The Braille Forum Vol. XVIII October, 1979 No. 4 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 ***** ** ACB Officers * President: Oral O. Miller, Suite 236, 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008 * First Vice President: Delbert K. Aman, 115 Fifth Avenue, S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401 * Second Vice President: 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 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 Report by the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Disability Insurance Amendments Passed by House, by Kathy Megivern Minneapolis Society for the Blind -- National Election of Its Officers and Directors ACB News Service ACB Convention Tapes Available In the Starting Gate -- Derbytown Convention, 1980, by Carla S. Franklin Photography as a Museum Aid for the Visually Impaired, by George A. Covington The Kennedy-Waxman Health Insurance Proposal Finally Introduced, by Kathy Megivern Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers ACB Parents Organization Formed Microlert: One Squeeze Brings Help Cooperation and Progress in Services to the Blind -- ALL Fourth Delegate Assembly, by Patricia Price NLS to Conduct Experiment in Grade One Braille NECA Lawsuit Settled ACB Affiliate News: Connecticut Council Spring Convention ACB of Nebraska Second Annual Convention Louisiana Council Convention Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Report by the ACB President Oral O. Miller During early August, it was my pleasure to represent the American Council of the Blind as a member of the American delegation to the sixth General Assembly of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, held in Antwerp, Belgium. The Assembly was originally scheduled to be held in Lagos, Nigeria, but was moved to Antwerp when planning difficulties were encountered with the Nigerian government approximately six weeks before the conference was to begin. There were approximately 400 delegates present, and they represented approximately 64 different countries. The topics covered by the various presentations, workshops, seminars, and study groups ranged all the way from prevention for blindness in the developing countries, development of basic education for the blind in the developing countries, development of leadership, and technological advances, to rehabilitation policies and practices, international aid and cooperation, orientation and mobility, employment, and consumer advocacy. While these topics may sound very familiar, the treatment they received on an international level was somewhat different from the way they are usually approached. Although the World Council itself has very limited resources for providing assistance, it serves as an important catalyst for action by national governments as well as various international groups and organizations. The Assembly adopted several lengthy resolutions which probably will have a significant effect on future action by such governments, agencies, and organizations. From the organizational standpoint, the members of the American delegation were very disappointed by an effort to reduce the representation of our region (which also includes Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many of the Pacific islands) on the Executive Committee, and we led a very hard and successful floor fight to block the proposed action. However, the new president of the World Council is Mrs. Dorina Nowill of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and we believe her administration will be effective, fair, and cooperative. Since the American Council of the Blind has never engaged in a campaign to organize international affiliates, many of the delegates present in Antwerp were unfamiliar with the ACB before the conference. However, you may be sure that all of those present now know about it as an effective, vital, and outspoken consumer advocate organization. During the fall of 1978, the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare announced the creation of several hundred new jobs for which the handicapped were eligible. We know that several blind people were employed thereafter, but in recent months, we have received allegations that the Office for Civil Rights discriminated for and against blind applicants on the basis of organizations with which they were affiliated. In order to check the validity of these allegations, it is necessary for us to know the names and addresses of ACB members who applied both successfully and unsuccessfully for those positions. If such people will contact us, we will pursue the matter further. The recent ACB national convention adopted a hard-hitting and well-considered resolution concerning sheltered workshops and minimum wages. Within a few days after the convention, we were asked to present a televised editorial statement on the subject. Upon further inquiry, I learned that National Industries for the Blind had been asked to comment, but had declined. I took advantage of the opportunity to present our position, and I made it abundantly clear that I was speaking in behalf of a consumer organization rather than in defense of any government or private agency. While I was pleased to have an opportunity to present our position, I was