The Braille Forum Vol. XVII February, 1979 No. 8 Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor * President: Oral O. Miller 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 236 Washington, DC 20008 * 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 A Note from the Editor Report from the ACB President Box Score on 504, by Reese Robrahn Social Security for Blind People, by Durward K. McDaniel Emerging from the Dark: The Blind of Iran, by Lea Levavi Progress in Reader Services for Blind Federal Employees Light at the Tunnel End -- A Special Offer, by Durward K. McDaniel There Has to Be a Better Way -- ACB National Elections, by R.T. McLean Taking Exception to the Handicap Backlash: Frank Bowe on Civil Rights for the Disabled Surgeons Remove Curtain Over Eye A Dream Within Reach -- Dictionaries on Cassette South Carolina Lawsuit New Tactual Elevator Identifications Blind Law Student Sues Stuckey's Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon ACB Officers Contributing 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. As a bimonthly supplement, the flexible disc edition also includes ALL-O-GRAMS, newsletter of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America. 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 Editor Mary T. Ballard at the above address. Those much-needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to James R. Olsen, Treasurer, c/o ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. You may wish to remember someone by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The National Office now has available special printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his or her Last Will and Testament may do so by including in the Will a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, your attorney may wish to contact the ACB National Office. ***** ** A Note from the Editor Beginning with this issue of The Braille Forum, Reese H. Robrahn will be listed regularly as a Contributing Editor. Over the past several years, Mr. Robrahn has gained wide respect for his expertise in the fields of legislation and governmental affairs. Since leaving the staff of the American Council of the Blind last October, he has continued to report regularly on developments and implementation in these areas as they affect blind and handicapped individuals, giving The Braille Forum a dimension found in no other publication of its kind. ***** ** Report from the ACB President By the time this report is published, the ACB Presidential Reception on Capitol Hill will have taken place, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the members, affiliates, and friends of the American Council of the Blind who have supported the reception so generously and enthusiastically to date. The presidents of several affiliates plan to attend the reception, and many of the affiliates have purchased tickets for several of the members of their Congressional delegations. To date, one affiliate, the Georgia Federation of the Blind, has purchased tickets for its entire Congressional delegation, and it is likely that other affiliates will do likewise by the time the reception takes place. There will be a further report on the reception in the next issue of The Braille Forum. There is almost no limit to the number of worthwhile projects in which ACB affiliates may take part as spokesmen for and advocates of the blind. However, a novel one came to my attention recently, and I am pleased to report it to you. The ACB of Maryland decided to award to one of the members of the current graduating class from the State's residential school for the blind a paid trip to the next ACB national convention. Some version of this plan can be applied in almost all states, and, of course, each affiliate is free to adopt the criteria to be applied in selecting the recipient. Not only will this plan teach the recipients more about the American Council of the Blind, but it will also make them much more aware of and familiar with pressing matters of interest to the blind on the national level. Evidence of ACB's continued activity and leadership as an advocate for the rights of the blind is seen in the fact that ACB is now in the forefront of a struggle with the U.S. Postal Service, which by means of unnecessary bureaucratic red tape is still attempting to block qualified blind vendors from operating vending facilities in the main post office in Chicago. The approach being taken by the Postal Service is that of requiring the licensing of a separate operator for each vending "location," which can be defined as consisting of as little as one vending roaching. This requirement would make it clearly uneconomical to employ an operator for such a small and unprofitable "location." This requirement has to date resulted in the filing of 27 separate applications for "locations" in the Chicago post office, and the situation is patently absurd. It is clear, after the red tape is cut through, that the real purpose of this requirement is to make it so difficult and unprofitable for blind vendors to operate vending "locations" that the proceeds of such locations will continue to go to employee welfare funds and other similar recipients. As soon as this matter was brought to the attention of the American Council of the Blind, its representative involved himself in the struggle and recently took part in a heated negotiating session in Chicago, between representatives of the U.S. Postal Service on one side and the American Council of the Blind, blind vendors of Illinois, the Illinois state agency, and the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, on the other side. The Chicago situation is regarded as a crucial test case, inasmuch as acquiescence in the Postal Service policy would clearly ignore the intent and the letter of the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Commendation should go to Dr. Robert Winn, Head of the Office for the Blind and Visually Handicapped of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, for the forthright position he has taken in this matter. Oral O. Miller, President ***** ** Box Score on 504 By Reese Robrahn On January 13, 1978, pursuant to Executive Order 11914, the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare published Final Guidelines for the Issuance of Regulations Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, by all other Federal departments and agencies which grant financial assistance to the states, universities and colleges, elementary and secondary schools, providers of health and social services, and a vast array of public and private non-profit organizations and agencies engaged in research and demonstration and service programs. The Guidelines contained a timetable for compliance by 32 departments and agencies affected. The following information reveals the of the lack of performance on the part of the Federal bureaucracy. Only eight departments and agencies had published their proposed regulations required by the Guideline deadline of April 16; and since that time, only nine more have gotten around to the publication of proposed rules. Thus, as of January 13, 1978, one year later seventeen departments and agencies have taken the first step in the procedure of rulemaking required by the Guidelines. In alphabetical order, they are: Action (the Volunteers in Service to America and Peace Corps agency); Civil Service Commission; Community Services Administration; Department of Commerce; Department of Energy; Department of Health, Education and Welfare; Department of Housing and Urban Development; Department of Transportation; Department of Treasury; Federal Home Loan Bank Board; Interstate Commerce Commission; Legal Services Corporation; National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Science Foundation; Small Business Administration; Tennessee Valley Authority; Veterans Administration; and Water Resources Council. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare, of course, is the only department or agency which has finalized its 504 regulations as directed by the Executive Order. Six other departments and agencies now have submitted their final regulations for review by the Office for Civil Rights. An ad hoc task force comprised of representatives of organizations of the handicapped and advocacy organizations on the 504 regulations has been watchdogging the whole procedure and coordinating the drafting of comments submitted on behalf of organizations of handicapped individuals. Task force members assigned to check on the delinquent departments and agencies report an astounding list of lame and inept excuses for failure to abide by the law of the land and the Order of the President, such as "mechanical error or breakdown of taping" and "certain administrative matters must be ironed out first." Task force members, frustrated by the attitude of the delinquent, which may be best characterized as inexpeditious absurdities, have now concluded that it is "get tough time." Court action, therefore, may be the next step. ***** ** Social Security for Blind People By Durward K. McDaniel In 1977, about 120 legally blind persons (under the age of 65) and about 85,000 of their dependents received disability benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act. The Braille Forum plans to reproduce some of the Social Security Administration's information materials from time to time as a supplement in its flexible disc edition. Late last year, several blind persons inquired about the effect and desirability of "freezing" their Social Security earnings record before the end of 1978. The disability "freeze," as it is commonly called, is still possible even for an employed disabled person. The "freeze" first became legally possible in the '60s, primarily to cure some coverage problems of disabled persons arising in the earlier years of the disability benefits program. At that time, blind applicants were required to have earned at least twenty calendar quarters of Social Security coverage within the past forty calendar quarters. That meant that quarters of coverage acquired more than ten years prior to the application for benefits were not countable for eligibility purposes. For several years, there was a special rule for persons under 31 years. Since 1972, blind persons have been subject to the "fully insured" rule which permits quarters of coverage to be counted toward eligibility no matter when they were acquired. The "fully insured" rule is met if the applicant for benefits has (1) four quarters of coverage; (2) one quarter of coverage for each year elapsing after 1950; or (3) one quarter of coverage for each year elapsing after his or her 21st birthday. The "fully insured" rule, as applied to blind applicants, can qualify one for benefits if the applicant was blind and would have been fully insured prior to 1972 had that rule been in effect. The disability "freeze" may be important to some blind persons who are now earning lower wages than they did in earlier years, or who are now unemployed. Such factors become important because of the legal formula for computing the primary insurance amount which will be payable when eligibility is established. Obviously, a blind person who is now earning more than ever before would neither gain nor lose by "freezing" his earnings record. The 1977 Social Security Amendments made some minor changes in the legal formula for computing the primary insurance amount, estimated to have about a 5% negative effect. However, the 1977 Amendments provide that applicants qualifying for benefits through December, 1983, can still claim the benefit amount according to the 1978 legal formula, if it is higher than the new formula. ***** ** Emerging from the Dark The Blind of Iran By Lea Levavi (Editor's Note: Lea Levavi, formerly Linda Podell, is blind. Now a citizen of Israel, she was born in the United States and attended several ACB conventions during her student days at New York University, where she majored in journalism.) The agencies for the blind in Iran are like the cow which wants to give its calves more milk than the young ones want to drink. Apparently, it is hard to find blind persons who want to be rehabilitated. Nobody knows how many blind persons there are in Iran. About 1,000 blind adults are known to the agencies, and the Ministry of Education knows of several hundred blind children. Everyone is convinced, however, that the blind population is really much larger. Where are all these people hiding? Many families are ashamed of their blind member and don't want to report to the authorities. A more serious problem is that among educated families, there is a tendency to prefer that the blind person beg, since he or she can earn more at this "occupation" than at the low-level jobs for which such a person could be trained. Illiteracy among the blind is a very common phenomenon in Iran. Many of those who do come for rehabilitation must first attend adult school to learn reading and writing. A few are such good and determined students that they complete high-school equivalency, and even university, even if they started first grade only in their late teens. But most merely learn the rudiments and are then trained as telephone operators or factory workers. Equipment has been purchased to open a Telex course for the blind, but there is some difficulty in converting it from Persian characters, and it is not known when or if the course will start. A pilot project is also under way to train some blind men as auto mechanics, but after only a month of training, it is too early to say whether there will be job placements. For those blind children who are sent to school at the normal age, education is available in either residential schools, integrated classes, or regular schools with the help of itinerant teachers. The decision as to which type of school a child should attend is made by officials of the Ministry of Education, after consulting with the parents, interviewing the child, and administering I.Q. and other tests. One official told me that many parents prefer that their children attend residential schools because it is more expensive for the family and more difficult if the blind child remains at home. "I always try to encourage them to choose the integrated or regular school, because that's my job. But, to tell you the truth, I don't really believe a blind child can get a good education in a regular school unless he is exceptional. I sent fifty children to integrated or regular schools, and only four or five succeeded there." As in every country, there are those blind who, by their determination, have risen above the norm. There are several dozen blind teachers -- some in the schools for the blind and others in the regular schools, at the high-school and university level. There are a few lawyers and civil servants, and even a geographer employed by the Iranian military in a research job. At the other extreme, however, things are still pretty dismal. There are as yet no programs for the deaf-blind, blind retarded, or other multi-handicapped blind persons. One surprise for Western visitors is that there are no dog guides in Iran. The reason is that dogs are considered unclean in the Moslem religion, and officials fear that religious fanatics might hurt the dogs or blind users. Another shock was the very limited scope of library facilities for the blind. Only about 300 books, most of them recorded and a few in braille, are available for leisure-time reading. When I asked why something isn't done about this, I was told that any blind person who wants to read a book can go to the regular public library, borrow the book, and have a friend or relative read it aloud. Being a guest, I said nothing; simply counted my blessings for living in a country which, though poor and struggling, offers its blind citizens books to read. A rehabilitation worker who places physically handicapped (other than blind or deaf) workers on jobs had told me that, because of Iran's desperate need for manpower, it is very easy to find employment for qualified handicapped workers. Hopefully, I asked workers at the Iranian Association for the Welfare of the Blind if the employment picture for blind persons is equally rosy, and this is the reply: "Almost," the director, Mrs. Behari, said. "But if one blind person presents social or work problems on the job, the employer won't take on any more blind workers, even if he already has others