The Braille Forum Vol. XVII June, 1979 No. 12 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 ACB Officers Contributing Editors Notice to Subscribers Report from the ACB President Position Available as ACB Legislative Director Convention Week Countdown -- 1979 Toward Greater Strength and Unity Through Affiliation, by Durward K. McDaniel The Thrift Store Program: Key to ACB Service and Expansion Blind Workers and Subminimum Wages, by Durward K. McDaniel Oversight Hearings on Randolph-Sheppard AFL-CIO Placement Program Active in Nine Cities Blind Professor Isn't Welcome on a Jury Blind Workers Sue Mississippi Industries for the Blind, by Kathy Megivern Affiliated Leadership League to Hold National Delegate Assembly ACB Bumper Stickers Available Will the Fair Housing Amendments Provide Protection for Handicapped People?, by Reese Robrahn Interest Grows in ACB Parents Organization, by Gretchen Smith League of Disabled Voters Formed ACB Affiliate News: Old Dominion Semi-Annual Membership Meeting Pennsylvania Council Western Regional Conference, by Mary Ballard In Memoriam: Margaret Freer Here and There, by George Card ** 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 ***** ** 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. ***** ** Report from the ACB President Let me begin by saying that, if you have not already done so, there is barely enough time left for you to make your travel reservations for coming to the 1979 ACB national convention, being held at the Pantlind Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from July 4 through 7. However, since the conferences and workshops of the special-interest affiliates begin on Sunday, July 1, plan to get there in time for them, also! By the time you read this report, you should have received the convention announcement and pre-registration packet, which includes a hotel reservation form. If you have not received this material, contact the ACB National Office immediately and a packet will be sent to you. During a recent trip to the West Coast, it was my pleasure to meet first with several members of the Oregon Council of the Blind and to discuss with them a serious budgetary situation which, if not corrected, will further hamper the vending program in Oregon. It is hoped that the Oregon Commission, with the support of the Oregon Council and the blind businessmen of Oregon, will correct the conditions which, I am told, will result in the loss of another vending location. This organization plans to stay in touch with the Oregon situation. During the same trip, it was also my pleasure to meet with many members of the Washington Council of the Blind and to learn of several matters of interest and concern to them. Recently the members of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services had an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with several members of the ACB of Wisconsin and another membership organization in that state. The informal meeting was a very gratifying one, in that it gave the members of the affiliate a good opportunity to meet the directors, learn more about the Thrift Store operations, and make suggestions for improved service by ACB. We welcome all such opportunities for the exchange of views and information with the members of our affiliates. I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kathy Megivern to the position of Legal Assistant in the ACB National Office. This position was advertised in the January, 1979 issue of The Braille Forum. In her new job, Kathy will provide invaluable assistance to the National Representative and the Legislative Director (as soon as one is appointed). Those who receive the recorded editions of The Braille Forum are already very familiar with Kathy as the reader of The Braille Forum, a job she has performed as a volunteer for several years. She originally joined the staff as the National Office secretary approximately six years ago and remained in that position until entering law school. She took the D.C. Bar examination during the winter of 1979 and graduated from Catholic University Law School on May 12, 1979. We are confident that she will be an invaluable asset to ACB and the National Office. Again, make your plans NOW to come to the 1979 ACB convention in Grand Rapids! Oral O. Miller, President ***** ** Position Available as ACB Legislative Director The American Council of the Blind is now accepting applications for the position of Legislative Director in its National Office in Washington, D.C. The primary duties of this employee will be the implementation of the legislative program of the American Council of the Blind and the coordination of its governmental relations with those of affiliated and associated organizations. The salary will range from approximately $19,000 annually to approximately $24,000 annually, depending upon the educational background and experience of the applicant. Anyone interested may obtain a copy of the job description by writing to the ACB National Office. Applicants' resumes should be sent by July 1 to the ACB President, Oral O. Miller, 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., No. 236, Washington, DC 20008. ***** ** Convention Week Countdown -- 1979 Experienced American Council of the Blind conventioneers know so well that there is never a dull moment during Convention Week, with twelve national affiliates meeting the first three days of the week, with a few special ACB seminars scheduled to give additional choices for serious around-the-clock people. They also know that there is never a lack of fun and sociability during appropriate times for such -- the official hospitality room, plus those irrepressible, indigenous parties which so many are so good at! Just for the record, the programs and activities of ACB's twelve national affiliates are open to all, except where otherwise indicated. They do plan and execute their own conferences and, of course, their business sessions and elections are for members. Since reporting last, Jeffrey Moyer of Telesensory Systems, Inc., has been added to the ACB program to talk about major developments in TSI technology and about its exhibited equipment at the convention. Also added to the ACB program is Arthur Copeland, President of the U.S. Association for Blind Athletes. Earlier issues of The Braille Forum reported on some tours of special interest. By the time you read this update, you will have received your pre-registration material, which will list tours, special events, and a variety of meal functions for your selection. Be sure to look for that sweepstakes material in your convention mailing. Last year, the grand prize was a $500 gift certificate. As we go to press, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America report that they have added to their program Dr. Claude Shell of Eastern Michigan University, a nationally known authority on vending facility programs (he is now chairman of the Program Policy Committee for the Illinois program), and Elizabeth H. Farquhar, chief counsel in RSVA's suit against the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare to require a revision of the vending facility rules. Dr. Otis Stephens will speak to the Guide Dog Users luncheon on the history of litigation in civil rights for handicapped people. The American Blind Lawyers Association will feature several good lawyers, including a distinguished blind lawyer from Michigan, Judge Dan Webber. At the two-day conference of the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists, Dr. Fred Fay of Tufts University, Boston, will head a team of experts in conducting a workshop titled "Impacting the Service Delivery System Through Effective Consumer Participation." Touch color, a new art form for the totally blind, will be explained and demonstrated by its creator, Ramon Tonelli of Worcester, Massachusetts. Painter, muralist, colorist, and teacher of art before losing his sight, he will attempt to help the congenitally blind understand the fascinating world of touch color. This convention will have a number of significant