The Braille Forum Vol. XV March 1977 No. 9 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 Strength Through Unity -- ACB, ACCD, Leadership Conference Push for Section 504 Regulations An Aesthetic Experience, by Claire Backer ALL Continues to Grow Open Letter to the National Federation of the Blind -- "The Blind Speaking for Themselves" Miami Beach "Whether" Forecast, 1977, by Gordon Haldiman Signal Court Victory for Blind and Handicapped Individuals in Federal Employment, by Reese Robrahn The Blind Taught Self-Defense, Turning Handicap to Use Roy Wilkins Honored in Retirement Visually Impaired Veterans, Newest Prospective ACB Affiliate More Hearings by the Senate Subcommittee on the Handicapped, by Reese Robrahn On Constructing a House and a Legend Hyde Park Corner: In Defense of Technical Services, by Crawford Pike DBPH -- Its Use of "Limited" Funds, by Jacklyn McCraw ACB Affiliate News: Finding a Better Way Through Education, by Carla S. Franklin All-Russia Society of the Blind Visits U.S. Blindness System 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. ***** ** Strength Through Unity -- ACB, ACCD, Leadership Conference Push for Section 504 Regulations On February 2, 1977, some fifteen selected representatives of member organizations of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights met for two hours with Joseph A. Califano, the new Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, to discuss with him the concerns and desires of the Leadership Conference in the areas of education and health and social services. Reese Robrahn represented the American Council of the Blind, and Frank Bowe, Executive Director of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, represented the Coalition. It was agreed in advance which individuals would make formal remarks on what subjects, and both Reese Robrahn and Frank Bowe were designated to speak on behalf of the Leadership Conference relative to issues of concern to citizens who have disabilities, and in particular the regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Clarence Mitchell of the NAACP, the recent newly installed chairperson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, stressed with emphasis that the two new major concerns of the Conference are the civil rights of women and handicapped men, women, and children. Secretary Califano stated that he wished to make it clear that the Carter Administration would vigorously enforce all civil rights laws. He confessed that his knowledge and experience in the area of civil rights was limited to those issues relating particularly to racial minorities; that he would not proceed, for instance, with the matter of the Section 504 regulations until he had received the advice of his general counsel and director for the Office of Civil Rights, whom he hoped to have in place in ten days to two weeks. Reese Robrahn called to the attention of the Secretary that a letter, signed by all major organizations of handicapped individuals, had been directed to him for the purpose of setting forth the history of the development of the regulations under Section 504, and urging his prompt attention to the finalization of the regulations. Mr. Robrahn also called to the attention of the Secretary the fact that final regulations under the Randolph-Sheppard Amendments, the Federal vending facility program, had not been published, notwithstanding publication of proposed regulations in December of 1975. Mr. Robrahn stated, also, that he understood that there is some internal conflict over finalizing the regulations, to which the Secretary quipped, "Yes, the Department of Defense thinks they are inflationary." That bit of levity evoked a round of laughter from the assembled group, but told us that he believed the conflict was a tempest in a teapot. The conference was concluded with a request by the Secretary for additional meetings and for close cooperation. On Wednesday, February 16, it was learned that the Secretary had prepared a press release to be issued the following day, dealing with several rights issues, including Section 504, and that it was his plan with regard to the latter to postpone for at least thirty days further action until the completion of a review by an intra-departmental task force. On February 17, representatives of fifteen consumer-oriented organizations of handicapped individuals, including representation by Reese Robrahn for the American Council of the Blind, met with F. Peter Libassi, Special Consultant on Civil Rights to the Secretary and the former director for the Office of Civil Rights under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and with Arabella Martines, Assistant Secretary Designate for the Office of Human Development of HEW, to discuss the decision of the Secretary and to attempt to dissuade him from his plan with regard to the Section 504 regulations. Neither Mrs. Martines nor Mr. Libassi could give the group any commitment whatsoever as to whether the Secretary would sign the regulations after thirty days, whether he would sign them in substantially their present form or whether there were substantial changes being contemplated, or any action other than that proposed in the press release. The group then by consensus expressed its position that the Secretary should sign the regulations at once, and if need be, develop additional regulations relative to compliance and enforcement. Mr. Libassi promised to convey this position to the Secretary immediately. His report back was negative. On Friday, February 18, Durward McDaniel, representing both the American Council of the Blind and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, met with leaders of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to discuss the Secretary's press release. Clarence Mitchell, in his capacity as chairperson, issued a statement on behalf of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, generally commending the Secretary for his announced new start in bringing about real enforcement of civil rights laws; and with regard to the Section 504 regulations, the statement reads as follows: "The Section 504 Regulations prohibiting discrimination against the handicapped should be signed and issued now, and not delayed any further. These regulations have been carefully reviewed by at least seventeen experts in the field and appear to meet the requirements of law. It is our hope that HEW will not prolong the delay that has attended these regulations for more than two years." The Board of Directors of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities met in Denver, Colorado over the weekend of the 19th and 20th of February and planned several actions designed to maintain pressure for prompt signature by the Secretary. A report on these actions and other actions taken by the American Council of the Blind to bring about finalization of the 504 Regulations and the Randolph-Sheppard Regulations will be made in the next issue of the Braille Forum. ***** ** An Aesthetic Experience By Claire Backer Studio art programs and exhibits offer invaluable aesthetic experiences to the blind. For many sighted artists, direct contact with the medium (whether it is stone, clay, wood, metal and/or fiber) becomes an important part of the art process. Direct contact with the medium is far more essential for the blind artist. During the creative process, vision is replaced by touch for the totally blind artist. The partially sighted artist is able to supplement his residual sight with his tactile perceptions. For the adventitiously blind, visual memory can play a dominant role in perception within the development of the artist's work, almost to the extent of becoming a hindrance to the spontaneous flow of creativity. When this occurs, the blind artist is attempting to imitate remembered visual images. This is prevalent because most of the art that the blind individual perceives has been created visually for a sighted audience. As a result, the blind artist's work is created for the sighted and is accepted according to visual aesthetic evaluation. For blind children, art programs not only offer places and "emotional spaces" for free expression (a means of communication), but also provide unlimited sources of information and opportunities to develop tactile (haptic) and perceptual skills. Abstract concepts such as "in and out," "over and under," and "beside and between" can be readily incorporated within weaving, additional sculptural techniques, mosaic and collage projects. Drawing and painting from still-life encourages the partially sighted children to carefully observe the