The Braille Forum Vol. XVI April, 1978 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 Notice to Subscribers Reflections on Affirmative Action -- and Reverse Discrimination, by Otis H. Stephens Ms. Fiorito Goes to Washington Jernigan to Leave Blind Agency 1978 Convention Notes Notice to All ACB Affiliates and Members-at-Large Robert Winn to Head New Office of Blind and Visually Handicapped A New Dimension in Employment, by Pat Price Florida One-Stop Service -- Attack on Brademas Favorable Unemployment Compensation Decision for Blind Claimant Action on Employment of Handicapped Persons in the Federal Government, by Reese Robrahn William T. Snyder Executive Director of ALL Negative Legislation on Vending Facilities, by Durward K. McDaniel Open Invitation to Coalition Assembly Sub-Minimum Wages and Handicapped Workers, by Durward K. McDaniel Some Real Hope for Enforcement of Civil Rights in Education, by Reese Robrahn Offered Again -- Methods of Teaching Without Sight Texas Vendors Get Results Equal Treatment of Handicapped Citizens in the President's Reorganization of Civil Rights Employment Programs ASCAP to Set up Handicapped Network Frances Koestler Named Editor of Matilda Ziegler Magazine Conference of Low-Vision People -- New Special Interest in ACB Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon ACB Officers Associate Editors ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large-type, and two recorded editions -- flexible disc (8 1/3 rpm), which may be kept by the reader, and cassette tape, which must be returned so that tapes can be re-used. Send subscription requests and address changes to The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. Items intended for publication may be sent in print, braille, or tape to the Editor, Mary T. Ballard, at the above address, or to one of the Associate Editors. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. -- Suite 506, Washington, D.C. 20036. The National Office now has printed cards available to acknowledge to loved ones contributions sent in memory of deceased persons. You may wish to remember someone by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. 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 may communicate with the ACB National Office. ***** ** Reflections on Affirmative Action And Reverse Discrimination By Otis H. Stephens At this writing, the United States Supreme Court is apparently nearing a decision in one of the most controversial and important cases of the decade, Regents vs. Bakke. The immediate issue in this case is whether the Constitutional rights of Allan Bakke, a 37-year-old white applicant to the medical school of the University of California at Davis, were violated by operation of a preferential admissions program for non-white racial minorities. The controversy has broader implications not only for the deep-rooted problems of race relations in America, but also for assumptions underlying affirmative action as a means of reducing discrimination against various disadvantaged groups, including physically handicapped persons, in education and employment. Current efforts to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, although falling far short of existing affirmative action programs for blacks and women, could be affected by the outcome of the Bakke case. Bakke has challenged a program in which 16 out of 100 openings for first-year medical students at Davis were reserved for disadvantaged members of racial minorities. Students who qualified for this special admissions program could enter medical school on the basis of somewhat lower grade point averages and standardized test scores than were required of applicants for the 84 remaining slots. Bakke, who was denied admission in 1973 and 1974 had substantially higher grades and test scores than a number of successful applicants in the special program. He attacked the Constitutionality of the program, and the California Supreme Court ultimately upheld the contention that he was a victim of racial discrimination in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Court concluded that even though the objectives underlying the special admissions program might be laudable, "the principle that the Constitution sanctions racial discrimination against ... any race is a dangerous concept fraught with potential for misuse ..." A dissenting opinion summed up the opposing view by stating that, far from excluding "any particular racial group from participation in the medical school," the program was "aimed at assuring that qualified applicants of all racial groups are actually represented in the institution." Questions posed by the Bakke case do not fall into neat ideological compartments. Supporters of civil liberties, for example, have been sharply divided, some viewing California's medical school admissions program as racial discrimination in its most direct form, and therefore as totally indefensible under our Constitution; others seeing it as the best practical means of promoting racial equality, and thus as consistent with the highest ideals of our Constitutional system. Supporters of Bakke's position insist that any admissions policy adopted by a state institution must be "racially neutral." Opponents argue, just as forcefully, that it is unrealistic to talk about racial neutrality, because the very fact of being black in America today is itself not racially neutral. They argue that a precise standard of neutrality would still exclude most members of racial minorities from most of the professional schools and selective colleges in the country. What are the implications of this controversy for the problems of discrimination faced by many -- perhaps all -- blind persons in contemporary society? Could quota systems in employment and education approaching the admissions policy in the Bakke case be justified as a means of bringing more qualified blind persons into the law schools and graduate schools and into management level positions in government and industry? Rigid quotas are repugnant to those persons who do not benefit directly from them. They tend to reinforce stereotypes about the groups for whom they are established, and to divert attention from the individual abilities and potentialities of members of those groups. Quotas and even less rigid preferential admissions and hiring policies can also have the effect of reinforcing the belief that persons thus assisted can never really be expected to measure up to the level of achievement and performance expected of everyone else. When all this is said, however, will anything more than tokenism be achieved for members of disadvantaged groups without adopting programs that actively recruit members of these groups and make it possible for substantial numbers of them to enter the professions through preferential admissions and placement programs. We have so little actual experience with programs of this kind -- most of which are lumped together under the general designation of affirmative action -- that few conclusions can be drawn with confidence. One variation on the general theme of affirmative action, however, seems particularly useful in coping with the problems faced by blind persons. This variation has the advantage of avoiding the label of reverse discrimination and at the same time taking into account the needs of particular individuals. I am referring to the standard of "reasonable accommodation" to the limitations of an otherwise qualified handicapped person, recognized in the 1977 Regulation implementing Section 504. Assuming the basic qualifications of a person to complete a degree or to perform a particular job, can there be any rational, practical objection to a requirement that the educational institution or employer make a reasonable accommodation to the needs of a handicapped student or employee? We still live in a very affluent society, and economic arguments against this kind of accommodation are not persuasive. A blind public-school teacher or business executive or a government administrator who needs to be provided with 20 or 30 hours of direct reading assistance per week cannot be expected to perform at a competitive level unless this basic need is met. On the other hand, if it is met, such a person should reasonably expect to be evaluated on a comparable basis with other persons performing the same tasks. The reasonable accommodation will cost additional money, but since it might in the long run save or earn as much as it costs, the accommodation cannot be attacked as economically wasteful. And if it simply provides an individual with a reasonable opportunity to achieve what he or she sets out to achieve, without blocking