subject areas, some of them pointing directly at ACB's efforts and growing alliances to gain for blind and visually impaired people what we must have to participate equally in our society. Most of us know that we gain as much from one another informally as we do from the formal programs, and that enrichment continues as we do our work during the rest of the year. We do not need an official theme for able, constructive people to make a successful convention and to advance the well­being and interests of members and non-members alike. See you in Grand Rapids, July 1-7! ***** ** Toward Greater Strength and Unity Through Affiliation By Durward K. McDaniel In an earlier issue of The Braille Forum, it was reported that the ACB Board had approved the application for affiliation of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, formerly the Pennsylvania Federation of the Blind, which has more than 1,000 members. The PCB will receive its certificate of affiliation at the Grand Rapids convention. So will the Concilio de Ciegos de Puerto Rico, which was also admitted last year. On April 29, the New Jersey Congress of the Blind, which has 450 members (which was expelled from the National Federation of the Blind in 1976), voted to join the American Council. It has ten chapters throughout the state, and its members will be represented in Grand Rapids. On June 23 and 24, the American Council of the Blind of Ohio will hold its organizing convention at the Southern Hotel in Columbus. It expects to perfect an application for affiliation and to be represented as an affiliate at the Grand Rapids convention. Ohio is the only state with a large population which has not had an ACB affiliate. We welcome Ohioans, along with members from Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. ***** ** The Thrift Store Program: The Key to ACB Service and Expansion Thrift Store income is now the single largest source of financial support for the expanding programs of the American Council of the Blind. There are eleven Thrift Stores, located in ten cities, representing the states of Michigan Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Tennessee. The Thrift Stores are governed by a five-member Board of Directors designated the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services Inc. (ACBES). This board consists entirely of ACB members, four of whom are currently serving on the ACB Board of Directors. Ray Kempf of Minnesota serves as chairman of ACBES, Grant Mack of Utah as vice chairman, LeRoy Saunders of Oklahoma as secretary-treasurer, and Otis Stephens of Tennessee and President Oral Miller of Washington, D.C., as members-at-large. ACB Treasurer James Olsen of Minnesota is executive director. The ACBES Board has been very active during the past year. Its most recent meeting was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 19-21. To help encourage community support of the two new Milwaukee stores, television coverage of the stores' operation was arranged. Also, the Board has been encouraging other public relations activities in communities where Thrift Stores are located. Plans are to hold future quarterly board meetings in cities where Thrift Stores are located. Through telephone solicitation and a truck pickup service, the stores obtain donated items and sell them to the general public at bargain prices. Household items of all kinds may be purchased at any of the Thrift Stores -- used furniture, appliances, television sets, books and records, clothing, and much more. Donated items must be in good, usable condition. Although the stores are not equipped to undertake major repair or reconditioning of donated merchandise, they will do minor refurbishing and repair, and they do repair and rebuild television sets, which they sell with a guarantee. Many ACB members have donated items to the Thrift Stores in their communities and have taken advantage of the excellent buys the stores offer. For those who have not, this would be an excellent time to begin actively supporting the Thrift Store program. One of the stores is located in Grand Rapids, and ACB convention-goers might like to take this opportunity to visit or shop there during Convention Week. The Thrift Stores are interested in employing blind and otherwise handicapped persons. More stores will be opening in other cities in the near future, and as this growth takes place, ACBES will keep ACB members informed about this increasingly important part of the organization's financial resources. For further information about the Thrift Store program, write or call James Olsen, Executive Director, ACB Enterprises and Services, 1936 Lyndale Avenue, S., Minneapolis, MN 55403; telephone (612) 870-1252. ***** ** Blind Workers and Subminimum Wages By Durward K. McDaniel At the American Council of the Blind convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there will be a major presentation and discussion of the Javits­Wagner-O'Day Federal procurement program which applies to workshops employing blind and other handicapped people. National Industries for the Blind allocates Federal contracts to workshops for the blind for the Federal Government. Last year there were 99 workshops associated with NIB, but some of them did not participate in the Federal procurement program. During fiscal year 1978 these 99 workshops employed 5,124 blind people in direct production, approximately 91% of all legally blind persons employed in workshops. However, these 5,124 employees worked a total of 3,177 man-years, indicating that many of them were part-time workers. The limitations on amounts of earned income which can be disregarded for beneficiaries of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs cause many blind workers to limit their working time to avoid losing some or all of their benefits. Last year these 99 shops reported payments of $15,389,513 in wages and supplements to their 5,124 blind employees. Their average hourly rate was $2.87. The Federal minimum wage in 1978 was $2.65 per hour. We do not have the statistics on how many of these workers received less than the minimum wage, but that information will be available at the time of the convention. Three hundred twenty-nine blind employees in such workshops performing indirect labor received an average wage of $7,446 per man-year. They and the 5,124 blind employees in direct labor were provided $3,923,424 in fringe benefits last year. The National Federation of the Blind in its petition for rule-making directed to the Department of Labor says: "Under existing regulations, which attempt to focus on standards of productivity, the majority of blind laborers in sheltered workshops are paid more than minimum wage, demonstrating productive capacity." The Federation's petition proposes amending the Federal rules to limit the issuance of certificates of exemption from the minimum wage in cases where employees or clients are blind or visually impaired, whether in a sheltered workshop or competitive industry. The minimum wage is scheduled to increase in 1980 and again in 1981. Under the Labor Department's rules, workshops holding shop certificates for the payment of subminimum wages are required to increase the subminimum wage in direct proportion to the increase in the minimum wage. The foregoing information does not include 458 blind people receiving services in sixteen work activity centers, which are specially authorized by the Fair Labor Standards Act and are not a part of the regular production program of the workshops. The average hourly payment for these work activity centers was $.78 last year. The subminimum wage issue has been a subject of much agitation, even though it appears to affect fewer than half of the blind workshop employees, many of whom, by their own choice, are part-time workers. Some contend that blind employees should be paid at least the minimum wage regardless of their productivity. The Federation contends in its petition: "Blind persons have demonstrated enough productive capacity to justify guaranteeing all of them at least the