The Braille Forum Vol. XVI June, 1978 No. 12 Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * President: Floyd Qualls 501 N. Douglas Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73160 * National Representative: Durward K. McDaniel 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 506 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 833-1251 * Editor: Mary T. Ballard 190 Lattimore Road Rochester, NY 14620 (716) 244-8364 The Braille Forum seeks to promote the independence and dignity of all blind people; to stress responsibility of citizenship; to alert the public to the abilities and accomplishments of the blind. The Braille Forum carries official news of the American Council of the Blind and its programs. It is available for expression of views and concerns common to all blind persons. ***** ** Contents Notice to Subscribers The Right to Know -- Audible Pedestrian Signals for Street Crossing, by Durward K. McDaniel Back-Door Attack on Section 504, by Reese Robrahn ACB Convention -- Come One, Come All! Council of Rehabilitation Specialists Plans Workshops Bumper Sticker Contest Talking Word Processor Adds Further Dimension in Employment ACB Joins in Challenge of Airline Restrictions on Acceptance of Handicapped Passengers, by Reese Robrahn NECA Sues the American Foundation Occupational Information Library for the Blind U.S. Department of Education -- Rehabilitation?, by Durward K. McDaniel The National Health In the True Spirit of Rehabilitation! The Blind Need to "See" Money, Too, by Billie Chrisman Funding Authorized for Needs of Visually Impaired in Federal Employee Training Programs Let's Share Resources, by Norma L. Schecter Highlights of ACCD Delegate Assembly Hyde Park Corner: A Member, Not a Guest, by E.C. Martin Advisory Panel Cites NASA for Lead in Research to Aid the Handicapped Compounding the Handicap: America's Insensitivity Toward Its Disabled Independence and Privacy in Banking -- Cassette Checking Account Here and There ACB Officers Associate Editors ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large-type, and two recorded editions -- flexible disc (8 1/3 rpm), which may be kept by the reader, and cassette tape, which must be returned so that tapes can be re-used. Send subscription requests and address changes to The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. Items intended for publication may be sent in print, braille, or tape to the Editor, Mary T. Ballard, at the above address, or to one of the Associate Editors. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. -- Suite 506, Washington, D.C. 20036. The National Office now has printed cards available to acknowledge to loved ones contributions sent in memory of deceased persons. You may wish to remember someone by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. Anyone wishing to remember ACB in his or her Last Will and Testament may use the following language in a special paragraph for that purpose: "I give and bequeath unto the American Council of the Blind, a District of Columbia not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $, __"; or "__ % of my net estate" or: "the following described property ... Said bequest is made and devised to be used for the Council's corporate purposes in the interest of blind and visually impaired persons." If your wishes are more complex, your attorney may communicate with the ACB National Office. ***** ** The Right to Know -- Audible Pedestrian Signals For Street Crossing By Durward K. McDaniel Two generations ago, many cities and towns connected bells to their traffic light signals. The bells aided pedestrians who were unfamiliar with the signal system and others who could not see the red and green lights. In this generation, the age of the automobile, cities have computer-controlled visual signals, arrows for turning cars, "Walk" and "Don't Walk" signs, the usual colored lights, and perhaps other things that I don't know about. The audible signals have vanished from most cities. In large numbers, we have demonstrated that blind and visually impaired people can cross busy streets successfully. We do not know how many will not attempt to cross because the uncertainty imposed by the lack of practical traffic signals. Question: Does a blind pedestrian have as much right to know when the signals change as any other pedestrian? Question: Does the fact that we are a very small fraction of the total population infringe or cancel that "right to know"? Are not audible pedestrian signals a perfect example of "reasonable accommodation" within the meaning and effect of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973? Cities and towns certainly do receive Federal financial assistance. Within recent months, an Audio Pedestrian Signal (which is now on the market) was tested in Washington, D.C. The Audio Pedestrian Signal is intended to be used in conjunction with all standard pedestrian signals. Its audio signal, in the form of bird calls, during the protected walk interval informs the visually impaired when it is safe to cross the street. The audio output is terminated at the end of the walk interval. Two distinctly different bird calls are used for north-south and for east-west directions. The unit will adjust its output volume to the ambient noise conditions. This feature keeps noise pollution to a minimum. The unit can be easily adapted to all existing pedestrian signal installations (installation time approximately 20 minutes). To fully equip an intersection for full pedestrian movement a total of eight units is required. We have all heard from and about visually impaired persons who, for one reason or another, do not want equalizing accommodations. Equal opportunity and the right to know should not be affected by how few we are or by the cost of reasonable accommodation. ***** ** Back-Door Attack on Section 504 By Reese Robrahn The Urban Mass Transportation Act, administered by the Department of Transportation, provides 80% Federal funds for mass public transportation systems, which includes the purchase of buses and other transportation equipment. Thus, any transportation entity receiving such Federal funds is subject to the provisions and requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The 504 Regulations require accessibility of facilities to handicapped persons. This applies to transportation facilities because transportation is not specifically exempted under the law. The Department of Transportation, under the Carter Administration, has issued a rule that requires all bids for buses advertised after September 30, 1979, to comply with the specifications of the Transbus, which means a bus designed that is fully accessible to disabled passengers. A very strong lobbying coalition has been organized among public transportation companies and authorities and the General Motors Company. This lobby has succeeded in gaining the support of some influential members of the Congress in both houses. During the first week of May, committees of both houses of Congress conducted mark-up sessions on their respective bills on authorizations for the Department of Transportation, including the Urban Mass Transportation Act. In the Senate, Senator Stevenson of Illinois, Democrat, took the lead in introducing amendments which would have the effect of exempting transportation from the requirements of the Section 504 Regulations. The committee, with a substantial number of observer handicapped persons on hand from the annual delegate assembly meeting of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, ultimately postponed consideration of the amendments until after publication of the proposed 504 regulations of the Department of Transportation, at which time amendments would be taken up in executive session of the committee. In the House, the lead in the introduction of similar amendments was assumed by Congressman Shuster of Pennsylvania, Republican. The House bill already contains a provision calling for a study and reconsideration of the Transbus rule, with a moratorium in the