with whom he is satisfied. We placed three workers in a particular factory. The employer is very happy with two of them, but the third is a problem. He told me he needs workers desperately and would have taken 200 more. But now that he has had this one problem, he won't consider any more blind applicants. It doesn't help to point out to him that sighted workers, too, are sometimes misfits." ***** ** Progress in Reader Services For Blind Federal Employees The November, 1978 issue of The Braille Forum reported that the American Council of the Blind had secured passage of an amendment to the Civil Service Reform Act which authorized Federal department and agency heads to employ or assign persons to provide reader services for Federal employees who are blind and to provide interpreter services for Federal employees who are deaf. The Civil Service Commission has issued and published a Federal Personnel Manual Bulletin, effective from and after January 11, 1979, incorporating the implementation of that amendment in the existing statutory authority and Federal personnel practice. We are indebted to Senator Alan Cranston of California and Congresswoman Gladys Spellman from Maryland for their leading work in getting Section 302 incorporated into the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The following letter from Chairman Alan K. Campbell of the Civil Service Commission to Senator Cranston is indicative of the good work done and of the attitude of the Commission. December 27, 1978 Dear Senator Cranston: We appreciate very much your sponsorship of section 302 of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) which authorizes the employment, as appropriate, of readers for blind employees and interpreters for deaf employees. Therefore, it is with pleasure that we relate the steps we are taking to implement this provision of the law. So that agencies will have maximum flexibility in hiring employees to perform these services, an excepted appointing authority under Schedule A has been established by the Commission. Also Federal Personnel Manual instructions have been drafted which will provide guidance to agencies. These will be issued and distributed to agencies in time for the effective date of the CSRA, January 11, 1979. In preparing instructions and guidance material, we have consulted with representatives from several organizations serving the hearing and sight impaired (examples: National Association of the Deaf, National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind, and Library of Congress). Also, such groups and other interested parties will have an opportunity to comment when the regulations implementing all sections of the CSRA are published in the Federal Register. We intend to continue our close working relationships with disabled individuals and organizations serving their needs to assure wide knowledge of these new regulations and to elicit their advice particularly in developing further guidance for agencies. Also, let me assure you that, as we move forward in the implementation of Civil Service reform, the special concerns for persons with handicaps will receive close attention throughout the Federal personnel management system. Sincerely yours, Alan K. Campbell, Chairman On December 29, 1978, the Civil Service Commission issued the following Federal Personnel Manual Letter 306-14: Subject: Employment of Readers and Interpreters To Heads of Departments and Independent Establishments: * Introduction 1. The purpose of this letter is to transmit general information and guidance on the employment of readers for blind employees and interpreters for deaf employees of the Federal Government. 2. The attachment to this letter contains changes to be incorporated into FPM Chapter 306, Selective Placement Programs. * Background 3. Section 302 of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-454) authorizes the head of each agency to employ or assign reading or interpreting assistance for blind and deaf employees. Prior to enactment of this legislation, section 3102 of title 5, United States Code, provided authority for the head of each agency to employ nonpaid readers for blind employees without regard to provisions governing appointments in the competitive service. Subsection (b) of this section provided specifically that the reading assistant might be paid for his/her services by the blind employee or by a non-profit organization. It was also envisioned that readers would serve on a voluntary basis. No comparable provision was included regarding the use of nonpaid interpreters for deaf employees. 4. Section 302 provides the much-needed flexibility that will assist the Federal Government in the hiring and advancement of handicapped individuals. The amendment does not supplant existing authority, but rather augments it by authorizing the paid employment of reading and interpreting assistance. * Appointment Procedures 5. Positions of readers for blind employees and interpreters for deaf employees may be filled by appointment under Schedule A, section 213.3102 (11). These positions may be filled on a full-time, part-time, or intermittent basis. However, persons employed under this authority may not perform work which is not directly related to the provisions of reading or interpreting services. 6. Current competitive service employees who, in addition to their regular duties, assume reading or interpreting duties will remain in the competitive service even if they are reclassified as readers or interpreters. * Reading Assistance 7. A person employed as a reader will generally be assigned to providing reading assistance to a specific employee. An efficient working relationship will require an element of compatibility between the persons involved. For this reason, the blind employee should be involved in the selection process. Raymond Jacobson Executive Director Copies of the foregoing FPM letter and the attachments referred to may be obtained from Dr. R.F. (Bud) Keith, President of the American Council of the Blind Federal Employees, at 737 N. Buchanan, Arlington, VA. ***** ** Light at the Tunnel End -- A Special Offer By Durward K. McDaniel In 1975, Leonard A. Robinson published the only account of the beginnings and implementation of the Randolph-Sheppard Act. His book, Light at the Tunnel End, consists of 159 pages, plus 31 pages in the appendix, which includes the present Randolph-Sheppard Act. Originally the book sold for $6.00. In cooperation with the author, the American Council of the Blind wants to make this book available to more people in the field. Accordingly, the book may now be purchased for $3.75, including postage and handling. Checks should be made payable to the American Council of the Blind and sent with your order to Suite 506, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Appropriately, the book is dedicated to Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia, who wrote the Foreword for it. Leonard Robinson was the principal proponent of the legislation prior to its enactment. We share the satisfaction which he and Jennings Randolph deservedly feel for a piece of legislation which has proven itself during their lifetime. The book recounts the development of the program and its effect upon other employment opportunities for blind people. It contains numerous pictures of key people and others whose work was favorably affected by the development of the program. This offer is good only as long as the remaining supply of books lasts. If you do not have this information, we urge you to take advantage of the offer. To Leonard Robinson and Jennings Randolph, we say: Gentlemen, thank you for the Act and the book. ***** ** There Has to Be a Better Way -- ACB National Elections By R. T. McLean Anyone who has attended ACB national conventions is aware of the cumbersome nature of the election process as it now exists. At the 1978 convention in Salt Lake City, the Constitution and By-Laws Committee was directed by the membership to study possible alternatives and to report back to the 1979 convention. The following suggested procedure is designed to shorten the time required for elections during the annual business meeting, while at the same time retaining the enthusiasm, openness, and democracy which have always characterized ACB national elections. 