minimum wage." There will be a good representation of blind workshop employees at the ACB convention, where they can and will speak for themselves. ***** ** Oversight Hearings on Randolph-Sheppard On April 30, 1979, the Subcommittee on the Handicapped of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources held oversight hearings to investigate the compliance of Federal agencies with the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Vending facility operators from around the country came to testify about the continuing disregard and blatant violation of the law by Federal agencies, especially the Postal Service and the Department of Defense. Testifying on behalf of the American Council of the Blind and the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America were Durward K. McDaniel, National Representative, ACB; Ione B. Miller, President, RSV A, from San Diego, California; Homer Steele from Peoria, Illinois; George Abbott from Wheaton, Maryland; Tom Masters from Chicago, Illinois; and Jay Goodman from Austin, Texas. Witnesses from the Postal Service and the Defense Department testified to the continuing dedication of their agencies to the growth of the Randolph­Sheppard program. One after another cited wonderful progress and declared noble intentions. Some of the claims were so absurd and so patently false that they prompted laughter from the many vendors who were present. The major general who testified for DOD bragged about the cafeteria in Dayton, Ohio, which is now being operated by a visually impaired vendor. However, when Senator Jennings Randolph asked the witness how many other such facilities were being operated by visually impaired persons on DOD property, the major general admitted that he knew of no others. DOD persisted in its contention that its rules (which the General Accounting Office has found to be inconsistent with the HEW rules) are in fact valid. The Defense Department has proposed an amendment to the Randolph-Sheppard Act which would officially exempt post exchanges and ships' stores systems from coverage. The DOD witness testified to the great need for this legislation and reiterated the remarkable contention that the vending facility program is a threat to the morale and welfare of America's armed forces. All of the non-Federal witnesses, including a panel representing the National Federation of the Blind, a panel representing the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, and Irvin Schloss for the American Foundation for the Blind, officially opposed the DOD's amendments or any other changes in the Act. These witnesses all agreed that the law is a good one and the problems are a result of the failure to enforce its provisions. Following is the summary of the statement submitted by the American Council of the Blind and the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America: The Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America and the American Council of the Blind find, advocate, or recommend: 1. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare has not requested appropriations to double the number of blind operators on Federal and other property within five years. 2. Congress has not exercised appropriating authority under Section 4A of the Randolph-Sheppard Act, which is absolutely essential to the achieving of the expansion goals established for the vending facility program. 3. The Subcommittee on the Handicapped should act to include separate appropriations for the Randolph-Sheppard program in the regular budgeting and appropriating cycle and in supplemental appropriations for year 1979 and fiscal year 1980, on a non-matching, 100% Federal funding basis. 4. The Randolph-Sheppard program is not flourishing and, at the present rate of growth, will require forty years to double the program. 5. The Administration has failed and refused to carry out the following mandates of the Act: a. To establish uniformity of treatment of blind vendors by all Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities. (1) The Subcommittee on the Handicapped should request the Comptroller General to reaffirm and to enforce his ruling made in 32 Comp. Gen. 124. (2) The Subcommittee on the Handicapped should request the Attorney General of the United States to enforce Title 18 U.S.C. Sec. 209. (3) The Subcommittee on the Handicapped should request the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce the Miscellaneous Receipts Statute, Title 31 U.S.C. Sec. 484. b. To establish requirements for the uniform application of the Act by each state agency designated under Paragraph 5, including appropriate accounting procedures, policies on the selection and establishment of new vending facilities, distribution of income to blind vendors, and the use and control of set-aside funds under Section 3 (3) of the Act. c. To require coordination among the several entities with responsibility for the program. d. To establish a priority for vending facilities operated by blind vendors on Federal property. e. To establish administrative and judicial procedures under which fair treatment of blind vendors, state licensing agencies, and the Federal Government is assured. f. To require stronger administration and oversight functions in the Federal office carrying out the program. g. To make annual surveys of concession vending opportunities for blind persons on Federal and other property. h. To conduct periodic evaluations of the program authorized by this Act, including upward mobility and other training required by Section 8, and annually submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report based on such evaluation. i. To require the state licensing agency to provide for each licensed blind person vending facility equipment and adequate initial stock of suitable articles to be vended therefrom. j. To ensure that uniform and effective training programs, including on-the-job training, are provided for blind individuals through services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and further to ensure that state agencies provide programs for upward mobility and follow-along services for all trainees under the Act. k. To assign to the Office of the Blind and Visually Handicapped ten additional full-time personnel to carry out duties related to the administration of the Act. l. To promulgate, after full consultation with and full consideration of the views of blind vendors and state licensing agencies, national standards for funds set aside pursuant to Section 3 (3) of the Randolph­Sheppard Act, which include maximum and minimum amounts for such funds and appropriate contributions, if any, to such funds by blind vendors. m. To establish a priority for the operation of cafeterias on Federal property by blind licensees. (On the contrary, they have created a competitive bidding system which abrogates the intended priority.) 6. The Administration failed in its rule-making to recognize and to prescribe the joint decision-making function of the Elected Committees of Blind Vendors and participation with State Licensing Agencies in the administration of the vending facility program. 7. These organizations, individual blind vendors, and Senator Donald W. Riegle, Jr., are appellants in litigation pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to compel the Secretary to issue rules which will conform to the statute. 