meantime. The proceedings in the House were before a subcommittee which elected to refer further consideration of proposed amendments for consideration of the full Committee on Public Works. At this writing, then, the action is still pending in both houses on Congress. The General Motors-led lobby is powerful, well financed, and influential. If it succeeds in its effort through the proposed amendments, the flood gates will be opened and a deluge of similar attacks on Section 504 will come down on us. Section 504 is endangered! All handicapped persons, all organizations of handicapped persons, and all advocacy organizations for handicapped persons must gather together for strength in cooperation and collective action to oppose the transportation lobby. The American Council of the Blind urges your cooperation and action. Contact your state's House members and Senators to urge that they oppose and vote against any amendments or provisions in the Department of Transportation authorizations which would in any way weaken or lessen mass transportation's obligations under Section 504 and its Regulations. For further information, contact the ACB National Office. ***** ** ACB Convention -- Come One, Come All! You may not yet have your bags packed for the trip to Salt Lake City the week of July 23, but we hope you have responded to the convention pre­registration forms. By pre-registering and selecting the special events and the extra activities you want to participate in, you can avoid the big rush and last­minute press after the convention convenes. Convention Week commences Sunday, July 23, with a great variety of seminars and conferences of a dozen national affiliates of ACB each planning and conducting its own meetings and events. The ACB convention begins at 9:00 A. M., Wednesday, July 26, and will run into the afternoon of the 29th. ACB's Board of Publications will again conduct an Editors Workshop for those interested in internal communications. The following special-interest organizations will be meeting: American Blind Lawyers Association; ACB Service Net (amateur radio); Council of Rehabilitation Specialists; Guide Dog Users; National Alliance of Blind Students; National Association of Blind Teachers; Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America; Visually Impaired Data Processors International; Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association; Visually Impaired Veterans of America; Council of Citizens with Low Vision; American Council of the Blind Federal Employees; and the World Council of Blind Lions. Some of these events will begin on Sunday. Each organization will do advance mailings, and their programs will be available in braille and large-print at the Hotel Utah when you arrive. In addition the ACB convention speakers listed in the May issue of The Braille Forum, also to be included on the program are Mervin J. Flander, President of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind and Director of the Bureau of Services to the Blind in Nevada; Dr. Samuel M. Genensky, Chairperson of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision and Director of Partially-Sighted Research, Santa Monica, California; and Dr. Charles Buell, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. Also invited are the Honorable John Brademas, RSA Commissioner Robert R. Humphreys, H. Smith Shumway, Director, Services for Visually Handicapped in Wyoming, and Dallin H. Oaks, President of Brigham Young University. Governor Scott M. Matheson will greet the convention. ACB President Floyd Qualls is planning a special meeting with affiliate presidents to improve communications and utilization of resources. All meetings will be in the Hotel Utah, South Temple and Main Street; telephone (801) 328-9114. Rates: single $28, double $35. The other two convention hotels are: the Hotel Utah Motor Inn (has swimming pool), 125 W. North Temple, telephone 532-3100; rates: $20 single, $26 double; and the Temple Square Hotel, 75 W. South Temple, telephone 355-2961; rates: single $16, double $20. The latter two are only one block from the mail hotel. Many of you have asked about the weather in Salt Lake City in July. Normally the afternoon temperatures would reach the mid-90's. But the air is dry here on the top of the mountains, and as soon as the sun goes down, cool canyon breezes reduce the evening temperatures, which makes light sweaters very comfortable to wear. In fact, those going to Sundance (Robert Redford's resort) on Tuesday evening will want to make sure they have a light wrap. Most of the airlines have adopted new reduced rates to many parts of the country, including Salt Lake City. These new Super Saver fares have reduced the cost of air travel as much as 40% in some cases. However, in order to take advantage of these fares, you may have to make your reservation at least 30 days in advance. Because these plans are so many and so varied, you may want to contact your local travel agency or the Murdock Travel Agency, 14 S. Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101; telephone (801) 521-7850. You will be interested to know that the Convention Committee has arranged for fairly extensive exhibits. These exhibit booths will open on Tuesday, July 25, and close on Friday, July 28. We anticipate that most of the new and useful gadgets and devices, as well as a good many of the services available to the blind, will be on display. Save some time to examine items that range from "Beep" balls to the most sophisticated electronic equipment. Some reservations have already been received for the post-convention tour through southern Utah, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. If you think you would be interested, please contact the Convention Committee immediately. Space is limited, and for those who have never been West and seen southern Utah, the Grand Canyon, or Las Vegas, this is an opportunity you will certainly not want to miss. Contact Grant Mack, 139 E. South Temple, Suite 5000, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; telephone 355-7417. ***** ** Council of Rehabilitation Specialists Plans Workshops Chairman Billie Elder announces that the first anniversary of the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists will be celebrated in Salt Lake City July 24-25 with the presentation of three workshops as a part of ACB Convention Week. The first workshop is designed to help American Council of the Blind develop leadership and expertise in the program area of recreation for adults. Speakers will include Mervin J. Flander, Director of Services for the Blind, State of Nevada; Oral Miller, of Washington, D.C.; and Jean Eymere, founder of BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development). The subject of the Tuesday morning workshop, "Working Within the System to Bring About Change," has aroused widespread interest. Among the participants will be H. Smith Shumway of Wyoming, Mervin Flander of Nevada, Bryant Moore of Colorado, Roy Kumpe of Arkansas, Noma Hochstatter of Iowa, Durward McDaniel of Washington, D.C., and Jack Yeaman of Utah. On Tuesday afternoon, the focus will be on application of modern technology to job development, job retention, and upward mobility and advancement of visually impaired persons. Jerry Kuntz of California will be a featured presenter, assisted by Carol Gillispie of Maryland, Judy Pool of Oklahoma, Elizabeth Lennon of Michigan, and others. An overview of technical aids and appliances and a review of innovative devices will be featured. Members of the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists will bring resource materials, bibliographies, and literature to share. All ACB members were asked to contribute to this "information exchange," in an effort to overcome "informational barriers," so that CRS and ACB members can be more fully informed. ***** ** Bumper Sticker Contest ENTER NOW! Send your suggestion for an ACB bumper sticker slogan to the American Council of the Blind