1. The Nominating Committee would meet on the Tuesday evening prior to the opening of the convention and would generate a slate of nominees, with at least one candidate for each office to be filled. Selection would be based on input from members of the Committee itself and from petitions signed by at least 25 members of ACB. 2. The report of the Nominating Committee would be made at the beginning of the opening session on Wednesday morning, with one three-minute seconding speech allowed for each candidate. Petitions for additional nominees would be accepted until Wednesday noon, with no seconding speeches possible. 3. Using appropriately designed voting machines, the primary election for the office of President would begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, with the polls closing at 7:00 p.m. If the primary election gave one candidate a majority vote of those ACB members registered, that person would be declared President. Otherwise, there would be a run-off election between the top two candidates, with the polls opening on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. and closing at 6:00 p.m. 4. Unsuccessful candidates could then declare for any other office, and the polls for all other offices would open at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and close at 6:00 p.m. Candidates receiving a majority vote of those registered would be declared elected. Offices still not filled would be decided by a run-off election between the top two candidates. Also, any candidate running second in a race which resulted in an election could declare for any office still open in the run-off. 5. Polls for the run-off election would open at 10:00 p.m. Friday evening, after the primary results had been announced at the annual banquet, would close at 12:00 midnight, and would re-open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Those receiving a majority of votes cast would be declared elected. Any further run-offs necessary would be conducted on the floor before the close of the final business session or could be handled by re-opening the polls from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 6. The affiliate vote would be recorded by the official delegate on a voting roaching having a multiple-vote feature, or it could be recorded directly with the chief election official without using a machine. The above is a distillation of many suggestions from many members, and does not reflect long hours of feasibility analysis. However, the matter of the appropriate voting machine has many planners working on it. The technology to implement the above suggestions is at hand. Voting machines could range from very primitive collection boxes to the most advanced state-of-the-art prototypes being developed by the industry, and used at ACB conventions for field-testing. Official election information centers would have to be established, with closed-circuit TV, large-type, braille, and continuous-loop cassette available to report the slate of candidates for elections in progress, as well as full results of completed portions of the election. Of course, election results and declarations for new candidates (where allowed) would also be made at all sessions, both formal and social. The procedure outlined above would require little in the way of expense, and even if it were necessary to pay poll workers. Also in its favor would be the increased pressure for those attending the convention to register, since registration would be necessary in order to vote. Allowing runners-up to declare for subsequent elections keeps much of the stimulation which now comes from ACB's "on the floor" open election process. In fact, the suggested new procedure may even have more potential for generating interest and excitement. The Constitution and By-Laws Committee invites your comments and suggestions. These should be submitted soon so that a well-thought-out procedure can be developed for submission at ACB's 1979 convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Contact Dr. R.T. McLean, Chairman, 2139 Joseph Street, New Orleans, LA 70115. ***** ** Taking Exception to the Handicap Backlash: Frank Bowe on Civil Rights for the Disabled (Reprinted from the Washington Post, January 9, 1979) (Frank Bowe is Executive Director of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, Inc.) When President Carter first announced his intention to propose an "austere" budget for the coming fiscal year, one segment of the American public reacted with a particularly acute sense of foreboding. The country's 36 million disabled citizens knew that the combination of their political powerlessness and the highly publicized price tags associated with their newly granted rights would make them one of the first victims of the budgetary cuts. And that is exactly what appears to be happening. As one disabled woman put it: "Just when it is our turn to get a piece of the pie, people decide we can no longer afford dessert." Leading the charge has been the National Governors Association (NGA). In a meeting with President Carter and in a letter to Budget Director James T. McIntyre, the NGA proposed a deal: In exchange for the governor's acquiescence on the budget cuts, Carter should authorize cutbacks and delays in implementation of Section 504, the civil-rights statute for disabled people, and relax the legal requirements of P.L. 95-602, the recently enacted Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services, and Developmental Disabilities Amendments of 1978. In other words, the NGA would not scream too loudly, nor lobby too vigorously, against Carter's budget if the Administration would allow the states to defer action on rights and services for disabled people. Columnist Neal Peirce picked up the theme. In recent columns, he has attacked the cost implications of Section 504 while decrying Federal strings upon rehabilitation dollars. "President Carter has a golden opportunity to show his mettle of fighting inflation, reducing burdensome regulation, saving energy, and helping out the nation's cities," says Mr. Peirce. The "golden opportunity" he sees is "to cease and desist" with Section 504, especially in transportation. In another column, Mr. Peirce blasts Rep. John Brademas (D­Ind.) for requiring states to follow Federal guidelines on rehabilitation spending. The arguments advanced by the NGA and Mr. Peirce have a certain surface validity: In a time of tight fiscal constraints, expensive social programs administered on a state level might better be less stringently regulated from Washington. The facts explode the theory, however. Let's examine some of the arguments and the relevant data. Myth 1: It's too expensive to grant disabled people access to programs and facilities. No one debates the fact that accessibility can be expensive. After all, most of America is blatantly inaccessible to people using wheelchairs, senior citizens and others with mobility problems. Less obvious, but equally pervasive, are barriers to deaf people that prevent them from understanding television and many other forms of communication, and obstacles to blind persons that impede them from acquiring information. To remove those barriers will require investments of financial and manpower resources, perhaps several billions of dollars. But what are the costs of not removing those barriers? Today, fully half of all adult disabled people who are not institutionalized are on some form of public income maintenance, most because they cannot get jobs in inaccessible buildings, training in inaccessible schools, and transportation in accessible buses and subways. The cost to society: a staggering $100 billion annually in Federal, state and local income-maintenance and related dependence-oriented expenditures. These costs are rising at a rate far outpacing inflation and the national economic growth rate; the spiral is out of control. Only one measure will halt and then reverse the trend — getting disabled people off dependence programs and on to pay rolls. And that will happen only when barriers are removed. The fact is that we as a country literally cannot afford not to "have