three-dimensional objects and to render them in two dimensions. During this process, the students not only gain great self-satisfaction in creating and communicating the essence of a recognizable form, but, more importantly, they are learning to organize what they are seeing and are utilizing the information that is obtained. Basic compositional design concepts can be introduced by stressing physical object appearances in relationship to other objects (including shape, size, and texture). Manipulation of each art medium requires basic understanding of its unique characteristics and comprehension of the manual skills needed to be executed in order to gain control of the form. Therefore, no matter on what level the material is approached, the students will learn a variety of manual skills (whether it is pounding, rolling, pinching, coiling of clay; tearing, cutting, folding and gluing of paper or cardboard; collecting, sorting, organizing, and arranging of "found objects") that will be directly related to daily living skills which are being experienced and exercised outside of the classroom. It is evident that what is created by children within the art studio is not merely "artsy-craftsy" objects to bring home, but a foundation of essential, tactile, perceptual, and conceptual skills: the basis for the development of self-esteem, self-motivation, and independence. So many of us not only need to learn to use our eyes to aesthetically observe objects around us, but we also need to comprehend and appreciate the information our hands, fingers, and fingertips are capable of transmitting to our mind. Can we not refrain from making object identifications while viewing art, and instead experience the variety of movement, rhythm, direction, and texture of form channeled through haptic sensing? How does the information perceived by rubbing differ from tapping? How does the information perceived by touching differ from grasping? Does not the application of pressure elicit sensations of softness, hardness, elasticity, and rigidity? Art exhibits in galleries and museums displaying sculpture, painting, and graphic arts are all associated with sight. They are traditionally called the "visual arts." Reinforcing this visual observation, the sighted viewers read, "DO NOT TOUCH" signs scattered throughout the gallery. There is great need to develop a wider recognition of art created by blind artists, non-professional and professional. The number of exhibits of art by the blind is too few. Collections of art work by the blind need to reach beyond merely illustrating to the sighted public that blind artists can produce art comparable to that of sighted artists. The purpose of having displays of this nature is not to assimilate their creative forms within this vast artistic melting-pot, but to recognize, comprehend, and preserve its uniqueness. While viewing an exhibit by blind artists, it is unavoidable for the sighted not to project their own visual meanings into art created by tactile perceptions. Upon entering the exhibit, if the sighted viewers are provided with a list suggesting how to "look at" the art work by touching, closing their eyes, or using blindfolds that are made available, a new way of "seeing" may be encouraged. This approach to seeing would be in the same manner by which the art was created: through haptic sensing. It may offer the sighted viewers an opportunity to challenge themselves and explore. In creating exhibits such as these, the first step toward removing the traditional "DO NOT TOUCH" sign will be initiated. The second step is to now replace these "HANDS OFF" warnings with ones that read, (both in ink-print and braille): "PLEASE TOUCH"-a "hands on" experience. Learning to utilize our senses to their fullest will provide invaluable information enriching our lives. Haptic sensing is an intrinsic facet of our being, an aesthetic experience. ***** ** ALL Continues To Grow As we go to press, we have learned that ALL (the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America) has received its 36th application to join this unique coalition of organizations of and for the blind. Every organization is important in this effort to gain strength through unity to increase the influence of visually impaired people, their rights, and the quality of service programs. Among the national organizations which have joined since last summer's first annual meeting are the American Association of Workers for the Blind, the Blinded Veterans Association, and the Association for Education of the Visually Handicapped. Succeeding issues of the Braille Forum will carry more news about ALL and its National Delegate Assembly meeting this summer. ALL has already commenced making appearances, with testimony and written statements before committees of Congress. Organizations of the blind are eligible for equal voting membership. If your organization has not joined yet, there is plenty of time to qualify for participation in the annual Delegate Assembly. ***** ** Open Letter to the National Federation of the Blind -- "The Blind Speaking for Themselves" The following open letter came as a culmination of a long series of controversial events which reached a new level of intensity in 1976. Earlier in the year, the National Federation of the Blind carried on a campaign to persuade production and maintenance employees at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind to vote for the Communications Workers of America to be the union bargaining agent for them. The election was held in July and was preceded by many promises and some threats, charges and countercharges. When the smoke cleared from the "barricades," there were 42% voting for the union and 58% against. After a lull, the charges and countercharges continued, but on November 19 the Federation's picketing demonstration was surprised by the presence of blind counter-pickets, said by some observers to be more numerous than the NFB protesters. The Chicago press was also surprised to find that the NFB was not speaking for all blind people. The signers of the letter, most of whom are also Lighthouse employees, said it for themselves, and against the organization which says the Chicago Lighthouse should not exist. * January 7, 1977 An Open Letter to the National Federation of the Blind Your irresponsible actions in attacking every major national agency serving the blind in this country, yet refusing to help improve programs and services, can only hurt all blind men, women and children -- indeed, all handicapped people. In Illinois, you have singled out the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind as your target, yet offer no constructive suggestions or ideas on how services and programs can be improved. You refuse to serve on Lighthouse committees that are reviewing programs and recommending new and better ways to accomplish these programs. You refuse to serve on our Board of Directors unless the Board would agree to vote you a "quota" block of directors who would be subject to recall by your organization. You claim the right to speak for all blind people, yet your membership is less than one-tenth the size of the other organization made up of blind consumers in Illinois. You have stated that blind people from the Lighthouse are free to join the National Federation of the Blind only after being approved by your officers as "joining with the right intention" and not apt to be "disruptive." These were the words of your principal spokesman, given in a taped interview recently at the Lighthouse, while bussed-in pickets from NFB were demonstrating against the Lighthouse. You do not recognize the fact that the Chicago Lighthouse for the blind has 35 blind men and women as full-time employees on a staff of 67, and that these blind employees earn an average of $10,350 per year. We, staff the 35 blind men and women, reject totally your negative philosophies and deeply resent your implications that we do not have the best interests of the blind at heart. You disregard the fact that the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind has led all similar facilities (nearly 100) throughout the country in total number of placements of blind workers in competitive jobs in the community. Last year, the Lighthouse found 62 such jobs in Chicago for blind workers, at an annual salary in excess of $3.50 an hour. Most of these were the first jobs these people ever held. You completely ignore the fact that the Lighthouse for nearly 70 years has provided part-time jobs, as work was available in the sheltered workshop, for those blind men, women, and youths who for one reason or