very disappointed by the decision of National Industries for the Blind not to comment, and I believe that decision underscores the wisdom of our membership in adopting the resolution originally. During mid-August, 1979, it was my pleasure to speak to the members of the ACB of South Carolina during their state convention. I was favorably impressed by their enthusiasm and their desire to improve the lot of the blind. I hope that by this time all ACB members know that, as a result of our consultation and cooperation, braille menus are now available in all McDonald's restaurants. A ceremonial bronze menu was presented to me during the recent ACB national convention, and the availability of the braille menus was publicized nationally by the McDonald's Corporation during early August. We again commend McDonald's for taking this action, which, as well as being simply helpful, is good business. ***** ** Disability Insurance Amendments Passed by House By Kathy Megivern The long-awaited vote on H.R. 3236, the Disability Insurance Amendments of 1979, occurred in the House of Representatives on September 6, 1979. The bill was passed by a vote of 235 to 162. This marks a setback for the many organizations of the disabled, elderly, and others who worked so hard for the defeat of these regressive amendments. (See "Disability Insurance Amendments," August, 1979 Braille Forum.) An examination of the debate preceding the vote demonstrates the extremely defensive position taken by the bill's supporters. They seemed clearly aware of the incongruity of their stand. On the one hand, their remarks elaborately detailed how this bill would benefit disabled Americans; yet on the other hand, nearly every major group of and for handicapped persons was on record in opposition to the bill. In their attempts to discredit the opposition to H.R. 3236, proponents of the bill resorted to inaccurate accounts of the arguments against the bill. Congressman Andrew Jacobs of Indiana went so far as to label the opposition to the bill "knee-jerk propaganda." Supporters of the bill repeatedly referred to the "years of work" of which this bill was the culmination, and nearly every statement was prefaced with praise for Representative J.J. Pickle's determined efforts. Clearly, a lot of people felt such a personal stake in the committee's bill that to acknowledge defects worthy of defeating it would have been impossible. Several Representatives spoke in strong opposition to the bill. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's statement included a recognition of the assistance provided by ACB: "The American Council of the Blind has indicated to me that the impact of this bill on blind Americans will be particularly startling." An emotional plea to defeat the bill was made by Representative Claude Pepper of Florida, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Aging. But even Congressman Pepper prefaced his attack on the bill with some ego-soothing words for Mr. Pickle: "My distinguished and beloved friend knows I have the most profound respect for him, and I am sure he is conscientious in his belief that maybe we should make some cuts in this program, but I have to resort to the logic of the situation, and what I see is the fact. "Now, is what my honorable friend is saying that the crippled, the disabled people of the country are to be castigated as chiselers? They are not going back to work, because they are getting more under this law than they would get if they were working? That is a severe castigation of the disabled people of this country. "I believe that the incentive to better life for his family burns just as brightly in the heart of a disabled person as it does anybody else, including the Members of this House." As was reported in the September Braille Forum, Congressman Carl Perkins (who represented President Oral O. Miller's home district in Kentucky) had indicated to ACB his firm opposition to H.R. 3236. Mr. Perkins, powerful Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, kept his commitment to vote no. In addition, he spoke out in opposition during floor debate. Here again, his hard-hitting remarks were prefaced with these words for Mr. Pickle: "I am aware of the hard work that the bill's sponsor, the gentleman from Texas, has put into bringing this bill to the floor. I have great respect for his dedication and his legislative skill." In one of the liveliest exchanges during the hour-long debate, Representative John L. Burton of California put some tough questions to Mr. Jacobs of Indiana (and got some curious responses): "Burton: The point I am making is the gentleman (Jacobs) is making a big point that people who are totally crippled are getting more money than they were making while they were working. I do not know anybody who would trade life or limb for more money. ... "Jacobs: I just want to say to the gentleman that that takes into account all of that, and the question still remains, who is going to pay the bill? ... "Burton: I hear that the fund is in surplus. The gentleman from New York said that this fund is in surplus. "Jacobs: So was the Social Security fund a few years ago. ... "Burton: I yield to the gentleman. "Jacobs: This is only scratching the surface. On top of that, there