dessert." We must make the investments required to ensure access so that disabled people may obtain the education and vocational training needed to qualify for employment, may secure the transportation needed to get to those jobs each weekday, and may compete equally for well-paying jobs. To do otherwise is to condemn ourselves to ever-mounting entitlement expenditures that do not solve the underlying problem, but merely postpone the day when even these measures are unaffordable. Myth 2: Special services are cheaper and better than access to general services. On the surface, this argument appears to make sense. Rather than design, and where necessary retrofit, the general transportation and other systems and facilities for full accessibility, offer disabled people separate, "individualized," services. The argument is that to provide "dial-a-ride" and "special-education" services is less costly than is making the mainstream system open for use by disabled as well as able-bodied persons — and that these separate services help disabled people more anyway. The facts to dispute this contention are readily appreciated. Special services, by their very nature, are continuing, annual, costs; accessibility modifications, by contrast, are fixed, one-time expenses. Further, the opening of a general system to disabled people increases use of the system without raising operating or other costs once the accessibility modifications have been made. Take, for example, transportation. The labor, fuel, repair, capital and other costs involved in mass transit are constant whether disabled people use it or not; opening the system to disabled people increases revenue through fares, without necessitating additional runs. By contrasting, dial-a-ride services require special manpower, special vehicles, extra fuel and other additional costs -- without increasing revenue. All of this is in addition to the central thesis that separate but equal violates the basic civil rights of citizens. No other minority in America has been expected to accept partial rights, or delays to some unpredictable future, on the basis of costs. As Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has argued: "Human rights are not conditional. And a commitment to a conditional human right is no commitment at all." Myth 3: Permitted more flexibility through relaxed regulations, the states will allocate funds in a more effective manner, thus improving services for disabled people. This argument flies in the face of the undeniable reality that throughout the history of this country -- that is, throughout the long period when there were no regulations requiring equality of opportunity and delivery of services for disabled people -- the states manifestly did not protect these rights nor deliver these services to those who most needed them. There is no compelling reason to believe that things will be drastically altered in the near future. There is strong reason to believe, however, that powerful lobby groups will muscle disabled people out of the picture were the regulations to be removed or significantly cut back. Spending on rehabilitation is notably lower, and increases much slower from year to year, in states where the spirit as well as the letter of the Federal laws and regulations are not followed, such as Florida and Georgia, than in states where they are. More convincing evidence of the fallacy of this myth is difficult to imagine. It seems, then, that President Carter does in fact have a "golden opportunity" to help halt inflation, improve services and conserve energy. But it is not the "opportunity" Mr. Peirce and the NGA perceive. Rather, it is to pursue courageously the path the Administration selected during the past two years, one of attacking unnecessary barriers to disabled people, while at the same time improving job training and other services. This would be a bit like the Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will eat for the rest of his life." Then the question would no longer be whether the nation can afford to give disabled people a piece of the pie. They could buy their own, thank you very much. ***** ** Surgeons Remove "Curtain" Over Eye (Reprinted from Knight Ridder Service) By Joel N. Shurkin Two years ago, at a birthday party in her hometown of Tapachula, Mexico, Rebecca Lau, age 8, tried to open a soda bottle and it exploded in her hands. The glass flew into her eyes and small pieces destroyed the cornea and the pupil of her right eye. She was suddenly blind in that eye and thoroughly frightened. Her father took her to every eye specialist he could find in Mexico. They all advised that the eye be removed. They went to Canada, and the doctors there said the same thing. Today Rebecca, now 10, has some vision in her right eye and in the next few months may get most of it back. Her odyssey ended in a rare, two-hour microsurgery operation on Nov. 20 at Temple University Hospital directed by Dr. Guy Chan. "We literally pulled the curtain from in front of her eye," Chan said. The little girl speaks no English and shyly answered questions through an interpreter. When anyone spoke to her directly in Spanish, she seemed to warm up and giggle. She said she was in no pain and was no longer frightened. Most of the doctors who had examined the girl could not even see how badly the eye had been damaged, because the cornea had been so scarred that it was impossible to see through it. The surgeons put a chemical called EDTA on her eyeball with a Q-tip, and the chemical dissolved the scars so that the cornea was again transparent. They found that the pupil of her eye had been knocked off center and instead of being round, it was more like a cat's pupil, a narrow slit. Through the slit they could see a cataract that had developed behind the pupil. Dr. James Cristol, one of the surgeons, said the doctors, using a three-headed microscope, put a tiny needle into her eye. Inside the needle was a hair-thin rotating blade. The surgeons literally pried open the pupil, enlarging it and making it round. Then they extracted the scar tissue and began to work on the cataract, which had been formed in reaction to the impact of the flying glass. Using the needle, Chan cut up the cataract and pulled it out. Before the operation, Rebecca could see nothing with her right eye except bright colors. A few days after the operation, she could count fingers passed in front of her eye. Cristo said she would need a contact lens in her eye before her vision begins to improve. The cataract destroyed her natural lens. "It's hard to say how well she's going to get," he said. "She has a chance of getting most of her vision back." ***** ** A Dream Within Reach -- Dictionaries on Cassette 9116 St. Andrews Place College Park, MD 20740 Dear Friends of Dictionaries: The dream to put a 55,000-word dictionary on cassettes has received a real shot in the arm with the decision of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, to experiment with voice indexing, the use of the spoken word recorded at Fast Forward to locate specific passages within a cassette. The technique has been modified, and samples will be tested during the next year. As a starter, NLS will be distributing shortly a voice-indexed cassette recording of the book, Access National Parks. It is important that NLS patrons try out this book and become familiar with its index features. I would be most interested to know both the good and the bad aspects of this sample book. NLS will be influenced by reader reaction. If no one cares -- or if no one speaks up -- then why should NLS go to the effort of indexing any of their books? But if this experiment is successful, and if readers feel that it is really useful, then NLS will consider seriously the recording of a dictionary with the voice-index feature. They have already made a test sample of two tracks, covering a portion of the letter A, but they have not yet made the commitment to complete the job. The American Printing House for the Blind developed a similar technique for producing a dictionary several years ago. Their field test, under a grant from the U.S. Office of Education, showed that adult blind readers were almost unanimous in giving the test sample