The Braille Forum Vol. XV April 1977 No. 10 Published 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 Third Annual Conference on Radio Reading Services -- The Dream and the Promise ACB Profiles: A Most Unforgettable Character -- Floyd Qualls, by Durward K. McDaniel Calling All Conventioneers -- Heaven in '77! Important Notice to ACB Affiliates and Members-at-Large Life Insurance Enrollment Extension Leading Role in Civil Rights Movement, by Durward K. McDaniel RP in Perspective, by W.G. MacRae, M.D. Update on Randolph-Sheppard Rules and Litigation, by Durward K. McDaniel Update on 504 Regulations, by Reese Robrahn Everything You Wanted to Know About Blindness But Didn't Know Where to Ask -- Or How I Came to Write My Handbook, by Mimi Winer Right Turn on Red -- Dead Right or Dead Wrong? How to Use Your Mailing Privileges IBWA Offers Opportunity for Professional and Academic Growth HEW Reorganization Hyde Park Corner: Below the Tip of the Iceberg, by Crawford Pike Why Us?, by Harold E. Johnson ACB Affiliate News: OFB Convenes at State Lodge, by Judy Pool Implosion in Louisiana!, by Dr. R.T. McLean White House Conference Nears Final Countdown Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon ***** ** 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, and cassette tape (1-7/8 ips), and flexible disc. Items intended for publication may be submitted in print, braille, or tape and should be addressed 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 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, 1120 Coddington Place, Charlotte, NC 28211. Anyone wishing to remember ACB 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, your attorney should communicate with the ACB National Office. ***** ** Third Annual Conference on Radio Reading Services -- The Dream and the Promise "I have a dream! And my dream is that one day, wherever a blind or physically handicapped person may move, he or she can automatically expect to be within range of a radio reading service; that it will be taken for granted, just as now we take for granted that there will be talking book, braille, and other services that we need." With these words, Dr. Margaret Rockwell, President and Director of the Washington Ear, Inc., welcomed the Third Annual Conference on Radio Reading Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, held March 14-17 in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference was sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind and hosted by the Washington Ear. The pooling of experience, the exchange of ideas, the contagion of enthusiasm -- these characteristics marked the four days of panels, workshops, and presentations designed to update and bring into wider perspective various aspects of the radio reading services field. Topics ranged from funding to public relations, from Federal regulation to administration, engineering, programming, and consumer input. But perhaps most significant for the future development and direction of this entire concept was the establishment of a permanent radio reading services organization. At the time of the first conference in Oklahoma City in 1975, the entire concept of subcarrier broadcasting for the blind was relatively new. Minnesota had led the way in 1969. In 1971, the idea was picked up by the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind, and by the time of the 1975 conference, Oklahoma City and a handful of other stations were well under way, with many other new stations just beginning to get off the ground. The Monday afternoon panel, "New Dimensions in Radio Reading Services: An Update on the State of the Art," testified eloquently to the rapid growth and the imagination and diversity of approach which have marked the development of this field. Jim Jones, Executive Director of the In Touch Network, New York City, became totally blind in 1968. He heard about the Minnesota radio reading services in 1972 and immediately recognized the potential for him and for all blind people. Unable to obtain the financial backing of many major agencies serving the blind which he approached, Jim and a small group of backers set up their own non-profit corporation, with a nine-man board of directors, five of whom were visually or physically handicapped. The story of their promotional efforts in developing funding and in selling the concept to potential backers and audience is an inspiring example of what determined consumers can do in their own behalf. On the air originally for only a few hours a week of open-channel broadcasting, In Touch is about to expand to 70 hours a week of programming over the subcarrier of WKCR/FM, Columbia University. "Audio-Reader," the second established closed-circuit radio reading service for the print handicapped, broadcasts over station KAAU/FM, University of Kansas, and serves roughly 3,000 people within an 85-mile radius of Lawrence, Kansas, via microwave and cable TV relay transmission. This station is perhaps unique in that it was initially encouraged, and was for some time fully financed, by a local philanthropist. An innovative programming effort was described by Rosie Hurwitz of the Audio-Reader staff. From taped information recorded on-site at rehabilitation facilities throughout the state, programs are produced which provide an "audio portrait" of what each center provides, the personality of the staff, and the layout of the physical plant. With the installation of central hospital receiving equipment, patients know immediately what is available in the way of rehabilitation to assist them upon their return home. The Pittsburgh experience was described by Robert Morgenstern of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "They said it couldn't be done," but the Golden Triangle Radio Information Center, working closely with the Pittsburgh Department of Public Welfare, developed initial funding solely through the Social Security Administration's Title XX program. This resulted in immediate service to almost 1,000 people. However, there are limitations in this approach, in that those eligible for service must also be eligible under Title XX. Despite this drawback, Mr. Morgenstern urged that Title XX be given more consideration as a possible source of radio reading service funding. In Ohio, a statewide concept is already developed, and how it evolved was outlined by Walter Boninger of the Cleveland Society for the Blind. Five communities were originally represented on the State Planning Committee on Radio Reading Services. However, rather than spread available resources too thin, only two of the five, Cleveland and Columbus, were state-funded by the Rehabilitation Services Commission. In some areas, this state funding has recently been supplemented by revenue sharing, a source which others were urged to pursue. Unique to Ohio programming is its "rehabilitation content" -- the sharing of information related to blindness with the newly blind, the recently rehabilitated, the home-bound, and with those whose contact with rehabilitation teachers is inadequate. Total autonomy in programming rests with each individual station, while an attempt is made to maximize every opportunity for cooperation, particularly through a "program exchange." The impact of many of these innovative approaches and ideas was dealt with more in detail by subsequent speakers. In "Public Relations: Reaching Special Audiences," Bernard Posner of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped outlined some basic general principles of public relations. Problems of reaching special audiences were addressed by Ms. Frances Ezell of the Tennessee Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Nashville, in "Reaching Current Users of the Regional Libraries," and by Dr. David Jeffreys of the Department of Sociology, Winthrop College, Rock Hill, South Carolina, in "Reaching into the Aging Network." Speaking to the general area of funding resources, the potential for funding under Title XX was discussed by Paul Hamilton, Specialist-Visually and Physically Handicapped, Department of Public Welfare, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Private Philanthropy" was commented upon by Dr. Margaret Rockwell of the Washington Ear, and revenue sharing by Stanley Doran of Columbus, Ohio. Perhaps the most significant outcome of the four-day conference was the birth of the Association of Radio Reading Services. Recommended