another could not find jobs in the community. You have ignored the fact that this past year, even though the U.S. Department of Labor says a sheltered workshop only has to pay a guaranteed minimum of $1.15 per hour, the Chicago Lighthouse shop paid every single worker in the workshop a guaranteed minimum of $2.00 per hour, plus production bonus, which brought the workshop average up to $2.33 per hour for the part-time workers. Of these workers, 80% are blind. You have ignored the fact that when it was learned that you were bringing in NFB pickets from throughout the country to "make an example of the Chicago Lighthouse," the blind employees and part-time workers who are also blind at the Lighthouse organized a counter-demonstration against you, refuting the philosophy of the NFB. Nearly 100 blind employees and friends of the Lighthouse marched in this demonstration. You make light of the plight of sheltered workshop workers. When your Washington representative was asked in an interview on tape by Dialogue Magazine as to his views on sheltered workshops, he replied they should not exist. When further questioned as to what would happen to those workers now utilizing sheltered workshops if all were closed down, your NFB representative said, "That is not our concern." You refuse to recognize the need for help of those blind men, women, and children who are not like you. We are referring to those blind people who are also physically handicapped, those who are retarded, those who have mental illness, and those who are from minority ethnic groups, those who have not had the benefit of education or job training, those who are elderly or those who simply feel they need help if they are to achieve their struggle for maximum independence. As stated in Changing Times Magazine, your organization nationally raises close to a million dollars per year, yet you refuse to make any public accounting of how these funds are spent. You sponsor no service programs other than lobbying against all nationally accredited services for the blind, staging strikes, protests and demonstrations. There were 350 (by your count) of your members in New York City recently picketing the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Accreditation Council. Your pickets carried placards stating, "NAC OPERATES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS." Yet, up-stairs this very organization was conducting its meetings (all of them) with an open, public-invited philosophy. In fact, two of your key national officers sat in the front row of the observers section with tape recorders. In Chicago, you bitterly opposed the action giving half-fare public transportation rights to all handicapped (including elderly) people who wished to request such a pass. To those other handicapped people without funds, this action was hard to justify. You opposed the Chicago Lighthouse policy which said those who wished to apply would be helped by the Lighthouse staff. You have tried to close up the blind skiers program, stating such a program was demeaning and those who wished to ski should merely go out and ski. You opposed the October 6, 1976 "Job Fare" sponsored by numerous employers -- the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Northern Illinois University Program for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, and the North Shore Association for the Retarded -- stating this "Job Fare" was equivalent to putting handicapped people in "cages" for observation. You have refused publicly to sit down with Lighthouse officials before a neutral arbiter (the Mayor's Office was suggested) to pinpoint the issues of difference causing the controversy. You have attempted to make this an issue of the blind versus the sighted. This is not the case. The blind of Illinois and this country have refuted your philosophies and have publicly challenged you to prove the utterly misleading national enrollment figures you toss off lightly. You have misrepresented your case to the public media and legislators. You are learning that these responsible people can be misled occasionally but when it becomes clear to them what you have been doing, your validity sinks to zero. This is regrettable, because you do represent a segment of blind men and women who need little in the way of services. All you need is public understanding of the capabilities of a blind person. Your every action in recent years across the country lessened this understanding. You have created confusion. What a pity that such dedication to a cause, such able leadership, and such effort, time, and money could not be spent on positive goals rather than destructive. We, the blind workers of the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, appeal to you to shift direction and join us in working together for the maximum benefit of all handicapped people. Sincerely, The Blind Employees and Blind Friends of the Lighthouse ***** * Miami Beach "Whether" Forecast, 1977 By Gordon Haldiman No the third word in the title of this article is not misspelled. That other word, which is spoken like "whether" when the latter is mispronounced, has assumed a priority role in our lives during this winter. Weather is best left to those meteorologists and others who purport to understand its nature. The "whether" about which I am presently concerned involves ideas that you readers might have regarding action you wish the American Council of the Blind to consider at its national convention to be held in Miami Beach. There's got to be a considerable change in the weather during the period of July 10-16. Your Ideas for Resolutions Wanted -- At the ACB 1976 Convention held at Hot Springs, Arkansas, I assumed the role of Resolutions Committee chairman when the person who had agreed to chair the committee was unable to attend the convention due to severe illness in the family. Had I known prior to my acceptance of the chairmanship the extent of the difficulties to be encountered, I would not have mustered up the courage to say yes to the president, Mr. Qualls. Having had little experience with the drawing up of resolutions, I had anticipated help and instruction from some of those who were more knowledgeable than myself. Much to my dismay, I learned that approximately 50% of those who had agreed to serve on the committee failed to show up for the convention because of various reasons. Much of my time during the initial portion of my stay in Hot Springs was spent in phoning persons from various parts of the nation in attendance to recruit committee members willing to spend the time and effort required to meet with those wishing to introduce resolutions. What a frustrating situation that was! The hotel telephone switchboard operator had to handle all calls. There was no direct room-to-room phoning. Many times we had three of us conversing and none of us wanted to speak with the other two? What a weird, wired up situation that was. Finally, after much phoning and persuading, sufficient numbers of persons were recruited, and with splendid cooperation of Agard Bailey, the resolutions were written up and presented on Saturday. That day we felt would never end. The meeting was to have adjourned at 5:00 p.m. We finished at 8:30 p.m. and then we went to supper. It should be noted that the time period allotted to the presentation of the 23 resolutions was scheduled in the latter part of that morning, just before lunch, and there was little, if any, infringement upon any of the other time slots. By the way, one of the resolutions presented and acted upon for the ACB Board's development concerns allotment of time and adjournment time. Fools Rush In -- Now that I have again accepted the chairmanship of the ACB Resolutions Committee, I am inviting you to present your ideas for programs and legislation in which you are particularly interested. My address is 5353 N. Berkeley Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI 53217. I will do my best to serve you whether we have good weather or not. ***** ** Signal Court Victory for Blind and Handicapped Individuals In Federal Employment By Reese Robrahn On January 31, 1977, Judge Charles R. Richey of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia handed down a landmark decision in the case of William F. McNutt v. Carla A. Hills, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Others, finding the Department guilty of discrimination against the plaintiff in its promotion and affirmative action for the handicapped policies and practices. The plaintiff, McNutt, is legally blind. His attorneys are with the American Civil Liberties Union. It is a first-of-its-kind