a favorable rating. However, they did not go into production because this product did not appear, to them, to have high enough priority. Both NLS and APH have the proven capability for producing a recorded dictionary. Are you interested? Have you told them? Does your regional librarian know of your interest? I am not a user, so my urging has to be much more forceful than yours — and my voice is tired. Tired, but very optimistic. The day of the recorded dictionary is coming. Sincerely, James G. Chandler ***** ** South Carolina Lawsuit (The following article is based upon an article which appeared in the Bulletin of the American Council of the Blind of South Carolina.) In September, 1976, a lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas, Richland County, State of South Carolina, by the Attorney General of South Carolina, the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, and Evelyn Hydrick, as representative of a class of the former members of the Association of the of the Blind of South Carolina, against the Aurora Club of the Blind of South Carolina, now known as the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina. Why the Attorney General? The Attorney General is charged with the enforcement of charitable trusts and the protection of charities. What is the South Carolina Commission for the Blind? It is an agency in the State of South Carolina. It provides comprehensive services to the blind and visually impaired citizens of the state, primarily vocational training and job placement in gainful employment. What was the Association of the Blind of South Carolina? It was the first organization of the blind in South Carolina. Its purpose was to provide for the general improvement of conditions among the adult blind of the state and to give them vocational training. It received state funds and also charitable funds from individuals, grants, Wills, etc. Why Evelyn Hydrick? Evelyn Hydrick was a member in good standing of the Association of the Blind of South Carolina, Inc., until its dissolution. She was chosen by the Office of the Attorney General to represent the Association. What is the Aurora Club (NFBSC)? It is a private organization which represents a small percentage of the blind citizens of South Carolina. Why the lawsuit? It was a suit to recover $47,000 from the NFBSC for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Let us go back to the early 1900's, when there was no workshop or training program for the blind. As the result of the driving and dynamic efforts of a young blind woman, Ellen Beach, later known as Mrs. Ellen Beach Mack, and her desire to help blind people be independent, some half dozen or so blind people got together and began weaving baskets, making reed porch furniture, making pillowcases, hemming sheets, and making house dresses. Their first location was an upstairs flat on Calhoun Street in Columbia, South Carolina. With the help of the City of Columbia, the State of South Carolina, and civic­minded citizens and organizations, the Association was chartered in 1923. Mrs. Mack was able to get some members of the Legislature interested, and a tract of land at the corner of Bull and Confederate streets was given by the State. On this site, buildings were erected, and the Association then started making brooms, mops and mattresses, and teaching other skills. Business and membership grew as the blind throughout the state heard of the work. In 1929 when the Depression came, the Association was in financial difficulty. The Lions Club came to its rescue and began selling brooms and mops door-to-door as its club project. They also managed to get the Legislature to appropriate $25,000 in state funds each year. One of the buildings on the Association's premises consisted of a large living room, a kitchen, a library of braille books, a large dining room, and two bedrooms and a bath on the first floor. The second floor was a dormitory. There was a large front porch where the workers enjoyed sitting in the evening. On the grounds were several pecan and fig trees. The crops from these were given to the workers at the Association. Most of the workers were not educated for white-collar jobs. They got room and board for $10 a week. That gave them a clean bed, hot water, telephone, and three good meals a day. Many were living better than they had been at home. They worked well together and seemed like one big family. Hubert (Babe) Smith got his training there and later started his own mattress business in Augusta, Georgia. Marvin S. Lowe was trained at Babe Smith's factory and started his own business in Anderson, South Carolina. Mr. Smith was president of Ways and Means for the Blind in Georgia and also helped other citizens. Also, Missouri Crawford, mother of Dr. Fred Crawford, was one of the first blind workers. Mrs. Mack had been getting the blind together for parties on Christmas and other special occasions. After they got their own building, they began meeting monthly on Sunday afternoons. They would have Bible readings, singing, refreshments, and good fellowship. The group later became known as the Aurora Club. The Lions Club took over the Christmas party, and that was a festive affair for everyone. In 1948, Mrs. Julia Bolin, mother of Evelyn Hydrick, was employed as house parent. She served until 1969. A short time after Mrs. Bolin came, Rev. A.D. Croft, a Baptist minister from Greenwood, South Carolina, was elected president of the Association. He and Mrs. Bolin were both very interested in. the welfare of the blind. Since the Association had members all over the state, they now were having a convention each year. The blind were provided lodging and meals for this big event. Some stayed with friends. It was always a grand occasion, and the convention was hardly over before they began looking forward to the next one. It was the only time of the year that they all got together. Some time later, some out-of-town representatives of the National Federation of the Blind came to the monthly meeting of the Aurora Club. They wanted that group to be an affiliate of the NFB. When they decided to be an affiliate, Mrs. Mack and her husband asked that their names be taken off the roll because she had heard the NFB caused trouble everywhere it went. In the late 1960s, some blind citizens were denied membership in the Association. This resulted in a lawsuit brought by the Aurora Club. The lawsuit established the fact that the Association was an arm of the State and could not deny membership to any blind person in South Carolina. Subsequently, Aurorians joined in large numbers. At the annual meeting of the Association in 1969, Aurorians were elected as officers and members of the Board. Two months later, a meeting of the membership passed a resolution to transfer all assets of the Association to the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. This included buildings, equipment, facilities and materials, and the Commission was to assume all liabilities. The Board closed the shop. Some of the workers had never done any other work and were at a loss as to what to do. Mrs. Bolin was no longer needed, and Rev. Croft had been voted out of office. The dormitory building was converted into offices. The Association continued to exist and receive state funds. On October 31, 1970, a stipulation was made that the Association's funds be used for construction of a building on its property. Then in March, 1973, a resolution was passed by the Board of Directors that the Association give the remaining assets, some $47,000, to the South Carolina Aurora Club (NFBSC). The Association was dissolved in July, 1973. When the South Carolina Commission was unable to convince the Aurora Club that the Association funds rightfully belonged to the Commission, the matter was turned over to the Attorney General of South Carolina, who filed a suit against the NFBSC alleging that it had obtained they money through constructive fraud. When the suit was filed, the seven-member board (three blind, four sighted) had as its chairman a man who had served as chairman of the Advisory Board of the Aurora Center for fifteen years, and two other members who also were members of the NFBSC. At a meeting of the Board of the