The Braille Forum Vol. XVI January, 1978 No. 7 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 Associate Editors Notice to Subscribers ALL-O-GRAMS on Flexible Disc Rehabilitation Teaching and the Low-Vision Client, by Stephen H. Hoyt Save This Date in '78 -- ACB National Convention, by Grant Mack A Note from the Publications Board, by Harold Dachtler National Women's Conference Recognizes Disabled Women, by Kathy Megivern Robert McCann Retires, by Joanna Cargill Reduced-Rate Air Transportation, by Durward K. McDaniel Update on Aftermath of the White House Conference, by Reese Robrahn NAC Elects Directors and Officers Hyde Park Corner: The Human Element in Adapting to Braille Efficiency, by John Buckley What Do You Do When You Read The Braille Forum? Braille Authority Fall Meeting Update on Vendors' Litigation on HEW Rules Job Openings in Political Science and Public Administration ACB Affiliate News: Connecticut Council Fall Convention, by Anna Godrie Vermont Council Convention, by Al Nichols 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 ** 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 ***** ** 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. Send items intended for publication 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 ACB Treasurer J. Edward Miller, 1120 Coddington Place, Charlotte, NC 28211. 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. ***** ** ALL-O-GRAMS on Flexible Disc ALL-O-GRAMS, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America, will be included as a supplement to the flexible disc edition of The Braille Forum, beginning with this issue. Extra copies of this January disc are available upon request for readers currently receiving the braille, large type, and cassette editions. If you wish to receive the recorded edition of ALL-O-GRAMS regularly, please write to Editor, The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620, and ask that your name be added to the mailing list for the flexible disc edition of The Braille Forum. If at the same time you wish to discontinue the edition you are now receiving, please be sure to include that information, also, when you write. ***** ** Rehabilitation Teaching and the Low Vision Client By Stephen H. Hoyt ABSTRACT: The author, a visually impaired Rehabilitation Teacher, has devoted much of his time since 1967 to researching optical aids for use by his low-vision clients. The result has been a gratifying experience both for the author and for well over two thousand low-vision people. The article tells how any concerned Rehabilitation Teacher can do the same. Has the profession of Rehabilitation Teaching progressed into a whole new concept in the past few years? Nearing its one hundredth year as a profession in the United States it seems to have "come of age" in the recent past and is now a far more capable, innovative and aggressive discipline. It has now become truly a profession — with more progress to come. Coupled with this progress is the trend toward segregation of low-vision consumers from "blind" (meaning totally blind) consumers. We now see the term "blind and visually impaired" far more frequently. In earlier days Rehabilitation Teachers (Home Teachers, in those days) were usually totally blind, themselves, and little or no special consideration was given those clients with useful vision. Worse yet, little or no supervision or guidance was given the Home Teacher who was placed in the field to sink or swim so the totally blind Home Teacher usually had no way to discover what services might be helpful to the low-vision client. But this, too, is changing. The position of Rehabilitation Teacher is no longer, (or should not be!) a sheltered workshop. Supervision of Rehabilitation Teachers is gradually becoming a recognized area of over-all agency administration. What is hard to understand is why it has taken so long to "discover" the low­vision people. There have been people with impaired vision around as long as there have been totally blind people yet here we were as late as 1977, forming advocacy groups on their behalf. It's incredible but perhaps no more so than the fact that it was only a few years ago that we began to discover that the blind could do anything more than sell pencils on street corners. Now that we have learned that more than seventy percent of all our clients have some degree of useful vision -- the visually impaired as separate from the blind -- it is vitally important that we think in their terms. In fact it is advisable, on this basis, that the Rehabilitation Teacher be, himself or herself, visually impaired rather than blind. It is easier for a visually impaired person to adapt to total blindness than for the blind person to adapt to partial sight, especially if he has never had sight. The Rehabilitation Teacher should be hired as a professional and it is incumbent upon supervisory staff that he or she be given an understanding of the needs of all the clients. There are many devices and techniques especially useful to the visually impaired client but the one most useful to him is the optical aid — the magnifier. It is the primary purpose of this article to acquaint the Rehabilitation Teacher and the supervisor with a new addition to the service which can be of inestimable value to the majority of clients. What is it that our low-vision client wants most? He wants to see! If he has always had impaired vision, the ability to see better by reason of a magnifier can be helpful in school, in employment and in many other ways. If he has recently lost part of his vision or is gradually losing it, he wants to regain what he can of his former ability to see. In either case, the visually impaired client should be given the opportunity to become less dependent on others and gain a great satisfaction for himself. The need to see in school is obvious, especially now that (fortunately) it is no longer considered necessary to send visually impaired children to special schools. To cite just one example of an employment situation: a job requiring seeing certain dials the employee could not read -- until he got the right magnifier. Or consider the things the homemaker needs most to see, such as labels on food containers, the stove dials, the phone book, the checkbook, the mail, or the daily paper. What satisfaction has come to so many people when they could, again, read the daily paper or their Sunday School lesson! There is nothing new in the knowledge that visually impaired people can benefit from simple magnifiers even though many agencies serving the blind still fail to recognize it as a client need. What is new is that this can be and should be a primary area of assistance provided by Rehabilitation Teachers. For nearly ten years the author, now retired, provided this assistance to at least two thousand visually impaired clients with only the most gratifying results and at no cost to the recipients. For those Rehabilitation Teachers who want to give their clients the best service they can, here is a challenging new area of assistance that can be given, actually, without increasing the burden on the Rehabilitation Teacher. If Rehabilitation Teachers were to spend just part of the time they now spend teaching braille to their partially sighted clients -- if they devoted that time, instead, to demonstrating optical aids -- they would then be providing a realistic and useful service. And the cost of the optical aid provided would probably match the cost of braille materials otherwise consumed. Nothing in the whole spectrum of Rehabilitation Teaching skills has been so overplayed as the teaching of braille; and teaching braille to those who can read with a magnifier is, at best, a counterproductive exercise in wastefulness. There is another factor involved here. In the case of the client who is losing his vision (by far the majority of the visually impaired) the introduction of the idea