case involving discrimination against an individual who is handicapped in the Federal service. The American Council of the Blind has maintained a standing offer with Mr. McNutt and his attorneys to be of any possible and appropriate assistance. The Council regards the case as a real breakthrough in the removal of some of the legalistic barriers experienced in such cases heretofore. Because of its importance to many readers of the Braille Forum, a brief review of the case follows. William F. McNutt, the plaintiff in the case, entered the Federal service in June of 1967 as an urban intern at the GS-7 salary range, and after completing the year-long internship, he became a permanent Federal employee at the GS-9 level and was assigned to the Office of Congressional Services of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was subsequently promoted to a GS-11 in March of 1970, to a GS-12 in April of 1971, and he became eligible for promotion to GS-13 on July 1, 1972. The kind of discrimination practiced by the Department of HUD against the plaintiff, as alleged by him, was not, for the most part, overt or direct. It can best be described as insidious: such acts as failure to make specific job location assignments; failure to formalize assignments so that his superiors were unable to evaluate and report his performance under Department procedures; failure to provide adequate secretarial and reading services; failure generally to abide by the Civil Service published rules and regulations and personnel bulletins pertaining to employment of the handicapped and affirmative action for the handicapped. In 1969, during the period when the plaintiff was serving as Congressional liaison officer for the Department of HUD, the director of the Department's Office of Congressional Services advised Mr. McNutt's superior that some of the people around the Department must go and he singled out McNutt as one who must go, saying that he did not wish to have McNutt wandering and stumbling around the halls of Congress for the Department. Shortly thereafter, he was summarily transferred to another job assignment. In March of 1974, Mr. McNutt filed a formal grievance under Equal Employment Opportunity procedures, alleging discrimination against himself personally and against handicapped individuals generally throughout the Department. At no time did any Government witness ever appear to criticize the quality of work performed by Mr. McNutt or his ability to perform job assignments; quite to the contrary, Government witnesses testified that Mr. McNutt was capable of performing at a higher level than for those jobs assigned to him. In October, 1974, the examiner who conducted the hearing on the grievance ruled that the Department was guilty of discrimination against McNutt and ordered that he be promoted to the GS-13 level as of July 1, 1972; that he be paid back salary; and that the Department provide him with adequate reading services and special equipment which his handicap might require; and that the Department was guilty of discrimination Department-wide against the handicapped, and ordered, in that respect, in part as follows: "Apart from the submission of an affirmative action plan pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, there is in effect no affirmative action program within HUD. ... What is needed is a candid introspection by HUD and then the establishment of an honest affirmative action program which amounts to more than rhetoric and submission to the Civil Services commission." Mr. McNutt during that month accepted promotion to the GS-13 level, with the understanding that his acceptance would not in any way adversely affect his rights under the grievance procedure. In November, the Department head entered the order of the Department, stating that maximum relief had been granted to McNutt by the promotion to GS-13 level, denying award of back pay, and ruling that the claim of department-wide discrimination was not a part of the original grievance complaint, and in any event was not germane to disposition of the grievance case. On August 28, 1975, suit was filed by Mr. McNutt in the Federal District Court requesting declaratory judgement that he was discriminated against as an individual by the Department; enjoining the Department from future discrimination; retroactive promotion; back pay; and an order requiring the Department to prepare and implement an affirmative action program for the handicapped. While Judge Richey's decision of last month contained the ruling that the plaintiff could not be awarded back pay because of the principal of "sovereign immunity of the Government" (a ruling involving very complex legal questions), the Court did grant prospective relief for promotion of the plaintiff from and after July 1, 1972; and finding that there was not sufficient record for the Court's determination of the matter, the case was remanded for that purpose to hearing before an examiner to determine when and what promotions should have been granted to McNutt if there had been no discrimination. The decision of the Court is of further great significance because the Court found that the Department was guilty of department-wide discrimination against handicapped individuals, and ordered the Department to prepare a report "detailing how the agency is in compliance, or plans to bring itself into compliance, with applicable statutes and regulations ... that set forth the agency's obligations towards handicapped employees; ... that said report is to be prepared in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Court; ... and that the said report shall be served upon counsel for the plaintiff and made available to the public within 120 days of this Order." ***** ** The Blind Taught Self-Defense Turning Handicap to Use Dark streets and empty subway cars may be a frightening prospect for the average New Yorker, but for the blind, the possibility of unexpected attack looms even larger. Recently at the New York Association for the Blind, Police Officer Liddon Griffith, who has taught self-defense tactics to thousands of elderly people in the last two years, conducted a seminar for the blind in which he emphasized "preventative self-defense and turning the handicap of being blind into a plus." Officer Griffith picked up his expertise from talking to muggers on the street and in jail, including one who said he had committed 200 muggings, and from questioning crime victims in hospitals. He has five documented cases in which elderly people have saved their lives through means learned in his class. The course, attended by thirty blind persons and a handful of seeing-eye dogs, was inspired by Officer Griffith's grandfather, who was 83 and partly blind when he was mugged four years ago, and who then asked the police officer why he had never taught him self-defense. * Use Element of Surprise "It's in your favor to say, that 'Mr. Mugger, I'm blind and can't identify you,' which increases the chance that he won't harm you." He also advised the blind to use their highly developed sense of touch to break out of wrist grips or other holds an attacker might use. A mugger often many relies on "putting the fear of God into you," Officer Griffith warned, and many use obscenities and ethnic slurs to get a victim off his guard. "But use the element of surprise," the police officer said. "Just as you don't know how the mugger will react, he doesn't know how you will defend yourself." Pete Shivers, a 47-year-old former mugger who worked with Officer Griffith during this seminar, said that muggers look for people with money and that such people usually showed they have money. "You notice that people who have a lot of money on them like to touch or pat it as they walk along, and they're constantly looking around. Women tend to clutch their handbags a little tighter if they're carrying money." * Two Vulnerable Areas In defense against attacks by a man, Officer Griffith said, a mugger's two most vulnerable areas are the eyes and the groin. "Some of you who are blind may be squeamish about attacking someone in the eyes, but this is a matter of life and death." Officer Griffith advised giving in to a mugger armed with a knife. "If some guy has a knife at your throat, don't scream. You might panic him. And if he says to take off your pants, guess what: you take them off fast. Very fast!" One woman attending the course who had been raped two times said that unless an attacker had a lethal weapon, the victim should not give in. She added, "The best way to confront a rapist is not to be afraid -- stand up to him. I avoided being raped a