The Braille Forum Vol. XVII July, 1978 No. 1 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 Quick Action by ACB and ABLA Blocks Disastrous Precedent, by Oral O. Miller Cane Mutiny in the Friendly Skies, by Kathy Megivern Final Call to ACB Conventioneers, by Grant Mack Piano Technology for the Visually Impaired -- An Occupation of Pride and Financial Reward, by Eugene Saumier Far-Sweeping Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act Passed by the House, by Reese Robrahn Hardly a Vindication ARRS Sponsors Conference on Radio Reading Services Tax Credit Incentive to Employ Youths and Handicapped, by Durward K. McDaniel Low-Vision U.S.A. -- The Problem of 6 Million Americans with Severe, Uncorrectable Visual Impairment Letter to the Editor Philosophy of a Handicapped Person Here and There, by George Card ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Floyd Qualls, 501 North Douglas Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 * First Vice President: Alma Murphey, 4103 Castleman Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 * Second Vice President: Billie Elder, 5317 W. 29th Street, Little Rock, AR 72204 * Secretary: M. Helen Vargo, 833 Oakley Street, Topeka, KS 66606 * Treasurer: J. Edward Miller, 1120 Coddington Place, Charlotte, NC 28211 ** 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. 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. ***** ** Quick Action by ACB and ABLA Blocks Disastrous Precedent By Oral O. Miller, President American Blind Lawyers Association That warm May morning was like so many others when I went to my office, preparing to leave on a business trip two days later and having no idea how I would get everything done that had to be done before leaving. The work pace quickened after each incoming phone call, out of realization that precious minutes were fleeting by. I could not see how I could practicably accept any more calls -- that is, until I learned that ACB President Floyd Qualls was on the line from Oklahoma City. During a hurried conversation, President Qualls informed me that within the next hour or so, I probably would start receiving calls from Oklahoma City newspapers and radio or TV stations asking for comments on a story published that morning (May 16) in the Daily Oklahoman, to the effect that the Chief Judge of the Southeastern Oklahoma Judicial District was preparing to suspend a judge from performing his duties because he had recently lost much of his sight through illness. President Qualls had already spoken to the press, as had Oklahoma Federation of the Blind President Ray Jones, and was then preparing to send a wire protesting the upcoming suspension. In that protest, he pointed out that there are many very effective and competent blind judges in the United States, and that for more detailed technical information, the press should contact the American Blind Lawyers Association. The first call I received was from the Daily Oklahoman, whose reporter was helpful enough to read the entire article from the morning edition. This had stated that a small group of attorneys in Durant, Oklahoma, had petitioned for the suspension of Judge John Phillips on the grounds that he had lost much of his eyesight due to a recent illness and, therefore, could not perform his duties satisfactorily because he could not see the witnesses and exhibits. As ABLA president, I pointed out emphatically to the reporter that there are many very effective and competent blind judges in the United States and on the membership rolls of the American Blind Lawyers Association, and that the petition was probably based upon unsupported assumptions concerning the alleged inability of Judge Phillips. My remarks exploded the myth that it is necessary for a judge to see the facial expressions of witnesses in order to make accurate decisions regarding their truthfulness. I also summarized the ways in which blind lawyers and judges compensate for their lack of eyesight. I had no way of knowing that the wire sent by President Qualls had said, "Judicial decisions are based on evidence, and not the smile or frown of the defendant." During the next four hours, I received at least four more calls, the most interesting of which came from a radio station and seemed intent upon drawing me into a direct verbal confrontation with the attorneys who had petitioned for the suspension of Judge Phillips. I carefully avoided the snare, which was irrelevant, by pointing out that if the Judge were to become unable to perform his duties, the attorneys practicing before him would be the likely ones to first become aware of his difficulties. Since it was necessary to determine whether Judge Phillips was interested in receiving assistance from the ABLA, I spoke to him at length by telephone. During that conversation, it was ascertained that, although he had become blind too recently to have completed a significant readjustment period, he had already begun analyzing his judicial and administrative duties, in an effort to adjust to his severely impaired vision. It was during that conversation, also, that I first learned that political considerations may also have been at least partially responsible for the filing of the petition for his suspension. Next I went directly to the Chief Judge, and during a very amicable but serious telephone conversation, I pointed out that blindness in itself is not a valid reason to suspend a judge, inasmuch as many blind judges are now performing their duties very capably; that those judges would be willing to consult with him or with Judge Phillips as to ways of performing duties without vision; that an adverse decision should be based on specific evidence rather than unsupported assumptions concerning the purported disability of Judge Phillips; and that the final decision should not be made until he had considered the records of several successful blind judges. Although the Chief Judge sounded as if he had already made up his mind, based on the testimony of those who had appeared at a hearing earlier in the week, he agreed, in response to my specific request as ABLA president, to withhold his decision for an additional day in order to allow the submission of written evidence. That evidence consisted of a carefully worded mailgram on behalf of the American Blind Lawyers Association, in which I called upon all my writing experience to plead the case for Judge Phillips to be judged on the basis of objective evidence rather than unsupported, emotional assumptions. Yes, I did catch my plane out of town following the events summarized above. But during the next several busy days, there were many anxious moments wondering what the decision of the Chief Judge would be. An adverse decision would be disastrous, because it would be a precedent to the effect that blindness by itself is sufficient cause to find an otherwise qualified judge incompetent to perform his duties. The waiting came to an end very early on Tuesday morning, May 23, when the CBS TV network announced that the petition had been dismissed and Judge Phillips would be allowed to perform his duties. While the arrival of the copy of the Chief Judge's Decision a few days later was anticlimactic in some ways, a careful reading of it reveals many positions taken by ACB President Qualls and me, as well as several near quotations from the mailgrams submitted a few days earlier. The Decision, dated May 22, 2978, said, in pertinent part: "Judge Phillips' right to remain on the bench should be determined on his ability -- not his handicap. The evidence presented does not indicate that Judge Phillips will not be able to perform the duties of his office even though handicapped; blindness standing alone is not a valid cause for suspension. Judicial decisions are based on evidence, not the smile or