that he must now learn braille can be a devastating, traumatic experience. How much more constructive it would be if that person were provided a means of restoring, in effect, his lost vision. The procedure involved is simple. In fact, simplicity is the heart and soul of it. The Rehabilitation Teacher need only carry along a selection of magnifiers of four strengths: 3X, 5X, 7X, and 10X. The devices recommended are the best available based on testing of practically every magnifier made. The visual acuity range covered by these magnifiers is from 20/100 to 20/800. This is the range in which most low-vision people fall and, for those whose vision is below 20/800, there is no practical device made. (One exception: The closed-circuit television devices which are marvelous -- provided you have nine hundred to eighteen hundred dollars to spend.) The 3X magnifier is a single lens which can be carried in the pocket or on a chain around the neck, to be always handy. The 5X, 7X, and 10X magnifiers are dual-lens systems with a built-in light. These are stand magnifiers which can be rested on the material to be read, thus avoiding the necessity for careful adjustment, and the light is a very important addition. The Rehabilitation Teacher should have a supply of each so that a suitable magnifier can be immediately given to the client. They are not expensive. In addition to the magnifiers, the Rehabilitation Teacher carries a test card which the client uses to determine his approximate functional visual acuity (near) in his home setting and, from that, the magnification best suited to him. There is no acceptable medical evidence to indicate that the use of a simple magnifier is harmful. If, in the testing of a magnifier, a client experiences discomfort, the procedure simply stops there; but this seldom occurs. Usually, there is little need for training. Some instruction is, of course, necessary but this takes only a few minutes. In fact, the whole procedure takes only a few minutes -- and what satisfaction results! As one client put it: "I've been using and looking for magnifiers all my life, but I never saw one as good as this! " (a 5X lighted magnifier costing six dollars). Or, "Why, I can read with that!" This discussion of optical aids is limited to reading aids since this is the first desire of the low-vision client. No attempt is made to discuss telescopic aids for mobility. This is a highly technical area which must be left to the top professionals. It is unfortunate that so few of them have been willing to venture into this area. However, we refer the reader to the New York Association for the Blind (Lighthouse) for several very good telescopic devices for use in the classroom or the theatre. There has been little change in either the design or variety of optical aids in the past 10 to 15 years. The great majority of the devices listed in an excellent publication of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness in 1966, revised in 1971, are still in use. This does not mean that research aimed at improving them has stopped; it has not stopped. What this does mean is that the choice of magnifiers available to the low-vision people has been "standardized" for a long time. Our current knowledge of optics simply finds no way to improve upon them. For this reason, then, the process of screening out the very best of all of these and successively narrowing down the collection to the half-dozen or so of the easiest-to-use, easiest-to-demonstrate, lowest-cost devices has paid off in a totally successful program extending over the years. A program capable of becoming available to all who need it -- now. Much has been written over the past thirty years about the value of optical aids to visually impaired people and how this help can be best provided. The more we read, however, the more we are convinced that the Rehabilitation Teacher holds the key to service delivery -- Vocational counselors, too. Anyone who is in frequent contact with the clients. In the late forties, medical opinion reversed itself from the notion that residual vision must be "saved," to the fact that such vision should be used to the fullest extent possible. In the years following, special clinics were established in which low-vision people could obtain skilled assistance and a widening choice of optical aids. Among others, The American Foundation for the Blind and The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness made great contributions to this knowledge. In 1958 federal legislation was passed providing research and development grants to increase still further both knowledge and facilities. The 1971 White House Conference on Aging focused attention on, among other services, the need for expanded use of low-vision optical aids. Federal legislation passed in 1976 provided large sums of money for the training of personnel in low-vision and the New York Lighthouse now has an excellent on-going training program. Yet, with all this input there exist today fewer than one-hundred-fifty low-vision clinics in the entire country. Most of these are open only one or two days a week -- many less than that. There are a few ophthalmologists, and more optometrists, who are providing a low-vision service as a part of their practice. In 1974 it was estimated (by AFB) that some 2.5 million people in the United States would benefit from this service, with approximately two hundred fifty thousand new ones to be served each year. That was 1974 -- little has changed since then. There has been much writing and more discussion but little change in end results. It is the end results which concern us. We remain bogged down in technicalities. It is taking so long to harness the horse that there is no time left to ride -- like a waiter describing in mouth-watering detail all the items on the menu while you wait for him to take your order. In other words, here is an impossible task. When the question was put to one optometrist as to how all these people could be seen, the answer came back: "one at a time." Well-meaning as the effort is (and there is no question about that), it simply fails to recognize the enormity of the task with which it deliberately burdens itself. The problem is this: all of this effort is based on a highly sophisticated technique requiring trained specialists in various disciplines working as a team in the clinics or being encompassed in one person, in the case of the ophthalmologist or optometrist who includes this in this practice. The accessibility of such service is obviously extremely limited -- and the cost is understandably beyond the reach of all but few. The totally unsophisticated procedure outlined for the Rehabilitation Teacher may fall short, in some cases, but it is available. One observed result of the sophisticated procedure is that the device prescribed is often complicated enough that it ends up in a dresser-drawer. On the other hand, practically all of the simple magnifiers remain in constant use. So, to get the picture of what has been happening in this field over the past thirty years, consider this: suppose when the covered wagons started out to open up our vast land, the drivers had been told, "Wait until there are paved roads and automobiles!" The suggestion that Rehabilitation Teachers provide this assistance is in no way an infringement on the field of optometry. In fact, the vast majority of optometrists, as of this date, prefer to have nothing to do with special optical aids. Actually, the ideal service delivery system is within the optometric profession and, if it were conducted in the same manner as is here described for the Rehabilitation Tacher, it would prove to be profitable to them. But here, again, is the obstacle of the seeming need for stocking a wide variety of aids and taking the time required to demonstrate them all. This is an unrealistic approach, and those optometrists who have tried it have soon become