are college scholarships that go to that disabled persons' children that other people cannot afford for their children. "Burton: That is fantastic. That is fantastic. I do not know what good health is worth, but I think it is worth more than a scholarship for my kid. We are talking about totally crippled people. "This is my time and I am taking it back. We are talking about totally crippled children. We are talking about a trust fund that is secure for 75 years, and I think it is some kind of a red herring that the committee is using. You are not going to save all that much money when it is terrific reform, telling somebody who is crippled for life the day after the bill passes, 'Tough eggs, buddy. You are only going to get so much money.'" Other statements in opposition to H.R. 3236 were made by Representatives Stark of California, Weiss of New York, Maguire of New Jersey, and Biaggi of New York. The battle against the Disability Insurance Amendments now moves to the Senate. It is rumored that an attempt will be made to combine these amendments with legislation affecting the Supplemental Security Income program. Opponents of H.R. 3236 will be very much against any such effort. Readers of The Braille Forum are urged to contact their Senators now to voice strong opposition to the Disability Insurance Amendments as passed by the House of Representatives in H.R. 3236. ***** ** Minneapolis Society for the Blind -- National Election of Its Officers and Directors After several years of litigation, there will be a court-ordered special election of the six officers and 24 directors of the Minneapolis Society for the Blind on November 14, 1979. The court ruled that residents and non-residents of Min­nesota could vote in this election, in person or by proxy. The six plaintiffs were members of the National Federation of the Blind, whose state affiliate, the NFB of Minnesota, had demanded direct representation on the Society's board, ranging at times from one-third to two-thirds of the board. Federation representatives have said publicly that it is mounting a national campaign for 100,000 signed proxies to be used in the special election to gain control of the Society. The Minneapolis Society has an annual budget of about $2 million and substantial reserve assets. It operates a workshop, a rehabilitation center, and a variety of other services for visually impaired persons. Most of the blind workshop employees earn the minimum wage or more. The Federation's membership in Minnesota has been reliably estimated to be less than 2 percent of the state's blind population. Only a few of the blind workshop employees belong to the Federation. Many blind Minnesotans are concerned about the possibility of a hostile political takeover of the Society and are working in a competing campaign for proxies throughout the country. Each member of the Society must pay dues of $1.00 in order to vote in person or by proxy. Proxies must be received by the Society at 1936 Lyndale Avenue, S., Minneapolis, MN 55403, no later than November 4, 1979, in order to be effective. Minnesotans believe they can meet this challenge and avoid having the Society become a political power base for a private organization, such as the Iowa Commission for the Blind was for many years. They (including blind workshop employees at the Society) are mindful of what happened in South Carolina about ten years ago when state Federation members captured control of the South Carolina Association for the Blind. The Association's workshop was permanently closed down, with no jobs for its blind workers. The Association was dissolved and its assets were distributed, including $47,000 to the state Federation -- the latter distribution is still being litigated in South Carolina. Ray Kempf, who is a past president of ACB's Minnesota affiliate, is chairing a national committee to get proxies from interested, concerned people throughout the country to assure the election of responsible and progressive officers and directors, including a major representation by blind and visually impaired persons. For further information, call Ray Kempf at (612) 472-8581, work, and 471-9667, home. ***** ** ACB News Service The American Council of the Blind News Service is a new creation of ACB's national headquarters. Functioning with existing staff and the volunteer services of George Covington, the News Service is intended to make the media more aware of ACB's interests, goals, and activities. Covington, a former journalism professor at West Virginia University, is a national board member of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision and edits CCLV's newsletter. "The News Service will function on two levels," Covington explains. "First, by virtue of being in Washington, D.C., we can quickly reach the national media. In less than 24 hours, we can contact the television and radio networks, as well as the country's largest newspapers. Secondly, all officers and Board mem­bers of ACB state and national affiliates will receive periodic news releases. These releases can be delivered to local newspapers," Covington said. "This two-phase approach will allow us to saturate the media on both the local and national level," he adds. ***** ** ACB Convention Tapes Available The major presentations given at the 1979 American Council of the Blind national convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, are now available on C90 cassettes and may be purchased for $1.50 per tape. This year's program was an outstanding one, and plans are to excerpt some of these presentations in upcoming issues of The Braille Forum. However, space will not permit publication in full. Orders may be sent in print or braille, addressed to The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. Make checks payable to the American Council of the Blind. 