in Oklahoma City in 1975, mandated for committee preliminary groundwork in Minneapolis in 1976, the Association came into being by unanimous vote of some 163 official registrants at this 1977 conference in Bethesda. The new organization promises to provide the mechanism for joint exchange of thought, joint planning, and joint action to carry radio reading services for the blind and physically handicapped into the future on a much sounder basis. As stated in the By-Laws, the purposes of the organization are to encourage the establishment and operation of radio reading services for blind and other handicapped persons who cannot read normal print because of their handicap; to share technical and program information for the mutual benefit of such radio reading services; to participate with broadcasting agencies and research, manufacturing, and commercial entities in policy, program, and technical development; and to do any other lawful thing which will assist such radio reading services in the distribution and dissemination of health, education, recreation, and other public or social service information. Interim officers and Executive Committee members were elected by those persons officially registered at the conference, as follows, to serve until the first annual meeting of the general assembly: President -- C. Stanley Potter, Director, Services for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, St. Paul, Minnesota; Vice President -- Walter Boninger, Associate Executive Director, Community Services, Cleveland Society for the Blind, Cleveland, Ohio; Secretary -- B.L. Wittenbrink, Radio Information Service for Blind and Handicapped, Belleville, Illinois; Treasurer -- Dr. Margaret Rockwell, President and Director, the Washington Ear, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland; Travis Harris, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jim Jones, New York, New York; Rosie Hurwitz, Lawrence, Kansas; Margaret Vernon, San Diego, California; John Luckadoo, Dallas, Texas; George Harris, York, Pennsylvania; Robert D. Watson, St. Paul, Minnesota; Stanley Doran, Columbus, Ohio; Robert Morgenstern, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ***** ** ACB Profiles: A Most Unforgettable Character -- Floyd Qualls By Durward K. McDaniel (Editor's Note: Any organization is strengthened proportionately as its leadership becomes better known to each individual member and is recognized to be truly a part of the grass-roots efforts of that organization. This series of "ACB Profiles," then, hopefully will bring members of the American Council of the Blind closer to those who guide and carry out its policies and programs nationally. The series begins, fittingly with a "word portrait" of ACB President Floyd Qualls. Subsequent issues of The Braille Forum will introduce other ACB officers, board and staff members who to many readers may be little more than just names read in these pages or hears at national conventions.) The customary writing patterns normally used to describe the national president of a great and growing organization do not suffice when that personality is Floyd Qualls. To understand some of his qualities, you need to know more than a mere cataloging of his education, work, and almost fifty years of dedicated service to and for blind people in this country. Some of the facts and events will help you to understand more about this complex and richly talented person. You may already know that he graduated from the Oklahoma School for the Blind just in time for the Great Depression. At a time when there were almost no benefits or services for blind people, he managed two years of college while he worked as a piano technician. For a short time he directed a young dramatic group on a Works Progress Administration project in his home town of Muskogee, Oklahoma. During another period, he and other blind people worked on a pick-and-shovel crew preparing for the laying of sidewalks on a Civil Works Administration project. Thereafter, he became the first blind person to operate a vending stand in Oklahoma after the passage of the Randolph-Sheppard Act in 1936. At the same time, he continued his piano technician work and later developed a successful insurance agency. Somewhere in all of this, he found time to write advertising copy for a radio station, and throughout it all, he continued his tireless work for the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind, a statewide organization which is now affiliated with the American Council of the Blind. He gained national recognition in the Piano Technicians Guild by serving on the council of this organization in its formative days and was elected Southwest Regional Vice President. He is known in the Guild for his performance as master of ceremonies for numerous annual and regional conventions. From his promotion, the Piano Technicians' Journal was recorded for the use of blind technicians. When freedom of speech became an issue in the National Federation of the Blind, he was elected president of the Braille Free Press Association, which published a series of revealing documents. He was, of course, one of the chief architects of the American Council of the Blind. But what of this quiet, confident personality who managed to do so many things so well, without all the academic credentials which are now so commonplace? He became a skillful writer, a leader of people, a business manager, and a successful administrator. He was one of the founders of the social service organization, the Oklahoma League for the Blind, which was established by the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind in 1949. He served as president of both organizations at different times. In 1966 he became the executive manager of the League and during the next nine years brought it from a small, struggling organization to one of the most progressive of its kind in the Southwest. Before retiring as its executive manager, he acquired the League's present facility, which provides almost 80,000 square feet for its activities and more than four acres of ground space. His wit and writing talent often reveal traces of the styles of two of his favorites, Will Rogers and Mark Twain. Behind this quiet personality, there is a great determination to do the necessary work of this world, and more particularly to improve living conditions for blind people. A part of his strength is that he does not require adulation for his work and accomplishments. He is, therefore, the hard-working president of the American Council of the Blind, who has broadened the base of ACB's leadership and has kept it united and growing. ***** ** Calling All Conventioneers -- Heaven in '77! "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard this special flight to Heaven in 77! Please check to be sure your seatbelts are securely fastened, your seat backs in an upright position, and all carry-on luggage securely stowed beneath the seat in front of you." Occasion: Sixteenth Annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind. Destination: Miami Beach, Florida. Dates: July 10-16, 1977. Special-interest affiliates and organizations will hold conferences and seminars Sunday through Tuesday, July 10-12. The annual convention of the American Council of the Blind will begin Wednesday morning, July 13, and adjourn on Saturday, July 16. Convention Site: Deauville Hotel, 6701 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33141. Room Rates: Single room, $17; double, $20; third party in room, $5 additional; no charge for children under 12. Suites range from $42 for one bedroom and parlor on the land side to $72 for two bedrooms and parlor on the beach. That covers the minimum essentials in a nutshell. It does not begin, however, to touch upon the plans and hard work of the host affiliate, the Florida Council of the Blind. ACB conventioneers come together each year to work hard and also to play hard, and Planning Committee Co-Chairmen Paul Sparkman and Jay Root report that both phases of the week's activities are progressing nicely. The Deauville is a large hotel -- one of the four largest in Miami Beach -- and all conventioneers can easily be accommodated under one roof. This is a beautiful, modern hotel located on the beach itself. Shopping and service facilities in the lower lobby include clothing and gift shops, barber and beauty shops, a photographer, and others. In addition to