the entry of other people wishing to pursue the same objectives, then it can be defended on grounds of fundamental fairness. For blind persons, there are, of course, man examples of reasonable accommodation beyond that of reading assistance. These include transportation, distribution of information, reasonable safety policies, and other elements of access adversely affected by a visual impairment. But the principle remains the same. What is needed, first of all, is an opportunity to accomplish what one sets out to accomplish; to live in an environment which allows people to take full advantage of their attributes, rather than in an environment which limits and frustrates them because of its unwillingness to make reasonable accommodation to particular limitations. Returning briefly to the Bakke case, the Supreme Court may choose one of several available options. It could affirm the ruling of the California Supreme Court and declare that the admissions program at Davis resulted in the denial of Bakke's Constitutional rights by discriminating against him on the basis of race. It could uphold the program as a reasonable means of promoting racial equality. Or it could decide the case on some narrow technical basis and avoid the Constitutional issue altogether, as it did four years ago when the issue of reverse discrimination first came before the Supreme Court. Whether the Court decides for or against Mr. Bakke, it would be unfortunate if it failed to make a clear distinction between preferential treatment and reasonable accommodation. The goal of equality of opportunity advanced by Section 504 does not require endorsement of reverse discrimination or even affirmative action, as that term is used today. What is required, however, is full acceptance of, and firm commitment to, the principle of reasonable accommodation to the limitations of otherwise qualified handicapped persons. ***** ** Ms. Fiorito Goes to Washington In this decade of advocacy, the work and reputation of Eunice Fiorito have become permanently identified with the rights of handicapped people and their determined aspiration for equality, opportunity, and participation. Following an earlier outstanding career in psychiatric social work, she gained national recognition as the director of the Mayor's Office for the Handicapped in New York City. It was during this time that the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was enacted after a long, frustrating struggle, which featured an unprecedented grassroots lobbying activity by a loosely organized force of handicapped people. The Rehabilitation Act gave handicapped people some civil rights -- not as many as far-reaching as the Civil Rights Act provides for racial and other minorities, but enough to encourage and to stimulate new demands for real equality. Formation of a coalition of disability groups to secure and advance the rights of handicapped people was long overdue. Eunice Fiorito was one of the principal leaders who helped to form the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in 1974. These disability groups were not accustomed to working together so closely. It was immediately apparent that the Coalition would require extraordinary amount of work and outstanding leadership. It was not surprising that she was elected president of the Coalition. She became active in the Carter campaign and obtained a commitment recognizing the rights and needs of the handicapped. She convened a working task force whose work significantly affected the final rules which were issued to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. When the Secretary of HEW wanted to delay the issuance of those rules and to weaken them, she and other leaders of the Coalition staged the now famous sit-in at the Secretary's office. The rules were signed, and the Coalition emerged as a new force in the movement of the handicapped. Secretary Joseph A. Califano later said, "We are in the midst of a revolution in the rights of handicapped people." No routine recitation of her educational and vocational experience could adequately present the major qualities of such a dynamic, forceful personality. When Robert R. Humphreys, Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, sought a staff person who could function in his pro-advocacy administration, he selected Ms. Fiorito, one of the most outspoken and effective critics of the bureaucratic status quo. In February she became a special assistant to the Commissioner. Because of her new responsibilities, she resigned as president of the Coalition, and a new president will be elected in May. On March 2, the Coalition sponsored a reception in honor of its immediate past president. The reception was attended by about 300 people, including active workers in the Coalition and numerous ranking Government officials, most notable of whom was Arabella Martinez, Assistant Secretary for Human Development, HEW. Eunice Fiorito is well known in the American Council of the Blind as a Board member and as a two-term president of ACB of New York State. In her new Washington career, we anticipate that her accomplishments for handicapped people will gain for her even greater recognition. ***** ** Jernigan to Leave Blind Agency (Reprinted from the Des Moines Register, Saturday, March 11. By Paul Leavitt, Register staff writer) Kenneth Jernigan, saying it was time to "move to a larger national arena," resigned Friday as director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind. His announcement came at the end of the Commission meeting that dealt almost exclusively with complaints about news stories concerning Jernigan and the Commission that have appeared in The Des Moines Register and The Des Moines Tribune. ... David Witke, a managing editor of the newspapers, said the news articles involved "legitimate issues of public concern ... and would have been covered whatever agency was involved." The three-member board accepted Jernigan's resignation "with regret" and appointed John Taylor, a Commission staff member since 1960, and his successor ... His resignation has been discussed for almost a year, and he will leave the $29,000-a-year job as soon as Taylor is ready to take over but, in any event, not later than the end of July, Jernigan said. "A number of opportunities are available to me; and I believe the one that I am choosing will be especially rewarding," Jernigan announced. He declined, during a press conference later, to disclose his plans. ... Some of the approximately 150 persons who attended the meeting cried when Jernigan announced his resignation. Some had tried to dissuade him. Jernigan told the audience, "I recognize that we are in a battle. In a sense, my hands are tied as a state official. I am going to untie them. Then we'll see how people behave .... This is a national battle." ... Also at the Commission meeting, Deputy Director Mary Ellen Anderson read a 23-page statement in which she said there have been "innuendo, distortions, inaccuracies, lack of balance, and what some have come to believe to be deliberate falsehoods contained in the articles " published in The Register and The Tribune. In a statement, Witke said: "The Register and Tribune news staffs have not made any charges or accusations. We have reported the controversy surrounding Mr. Jernigan's simultaneous roles as state employee, private entrepreneur and active campaigner for a national federation that is far from universally accepted by the nation's blind. We have reported questions raised by national charity rating organizations and regulatory officials of other states about the Federation's charitable activities," he said. … At the press conference following his resignation Friday, Jernigan was asked what effect, if any, the reporting of those issues by the newspapers had on his decision. he replied, "A part has been played in this by The Register, sure, but I haven't been driven out (of office)." He characterized the controversy as a "constant barrage of attack that seems out of proportion." Anderson said, "Complaints concerning the Commission have primarily been made" by state Senators James Redmond and Rush, both Cedar Rapids Democrats, and Willits, a Democrat from Des Moines. She said Rush and Redmond "have taken every opportunity to attack the Commission's programs in the press," and she concluded that "their motives speak very clearly — and with a destructive, vicious tone." She criticized Willits for not discussing his concerns with the Commission prior to his public statements alleging an "atmosphere of paranoia, distrust and dictatorship" exists at the Commission. ... Witke, the managing editor of the newspapers, said the reporters