discouraged. It is a fact that this detail could easily be left to a receptionist if the doctor did not want to devote his own time to it. However, since the doctors have generally declined, then this becomes an opportunity for the Rehabilitation Teacher. One advantage to the client, with this method, is that it is a home delivery and there is no cost. The client can still go in for a complete diagnosis of his eye condition if he wishes. Now, with his new magnifier, he can find the doctor's number in the phone book. The Rehabilitation Teachers therefore, spread as they are over the entire country, can open up this "vast land" and do it quickly, efficiently, and to the great pleasure of seven out of every ten of their clients. How many times have your clients told you that they have been told, with their last fitting with glasses, "There is nothing more we can do"? They still cannot see to read even large print but "there is nothing more." You have a great opportunity, in that situation, because you have the possibility of handing that person something with which he may even be able to read the label on a medicine bottle. Is this a challenge? It sure is! All we need, now, is the interest and motivation of the Rehabilitation Teachers and their supervisors. What we have suggested here is a program to supplement -- not replace -- the highly technical procedure. We acknowledge the need for their service; we hope they will acknowledge the need for ours. Information on sources, cost, technique and other details are available from the author. ***** ** Save This Date in '78 -- ACB National Convention By Grant Mack Plans are well under way for the 1978 national convention of the American Council of the Blind, which will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, the week of July 23-30. This time frame coincides with the Utah state holiday known as "Days of '47." The Convention Committee is trying its best to schedule the required meetings and still leave enough free time for you to catch the flavor and excitement of some of the Founders Day activities, and also to visit some of the world-renowned attractions that bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to Salt Lake City every year. On Monday morning, special arrangements have been made for convention-goers to view the three-hour-long historic parade, one of the three or four outstanding parades in the United States. Special arrangements have been made for a reviewing stand to be set up one-half block from the hotel, and the Telephone Pioneers have agreed to supply every person with a receiving set which will bring a complete description of the parade by a local radio announcer. The Convention Committee already has in hand confirmation of a special Tabernacle Choir concert on Thursday evening. This will be held in the famous Tabernacle, one-half block from the convention hotel. The Convention Committee is encountering much difficulty trying to choose which tours to set up. One committee member was heard to say: "This predicament is like a kid with five cents to spend in a candy shop: There are too many choices." How to choose when your choices are: a tour to the Great Salt Lake where you float like a cork; Park City, with a gondola ride to the top of Treasure Mountain, with dinner on top of the world; Lagoon -- a mini Disney Land -- a first-rate amusement park with pioneer village and an opera house as well; Sundance -- Robert Redford's resort in Provo Canyon, with nightly outdoor live plays after dinner; the Heber Creeper -- an old-time train ride with a steam locomotive that winds through beautiful Provo Canyon, stopping at Bridal Veil Falls where they have a tram ride to take you above the falls; Snowbird -- the year-round multi-million-dollar resort famous for its fantastic winter skiing and summer music festivals; a hike up the mountain to Timpanogos Cave, where there is a tour through cool limestone caverns with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations; or a Nature Trail hike through Provo Canyon, adapted with braille and sound to enhance the blind visitor's trek through the canyon!!! The response to the early pre-registration for the purpose of obtaining group travel rates has been good, and we encourage any of you planning to come and who are interested in minimizing transportation costs to send a letter of your intent to Mark McLean, 152 Hampton Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. We will be letting you know shortly after the first of the year with regard to group travel rates. In any event, start saving your nickels and dimes. You will not want to miss the 1978 ACB national convention. ***** ** A Note from the Publications Board By Harold Dachtler, Chairman A workshop dealing with matters related to the production of a newsletter or magazine will be sponsored by the Board of Publications at the 1978 national convention of the American Council of the Blind in Salt Lake City. The workshop is presently scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, July 25. Editing, producing, and distributing of publications will be the three major areas of consideration. Harriet Fielding, chairperson of the workshop, would appreciate hearing from anyone who has questions or suggestions which could contribute to the workshop content. Write to her at 1880 Pacific Avenue, No. 504, San Francisco, CA 94109. Have you considered receiving The Braille Forum on recorded flexible disc? It has several advantages for you. You do not have to return it. Its small size makes it easy to file. You will also be aiding in cutting production costs of the magazine. Back issues are available from the first disc edition last February to date. If you would like to receive The Braille Forum on flexible disc, or if you would like back issues of the disc, please write to the editor at 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. ***** ** National Women's Conference Recognizes Disabled Women By Kathy Megivern On January 14, 1975, Congress passed Public Law 94-167 which authorized a National Women's Conference to be convened. In an arrangement much like that of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, the National Women's Conference was to be preceded by state conferences which would elect delegates to the national meeting. The idea of such a conference was inspired by the fact that 1975 had been declared International Women's Year by the United Nations. The U.N. sponsored a world conference in the summer of 1975, which was held in Mexico City and drew 1,300 delegates from 130 countries. Congress identified several goals for the U.S. conference, including the assessment of "the role of women in economic, social, cultural, and political development. " Another of the enumerated goals was to "identify the barriers that prevent women from participating fully and equally in all aspects of national life, and develop recommendations for means by which such barriers can be removed." The latter goal, in particular, seems of special importance to handicapped women. After 56 state and regional conferences, the National Women's Conference convened in Houston, Texas, last November. Much controversy surrounded the Conference, particularly in light of its official support of the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA opponents, led by Phyllis Schlafly, also gathered in Houston for a "counter" conference. The official conference was attended by several handicapped women, including Eunice Fiorito, member of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind and president of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. These handicapped delegates spoke out and they were heard, as evidenced by an official resolution passed by the Conference as part of its platform. * Disabled Women The President, Congress, and state and local governments should rigorously enforce all current legislation that affects the