the hotel's formal dining facilities, capable of pleasing the most discriminating taste, there is also a large coffee shop located in the lower lobby. Though the coffee shop closes at 10:00 p.m., conventioneers need not be concerned about going to bed hungry. Directly across the street is located Pumpernick's, one of the landmark restaurants of Miami Beach -- a delicatessen restaurant featuring an endless variety of foods -- which should easily meet the needs of most late-night ACBers. Recreation facilities include a private beach for ocean bathing, a fresh-water, Olympic-size pool for the faint-of-heart, tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf course. At this writing, formal program plans are necessarily incomplete. However, presentations will be far-ranging, relevant to the interests of conventioneers both as blind persons and as members of the American Council, stimulating, and thought-provoking. They will range from "What Do You Do When You Meet a Sighted Person?" to an update on the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals; from job placement opportunities to assistance available to the handicapped from the U.S. Small Business Administration; from artificial vision to civil rights for the bind, and more. In addition, the Convention Committee is actively seeking exhibitors, and all indications point to an extensive "expo" of the latest goods and services available to the blind. In addition to the formal program, although this is not an election year, much important organizational business will be conducted, some of which will determine ACB's policies and program emphasis for the year ahead. Everyone is urged to give this phase of the convention serious attention. Of particular importance is the work of two key committees, the Resolutions Committee and the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. Proposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the ACB Constitution and By-Laws should be submitted prior to the convention, if at all possible. This will greatly facilitate the work of the respective committees. Names and addresses of these committee chairmen are as follows: Resolutions Committee: Gordon Haldiman, Chairman 5353 North Berkeley Boulevard Milwaukee, WI 53217 Constitution and By-Laws Committee: Vernon Daigle, Chairman 5230 Wilton Drive New Orleans, LA 70122 An important tradition of each convention is the presentation of a number of ACB awards. The recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Award is selected annually by the editorial staff of the Braille Forum. A presentation to be made for the first time is the Robert S. Bray Award. This was created by the ACB Board of Directors in 1975 in memory of Mr. Bray and in recognition of his long and distinguished career as Chief of the Library 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 services or access to published materials, or in improving communications devices and techniques. Nominations should be sent no later than June 1, 1977, to Miss Elizabeth Lennon, Chairman, Robert S. Bray Award Committee, 1315 Greenwood Avenue, No. 22, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. The Ambassador Award is selected each year from among candidates who are blind and who, by their lives, associations and activities, demonstrate their integration into and interaction with the life of the community. It is not necessary that the candidate be a member of or active in any organization of the blind, or that he be engaged in work for the blind. The George Card Award is presented periodically 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 by nature of contribution, and it is not necessarily given each year. Nominations for both the Ambassador Award and the George Card Award should be sent no later than June 1, 1977, to Awards Committee Chairman Morris Ward, 234 Reynolds Street, Pearl, MS 39208. As indicated above, the time from Sunday, July 10, through Tuesday, July 12, will be devoted to meetings and conferences of special-interest organizations. These include the American Blind Lawyers Association, ACB Service Net, Guide Dog Users, Inc., 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, World Council of Blind Lions, and others. Information on any of the special conferences and seminars may be obtained from the ACB National Office. Well in advance of the convention, you will receive a packet of pre­registration materials. Included will be detailed information on special meetings and seminars, social functions, tours, banquets and luncheons, and hotel rates, together with a hotel reservation card. Also, be sure to investigate possible special excursion and group air fares, frequently available for travel to Florida during the summer season. If you have not already set aside the week of July 10-16 for the ACB national convention, do so immediately. Come to Florida and enjoy Heaven in '77! ***** ** Important Notice to ACB Affiliates and Members-at-Large To: All ACB Affiliates and Members-at-Large From: J. Edward Miller, Treasurer, 1120 Coddington Place, Charlotte, NC 28211; and Durward K. McDaniel, National Representative, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036 The American Council of the Blind's Constitution and By-Laws provide that each affiliate pay its per capita dues to ACB in the sum of $1 for each voting member of the affiliate. No affiliate is required to pay more than $625. The Constitution and By-Laws provide, further, that members-at-large (those individuals who are members of ACB, but who are not certified members of any of its affiliated organizations) shall pay dues of $2 a year. Per capita dues are to be received by the Treasurer no less than sixty days (May 13, 1977) prior to the next national convention of ACB. Note the Treasurer's address at the beginning of this notice. The Constitution and By-Laws also provide that each affiliate furnish a certified alphabetical list of names and addresses of voting members to the Treasurer and the National Office not less than sixty days prior to the national convention. If an affiliate fails to comply with these obligations, the first year of non-compliance shall result in the loss of voting privileges and the second consecutive year of non-compliance shall result in revocation of the affiliate's charter. We are looking forward to a great convention at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach. Special-interest organizations will commence their meetings on Sunday or Monday, July 10 and 11, and the ACB convention will begin on Wednesday morning (instead of Wednesday afternoon) and will end on Saturday, July 16. Don't forget that May 13, 1977 is the deadline for per capita dues and membership lists. ***** ** Life Insurance Enrollment Extension The February issue of the Braille Forum contained a description of a special life insurance offer, available to members of the American Council of the Blind only, with a deadline of March 31, 1977. Most members should have received the written information and application through the mail by now, but because the mail was late in getting out, the deadline for enrollment has been extended to May 1. So if you are interested, you still have plenty of time to enroll. The toll-free number which you may use to get answers to any questions is (800) 247-2192. This insurance is available to ACB members only, which includes, of course, members of ACB's 49 affiliates, as well as its members-at-large. ***** ** Leading Role in Civil Rights Movement By Durward K. McDaniel Less than two years ago, the American Council of the Blind convention voted unanimously to seek participation in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. The consensus was that blind and handicapped people had many common problems with other minorities and special groups, and that our prospects for achieving full civil-rights protection would be greatly enhanced if we could work cooperatively with other civil rights organizations. It has already been reported that ACB was the first organization of handicapped persons to be admitted to participation in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. ACB is now one of 137 organizations in the Leadership Conference. A few weeks ago, the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities was also admitted to participation. Reese H. Robrahn, who is so well known throughout ACB and who is a member of the Board of