who have covered the issues are "of the highest professional caliber - reporters of excellent skill, long experience and honorable reputation. The Register and Tribune has full confidence in them." Witke said there are "legitimate issues of public concern involved in the Commission for the Blind controversy -- including questions of blending private business with public business, questions of compliance with the state open meetings law, and personnel questions in regard to the Commission staff. "Kenneth Jernigan, because of the fine service he has performed for the blind, has a loyal following, and many of his backers have interpreted our coverage of the public issues as a personal attack on Mr. Jernigan," he continued. "We are frequently criticized for fulfilling our reporting function, but rarely -- perhaps never -- have we experienced such massive and well-organized attempts to frustrate our reporting efforts or to discredit them after publication." "I believe Mrs. Anderson's lengthy statement, and particularly portions of it unjustly attacking reporter Jerry J. Szumski, to be one more step in that attempt to frustrate and discredit a reporting effort in some manner other than by responding to questions of legitimate public concern. "It should be noted that our files contain articles favorable to Mr. Jernigan's man} accomplishments and laudatory of the Commission's programs, as well as the articles under attack by Mrs. Anderson." And, Witke said, "Neither The Register and Tribune nor any of its staff has any desire to harm the just causes of the blind. But neither Mr. Jernigan nor the private endeavors with which he is associated can claim a monopoly on concern for the blind." ***** ** 1978 Convention Notes In case you have not already done so, be sure to circle on your calendar the week of July 23-29. These are the dates for the 1978 national convention of the American Council of the Blind, to be held this year in Salt Lake City. The host affiliate, Utah Council of the Blind, is going all out to make this an unforgettable week. Program plans will be announced in The Braille Forum as they are firmed up and will be outlined in more detail in the pre-registration materials mailed out well in advance of the convention. The time from Sunday through Tuesday will be devoted to activities of ACB special-interest organizations -- dog guide users, rehabilitation specialists, persons with low vision, lawyers, students, teachers, secretaries, vendors, data processors, veterans, blind Lions, newsletter editors, and more. Persons interested in any of these specialized group meetings may obtain further information from the ACB National Office. The ACB convention will begin on Wednesday morning and run through Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The day and a half of formal programming will feature speakers and panels dealing with concerns and the most recent developments in various fields of activity affecting the blind of the nation. On Thursday afternoon and evening, the Utah Council is arranging a variety of tours from among the numerous tourist attractions in and around Salt Lake City. Since this is an election year, the remainder of the sessions on Friday and Saturday will be devoted to internal business affairs -- committee reports, resolutions, and the all-important elections. Several key committees were listed in the March issue of The Braille Forum. So that the names and addresses of these committee chairpersons will be readily at hand, however, they are again listed below: Resolutions: Bernice Kandarian, 730-14 N. Mariposa, Los Angeles, CA 90029 Constitution and By-Laws: Robert T. McLean, 2139 Joseph Street, New Orleans, LA 70115 Awards (Ambassador and George Card Awards): Morris Ward, 234 Reynolds Street, Pearl, MS 39208 Robert S. Bray Award: Miss Elizabeth Lennon, 1315 Greenwood Avenue No. 22, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 (Deadline for award nominations is June 1) A number of special-interest organizations are sponsoring social functions to which all conventioneers are welcome. Since that moment in July, 131 years ago, when Brigham Young looked out over the broad expanse of the Salt Lake Valley and said, "This is the place!" Mormons have gathered yearly to celebrate what they call the "Days of '47." The Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America is planning a "Days of '47" dance to be held on Monday night, July 24. It is expected to be a real social get-together, and a genuine old-time auction is being planned for during intermissions. This is being handled by Myrtle Echols, who comes from the land of auctions down in Arkansas. On Tuesday evening, July 25, the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association and the National Alliance of Blind Students are co-hosting a trip to Robert Redford's Sundance Lodge (a short bus trip from the hotel) for an evening of dining and outdoor theater. Convention headquarters is the Hotel Utah, South Temple and Main Streets, where room rates are $28 single, $35 double. Rooms have also been set aside at two other hotels within one block of convention headquarters: the Hotel Utah Motor Inn,125 W. North Temple -- room rates $20 single, $26 double; and the Temple Square Hotel, 75 W. South Temple -- room rates $16 single, $20 double. Temple Square is within a block of the Hotel Utah. During the summer months, tours start there every seven minutes to enlighten visitors about the Mormon people and their beliefs. Anyone wishing to make early reservations may contact Utah Council President, Grant Mack, at 139 E. South Temple, Suite 5000, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, telephone (801) 355-7417. ***** ** Notice to All ACB Affiliates And Members-At-Large From: J. Edward Miller, Treasurer The American Council of the Blind Constitution and By-Laws provide that each affiliate shall pay annual per capita dues to ACB in the sum of one dollar ($1) for each of its voting members, but no affiliate is required to pay more than $625 annually, even though some affiliates have more than 625 members. Also, each year, each affiliate must send to the ACB Treasurer and the ACB National Office a certified, alphabetical list of the names and addresses of its voting members. Affiliates having more than 625 members are to include all of their members on these lists. Lists and dues are to be received no later than sixty (60) days prior to the ACB national convention — in 1978, by May 27. Each affiliate in good standing which is represented at a national convention is entitled to cast one organizational vote for each 25 of its voting members, or major fraction thereof, but with a maximum of 25 votes. Also, members of affiliates whose names have been certified and per capita dues paid thereby become voting members of ACB, and each individual member is entitled to cast an individual vote on all matters voted on by the convention. The right of an affiliate and its members to vote at a national convention, however, is conditioned upon compliance with the foregoing dues and membership list requirements. Any person who has reached the age of 18 years and who is not a voting member of an ACB affiliate is eligible to become a member-at-large of ACB, and therefore to have the right to an individual vote at a national convention. Annual membership-at-large dues are two dollars ($2), and must also be received by May 27, 1978. New applicants for membership-at-large pay an initiation fee of three dollars ($3), which includes dues for that year. Application forms can be obtained from the ACB National Office. As a convenience, membership lists and dues should be sent to the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. Membership-at-large dues should be clearly identified as such. Also, it is suggested that each affiliate send a copy of its certified membership list to the Editor of the Braille Forum at 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. ***** ** Robert Winn to Head New Office of Blind and Visually Handicapped Robert J. Winn, Jr. has been appointed to head the newly reorganized Office of Blind and Visually Handicapped within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Dr. Winn has served almost two years as Executive Director of the Governor's Coordinating Office for the Visually Handicapped in Texas. Bob Winn is well known to many members of the American Council of the Blind. He was the main speaker at last year's annual banquet in Miami Beach. On that occasion, he spoke about his work as ombudsman and advocate for the visually handicapped population in Texas. His agency is responsible for promotion of social and economic service