lives of disabled women. The President, Congress, and Administration should expeditiously implement the recommendations of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals and develop comprehensive programs for that purpose. Disabled women should have access to education, training, and employment based on their needs and interests rather than on the preconceived notions of others. The Federal Government should enact legislation which will provide higher income levels so that disabled women can afford to live independently and at a decent standard of living. The disabled woman must have the right to determine for herself whether she will live in or out of an institutional setting. Funds and services should be available to make independent living a reality. Congress should appropriate sufficient funds to ensure the development of service programs controlled by disabled people. Disabled women should have the right to have and keep their children, and have equal rights to adoption and foster care. The Congress should mandate health training and research programs focused on the health needs of the disabled. Information developed by disabled women should be disseminated to medical professionals and women so that all women can make decisions about children based on knowledge rather than fear. National health care legislation must provide for the unique requirements of disabled women without reference to income. The Congress should enact legislation to remove all work disincentives for all disabled individuals who wish paid employment. The President and the Congress should work closely with disabled individuals in the development of the Welfare Reform Act and all other legislation concerning disabled persons. Medicaid and Medicare should cover all the medical services and supplies that are needed by disabled women. The President and Congress should encourage all states to utilize Title XX funds for the provision of attendant care and other such services for disabled women. The President and Congress should enact legislation to include disabled women under the 1965 Civil Rights Act and afford them judicial remedy. The President and Congress and International Women's Year must recognize the additional discrimination disabled women face when they are members of racial, ethnic, and sexual minority groups, and appropriate steps must be taken to protect their rights. In the passage of the National Plan of Action, the word "woman" should be defined as including all women with disabilities. The term "bilingual" should be defined as including sign language and interpreter for the deaf. The term "barriers" against women and "access" should be defined as including architectural barriers and communication barriers. Congress and the President should support U.S. participation in and funding for the International Year of the Handicapped, as proclaimed by the United Nations for 1981. ***** ** Robert McCann Retires By Joanna Cargill (Reprinted from NEWSLETTER, National Association of Blind Teachers, October, 1977) Robert McCann, past president of the National Association of Blind Teachers, is retiring from a long career in the Chicago School system. He will doubtless leave a very large vacancy in the lives of the Yates School community where he has been the teacher of vocal music in the upper elementary grades for the last 22 years. Mr. McCann was one of the founders, and first vice president, of the Illinois Association of Blind Teachers, organized in 1971. At that time, student teaching was closed to blind students in Illinois universities, and the Chicago Board of Education refused to consider any blind applicant. So, the first necessity in Illinois was to open the way by legislation. Mr. McCann took the initiative and, almost single-handed, prepared legislation, rallied support, and succeeded in getting the Illinois School Code amended to align with the new Illinois Constitution. The Code now prohibits discrimination against the visually handicapped -- and all handicapped -- in any area of teacher training and job placement. Mr. McCann, a victim of retinitis pigmentosa himself, then found it possible to function openly as a blind teacher in Chicago and has encouraged young blind teachers to seek job experience and tenure there. Robert exemplifies his own advice to blind teachers: "Get involved in the community." He has worked all through the Chicago Boy Scout organization from. unit to district council. He has promoted community betterment through the Northwest Community Organization and the Organization of Palmer Square. For this outstanding community service, he received this year's Good Citizen Award from Dialogue. In school-related action, he has served as vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union and is presently a member of the Board of the Teachers Credit Union. Mr. McCann has two children. Roberta has been a, teacher of elementary grades in the Chicago schools. Jerome has recently completed three years with the armed forces in the Panama Canal Zone. Margaret, Robert's wife, is his solid support and business partner at home. Bob has a bachelor's degree in science and education, a Master of Education of DePaul University, and 18 further graduate hours in economics, communications, and human relations. He has taught 40 years in Chicago elementary schools. From 1949 to 1955, he was assistant principal at Drummond. Recently, Mr. McCann has become active in work for the blind. From 1971-1975 he was president of the National Association of Blind Teachers. In July, he was elected president of the Illinois Association of Blind Teachers. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Federation of the Blind (ACB's Illinois affiliate), and also of the Board of Dialogue Magazine. Bob displays an admirable artistry in leadership which mingles into a gracious democratic attitude with the ability to draw people with him into positive action. One of his colleagues at Yates says of him, "He is always fighting for the rights of the little people and the handicapped." ***** ** Reduced-Rate Air Transportation By Durward K. McDaniel Public Law 95-163, signed by the President on November 9, 1977, provides in part that any domestic or foreign air carrier, under such terms and conditions as the Civil Aeronautics Board may prescribe, may grant reduced-rate transportation, on a space available basis, to "any minister of religion, any person who is 60 years of age or older and retired, any person who is 65 years of age or older, and to any handicapped person and any attendant required by such handicapped person." The term "handicapped person" means any person who has severely impaired vision or hearing, an any other physically or mentally handicapped person as defined by the CAB, and the term "retired" mans no longer gainfully employed, as defined by the CAB. This statute provides further that the Board shall study and report to Congress, within six months after the effective date of this law, on the feasibility and economic impact of air carriers providing reduced-rate transportation on a space-available basis to persons 21 years of age or younger. Note that this legislation is permissive, not mandatory. One airline acted promptly to petition the CAB for approval of a reduction of one-third in air fares for persons 65 or over. It is expected that airline action affecting handicapped passengers will not be forthcoming until and unless organizations of handicapped persons exert their influence on airlines and the CAB. ***** *** Update on Aftermath of White House Conference By Reese Robrahn The National Advisory Planning Council of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals met in September and October to complete its charge. The final report of the Conference was distributed during the last ten days of November; and the Council, under the leadership of its vice chairperson, Bill Heller, has finalized the Conference Implementation Plan. The Implementation Plan under the authorizing statute is the joint responsibility of the National Advisory Planning Council and the Secretary of HEW. The final report of the Conference is published in three parts, consisting of a history, summary of recommendations and resolutions, and reports of special caucuses and seminars. Part B consists of demographics and statistical data and information, and tables of issues and recommendations. Part C consists of a listing of all issues and recommendations considered by the Conference, resolutions adopted by the Conference, and the list of official delegates. The following is a summer of priority recommendations adopted by the National Advisory and Planning Council. (It will be interesting to see what changes will be made in order to achieve joint approval by the Secretary of HEW.) ** Priority Recommendations 1. A clearly defined public policy, articulated by the Executive and Legislative branches, which includes all individuals with handicaps, their parents and/or guardians in all decision-making bodies impacting upon their lives as individual citizens. 