Commission in June, 1978, a vote was taken as to whether the case should be settled. With six members present, the vote was four to two to settle out of court. Before the next meeting, the Ethics Commission gave a ruling that the Aurora members should not vote on this matter, as they would have a conflict of interest. A tentative settlement had been drawn up, however, and at the next meeting no re-vote was taken as to the case being taken to court. The Assistant Attorney General proposed a settlement that would leave the funds in the possession of NFBSC. In a vote taken on the settlement, three were in favor and one abstained. It was learned that none of the Board members had been furnished a copy of the litigation or the settlement agreement. The next day, the Aurora attorney and the Assistant Attorney General met with the judge and the settlement was agreed upon and the case dismissed. Mrs. Hydrick was not notified of this meeting. When this became known, members of the Association and others interested in justice for all the blind of South Carolina asked Mrs. Hydrick to continue the case. She has retained a lawyer, and the appeal has been presented to the Supreme Court. (Note: Mrs. Hydrick has now appealed the dismissal of this case and is proceeding individually to carry out the desire and intention of the old Association's members who wanted its resources to be used in service to blind people in South Carolina, some of whom have made contributions to help with the litigation expense. Mrs. Hydrick is also the treasurer of the ACB of South Carolina. Persons wishing to help in a just cause may write to her at 1508 Sewanee Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169.) ***** ** New Tactual Elevator Identifications A meeting was held at the General Elevator Company headquarters in Baltimore on November 28, 1978, between representatives of the National Elevator Industries, Inc., American Association of Workers for the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind, the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America, American National Standards Institute, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, and the California Alliance of Blind Students (an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind). It was agreed that new elevator call buttons will be shaped so that they point upward and downward; standard Arabic numerals will be placed on both sides of door jambs to identify each floor in a building; Arabic numerals 5/8 inch tall, raised 30/100 inch from the background, with squared shoulders on the surface edge, will appear to the left of all floor buttons on elevator panels. Braille numbers will be recommended, but not required, to the left of the raised Arabic numerals. A raised five-pointed star will identify the ground, or main, floor on all elevator panels. Other symbols to appear on elevator panels include a raised telephone, in an upright position; and a bell symbol similar to the shape on telephones will identify the button to right an emergency bell. For the Open Door, Close Door, and Emergency Stop symbols, which will be placed at the bottom of the panels within elevators, representatives of the blind urged adoption of symbols designed by the California Alliance of Blind Students. However, NEII spokesmen, who were acting under provisions of an American National Standards Institute "Safety Code" -- not a "Needs of the Handicapped Code" -- were obdurate in their insistence on symbols which were described as "international symbols." They did agree to make these symbols less confusing from a tactual aspect. The Open Door and Close Door symbols will now be raised pairs of solid triangles. Points of the two triangles will be outward for Open Door, and inward to a vertical line for Close Door. The tactual effect of the Emergency Stop symbol will be an open octagon. Good color contract is promised for all tactual symbols to aid the visually impaired. Resolutions passed by the national convention of the American Council of the Blind and by the Delegate Assembly of the Affiliated Leadership League in July, 1978 supported adoption of symbols proposed by the California Alliance of Blind Students as being more easily identifiable tactually than international symbols proposed by the National Elevator Industries, Inc. Although there was agreement that all except the Open Door, Close Door, and Emergency Stop symbols described above meet the needs of all elevator users, including the blind and visually impaired, concern has been expressed by ALL (1) as to the adequacy and effectiveness of these three symbols from a tactual standpoint, and (2) that the symbols were approved only under a "Safety Code," and not under a "Needs of the Handicapped Code." Approval of the publication of these symbols was qualified and subject to the following reservation: "There is reason to doubt that these symbols are as good as they should be. We shall pursue further research and applied studies to ascertain the absolute and the most desirable symbols. After further research, we may report, through proper channels, and request revisions in accordance with American National Standards Institute Policy." ***** ** Blind Law Student Sues Stuckey's (Reprinted from The Daily Mississippian, October 16, 1978) A blind Ole Miss. law student filed suit Friday (October 13) against Stuckey's, Inc., for refusing to allow her guide dog to enter the restaurant. Pshon Barrett, 24, filed a $25,000 lawsuit in Federal District Court in Greenville Friday against Stuckey's, Inc. The third-year law student charged that the manager of the Stuckey's restaurant at the Vaiden Exit of Interstate 55 discriminated against her by not allowing her guide dog to enter the restaurant. She charged that on March 17, 1978, she and two fellow law students, Kay Hardage and Mike Hartung, tried to enter the restaurant. When they entered the door into the foyer and were about to open the main door, they were stopped by the Stuckey's manager, who opened the door and stood in the doorway holding the door partially closed so that it was impossible to walk past him into the building. Then, according to Barrett, the manager told her that she would not be allowed inside with her guide dog, a 7-year-old Labrador Retriever. Barrett then explained that under Mississippi law, she was entitled to enter any public place with her guide dog and offered to show the manager a card explaining the law. She said that the manager refused to look at the card or allow them entrance. He finally offered to allow Miss Barrett to use the rest room, but as Barrett later stated, "He would either give me full access or I wouldn't go in at all." The students said that they finally left after the manager still refused to allow Barrett and her dog entrance to the restaurant. Stuckey's have not as yet responded to the charges. ... (Pshon Barrett is a student member of the American Blind Lawyers Association.) ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon ACB First Vice President Delbert Aman of South Dakota was recently named to membership on the Executive Committee of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. This means he is one of five commissioners who handle the day-to-day administration of the Commission. "I am pleased that this was accomplished without militancy or rhetoric, but on the basis of my activities on the Commission over the past two years," says Mr. Aman. "ACB's approach may not make news, but it does make progress." Dr. Otis Stephens, Professor of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a member of ACB's Board of Directors, was recently elected to serve as a member of the Executive Council of the Southern Political Science Association. This organization is one of the major professional organizations of political scientists in the U.S., and membership on its Executive Council is a recognition of professional achievement within the discipline. Visualtek's NEWS AND VIEWS reports that Visualtek has transferred all marketing activities in connection with its Model 5195-LOC, the Time­Compressed Speech player-recorder, to SFB Products, P.O. Box 120, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania 19004. The Model 