Directors of ACCD, was recently elected to the Executive Committee of the Leadership Conference. His election represents a quick recognition of his ability and effective work in Washington on many aspects of civil rights, particularly for blind and handicapped persons. The Executive Committee, which consists of only fifteen persons, is the executing group within the civil rights movement. ACB is proud of this deserved recognition for one of its leading members and welcomes this very substantial progress in our work to achieve full civil rights for all blind and handicapped persons. ***** ** RP in Perspective By W.G. MacRae, M.D. (Editor's Note: In response to the article "RP? -Let It Die," by Harriet Fielding, in the September-October, 1976 Braille Forum, both the United States and Canadian National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundations expressed concern that the ideas and information presented were overly simplified, perhaps even misleading, in terms of current medical and genetic research. The article was referred to Dr. MacRae, a Toronto ophthalmologist and geneticist, and excerpts from his letter of response are printed here. It presents a wealth of medical and genetic information, clearly and concisely stated, and the Braille Forum is indebted to Dr. MacRae for his concern and for his interest in presenting a valid, accurate picture of the situation, at a time when RP victims must be cautioned against misleading statements regarding cures and medical breakthroughs in relation to this complex disease.) As an ophthalmologist and geneticist, I was greatly disturbed to read Harriet Fielding's article, "RP? -- Let It Die," in the September-October issue of the Braille Forum, for it has no doubt erroneously disturbed many RP patients. The genetic aspects of retinitis pigmentosa are more complex than those indicated in the overly simplified table at the end of the article. The writer failed to differentiate between the various types of RP and the specific inheritance patterns associated with each. There are three forms of retinitis pigmentosa -- the autosomal dominant, the autosomal recessive, and the X-linked recessive. Each is inherited in a different way, and each is associated with different genetic risks. The difficulty with RP is that various clinical types are not always clearly distinguishable and, therefore, accurate genetic counseling is sometimes not possible. On the more positive side, a person with a clearly defined recessive RP can be reassured that the risk of any offspring being similarly affected is in the order of 1 to 100. Considering that every pregnancy carries with it a 2-5 percent chance of a major congenital malformation, then the projected risk for recessive RP is by comparison slight, indeed. In the extreme unlikelihood of both husband and wife having recessive RP, then it is true that every offspring of this union will have RP. However, this, too, must be put into perspective, for it is rare that two recessive RP patients marry, and, therefore, this issue, realistically speaking, demands little consideration. Of greater interest is the fact that the majority of genetic eye diseases are autosomal recessive. Therefore, if only one parent is affected, it should be noted that all of the children in all likelihood will be normal. The proposals suggested for RP eradication are also simplistic and without foundation in two respects. Firstly, screening at the pre-school and school age level is to date unmerited, since we still lack the scientific means for early RP carrier detection. Furthermore, since RP in the various forms exists in approximately one in 25,000 persons, a great deal of useless screening would take place even if it could accurately be done. Secondly, we know from our present knowledge of genetics that RP will never be completely eradicated, because there exists in the environment what we call the "gene pool." Certain genetic disease, even though eliminated through natural selection, will nonetheless spring up as new mutations, thereby maintaining the presence of the disease in the environment. Decisions not to have children because of high risk will certainly prevent the recurrence of RP in one family, but it will never eradicate it completely. In forms of RP other than the recessive, we have no way of knowing whether or not a new mutation will appear. ... Indeed, RP carrier and patients should seek genetic counseling prior to marriage and planning a family, but this is for the specific purpose of exposing the facts. Genetics is not synonymous with eugenics, which is the preservation of the beautiful, the strong, and the sighted. Nor is the role of genetics to decide who shall and shall not have children. That is a matter to be decided only by the individuals concerned, and hopefully decided honestly once an accurate genetic risk has been determined. Indeed, the decision of RP patients to have a child is not always an unwise one. Also I think it should be mentioned that although RP is a serious eye disease, many RP patients are able to live very full and useful lives. Although they have difficulties at night, most are still able to read until well into middle age, and only rarely do they become functionally blind. To brand every case of RP as hopeless ... is a grievous error. ***** ** Update on Randolph-Sheppard Rules and Litigation By Durward K. McDaniel As we go to press, it has been learned that the new Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Joseph A. Califano, Jr., has actually signed the Randolph-Sheppard rules and that they are scheduled for publication before the end of March. As of this writing, we have not received the official draft of the rules, but they will be carefully studied by the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the litigation reported in the February, 1977 issue of the Braille Forum. The rules which were proposed more than a year ago did not conform to the statute in many details. If these new rules fail to conform, the lawsuit will continue, because conformity with the statute is a major issue in the case. Because of the necessity to consider the new rules, the plaintiffs have agreed to an extension of time for the defendants to answer the complaint through April 20. The plaintiffs in the case are the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, its officers and directors, and the American Council of the Blind. Their attorneys are Elizabeth Farquhar and Durward K. McDaniel. ***** ** Update on 504 Regulations By Reese Robrahn In the March 1977 issue of the Braille Forum, it was reported that Joseph A. Califano Jr., the new Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare had announced another delay in the signing of regulations for the implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against qualified handicapped individuals in all programs receiving Federal financial assistance. The Secretary, in making the announcement on February 17, explained that he was establishing within HEW a line agency task force to review the proposed regulations. On February 25, at the invitation of the Secretary's office, Reese Robrahn, representing the American Council of the Blind, and Frank Bowe and Ann Rosewater, representing the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, met with members of the HEW taskforce, chaired by Peter Libassi, the Secretary's special consultant on civil rights. These representatives were advised that the regulations would be rewritten in stylized language that lay people can understand; that substantive changes were not contemplated in this rewriting; that at least one meeting would be held with consumer representatives of organizations of handicapped individuals; and that recipients would be contacted through various methods to ascertain the need for the law and its impact on recipients. The representatives were assured that the work of the task force would be completed and its report made to the Secretary by March 22. On March 7 and 8, approximately 46 representatives of consumer organizations of handicapped individuals and an equal number of HEW line agency representatives met. The consumer representatives took the position at the meeting that they were reasonably satisfied with the proposed regulations; that no useful purpose would be served by a re-hashing of the substantive issues, because those same issues had been gone over and over time and