National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. — Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. The theme can be humorous, cause-oriented, or promotional for blind persons or ACB. The winner will be announced at the convention, after which the bumper stickers will be printed and available from the National Office. The prize will be dinner for two in the convention city, or if the person who wins does not attend the convention, in the home town of the winner, not to exceed $35.00. ***** ** Talking Word Processor Adds Further Dimension to Employment A powerful word processing system has just been announced by Maryland Computer Services, Inc. which, like the Talking Telephone Directory described in the April, 1978 issue of The Braille Forum, will add another dimension to employment of the Blind and Visually Impaired Secretary/Transcriber. This system, based on the Hewlett Packard 9896 (9831) or 9825 Deskton Computers, features the usual capabilities of adding, editing, printing, formatting, fetching, replacing, inserting, deleting and copying of text. But, for the blind operators a talking box is added and the Word Processing System can spell verbally. This allows the blind typists to proofread and correct the prepared document. Plans are being made now to have both the Talking Telephone Directory and the Talking Word Processor demonstrated during the two-day Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcriber Association Conference, July 24 and 25 in Salt Lake City. Be certain to check your convention program immediately upon arrival at The Hotel Utah so you will not miss it. Or, if you have any questions in the meantime, contact VISTA Program Chairman, Pat Price, 337 South Sherman Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46201. Phone: 317-356-7725. ***** ** ACB Joins in Challenge of Airline Restrictions on Acceptance of Handicapped Passengers By Reese Robrahn The American Council of the Blind, together with the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, the Institute for Public Interest Representation, and an individual, Michael Angel, filed a petition with the Civil Aeronautics Board on April 21, challenging the legality of airline-published tariff regulations which permit airline employees overly broad discretion in refusing passage to handicapped persons. The petition requests that the rules be declared void; and further, that the Civil Aeronautics Board issue a new rule narrowly limiting the airlines to the provisions of the law in adopting such regulations. In general terms relating to discrimination, the Federal Aviation Act provides: "No carrier ... shall make, give, or cause any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any particular person ... or subject any particular person ... to any unjust discrimination or any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage in any respect whatsoever." More specifically, on the issue of flight safety, the Act permits carriers to consider refusal of passage to would-be passengers when such transportation "would or might be inimical to safety of flight." Back in 1971, the Federal Aviation Administration initiated a rule-making procedure for carriage of handicapped persons by the airlines. It received many comments at public hearings and in writing. It conducted tests and research on the ability of handicapped persons to safely evacuate airplanes in emergency situations. Four years later, it withdrew its proposed rule and issued a statement to the effect that it was not practical to establish uniform regulations on the matter because of the wide variety of configurations of seats in airplanes and in the design of airplanes, and because the research conducted indicated no particular impediment to safe flight by reason of the presence of handicapped passengers. Ultimately, the Civil Aeronautics Board requested that the Federal Aviation Administration issue a policy on acceptance of handicapped persons for airline passage. The following is the published policy: "The carriage of handicapped persons should be limited in the interest of air safety only when those persons need the assistance of other persons to expeditiously evacuate the airplane." In August of 1977, the Civil Aeronautics Board issued its rule permitting the airlines to establish their own regulations on the matter, as a part of their tariff procedures, with the foregoing as the guideline. The result is regulations permitting exclusion of handicapped persons from airline passage under a wide variety of circumstances, for untenable reasons which are for the most judgmental, and without stipulation as to who shall make such judgments. Thus, under the regulation, it is possible for a person to be denied carriage by an airline because of cosmetic disfigurement, in the interest of the comfort of other passengers. The overall effect of these airline-engineered regulations is widespread discriminatory exclusion of handicapped persons from airline travel. ***** ** NECA Sues the American Foundation Last year, the National Eye Care Association (NECA) sued the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped and its executive director, Richard W. Bleecker, for $10 million in damages. On April 24, 1978 NECA sued the American Foundation for the Blind and its executive director, Loyal E. Apple, for the same amount. NECA said that it is actively doing business in Iowa and that it is qualified to do business in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Missouri, and Nebraska. NECA alleges that the AFB and Apple engaged in a conspiratorial effort to commit wrongful acts, all for the express purpose of injuring Plaintiff. The other individuals and organizations said to be conspiring in the aforesaid regard include, but are not limited to, NAC and its executive director, the Minneapolis Society for the Blind and its executive director, Jesse H. Rosten, and the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and its executive director, Fred W. McDonald. Last year, NECA advertised a range of services and a membership program which included an insurance policy providing a benefit of $75,000 for any policyholder who became accidentally, totally, and irrecoverably blind. At that time, NECA's president was Kenneth Jernigan, Director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind. The chairman of NECA's board was, and is, Roger Jepsen, formerly Lieutenant Governor in Iowa and presently a candidate for U.S. Senator in the Republican primary. As it did in the case against NAC, NECA asks for $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages against these new defendants, AFB and Apple. ***** ** Occupational Information Library For the Blind What types of jobs can blind people do? If otherwise qualified, they can attain success in virtually any field of interest. Blind youngsters and blind men and women searching for new ideas will find the new, updated Occupational Information Library for the Blind an invaluable source for selecting, planning, or upgrading their careers. School guidance counselors, teachers, rehabilitation counselors, librarians, and other persons concerned with assisting the blind to achieve their maximum vocational potential will also benefit from this handy desk-top library, available both in print and in a "talking" or cassette edition. What is the Occupational Information Library for the Blind? The Library has been developed by the Greater Detroit Society for the Blind under an expansion grant from the State of Michigan Department of Social Services, Division of Services for the Blind, with Benjamin J. Pumo as Project Director. Developed on a nationwide scale, it serves as a clearinghouse for occupational information about successfully employed blind men and women. The information for the catalog was assembled from several surveys researching data regarding areas of work offering employment opportunities for the blind. It consists of an open-end, desk-top file in 21 worker trait categories conforming to the U.S. Department of Labor "Dictionary of Occupational Titles" (DOT). Each job description