programs. He and his staff also protect the legal rights of the blind by working with the State Legislature and the Governor. Prior to directing the Governor's Coordinating Office, Dr. Winn served for four years as Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Community Services in the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. From 1969 to 1972, he worked with the State's Department of Special Education and Special Schools. He also worked as a psychologist in educational and rehabilitation programs. His Ph.D. is in Special Education Administration and was granted by the University of Texas in 1975. Although he has spent most of his life in Texas, Bob Winn is not a stranger to the Federal Government in Washington. He has served as a grant reviewer for the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped and he participated in drafting legislation that became the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. ***** ** A New Dimension in Employment By Pat Price When Maryland Computer Services, Inc. recently announced the availability of its newest electronic device, designed and implemented by T.V. Cranmer, Special and Technical Services Director, Bureau for the Blind, Frankfort, Kentucky, and Deane Blazie, MCS President, numerous vocational doors of opportunity swung wide for the blind in the field of telecommunications -- in hospitals, universities, office buildings, large offices, city, state and Federal government buildings -- any place where information operators are needed. And as though this were not enough, with this equipment, no longer would the blind employee be thought of as merely "dependable, safe, productive, and good for company morale," adjectives most of us have heard for many years. Now a fifth dimension should be added -- FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT than a sighted operator. As amazing as this concept may seem, it is absolutely true, and MCS has the facts to prove it. Excitedly and enthusiastically, I observed a demonstration of this fabulous device called the Talking Telephone Directory. It resembles a standard typewriter and consists of a computer with a keyboard, speech box with connecting cables, visual display for the sighted operator, printer, tape cartridge or optional disc. At first glance, I assumed its operation would be extremely complicated, but I quickly found it was actually quite simple and required no technical skill for the operator. The requested name, or a portion of it, is typed on the keyboard and the Talking Telephone Directory responds vocally with the telephone number corresponding to the name, and will, if desired, spell aloud the name. If the machine should question any entry, it verbally prompts the operator for more information. All this occurs in about six seconds with a tape cartridge or less than two seconds if optional disc is used. The average manual retrieval time from name input to number output for a sighted operator is 16 to 18 seconds. Surprisingly, its storage capacity is up to 14,000 names per tape and can be expanded to accommodate over one million names by simply adding cartridges or disc drivers. Additionally, the system provides the capability of duplicating an existing directory for backup purposes, a feature advantageous for the maintenance of multi-work-station systems. In other words, its capability is almost limitless, for it can be programmed to handle a multiplicity of varied information requiring words, individual letters, and numbers: Numeric Speech/Spell Speech. The Talking Telephone Directory was initially installed at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, and daily the blind operators are surpassing the sighted information operators in number of calls handled per hour. It is my firm conviction that many more blind and visually impaired persons will now be competitive and in a position to increase earning potential through use of the Talking Telephone Directory, which, incidentally, can be purchased, rented or leased. Anyone interested in more specific information may contact one of the following: Carl Foley, Foleys Low Vision Aids, 1357 E. David Road, Kettering, OH 45429; phone (513) 294-2433; Maryland Computer Services, Inc., 101 Thomas Street, Bel Air, MD 21014, phone (301) 838-8888. ***** ** Florida One-Stop Service -- Attack on Brademas Two years ago, the State of Florida launched a plan to further evolve and expand upon the concept of the umbrella agency in the provision of related governmental services. The umbrella agency concept is the consolidation of related and correlative services into a large, single department for the purpose of administration. Its justification is efficiency and reduction of costs. Legislation was introduced in the Florida Legislature creating a Department of Health and Rehabilitation Services which included, among other programs, services for the aging, mental retardation, vocational rehabilitation, and services for blind and visually impaired persons. The plan not only consolidated programs for purposes of administration, but also for purposes of service delivery through district offices. In other words, the plan essentially created a one-stop service agency. What advocates of such schemes fail to reveal is the fact that an indispensable ingredient is the consolidation, also, of all funding into one common pot. Therein is contained, perhaps, the greatest defect in the system: Who gets the lion's share of the pot? The answer is, the largest and strongest group. The Florida affiliate of the American Council of the Blind coordinated solid opposition among agencies and organizations and succeeded in having services for blind persons transferred to the Department of Education, thus preserving the integrity of the service delivery system and funding for programs for blind persons. After the first year of operation of the Florida umbrella plan, the comptroller of Florida declared it to be a financial debacle. The Federal Rehabilitation Act requires that funds for basic vocational rehabilitation distributed to the states shall be administered by a state agency which is a separate and identifiable unit with a designated head, having top-level placement in the governmental structure. The Florida plan is in violation of the Federal law in this regard. Florida requested a waiver from HEW, which· was denied. The State of Florida is now challenging in the courts this provision of the Rehabilitation Act as being unconstitutional. Management experts look upon the plan as a great experiment to improve what is wrong with our system of government. There is growing support for the plan among administrators of social-service programs. Some political observers contend that Federal resistance to the Florida scheme is simply the handiwork of John Brademas, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Select Education. John Brademas is the staunchest supporter and protector in Congress today of rehabilitation and education programs for handicapped children and adults. On countless occasions in recent years, it has been the firm conviction and able hand of John Brademas that have saved such programs from those who would destroy them. ***** ** Favorable Unemployment Compensation Decision for Blind Claimant In January, the Superior Court of Benton County, Washington, ruled in favor of a blind claimant for unemployment compensation. The claimant had voluntarily quit his job because he no longer had transportation to and from his residence, which was ten miles from his work. The State Employment Security Department and a commissioner denied his claim for compensation because he was "not available for work." It was undisputed that the claimant was actively seeking work, but only within walking distance of his residence, described as a radius of three miles. The judge found that the claimant had met the burden of showing that public or private transportation, carpools, family transportation, or a ride with a co-worker were not available. The Court ruled that the claimant was "available for work" and was entitled to unemployment compensation. Attorney Arnold Sadler, charter member of the American Council of the Blind, referred this matter to the National Office, thereby permitting ACB to be of service. Nancy E. Bunting represented the claimant, with able research assistance provided by Attorney Alan Kaplan of Washington, D.C., an ACB consultant. ***** ** Action on Employment of Handicapped Persons In the Federal Government By Reese Robrahn As previously reported in The Braille Forum, the United States Civil Service Commission during September, 1977, published a Proposed Rule for discrimination complaints