, she expressed the vital importance of unity, of working together. Rounding out the morning session were a brief overview of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, to be held in Washington, D.C. in May of 1977, and short talks by Trudie Musier, President of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, and by Evelyn Friske on behalf of Guide Dog Users, Inc., special-interest affiliates of national ACB. Each stressed the importance of special-interest organizations in general and of their potential for aiding in problem-solving and the exchange of information. Finally, Marie Matava of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind outlined her philosophy and some of the changes that she has begun to implement in the Commission, together with some of her ideas for the future. Ms. Matava has been in office for only one year, and many of those in attendance had never had the opportunity to meet and speak with her before the convention. Her plans for the future include attention to those individuals losing their sight, but not yet considered legally blind. Up to now, such persons have been ignored both by the Commission for the Blind and by rehabilitation agencies. The afternoon was devoted to meetings of special-interest organizations: Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, Guide Dog Users, the American Blind Lawyers Association, government employees, and a workshop on low-vision aids. Those persons attending the low-vision workshop expressed a hope that such an organization might be expanded on the national level. The Saturday evening banquet was emceed by Ken Myer, blind producer of the Larry Glock night-time radio show on WBZ Boston. The keynote speaker was Lovell Dyett, media personality of both radio and TV. Again he stressed the theme of unity, pointing out similarities of the problems faced by both Blacks and blind persons. He emphasized the fact that usually it is society which is handicapped, not the "handicapped" person. Through experience, handicapped people have learned tolerance and understanding. At the Sunday morning business meeting, a number of resolutions were adopted, final action was taken on the BSCB constitution and by-laws, and the following officers were elected: President, Merrill Maynard; First Vice President, Phyllis Mitchell; Second Vice President, Terry Pacheco; Recording Secretary, Donna Eggert; Corresponding Secretary, Ann Antonetti; and Treasurer, Todd Eggert. It was felt that the registration, close to one hundred persons, augured a fast growth for the Bay State Council of the Blind in Massachusetts. * Vermont Council Convention 1976 By Al Nichols The 1976 convention of the Vermont Council of the Blind was held Saturday, October 9, at the Tavern Motor Inn in Montpelier, with President Al Nichols of Brattleboro presiding. After routine reports were read and approved, Mr. David Bergesen of the Sons of Norway, from Marlboro, Massachusetts, told of the Ski for Light event, ski touring for the blind, which will be held in Woodstock, Vermont, from January 30 through February 6, 1977 (see The Braille Forum, September, 1976). Any blind person who is interested in participating in this once-in-a-lifetime experience is invited to contact Einar Bergh, Norwegian Information Service, 825 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, marking the envelope "Ski for Light, 1977." The luncheon speaker was Mr. Oral Miller of Washington, D.C., newly elected to the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind and president of the American Blind Lawyers Association. He is employed as an attorney with the Small Business Administration. Afternoon speakers were Mr. Peter Grassadonia and Mr. Howard Walbridge, both of Montpelier. Mr. Grassadonia, who is Executive Secretary of the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, told of the functions of his office. Mr. Walbridge, who is Director of the Division for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, summarized the history of the Division and outlined the services available through his office to all Vermonters whose visual acuity is within the legal definition of blindness. During the business meeting, a sum of money was appropriated to assist any blind Vermont resident who applies and is accepted to participate in the Ski for Light program. ***** ** Here and There By George Card For me the high point of the Hot Springs convention came on the very first afternoon. We were addressed by a man who had just finished directing an eighteen-month survey of all fifty state agencies serving the blind. The organized blind in most states have fought hard against the trend toward umbrella-type agencies where the blind are mixed with all other categories of the handicapped. We have been proclaiming for many years now, mostly to deaf ears, that under such conglomerate agencies the blind would inevitably be shortchanged. We have been absolutely certain that this would happen but basically it has been a sort of gut feeling, without statistical proof. This speaker had the facts and figures that proved beyond any doubt that we have been right. He told us straight from the shoulder that in all forty umbrella-type state agencies, service to the blind has deteriorated and is continuing to deteriorate. The alleged economy of such scrambling has proved mostly fictitious but administrative convenience, so dear to all bureaucrats, has so far tipped the scales against us. As for that luncheon speech by Secretary Mathews, the sharpest comment I heard was this: "He made Jimmy Carter sound specific." It was probably the happiest convention we have had, in part, at least, because the delegates knew that at last our treasury was in the black, with a comfortable balance. The AP reports that Ed Andrews, of Lexington, KY, who is totally blind, has a bowling average of 157, shoots golf in the high eighties or low nineties, and plays a better than average game of table tennis. He can throw a softball accurately and can hear it coming well enough to catch it, but he cannot bat because, having to turn sideways to the pitcher, he loses the stereo effect. He has just been made very happy by being notified by the City Department of Recreation that he has been appointed a league softball coach. When Roy Kumpe, of Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind, accepted the ACB's Ambassador Award at Hot Springs, he became the one and only individual to be given the highest possible honor by the American Foundation for the Blind, the American Association of Workers for the Blind and the organized blind movement. It is interesting to know what knowledgeable outsiders think of us. Eric Boulter, former head of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind, and now Director-General of the British Royal National Institute for the Blind, a real-world figure, writes, in part: "The ACB has won back for the organized blind movement of the United States the respect which had been forfeited in other quarters." The World Council NEWSLETTER reports that the American Foundation of Overseas Blind has received a one million dollar grant to fund a three-year program for the prevention of child blindness in Indonesia. As in many other developing