2. Recognition of the unique and distinct needs of individuals who are handicapped to have the latter addressed in all major initiatives of the Administration and Congress. These would include but not be limited to welfare reform, tax reform, health insurance and Social Security programs. An immediate action shall be undertaken to name persons with handicaps or parents and/or guardians to all existing committees dealing with these issues at the administrative level. The following is a strongly recommended procedure for accomplishing the goals of the White House Conference and the recommendations enumerated in the Implementation Plan. The Coordinating Office is the vehicle proposed as most desirable, but the success or lack of success in its realization shall not endanger the effective accomplishment of the functions delineated for it to provide. The latter must be realized with or without a coordinating office or center. 3. A Federal Coordinating Office or Center for the Handicapped should be established similar to that already proposed by Senator Jennings Randolph in Senate Bill No. 51596. * Components A. Administrator -- The Presidential aide designated as the White House's specialist on the handicapped. B. National Council on Handicapped Individuals (over half to be consumers and one-fourth to be parents or guardians of disabled persons, and one-fourth from representative organizations, key and professional persons). C. Professional Advisory Council (designated administrators from Federal agencies with legal responsibility to serve the handicapped). * Functions A. Advocacy; B. Coordination of all programs with legal responsibility to serve the handicapped; C. Assessment, monitoring and evaluation to determine impact of Federally supported programs for the handicapped; D. Follow-up on WHCHI; E. Enforcement of Sections 503 and 504 and securing all rights as indicated under the Civil Rights Act; F. Conduct and/or coordinate collection of Census data on the handicapped no later than the 1980 Census, to ensure that the population of individuals with handicaps, including its racial and other characteristics, is clearly identified; G. Seek delivery of services in the least restrictive setting; H. Development of public awareness efforts to permeate all levels of society by effective utilization of the media; I. Assure a barrier- and attitudinal-free environment for all persons with handicaps; J. Oversee an immediate assessment and analysis of existing programs and dissemination of the findings. Key Feature -- Review and sign-off authority on plans involving expenditure of Federal funds on services impacting upon handicapped individuals. 4. State Coordinating Offices for the Handicapped -- State equivalents of the Federal Coordinating Office for the Handicapped. It is reported that all funds authorized by the Congress for the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals have been expended, except for the necessary funds to publish and distribute the Implementation Plan. At this time there exists no official body or staff to go forward with the implementation of the recommendations of the Conference. The Administration is moving forward in many areas such as reorganization of the Department of HEW generally, and in particular its Office of Human Development Services, and welfare reform; and it has done so without waiting for or giving consideration to the recommendations of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals. It appears that neither the Carter Administration nor the Congress can be relief upon to bring about implementation. It is imperative, therefore, that such organizations as the American Council of the Blind and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities assume strong leadership and provide appropriate mechanisms to bring about implementation of the recommendations of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals through appropriate legislation and administrative action. ***** ** NAC Elects Directors and Officers At its annual meeting in Phoenix on November 14, the membership of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped elected twelve persons to its Board of Directors. Five of them are blind persons: J. Kenneth Cozier of Cleveland, Ohio; Carol Derouin of Salem, Oregon; Reese Robrahn of Bethesda, Maryland; George E. Stocking of Miami, Florida; and Robert T. McLean of New Orleans, Louisiana. The other seven are: Joseph E. Champagne of Houston, Texas; Mrs. Joseph Clifford of Phoenix, Arizona; Robert J. Crouse of Atlanta, Georgia; Armand P. Leco of Providence, Rhode Island; Morton Pepper of New York City; C. Owen Pollard of Augusta, Maine; and Austin G. Scott of Dallas, Texas. On November 15, the NAC Board met and elected officers and an executive committee as follows: President, Louis H. Rives, Jr., of Little Rock, Arkansas; three Vice Presidents -- William T. Coppage of Richmond, Virginia, Morton Pepper, and Reese Robrahn; Secretary, Mrs. Joseph Clifford; Treasurer, John McWilliams of New York City. Helen Levine of Cincinnati, Ohio, and George Stocking were elected to at-large positions on the Executive Committee. At the present time, eight of NAC's 34 directors are persons recommended by the American Council of the Blind. Three were recommended by the Blinded Veterans Administration. For the first time, directors who have been recommended by organizations of the blind are serving on NAC's Executive Committee -- Reese Robrahn and George Stocking. ACB considers its participation in the standard-setting and accreditation processes to be an important contribution to the improvement of the delivery of quality services to visually impaired persons in our country. ***** ** 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. * The Human Element in Adapting To Braille Efficiency By John Buckley In recent correspondence, a reader is quite correct in noting that I did not discuss Grade 3 Braille in my article, "Assessing Braille Efficiency" (The Braille Forum, August, 1977). Although valuable to those who are familiar with it, Grade 3 enjoys very limited general use. Moreover, any changes in Braille must be approved by the Braille Authority, and it has been their position, I believe, that Grade 3 is an informal and unofficial system and, therefore, beyond its regulation or concern. The article seeks to make essentially two points: First, developments in computer technology and current research in linguistics now make it possible to evaluate the efficiency of Braille with considerable reliability. Second, any alterations in Braille could probably be mastered more easily than might at first be imagined. Research in education, psychology, and communications suggests overwhelmingly that people can learn symbol systems such as a foreign