frown of the litigants, or witnesses. ... Assumptions on the part of others that Judge Phillips cannot perform his duties seem to be the greatest obstacle." The case summarized above shows how effective the organized blind can be when acting in a quick, well-coordinated, considered, and well-planned manner. Further, the Chief Judge seemed to appreciate the interest and the input of the organized blind, whose cumulative experience, after all, constitutes a vast and ever-growing resource for the education of the sighted public. ***** ** Cane Mutiny in the Friendly Skies By Kathy Megivern (Editor's Note: This article was inspired by recently publicized events having to do with blind airline passengers surrendering their long canes while in flight.) In my never-ending struggle to keep abreast of all the latest developments in the law, it was with no little enthusiasm that I greeted a call from that nationally respected spokesperson for the blind, Clamor E. Clamorhorn. "Have you heard about the landmark decision?" he asked excitedly. My mind raced. Had Bakke been decided at long last? Had HEW been declared unconstitutional? What could generate such excitement on the part of my caller? "No," he said, with some disdain. "Nothing like that. This is important! We have won our battle against the airlines." The airlines! Ah, yes! I began to recall some of the stories I had heard in recent years about the discriminatory, arbitrary actions taken by certain airlines in refusing to transport handicapped persons. "Have you finally gotten a permanent injunction which will guarantee the right of all handicapped persons to fly on commercial airlines?" "Well not exactly. It's a temporary restraining order, good until June 5, but no hearing date has been set." Hmmm! A temporary landmark! "Well, it's a start. At least the right of handicapped persons will be assured for a few weeks." "Well, not exactly," he replied. "But this is of major significance to every blind person in the country. We have gotten an order prohibiting the airlines from confiscating our white canes." "Confiscating your white canes! What a dastardly thing to do. What do they plan to do with all those canes, anyway? Are they stealing crutches, too?" "No, no, you don't understand," he replied with growing disdain. "They don't keep the canes. They return them at the end of the flight. But it's during the flight that we are concerned with. It's just another tactic to harass us and keep us helpless." I began to understand. "I see. So when there are problems during takeoff and landing and they have to evacuate, you'll have your cane with you and will need no assistance in getting out the emergency exit." "Well, not exactly," he replied again. "You see, as part of the compromise we reached with the airlines, we agreed to let them secure the canes during takeoff and landing." "Oh," I replied, trying to hide my confusion, "so you'll have your cane with you during those 25% of the accidents which occur at times other than takeoff and landing. And this is assured until the order expires on June 5." "Yes!" he answered triumphantly. "Don't you see the significance? It's a reaffirmation of the dignity and independence of all blind persons-proof that we can take care of ourselves during such emergencies." The thought of taking care of myself during such an emergency was less than appealing, but his enthusiasm was contagious. "Now do you understand what a truly landmark decision this is?" "I think so. But there's one thing that still confuses me. Why don't you just fold your cane up and put it in your pocket?" "Hello . . . Hello ... " I guess he didn't have any pocket. ***** ** Final Call to ACB Conventioneers By Grant Mack If you have not already made a reservation to attend the 1978 national convention of the American Council of the Blind in Salt Lake City, July 23-29, time is short, but you can still do so if you act quickly. In this last issue of The Braille Forum prior to the convention, the Host Committee would like to give you some last-minute information and some information which space would not permit us to include in the convention announcement and pre-registration form mailed in early June. Frontier Airlines, the first domestic airline to provide its Inflight Service Card in braille, has indicated a special desire to assist you with travel plans. The expert staff of travel coordinators at Frontier's Convention Travel Center will confirm reservations, assist in forming group movements where applicable, and arrange ticketing through local travel agents, local airlines, or by mail. Their toll-free number (except Colorado) is (800) 525-1138. In Colorado, dial your local Frontier Reservations number and ask for Extension 20. A free Salt Lake City convention kit packed with travel tips, discount coupons, and information about the convention site will be mailed upon request. We call your attention to one social function not included on the convention announcement and pre-registration form. Guide Dog Users, Inc. invites all conventioneers to join them for a full-course prime rib dinner and program at the Print Shop restaurant, a block and a half from the Hotel Utah, on Monday evening. Cost, complete, is $11.25. Guest speaker is to be ACB's out-going president, Floyd Qualls. Tickets will be available at the registration desk. You might like some information about getting from the airport to your convention hotel. The Salt Lake International Airport is only a ten-minute ride from downtown Salt Lake City. Transportation from the airport is provided by two cab companies and the Utah Transit Authority. The UTA is a tax­supported transit system, and arrangements have been made for arriving ACB conventioneers to ride on the UTA buses free of charge. UTA has regular runs from the airport to the major downtown hotels. These buses leave every thirty minutes, at ten minutes after the hour and forty minutes after the hour, with the first stop being the Hotel Utah. Buses do not regularly stop at either the Temple Square Hotel or the Hotel Utah Motor Inn. You will be glad to know, however, that on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, July 22, 23, and 24, special convention buses will take you to all three hotels. These buses will leave every fifteen minutes and will cover all arriving flights between 6:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. We plan to have Boy Scouts at the airport to help you with your luggage and get you to the proper buses. You who use a cane or have a dog guide will be easily identified. But there may be some problem if your travel vision is sufficient so that you are not readily identifiable. IN this event, we suggest you inquire about the service from airline personnel or watch for Boy Scouts in uniform. Should you prefer to use a taxi, the cab fare is approximately $5 to any of the hotels. The registration desk will be set up on the mezzanine of the Hotel Utah beginning Sunday, July 23. You who have pre-registered will be able to pick up your pre-registration packet any time between 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Those of you planning to attend the "Days of '47" parade will want to know that at 8:00 A.M. Monday morning, July 24, a bus will pick you up in front of your hotel. This means that all convention hotels -- the Hotel Utah, Temple Square Hotel, and Hotel Utah Motor Inn -- will be served by buses which will carry you down Main Street to the bleachers which will be reserved for you. You will each be given a small receiving set the size of a cigarette pack, through which a description of the parade will be monitored. Representatives from local Lions Clubs will be serving hot coffee and rolls, plus various soft drinks, during the parade. Be certain you are ready to board the buses Monday