by handicapped employees and applicants for employment with the Federal Government. While the rule as proposed was very weak and wholly inadequate, the fact that a rule of any kind was being published represented an absolute turn-around from the position of former administrations, who had insisted that there was no authority for the promulgation of a rule under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act. Reese Robrahn of the American Council of the Blind and Debby Kaplan of the Center for Disability Rights organized an ad hoc Coalition on Employment of Handicapped Persons in the Federal Government, consisting of representatives of 25 to 30 advocacy and membership organizations of handicapped people. This Coalition has convened every two or three weeks at the ACB offices to identify issues, develop solutions and strategies, and to organize itself into work groups, The coalition developed its own proposed rule, which was submitted to the Civil Service Commission through Commissioner Ersa Poston and the Commission's chief General Counsel. On March 2, the second and revised version of the proposed non-discrimination complaint procedure rule for handicapped individuals was signed by the Civil Service Commission, and a copy of the proposal has reached the ACB offices. A public hearing on the rule will be held by the Commission to hear additional comments on March 9, and the final rule will be published shortly thereafter. The new proposal is a vast improvement over the original, but it falls short of meeting the requests and recommendations of the ad hoc Coalition. The Commission holds fast to its decision that there can be no remedy for recovery of back pay for applicants for employment, only for employees. It also holds fast to its decision that there is no private or individual right of action under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, or the 1948 act prohibiting discrimination against physically handicapped employees, except as may be available under general jurisdictional laws. The Commission elected not to accede to the request of the Coalition that the procedure should be made retroactive to the effective date of the Rehabilitation Act, September 26, 1973, but instead chose to make it retroactive for one year next preceding the publication of the final rule, provided that any complaint arising during that year must be filed within 90 days after the publication of the rule. And last, the new rule does not contain a section on what constitutes discrimination or what kinds of practices are discriminatory. The new version of the rule does contain a section on pre-employment inquiry and employment criteria such as testing, and also a section of reasonable accommodation. One paragraph of this section, enumerating what reasonable accommodation may include, states: "appropriate provision of readers and interpreters (within existing authority)." In our opinion, the parenthetical phrase is limiting of what constitutes reasonable accommodation in the provision of readers for blind persons and interpreters for deaf persons. In other words, reasonable accommodation requires the provision of readers and interpreters as a matter of course under the law and should not be restricted by what has been authorized by the Civil Service Commission Personnel Bulletins in the past. A strong effort will be made to have this parenthetical phrase deleted from the rule. Readers who wish to have a copy of the final rule when published may obtain the same upon request from the ACB National Office. In addition to its development of the rule for discrimination complaint procedure, the Coalition has now completed an affirmative action rule for the employment of handicapped people in the Federal Government which, if adopted, will vastly increase and improve opportunities for such employment and will provide statistical information to facilitate meaningful monitoring and evaluation of the effort of each agency to implement its affirmative action plan. The American Council, together with several other organizations, will soon petition the Civil Service Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, jointly, for promulgation of the rule. In the event that there results an adverse decision, court action is contemplated. The Braille Forum also reported in its March, 1978, issue that the Department of Labor had announced that it would soon publish a rule requiring Federal contractors to meet numbers goals and timetables in the employment of racial minorities and women, but that the rule would not include handicapped individuals. A strong protest to this decision has been made to the Secretary of the Department of Labor, which is being circulated and aired in Departmental circles for comment and reconsideration. Meanwhile, the promised rule has not yet been published. At a meeting of the Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees (this committee is established under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act), it was announced that the committee had recommended to the Civil Service Commission that employees hired under the "excepted service" -- that is to say, under the non-competitive selective placement procedure -- shall be admitted to Civil Service career status after satisfactory service of two years. A high percentage of handicapped persons are presently employed on this basis with the Federal Civil Service Commission, and admissions to career status at present are all too infrequent under the existing system. ***** ** William T. Snyder Executive Director of ALL The appointment of William T. Snyder of Baltimore as the new Executive Director of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL) has been announced by Durward K. McDaniel, Chairperson. Mr. Snyder's duties begin March 20, 1978. He was Maryland's director of planning for the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals and has continued to serve as an elected state director on a national panel which has prepared the three-volume "Final Report on the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals." He has served as the state director of the Arthritis Foundation for a period of more than eight years; as regional director for Maryland, Delaware, and Southern Pennsylvania of the Kidney Foundation for over seventeen years; and as special Mid-Atlantic Consultant on Community Relations (including fund­raising) for Radio Free Europe for 25 years. Mr. Snyder will be working actively throughout the country and in Washington. The Affiliated Leadership League was formed in 1976 as a voluntary, non­profit coalition of organizations of and for the blind, both public and private, seeking to advance rights and services for blind and visually impaired persons. It currently has 51 member organizations. ALL's National Delegate Assembly will be held in San Antonio, Texas, June 30 and July 1, 1978. ***** ** Negative Legislation on Vending Facilities By Durward K. McDaniel Blind vendors and their friends need to be vigilant about H.R. 709 by Congressman G. William Whitehurst of Virginia, which is now pending. This bill would reduce the effect and coverage of the Randolph-Sheppard Act in two important ways: It would change the existing liberal definition of Federal property by adding the following words: "but only such building, land, or other real property as is accessible to the general public; ... " It would also amend the definition of a vending facility by adding the following words: "(but excluding cafeterias and vending machines therein operated by the General Services Administration primarily for. Federal employees) ..." It has come to our attention that some Federal departments, particularly the Department of Defense, and employees’ associations are beginning to show interest in these restrictive amendments. No hearings have been scheduled on this bill by Congressman John Brademas, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on Education, but we suggest that you write to him to discourage consideration of this bill by his committee. His address is: 1236 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. For the most part, State Licensing Agencies are still waiting for income from vending machines operated on Federal property. The Randolph-Sheppard Amendments became law on December 7, 1974. The Amendments provide that Federal departments and agencies collect and disburse such vending machine income. The Randolph-Sheppard Rules which were published March 23, 1977 provide that such disbursements are to be made quarterly, but in most instances the disbursements have not been made. The law also provides that such departments and agencies are to