8. The Subcommittee on the Handicapped should join with organizations and concerned citizens in petitioning for revision of the Randolph­Sheppard rules by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. ***** ** AFL-CIO Placement Program Active in Nine Cities (Reprinted from In the Mainstream, published by Mainstream, Inc., Washington, D.C. to provide information on the progress of affirmative action for the handicapped.) Since 1968, the Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI) has served as the employment and training arm of the AFL-CIO, coordinating the labor confederation's efforts to improve opportunities for disadvantaged, unemployed and underemployed Americans. Recently, with funds from the Department of Labor and HEW, HRDI has added a special placement program for handicapped individuals in nine cities across the country. In addition, HRDI offers technical assistance on securing union cooperation in planning and operating affirmative action programs for the handicapped. In the Mainstream recently spoke with Vincent Moretti, national coordinator of the Handicapped Placement Program, about HRDI's activities in this area. Q. What was the origin of the handicapped placement program? A. In 1976, on the recommendation of George Meany, the Executive Committee resolved that the policy of the AFL-CIO was to get actively involved in meeting the needs of the disabled. When the policy was made, the charge came back to HRDL HRDI had 60 offices around the country at the time. These offices were told that they were to be responsible for job development and training for the handicapped. They began contacting the rehabilitation community, finding out where disabled people were, what were their problems -- and they began to make some gains. But they found out rather quickly that working with the handicapped takes a 100% effort. You can't meet all the responsibilities HRDI had and, at the same time, give any kind of a real service to the disabled population. Q. When did you first set up offices with full-time handicapped placement specialists? A. While HRDI was beginning to reach out to the disabled community, the state directors of the Rehabilitation Services Administration were reporting back to HEW that unions were an area they couldn't crack. So HEW came to our shop and asked us to take on an RSA Projects With Industry contract. We decided that we would use HEW funding to open offices in four cities starting in November 1977: Oakland; East Chicago, Indiana; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Birmingham, Alabama. Each would be staffed by one handicapped specialist and one secretary-intake person. The Department of Labor also became interested in our program. In January 1978, they asked if we would take on a special project for them. We agreed and opened up in five more cities: Detroit, Kansas City, Houston, Seattle and Norfolk. We now have a total of nine cities with handicapped placement specialists. Q. In those nine cities, what actually happens on a day-to-day basis? A. The day-to-day work of the program is job development, placement and training. The individual clients, referred by the state employment service, vocational rehabilitation agency or Veterans Administration, are first interviewed by our intake person. Then the handicapped specialist either refers the client to a job or a training opportunity we have in our job bank or attempts to develop a job for the individual. There is no screening done. Our only requirement -- which is very important -- is that the individual be available to work. We don't care whether or not they have a marketable skill. When an individual goes on the job, the specialist usually sets up a buddy program using the unions. If we have a person go on the job, we'll have a peer­level worker assigned to him or her as a buddy. We feel that this is very important because getting the job is one thing, keeping the job is something else. Q. What are the total figures on placement in the nine cities where the program is active? And in what kinds of jobs have you made placements? A. All kinds of jobs: machine operators, painters, roofers, electronic assemblers, white collar jobs, secretaries, draftsmen. The majority are in manufacturing, but also in construction and service industries. In this fiscal year, during the first three months of operation, we have placed 189 individuals in our nine cities at an average pay of $4.17 an hour. Q. Do your union contacts help with job placement? A. The unions often participate fully. They'll meet with the personnel director where they have a contract. They will assure the company that the union will not stand in the way of hiring the handicapped and that Mr. Jones of HRDI will be by to discuss the handicapped placement program. In other cases, the unions will leave it entirely to us. It varies depending on local union leadership. Q. What percentage of the jobs you develop are covered by union contract? A. Now they're running about 60%, but we do not exclude any employer from participating in the program. We do have a problem with some nonunion companies who are suspicious of us because we are union. We are not in the organizing business; we're in the business of putting people to work. Some nonunion companies take us on face value and work strongly with us. Q. How have you been dealing with the question of some kind of special consideration for handicapped people as it affects the principles of seniority and collective bargaining? A. Seniority is something that our organizations hold very dear. We feel that we can protect our own workers and at the same time move disabled people into the job site. We are proposing that, for a worker who gets injured or has an illness on the job, exceptions can be made to seniority rules. We could at the same time make exceptions for a disabled or an injured person who is coming off the street to get into a job. We're proposing that each bargaining unit establish a committee jointly made up of management and labor to look at these problems on a case-by-case basis. That's the most equitable way and that's the only way that our groups will buy it. And our specialists can participate by helping people produce the proper contract language. HRDI Handicapped Placement Program 815 16th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 638-3912 ***** ** Blind Professor Isn't Welcome on a Jury By Elizabeth Browne (Browne teaches literature at St. Xavier University and Governors State University, Chicago-area schools. This column first appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times.) Once upon a time, long, long ago, when first I fell into the ranks of the minorities, I told myself that if I truly wanted to partake of this society, I must seek first the ordinary everyday experiences. When I received my first subpoena summoning me to appear for jury duty I was overwhelmed. I, too, had been commanded to perform my duty as a citizen, to be a petit juror. So, on the appointed day, summons in hand, Seeing Eye dog in harness, I hurried to the courtroom building. When I emerged from the elevator, I was immediately spotted. "You don't have to come up here lady, you're exempt." But what had I, a college professor, to fear from two armed bailiffs? I calmly side-stepped them and hurried down the hall to the counter where the court clerks wait. "You are exempt," one told me. "Exempt from what? I didn't ask for any exemption." "She wants to serve!" said a clerk. "What for?" asked another. "What do we do now?" "Well, if she wants to serve we can't stop her. Give her the form to sign!" "Can she write?" "How do I know? Help her." "Give her badge No. 1 so she won't forget her number." Later, when I asked a friendly clerk if I had any chance of getting on a jury, she replied, "Frankly, no." I reminded her of Chicago's two blind judges. "That's right," she said. "I wonder how they do it." While I waited for my number to be called, I kept asking the clerk if there was really any chance it would come up. "Oh yes," I was assured. "It's done by random choice. You have as good a chance as anyone." On the second day our clerk's supervisor told me, "You know, most people want to be dismissed -- to get off jury duty. You really want to go to court?" I said I did. "Well, you probably will be called. I got to hand it to you, but you know the lawyers will probably have a fit when you come in to their cases." Finally, after more than a week, my number was called. I bolted from my seat. I was going to court. Judge Walter Kowalski of Circuit Court made it clear that he saw no problem with my unprecedented presence in his courtroom. The first day, five cases were settled -- out of court. Three days later, we got a live one: a case