morning at 8:00 A.M., should you have a yen to view one of the outstanding parades in America. You who may be arriving early may be interested to know that the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be broadcasting its regular Sunday CBS weekly program from the "Crossroads of the West" at 9:30 A.M., Sunday morning. This live broadcast emanates from the Tabernacle just one-half block from where you will be staying. You are invited to attend this broadcast, should you wish to do so. The 8,000-seat Tabernacle will probably be filled up at this time of year, so if you desire to attend the broadcast, it is suggested that you be in your seat no later than 9:00 A.M., Sunday morning. We hope to see all of you here for the entire week! ***** ** Piano Technology for the Visually Impaired An Occupation of Pride and Financial Reward By Eugene Saumier (Reprinted from MAB News, published by the Michigan Association of the Blind, April, 1978.) I became interested in piano tuning and repairing when I was 18 years of age. Today, 45 years later, after having been employed in two different piano factories and having tuned countless pianos in private homes, schools and churches, I can speak from first-hand experience on what piano technology can mean to the visually impaired. Life on this Planet Earth would be very much impoverished if music were suddenly to be taken from us. Since, thankfully, that is not likely to happen, we can look upon the piano, today's basic musical instrument, with great respect. Those who learn to play it with inspiring artistry or for their own entertainment or the entertainment of friends will always be popular members of society. The piano technician who keeps the instrument in good mechanical health and in good voice is virtually seated alongside even the greatest pianist throughout all concerts. He is most of the time unseen, but the concert could not go on successfully without him. Whether or not you have ever thought of it in this way before, the pianist and the piano technician must perform together as an inseparable team. After I had acquired acceptable proficiency in the trade, I met a lady in New Jersey who told me that until she had become acquainted with me, she had always considered a piano tuner as a second-rate member of society, at best. And judging from similar remarks from other sources, at that time a piano tuner was considered a "necessary nuisance" which the piano owner, the music store, and places of entertainment must periodically tolerate. The monetary remuneration we received for our services reflected this popular thinking. It may be difficult to believe, but in 1938, when I was employed in a piano factory, I was paid $.28 a piano for tuning. At the time I speak of in New Jersey, the tuning rate in that same factory was $.95, tops, and between $7 and $8 in a private home. Apparently, most vocational advisers of the visually impaired, and the visually impaired themselves who could benefit from the profession, feel that the same conditions prevail today. More people should own a piano and be subjected to the "nuisance" of a technician. They would find that today's properly schooled and highly motivated piano technician is no longer just a "necessary nuisance," but a highly respected and much needed member of society; that the application of his or her skills makes a piano sound and feel like something that Junior or the accomplished musician in the home would delight in playing; that many of those technicians are either totally or partially blind; that the fees of those technicians are commensurate with their skills and with today's living standards. When I think of what our educators and misinformed parents of blind children have done to the educational possibilities and the Piano Technology Department of the Michigan School for the Blind from which I graduated, and compare that with what was, and still should be, I grieve at our loss. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, we will realize that all visually impaired persons, regardless of their degree of educability, are not "cut out" to be lawyers, teachers, social workers, computer programmers, or the various other white­collar occupations for which many are today vainly striving. Hopefully, we visually impaired will come to realize, along with our educators and counselors, that we have been given the gift of hands and hearing, to work along with our brains to perform the various maintenance and repair services on the multituninous items our society uses in everyday life. Piano tuning and repairing -- that is, piano technology -- ranking among the top in those skills so much in demand today. It takes from two to three years of intensive training to produce a competent piano technician. Hands, ears, and brain must all work together to master the trade. To succeed, a pupil must have at least minimal music appreciation and mechanical dexterity, together with business-management and selling ability. Music appreciation provides the motivation for the necessary hours of tuning practice. Mechanical dexterity provides what it takes to learn to properly repair and regulate a piano. Combine these two qualities with a genuine desire to learn and with proper training in a good school of piano technology, and you produce a qualified piano technician. But even the best piano technician cannot succeed at his trade if he does not know how to sell his skills to the public and is not sufficiently motivated and knowledgeable in keeping accurate files on the work he renders. None of these qualifications and training categories for the making of a piano technician are unattainable by the visually impaired. Even transportation offers very few problems if properly managed. I own my own automobile, and my driver problems are minimal. Mv driver is constantly on the job with me. I instruct him in the basic repair of a piano and utilize and benefit from this knowledge when vision will facilitate such repairs. I have always paid my driver above the minimum wage to ensure competent workers. As a Craftsman member of the Piano Technicians Guild, I charge the local established rate for a standard tuning. An extra charge must be made when pitch raising is necessary. Charges for repair work are based accordingly. At these readily accepted rates, it is not difficult for even a totally blind technician to net at least $13,000 a year after business expenses. This even allows for a generous number of leisure days. I believe this could be considered a medium fair income for anyone, sighted or blind. Should piano technology be encouraged for the visually impaired? I believe it should, and I submit the preceding thoughts and facts to substantiate this belief. It is my hope that these thoughts and facts may provide food for thought for our educators, counselors, and for all visually impaired persons for whom they may be relevant. (Editorial Note: From time to time, a number of individuals have expressed the desire to form a piano technicians special interest group within the American Council of the Blind. Anyone interested is asked to contact ACB National Membership Chairman Carl McCoy, in care of the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. -- Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036.) ***** ** Far-Sweeping Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act Passed by the House By Reese Robrahn On May 16, 1978, the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress passed H.R. 12467, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Amendments of 1978. The bill's chief sponsor is John Brademas, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House Committee on Education and Labor. The measure contains many far-reaching and sweeping provisions, the need for which was established during