make annual reports of their collection and disbursement of vending machine income, but they have not been made. The General Services Administration interprets the Randolph-Sheppard Act to be effective for vending machine income purposes, but only under contracts for the operation of such machines which were made since January 2, 1975. Those who are displeased with the intended effect of this law will probably seek to have it amended in several ways. Those of us who are determined to use the law to create more job opportunities for blind persons will probably have to resort to litigation. ***** ** Open Invitation to Coalition Assembly The American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities is extending an open invitation to its annual Delegate Assembly to be held in Washington, April 29 to May 2. ACCD is an organization of organizations, with sixty national, state, and local members. Run by disabled people themselves, it has assumed a major role in promoting equal opportunity and civil rights for America's 36 million citizens with disabilities. According to Marvin Caplan, Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, "ACCD has been a crucial force in making the Federal Government and the nation aware of the rights of disabled people." At its last Delegate Assembly, representatives debated and set Coalition policy on major issues in transportation, housing, employment, and civil rights. "Each of these mandates are translated into action," says ACCD director Frank G. Bowe. Last spring the Coalition led sit-ins at HEW's national headquarters and across the country. These peaceful demonstrations led to the signature of strong 504 Regulations by HEW Secretary Joseph A. Califano, Jr. In 1977, ACCD also helped bring about new gains in accessible public transit and a coordinated Federal policy on housing for disabled people. At this year's Delegate Assembly, delegates will debate, among other matters, future action on Sections 501, 503, and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; welfare reform; national health insurance and health care; jobs and vocational education. "The positions we take in May," Bowe says, "will not only reflect what disabled leaders from around the country are thinking. It will influence what all of us will be doing for the next year." Any individual or representative of an organization of and for disabled people, corporation, institution, or government agency is invited to attend the Delegate Assembly as a participant/observer. Bowe calls it an "opportunity to gage the direction of the movement, to measure the issues and meet the people who will be making them." For further information about the Delegate Assembly program and for registration materials, please write Rose Ann Jackson, ACCD, 1246 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, or call her at (202) 785-4265. ***** ** Sub-Minimum Wages and Handicapped Workers By Durward K. McDaniel The Fair Labor Standards Act, which was first enacted in 1938, permits the payment of sub-minimum wages to handicapped workers under some conditions and standards. The United States Department of Labor issues certificates to employers authorizing payment of such sub-minimum wages. This practice is best known in our field of interest because of its applicability to workshops and work activity centers. It is not generally known that a workshop cannot pay less than 50% of the minimum wage, and that the work activity center can pay less than 50% of the minimum wage. The original formula for average annual earnings in work activity centers was developed by assuming a 1,500-hour work year (30 hours a week for 50 weeks) and average earnings of 25% of the minimum wage. Effective January 1, 1978, the minimum wage went from $2.30 to $2.65 per hour. Accordingly, the Department of Labor has required that the sub­minimum wage be increased in the same proportion, approximately 15%. For the year ended September 30, 1977, National Industries for the Blind reports that the 83 workshops for the blind associated with NIB paid an average wage of blind workers of $2.67 per hour. The report also shows that total wages to blind workers are slightly more than $15 million for the year and that fringe benefits were $2,876,000. The Department of Labor reports that there are about 3,000 workshops and work activity centers in the United States which have sub-minimum certificates. A high proportion of such agencies were established for the mentally retarded. Several of the workshops associated with National Industries for the Blind have work activity centers, but most of them do not. The Department of Labor issued new regulations on work activity centers on February 10, 1978, because of the increase in the minimum wage. Because so little is known about work activity centers, we quote the following portion of the regulations: "525.2 -- Definitions: ... "(c) 'Work Activity Center' shall mean a workshop, or a physically separated department of workshop having an identifiable program, separate supervision and records, planned and designed exclusively to provide therapeutic activities for handicapped workers whose physical or mental impairment is so severe as to make their productive capacity inconsequential. Therapeutic activities include custodial activities (such as activities where the focus is on teaching the basic skills of living), and any purposeful activities so long as work production is not the main purpose. No sheltered workshop or separate department thereof shall qualify as a work activity center if the average productivity per handicapped worker is $1,400 ($1,550 effective January 1, 1979, $1,650 effective January 1, 1980, and $1,775 effective January 1, 1981) or more per year as measured by dividing the total annual earned income of the work program, less the cost of purchased materials used, by the average number of clients in the work program, or, if wage payments are primarily at piece rates, the average annual labor rate per client is $1,000 ($1,100 effective January 1, 1979, $1,175 effective January 1, 1980, and $1,275 effective January 1, 1981) or more as measured by dividing the total annual wages of the clients by the average number of clients in the work program." Congressman Philip Burton of California has introduced H.R. 8104, which would prohibit the payment of sub-minimum wages to blind persons. Hearings on H.R. 8104 are contemplated this spring, perhaps as early as April or May. ***** ** Some Real Hope for Enforcement Of Civil Rights in Education By Reese Robrahn On March 1, 1978, the Board of Education of New York City was notified by the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare that its Federal funds would be discontinued or payments of the same deferred because of its discriminatory practices against students. It is estimated by an HEW official that New York City schools receive approximately 200 million Federal dollars annually. The discriminatory practices of the school system were outlined as: failure to place handicapped students in classes promptly and in the least restrictive educational setting, and denial of the right of such students to participation in a full school day; placing black students in racially isolated classes; failure to deal with the language problems of Hispanic students; and imposing greater and more strict disciplinary measures against black and Hispanic students. The Secretary of HEW, Joseph A. Califano, Jr., made a public statement upon assuming his duties, to the effect that sanctions would be imposed against school districts which were found to be in violation of the civil rights laws. The Carter Administration, however, since that time has been extremely reluctant to take the final step by imposing the sanction of withholding funds. Great pressure and public criticism from civil rights organizations and minority groups have perhaps now produced some real action on enforcement of the laws. Parents and friends of children who are blind or otherwise handicapped are urged to demand that their schools fully abide by the requirements of the law in providing a free arid appropriate education for such students in the least restrictive educational setting or environment. This is the mandate of the laws now, and not sometime in the future when funds or personnel are available. ***** ** Offered Again -- Methods of Teaching without Sight (Reprinted from National Association of Blind Teachers Newsletter, January 1978) The Illinois Association of Blind Teachers, chapter of the National Association of Blind Teachers, was instrumental in developing a special course of study at the graduate level for blind persons who aspire to