countries, nutritional deficiency is the key problem, especially lack of sufficient Vitamin A. Thousands of children will be examined by eye teams made up of ophthalmologists, nutritionists, pediatricians, and nurses. ... Twenty countries were represented in the Winter Olympics for the Handicapped in Sweden last February. In the totally blind class, Virgitta Sund, mother of three, who had only learned to ski a year ago, won both the five-kilometer and ten-kilometer races ... Following the retirement of M. Robert Barnett, who had been Chairman of the American delegation to the World Council and a member of its Executive Committee, Loyal Apple, of the American Foundation for the Blind, was elected to fill both offices. ... Beginning in January, 1977, the AFB will begin publication of the JOURNAL OF BLINDNESS AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, which will supersede the NEW OUTLOOK FOR THE BLIND and the RESEARCH BULLETIN. At every national ACB convention several bright stars of the future make their first appearance. One of these at Hot Springs was James Olson, sent by our Minnesota affiliate. He is a modest and unassuming, but obviously very talented young man. He made such a strong impression that the Nominating Committee chose him to run for Treasurer. While he did not beat the popular and very able Ed Miller, he made a strong run and will certainly be heard from in coming years. Orlando, FL, AP: When the emergency telephone rings at the Lake Sue fire station, twenty-year-old Robert Miller swings into action. He pinpoints the location of the fire or request for rescue service on a braille map of the fire district hanging on the wall, directs fireman and equipment by radio, calls for assistance from other agencies if needed, and records the call on a daily log. This may seem routine except that Miller has been blind since birth. Casper, Wyoming, UPI: A trail for the blind through a wooded area in the Casper Mountains cannot be used for the rest of the year because vandals destroyed braille signs along the path. Long sections of rope to guide the blind were stolen from the most dangerous sections of the trail. The Los Angeles News Service reports that, for the first time, an artificial pancreas has been successfully implanted in an experimental animal, foreshadowing the time -- probably years away -- when human diabetes can be controlled by such an implant. This experimental implant included a sensor, a battery, a pump, a reservoir of insulin, and a computer -- all miniature. Information as to blood sugar level is gathered by the sensor and fed into the computer, which in turn releases the requisite amount of insulin. A famous psychiatrist has said that we find out what good memories we have when we try to forget something unpleasant. The publication PROGRAMS FOR THE HANDICAPPED reports that the Norwegian Parliament has appropriated the equivalent of $200,000 in American dollars as a Bicentennial gift to the United States. The money is to be used for the support of the Health Sports Center in the State of Minnesota, where so many thousands of Norwegians made their new homes and where their descendants have become sturdy, upstanding American citizens. The MAB NEWS (Mich.) tells us that, according to present plans, the Library of Congress hopes to complete the transfer from disc to cassette recordings by 1981; but, if present imperfections in cassette recordings are not overcome by then, the program will be slowed down. Also that, beginning in 1977, fifty of the most popular titles will be recorded on flexible discs, which will save a lot of money and bring these eagerly awaited items more quickly to the readers ... Seventy new members joined our Michigan affiliate in the first half of 1976, bringing the total to about 840 active members ... And again: Mail order concerns are now required, by a new law, to fill orders within thirty days or offer to return the money ... Mail order business in general merchandise, ordered from catalogues, came to more than fifteen billion dollars last year ... Finally, good news for the two million glaucoma sufferers in the U.S. Pilocarpine drops have been used effectively for more than a century but their use several times daily has resulted in many unproductive hours. Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released for prescription a thin wafer which can be inserted under the eyelid once a week and which will keep the eye constantly supplied with the needed pilocarpine throughout the seven days. According to VENDORSCOPE, of the 305 blind stand operators in the California Business Enterprise system, only 39 are women. It is suggested by the Editor that a subtle form of discrimination exists because the process of selection invariably puts need far above outstanding qualifications. The fact that all blind stand operators are ambassadors to the sighted world and are therefore all important to our image seems to carry little weight ... In the same issue, contaminated eye makeup has caused at least four cases of lost vision and a variety of eye infections, an Atlanta physician said. Dr. Lewis A. Wilson, of Emory University School of Medicine, said that women should throw away mascara after three or four months to reduce danger of bacterial infection. In a paper presented to a seminar, Wilson said mascaras, which are applied to the lashes and lid margins, in close proximity to the cornea, can harbor and nourish bacteria which can break down the cornea. Every care should be observed to avoid scratching the cornea. From the MISSOURI CHRONICLE: During the regional meeting of the AAWB in Indianapolis, Alma Murphey was presented with an award for her work in improving the living standards of the blind and deaf-blind. (Alma is the newly elected First Vice President of ACB and was a founding member of our organization.) Among the new cassette listings from the Library of Congress is PREJUDICE, WAR AND THE CONSTITUTION, by Jacobus tenBroek, and for which he received the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award. It deals with our shameful treatment of Japanese-American citizens during the Second World War. From the HOOSIER-STARLIGHT: You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. As we go to press, two notices have been received which may be of special interest to many readers: Braille Institute of America, Inc. is offering free a braille copy of the schedule of the Texaco Metropolitan Opera broadcasts for the 1976-77 season. Copies can be obtained by sending name and address to Braille Institute of America, Inc., 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. Aud-A-Buy, a free recorded catalog on a soundsheet at 8-1/3 r.p.m., is now available from Science for the Blind Products. This is the first general mail-order catalog designed specifically for the visually limited. Games, puzzles, gifts, and holiday goodies are described, and ordering instructions and prices are all included in sound. Christmas shopping can be a leisurely, independent activity this year. Also available is Aud-A-Log, a soundsheet containing descriptions and audible demonstrations of special instruments for the visually limited. Write SFB Products, 221 Rock Hill Road, Bala-Cynwyd, PA 19004. ###