third time that way." The woman, who is partly blind, said she takes the same precautions sighted people might, such as not going out after dark and staying away from dangerous neighborhoods. Albert Jorwa, who is legally blind, defended himself five years ago against three muggers in Paterson, New Jersey, by using techniques he had learned in a Karate class. Not able to see his attackers, Mr. Jorwa received a knife wound before escaping. "I took Karate to protect myself because I can't depend on the police to guard me, the way things are now." Although Officer Griffith demonstrated self-defense methods, his ultimate rule for fighting crime had little to do with tactics or criminal psychology. "My solution to combatting crime is to look out for one another." ***** ** Roy Wilkins Honored in Retirement After several decades of service devoted to furthering the civil rights movement in the United States, Roy Wilkins has announced his retirement both as director of the NAACP and as chairman of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. A special feature of the annual board meeting of the Leadership Conference, held Thursday, January 27, was the presentation at lunch to Mr. Wilkins of a specially bound volume, to which each member organization in the Conference was invited to contribute messages of appreciation thanking Mr. Wilkins for his years of dedication to the civil rights movement. The following letter was included on behalf of the American Council of the Blind: Dear Mr. Wilkins: Ours is a comparatively new voice in that coalition of organizations with which you have worked so effectively in behalf of the civil rights of all people. Your leadership and your achievements have affected, and will continue to affect, the lives of millions of people. Our membership includes persons from all minority groups, and we are conscious of our obligation to help protect the rights of all individuals in our society. We know that the progress which has been made in partially protecting physically and mentally handicapped persons against discrimination would not have been possible without the accomplishments of the civil rights movement. For many decades you have been a promoter and defender of human rights. You have helped to unify many groups concerned with the opportunities and rights of various minorities in America and around the world. The millions of handicapped persons form one such minority. As an example of what can be done to improve the lives and the dignity of those who are disadvantaged or discriminated against, your work and achievements serve as a constant inspiration. It is this inspiration that will continue to guide our efforts in making the handicapped responsible contributors to society and in working harmoniously with other concerned groups to make this a better society. Respectfully, American Council of the Blind By Durward K. McDaniel National Representative ***** ** Visually Impaired Veterans Newest Prospective ACB Affiliate The Visually Impaired Veterans of America, one of the newest contemplated affiliates of the American Council of the Blind, is off and running in high gear. Each day's mail brings in new applications and dues checks for membership. Look out, McDonalds! When we get to Miami, you will see how much old veterans like hamburgers. Veterans with a visual impairment, regardless of the time or cause of such impairment, are encouraged to join with us so that as a viable, hard-working group, we can assure services and benefits to all visually impaired veterans. We fully intend to rock the halls of Congress at any time that it is necessary to see that those rights and benefits that were promised that first day in the recruiting office are rightfully given to us. We do not intend to hold back one iota of our strength in this endeavor. We will appear before, and assist any visually impaired veteran at, Veterans Administration hearings or state veterans boards when it is within our capacity and capability to do so. Our membership already includes a retired military legal officer and a retired Trial Judge Advocate of General Courts Martial. Each day brings more experience and capability to our ranks, and we will soon be prepared to tackle almost any task pertaining to veterans benefits and rights. Write, call, or wire for more information and an application to Visually Impaired Veterans of America, Dr. Michael Young, President, 3980 8th Avenue, No. 115, San Diego, CA 92103. ***** ** More Hearings by the Senate Subcommittee on the Handicapped By Reese Robrahn On February 7 and 8, 1977, the Subcommittee on the Handicapped of the Senate Labor and Public Welfare Committee, chaired by Senator Randolph of West Virginia, conducted hearings on the discretionary programs of Public Law 93-380, the Education of the Handicapped Act. With the exception of one or two witnesses and brief references by a few other witnesses, the testimony received was far-ranging from the announced subject of the hearings. On the first day of the hearings, two panels were staged. The first was chaired by James Gashel, Washington lobbyist for the National Federation of the Blind, and his panel members were Jacob Freid, Elizabeth Bowen, Richard Edlund, Rami Rabbi, and Lawrence Marcelino. Mr. Gashel spoke on behalf of the entire panel in the promotion and summarization of some legislation which they were proposing would provide comprehensive services to the blind in every state. In response to a question directed by Senator Randolph to him, Mr. Gashel stated that the members of his panel were selected to appear because they are from the states which are the best examples of fragmentation of services and lack of services to the blind -- New York, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and California. The second panel was chaired by Kenneth Jernigan, president of the National Federation of the Blind, and again he spoke on behalf of his panel, whose members were Burt Risley, Director of The Texas Commission for the Blind; Charles Hoehne, assistant to Mr. Risley; Aris (Bob) Mallas of Management Services Associates, Inc., of Texas; Ralph Sanders, president of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, and formerly of Arkansas; and Glen Crawford, Director of Rehabilitation for the Handicapped, of Colorado. Mr. Jernigan's presentation addressed the subject of fragmentation of services to the blind and the trend toward lumping of many departments and agencies on the state level into one large umbrella department, with the resulting loss of visibility and major program status of the agencies for the blind; all of which was designed to support the need for the legislation discussed by the first panel. The drama was renewed on the second day by a demonstration of the Kurzweil reading machine, presented by officials of the Massachusetts-based company which has been developing the machine. The project has been under way for several years and has been financed by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, The Bureau for the Education of the Handicapped, the Veterans Administration, and private foundations. Field testing of the machine is already under way, and there will be soon ten to fifteen machines in place for field testing purposes. The testimony revealed that the present cost of the device is now $50,000, but that this cost will gradually decline to about $5,000 in perhaps five years. The American Council of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America will present their testimony during the remaining three days of the hearings, on the 28th of February. ***** ** On Constructing a House and a Legend (Reprinted from the Macon Telegraph-News) Pine View -- By his own admission, James L. (Bud) Rhodes has done a little of everything in his 46 years, but has seen absolutely nothing since he was eight years old. Rhodes, the man who lost his eyes as well as his eyesight, is presently engaged in building his own ranch-type home on the outskirts of this tiny Wilcox County town. Those who know him are not surprised that he is in such a demanding and complicated project. After all, there are the stories about him that have become almost legend in this part of Georgia. Like him driving a truck load of peanuts down to the scales in Pine View, or that he could tell the color of hogs by the sound of their voices. It is true, he said, that he drove the truck, laden with peanuts, to the scales. Rhodes, who said he could maneuver a vehicle pretty good with someone telling him "Gee" and "Haw," said he actually had a long-armed friend guiding the truck, using the bottom part of the steering wheel