contains the common and DOT job title, with appropriate code number and work area letter, job description, educational requirements, where training is available, social and psychological factors, special needs and adaptations as they specifically relate to blind workers, the employment outlook, prospective employers, working conditions, earnings, and related occupations. The catalog describes several hundred different jobs being successfully performed by blind men and women. It covers all areas of work, such as professional, semi-professional, clerical, sales, technical and agricultural jobs, as well as industrial and self-employed. All descriptions of jobs known to be successfully performed by the totally blind contain no reference to visual requirement. Therefore, the reviewer can assume that all otherwise qualified blind persons might find success in that particular field of endeavor. The Library is kept current through information about blind workers gathered from all over the nation. It is axiomatic that the greater the number of contributors of information about different types of jobs being successfully performed by the blind, the more useful the catalog becomes. Therefore, the publishers welcome — in fact, urge — all blind persons and workers for the blind to submit information particularly about jobs not yet described. The print edition consists of over 500 8-1/2 by 11 in. individual job­description cards, with 21 file separators, plus general instructions, contents, alphabetical index, and special training facilities booklets. Supplements are in the form of new and revised job-description cards, lettered and coded for insertion into the appropriate section. The "talking" edition consists of 36 C90, tone-indexed cassettes (1 7 /8 i.p.s.), which can be used on any standard commercial or Library of Congress cassette player. The reader need only find the desired title in either the braille or large­print index and then locate the information by the cassette and page number appearing on each cassette. Each cassette contains 15 writeups in all, covering approximately 600 different occupations. Supplements are in the form of supplementary cassettes. Price of the new print edition is $75; for the "talking" edition, $110; supplements to previous editions, either print or cassette, $25 per set. Requests for purchases and/or subscriptions should be sent to Occupational Information Library for the Blind, Greater Detroit Society for the Blind, 1401 Ash Street, Detroit, MI 48208; telephone (313) 964-1234. Checks should be made payable to the Greater Detroit Society for the Blind. ***** ** U.S. Department of Education -- Rehabilitation? By Durward K. McDaniel One of Jimmy Carter's campaign promises was to create a separate Department of Education. Legislation is now pending, and it will probably pass in some form. Under the President's plan, the new department would include most of the education programs in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Head Start, the Agriculture Department's child nutrition and nutrition education programs, overseas Defense Department schools, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. It would also take over from HEW supervision of Howard University, Gallaudet College, the American Printing House for the Blind, and the National Institute for the Deaf. However, the giant $2.6 billion-a-year veterans' educational programs would remain in the Veterans Administration. The reorganization proposal also did not include the National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities, most of the National Science Foundation, certain juvenile delinquency programs in the Justice Department, public broadcasting, substantial health training programs, the Smithsonian Institution, the Vocational Rehabilitation programs, or the job-training programs of the Labor Department. Some of the proposed transfers to the new department are controversial among those affected by those agencies. The Rehabilitation Services Administration was not included in the proposed transfer, and its omission has become controversial. The National Rehabilitation Association and a substantial number of state agency directors favor transfer of rehabilitation to the new department. Many others contend that RSA should remain where it is, but with more status and independence from other human service programs. Some who favor greater emphasis on job development and placement contend that a better case can be made for transferring RSA to the Department of Labor. One influential worker in rehabilitation said, "I would rather be run by educators than by social workers." In 1963, the American Council of the Blind favored a transfer to the Department of Labor, but since we have not dealt with that subject for so many years, we consider that we do not have an operating policy on this issue. It would be unfortunate to have RSA become a minor spoke in a very large educational wheel which would be preoccupied with formal academic education. A strong suggestion has been made that HEW be renamed the Department of Health, Rehabilitation, and Social Security. In any event, we should be bargaining for the best position and funding possible for RSA in the interest of blind and handicapped people. ***** ** The National Health By Tom Wicker (New York Times, April 9, 1978) An important new element has been added to the 1978 Congressional election campaign. As a consequence of renewed White House commitment to a national health insurance plan, candidates are going to have to take a stand on that issue -- not just the abstract idea, but a concrete proposal the Carter Administration has pledged for this year. At a White House meeting on Thursday, when President Carter himself sat in with labor union leaders, he promised to issue this spring or by early summer a statement of general principles on health insurance. These would be developed into a specific legislative proposal in time for Congressional hearings to be held before the 1978 elections. With medical care costs going out of sight and polls showing the majority of Americans in favor of national health insurance, the labor leaders had insisted on a bill that would put Congressional candidates on the political spot in 1978 -- although no one realistically expects an insurance program to be approved before next year or in place before 1981. Earlier, the Administration had planned to delay health insurance legislation. But the new timetable was adopted after the labor leaders and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the principal Congressional backer of national health insurance, agreed to accept a major role for private insurance companies in the Carter Administration plan. The agreement reached at the White House nevertheless calls for a "universal and comprehensive" program, replacing Medicare and Medicaid and covering the estimated 10 to 14 million Americans who do not now have health insurance. Mr. Carter decided to go ahead with such a costly scheme only after some severe prodding from the labor leaders, particularly president Douglas A. Fraser of the United Automobile Workers. Mr. Fraser was at the White House meeting with President George Meany and Lane Kirkland of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and Senator Kennedy. Despite his earlier suggestions that only "general guidelines" for health insurance could be developed in 1978, Secretary Joseph A. Califano of Health, Education and Welfare also was present and joined in the agreement for legislation this year. The insurance plan will be worked out by a "Presidential review" process, which means it will not be the exclusive province of any one agency. The labor leaders and Senator Kennedy, who have long had their own health insurance proposals, will be consulted although there's no guarantee that they'll support every detail of the ultimate Administration plan. The major Administration concern is the considerable added cost to the Federal budget of a "universal and comprehensive" health insurance scheme. Preliminary