against General Motors. Judge Kowalski was straightforward. "You have a handicap," he said to me. "This is an automobile case. Obviously, you don't drive." "Not too often, your honor." Everyone laughed. "But I feel I can ask questions and evaluate testimony as well as any lay person. I handle visual materials in my classes all the time." The judge seemed satisfied, but one of the defense attorneys spoke up. "I feel that movies about the mechanical operation of a steering mechanism would present an undue burden on Dr. Browne," he began. "I am impressed with your outstanding accomplishment ..." I waited. "But, even though ..." As his voice droned on, I stepped down and out of the juror's box and walked across the aisle to where the other rejects sat. The democratic process is based on the principle that all men are created equal. But we live in a society where only now are the new minorities seeking a place in the sun, seeking to be allowed the opportunity of mainstreaming, not upstreaming. Why else do we get hung up on such trifles as a blind college professor attempting to serve on a jury? They told us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, but they begrudge us a shoestring. ***** ** Blind Workers Sue Mississippi Industries for the Blind By Kathy Megivern Three visually impaired employees of Mississippi Industries for the Blind have filed suit in United States District Court against Robert R. Sibley, Executive Director of Mississippi Industries, Carroll Senterfeit, Personnel Director, and members of the Board of the Mississippi Department of Public Welfare. The suit charges the named persons, both individually and in their professional capacities, with discrimination. Mississippi Industries is one of the largest workshops for the blind in the country. Plaintiffs allege they were discriminated against because of their visual impairment. Alfred Brown, William King, and Willy James Mallett are all employed at MIB. In May and June of 1978, each of the three men tried individually to apply for positions as foremen. King and Mallett wanted to apply for an opening in the broom and sponge department. The complaint alleges that, despite the fact that both men were experienced, qualified workers, defendants refused to give them the needed application forms, stating that no openings existed. Brown alleges a similar experience when he attempted to apply for a foreman position. Even though all three men were told that there were no openings, the complaint filed in District Court states that fully sighted individuals less qualified than plaintiffs were hired for the "non-existent" supervisory positions. The suit is based on Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. There are also allegations that the practices of MIB violate due process and the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment. The complaint cites the failure of MIB to establish any sort of affirmative action or reasonable accommodation policies in job placement. "As a direct and proximate result of this discrimination and failure to implement Section 503 and Section 504, plaintiffs and their class have suffered economic hardship, loss of advancement, emotional and psychological distress. Such discrimination stymies plaintiffs' search for independence and dignity." Plaintiffs' prayer for relief includes a request that the cause be certified as a class action "on behalf of a class of visually handicapped individuals qualified for supervisory and non-manual labor positions at MIB, but who, by reason of their visual handicaps, have been, are being, or will be prevented from advancing to such positions." In addition, the complaint requests preliminary and permanent injunctions against MIB to stop the discriminatory practices and to establish a proper affirmative action program and personnel procedures. Finally, the complaint requests damages, costs, and attorneys' fees. Plaintiffs are being represented in this action by L. Paul Kossman of Central Mississippi Legal Services, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. ***** ** Affiliated Leadership League to Hold National Delegate Assembly Plans are rapidly being finalized for the fourth annual National Delegate Assembly of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL), to be held at the Sheraton-Century Hotel in Oklahoma City, July 12-14. This immediately precedes the bi-annual conference of the American Association of Workers for the Blind, July 15-19, also to be held in Oklahoma City. The Sheraton-Century is a new hotel. Conveniently located in downtown Oklahoma City, it contains excellent dining facilities, many exclusive shops, a swimming pool, and spacious, well-appointed rooms. Special ALL rates are $28 for a single room, $36 for a double. This fourth National Delegate Assembly will be comprised of four working sessions, a banquet, and much sociability. Program Chairman Pat Price and her committee are planning the most informative and interesting series of work sessions related to services for the blind that ALL has ever had. Headline speakers include Darryl G. Anderson, Counsel, Subcommittee on Labor, U.S. Senate Committee on Human Resources; Raymond F. Keith, Equal Opportunity Specialist, Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health, Education and Welfare; and Helen O'Rourke, Vice President of Philanthropic Advisory Service, Council of Better Business Bureaus. A panel is being developed to discuss recruitment of blind people for boards of directors and policy-making councils, made up of chairmen of several agency boards which have a track record for involving blind leadership. Dinner speaker on Friday evening is to be Robert J. Winn, Ph. D., Assistant Commissioner, Bureau for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Rehabilitation Services Administration. "We're counting on your participation to make the most positive and progressive ALL National Delegate Assembly in the history of the organization," urges Chairperson Robert T. McLean of Louisiana. Observers are welcome. Registration fee for both delegates and observers is $15. For further information, contact William T. Snyder, Executive Director, Affiliated Leadership League, 879 Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 20201. ***** ** ACB Bumper Stickers Available The ACB National Office now has bumper stickers with the winning motto from the 1978 convention: I STOP FOR WHITE CANES AND GUIDE DOGS. The bumper stickers are 4 inches by 13 inches and are yellow with black lettering. Besides the motto, the ACB logo also appears and, in small lettering, "May Be Obtained from the American Council of the Blind." State affiliates and local chapters may order in quantities of 20 or more for 10 cents each, plus postage. Individual orders will be filled for $1 apiece. Your organization may want to buy them to sell to members as a money-making venture, or you may want to buy them to give away to the general public for publicity purposes. They make a good give-away at spring fair booths, along with the ACB brochure. The general public wants to know about the fastest growing organization of blind people in the U.S.A. They need to know our services are available. ***** ** Will the Fair Housing Amendments Provide Protection for Handicapped People? By Reese Robrahn Congressman Drinan of Massachusetts and Edwards of California introduced H.R. 3504 in the 95th Congress, amending Titles VII and VIIl of Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment, and Title VIII prohibits discrimination in housing. The protections under both titles were extended by the amendments to include handicapped persons. This bill was not given serious consideration by the 95th Congress, although hearings were conducted on the fair housing amendments, at which the American Council of the Blind was present. Now, in the 96th Congress, S. 446 has been introduced by Senator Williams, amending Title VII to include handicapped persons. Articles on this bill have been carried by The Braille Forum in its last three monthly issues. Also, Congressmen