that was hidden from view of the townspeople. This adventure prompted one Pine View resident to say: "He's the only man in the world without no eyeballs at all who can drive a truck or a nail without any trouble." The hog tale, too, has an explanation, he said. It seems that Rhodes, who has engaged in a number of money-making projects like raising thoroughbred hogs and even chickens, once had nine sows, and through the use of his sensitive hearing, he learned to tell one sow from the other. He named each of them and his children told what colors they were. "One day there was this man here when one of the hogs made a sound and I told the hog to shut up and called it by name. The man asked me if I really knew which hog had actually made the sound, and I said yes, that it was the grey one with black spots. "I tell you, that guy went all over town telling people that I could tell the color of hogs by the sound of the voice. One man came all the way out here just to ask me about it and I told him, 'Sure I can, but my hogs, not yours.'" That business about him driving nails without any trouble is true. He drove a few for his visitor, never missing or bending one. He learned this well because his father "bought me a hammer and nails instead of toys when I was just a little guy." He said his sensitive ears tell him not only when a nail bends, but which way it bends. "Then I can straighten them without too much trouble." ... His wife of 27 years, Elise, is partially blind, but sees well enough to use the skill saw to prepare the lumber for use on the home. "She'd never used a saw like that until we started building the house," Rhodes recalled, "but she knew it was either use it or do without." ... They met at the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon. "Going to the Academy was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Besides an education, I also learned to live and function. People have been good to me, including my parents, who never treated me any different than the other kids. I had my chores and I did them just like the others." Rhodes has also delved into a number of other means of supporting his family. The skill that has contributed mainly to financial survival has been piano tuning. He travels over a five-county area to carry out this business. "But not usually to Macon. They have enough piano tuners up there without me," he says. He plays three instruments -- fiddle, guitar and bass -- but not the piano. Hog-raising taught him many things. Like judging weight. "I could run my hands over a hog and tell within a few pounds what it weighed," Rhodes said. He's even done some mechanic work. "I don't have much trouble tunin' up a car or truck," he smiled. "Just driving it." About his house-building ability, Rhodes said he learned a lot from his shop teachers at the Academy in Macon. "I've always loved to build," he said. Does he ever hit his finger when driving nails? "Never!" he said, "Can't afford to. That's what I guide them with." What is the most difficult part of building the house? "Putting up the rafters. It's kind of scary walking around up there." Does he have a target date for finishing the sprawling home? "No, we just work on it when we can and enjoy life as we go along. We're in no particular hurry." How much work did he contract? "Well, just the foundation and the roof. We're puttin' the siding on right now, as we can afford to buy it." ... The inevitable question came: Do any of your children have sight problems? "My children suffer only from a thing called meanness!" And he laughed, and so did everyone else. (Editor's Note: Bud Rhodes is a member of ACB's affiliate, the Georgia Federation of the Blind.) ***** ** 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. * In Defense Of Technical Services By Crawford Pike The article in the November-December, 1976 Braille Forum relating the writer's problems with two talking-book machines in a row contains many good points with regard to the difficulties faced by blind individuals in mastering the complexities of buttons, rollers, slides, and so on. Varying types of talking-book machines are to master without the proper orientation or braille instructions. Why can't the Technical Services Division, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress, settle on a standard control configuration, while continuing to take advantage of new components in the internal mechanism? I feel that they should. Part of the explanation why they have not relates to the technical staff's burning zeal not to overlook a single qualified reader's needs. The rollers and flip switches were included because of those readers, the physically handicapped with manipulative difficulties, and I agree the job was overdone. As to the two defective machines, my friend, it is a sign of the times. I recently purchased a sound system consisting of a cassette recorder and record player, much like the combination machine proposed by DBPH. However, my commercially produced model cost several times the price projection on theirs. When I very carefully uncrated and tested my machine I found the cassette function would neither play nor record. Back I went to the dealer, who exchanged it for the only other unit of its kind he had in stock. This time we very carefully teste the cassette deck to see that it would both play and record. But lo! when I got it home and put on a stack of records, the arm glided rapidly across all grooves to the center without sounding a note. When I checked, there was no needle at all. When Detroit recalls thousands of new cars annually, we must expect no less in quality control from General Electric, Waters-Conley, or Telex. The specifications sent out by the technical staff at DBPH should elicit good quality equipment. The technical staff at DBPH are not "ninneys." They are highly trained, skilled and experienced; most have worked with prestigious commercial audio manufacturers such as RCA. They do at times baffle me with devices that might well fill the cockpit of the U.S.S. Enterprise, but I assure you their errors are errors of commission, not omission. One problem relative to talking book machines will, I hope, be eliminated when we finally get to cassettes-if we ever do. This problem is the lack of competition. You would likely imagine that since DBPH buys millions of dollars worth of record players, manufacturers would be clamoring to get the business. Not so! First, very few companies make monophonic turntables at all today. Secondly, most companies prefer to sell a more complex and expensive model stereophonic or quadrophonic with a higher profit potential. The DBPH cassette player, on the other hand, is a medium-priced unit. The American Printing House for the Blind version with recording capability sells for over $100. The Technical Services staff has been criticized for buying "too good" machines. If they had based the program on the standard drugstore variety, by now we could all have had one and there would be no waiting list in the libraries. Another problem with defective machines is apparently above and beyond the control of the Technical Services staff. The large quantity of machines purchased in each contract lot prohibits testing upon arrival all new units. Indeed, the manufacturers ship directly to libraries and machine agencies which have no technical staff, and often limited staff of any kind. More often than not, the storage space is unsuited for the equipment. Once a friend who works with audio equipment told me that if I would plug in each talking book machine and allow it to run fifteen minutes per day, there would be less failures. We had over 600 machines in the library and only four available electric outlets. The solution didn't seem practical. Aside from staff time involved in the operation, there was the packing and unpacking to be considered, and the dust and humidity in the library would likely have done more harm than the inertia. This was when I worked in a regional library. Here in the Columbus Georgia Subregional, we seldom have more than five machines at a time and we check each of one before issuing. This is another advantage of local library service, as opposed to large state regional libraries. Overall, Mr. Gray's article was needed and relevant. You probably won't hear from the technical staff directly, but you can be sure they read it minutely. They'll probably burn the midnight oil for the next five years finding a perfect solution. But don't expect a "fail safe" machine -- at least not for fifty bucks per unit, if at all. (Crawford Pike is a member of the ACB Library Committee and