estimates are that this new cost would be about $28 billion in 1981. That would be in line with Mr. Carter's 1978 campaign pledge, when he said he would devote one to two percent -- now about $18 to $36 billion -- Gross National Product to health insurance. Federal expenditures for health care totaled $44 billion in 1977 and are expected to rise to $52 billion by 1981. The added $28 billion for health insurance thus could increase Federal health care outlays to more than $70 billion by 1981. At the White House meeting, however, Senator Kennedy pointed out that even if nothing additional were done, medical costs to the Government and to the public would continue to rise, probably at the 14 to 15 percent annual rate of increase now being registered. Americans paid out about $50 billion for personal and family health care, including insurance premiums. In 1966; but by 1976, that figure had doubled to $101 billion. It will rise even more steeply to about $253 billion by 1983 -- and millions still will be unable to afford health insurance, if no Federal program is provided. On the other hand, the cost control measures and fixed doctor and hospital charges of a national insurance program, rather than the open-ended spending of Medicaid, Medicare and many private insurance plans, might at least arrest the increase in medical care costs. And under the proposal apparently being most intensively studied, employer-employee groups still could choose Government-approved private insurance plans -- giving the latter the prime incentive to attract customers by holding down costs and premiums. ***** ** In the True Spirit of Rehabilitation! (Reprinted from SHARING, Feb., 1978. Newsletter by and for Handicapped of New Jersey) A cat who had a manicure, That is, its claws removed, Was brooding on the state of things, With hopes they would improve. No longer could it scratch the couch, The rugs remained intact; The furniture looked good for once, The glasses all stayed stacked. Each day dragged by, the cat was bored; To motivate got tough. "Without my nails, I'm half a cat. I might as well be stuffed." A thought came to it with the dawn, While it was still in bed: "A claw is fine, but what the hell, I'll use my teeth instead!" When I read this poem, the thought struck me that when the cat became disabled, he, too, needed rehabilitation. But when he decided to concentrate on what he had rather than what he had lost, he became a cat again. ***** ** The Blind Need to "See" Money, Too By Billie Chrisman If United States currency were marked in such a way that it could be identified tactually, blind persons would be placed on a more equal footing with sighted people in money matters. Today, more and more blind people are going on to college or receiving advance vocational or technical training, and they are working directly with the public more than ever before. However, many blind persons hesitate to accept employment involving money transactions because of the need, and sometimes the risk, in being dependent upon sighted customers or co-workers to identify currency. Rehabilitation counselors I have contacted say that it would be much easier to promote employment opportunities if money were identifiable by the blind. Because it is not, many potential jobs cannot be filled by their blind clients. Other countries are marking their currency for the blind. Among them are The Netherlands, Israel, and Switzerland. Mr. S. Aviezer, Head, Currency Supply Unit, Bank of Israel in Jerusalem, replied to my letter to Israeli authorities. He writes that their money bears raised dots as identifiable markings for the blind. These dots, their number varying according to the denomination, are printed in the so-called intaglio system, which gives the dots their embossed shape and thus facilitates the identification of the denomination. This printing system is known to security printers everywhere. Mr. F. H. Zingg, Consul in the Consulate General of Switzerland Office in San Francisco, writes that Switzerland is introducing bank notes which are or will be provided with a braille code. The first two notes of the new series, which have been in circulation since October, 1976 and April, 1977, respectively, bear as braille codes four little lines on the top of the note on the 100-franc note and three such lines on the 500-franc note. The 1,000-and 50-franc notes will come out in 1978, 20-franc notes in 1979, and 10-franc notes in 1980. No details have as yet been received from The Netherlands. These countries are marking their currency for the blind. Surely the United States should be able to do so, too. Putting braille on the bills themselves would not be durable enough, but some pliable, tough, durable material that would take the wear and tear of public use, embossed with an identifying symbol in the center face of the bills themselves, would enable the blind to sort the bills face up, as is required for depositing in a bank. The question has been raised as to the expense involved in marking currency for the blind. To mark all currency at one time would be costly. But once the U.S. Treasury Department has researched and found a way to mark currency, new issues could be marked as they are put into circulation. This would take several years to accomplish, but the benefits for the future are immeasurable. The Treasury Department is very negative about even attempting research on this subject. Seven years ago, the Treasury Department polled 22 organizations, who responded that the blind were not interested in having currency marked. I contacted these organizations and found that the majority of them dealt with sheltered workshops, eye treatment and research, and the like, and had no actual involvement with blind persons working with the public and using money in their business. The Treasury Department would do well to conduct a new poll, this time consulting consumer organizations and rehabilitation agencies seeking employment for the blind. Senator Mark Hatfield and Representative Al Ullman of Oregon are actively working toward legislation mandating currency identifiable by the blind. Senator Bob Packwood of Oregon has also shown an interest in furthering this cause. If we all work together, we may get something started. But it needs to be done now. Why not get the organizations to which you belong to write your Senators and Representatives, as well as the Treasury Department? Let them know that identifiable currency is wanted and needed by the blind, and insist that research be undertaken to find a way to do the job. ***** ** Funding Authorized for Needs of Visually Impaired In Federal Employee Training Programs The following United States Civil Service Commission Federal Personnel Manual Bulletin is reprinted here to provide important information to visually impaired Federal employees and to visually impaired applicants and prospective applicants for Federal employment. It authorizes expenditure of Federal funds for special equipment and other needs of visually impaired and other handicapped Federal employees participating in Federal employee training programs. United States Civil Service Commission Federal Personnel Manual System FPM Letter 410-21 Subject: Facilitating Handicapped Employees' Access to Training Heads of Departments and Independent Establishments: 1. This letter deals with the provision of access to training to Government employees who are handicapped. There has been some question as to whether agencies have the authority to expend funds available under Section 4109 of Title V, United States Code, to pay for special expenses involved in making training available to handicapped employees. The Civil Service Commission believed that such expenses were reasonable and requested an opinion of the Controller-General of the United States concurring in that view. 2. The Controller-General, in a decision (File No. B-188710), ruled that an agency may pay expenses necessary to make training curricula accessible to handicapped employees. The Controller-General's decision applies to any agency which has authority under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C., Sec. 4101-4118) to use its appropriations for necessary expenses directly related to the training of employees. These agencies may provide such special services as interpreters for the deaf, readers for the blind, and taping and/or brailling of materials which are necessary to provide access for handicapped employees to printed materials covered in a course. 