Drinan and Edwards have again introduced their bill on the fair housing amendments, H R. 2540, and a companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Mathias of Maryland. These measures greatly strengthen Title VIII as it is now written. In particular, the amendments provide for cease-and-desist order authority under the jurisdiction of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which will eliminate the necessity of court action as the only remedy for enforcement. For the first time, if this bill is passed, HUD will be armed with the cease-and-desist order power which will give it some real enforcement capability. And again, the protections of Title VII by these measures are extended to include handicapped persons. The Senate has already commenced hearings on its fair housing amendments, the Mathias bill, and the House is expected to get its hearings under way during the month of May. At this time, witnesses representing organizations of handicapped individuals have not yet been called to testify. However, the staff people of the two subcommittees handling the legislation have been conferring with representatives of some organizations, including the American Council of the Blind. It is anticipated that the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, at its Executive Committee meeting scheduled for May 10, will endorse these bills, extending its support to the inclusion of handicapped persons as one of the protected groups. The fair housing bills and S. 446 on employment both are agenda items of the LCCR Executive Committee and its Legislative Committee, meeting the following day, May 11. Reese Robrahn is a member of both committees. Controversy is arising in the meantime concerning the amendments as to inclusion of handicapped persons, controversy that is chiefly related to the matter of the extent to which, if any, the law will require housing owned or constructed with private funds to be made accessible and usable by handicapped persons. Some legislative history has already been made by the authors of the bills upon their introduction, with statements to the effect that there is no intent that the measures will require expenditure of money for retrofitting, that is to say, making alterations in existing housing so that it is accessible and usable by handicapped persons. The Justice Department has officially raised questions concerning enforcement as to handicapped persons and has stated that separate measures should be adopted relative to discrimination against handicapped persons in housing. ACB and other organizations are conferring and hope to arrive at a consensus on the issues being raised. We do not intend to let this one slip by us. If we take a weak position of compromise on this issue, then we will weaken our position on all civil rights laws concerning handicapped people. It is with us, handicapped or disabled people, as it was with the blacks during the '60s; for we are given advice from some quarters that we had better take what we can get when the getting is good -- a half-loaf is better than none -- and so on. This advice was strongly espoused for our benefit and enlightenment during the development of the Section 504 regulations. We stood our ground then, and the results made it forever worth our struggle. ***** ** Interest Grows in ACB Parents Organization By Gretchen Smith The idea of an organization for parents within the American Council of the Blind was raised in the April issue of The Braille Forum and is beginning to take shape. Such an organization would be for parents, both blind and sighted, of both blind and sighted children. To date, interest has been expressed by parents ranging from Oklahoma across the country to Massachusetts. We propose a multi-faceted group, including, but not limited to, sharing, education (both for ourselves in parenting, etc., and of the public), learning about and helping prepare for our children's future, keeping up to date on relevant legislation, and the like. The great value of such an organization is that we are not joining together just for ourselves (although that is a vital aspect), but that we are trying to look beyond ourselves to the future of our children. Would you like to join? What would you like to see such an organization do within itself, and how do you see this organization reaching beyond itself? Please write or call and give me your opinions and ideas: Gretchen Smith, P.O. Box 1215, Morgan City, LA 70380; (318) 836-9780. ***** ** League of Disabled Voters Formed Leaders of the disabled rights movement met in Washington, D.C., May 2, to create the nucleus of a national organization of disabled voters. Eunice Fiorito, former president of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, was elected chairperson. "The purposes of this organization are to educate and motivate interested disabled and non-disabled persons to become informed voters at all levels of government," Ms. Fiorito said. "We will work toward mobilizing the 36 million disabled Americans, their parents and advocates into a viable constituency," she said. The organization plans to monitor and report on the performance of public officials from an objective, non-partisan view. "The League of Disabled Voters is open to all individuals, and we encourage participation of and contributions from everyone," Ms. Fiorito said. The address is: 2501 Calvert Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20008. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * Old Dominion Semi-Annual Membership Meeting Dr. Robert Winn, Director of the Office for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of HEW, headlined the semi-annual general membership meeting of the Old Dominion American Council of the Blind held in Virginia Beach on Saturday, March 24. The meeting was convened by President Charles Hodge of Arlington, with the morning session being devoted to presentations by a number of outstanding speakers. Dr. Winn spoke about threats to the Randolph-Sheppard vending program and about the need for both vendors and state agencies to take a more aggressive and watchful stand on dealing with Federal agencies, particularly the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the U.S. Postal Service. Dr. Philip A. Bellefleur, Superintendent of the school for the blind at Hampton, appeared and discussed at some length the school's current program, as well as proposals now under consideration within the Commonwealth for combining residential educational services for the blind and the deaf in one school. Dr. H. Randolph Tate, a Virginia Beach ophthalmologist, who was recently appointed by Governor Dalton to the Virginia Commission for the Visually Handicapped, indicated a willingness to work with organizations of blind consumers and expressed his feeling that the best way to improve services for the blind was through an ongoing dialogue between agency directors and the organized blind community. Leading off the afternoon session, Carl Augusto, Deputy Director of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, outlined the structure of NAC, described the accreditation process, and asked for the support of the Old Dominion Council in upholding and promoting the goals and objectives of the accreditation process. At the business session, President Charles Hodge was elected as delegate to the ACB national convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Roy Ward of Richmond as alternate. The legislative report reflected the major role played by the Old Dominion ACB in having a bill passed to strengthen the provisions of state law giving the Virginia Commission for the Visually Handicapped a first priority to operate vending facilities in state buildings, with qualified blind operators. The effort on the national level to obtain an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (S. 446, introduced by Senator Harrison Williams) was discussed at length. The Federal legislative committee was directed to do everything possible to support the bill and to obtain sponsors among Virginia