be teachers. It was offered at Illinois State University, Normal, during the summers of 1974 and 1976. Plans are being developed to present the course a third time in the summer of 1978. The course was designed to test specialized methodology developed by successful blind teachers and to experiment with the development of new approaches to classroom situations. Each participant is required to actually teach in a supervised situation. Successful blind teachers who have earned a national reputation participate in. the course as guest lecturers. Students should take this course prior to their actual practice-teaching experience. Most teacher colleges do not have enough experience with blind students to provide adequate supervision, instruction, and supportive direction to give the student, particularly the totally blind student, a complete teaching experience. This special course in methodology is designed to give the blind student a background that will make his regular practice-teaching experience meaningful. One of the most gratifying benefits from the special program was the assistance given to newly blinded teachers who were able to return to their former classrooms. The law in Illinois prevents the dismissal of a teacher solely on the basis of his or her blindness. A summertime experience for the newly blinded teachers was enough to give them sufficient self-confidence to remain in the teaching profession, and support to the school administration in their district to cooperate. Persons wanting more information about the course should write to: Dr. A. James Nezol, Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761. ***** ** Texas Vendors Get Results On November 22, 1977, the Texas Commission for the Blind opened a vending facility in a state building in San Antonio. Earlier in the year, the agency in charge of the state building had refused to agree to the operation of a vending facility by a blind vendor because it preferred a buffeteria service then being provided by a commercial vending company. The Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Texas decided to make a test case of the San Antonio location. They knew that the state law was on their side, but it had never been tested in court. In a series of letters, RSVT President, Gene Heisler, made it clear that their national attorney, Durward McDaniel, and local counsel were prepared to file suit unless the issue was favorably resolved. He was convincing enough to produce a telegram from the state agency's general counsel to the National Office of the American Council of the Blind, saying: "Litigation unnecessary," and naming the agency official who would negotiate the matter. The Texas Commission reports that a blind vendor is conducting a good business at this location, grossing about one-third more per day than the former buffeteria operation. This success story was the result of the determined efforts of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Texas and the active cooperation of a progressive licensing agency, the Texas Commission for the Blind. ***** ** Equal Treatment of Handicapped Citizens in the President's Reorganization of Civil Rights Employment Programs At a special ceremony in the East Room of the White House, February 23, President Carter signed his reorganization proposal for affirmative action and employment civil rights programs in the Federal establishment. The plan was then transmitted to the Congress, which must veto it within thirty days; otherwise, the plan becomes effective. The plan is fully responsive to the recommendations made jointly by the American Council of the Blind, the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America, and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. Thus, affirmative action compliance and enforcement under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 will be transferred from the Civil Service Commission to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as of October 1, 1978, together with affirmative action programs for other minorities and protected groups. Likewise, the employment aspects of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act will undergo the same transfer. Under the proposal, affirmative action in the employment of handicapped individuals by Federal contractors will remain in the Department of Labor, along with affirmative action Federal contract programs for the other minorities and protected groups, but will undergo review by 1980 to consider transferal to the EOC at that time. The American Council regards this equal treatment of handicapped citizens in the proposed reorganization as another important victory in securing equal standing for handicapped citizens and equal commitment in the enforcement of our civil rights. Attendance at this special ceremony was by invitation, and Reese Robrahn of ACB and Debby Kaplan of the Center for Disability Rights were the only two handicapped persons present at the ceremony. Reese Robrahn reports that there was one person who gained admission without an invitation -- his son, Phil, a 12-year-old who successfully acquired a supply of cookies from the waiter serving after the ceremony, so that he could share White House cookies with his sister and friends. ***** ** ASCAP to Set Up Handicapped Network The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), America's most renowned music licensing agency, has announced the implementation of a plan conceived jointly with the Louis Braille Foundation, national New York-headquartered, non-profit organization. Effective immediately, ASCAP will begin screening applications for part-time, temporary employment as media monitors from qualified handicapped individuals. Applicants accepted for participation in this program will be given periodic monitoring assignments which may include the logging and identification of music on radio, TV, and in other entertainment media. Application forms are available from Department E, Louis Braille Foundation, 215 Park Avenue S., New York, NY 10003. Especially needed are monitors in these areas: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico. ***** ** Frances Koestler Named Editor of Matilda Ziegler Magazine The appointment of Frances A. Koestler as editor of the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind has been announced by Helen Z. Steinkraus, President of the publishing company which issues the monthly magazine in braille and recorded form for free distribution to blind persons in the United States and abroad. Mrs. Koestler is the first woman to hold the post of editor in the 71 years since the magazine was founded in 1907 by Mrs. William Ziegler, who financed its publication during her lifetin1e and provided for its perpetuation through an endowment. "I am particularly pleased," Mrs. Steinkraus said, "that our new editor will bring to the readership not only an extensive background of editorial and journalistic experience, but also exceptional familiarity with the world of blindness. Her recent book, 'The Unseen Minority,' is acknowledged to be the definitive social history of this nation's treatment of and services for its blind citizens." The magazine, which features news and comment of special interest to blin people, also offers a balanced selection of articles, book excerpts, fiction, and poetry reprinted with permission from a variety of books and periodicals. Its objective has remained unchanged since its founding: to offer blind readers a mix of information, ideas, and entertainment comparable to what is available to sighted people. Between 15,000 and 20,000 readers share the 8,000 copies currently produced -- 6,000 in grade 2 Braille, and 2,000 in 8 1/3 r.p.m. recorded disc. More than 1,100 of the braille readers live in foreign lands. A free subscription to either the braille or recorded edition of the magazine is available to any blind person. Subscription requests should be addressed to Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, 20 W. 17th Street, New York, NY 10011. ***** ** Conference of Low-Vision People -- New Special Interest in ACB On July 24 and 25, the Council of Citizens with Low Vision will hold its first annual conference, immediately prior to the American Council of the Blind convention in Salt Lake City. It plans to hold regional conferences this spring to acquaint interested persons with its anticipated functions and to involve people in its activities. The CCLV is a national advocacy membership organization of persons with low vision, whose purposes are: to establish the right of people with low vision to make full use of their vision through all necessary aids, services and technology; to