language, typing, stenography, court reporting, etc., with relatively little difficulty. It is important to note that all of these tasks are considerably more complex than mastering any likely alterations in Braille. Research also indicates that if people expect such learning to be difficult or impossible, it probably will be. If they anticipate it as not being essentially hard, or something they can accomplish, they are more likely to learn a foreign language, typing, etc. The same self-fulfilling prophecy is probably just as true of learning modifications in Braille. The article, in sum, was less concerned with whether Dot 5-Y might be used to represent year than some other contraction than it was in sketching the reasons why such a change was practical and desirable. * What Do You Do When You Read The Braille Forum Dear Editor: I have just listened to the cassette version of The Braille Forum for September. You may place me on the mailing list for the disc if you would like to. I have just finished writing to the American Printing House for the Blind, encouraging and urging them to publish a dictionary on cassette, as suggested by the ACB. As a former official court reporter who very suddenly four years ago lost my ability to see well enough to read, I would be one of the most pleased persons to learn that cassettes were available of the dictionary. I commend ACB's efforts in this direction. ... Anita Halton Benton, Kentucky ***** ** Braille Authority Fall Meeting A draft copy of "COMPUTERIZED BRAILLE -- Proceedings of Workshop on COMPLIANCE OF COMPUTER PROGRAMS WITH ENGLISH BRAILLE, AMERICAN EDITION, New York City, June 7-8, 1976," was distributed. No action was taken to approve or disapprove the document. A letter was read from the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, commending BANA on its organization and offering cooperation in achieving common goals. The secretary of BANA was instructed to respond with thanks for the offer. The group sat as a committee of the whole for most of the day considering the "Proposed Organization of the Braille Authority of North America," a report prepared by a special subcommittee composed of Mrs. Bobbie Richmond, Chairperson, National Braille Association, Ralph McCracken, American Printing House for the Blind, and Floyd Cargill, American Council of the Blind. The report was adopted with many amendments. Basically, it outlines the work procedures for the Board, the relationship of the chairman to the Board, the creation of new committees, and the relationship of the president to various committees. Chairman Harold Roberts (American Association of Workers for the Blind) reviewed the history of the Braille Authority. He told how the Braille Authority had requested a grant from the U.S. Office of Education to underwrite the cost of various studies of the Braille Code. The grant was vested in Florida State University because the Braille Authority was not a duly incorporated entity. Marjorie Hooper, who had been secretary of the Braille Authority since its inception, was named to head the project at FSU. A memorandum of agreement was developed between FSU and the present BANA. A number of technical advisory committees were established to assist FSU in its studies. Any new codes or revisions of existing codes proposed by the FSU project will be forwarded to BANA for review. They will not become official until approved by BANA. The format of braille choral music was discussed. Prior to 1975, the musical score was written beginning at the margin and placed over the words. This was done in accordance with international agreement. An addendum was published in 1975 reversing the format. A number of objections have been expressed to that change in format. An article published in Musical Mainstream invited people to express opinions and preferences about the format. Responses were evenly divided. It was agreed that more space is required to record the musical score than the words. This was used as justification for beginning the musical score at the margin. It is believed that the former international format is better for conductors. Your opinion would be welcomed. The question was brought to the attention of BANA by Carlton Eldredge, a successful teacher and choral director. The chairman was instructed to write Mr. Eldredge, telling him that BANA is requesting the documented evidence used in making the decision to publish the 1975 addendum. Until that evidence is received, BANA will recognize the new format, since it has not had enough time to really be tested. A letter from Marjorie Hopper and the FSU Braille Project was read, stating that money is available to do some research in the compatibility of literary braille with mini-computers. BANA agreed to request a detailed description of the proposal, which will be distributed to members for review and suggestions. Robert Gildea (Association of Computing Machinery) was designated to coordinate the comments on the proposal. A letter from Barbara Tate of the National Braille Association called attention to an agreement to publish two editions of the new braille textbook format, one press braille, the other thermoform. A motion was adopted that BANA authorize the publication of the braille textbook format books as originally agreed upon and outlined in Barbara Tate's letter. Richard Evensen (Library of Congress) and Harold Roberts described preliminary plans to assemble a World Conference on the State of the Art of Producing Braille. It is proposed to have the conference in some country other than the United States. It is anticipated that the conference will be held in conjunction with some other important meeting such as the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind. The next meeting will be held in the spring of 1978 in Cincinnati, at the invitation of the Clovernook Home and School for the Blind. ***** ** Update on Vendors' Litigation on HEW Rules In November, the plaintiffs in their suit against the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, contesting the legality of Rules issued March 23, 1977, filed their Motion for Summary Judgment through their attorneys, Elizabeth H. Farquhar and Durward K. McDaniel. Plaintiffs' Motion and Points and Authorities supporting it contend that there are no issues of fact and that the conflict between the Rules and the Randolph-Sheppard Act can be determined by the court as a matter of law. The Government's earlier Motion to Dismiss was denied by the court. As we go to press, plaintiffs expect the government to file its own Motion for Summary Judgment. A decision of the U.S. District Court is anticipated during the early part of 1978. The Braille Forum will keep you informed. ***** ** Job Openings in Political Science and Public Administration The Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee will be filling four permanent teaching and research positions beginning September 1, 1978. The openings are briefly described as follows: (1) Political Theory; nine-month academic appointment; rank, assistant professor. The person filling this position will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in contemporary political theory, but not including the history of political thought. Emphasis should be given to the political relevance of Existentialism, phenomenology, and major philosophical movements of the 20th century. Ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in organization theory is also highly desired. Ph.D. required. (2) Public Administration/Public Policy/Urban Politics. Three positions, with joint twelve-month appointments in the Department of Political Science and the Bureau of Public Administration, carrying the rank of assistant professor in the Department. These appointments will be three-fourths times in the Bureau and one-fourth in the Department. Teaching load is one course per quarter during the regular nine-month academic year. Teaching and research areas should include one or more of the following: public administration, public policy, organization theory, urban politics. Ph.D. required. If you wish to apply for one of these positions, please send your resume and at least three letters of recommendation to Thomas D. Ungs, Head, Department of Political Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916, or to Otis H. Stephens, Chairman, Personnel Committee, Department of Political Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * Connecticut Council Fall Convention By Anna Godrie John Brown's Restaurant in Bloomfield was the site of the fall convention of the Connecticut Council of the Blind. The coffee cup and a chance to greet old friends and meet guests was the first order of the day, before getting down to business with the formal program. At 11:00 A.M. sharp, CCB President, Gertrude DeLeo, called the convention to order, welcomed guests, and expressed her appreciation for the excellent membership turnout. "Awareness of the Lions" was the theme for the day's program, and President DeLeo introduced those CCB members who belong to various Lions Clubs around the state. Carrying through the theme of the program were three outstanding speakers, all from Lions District 23B and all Past District Governors. First Vice President and Lion David Bates introduced Bert Johnson, himself a CCB member, who outlined the history of Lionism. He traced the organization from its founding by Melvin Jones in Chicago in the early 1900s to its present makeup of 31,302 Lions Clubs, comprised of more than a million members. Projects in those early days were centered in aid to needy children. The overall emphasis of Lionism today encompasses a wide range of community services. Mr. Johnson pointed out that one-fourth of funds raised by Lions Clubs goes toward helping the blind in such areas as eye research, aid to schools for the blind in the purchase of equipment such as braillers, building nature trails, and organizing a variety of trips for the handicapped. Lion George Precourt, head of Connecticut's Home Industries Program, introduced Tony Caparrelli, whose subject was "What the Lions Have Done in Eye Research." Mr. Caparrelli stated that to date, in Connecticut alone, Lions Clubs have donated over three-quarters of a million dollars to such organizations as the Yale Medical Eye Research Foundation, Society for the Prevention of Blindness, the University of Connecticut for eye research, the Eye Bank, and New Britain Hospital, where both diseased and healthy eyes are donated for continuing study. Additionally, Connecticut Lions fund such programs as area glaucoma screenings and New Eyes for the Needy, which collects discarded eyeglasses. Lion Bill Patton, Director of the Connecticut State Board of Education and Services for the Blind, introduced the final speaker, Tom Hubbs. His topic was "The Lions Gallery of the Senses." Located at the Wadsworth Atheneum, this Gallery has been established to promote the meaning and value of art through senses other than sight. Several exhibits are held at the Atheneum each year. All blind persons and their friends are encouraged to attend, and transportation is arranged by the Lions for those persons who need it. The present exhibit consists of works by eleven Connecticut artists, one of whom is legally blind. Guests in attendance commended the Connecticut Council for its recognition through this convention of the Lions and the fine work they are undertaking in behalf of blind persons. At the afternoon business meeting, Shirley Phelon, Chairman of Ways and Means, was commended for the fine work she and her committee have been doing on fund-raising through the collection of newspapers for recycling, a tag sale, and coming up, a baked-goods sale. CCB will join with all other organizations of and for the blind in Connecticut in working for passage of legislation pertaining to the blind, to be submitted to the 1978 session of the State Legislature. A new project, "Do Something Good for Somebody Else," is being undertaken, the object to be collection of clothing and toys for distribution to needy children at the Connecticut School for the Blind. Two one-day conventions a year, with a "become re-acquainted" coffee hour preceding the formal program, is working very well for the Connecticut Council. Members are beginning to know and understand each other better, and through the informal exchange of ideas over the coffee cup, business meetings are gaining more input from more people. With this sort of understanding and cooperation, CCB looks forward to continued growth and a bright future. * Vermont Council Convention By Al Nichols Trading arid Oklahoma for rain-drenched New England for at least long enough to get his raincoat wet, American Council of the Blind President, Floyd Qualls, traveled to Montpelier in early October to address the 1977 convention of the Vermont Council of the Blind. Notwithstanding woefully inadequate public transportation and the fact that members are widely scattered throughout this rural state, 25 persons were in attendance, for an excellent turnout. Following routine reports, President Al Nichols read American Council of the Blind Resolution 77-01, relating to the proposed requirement by the Postal Service that the address on a letter be handwritten when and if the Citizen's Rate postal regulation is inaugurated. Stan Beauregard, possibly the only blind Postmaster in the nation, reported that he had received a letter from the regional office of the Postal Service in New York, stating that this requirement is no longer being considered. "My Days at the Seeing Eye -- Reminiscences of a Senior Citizen," was the title of a presentation by Mr. George Werntz, retired Executive Vice President of the Seeing Eye, now lives in Etna, New Hampshire. Mr. Werntz spoke with warmth and enthusiasm of his 25 years at the Seeing Eye and of what a privilege it had been to work with so many capable blind men and women from throughout the United States and elsewhere. In his annual report, President Nichols reviewed the various concerns and accomplishments of the Vermont Council over the past year. In late 1976, Stan Beauregard and others appeared before the Public Service Board to protest the method used by the telephone company in exempting handicapped persons from Directory Assistance charges. After considering the testimony given and the proposals made, the Public Service Board ordered the telephone company to issue a credit card to any qualified handicapped person requiring it. The caller simply gives the credit card number to the operator and no charge is made. Concerned about the attitude of many educators today that braille is not necessary and that blind children attending public schools should therefore not be required to learn it, the convention strongly urged that all visually impaired children who cannot read the printed word be required to learn braille. Mr. Howard Walbridge, Director, Division for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, was then given an opportunity to respond to President Nichols' criticisms of the Division. In conclusion, he suggested that all blind people should get together and agree upon what they wanted. Responding to this statement, ACB President, Floyd Qualls, before beginning his formal remarks, pointed out that there is no more reason why all blind people should agree than there is reason why all red-headed people should agree on what they want. Rather, divergent viewpoints and reasoning should be listened to and weighed and considered, and the decision made which seems best for the majority of those involved. "Who are we and why are we here?" was the question put on the minds of his listeners by Mr. Qualls in his formal presentation. Many of us here today, he reflected, have pioneered in new fields of employment and in the professions. In having done so, we have helped pave the way to broaden opportunities for those who will follow us in the years to come. Officers elected for the coming two years are: President, Al Nichols of Brattleboro; Vice President, Cathy Rossier of Montpelier; Secretary, Joann Nichols of Brattleboro; Treasurer, Dorothy Cassidy of Vernon; Sergeant-at-Arms, Norman Case of Bethel. Stanley Beauregard of St. Albans will serve as chairman of the Legislative Committee, and Sam Rossier of Montpelier will assume editorship of the affiliate newsletter, The Vermont Informer. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From AMERICAN REHABILITATION: Through an innovation and expansion grant, the South Carolina Commission for the Blind will use that state's closed-circuit radio station to teach the homebound blind and to demonstrate how such instruction can form an integral part of the rehabilitation process. Commission staff will broadcast informational programming, and rehabilitation teachers in listening areas throughout the state will visit clients in their homes to determine progress as a result of the information received by radio. -- A new library facility, especially designed to serve the blind and physically handicapped, will open in Montgomery, Alabama, early in 1978. The building has been constructed with every feasible innovation for those it is designed to serve. -- A grant entitled, "Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Older Blind Persons," is allowing staff of Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind to work with older blind persons in their homes, in their home communities, or in nursing homes, if it is impossible for such persons to come to the Center. The program is designed to teach blind persons over 55 such skills as orientation and mobility, communications, techniques of daily living, home management, and crafts. DISABLED U.S.A. reports that a new service designed to help handicapped persons find jobs has been originated by the Denver, Colorado, Mayor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. A telephone "hotline" is utilized to match handicapped workers with potential employees, and the service is free to both job-seekers and employers. The Committee emphasizes that this is not a job placement service; that it merely serves as a clearinghouse. -- Debbie Kent, blind New York City social worker whose yet-untitled novel will be published in the spring by Dial Press, was the subject of a feature article in a recent issue of DISABLED U.S.A. Here is a non-toll-free number to call if you are interested in a succinct wrap-up of what action is being taken in the Senate and House in Washington, D.C. Revised daily, the three-minute taped message is available from 9:00 A.M. to midnight, E.S.T. Phone (202) 872-1313. Remember, you pay the charges. From JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND BLINDNESS: Alex Haley's Roots is being used by the Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, as the pioneer for two new talking-book formats -- the four-track cassette and the flexible disc. The four-track cassette holds twice as much material as the two-track cassette and can be played on all DBPH cassette players manufactured since 1973. The flexible disc format will make it possible to produce twice the number of books for half the present cost. The two new formats will enable DBPH to place popular titles such as Roots in circulation much sooner than has been previously possible. -- The Virginia Commission for the Visually Handicapped is sponsoring a research program to explore the Sonicguide as a concept development tool for pre-school blind children. The one-year program was initiated in July, 1977. -- An apartment house designed exclusively for the use of blind persons will soon be built in New York City. The twelve-story structure will contain 205 apartments, with an emergency call system in each apartment and specially designed kitchens and bathrooms. -- Pennsylvania State University's Liberal Arts Service to Society Award was recently presented to Rudolph V. Lutter, Jr., senior attorney with the Federal Communications Commission. Mr. Lutter is also a member of the American Blind Lawyers Association. The current issue of DBPH NEWS reports that C76 cassette players are rolling off the assembly line at the rate of 500 a day. About 30,000 new machines should be in the hands of readers by the end of the year. The new machine has a number of improvements, including automatic shutoff in all modes and a built-in speed control. -- An important step toward world-wide standardization of reading materials for the handicapped was made at a meeting of the Hospital Library Section of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), held September 6 in Brussels. As the result of a proposal by DBPH Chief Frank Kurt Cylke, a working group comprised of representatives from Canada, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Norway was formed to pursue ways to facilitate international exchange of materials. Position papers on copyright, postal regulations and customs laws, format, bibliographic control, identification, and international relationships will be developed for discussion at the 1978 IFLA meeting. Getz International Travel Agency, member of the newly established Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped, is in the final stages of completing a brochure of tours designed and geared especially with the needs of the handicapped in mind. The 1978 program includes the following destinations: Hawaii, Europe (London, Paris, Amsterdam), Switzerland, Australia, the Orient (Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore), Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg, and New England Fall Foliage. For further information, write Getz International Travel Agency, 640 Sacramento Street, P.O. Box 3994, San Francisco, CA 94119. Telesensory Systems, Inc. reports in its current NEWSLETTER that the long-awaited development of a Spoken Word Output Reading System became a reality in October. An experimental model, developed under partial funding from the National Science Foundation, is now being used at TSI for concept validation. The long-term goal of this effort is a personally affordable, portable system providing full spoken-word output. The compact production version should be available in approximately 24 months and will be offered both as an accessory to the Optacon and as a completely separate unit. Kenneth Hinga, past president of the Michigan Federation of the Blind and former member of the ACB Board of Publications, retired on December 12 after 17 years of service with the Michigan Office of Services for the Blind. Mr. Hinga has worked as a rehabilitation teacher, counselor, and regional supervisor with the state agency. From BRAILLE BOOK REVIEW: Personal copies of the new print/braille pamphlet, "Metric Information and Metric Conversion Factors: All You Will Need to Know," are available on request from your regional library. Reprinted with permission of the National Braille Book Bank, the pamphlet contains information on basic metric units, common prefixes, temperatures, and conversions from common measurements to metric and from metric back again. DBPH UPDATE reports that the Telephone Pioneers, a national organization of long-time and retired telephone company employees whose volunteer efforts have been responsible for much of the talking book repair throughout the country, has now reached a total of half a million members. Mrs. Dorothy Shook of the Indianapolis, Indiana, Western Electric plant has the distinction of being Member No. 500,000. Sixteen new titles in large print have been added to the G.K. Hall & Co. winter catalog, bringing the total number of books in large print published by this company to more than 300. A catalog may be obtained by writing G.K. Hall Co., 70 Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111. ###