time again during the last one and a half years; that, however, they would discuss the need for the law and provide specific examples and information and would make suggestions and recommendations for procedures in the areas of compliance and enforcement, since those issues had not been dealt with by the proposed regulations. The line held to that position, and information was provided to the Department and specific recommendations were made on compliance and enforcement. On March 15, word was received that the HEW task force would not make its report to the Secretary until April 1; and six representatives of organizations of handicapped individuals were invited again to meet with the HEW task force to discuss fourteen stated issues. All fourteen issues are the same issues which were widely dealt with in the development of the proposed regulations. This move on the part of the Secretary's office is regarded as a strong indication that substantive changes are being contemplated by the Department, and that there will be further undue delay. For this reason, the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities has made demand in writing on the Secretary to sign the regulations by April 4. In the meantime, the Coalition is organizing a nationwide peaceful "sit-in" for April 5. Handicapped people around the nation are being organized to participate in the sit-in at the office of the Secretary of HEW here in Washington and in each of the ten HEW regional offices. By the time you read this article in the April issue of the Braille Forum, you will have learned of the nature and extent of the sit-in by way of news broadcasts throughout the nation. ***** ** Everything You Wanted to Know About Blindness But Didn't Know Where to Ask -- Or How I Came to Write My Handbook By Mimi Winer Until 1962 I had perfectly normal 20/20 vision. I never thought about blindness or blind people one way or the other. Unlike many sighted people, I didn't shun the world of the blind. I was just totally unaware that it existed! On the day of my 32nd birthday, I had sudden loss of vision -- perhaps from illness or drug toxicity; no one knows. From the time of that initial eye problem, it took fourteen years for my retinas to degenerate to the point where I became legally blind. Though this slow degeneration was difficult on my nerves, it gave me ample time and the eyesight I needed to amass a wealth of information on blindness. The more I found out, the less frightened I became of the world that I was now entering. At first I turned to the agencies for information. They were secretive, contradictory, or didn't seem to know what I wanted to find out. Gradually I heard about publications of and for the blind. I subscribed to all of them -- the Braille Forum, the Braille Monitor, New Outlook for the Blind, and whatever else I could get my hands on. I would have found Dialogue with the Blind very useful, but as I did not yet qualify for a talking-book machine, I could not listen to it. I received catalog after catalog from the "Alphabet agencies" such as AFB and APH. With a photographic memory (I am losing this ability as my eyesight fades), I became a walking encyclopedia on resources for the visually handicapped. Other people new to the "blindness system" contacted me. We pooled and shared our knowledge with each other. From these beginnings grew the Vision Foundation of Massachusetts, Inc., a human service and support organization I helped found (See "Women with Vision," by Margaret Freer, The Braille Forum, November-December, 1976). "What good is it for you to carry all that information around in your head?" one Vision member sighed. "Get it out here where we can have it, too." So the mighty task of compiling "Information and Resources for the Newly Blind and Visually Handicapped of Massachusetts" began. It took me six months to get everything down on file cards in black print large enough so I could read it. Numbers and addresses had to be checked and all notes put in order. The typed edition comes to 104 pages, including state and national alphabetical listings. The body of the text describes in detail what is listed. The handbook seems to be just what was needed by this state. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind has made plans to buy the manuscript and issue it free of charge state-wide to those who are interested. The handbook is being transcribed now into large print. From there it will be put out on tape, and perhaps later in braille. I am happy to have unloaded all this information. But by the time the handbook is out in printed form, the work of updating will begin again. What a noble way to pass through life, continually uncluttering one's mind from facts! I wish I had had a handbook like this when I was going blind. To be able to read it one's self in large-print or in sound makes all the difference in the world. So much of the information I did receive from agencies serving the visually handicapped required good eyesight to read. This does not serve the very people who could benefit most from the information, but normally sighted people instead. The handbook, though oriented for use of visually handicapped citizens of Massachusetts, can easily be revised to the needs of each individual state. It has been copyrighted in the name of the Vision Foundation but if credit is given to the source, we will be glad to share the guide with others. It would be gratifying to me, indeed, to see a handbook such as this (written from the point of view of the ones who will use it) available to all people throughout the country who are coming into the "blindness system," for with knowledge comes the strength to cope with a whole new way of life. ***** ** Right Turn on Red -- Dead Right or Dead Wrong? The letter printed below is a thoughtful protest to a new hazard for many of us, which was conceived in the name of saving gasoline. The encouragement for state and local laws permitting motorists to turn right on red lights comes from an Act of Congress which actually makes additional Federal money available to states which pass such laws. This presumably helps the motorist to conserve his gasoline by not having to wait for the light to change. We understand that 34 other states have now passed laws similar to Virginia's. This letter was written in reply to an editorial on a Maryland radio station. A similar measure is being considered in Washington, D.C., and the D.C. Association of Workers for the Blind (ACB's affiliate) is opposing it. The District of Columbia would expect to receive $200,000 in additional Federal money if the law should pass. What is the situation in your state? Do you agree that the right turn on red is an extra hazard? Mr. Evensen states the case very well, we think. I am speaking for the disappearing pedestrian -- I suspect it is only a matter of time before Maryland has such a law as you plead for. I understand most of the states still make a passing nod to pedestrians by insisting that a car must yield to a pedestrian. As a matter of true fact, they seldom do, either because they do not care, are not very courteous, or because it is seldom that a policeman is around to enforce this restriction. I am even more concerned for handicapped pedestrians, among whom I must count myself -- although not a serious case, since I travel, safely, with the aid of a Seeing Eye dog guide. She will take care of my errors in judgment and those of motorists. I am much more concerned about those who do not have my safety and confidence, and especially those in wheelchairs or using crutches or whatever, and who cannot get across quickly. This is all very much to the point, for more and more handicapped persons are trying to get out into the world. -- Richard Evensen ***** ** How to Use Your Mailing Privileges Reprinted from ACBI NEWSLETTER (Indiana) The Postal Reorganization Act (Public Law 91-375) of August 12, 1970, authorizes the free mailing of letters in sight-saving type, braille, and recorded form by blind or other persons who cannot use or read conventionally printed material because of physical impairment, who are certified by competent authority as unable to read normal reading material. Some conditions are set forth in the law. The letters must be unsealed. This means that the envelope should be easy for postal authorities to open. The words "FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND OR HANDICAPED" must appear in the upper right-hand corner of the address side of the envelope, where the stamp normally is placed. The letter must be in a form usable by blind persons, such as braille, sight-seeing type, or recordings. According to postal authorities, sight-saving type does not include large letters made with felt ink marking pens. However, "Orator" size type is considered sight-saving type. Letter tapes sent by a blind person to another are permissible under the free mailing privileges. However, a person who is not blind who sends a letter tape to a blind or handicapped friend must pay the required postage. Bills you pay by mail, such as rent or utility bills, must bear the required postage stamp. No letter may be enclosed in a talking-book, tape, or braille container. The rules and regulations for free mailing privileges of blind persons appear in Section 138 of the Postal Manual. If questions or difficulties occur concerning free mail for the blind, you should discuss it with your postmaster. ***** ** IBWA Offers Opportunity for Professional and Academic Growth The International Blind Writers Association has moved to a new address, P.O. Box 275, Greenbelt, Maryland 20770. Anyone wishing information on membership, writing courses, or other educational courses which will enable them to market written work is encouraged to write. There is no age limit on membership. Membership is open to students, individuals who would like to write for long-term profit, those seeking extra income, and those merely seeking to advance academically. The educational courses available are at reduced rates to members, due to an agreement with the William Stone College, from high school to college level work. Write IBWA, Box 275, Greenbelt, MD 20770. ***** ** HEW Reorganization (Editorial Note: On March 8, 1977, Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Secretary of HEW, issued a release which is reprinted in part below. The Rehabilitation Services Administration is one of the statutory programs not affected by his administrative action. However, Congress is considering and will pass legislation empowering the President to make significant adjustments in the administrative structure, and RSA and other statutory programs could thereby be relocated. Those of us who are interested in maintaining and improving categorical service-delivery systems must be prepared to act in order to influence any proposed reorganization which would materially affect the interests of visually impaired persons.) During the 1976 campaign, President Jimmy Carter promised the nation significant reorganization of the Federal departments as part of his larger commitment to manage a competent and efficient government. Following the President's directive that the Cabinet honor this pledge, I am today announcing a fundamental restructuring of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in health-care finance, social service delivery, student financial assistance, and income security programs ... This major reorganization -- the most far-reaching in the Department's 24- year history -- will simplify and streamline HEW operations and help make possible effective program management, sound financial control, and coherent delivery of social services. The reorganization initiatives, which do not require legislation, will create five strong and cohesive operating divisions. They will have enhanced capacity systematically to reduce needless spending, to route out fraud and abuse and to make the Department more responsive to state and local governments and to the millions of Americans that the Congress has directed HEW to serve. These initiatives will not alter the substance of HEW statutory programs, but they will significantly realign a fractured, irrational organizational structure responsible for a variety of health, income assistance, and social service programs that in fiscal 1977 had a budget of about $52 billion (approximately one-third of HEW's total expenditures). Although it is not possible at this time to give a precise estimate, the savings for the U.S. taxpayer related to these reorganization initiatives, especially those involving efforts to eradicate fraud and abuse, will be at least $1 billion over the next two years and will reach a total of at least $2 billion annually by 1981. ***** ** 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. * Below the Tip of the Iceberg By Crawford Pike (Crawford Pike is a long-time member of the American Council of the Blind. Partially sighted, he was for several years a staff member of the Alabama Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Talladega. Presently, he is Director of the Talking Book Center, Bradley Memorial Library, a subregional library in Columbus, Georgia.) I have read with interest Jacklyn McCraw's "Hyde Park Corner" article in the March, 1977 Braille Forum. The article is essentially correct; but it touches only the tip of the iceberg! The contract to the American Foundation for the Blind is only the beginning of a massive public relations and publicity campaign planned by the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, which could ultimately cost half a million dollars. DBPH believes it will double the number of talking-book users within five years. This should double the budget, and thus provide twice as many books and machines. But will it? When the physically handicapped were added to the program several years ago, DBPH sought and received funds to purchase machines and books for their use. Yet, most regional libraries were unable to obtain staff and space to meet the demands imposed by this sudden growth. Thus, the net effect for a number of years was that services to the blind were reduced in terms of individual attention per reader and availability of books and machines. This is what frightens many network librarians. DBPH buys about 80,000 machines per year. We know at best that the life of a machine is ten years, with proper maintenance and repair. The readership is now 400,000. If the promotion is as successful as expected, there will be 800,000 readers by 1980. Most of the new machines will be required to replace old ones which are completely worn out. My friends at DBPH tell me not to worry, money will be available to buy 100,000 machines per year or more. But will it? The present number of machines purchased costs $6 million per year, and manufacturers expect that the cost per machine may soon exceed $100. The only alternatives seem to be to lower the number of machines purchased or to buy poorer quality equipment. The quality of the equipment is already a concern of many users, as pointed out by Ms. McCraw in her article and by Christopher Gray in his comments on the Technical Services Division in the November-December, 1976 Braille Forum. The cost of the AFB contract would have provided fifty new recorded titles or machines for 2,000 readers. And there really is a national shortage of machines, especially players for four-track cassette books. DBPH claims there are 7,600,000 potential eligible users of library services and 500,000 present users. Preliminary reports from the AFB survey seem to verify this estimate. A former survey yielded the following information: Of those who had not previously known about library services, most learned about the DBPH program from another talking-book reader; fewest learned from TV and newspapers. Of those who once used the services but had quit, most could not get the books they requested; the fewest did not have time to read. Of those who found equipment too complicated, problems most frequently were related to age, although they sometimes were related to intelligence. I have seen the questionnaire, and I agree with Ms. McCraw that the questions seem poorly related to factors useful in improving library services. However, the main flaw I see with the non-user survey is that AFB is using its own address files, which are comprised mainly of people who used library services at one time, but stopped. I would like a survey mailed to all who claim IRS and HEW exemptions and assistance because of blindness. * Why Us? By Harold E. Johnson (Editorial Note: The adverse effect of the tax referred to in the following letter is dealt with by an amendment now being considered by the 95th Congress, but only as to the effective date of the tax provision. The law was made retroactive to January 