3. The existence of architectural barriers that restrict the free movement of handicapped individuals is a factor to be considered when choosing a training site. Where more than one facility is available as a training site, the facility that is relatively more free of such barriers may be chosen even if the cost is higher. The additional cost may be considered a legitimate training expense under the Government Employees Training Act. 4. To be responsive to the needs of handicapped employees, training officers and coordinators of selective placement should take full advantage of the authority in the Government Employees Training Act. Training needs of the handicapped should be identified and the availability within the community of existing special educational and training resources for the handicapped determined. In developing or adapting training programs for the handicapped, course designers and instructors should be sensitive to the special skills and aids needed to most effectively train communications-impaired employees. Finally, many of the conditions which have tended to be barriers to the handicapped in training can be removed if any need for special arrangements is made known to the training facility in advance. Raymond Jacobson Executive Director Inquiries: Bureau of Training, Training Leadership Division, (202) 632-5684. ***** ** Let's Share Resources By Norma L. Shecter Brailler Repairs. —Those wonderful guys at Vacaville have had to increase the cost of brailler repair. It has now gone up to $7.50, but they pay for the postal insurance when it leaves them. This is for labor only; replacement parts at cost. They have done Perkins Braillers for many years. This past year, they also did a fine job on reviving a long-dead Marburg Blista from Germany. They also have a tape-recording service and an assembly line for making Beep baseballs. They are interested in trying other Beep balls, like their new Nerf balls. (Did you know they receive no government funds for their project for the blind? It is supported entirely by donations from the Lions Clubs, outside friends of the project, and the prisoners themselves.) For information about any of their services, write to Volunteers of Vacaville, P.O. Box 670, Vacaville, CA 95688. Braille Instructional Aids for New Readers -- For newly blind beginners, there are two gadgets from RNIB that may be helpful. The "De Braille Instructional Device” (Cat. No. 9365) is made of three rotating wooden sections and resents a greatly enlarged cell. The "Braillette Board" (Cat. No. 9068) is a lidded wooden box containing a fixed pegboard, with a set of round-headed metal pegs to make three braille lines of ten cells each. Each last year was under $5. For current prices, write to Royal National Institute for the Blind, 224 Great Portland Street, London WIN 6AA, England. Insulin Maintenance. -- The December, 1977 issue of Sundial, published by Friends of Eye Research, Rehabilitation and Treatment (FERRAT) lists the following resources which may be of interest to visually impaired diabetics: A syringe magnifier is available from GEMCO, Box 55073, Scandia, MN 55073. This is a plastic device which snaps on to any disposable syringe in order to enlarge the unit scale. An insulin syringe filler is available from Alvin C. Franklin, Box 3102, Burbank, CA 91504. This filling device may be custom ordered for any type of disposable syringe. The company also manufactures a needle guide for disposable syringes. $8.50. Another excellent device is the insulin dosage measurer manufactured by Andros, Inc., 2302 Fourth Street, Berkeley, Cal. This is a plastic, easy-to-use device and is to be used only with U-100 B & D syringes and can be used with mixed doses. to be $10. Finally, the Insulgage, available from Meditec, Inc., 9485 East Orchard Drive, Englewood, CO 80110, may be used with B & D and JELCO syringes and for all strengths of insulin. $2. An insulin needle guide is also available from the American Foundation for the Blind and is designed to fit Eli Lilly insulin vials. Its funnel shape guides the needle, which can be made to fit any specific type of insulin vial. $4.50. The Braille Forum for Help and Friendship. -- Do you ever write to some of the Braille Forum contributors to discuss problems? Sharing them may turn up helpful suggestions, no matter what kinds of problems they may be. In fact, sending a problem to The Braille Forum may bring an answer from other readers who have previously faced that same situation. When traveling, have you ever thought of looking up fellow members who you have met through the pages of The Braille Forum? We had a delightful visit and several interesting phone calls from New Jersey ACB member Herb Venook and his charming wife Charlotte when they were out our way. Braillers Wanted. -- My transcribing classes were really big this year, and as we must provide machines for people to use for transcribing when they graduate, we'll be very short of braillers for the next transcribing classes this coming fall. If you know of anybody who would like to sell or lend a brailler, please have them write to Norma Schecter, 8432 North Port Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92646. Jumbo Jottings. -- A book of delightful poems by Elise Maclay, "Green Winter: Celebrations of Old Age," is being transcribed in both regular and jumbo braille. The masters will be on file with Mrs. Sylvia Cassell, 6th District PTA Braille Project, 1634 Shasta Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128. Write to her if you want to buy or borrow a copy. ***** ** Highlights of ACCD Delegate Assembly The fourth annual Delegate Assembly of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities was held April 29-May 2 at the Sheraton National Hotel, Arlington, Virginia. The "jam-packed" program and business sessions agenda were extensively disrupted by events occurring on Capitol Hill in the Congress, which, it was determined, required the presence and attention of the delegates. (See the article entitled, "Back-Door Attack on Section 504," appearing elsewhere in this issue of The Braille Forum.) However, highlights of the program and essential business matters were given priority attention. Jay Solomon, Chief Administrator of the General Services Administration, was the banquet speaker, and he used the occasion to explain the new role of the General Services Administration in bringing about full accessibility of Federal buildings and facilities to disabled persons. Congressman John Brademas of Indiana, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Eunice Fiorito, retiring President of the ACCD, received the top awards of the organization. The award to Congressman Brademas was conferred for his outstanding individual contribution to the advancement of civil rights for handicapped persons. The award to Eunice Fiorito was conferred for her outstanding leadership and contribution to the advancement of the organized coalition movement of organizations of disabled individuals. The following persons were elected to office and to the Board of Directors of the organization: T.J. O'Rourke, President (National Association of the Deaf); Phyllis Rubenfeld, First Vice President (Hunter College); Judy Heuman, Second Vice President (Center for Independent Living, Berkeley, California); Reese Robrahn, Secretary (American Council of the Blind); John Lancaster, Treasurer (Paralyzed Veterans of America); Debby Kaplan, Director (Disability Rights Center); Vivian Thompson, Director (Massachusetts Council of Organizations of the Handicapped); Joe