1. "The Local ACB Affiliate as Provider of Continuing Worthwhile Services to the Blind of the Community," by Carla Franklin; "White House Conference on Libraries," by James Chandler; and "Progress Report on the New Commission for the Blind in Michigan," by C. Patrick Babcock. 2. Panel: "Effective Consumer Advocacy," Sam Negrin, American Foundation for the Blind, Moderator. 3. "Industrial Training and Placement," Vincent Moretti, Projects with Industry, AFL-CIO. 4. "Realities of Mainstreaming Blind Children! " - Panel - Dr. George Core, Michigan State University, Moderator. 5. "Effects of Recent Social Security Proposals on the Visually Impaired," Peter Velasquez, Social Security Administration "the Save Our Security Coalition," Professor Wilbur J. Cohen, former Secretary of HEW. 6. Panel: "Facts and Issues in Federal Procurement and Workshops for the Blind," Richard Alley, Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Severely Disabled, Moderator. 7. Banquet Address: "Emerging Role of Handicapped People in the Civil Rights Movement," by Clarence Mitchell, Chairman, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. ***** ** In the Starting Gate -- Derbytown Convention, 1980 Carla S. Franklin The Kentucky Council of the Blind is the host affiliate. You've already heard the call to the post. The ACB 1980 Convention Management Committee is lined up in the starting gate. The race is about to begin!!! What's at the finish line? It's the information-packed and entertainment-filled 1980 convention of the American Council of the Blind, planned just for you during the week of July 13-19 at the beautiful, modern Galt House hotel in downtown Louisville. This month, we'd like to introduce you to the members of the 1980 Convention Management Committee. Keep this list handy so that you will know whom you should contact concerning that special problem or suggestion that you may have. * ACB 1980 Convention Management Committee Donald W. Franklin, Chairman Mary Lou Lacefield, Secretary James Murrell, Treasurer and Registrar Carla S. Franklin, Program and Publicity Director Vera L. (Lula) Dotson, Finance Director Imogene Autrey, Entertainment Director James Carl Dotson, Volunteer Personnel Director Mary P. Worley, Special-Interest Group Director Should you have questions, suggestions, or comments concerning the upcoming 1980 convention, we invite you to correspond with the Convention Management Committee in braille or print or by cassette. Mail all letters to the attention of the appropriate member of the committee at the following address: ACB 1980 Convention Management Committee, P.O. Box 306, Louisville, KY 40201. We hope to hear from you. You'll hear from us again next month. ***** ** Photography as a Museum Aid for the Visually Impaired George A. Covington Ninety percent of the "legally blind" in the United States have eyesight. Most are mobile without the use of a cane or dog guide. The definition of "legally blind" is a person whose eyesight can be corrected no better than 20/200. Photography can be used as a means of allowing these visually impaired citizens greater access to this country's museums. Although eyesight is measured in numbers such as 20/20, 20/100, and 20/200, these measurements are not exact. Much as no two individuals with "normal" vision will see the same, so is it true of the visually impaired. A black-and-white photograph helps reduce the differences in degree of vision by allowing the individual to view a work of art in the situation best suited to the individuals' particular visual problem. The reason a photograph is easier to see than the scene it represents is simple to understand. A photograph is not reality, but an abstraction of reality. Even the most correctly developed photograph is a high-contrast abstraction of the object it represents. Thousands of colors, shades, hues, and textures are reduced to a few shades of grey between black and white. Confusing shapes and distances are reduced to a two-dimensional object. The most important aspect of reducing a scene or object to a photograph is that it allows the visually impaired person to have total control over viewing by allowing the person to control both detail and perspective. There are two aspects of the control of both detail and overall perspective. First, a photograph allows a person with diminished vision to view the scene or object represented by the photograph in the best light and at a distance from his eyes that best compensates for his particular problem. While many require a great deal of light for best results, others might have a vision problem that requires them to see the light coming from the back of the print. Because