1, 1976. The pending amendment (which appears to have a good chance of passage) would change the effective date to January 1, 1977, thereby relieving the affected people for one year. It is not known how many blind people are affected by this provision, but further documentation from readers and members of the American Council of the Blind is invited.) Dear Editor: I have just learned of the dirty trick pulled on some of us blind people by our Washington legislators. The Tax Reform Act of 1976, which went into effect on October 20, 1976, retroactive to January 1, 1976, is hitting a lot of blind people, as well as other handicapped individuals. The devastation will continue into the future unless we can get certain provisions reversed. The provision of the new Act which I refer to will affect anyone who has had to take disability retirement from a former job, has expended the effort to get himself rehabilitated and retrained, and has then gone through the arduous process of getting someone to hire him. As my tax preparer has explained it to me, before the new law went into effect, disability retirement pay was called "excludable sick pay" and was not considered taxable income. The new law provides that if a taxpayer has any other income in excess of $5,200 per year, then that person's disability pay is taxable income. In my case, last year my family had over $1,000 in medical expenses. My disability pay was $3,900. I am going to have to pay $785 more on my Federal tax and $110 in additional Kansas income tax. If my mental calculations are correct, that is a total of about 23% of my disability pay. Why us? It certainly appears that we are being penalized for going out and getting a job instead of staying home and drawing Social Security or welfare. This must be America, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer! This new blast is forcing me to postpone the replacement of my eight-year­old automobile and it puts my daughter's college education (only three years away) in serious jeopardy. I had to take a big cut in pay when I was forced to leave my electrical engineering job for computer programming. I am just now catching up on postponed expenditures. Why have we, the disabled, who have already suffered a setback in our lives and will probably never regain our non­disabled earning potential, been chosen to single-handedly reduce the national debt? I am complaining loudly to my Senators and Representative in Congress. I have also written to President Carter. I hope others will join me in the onslaught of complaints. I feel strongly that this entire portion of the Tax Reform Act should be repealed, retroactive to January 1, 1976. There can be nothing just about a law which encourages handicapped individuals to sit in rocking-chairs the rest of their lives instead of becoming rehabilitated, productive citizens again. -- Harold E. Johnson, Topeka, Kansas ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * OFB Convenes at State Lodge By Judy Pool A unique feature of the 1976 annual convention of the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind was that it was held at a state lodge. Arrowhead State Lodge, one of Oklahoma's finest resorts, has been awarded several citations for its beautiful architectural design. The magnificently landscaped area is most intriguing and inviting, attracting thousands of tourists who stay overnight in either the lodge itself or the cabins nearby. Arrowhead State Lodge is built in the formation of an arrowhead; thus its name. There are no square corners in the lodge -- not even in the showers in the restrooms. All the walls are rock, with intermittent protrusions to disrupt any flat surfaces and to provide a natural roughness which ensures skinned knuckles and foreheads! Admittedly, OFB members were somewhat apprehensive about having the convention at a lodge. Yet, with their optimistic spirit to meet innovative challenge, they gathered at the site and were told by the lodge manager that OFB was definitely the first group of blind people ever to meet there. To his knowledge, they were also the first blind people as individuals to utilize the lodge facilities. But there were architectural problems to overcome. The sharp angles of the walls and other inconsistencies of the structure made mobility confusing for the blind. Three flights of stairs, with no elevator on the premises, made independent mobility impossible for OFB members who have orthopedic problems, particularly those members confined to wheelchairs. To compound these difficulties, the lodge dining room was on the third floor and the conference room on the lowest floor, therefore necessitating movement between floors. Recognizing that transportation would be a problem, since the lodge is about 20 miles from the nearest city, the OFB chartered a bus to and from the lodge, and attendance at the convention did not appear to be affected. As it turned out, the positive aspects of the convention site easily compensated for the negative. Recreation facilities at the lodge were extensive, and time was allotted on Saturday afternoon, immediately following the luncheon, for recreational purposes. Members took advantage of opportunities such as boating, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, and hiking. The annual dance began at 9:00 o'clock, with people leaving periodically to stroll in the moonlight down the crooked pathway to the water's edge. The majestic and charming atmosphere of the lodge at night would please romanticists and realists alike. One of the most significant achievements of the convention was that the management, who for the first time saw how inaccessible the lodge really is, was eager to adapt to the needs of the handicapped. The manager assured the organization that at least one room would be made accessible to wheelchair persons and that ramps would be installed wherever possible. The manager even promised to contact other lodges to encourage them to make similar changes. The benefits of having the convention at a lodge were evident in one other way. Because very few blind people attending this convention had ever been to a lodge, the OFB convention afforded them a new and enjoyable experience. The unique challenges of this OFB convention held at Arrowhead State Lodge provided greater excitement for conventioneers and only added to the success of the occasion. * Implosion in Louisiana! By R.T. (Bob) McLean On November 20,1976, the two Louisiana affiliates of the American Council of the Blind, Capitol City Council of the Blind of Baton Rouge and Louisiana Council of the Blind of New Orleans, met in state convention at Baton Rouge. The implosion that followed brought forth a single ACB state affiliate in Louisiana. The old New Orleans affiliate changed its name to Greater New Orleans Council of the Blind so that the new single ACB state affiliate could be named Louisiana Council of the Blind. The more than 100 persons in attendance enjoyed hearing ACB President Floyd Qualls and Reese Robrahn of the ACB national office" tell it like it is." And my, but they do like that Southern cookin'! LCB, with its two chapters, Capitol City Council and Greater New Orleans Council, is taking bets on who will be the next LCB chapter to join — before the ACB national convention! LCB officers are: President, Dr. R.T. (Bob) McLean; First Vice President, Una Guillot; Second Vice President, Mary Belle Crawford; Secretary, Hazel Daigle; and Treasurer, Bill Turnage. Board members are: Harold Broussard, Charles Dambre, Don Hern, Blanca (Judy) Lastrapps, and Walter Siren. LCB met again on February 26, 1977 to adopt the final revised Articles and By-Laws to make the implosion binding. Also, the following projects were reviewed and adopted: speakers' bureau; one-on-one counseling for newly blinded persons and for parents of blind children; equipment lending pool; braille and large-print ballot information; brochure on wills for blind people; and personal secretarial services for the blind. A unanimous resolution supported the Blind Services Program of Louisiana in its effort to seek accreditation through the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. LCB members feel certain that their implosion portends nothing short of an explosion in membership and in benefits to blind people of Louisiana in the days ahead. ***** ** White House Conference Nears Final Countdown The week