Senators and Congressmen. The one-day meeting concluded with a group meal following the formal program, and there was much good fellowship and social interchange among members. * Pennsylvania Council Western Regional Conference By Mary Ballard At its meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, in early December, the ACB Board of Directors unanimously accepted an application for membership making Pennsylvania the 44th state affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. Pennsylvania has a long and distinguished history as a leader in the organized blind movement. This new affiliation underscores the determination of blind Pennsylvanians to continue to work positively and constructively to improve the lives of blind people both in their home state and throughout the country. On April 28, it was my personal privilege and pleasure to represent the American Council of the Blind at a one-day Western Regional Conference of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind in Johnstown. In these days of airline work stoppages, getting into and out of a small city can sometimes be "iffy," at best. Despite the on-again, off-again nature of my plans for the weekend, PCB Vice President Duke Andrews was a truly gracious and accommodating host, and I want to thank him publicly for the opportunity to be a part of this afternoon and evening seminar. Keynote speaker for the afternoon was Edward R. Schellhammer. Ed, a member of the American Blind Lawyers Association, is executive director of the Legal Aid office for a three-county area centered in Johnstown. He outlined the overall concept and eligibility standards for legal aid and urged PCB members who qualify to take advantage of the program in their own localities when in need of the services of an attorney. Representing the American Council, I reviewed some of the current activities and concerns of the ACB national leadership and National Office — civil rights legislation for the handicapped, and particularly S. 446; threats to certain provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act; proposed regressive Social Security legislation; and the many forms of discrimination being experienced by blind people on all levels. As part of the preliminaries to the meeting, Duke Andrews, who chaired the conference, asked a representative from each chapter to name its members who were present. The Braille Forum office is operated in such a way that I am able to take a hand directly in processing new subscriptions, and I was pleased and encouraged at the number of names I recognized among those introductions from a very recent mailing list of new readers from Pennsylvania. There was much interest in the ACB national convention. Look for a good turnout from Pennsylvania in Grand Rapids. The lengthy question-and-answer period which followed my rather brief remarks was wide-ranging and challenging, to say the least. This is no "follow the leader" group, but a group of thinking, articulate, concerned blind people of whom any organization should be proud. A brief business meeting included reports from PCB President Rev. William Hopson and from Membership Chairman Amol Iocca. Far exceeding an early afternoon estimate of around 75, there were 92 persons in attendance at the evening banquet. The Johnstown Sheraton Inn is to be commended not only for its excellent service throughout the day, but also for the fact that its elevators are permanently marked both in braille and raised large print. Entertainment at the banquet was furnished by Duke Andrews and his four­piece band -- a very pleasant and relaxing end to a very worthwhile day! ***** ** In Memoriam: Margaret Freer * Purpose Dear Lord, I pray that others found in me A pool of cool tranquility, A quiet resting place, to find New strength of heart and peace of mind. May all who stopped within my gate Have found solace there; exchanged the hate For love that ever widening dwells Outside the circle of themselves ... Margaret Freer Margaret Freer, Associate Editor of The Braille Forum from 1972 to 1978, died in Milwaukee on April 8 after a long illness. A native of Wisconsin, Margaret lost her sight gradually in middle life as a result of diabetic retinopathy. She had a keen and curious and wide-ranging mind. She saw and loved the beautiful in music, literature and art, in Nature, and in people. For many years she was employed by Ideals Publishing Company, which produced a quarterly magazine devoted to art and poetry. With only a high-school education and no formal college training, she was promoted, shortly before losing her sight, to an editorial position with the company. Purpose was all-important to Margaret Freer. Quiet, sensitive, and unassuming herself, she did much to encourage young writers and artists, delighting in seeing other people realize their goals. Following her loss of sight, her concern and quiet encouragement were directed toward helping newly blind persons and sighted members of their families accept and adjust to blindness. She was active in FOCUS (Family Oriented Counseling for Understanding Sight-Loss), a Milwaukee-based small-group counseling program. She authored a pamphlet, "Promises to Keep," directed toward the families, friends, and associates of newly blinded persons, designed to help them share in a positive way the experience of learning to live without sight. Margaret Freer touched the lives of many people in a very meaningful way. The Braille Forum, those who met her at ACB conventions, and her countless friends and acquaintances throughout the country are the stronger for having known her. ***** ** Here and There By George Card Not previously reported was the election of Mr. Darrell Lauer to succeed the popular Fred Lilley as president of ACB's Missouri affiliate, the Missouri Federation of the Blind. He appears to be a very energetic leader and to be getting off to a good start. The organization is carrying on a "Medic Alert" program and is distributing special bracelets or necklaces to those suffering from diabetes, epilepsy, and other conditions where crisis situations could arise and where the identification of the malady would be vitally important. In Missouri, for the past 58 years a blind pension fund has been supported by a tax of 3 cents on each $100 of real property at assessed value. This year there is an effort to cut this tax to ½ cent, which would make the blind recipients have to take their chances on general revenue. The organized blind feel that this would destroy the security that has been enjoyed for so long, and they are fighting hard. The current issue of The Missouri Chronicle contains a reprint of the statement made by Alma Murphey at a hearing on January 31, and it was a masterful performance. Under the headline, "Giving a Gift That Others May See," a story in the Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin, describes a new program that is beginning to receive national attention. Despite the best efforts of eye banks everywhere, the shortage of donated corneas is often acute, and transplant surgeons are many times left helpless and frustrated. Fatal accident victims could largely fill this urgent need, except for the brief time period in which the cornea remains usable, the unavailability of physicians on an around-the-clock basis, and the reluctance of some nearest of kin to give consent. After many misgivings, "Bud" Chamberlain, Dane County coroner, finally agreed to try to do something about it. In 1977, a bill was got through the Wisconsin Legislature permitting volunteers to take a prescribed course of training, after which they could legally perform the enucleations under surgical conditions. The final hurdle was largely overcome by using in the approach to the nearest of kin the euphemism, "Let the victim give sight to someone," rather than the harder-to-take phrase, "give his eyes." Chamberlain has been invited to describe the program before the national organization of coroners at Las Vegas next summer. Leonard A. Robinson, author of the original Randolph-Sheppard