art objects are displayed for those with "normal" sight, they are not easily viewed by those with less than normal sight. A photograph allows a person with diminished vision to get close enough to breathe on the object, and in some cases use a magnifying device. Secondly, the photograph allows the visually impaired individual to see both detail and perspective at the same time. If a person was to try to move close enough to a great painting to see detail, he would see only a few inches in any direction. Thus, he would lose overall perspective. If he backed away far enough to have an overall perspective, he would lose detail without gaining perspective. An 11-by-14-inch photograph allows the person to see both detail and perspective. A person could stand before a canvas such as Rembrandt's "Night Watch" and use the photograph to see the subtle details he would otherwise miss. The black-and-white photograph would give overall perspective, allowing the mind's eye to see the painting's colors, shades, and hues. Black-and-white prints are preferable to color photographs because color adds back many of the confusing factors eliminated in the black-and-white print. A new plastic-coated (resin-coated, or RC) photographic paper is ideal. Because the sheets are an extremely thin piece of paper between two pieces of plastic, it is durable enough to be handled. Finger marks and smudges can be wiped off with a damp cloth. Also, because the paper is thin and the plastic transparent, light easily penetrates from the back. There are a number of eye conditions that make bright light source painful to view. An individual suffering one of these conditions may simply hold the RC photograph up to the light and view the picture by the diffused light coming through the paper, rather than the glare reflected off the print's glossy surface. It is important to realize that people can have diminished vision and not be legally blind. No one has figures on the number of individuals with vision between 20/20 and 20/200, but many believe the number is larger than the legally blind. In recent years, the media have shown a keen interest in photography as a visual tool for the visually impaired. For any program to work, the media would have to cooperate. In the past, museums were designed for the normally sighted, and more recently there have been programs for the totally blind. As far as it is known, few, if any, such programs exist for the 90 percent of the legally blind with eyesight and those with diminished vision. (Note: Additional free copies of this article are available from the Council of Citizens with Low Vision and the National Endowment of the Arts, Special Constituents, 2401 E Street, N.W., Room 1202, Washington, DC 20506.) ***** ** The Kennedy-Waxman Health Insurance Proposal Finally Introduced Kathy Megivern At long last, supporters of Senator Kennedy's Health Care for All Americans Act have a bill number to call their own. Even though the details of the plan were made public last May, no actual legislative proposal was introduced until September 6, 1979. In the Senate, the bill number is S. 1720, and it is co-sponsored by Senators Williams (D., NJ), Cranston (D., CA), Javits (R., NY), Metzenbaum (D., OH), Pell (D., RI), Riegle (D., Ml), and Weicker (R., CT). The companion bill in the House of Representatives is H.R. 5191, introduced by Henry Waxman (D., CA), and co­sponsored by 59 Representatives. The bill is the embodiment of the plan revealed by Senator Kennedy last May, details of which have been discussed in previous issues of The Braille Forum. Following are excerpts from Senator Kennedy's introductory comments in the Senate on September 6: "Mr. President, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare has just released new data on U.S. health expenditures for 1978. They are no surprise to anyone who has followed the wild escalation of heath care costs. This nation spent a staggering $192 billion on health care in 1978, an increase of $22 billion in one year. We spent $863 for every man, woman, and child in 1978, compared with $768 in 1977. Of the $22 billion one-year increase, private expenditures accounted for $13 billion; public expenditures for $9 billion. We spent an unacceptable 9.1% of our GNP on health. "I ask my colleagues -- When will it stop? When will we act? Who will assume the responsibility for allowing health care costs to bankrupt this nation? "Mr. President, the only way to control health care costs is through a comprehensive health plan that enables across-the-board cost controls. "They will not be controlled through voluntary efforts. They will not be controlled through budgets on hospitals only. They will not be controlled if controls are placed only on the public sector. They will not be controlled without a national budget. We budget for everything else in this country -- for defense, for education, for fighting crime. Families budget their expenses every week. Only health care has a blank check. "Budgeting is at the very heart of the Health Care for All Americans Act. "Mr. President, yesterday the Administration startled the Congress by acknowledging that because of the outrageous increase in home heating oil, citizens of this nation -- the wealthiest on earth -- would have to choose next year between heating oil and food. That may be new to some people. But the fact is that people in this nation have been choosing between food and health care, between heating oil and health care, for years. "With the new increases in heating oil prices, that problem is only exacerbated, and it is intolerable. No other nation in the western world except South Africa holds health care hostage to income. "Mr. President, the record should show that the members of the Committee for National Health Insurance, the coalition which developed this proposal (the American Council of the Blind is a member of this coalition) worked closely with the Administration for many months in an effort to develop an accommodation on this issue. The Health Care for All Americans Act is itself a product of that effort. Unlike the Health Security Act, it builds on the private sector, it minimizes on­budget expenditures, and is administratively streamlined. These major compromises were an effort at accommodation. What was not compromised, and what cannot be compromised, are the basic principles which must underlie any acceptable proposal: first, universal coverage; second, comprehensive benefits; third, across-the-board cost controls, including prospective budgeting; fourth, system reforms to promote HMO's, disease prevention, etc.: and fifth, quality controls. ... "This can still be the national health insurance Congress. I look forward to working with the President, my colleagues in the Congress, and the members of the Coalition for National Health Insurance to achieve the goal of quality health care for all Americans at costs they can afford to pay." ***** ** Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers Although it was not scheduled on the American Council of the Blind convention program, the Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers (IVIE) held a meeting on July 5, 1979, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The vice president, Arnold Austin, presided at this meeting of members and other interested persons. IVIE was organized at last year's convention in Salt Lake City and initially had twelve members. (Several more were added at the July 5 meeting.) The meeting in Grand Rapids was devoted to further discussion of organizing efforts and the goals of the group. Those present agreed that there is a need for such a group to represent the interests of those visually impaired persons who are self-employed or who hope to eventually go into business for themselves. While many such persons may find other groups such as the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America or the American Blind Lawyers Association which address some of their problems, many feel that no existing special-interest organization adequately meets their specific needs. Issues of particular interest to independent enterprisers include workmen's compensations laws, Small Business Administration policies and programs, affirmative action requirements, etc. Already a committee headed by Winell Wooten has been established to work on a program for next year's convention in Louisville, with presentations on some of these important problems. In addition to presenting programs which would address issues of interest, IVIE also hopes to become a source of expertise and experience sharing. Members talked about not only what they can gain from joining a group like IVIE, but, even more importantly, what they can contribute. It was noted that vocational rehabilitation agencies have been notoriously unsuccessful in their attempts to place handicapped people into businesses for themselves. It was hoped that a group like IVIE could offer its expertise to assist such agency attempts. There was also discussion of the possibility that individual IVIE Members could offer something akin to an apprenticeship program to another visually impaired person who may be interested in going into that type of business. At last year's meeting, dues were set at $25 per year. Some persons present thought such an amount was too high, while others maintained that the $25 would ensure a sense of serious responsibility and professionalism. After some debate, a motion was passed establishing a $25 initiation fee, with $5 yearly dues thereafter. Anyone wishing to obtain further information or to join IVIE should contact the ACB National Office. ***** ** ACB Parents Organization Formed Gretchen H. Smith One of the new special-interest affiliates of the American Council of the Blind is the American Council of the Blind Parents. First proposed in the April, 1979 issue of The Braille Forum, this organization is for parents who are blind or visually impaired, whose children are blind, visually impaired or sighted, sighted parents with children who are blind or visually impaired, professionals, and other interested individuals in the field of parent-child relations, as they deal with the blind and the visually impaired and the sighted. Response has been very exciting to those of us involved, because we left the national ACB convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with 73 members and our charter as a special-interest affiliate of ACB. In accepting our organization as an affiliate, the ACB Board