Veisz, Director (Florida Council of Organizations of the Handicapped); and Julius Shaw, Director (Director of the Mayor's Office for the Handicapped, New York City). In addition to ACB member, Reese Robrahn, two other ACB members presently serve on the ACCD Board of Directors: Janiece Petersen and Andrew Woods. ***** *** 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. ** A Member, Not A Guest A phenomenon of society seems to be that people whose viewpoint coincides with our own seem to be so much more intelligent than others. So it is with the writer of the "Hyde Park Corner" column in the March issue of The Braille Forum. I realize, of course, that we sometimes need legislative "arm-twisting" to stimulate motion off center. No one would seriously suggest that things remain static. I firmly believe that we must constantly struggle for social and economic progress. However, I wonder just what constitutes "real" progress. Are we making as much "real progress" as we would like to think, or are we cosmetically covering lack of real understanding and meaningful communication with more awareness of dos and don'ts and real acceptance of legalistic rules and regulations? The only think society owes to anyone is the privilege and responsibility of becoming, to the limit of their capacity, a functioning, contributing member, not a guest. E.C. Martin Hampton, Iowa ***** ** Advisory Panel Cites NASA for Lead in Research to Aid the Handicapped Congressman Olin E. Teague (D.-Tex.), Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, has announced the release of a report by the Panel on Research Programs to Aid the Handicapped. The panel, assembled by the Science Committee as a select advisory group, was directed to further develop the findings of a previous panel and the recommendations of the recently concluded White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals. The focus of the panel's five months of deliberations was how America's vast scientific and technological resources might be directed into programs to address the problems of those with disabilities. The panel singled out the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as the existing government agency most capable of carrying out such an effort. Among the concerns enumerated by the panel were the present unresponsive, piecemeal approach in existing research programs; both the proliferation and low level of priority of these programs within various agencies; the need for a lead agency to direct the programs; and the severely limited funding for this research, in comparison to the needs of handicapped individuals and the potential benefits to be gained. The panel was headed by Dr. William A. Spencer, Chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation at Baylor College in Michigan, and included representatives of the public and private research community, the medical sector, industry, and handicapped advocacy groups. Some of the major recommendations included in the panel's report were: Our nation's efforts on behalf of the handicapped persons should be embodied in a national program which represents a comprehensive and multi­disciplinary organization. A science and technology board for handicapped persons should be established to include representatives from Government, industry, practitioners, and consumers. This effort should be viewed as an additional commitment, not one which would adversely affect small programs already in existence. According to Congressman Teague, "The panel's work has pinpointed the issues and provided a framework for a national program. It is now up to Congress, the Administration and the American people." Copies of the panel's report may be obtained from the Committee's limited supply or directly from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office. Due to the nature of the report and its applicability to the blind community, copies in braille and on cassette tape will be available from the Library of Congress, Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, D.C. ***** ** Compounding the Handicap: America's Insensitivity Toward Its Disabled (Reprinted from the Washington Star, March 13, 1978) The other night I tried to take my dog out for a walk. The dog is neither particularly bright nor particularly well trained and he did not notice that I was accompanied by two crutches and a large cast on my right foot. He whipped his leash neatly around one crutch, set off for a snowbank, and left me upside down in a puddle. While I struggled to re-arrange myself, he scampered off across the street, running directly underneath a taxi. The dog survived, but the driver and I will never be the same. At that point, a woman of uncertain age approached, leading an elderly beagle. I thought she had come to help, and I smiled. She instead informed me that I was not the sort of person who should have a dog, letting him run off like that, and she made her point in terms which would have surprised the proverbial dockworker. She did not notice that I was actually kneeling in the middle of an icy puddle on top of a crutch. I began to weep. The next day I asked my orthopedist, Mr. Brillance, if depression was usually associated with fractures. "I don't know," he said, sympathetically, and walked out of his office. I have subsequently discovered what any fool could have told him — naturally people get depressed when they can't move. Evidently Mr. Brilliance is not interested in real life, because his office is approached by nine steps, usually obscured by a line of more or less disabled people struggling to get up or down. The world of the more or less disabled is populated by about 38 million people in the United States. It includes the blind, crippled, deaf, retarded and the people suffering from debilitating diseases. My disability is really only a temporary inconvenience, but even so, it has been a horrifying glimpse, into the anger, helplessness, and a kind of malevolent insensitivity all the truly disabled must be subjected to. Hardly anyone, except elderly gentlemen, ever thinks of holding open a door. Some people have actually slammed doors shut in my face. Several people have nipped ahead of me into taxis. I have stopped, and no driver has objected. They have been saving their energies for later, when they could let me out in the middle of lakes of water or between two cars. To ask for the seat designated for the old and disabled on the bus is to make enemies. People who do help tend to stand around waiting for lots of thanks. Although survival necessitates that I adapt my usually mildly grateful self into a grinning groveler, the effort naturally makes me mad. At the Women's Conference in Houston I learned from the Disabled Caucus of the issue of making buildings accessible, but I never understood the problem until I tried to get through a revolving door with crutches. I heard about the problem of training health personnel to work with the disabled as people. I never understood until I met Mr. Brilliance. I learned about the special problems of disabled women in a male-dominated rehabilitation profession and in a society which wants to hire only perfect, all-American looking women and does not yet seriously think of training women to be self-sufficient under any circumstances. I heard about the kind of anger and frustration that is felt when one is assigned a role -- or a wheelchair -- without being consulted by professionals who are still working for, not with, the disabled. It is enraging to be treated as an incompetent, a fact I only began to understand when I went to a restaurant and the waiter asked my friends what I wanted to eat. I have also learned that people wearing casts are not particularly comforted by the hearty laughter of their friends. The friends should try it themselves sometime; they might learn a lot. ***** ** Independence and Privacy in Banking -- Cassette Checking Account (Reprinted from ABK NEWS FLASH, March-April, 1978. Published by Associated Blind of Kentucky.) The Citizens Fidelity Bank of Louisville is now