Act, has received many distinguished awards through the years. His most recent is an elaborately boxed key to the city of Washington, D.C., personally presented to him by Mayor Marion Barry. The inscription reads: "Presented to Leonard A. Robinson for his tireless and effective advocacy for equal opportunity for the blind. April 17, 1979." From Hoosier Starlight: With each passing month and year, we become increasingly convinced that we, as blind people, have lived at the right time and in the right place. It's the right time, for never has there been such a proliferation of systems and devices designed to improve communications for -- our blind population. It's the right place, for America always has led the world in making such systems and devices available for the regular use of the mass of blind American citizens. Jack Chard, first president of the Michigan Association of the Blind and one of the prime leaders in the founding of that organization, died of cancer on April 11 in Lansing. Jack devoted his entire life to the improvement and betterment of the status of the blind. For 55 years Jack was associated with the Michigan School for the Blind, first as a student and later as teacher and head of the school's Music Department. His talent as a performer and his ability as a director brought national recognition both to him and to the groups he conducted. He put MAB on the map; he brought MAB into the American Council of the Blind. His passing leaves a large void in the activities of the blind in Michigan. The Florida White Cane Bulletin reports that the training center at Florida State University at Tallahassee has a system under which it can loan out to its blind students items of equipment up to one full school quarter. These items include Optacons, Apollo low vision reading machines, "talking" calculators, braillers, tape players, speech compressors, and other training equipment. Some of the students indicated that without the availability of the training aids lab, they would have had great difficulty in passing certain of their college courses. -- The National Eye Research Foundation reports that there may be new hope for the estimated 100 million Americans with vision defects who feel doomed to wear eyeglasses forever. New statistics show that orthokeratology -- the science of using contact lenses to reshape the cornea of the eye -- results in at least 80% of patients attaining perfect vision. Developed over fifteen years ago by Los Angeles optometrists Charles May and Stuart Grant, orthokeratology has been compared to the shaping of the teeth by the use of braces in orthodontics. The National Office of the American Council of the Blind has purchased from the American Foundation for the Blind the movie, "What to Do When You See a Blind Person." It is 13 1/2 minutes long and is in color. The film shows Phil, a well-meaning but ill-informed sighted person, who meets his first blind person on a busy New York street corner. Through a humorous approach, the film gives simple suggestions for walking, talking, and dining with a blind person. It is a good way to lead into a discussion of blindness with a sighted audience. The movie can be obtained from the ACB National Office for a single showing for $8. From the Bulletin of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind: Since 1915, when what is now the Royal Institute for the Blind in England took over the training of the blind physiotherapists, over 800 students have qualified from the school, over 200 of them blind ex-servicemen and -women. Some 400 graduates are currently in practice throughout the world, many holding senior appointments and many specializing in a number of fields. The school exercises stringent control over the selection of students, for in order to obtain full parity with sighted physiotherapists, it is recognized that the school's graduates must be first-class. -- The Nippon Lighthouse for the Blind (Japan) is currently constructing a nine-story building in Osaka to house a braille library. It is also constructing a building for a mobility training and dog guide center in Wakayama. From an A.P. bulletin: Wind Rock, Arizona -- A 4,000-foot parachute jump would be a thrill for most people. For Benjamin Lee, it is only another challenge along a road without sight. "For a second or two, I might have panicked," said Lee, 31, "but I regained my composure and realized I was supposed to be counting. So instead of starting from one, I started from two." A static line opened Lee's parachute, and skydiving teacher Mark Sorenson of Flagstaff, Arizona, gave instructions by radio. As Lee neared the ground, waiting crew members yelled, "Close-you're coming in -- three-two-one!" "The earth came up a lot harder than I anticipated," Lee said, but Sorenson said he "could have used his drop from the plane as a demonstration for a student manual." Lee is a computer research specialist for the Navajo Education Office. From The Braille Reporter (Washington State): The blind in Greece, living constantly under intolerable conditions, getting practically no government assistance, in an effort to improve the situation and obtain a general recognition of the indefeasible human rights, have started since a few years ago a dynamic struggle for "education, bread, work, and no begging." Of the 15,000 blind citizens of Greece, only 500 are employed. All of these have found jobs through their own capabilities, as there is no law providing for a professional rehabilitation program. No public education exists; only such meager provisions as have come from philanthropic organizations. In November, 1975, the Pan-Hellenic Association of the Blind was formed. Powerful forces -- both the government and the state church -- placed every possible obstacle in its path. But all the progressive Greek people and almost the entire Greek press, as well as the foreign press, have come to its assistance. The struggle is culminating from day to day before the courts, by gatherings in the theaters of Athens, by hunger strikes and manifestations in the streets and before the entrances of ministries, and by expressions of solidarity by the people of Athens. From the ACBC Digest (California): The San Francisco Subregional Library has received a grant from a local corporation to finance the cost of producing 2,000 flexible discs on "Fire Prevention and What to Do in Case of Fire If You Are Blind." -- Kathy Skivers, former ACB Board member, received two beautiful plaques at a presentation luncheon at the Sheraton Palace Hotel in San Francisco. They represented two distinguished awards -- one for community service from the Executive Committee of Federal Employees and the second (one most highly prized by all Federal employees), the Federal Civil Servant of the Year Award, Northern California District. Whether the recipient of this award is or is not handicapped has nothing to do with the selection. The Trumpet's Voice (Iowa) reports that Noma Hochstatter of Des Moines has succeeded the late Joe Klostermann as president of the Iowa Council of the Blind. The Stylus (Oregon Council of the Blind) reports that the Oregon Commission for the Blind has approved plans to reorganize its administration. More than 30 OCB members were present and voiced strong objections, but their opinions were ignored. The OCB Board adopted unanimously a strong resolution pointing out the defects of the new plan and later issued a "white paper" containing its objections, which was widely circulated. (Moral: A commission for the blind is not always a panacea.) From the MAB News (Michigan): The newly created Michigan Commission for the Blind came into existence last October 1. One of its three blind members is Elizabeth Lennon (who often supplies this column) and one of the two sighted members is old friend, Dr. Robert Thompson, former superintendent of the Missouri and Michigan schools for the blind. At its last state convention, the Illinois Federation of the Blind welcomed a new chapter -- the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago. ###