the last two years at oversight hearings conducted by the Subcommittee. The over-all funding authorization for fiscal year 1979 represents a 50% increase, with some additional funding authorization for succeeding years, the extension of the Act being for five years. In the meantime, the Senate Committee on Human Resources has reported out S. 2600, the Senate's version of rehabilitation amendments for 1978. Its chief sponsor is Jennings Randolph, Chairman of the Subcommittee for the Handicapped. It is the personal opinion of this writer that the House bill is superior to the Senate bill in many respects. However, the American Council of the Blind and other interested organizations were successful in bringing about the introduction of an amendment to the Senate bill introduced by Senator Randolph which provides for services for aging blind persons, with ear-marked funds for such services. We were not successful in securing such an amendment to the House bill. Chances of the survival of such an amendment in the conference committee are regarded with mild optimism. Because it is believed that most of the provisions of the House bill will prevail in the measure finally adopted by the Congress, the major provisions of the House bill are reported here in summary form for your information. 1. The bill authorizes $808 million dollars for basic vocational rehabilitation services, to be distributed to the states by formula, for fiscal year 1979, with an additional $50 million for each of the succeeding four years, together with any increased percentage based on the Consumer Price Index. The current level of funding is $760 million. 2. Recognizing the need for innovative services and the expansion of services to meet the mandate of the Act to give priority to the serving of severely handicapped persons, authorization for innovative and expansion projects is increased from $18 million to $100 million for each of the next five years. 3. The bill authorizes and directs that rehabilitation agencies utilize telecommunications systems in the development and delivery of services, and audio recorded materials for blind persons and video recorded materials for deaf persons, including captioned films for deaf persons and radio reading services for blind persons. 4. The following significant additions to state rehabilitation plans are required: (a) State plans shall be filed and approved once every three years instead of annually, except that the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, in his discretion, may require the filing of the same more frequently; (b) Assurances of the maintenance of minimum standards for personnel, to ensure availability of personnel who can communicate in the language of persons receiving services or in the mode of their communication; (c) Assurances to provide coordinated services to those persons entitled to vocational rehabilitation services under the Education of the Handicapped Act and the Vocational Education Act; (d) Assurances regarding contractual arrangements with industry to train handicapped persons for employment in industry and in the establishment and management of their own businesses. 5. The measure removes the limitation on the number of Client Assistance projects and expands the services of such projects to include the pursuing of administrative and legal remedies for clients to assure the protection of their rights, with the funding level for such projects increased from $1.5 million to $3.5 million annually. 6. It provides for the establishment of a National Institute of Handicapped Research, the director of which is to be appointed by the President; and it specifies that the Institute shall plan and coordinate on a national basis all research concerning handicapped persons, including existing research programs, which shall not be limited to rehabilitation research, and which shall include research producing statistical information as to the population of handicapped persons, incidence, employment, etc. 7. The bill provides for the establishment of regional pools of interpreters for deaf persons and of reading services for blind persons who are not otherwise entitled to such services by virtue of a rehabilitation plan; such services, in particular, to be made readily available to handicapped persons in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educational programs. 8. The legislation provides for the establishment and development of comprehensive rehabilitation centers to make available the full range of rehabilitation services, including referral and follow-up, recreation, life enrichment in the arts, job development, job placement, and technical assistance to local government agencies and to private industry and business. 9. The legislation provides for the creation of a National Council on the Handicapped, the members of which shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, at least five of the members shall be administrators of vocational rehabilitation agencies; at least five shall be persons engaged in medical or rehabilitation research; at least five shall be persons who are handicapped; and the remaining five members shall be persons who are knowledgeable with regard to programs provided under the Act. The Council is required to meet six times annually to develop policy and review policy of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, advise and make recommendations to RSA and to the National Institute of Handicapped Research with regard to the development of programs and improvement of programs, and make annual reports to the Secretary of HEW, the President, and the Congress. The House committee report on the makes it clear that the Council is not intended to be merely advisory, but that it is intended to have the function to develop and establish policy and plan program. 10. There is an amendment which reconstitutes the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to be as the Architectural, Transportation, Communications Barriers Compliance Board, and which adds nine additional members to the Board who shall be handicapped persons, requires the Board to conduct studies of the cost of removal of barriers, and requires a report and recommendations with regard to such studies to the Congress, and lodges full responsibility for enforcement of barrier removal and compliance with the accessibility requirements under Section 504 of the Act, all to be coordinated with the Office for Civil Rights, and full responsibility for technical assistance with regard to barrier removal and accessibility of facilities. 11. The bill provides for the recovery of attorneys' fees by prevailing complainants in actions brought under Sections 501, 502, 503, and 504 of the Act. 12. The bill authorizes the Department of Labor to conduct community service employment projects to place handicapped persons referred by vocational rehabilitation agencies in jobs contributing to the general welfare of the community, at pay levels which shall not be less than the national minimum wage, and with such persons being furnished reader services, interpreter services, and attendant care, with reimbursement of expenses related to such employment, such as transportation costs. 13. The measure provides for projects to be administered by the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration through contractual arrangements with industry and private business for the training of handicapped persons in employment in private industry and business, and in the establishment and management of their own businesses. 