offering cassette checking accounts to the blind and visually handicapped. These accounts offer several advantages to blind customers. (1) Raised-line checks are provided. Business-size checks and deposit slips are kept in a three-ring binder which is supplied by the bank. The over-sized checks with their embossed lines provide extra room for handwriting or typing. Stubs accompanying checks and deposit slips are nearly as large as a normal check. This allows the blind or visually handicapped person to make large-print or braille notations in his check book for later reference. (2) Cassette Bank Statements: At the end of each month, the bank issues the bank statement on cassette. Each deposit and check clearing the bank that month is listed in a clear, concise manner, beginning and ending balances are also given. Included in the package with the cassette are all cancelled checks written by the customer for that month and a print copy of the bank statement. Cassette tapes, after being read by the customer, are returned to the bank for re-use. (3) Braille notations may be written in the corners of checks. For example, if the number of the check is added in braille, the blind person can then identify his check in the bank statement without sighted help. This banking service is free to all blind and visually handicapped people. By using a cassette checking account, the blind can become independent in their banking. They no longer need rely on sighted friends or neighbors for help. For more information on cassette checking accounts, write or call Mr. Joe Kinder, Manager, Brownsboro-Lindsay Branch, Citizens Fidelity Bank, 2005 Brownsboro Road, Louisville, KY 40206; telephone (502) 581-4780. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND BLINDNESS: A haircutting device has recently been developed which enables blind individuals to cut their own hair. The device measures and cuts hair the exact length desired and allows the user to obtain a number of popular styles, including the Wedge, the Radial, and the Shag. The cost of the device is $5.95, plus $1.00 for handling. It can be ordered from Bahrno Products, Department A40, 1702 Ohio Street, Lawrence, KS 66044. ... The Crane Library of the University of British Columbia is now selling talking books of cassette. The collection is varied and includes modern classics, children's books, and current bestsellers. Price is $2 per 90-minute cassette. For full information, write Crane Library, 2075 Westbrook Place, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. A National Exhibit of Art by Blind Artists will open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on September 6 and run through October 1, it has been announced by Chairman of Exhibits, Catherine H. Susanin. When the exhibit closes in New York City, it will move to Philadelphia to be part of the Third Annual Exhibit by Blind Artists, opening in November, 1978. For further information, contact Ms. Susanin at University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, 33rd and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19104; telephone (215) EV6-7400. From RECORDING FOR THE BLIND NEWS: To encourage handicapped persons who wish to study genealogy or to trace their own ancestry, a Genealogical Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has been established. Books on genealogy are available in braille, large-type, cassette, and recorded disc. The library will also advise individuals on how to pursue a genealogical search. For full details, write Genealogical Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 4176 English Oak Drive, Doraville, GA 30340. From OPPORTUNITY (National Industries for the Blind): Cephus W. Munford of IHB Industries, Brooklyn, New York, has been selected by NIB to receive the Peter J. Salmon Award for Blind Worker of the Year. The award, which is traditionally bestowed on the basis of initiative, responsibility, work excellence, leadership, and special contribution, was presented to Mr. Munford in ceremonies at NIB's May convention in Phoenix, Arizona. According to the Spring issue of DIALOGUE WITH THE BLIND, the Seeing Eye reports that 217 individuals successfully completed training for dog guides during the past year. Of this number, 117 received their first dog. During 48 years of service, the Seeing Eye has benefitted 7,194 persons. From TCB NEWS (Tennessee): Mary Broyles, Second Vice President of the Tennessee Council of the Blind, was recently named Handicapped Woman of the Year by District 7, Pilot Club International. She was also presented with the Achiever's Award by Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton and the Governor's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped. Miss Broyles, despite blindness, diabetes, and confinement to a wheelchair, operates a beauty shop in her home town of Athens. The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped has produced THE STANDARD BEARER, its Annual Report, and a list of accredited agencies on flexible disc. To be placed on the mailing list for these recorded materials, write National Accreditation Council, 79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Franklin Travel, Inc., of Philadelphia, specialists in international group travel, is attempting to learn how much interest exists in foreign tours designed specifically for the blind and visually impaired. They offer the following tours for 1978 and plan to expand the program in the future if the response warrants: London -- September 1-9; Bermuda -- September 18-22; Israel -- October 22-31; Egypt and Greece -- November 7-15. Tours range in price from $450 to $1,250. In each case, escort service is available at very reasonable rates. For full details, write or call collect to Don Graham, President, Franklin Travel, Inc., 344 Suburban Station Building, Philadelphia, PA 19103; telephone (215) LO3-7327. Two new programs have been announced recently by the Hadley School for the Blind. Optacon training is available to those individuals who will have an Optacon available for use upon completion of the course. Training session lasts two weeks, and two students can be accommodated at one time. The instructor, Arlin Antman, is trained in manual communication and thus can work with deaf-blind persons. "Doing It the Metric Way" is a free, seven-lesson home-study course, available in cassette or braille. For further information, write Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093. Two thousand copies in braille of fire escape rules were recently distributed to blind citizens of the Greater Boston area. The idea of providing these safety rules in braille came from Fire Commissioner George Paul, and the project was funded by the Washington Fire Safety Council. The first mass-produced picture book for blind preschoolers will soon be released in Copenhagen, Denmark. The book's story, simple enough to be entertaining, is told in abstract illustrations in relief or raised print on cardboard pages. The first 20,000 copies will go on sale in Northern Europe, but the creator of the book, Mrs. Virginia Allen Jenkins, has yet to find an outlet for her brainchild in the U.S. In the Netherlands, according to PROGRAMS FOR THE HANDICAPPED, all banks' notes are printed with distinctive tactile symbols for various denominations. One was sent to President Carter, who forwarded the idea to the Treasury Department for consideration. The U.S. Postal Service will begin applying a surcharge on over-size and non-standard letter mail sometime after April 15, 1979, according to John F. Applegate, Assistant Postmaster General for Customer Service. The surcharge will apply to First Class mail weighing one ounce or less and to single-piece Third Class mail weighing two ounces or less. A minimum size of 3 by 4-1/4 inches will be enforced through November 30, 1978. After that, the minimum standard size mailable will be 3-1/2 by 5 inches. The amount of the surcharge to be levied has not yet been determined. ***** ** 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 ###