director of the Talking Books Center of the Bradley Memorial Library, Columbus, Georgia.) * DBPH -- Its Use of "Limited" Funds By Jacklyn Redinger McCraw Dear Editor: I essentially agree with Chris Gray's comments in the November-December 1976 issue of the Braille Forum regarding Library of Congress Technical Services Division, especially regarding their shoddy talking book machines. I do like the four-track General Electric cassette players, but would prefer to have the speed control built in, rather than separate. The talking book machine could also be much more portable, and thus much more convenient. And such a portable machine couldn't be any poorer in sound quality than the present models. However, I have an additional complaint involving the Library of Congress's uses of its "limited" funds. LC plans to carry out a survey nationwide to locate eligible blind and physically handicapped people who are not presently using library services. On the surface a fine idea. But the method: to make ten thousand random telephone calls throughout the nation in hopes of locating eligible non-users of services, and then a lengthy questionnaire which they will use to orally interview those potential users to find out why they are presently not using library services. If these calls are made from Washington, D.C., they will be tremendously expensive; if from each regional library, they will still involve many hours of staff time and expense for local long-distance charges. Either way, resources are being channeled from present services which current users do need and use. Secondly, the American Foundation for the Blind composed this questionnaire under contract to the Library of Congress. From a brief reading of a few of the questions, it appears to me that this questionnaire serves the interests of AFB more than it does those of the Library of Congress. Many of the questions seem sociological in nature: Does the person live alone, and if not, whom does he live with, etc.? I do not have a copy of the survey to quote exactly. The questions have little to do with reading interest or lack of it, and I should consider them an invasion of my privacy. Statistically, there are supposed to be about two legally blind people per 1,000 population. I don't know how many physically handicapped there are. Let us say, for purposes of this analysis, there are three physically handicapped. That gives us five eligible people for each 1,000 population. Let us give the benefit of a doubt and say that four out of these five are not presently using library services. That gives us the grant total of forty people out of that 10,000 who will be eligible to answer the questionnaire. The cost of the AFB questionnaire contract, the cost of the 10,000 telephone calls, the cost of staff time and equipment to process the forty answers to the survey -- all this to find out why people are not using services, services that are not adequate or sufficiently advanced for the people who are using them. Somebody has certainly benefitted from all this expenditure, but it is neither the current nor potential consumers of LC Division, for the Blind library services. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * Finding a Better Way Through Education By Carla S. Franklin Would you like to learn to crochet, or to make your own clothes? Would you like to improve your spelling, learn braille, or learn to swim or square dance? During 1976, the Associated Blind of Kentucky established an adult education and recreation program for the blind of the Louisville-Jefferson County area. Classes now offered include basic English, crocheting, sewing, and braille. Plans for the future include classes in basic mathematics, grooming and fashion, nutrition, cooking, child care, knitting, macrame, and many other areas. GED instructions will be offered during the 1977-78 school year. Classes meet in the evening, are three hours in length, and meet once a week. Classes are limited to ten students each; in this way all can receive individual attention. The one exception to this rule is sewing, where only five persons can enroll at one time. Friday-night swimming is available through the adult recreation program. During the first three weeks of the month, students in the swimming class learn basic strokes. Then, on the fourth Friday, the pool is open for a free swim for all interested blind people and their families. Other recreation programs planned for the coming months are square dancing, modern dancing, and popular card games. Transportation is provided to and from classes and recreational activities for a small fee (25 to 50 cents per ride). While registration is free students are expected to provide their own crochet hook and yarn; their own dress material, pins and scissors for the sewing class; their own bathing suit and towel for swimming. Class length varies. Home economics classes, such as sewing, cooking and crocheting, are eight weeks in length. Recreational programs are twelve weeks, while academic areas such as basic English, braille, and mathematics continue from September through May. But just what is being accomplished by such programs? One important result is employment. Four new part-time instructor positions have already been created, and one full-time program coordinator position. All of these jobs are filled by blind persons. However, those who really benefit are the students. Participants in sewing and crocheting are learning skills that will stretch their clothing and gift-giving budgets. English and braille students are learning or reviewing information needed to enroll in college, to find work, or simply to converse with the business world on an everyday basis. The recreation program gives blind people a chance to learn and to participate in activities commonly enjoyed by sighted persons. A program such as the one described here is ideal for an area in which there is a large concentration of blind people. Funds for the program can be obtained through application for grants from governmental agencies, and through cooperation with local school boards. Adult education and recreation has proved to be one of the best ways ABK has found to involve blind people in an ongoing program. Participants in the classes are not limited to ABK members; blind people who have never been active in an organization, or those who have been active in other organizations of the blind, are anxious to become a part of the classes. Other ACB affiliates are strongly encouraged to use this means of reaching the blind residents of their respective areas. Remember: Programs for the blind do not necessarily need to be funded and operated by the state agency in order to be successful. Try it! ***** ** All-Russia Society of the Blind Visits U.S. Blindness System The first official trip to the United States by a delegation from the All-Russia Association of the Blind was sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind, November 28 to December 7, 1976. Representing the American Council of the Blind at a luncheon held for the visitors on the Sky Room of the Washington Hotel were Durward McDaniel, National Representative, and Reese Robrahn, Director of Research and Governmental Affairs. The four-man delegation included Mr. Boris Zimin, President of the All-Russia Society of the Blind and President of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind; Mr. Sergei A. Jamakochian, head of the Department of Employment, Minister of Social Security of the Russian Federation; Mr. Akaki A. Goglidze, president of the Georgian Association of the Blind; and Mr. Mikhail E. Gorelik, principal of the Moscow School for Partially Sighted Children. The purpose of the trip was to exchange technical information on rehabilitation services, facilities, and technical devices, and help broaden knowledge in order to improve services for the blind, multi-handicapped, and severely visually impaired persons in both countries. The itinerary included a residential school for the blind, a day school setting, a rehabilitation facility, an industrial facility, a training institute, a low-vision facility, and government agencies involved in the field of blindness. This trip is a reciprocation of one taken last year by a United States delegation of experts in the field of blindness, which included AFB Executive Director Loyal E. Apple and ACB President Floyd Qualls, at the invitation of the All-Russia Society. It is hoped that this second trip will lay the groundwork for an ongoing series of international informational visits between experts in the field of blindness in the U.S.S.R., the United States and other countries. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From TSI NEWSLETTER -- Tim Cranmer, Bureau for the Blind, Frankfort, Kentucky, has developed a special output accessory using the Speech Plus "talking calculator" circuitry, which can be used with two scientific calculators, the Monroe Model 1920 and the Monroe Model 1930. Using the Speech Plus 24-Word vocabulary in combination with "beeps" and "buzzes" the calculator has speech output for the additional keys involved. This accessory is two inches thick and fits underneath the calculator. Additional features include a speed control for speech output and a "ticking" sound which reminds the user to turn off the calculator when it is not in use. Price is $1,000 for the Model 1920 and $1,100 for the Model 1930. The units can be ordered for delivery within sixty days, from Wespro Enterprises, 131 University Avenue, Lexington, KY 40503. Visualtek, 1610 26th Street, Santa Monica CA 90404, has developed a closed-circuit television viewer which will fit underneath an airplane seat. Known as the "Commuter," the new model will magnify 4 to 8 times original size and offers brightness and contrast control and positive/negative image selection. Selling for $965, the first units will be delivered in April or early May. From NRA NEWSLETTER -- A small provision contained in the enormous Tax Reform Act of 1976, recently signed into law, will provide tax deductions of up to $25,000 for expenses incurred in making a trade or business more accessible to handicapped people. This became effective January 1 and under present law, will continue for a three-year period. One of the largest awards ever to be returned by the District Court in Clovis (Curry County), New Mexico, was granted Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cooper on January 15. The $600,000 judgment was returned against a Clovis doctor who had performed cataract surgery on Mrs. Cooper in 1973, leaving her legally blind in both eyes. Representing the Coopers (formerly of Arizona) as co-counsel was John Vanlandingham of Phoenix. John is a member and past president of the American Blind Lawyers Association and has served on the ACB Board of Directors. The U.S. Braille Chess Association announces its 1977 correspondence chess championship competition will begin in March or early April. For details write Gintautas Burba, 30 Snell Street, Brockton, MA 02401. SCAlogram is a monthly newsletter relating to subcarrier authorization and radio services for the "print handicapped." For further information, contact Cheryl Strange, Special Projects Manager, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1111 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036. From JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND BLINDNESS -- Braille tee shirts may become the newest fashion fad. These tee shirts have 1/ 4-inch raised dots and spell out the name of a school, a famous blind person, or a blind awareness slogan. Above each braille character is its print letter equivalent. Any message up to thirty letters can be printed. Shirts are $4.95 each; minimum order accepted, three dozen. Order from Dazel, PO. Box 5297, Seattle, WA 98105. ---- The word "ophthalmologist" is one that is constantly misspelled, mispronounced, and misused, much to the chagrin of doctors practicing that specialty. Members of the Massachusetts Ophthalmological Society have decided to put an end to the problem by calling themselves "eye physicians and surgeons," and the name of the Society itself has been changed to the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Charles D. J. Ragan, President, said that one of the major reasons for the name change was because of the recent law that allows optometrists to dispense diagnostic drugs. He went on to say that the title "eye physicians and surgeons" will make it easier for the public to identify those physicians who have been medically trained to provide care in all aspects of eye disease and its relationship to the general health of the body. From THE LANTERN -- At the annual meeting of the Perkins School for the Blind, Samuel Cabot, President, announced that Dr. Edward Waterhouse, former director of the school and presently consultant for foreign service, will retire on June 3 of this year. Dr. Waterhouse joined the Perkins faculty in 1933 and was appointed director in 1951. He resigned this position in 1971 to devote his time to coordinating the foreign efforts of the school. From DBPH NEWS -- "Cledus Maggard's Unabridged Dictionary of CB Radio Lingo," recorded in the country-western twang of Mercury recording artist, Jay "Cledus Maggard" Huguely, is one of the newest additions to the Library of Congress collection. Huguely recorded his CB dictionary as a talking book on cassette at the request of the South Carolina Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It has since been reproduced by South Carolina, in response to reader request. The recorded dictionary is available to readers in other states on inter-library loan by applying to the state regional libraries. From THE STANDARD BEARER -- By the end of 1976, 64 agencies and schools had been accredited by the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The most recent agency to be accredited is the Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind. Even before the addition of the Tampa Lighthouse, the number of persons served by NAC-accredited agencies had jumped to more than 300,000, compared to approximately 200,000 in 1975. The 1976 figure includes 108,000 blind and visually handicapped and some 204,000 persons who receive prevention of blindness services. These services are made available through 189 facilities in 158 communities of 39 states and the District of Columbia. From VCVH VIEWS AND VENTURES (Virginia Commission for the Visually Handicapped) -- The land of chocolate, clocks and the world's strongest currency, Switzerland, is putting into circulation new paper money that is supposed to be a bane to counterfeiters and a boon to the blind. Special printing processes are intended to make the new currency one of the hardest in the world to forge. An embossed code of lines and points will enable blind people to determine the amount of the notes. ---- An unnamed employee, filing one of the myriad Federal Labor Department Reports, reached a request asking for a listing of all employees broken down by sex. He responded: "None of which we are aware. Our major problem is alcohol." The first annual competition for blind men and women in swimming, track, and wrestling will take place at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, March 30 through April 2, 1977. The competition is being sponsored by the United States Association for Blind Athletes, an organization formed by coaches, competitors, and others involved in the Olympics for the Blind held in Toronto, Canada last summer. Purpose of the new organization is to promote and sponsor athletic opportunities for all blind citizens. Anyone interested in further information or in the meet at WIU should contact Dr. David Beaver, Chairman, USABA National Sports Development Committee, Men's Physical Education Department, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455. From PREVENT BLINDNESS NEWS -- With a grant of $25,000 provided by Lederle Laboratories, the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness is planning a special campaign on glaucoma education and control. The funds contributed to NSPB by Lederle are a part of the anniversary celebration of that company's drug, Diamox, used in treating glaucoma. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, accounting for one out of every seven cases. A manual to assist community-level glaucoma education and screening projects is in production. A new manual for the visually handicapped person who now rents or may be planning to rent an apartment or house has been published by the Graduate College, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. Written by Robert Savage and Robert Utrup, instructors at the Michigan Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, the guide covers such topics as selecting a community and neighborhood, apartment hunting by telephone, understanding the rental agreement, and tenant do's and don'ts. The guide, available from Western Michigan University, sells for $1.75. From PROGRAMS FOR THE HANDICAPPED -- Governor James B. Langley of Maine nominated Assistant Attorney General Cortland D. Perry to the bench of Maine's Seventh District Court. Mr. Perry is the first blind man to be nominated to the bench in Maine. ###