14. The legislation also provides for comprehensive independent living services for those handicapped persons who do not have a present vocational goal and for those severely handicapped persons who require comprehensive services in order to achieve their vocational goal. Such services are to be provided directly by vocational rehabilitation agencies and indirectly by contract through such agencies with community-based non-profit organizations. The authorization of funds to be expended for such services is in the amount of $390 million over the next three years by rehabilitation agencies directly, and $240 million over the next three years for the grants programs to community-based non-profit organizations. ***** ** Hardly A Vindication (Reprinted from the Des Moines Register, Wednesday, May 31, 1978) Gov. Robert Ray said the report of his ad hoc committee that studied Iowa's Commission for the Blind vindicates the commission. Commission Director John Taylor echoed Ray's assessment. Vindication? The study committee made some 25 recommendations for corrective action. An agency with this much room for improvement cannot be said to be vindicated. The ad hoc committee stated, "The programs of Iowa's Commission for the Blind are among the very best in the entire nation." We agree, but that never has been an issue. The issue that has concerned us and others has been management of the commission, and especially the ties between the agency, its former director, Kenneth Jernigan, and private groups. The ad hoc committee was prevented from digging deeply into these relationships because the National Federation of the Blind, Services for the Blind, Inc., and the American Brotherhood for the Blind denied the committee's request for records. This created a serious gap in the committee's report. Jernigan, for example, headed FEDCO, a profit-making, fund-raising arm of the National Federation of the Blind, while he was state director. There is not a word in the ad hoc committee's report about FEDCO or Jernigan's association with it. Repeated references are made, however, to the need for the Commission for the Blind to recommend against service by commission officers or employees in private groups where "public policy" would make it inappropriate. This is a vague injunction, but it is clear that the committee believes the commission has been lax in permitting the agency to become too closely allied with private groups. Jernigan was a strong director who dominated the agency during his 20 years at its head. The commission is supposed to hold the director accountable, but it is evident that the commissioners deferred excessively to Jernigan. The Legislature is responsible for oversight of executive agencies, but Jernigan successfully avoided close scrutiny by skillfully developing ties among legislators and by convincing his followers that criticism of him or his activities was an attack on the blind. It's symptomatic of the unwillingness of lawmakers to provide effective oversight of the Commission for the Blind that when questions were raised about the commission, they had to be answered by a committee named by the Governor instead of by a legislative investigating committee. Inadequate oversight of a public agency by the executive and legislative branches is a recipe for trouble. Lawmakers and members of the Commission for the Blind have an obligation to provide that oversight. ***** ** ARRS Sponsors Conference on Radio Reading Services Well over a hundred consumers, volunteers, and representatives of station management met in St. Louis, Missouri, the week of May 15-18 for the 1978 Conference of Radio Reading Services for Blind and Physically Handicapped Persons. The fourth such annual conference, this was the first to be sponsored by the newly formed Association of Radio Reading Services (ARRS), with the cooperation of the American Foundation for the Blind. In opening remarks to the first general session, ARRS President, C. Stanley Potter, Administrator, Services for the Blind, St. Paul, Minnesota, stressed the need for communication, coordination. and collaboration among individuals as well as organizations. if the concept of radio reading services is to be strengthened and expanded. Recognizing the value of such services to the local community. and citing specifically WMRY, Radio Information Service for the Blind and Handicapped, Belleville, Illinois, the Supervisor of St. Louis County by resolution commended ARRS "for its worthwhile efforts to enhance the lives of blind and handicapped persons here and throughout the world," and proclaimed May 15-18, 1978, as Radio Reading Service Days in St. Louis County Keynote speaker at the opening session was Raymond Kempf. National Finance Chairman for the American Council of the Blind and Chairman of Minnesota Council for the Handicapped. Mr. Kempf spoke movingly of his depression and despair upon first losing his sight, "the ultimate in human disaster"; of his subsequent acceptance of and adjustment to blindness; and of what radio reading services had meant to him personally. It would hardly seem possible to surprise or particularly to impress "veterans in the field," many with several years' programming experience and some with stations on the air over 90 hours a week. Yet, Collage, a tape containing sample programming from some 20 services throughout the country did exactly that. The range and quality and potential seemed limitless -- newspapers, books, gardening, grocery ads, comics, physical exercises, nostalgia, rehabilitative service information, home repair ... Currently, over 70 FM subcarrier stations are broadcasting to blind and physically handicapped persons throughout the United States. Of these, 26 were participating members of the Association of Radio Reading Services, formed at the 1977 conference in Bethesda, Maryland. Representatives of several new services, on the air within the past few months, were introduced at the opening session by Conference Program Chairman Rosie Hurwitz of the Audio-Reader Service, Lawrence, Kansas. These included: Broadcast Services for the Blind, San Francisco, California; Update Radio Reading Service, Jamestown, New York; Radio Information Service Enterprise (RISE), Schenectady, New York; Radio Talking Book, WILL Public Radio, Urbana, Illinois. Two half-day sessions were given over to workshops on management, programming, engineering, and volunteer screening and training. This provided an opportunity for in-depth examination into areas of special concern to individual participants. Funding has been, and continues to be, a constant source of concern to radio information services as a whole. The Wednesday afternoon general session, therefore, dealt with "Funding and Grantsmanship." Dr. Henry Snyder, Dean of Research Administration, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, spoke primarily of Government grants, while Mr. Paul Verret, who has worked closely with the Minnesota Radio Talking Book program for a number of years, directed his remarks to the "Dos" and "Don'ts" of dealing with foundations, both private and community-based. Certainly a high point of the conference was the bus tour to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows and the WMRY, Belleville, Illinois Radio Information Service, with dinner at the Shrine. Featured speaker at the dinner was Dr. Robert J. Winn, Jr., recently appointed Director of the Office for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. "I think that radio reading services is in serious trouble," he began. "First of all, you have the potential to serve the old and the young. You have the potential to serve those children who need education. You have the potential to serve adults who need continuing adult education. You have the potential to provide entertainment; the day-to-day reading of the newspaper. You have the potential to be the communication network for the advocacy system that we need so desperately in this field. So, you see, you're in real trouble. Do you know why you're in trouble? You