of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, May 23-27, is fast approaching. The conference, to be held at the Sheraton-Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., will be the largest meeting of disabled persons ever assembled. Certainly one reason that such attendance will be possible is the cooperation of the Sheraton-Park, whose management has agreed to permanently renovate its rooms, entrances, parking areas, etc. Of interest specifically to the blind is that at the hotel, doors, elevators, and pay phones are being brailled. Where ramps exist for wheelchairs, rails for the blind will be added. Between now and the time of the conference, three major documents are to be prepared in braille and on cassette tape. The first of these is the Delegate Workbook for delegates and alternates, which will comprise some 3,000 recommendations made at the state conferences. Incidentally, about fifty of the 600 delegates are blind. The second document being prepared in braille and cassette is the national conference program available to everyone. Finally, an accommodations guide for the hotel, listing phone numbers for room service, etc., will be available. Menus, too, will be brailled. At the conference, volunteer braillists will be on hand and Therma-Form facilities will be available free of charge, though due to the time element involved, there may be some restrictions as to the length of documents which may be produced. After the conference, volunteers will still be on the job. With help from the Library of Congress, the task of brailling the designated recommendations to the President will be undertaken. Careful attention to details such as these before, during, and after the conference certainly furthers its spirit and intent — to provide an opportunity for people with all sorts of handicaps to meet, learn about each other, and communicate. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From KAB NEWS (Kansas) -- In order to bring mobility to Topekans previously denied access to public transportation, a new program, "The Lift," has been created. Topeka is the fourth city in the United States, and the first of its size, to offer a bus service that provides special equipment and door-to­door service to the elderly and the handicapped. Eighty per cent of the funds for the program came from the State Social and Rehabilitation Services and the remainder from Topeka Community Development monies. From RFB News -- Currently, half the taped books circulated by Recording for the Blind are on cassettes. Many persons who cannot use open-reel tape independently, particularly elementary-school students and the physically handicapped, are now finding it possible to use cassette books without assistance. A special format cassette has been developed by RFB for use by blind or otherwise handicapped persons. The standard Phillips cassette body and four-track format are used, but the cassette runs at 15/16 i.p.s. and the four tracks are played individually, allowing durable C60 cassettes to be used for four hours of reading. The Idaho State Board of Education is currently seeking applicants for the position of superintendent, Idaho State School for the Deaf and Blind. Applications and inquiries may be addressed to either Judy A. Schrag, Director of Special Education, or to Roy Truby, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Department of Education, Len B. Gordan Office Building, Boise, ID 83720. An upstate New York private social service agency which has served the blind and visually handicapped for over fifty years is seeking an executive director. A minimum of five years of supervisory and administrative responsibility is required. Salary range, $20,000 to $30,000. Send resumes to Mr. Robert Alhart, P.O. Box 83, Henrietta, NY 14467. Cassette recordings covering study materials in all areas necessary for taking the G.E.D. tests in order to obtain a high school equivalency diploma have been developed specially for the visually impaired by Educational Recordings Unlimited, Inc., P.O. Box 31134, Raleigh, North Carolina 27612. The material is current, and all books listed are available from the American Printing House for the Blind. From ORBIT (Hadley School for the Blind) -- Lovers of amateur radio will be pleased to learn that the Hadley School has replaced its former course in this area with two new courses covering Novice and General Class licenses, which have been obtained from the Radio Shack Company. --- Geraldine Lawhorn, deaf-blind instructor at the Hadley School (a program participant at the 1976 ACB national convention in Hot Springs), was recently given the 1976 International Travelers Association Award for her excellence of performance as an artist and teacher. The Visually Impaired Data Processors International (VIDPI), according to Earl Hembroff, President, is planning to. participate in the Quinquennial Congress of Information Processors, to be convened August 4-8 in Toronto, Canada. Members will demonstrate how visually impaired and blind people can program computers and perform related tasks such as tending inquiry terminals and how positions in the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration can be handled. IBM is generously donating computer time and facilities for the use of VIDPI members during the Congress. From VCVH VIEWS AND VENTURES (Virginia) -- Former Alabama Governor James E. (Big Jim) Folsom recently visited the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, where he will soon take up residence. The former Governor is· legally blind, according to his son Jack, who accompanied him on the visit. George McFadden, Director of the Department of Adult Blind and Deaf, said that after Folsom is admitted, he will be trained in cane mobility and taught daily living skills. "I want the fundamentals -- learning to walk and pick up a fork," said Folsom, who served two terms as Alabama's governor. He is 68. Word has been received of the recent death of W. Ralph Brockman, president of the American Council of the Blind of South Carolina. Mr. Brockman was the organizer and a charter member of the ACB of Greenville, which later became the ACB of Upper South Carolina. A memorial fund is being set up in his memory, to be used to carry out his dreams and wishes. Contributions may be sent Miss Kathleen South, 26 North Park Drive, Greenville, SC 29609. From THE JOHN MILTON MAGAZINE -- Braille menus have recently been introduced in restaurants of the Sheraton Hotels and Motor Inns. The first page of each menu will be identical and will serve as an explanation by telling the guests that the small sheet opposite each braille page is an ink-print transcription of the braille, for the use of sighted restaurant personnel and the sighted companions of blind diners. The braille menus will be mandatory in Sheraton owned and managed facilities and optional in those under franchise. "Consumer Rights for Disabled Citizens" is a 90-page booklet prepared by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. It deals primarily with New York stores, laws, services, and places to call with complaints or for further information. However, it also includes much valuable advice and information for the disabled consumer everywhere. The book is available in standard size type for $2 from. Consumer Education, Department of Consumer Affairs, 80 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013. Cassettes are available from Lighthouse for the Blind, 111 E. 59th Street, New York, NY 10022, and a braille edition costing $5 may be obtained from the Jewish Guild for the Blind, 15 W. 65 Street, New York, NY 10023. From DIALOGUE WITH THE BLIND -- An educational complex is being planned for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Within this area, blind and visually handicapped children will be given an opportunity to touch the animals on display. --- An eye-care study conducted by Consumer Action of San Francisco, California, has revealed that a representative sampling of eye professionals surveyed charge widely divergent prices for the same goods and services. The cost of a basic eye examination, for example, was found to vary from $12 to $40. The same pair of eyeglasses ranged in cost from $20 to $66. For a pair of hard contact lenses and an eye examination, charges ranged from $120 to $360. The findings of study have been published in a report entitled "Optical Illusion." ###