5195-LOC plays recorded material up to nearly twice the speed at which it was recorded, without voice distortion. It provides four-track cassette recording and playback in a Library of Congress-compatible format. From NRA NEWSLETTER: The Public Citizens Visitors Center offers special tours of the U.S. Capitol for blind persons. The tours, designed by interns at the Center, in cooperation with disabled persons in the Washington, D.C. area, last two and a half hours and cost $2.50. Visitors see both the House and Senate in session, attend Congressional hearings, and visit offices of their Congressmen. For further information, write Public Citizens Visitors Center, 1200 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20005. Accreditation of three more agencies and schools for the blind has been announced by the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. They are the Alabama School for the Blind, Oklahoma League for the Blind, and Toledo (Ohio) Society for the Blind. According to Dr. Otis H. Stephens, Chairman of NAC's Commission on Accreditation, 77 agencies and schools throughout the country, serving more than 325,000 blind and visually impaired people, are currently accredited by NAC. The A.R.E. Braille Library, P.O. Box 595, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451, offers in braille, open-reel tape, and cassette materials for free loan on the subjects of psychology, parapsychology, metaphysics, diet and exercise, meditation, prayer and healing, dreams, death and dying, and much of the work of Edgar Cayce. A list of available titles, in print or braille, is available upon request. The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute has installed an Elinfa Digicassette Paperless Braille Reading Machine in its Benefits from Flight Gallery. The new device gives blind visitors access to quotations from scientists and philosophers who have speculated about life in the future. The device stores information on a standard cassette, and electronically encoded messages are sent to a series of twelve braille cells on the outside of the machine. The new reading machine was a donation of the Air Force Officers' Wives Club of Washington, D.C. Blind visitors wishing to use the Digicassette machine may borrow a key from the National Air and Space Museum Information Desk in the main lobby. From DISABLED USA: The Lighthouse, New York Association for the Blind, has just published an evaluation of eleven devices used for the self-administration of insulin by visually impaired people. It is designed as a practical and functional guide for medical personnel working with diabetics with low vision. Patients and their spouses might also find it beneficial. Items described include syringes, a needle guide, magnifiers, and insulin measuring devices. Also included are unit calibrations, availability of replacement parts, cost, vendors, and catalog ordering information. Write New York Association for the Blind, 111 E. 59th Street, New York, NY 10022. Cost, $.35. Edna H. Schmidt, a member of the ACB of Wisconsin and for many years active in the "organized blind movement," was honored recently with the 1978 Civic Award of the Milwaukee County Safety Post 3091 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, for her "leadership among the blind, her outstanding devotion in helping others, and her inspiration to those who face blindness." As a teacher of blind children in the Milwaukee Public School System (she taught for 20 years without missing a day), Miss Schmidt compiled a book in braille about colors for blind children, and, to help teachers, a book of supplementary exercises to be used in teaching reading and spelling, which was published by the American Printing House. Since retirement in 1973, she has become a certified braille proofreader, is chairman of the Badger Association's Public Relations Committee, and works on recreation projects for the Badger Home and serves on the American Foundation for the Blind's Committee on Aging and Blindness. In 1973, Miss Schmidt was the recipient of ACB's Ambassador Award. The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus for Large-Print Users is now available from G.K. Hall and Co., 70 Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111. The Thesaurus contains more than 57,000 entries, as well as foreign words and phrases, metric system charts, latest Census figure charts for U.S. and Canadian cities, weights, measures, and signs and symbols. Cost, $27.50. The fourth annual Delegate Assembly of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL) has been scheduled for July 12-14 at the Sheraton-Century Hotel in Oklahoma City. "Exit Drills in the Home," a pamphlet containing fire-escape and safety rules, is available in braille, without charge, to blind persons throughout the country. Write Vision Foundation of Massachusetts, Inc., 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02158. This material was compiled by the Boston Fire Department, brailled by the Howe Press, Perkins School for the Blind, and paid for by the Lions Clubs. Fred and Assunta Lilley were joint recipients of the Ellis M. Forshee Award at the 1978 convention of the Missouri Federation of the Blind. Fred has long been active in organizations of the blind on local, state and national levels, has 22 years' perfect attendance as a Lion, and is immediate past president of the Missouri Federation. Assunta has shared Fred's interest and involvement in working to improve the lives of blind persons. A dictating machine transcriber employed by the St. Louis Region of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, she was named Federal Employee of the Year for the St. Louis Area Civil Service Commission in 1973. This award is the highest honor the MFB has to bestow upon its members and sighted benefactors. From UPDATE (National Library Service): The Special Services Section Michigan State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 735 E. Michigan Street, Lansing, MI 48917, has available a unique collection of approximately 30 braille books in the Finnish language, ranging from Corrie TenBoom's The Hiding Place to Victor Hugo's Les Miserables and James Feminore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. "The Seven Minute Lesson" is a new film that shows sighted individuals how to act as guides to blind persons. The film may be purchased for $60 or rented for a fee of $10 from Public Education Division, American Foundation for the Blind, 15 W. 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. Most older Americans do not go blind from glaucoma or diabetes, says Richard A. Lewis, M.D., University of Michigan ophthalmologist, in an article in Aging. The cause of most blindness in older persons is a little-publicized condition called senile macular degeneration, an age-related deterioration of the retina. The condition affects 150,000 persons in this country and is increasing at the rate of about 10% annually. The condition, believed by some physicians to be hereditary in part, usually does not begin to manifest itself until a person is past age 50. The flexible disc edition of the November-December Talking Book Topics contains recordings of the following pamphlets published by the Social Security Administration: "Your Social Security," "Disability Benefits," "Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled," and "Your Medicare Handbook." Copies of these updated Social Security publications may be ordered from the regional libraries. ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Oral O. Miller, 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 236, Washington, DC 20008 * First Vice President: Delbert K. Aman, 115 Fifth Avenue, S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401 * Second Vice President: Dr. Robert T. McLean, 2139 Joseph Street, New Orleans, LA 70115 * Secretary: M. Helen Vargo, 833 Oakley Street, Topeka, KS 66606 *Treasurer: James R. Olsen, 6211 Sheridan Avenue, S., Minneapolis, MN 55423 ** Contributing Editors George Card, 605 S. Few Street, Madison, WI 53703 Elizabeth Lennon, 1315 Greenwood Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Reese H. Robrahn, 7809 Bristow Drive, Annandale, VA 22003 ###