don't fit the bureaucratic mold! "What we have both at the state and Federal level, as I have observed it, ... in human services is a very fragmented system in which now funding has been attached. I think, ironically, by the very nature of the diversity of your potential, you are placed in jeopardy. ... "As I listened this afternoon, I thought the speakers did an excellent job in a short period of time to describe to you the hoops that you are going to have to jump through in order to get at this diverse funding. "I had the fortune for about four years to be the administrator over a diverse system called Community Services. It was a new idea, where when a family or a person is in trouble, they can go to one place and get all the different services. And I can say, after four years of administering such a program. that I sincerely empathize with what you're going through. I can remember very clearly the multiplicity of funding and matching, and the aspect of developing daily time sheets in order to attribute a percentage of a person's time back to a specific grant. "Such issues as this discourage people who came into the field of human services, whether they be volunteers or professionals. I have seen many people leaving the field of human services, becoming cynical, dropping out, or becoming bureaucratized ... " Dr. Winn then outlined the potential and the current dynamics as they relate to three possible funding alternatives: (1) to follow the present course to obtain diversified, short-term funding -- of becoming expert grantsmen -- of learning the system; (2) the concept at the Federal level of beginning to conceptualize joint funding, so that those who are trying to deliver services "won't have to jump through the hoops"; (3) major, substantial funding of radio reading services as a comprehensive entity in and of itself. He stressed the unique position of radio reading services to serve as a communications network in conjunction with the advocacy office being established within the Rehabilitation Services Administration. "I think that this is an important role for you in the future," he said. "I think there will be funding in this area, and I think you can look forward to it." He suggested, further, that under new proposed rehabilitation legislation, more functions will be carried on at the local level. "And again, I think that this is an area in which radio reading services can provide key information and referral services to assist blind people in understanding at the local level all of their resources, and I feel there will be future funding in this area." "I am with you!" he concluded. "Our office is small. I feel, however, that one of the key elements through which our office can assist you is the very basic fact that you potentially are the major communications system by which we can impart knowledge and information in order to bring about education rehabilitative and other kinds of services that are so desperately needed." Officers and Class A Executive Committee members were elected as follows: President -- C. Stanley Potter, Administrator, Services for the Blind, St. Paul Minnesota; Vice President -- Walter Boninger, Associate Executive Director, Community Service, Cleveland Society for the Blind, Cleveland, Ohio; Secretary -- Rosie Hurwitz, Director, Audio-Reader Service, Kansas State University, Lawrence, Kansas; Treasurer -- Margaret W. Rockwell, President, The Washington Ear, Silver Spring, Maryland; Stanley Doran, Central Ohio Radio Reading Service, Columbus, Ohio; George F. Harris, York County Blind Center, York, Pennsylvania; Travis Harris, Division of Visual Services, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; John H. Luckadoo, North Texas Radio for the Blind, Dallas, Texas; Judy Bryan, Radio Talking Book, WILL Public Radio, Urbana, Illinois; Betty Bird, South Carolina Educational Radio Network, Columbia, South Carolina; Barbara Toliver, KUOW Radio Reading Service, Seattle, Washington; Rex Wallgren, Utah State Library Commission, Salt Lake City, Utah; James Bousfield, KPBS Radio Reading Service, San Diego State University, San Diego, California. At its post-conference meeting, the Executive Committee elected Durward K. McDaniel, National Representative, American Council of the Blind, Washington, D.C., and William F. Gallagher, Director, Program Planning Department, American Foundation for the Blind, New York, New York, to serve as Class B members of the Committee. ***** ** Tax Credit Incentive to Employ Youths and Handicapped By Durward K. McDaniel The Carter Administration has sent to Congress amendments to H.R. 12078, the President's Tax Program, which include a provision called the Targeted Employment Tax Credit. The proposed tax credit will be available to employers of young persons aged 18 to 24 who are from low-income households and of handicapped individuals who are referred from vocational rehabilitation programs. The amount of the credit will be one-third of the employee's wages, up to a maximum credit of $2,000 for the first year of employment, and one­fourth of those wages, up to $1,500 for the second year. Eligible individuals will be certified by local agencies that are designated by the Department of Labor. Neither the employer nor the IRS will be responsible for determining eligibility of employees. The proposal contains the following restrictions and conditions: (1) The employee must be employed full-time and for at least 75 days. (2) The credit may not offset more than 90% of tax liability in any year. (3) The employer's deduction for wages paid must be reduced by the amount of the credit. (4) No more than 20% of an employer's wage base for Federal unemployment insurance taxes may be counted in the base for the credit. (5) Employers may not simultaneously earn employment credits and on-the-job training payments or WIN credits for the same employees. The proposed credit focuses the incentive on disadvantaged young people who are experiencing the highest rates of unemployment and on the handicapped. The new credit is not restricted to companies that have employment growth. Thus, there will be greater certainty that hiring eligibles will result in credits for the employer. Also, the incentives will be spread more evenly by industry and region. Under the proposed credit, all tax-paying employers will be given an incentive to employ additional disadvantaged and handicapped individuals. Credits will be earned for employment of about 1.9 million disadvantaged and handicapped persons when the proposed program is fully in effect. This proposal will reduce tax liabilities by $0.6 billion in calendar year 1979 and by $1.5 billion when fully effective. The American Council of the Blind is supporting the tax credit concept as a means of gaining for visually impaired persons the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to work productively. Probably action will be completed on this legislation this summer -- perhaps by the time this issue reaches Braille Forum readers. In the meantime, ACB will have been calling upon many people and organizations around the country to support the tax credit amendment in a liberalized form to improve employment opportunities. The Carter Administration is to be commended for its initiative and promotion of the tax credit concept, which ACE endorsed as early as 1965. ***** ** Low-Vision U.S.A. The Problem of Six Million Americans with Severe, Uncorrectable Visual Impairment (Reprinted from SUNDIAL Publication of Eye Research Institute of Retina Foundation, Boston, Mass., April-May, 1978) (Low-vision specialist and assistant scientist of the Eye Research Institute of Retina Foundation, Gerald R. Friedman, O.D., discusses the dimensions of the problem.) There are 6.4 million people in the United States alone who suffer