provide a mechanism through which low-vision people can express their individual interests, needs and preferences; to educate the public, the professional, and low-vision people themselves as to the capabilities, potentialities, and needs of such persons; to establish outreach programs to ensure that all individuals with low vision have access to necessary services; to promote needed research to prevent blindness and improve maximum utilization of sight; to support the development of pre-service and in-service professional training programs to expand comprehensive low-vision services throughout the country. The Council of Citizens with Low vision will be a special-interest affiliate of ACB. It will have its own by-laws, its own officers and directors, and will plan and conduct its own national and regional conferences. As an ACB affiliate, CCLV members will be entitled to participate in ACB conventions as full voting members. Membership applications may be obtained from Marvin Brotman, Treasurer, Suite 506, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Annual dues are $3. The National Committee of the CCLV is composed of Samuel M. Genensky, Ph.D., (Santa Monica, California), Chairperson; Elizabeth M. Lennon (Kalamazoo, Michigan), Co-Chairperson; Richard Jackson (Blauvelt, New York), Vice Chairperson; Marvin Brotman (Newton, Massachusetts), Treasurer; and James Olsen (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Marie Morrison (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Committee members. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon A recent issue of THE SEEING EYE GUIDE reports that Norma Farrar Krajczar, former field representative for Seeing Eye, was recently named Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. Mrs. Krajczar, who is herself blind, will head a staff of 300 and will supervise the State's programs for vocational rehabilitation, education, home services, and health services for 13,000 persons. ------ Chris Emley, Corresponding Secretary of ACB of California and member of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, was recently named to the Board of Directors of the Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley, California. Chris will act as the Society's volunteer resource person. From THE WHITE CANE BULLETIN (Fla.) -- The Florida Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, in cooperation with volunteer narrators, has initiated Tapes for Isolated Seniors in Seminole County. Approximately 50 tapes have been recorded, dealing with information necessary to the welfare of older persons, such as health care, Social Security, home safety, etc. DISABLED USA reports that recently, new rules went into effect, designed to make inter-city bus travel more efficient and enjoyable for handicapped people. The rules prohibit carriers from denying transportation to any person on the basis of a handicap, physical disability, blindness, or because a person cannot board the bus without assistance. Carriers must provide assistance to the handicapped in boarding a bus and in handling luggage. The rules are the result of a year-long investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission into the adequacy of bus services. They will apply to all of the approximately 500 bus companies in the United States, with the exception of those with special charter licenses. -- In recent experiments to test the acceptability of broiler ovens, Consumer Reports checked 13 models to see what problems might exist for persons with a variety of disabilities, including persons who are legally blind but who still have some vision. The findings are available without charge by writing Department BH, Consumers Union, 256 Washington Street, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550. Ask for "Boilers for the Handicapped." From HOOSIER STARLIGHT -- Gary Kelly, a 26-year-old blind engineering researcher on the faculty of Georgia Tech, is devoting his inventive effort to developing helpful devices for physically disabled persons. Among these are a. method to test and standardize ramps for wheelchairs, a device aimed at enabling blind diabetics to measure sugar in urine, a device for automatic elevators that would enable blind persons to know when they reach a certain floor, and a tactile display technique involving a braille system for use with computers and similar equipment. Maryland seafood recipes using clams, lobster, oysters, crabs, and fish are now available in braille, without charge, from Braille Seafood Recipes, Department of Economic and Community Development, 2525 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401. According to THE STANDARD BEARER (National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped), the "Revised Standards for Function and Structure" contain a Consumers Bill of Rights. This Bill of Rights defines a consumer as a person served, a member of an organization of the blind, or anyone who represents a consumer by relationship or delegation. The rights include the right to be recognized, the right to know about matters of concern to the consumer, the right to participate in developing policies and services of agencies for the blind, the right to prompt service, the right to privacy, and the right to appeal procedures or decisions to which the consumer objects -- NAC recently accredited one new agency and re­accredited four others. Newly accredited was the Alabama Department for Adult Blind and Deaf, Talladega. Re-accredited were Recording for the Blind, the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, Evansville (Indiana) Association for the Blind, and South Dakota Services to the Visually Impaired. The current number of accredited agencies and schools is 67. The Office for Handicapped Individuals has published a 72-page booklet which highlights the most important features of a selection of regulations with broad implications for handicapped children and adults issued during calendar years 1975-1976. The booklet is available free from the Office for Handicapped Individuals, Room 338D Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201. The American Foundation for the Blind is sponsoring a national conference on services to visually handicapped infants and pre-school children, to be held May 22-25 at the Hotel Leamington in Minneapolis. Entitled "Help Me Become Everything I Can Be," the conference reflects the Foundation's continuing commitment to the provision of specialized services for visually handicapped infants and pre-school children and their families which are so important to their later educational, psychological, and social development. For further information, write Marion V. Wurster, Conference Coordinator, American Foundation for the Blind, 15 W. 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. Jenny and Bob Mahoney, both blind, have been in the mail order business for the past 20 years. They wish to announce Mahoney's Gift Shop and offer a braille catalog of many beautiful gift and novelty items. To receive the braille catalog, mail $1, or for a cassette tape $3, to: Mahoney's Gift House, 1285 Carriageway N., East Lansing, MI 48823. According to NEWSWEEK for October 10, 1977, California has passed a law, effective January 1, 1978, removing the blind from the category of those who are too "incompetent, infirm, or decrepit" to become jurors. Although a few blind people have served on juries in Michigan, New Jersey, Utah, Colorado, and Washington, most states still bar blind citizens from jury service. From CAB VIEWPOINT (Cincinnati Association for the Blind) -- Cincinnati will soon join Cleveland, Youngstown, and Columbus in providing radio reading service to its blind residents. The service, which plans to go on the air in the spring, will initially broadcast four hours a day and will be operated entirely by volunteers. A recent issue of the NBA BULLETIN (National Braille Association) describes a new writing technique called "Pen-In-Script," which is being promoted by Lions Clubs of The Netherlands. The technique uses a small, rigid plastic template with 20 regular notched squares in nine lines. The writer guides the pen in the squares to make letters, one letter per square. Attached to the template are a plastic sheet, a sheet of carbon paper, and a sheet of regular paper on which the message is written. The plastic sheet enables the writer to keep an embossed copy of the writing for his own reference. Further information is available from Lions International, P.O. Box 148, Doorn, The Netherlands. ***** ** 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 ** 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 ###