from some form of severe visual impairment. Of this 6.4 million, 400,000 have no useful vision, which leaves 6 million with some degree of sight. These statistics are generally accepted as being underestimated and unfortunately, they also represent a visually impaired population which is increasing and not decreasing. The incapacitating nature of visual impairment is readily demonstrated by the fact that most of these people are in good health but for their eyes. However, they cannot function in the visually oriented world of today. Ironically, and this is most important to remember, these people are not TOTALLY blind. Among the reasons for the increase in visual impairment in our population are: the eye's vulnerability to injury; degenerative conditions of the eye accompanying age; systemic diseases which also affect the eye; increasing life expectancy which leaves the eyes vulnerable to the aging problems of all organs of the body; and the increasing population itself. Two causes of the increasing incidence of visual impairment warrant special attention because of the seeming paradox involved. These are: a) advances in medical and surgical treatment of the eyes and b) the advanced technology of today's society. Advances in eye treatment have made it possible to preserve sight on a level never before thought possible. New techniques in vitreous and retinal surgery and photocoagulation with the laser have preserved the vision of eyes which previously would have been lost. In preserving vision, these advances have cut down blindness, but in many cases leave reduced vision, hence adding to the visually impaired population, an outcome, however, far preferable to total blindness. On the other hand, the technological society of today, while giving us miraculous developments to enhance our lives, even to preserve life, is itself responsible for creating de facto visual impairments by simply denying the visually impaired access to jobs because these jobs now require superior vision. Certain jobs which once required 20/40 vision, today require 20/20 vision, a level of vision much higher than the 20/40. States which once required 20/70 vision to operate an automobile, now require 20/40, a much higher visual level than 20/70. These are but two examples of society contributing to the creation of a visually impaired population through definition and legislation. Low Vision Defined: What then do we call this group in excess of 6 million which cannot "see," but is not "blind?" Historically, these people would be considered to have inadequate vision to function and would be classified for all intents and purposes as blind. Today, we are in a fortunate position to offer them a much better future than that definition would imply. First, we call this condition "low vision," not blindness, and second, of far greater importance, we can offer low vision people the means of utilizing whatever vision they have left, no matter how great or how little that may be. In a visually oriented society, this can be the difference between independence and dependence, of being a productive part of society, or a victim of it. If one has good sight, one can perform two simple experiments and experience two forms of low vision. To personally experience the impairment of central vision, cover one eye and observe the area around you, looking through a glass of salt water. During this exercise, look out the windows and also look at the newspaper. The impairment of peripheral, or side vision, can be appreciated by closing one eye and looking through a straw with the other eye. Again, look out the window and at a newspaper. These exercises demonstrate two distinct types of visual impairment. What they have in common is that SOME vision remains. This residual vision is what keeps this person from being considered "blind." The person with low vision then, is not blind; the term "blind" should be reserved for those without ANY remaining vision. "Low vision" is the vision one has left (residual vision) after all the medical treatment of the cause of the disability has been utilized. A more technical definition of low vision would be, "any pathological congenital or traumatic condition of the eye which results in a decrease of central vision or peripheral field and which is not amenable to medical, surgical, or ordinary optical means." If this remaining vision is insufficient to read or travel, or even watch TV, low vision evaluation and specially designed systems can, in a gratifying number of instances, increase this remaining vision to a usable level. Low vision knows no age boundaries. It affects the young as well as the elderly. People are born with it and people develop it later in life. Although low vision is often associated with increasing age, it is interesting to note that a study of the low vision population seen in two of the low vision clinics in Boston show that 40% of those seen were under the age of 35 with a substantial number under the age of 16. The population seen at one of these clinics consisted of patients from 51 countries and 36 states, which offers further insight into the geographical distribution of those with low vision. The systems which are utilized to enhance the remaining vision range from the relatively simple to the extremely complex. Each has its specific advantages and can only be determined after careful low vision evaluation which first determines the amount of useful vision remaining, then, the most efficient way to utilize it. Making the Most of Low Vision. The low vision systems do far more than help someone to read, although reading is extremely important in society today. They can make it possible to stay in school or go on to advanced study, find and keep a job, walk from one point to another, fulfill household and cooking requirements. The effectiveness of the low vision system varies with the ability of the patient to master it; the highly motivated patient rarely has difficulty. The need to use vision varies considerably and is dictated by one's environment. This need combined with motivation accounts for the variations in results achieved with low vision systems. If you were to observe people with 20/80 vision in their daily lives, you would think some of them had no problem at all with their eyes, while others had no vision at all. The group which is attempting to make the most use of their vision is the group which would have little difficulty in adapting to the low vision system. In summary, the low vision systems give the user an ability to compete in his visual world to a degree never thought possible. Utilization of these low vision systems is seldom easy, but one has only to consider the alternative, not seeing, to realize the advantages which these systems offer. Research in the area of low vision is being carried on in order to find new and better ways to evaluate the residual vision and develop new techniques and technology to enable the more efficient use of the precious residual vision for as long as possible. ***** ** Letter to the Editor May 2, 1978 Dear Editor: I wish you had a "Letters to the Editor" department, because I would like you and your readers to know of the wonderful response I have received to the article, "Rehabilitation Teaching and the Low Vision Client" (The Braille Forum, January, 1978), and I want to thank you for printing it in full, and for transmitting the responses. As you know, they came from all over the country. In addition, I received three long-distance phone calls which I appreciated very much. They all asked for more information, and I was happy to send out many copies of the complete plan, procedures, sources, suggestions, etc. What pleases me most is that this idea, which has worked so successfully for me, seems to have "caught on" in so many other places, and partially sighted people in all those areas may soon be benefiting from it. Thank you again. Sincerely, Stephen Hoyt Holly Hill, Florida ***** ** Philosophy of a Handicapped Person (From United States Association for Blind Athletes Newsletter, Spring 1978) I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon if I can. I seek opportunity, not security by being a kept citizen, humbled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I prefer the challenge of life to the dole. I will not trade freedom nor my dignity for a handout. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefits of my creations and to face the world boldly, and say, this I have done. -- Author unknown ***** ** Here and There By George Card The CAPITAL TIMES of Madison, Wisconsin carried a story on April 7 of legislation originated by the third-grade students in a local school and just signed by the Governor. In six months, all elevators in the new buildings will have braille lettering for all floor stops, plus raised letters for spelling "stop," "open," "close" and "emergency bell." Within one year all existing state elevators must comply. The state will spend $10,000 dollars to equip its 441 passenger elevators with new interior control panels and exterior hallway panels. Governor Martin Schreiber signed the bill in the schoolroom where the idea had been born. From the AFB NEWSLETTER: The program and installation for the high­speed reproduction of talking books on cassettes has become fully activated. This highly automated program is supported with the latest equipment and techniques. It is capable of producing 1,000 cassettes per shift; four-track cassette tapes will hold six hours of recording and an average sized book will require two cassettes. From QUAZAR (Arkansas Council of the Blind): Employers may claim an additional credit in 1977 and 1978 for hiring handicapped employees referred to the employer by certain rehabilitation services. The credit is 10% of the first $4,200 of wages paid each handicapped employee. From CCB OUTLOOK (Canada): The Aids and Appliances of CNIB has entered into an agreement with a Toronto firm to assemble a remote sound beacon. The beacon comprises two units. One is left at any location to which a blind person may wish to return at a later time. This may be to mark a street crossing, front door, or even a garden tool. The second unit is a small pocket transmitter. The beacon proper remains silent until the user presses a button on the pocket transmitter, at which time it emits a series of audible beeps and guides him to its location. It is clearly audible up to 100 feet. From NATIONAL NEWS OF THE BLIND (Canada): The eyes of the widow of Winston Churchill, who died recently, were used to restore sight to patients with badly damaged eyes, according to her expressed wish. … An American bio-medical engineer in Sydney, Australia has developed an instrument which makes eye examinations simpler and less painful and more efficient. Called a fornixscope, the instrument eliminates the need to "roll back" a person's eyelid manually when examining the area of the upper eye. It allows the doctor freedom of both hands. The MCB PERISCOPE (Mississippi) reports that our ACB affiliate was successful in defeating a bill which would have transferred rehabilitation services from under the School for the Blind Board, and also the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, from under the State Library Commission and placed them under the State Welfare Board. The MCB also helped defeat a bill that would have limited the activities of blind vending facility operators when in competition with private enterprise, and it effectively supported other bills which it deemed in the best interest of the blind of the state. For a comparatively young and not very numerous group, its legislative record is an excellent one, and it is to be congratulated. From the KAB NEWS (Kansas): Ray McGuire, seventy-five, of Wichita, former KAB President, and one of the state's most respected leaders in work for the blind, died on October 28, 1977. He had also been president of the KAB Credit Union and was famous for his ability to find solutions for difficult problems. From the BRAILLE REPORTER (Washington State): The 72-year-old Italian shoemaker, Tony Chicketti, repairs some shoes for people who can pay, but mostly he repairs and recycles shoes for the people who can't. These include the blind, victims of cerebral palsy, and other handicapped people. In the past ten years he has repaired and given away 3,000 pairs of shoes. Many wholesalers in the Seattle area supply him with some items at cost. The TAMPA TRIBUNE (Florida) reports: Don Cameron has been named "The Outstanding Blind Person" in Florida for his contributions to the blind for more than thirty-five years. Cameron led the fight for successful legislation that classified the state's blind vendors as state employees for the purpose of inclusion in the state retirement system. He has also led the fight against taking away that classification. (Don is a former state president and former member of the ACB Board). The TCN (Tennessee) reports that Mr. and Mrs. William Ferrell are moving permanently to Merritt Island, Florida. Bill and Dorothy will be sorely missed in the state where they have been so active for so many years. Bill received one of ACB's most coveted awards at a recent national convention. Tennessee's loss; Florida's gain. Writing in the MISSOURI CHRONICLE, Xena Johnson reports that the Federal Trade Commission has concluded that some mandatory disclosures may be necessary in the advertising of prescription eyeglasses and some ophthalmic goods and services. Its staff has suggested five possible items which could be required in eyeglass advertising, whether or not the price covers: 1. single or multifocal lenses; 2. hard or soft contact lenses; 3. an eye examination; 4. dispensing fees; and 5. both frames and lenses. It also adopted a requirement that both ophthalmologists and optometrists must provide the patient with a copy of his eyeglass prescriptions. The Center for Foreign Studies, Ann Arbor, Michigan, offers college-level courses for blind students in foreign programs, studies and/or visits. For more information, write to Byron Eguiguren at the Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, Illinois 60093. From the VISUALLY HANDICAPPED VIEWS (South Dakota): John Madigan, Secretary of the Department of Rehabilitation, has named David Vogel, Sioux Falls, to the position of Director of Services to the Visually Impaired. International Pen Friends, the largest organization of its kind in the world with 48,000 members in 138 countries, has now launched a division for blind people through the use of cassette tapes and braille. The division was set up in order to help break down the barriers which exist between the blind and the sighted. A nominal fee of one U.S. dollar (or equivalent) is required for blind members to cover expenses. Additional information may be obtained from: Mr. N. O'Donnell, President, IPF, Box 340, Dublin 12, Ireland. Darlene and I were finally able to escape for a little while from the snow and ice and the savage cold of this past winter and spent a few delightful days in the warm sunshine of the New Orleans area. In Mobile we had the privilege of meeting the Alabama state president. Charlie Smith impressed us as having outstanding leadership qualities. Real leadership ability is a rare and precious thing and it is to be hoped that Charlie will stay in office long enough so that his talents can be put to maximum use in the service of his organization. When an organization is lucky enough to have discovered a truly promising leader, it ought to think twice before seeking change just for the sake of change. ###