of Directors waived its strong policy that executive officers must be blind or visually impaired. Our by-laws state that the president and the first and second vice presidents shall be parents, whether blind, visually impaired, or sighted. At the organizational business meeting held during the national convention in Grand Rapids, by-laws were adopted, and dues were set at $3.00 per year. The following officers and board members were elected: President, Gretchen H. Smith of Louisiana; First Vice President, Patricia Merriman of Oklahoma; Second Vice President, Judy Pool of Oklahoma; Secretary, Carla S. Franklin of Kentucky Treasurer, Joe C. Smith of Louisiana; Board members-at-large -- Bonnie Adams of California, Alma Murphey of Missouri, Michael Young of California, Lyle Williams of Michigan, Donna lszler of North Dakota, and Ruth Foust of Oklahoma. Because of literature distributed at the convention, inquiries are arriving at an average of twice a week from all over the country. Our purposes of sharing our own experience are appealing to many more than we had first imagined. Our newsletter will be published in large print as well as braille, through the cooperation of the Lighthouse for the Blind in New Orleans, which has one of the first computerized braille machines in the nation. Our members are encouraged to reach out to persons newly experiencing visual problems. For more information, contact the American Council of the Blind Parents, Route A, Box 78, Franklin, LA 70538; phone (318) 836-9780. ***** ** Microlert: One Squeeze Brings Help For the sick, elderly or handicapped, a new medical device called Microlert can be a life saver. Just by squeezing the soft, wearable, one-ounce radio transmitter pendant in an emergency situation, one can bring help from paramedics, neighbors, and relatives. Mr. Thomas Cataldo of La Canada, California, was beset several years ago by two family problems relative to the need for instant action in a medical emergency. First his mother, living 3,000 miles away in Boston, was felled by a heart attack and it was hours before help came. Second, his father-in-law, living alone, was found several times collapsed and unable to reach a phone. Tom, an electronics engineer from MIT, was determined to find a way to cope with such situations. Working in his private laboratory, he devised a means whereby people alone, occasionally left alone, or helpless, could alert others with a minimum of effort. After a few months' work, he developed a one-ounce radio transmitter which worked so well that he patented it and began to market the system under the name of Microlert Systems International. This compact, electronic device is covered with soft leather and is worn around the neck like a pendant. A slight squeeze from both sides of the case sends a signal from as far away as 100 yards. It will trigger a larger unit containing a tape cassette and player. Plugged into a phone jack which is installed by the telephone company, the device automatically dials a series of pre-programmed numbers which could be as follows: first, to the fire department, with instructions to dispatch the nearest paramedic unit; second, to the person's doctor; third, to the nearest friend or neighbor; and finally, to the operator at the telephone company. Up to fifty calls can be pre-programmed into each unit. All calls are programmed by the Emergency Services staff at Arlington, Virginia. Mr. Patrick Devaney, President of Emergency Services, Inc., says the pendant is engineered so that it cannot be accidentally triggered. It can even be worn to bed. The response from the community has been excellent, especially among doctors, who are recommending Microlert to their elderly, heart, stroke, diabetic, and handicapped patients. Statistics indicate that 80% of the Washington metropolitan area population cannot afford the luxury of a full-time attendant or an adequate nursing home. Most patients would prefer to live in their own home if given a choice. Microlert has been FCC-certified for plug-in use on both residential and business phones. Mr. Devaney envisions that the unit will eventually be covered by Medicare/Medicaid when the authorities recognize the economics of how little this device costs in comparison to maintaining persons in a nursing home or hospital. The Microlert unit with pendant costs $395 and up, depending upon the needs of the individual, and is tax-deductible if prescribed by a doctor. Many systems are currently used in senior citizen complexes to alert security personnel. Regarding security, large companies, schools, and hospitals are ordering units for their night personnel. The pendants can be worn under clothing and squeezed without attracting attention, thus summoning action from security personnel if one is attacked in a parking lot. Others are purchasing units for anti­terrorist alert. More information can be obtained from Emergency Services, Inc., 3127 N. 18th Street, Arlington, VA 22201; telephone (703) 522-4357. ***** ** Cooperation and Progress in Services to the Blind -- ALL Fourth Delegate Assembly Patricia Price Amidst the modern buildings and gardens of downtown Oklahoma City -- capital, financial center, and entertainment ennucleus of the state shot from a starter's pistol into the horse race of history -- delegates from 38 to 59 member organizations, as well as observers and program participants from across the nation, convened in the grandeur and luxury of the Sheraton-Century Center Hotel to attend the fourth annual Delegate Assembly of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL), July 12-14, 1979. Co-hosts, the Oklahoma Council of the Blind and the Oklahoma League for the Blind, extended outstandingly cordial hospitality. Throughout all social and business functions, a close feeling of togetherness was evident, as well as a strong, compelling sense of urgency and desire to work fiercely for the attainment of ALL's stated purposes and goals. Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Spencer Bernard sensed this, too, and commended ALL for the great step it had taken by joining together in the pursuit of worthwhile goals. The brief, but extremely productive four years of ALL's history were most eloquently summarized when Chairman Dr. Robert T. McLean enumerated the challenges the Affiliated Leadership League had accepted and was vigorously pursuing: "I'd like to speak of the challenge of San Antonio ... and that challenge is one of consumer services growth through strong, responsive organizations ... The type of organizations we're talking about are those of and for the blind, of course. These organizations that we are throwing the challenge at and that are accepting the challenge are so busy improving programs. They are so busy generating new and exciting work opportunities for the blind and visually impaired. They are so busy helping the many coming-out, multi-handicapped blind to gain successful work and activity experiences. They are so busy providing opportunities for those people in later life that have become blind or visually impaired to adjust to the mode and style of living that is so strange and traumatic to so many of them. They are so busy in these occupations ... These are the type of organizations, and this is the framework of environment that we find ourselves in, and a great deal of this Assembly is going to be involved with that combination of ideas that I have listed. "In the challenge that ALL has for itself and for its members in the coming year, the challenge is for full disclosure of the expenditures of those funds that are entrusted to the organizations ... "The challenge of organizations of the blind in getting members of their organizations and other blind leaders in the community on to positions on boards of directors of their favorite agencies, private and state agencies, and to encourage capable blind people to seek careers in the agency areas, so that at the middle- and upper-management levels, there can be capable, qualified blind and visually impaired people appearing on those staffs. At the same time, those providing services for the blind have the challenge to see that their boards of directors, their advisory panels, their councils, their middle- and upper-management levels, have qualified blind and visually impaired among them ... "We have a real challenge to move both the philosophy of the Civil Service Commissions and their own personnel hiring practices -- the hiring and placement practices of all government agencies -- to see that blind and visually impaired people, as well as all handicaps, are duly, properly, and qualifiedly represented among their ranks; and once they have positions in those agencies, programs and offices, that the upward mobility is just as secure and there, just as strongly available, as for any sighted person. "We have the challenge to beat the drum strong, positively, supportively, with rationale, reason and good sense, to beat that drum for accreditation in the governmental and private sectors of the blindness system. We need this accreditation as a basis for the awarding, support, and development of grants and fundings by Federal and private foundations ... "We have the challenge to support those -- not just the Affiliated Leadership League as a central, collective, of-and-for organization, but throughout the United States, the members and other organizations in the blindness system -- to support those who are being lied about and wrongfully attacked, in whatever form it is. We have the challenge to come out in support and attempt to correct the record and supply a positive picture of the work that is going on ... "We have the challenge to see that the blind and visually impaired who cannot produce at a living wage rate because of their particular restrictions brought on by their blindness, visual impairment, or other handicaps involved along with that -- we have the challenge to see that they are provided with a living income -- the wage that is commensurate with their production, plus an income source so that they have a living income. The right to work and to enjoy the fruits of production in your daily life, the feeling of satisfaction that you get from a day's work done, cannot be lost because of the superficial demagogues' paranoid soundings for a work-opportunity-destroying minimum wage, without a proper understanding of what we want in that area. And that minimum living income is the thing that is there ... "There's no magic panacea. There's no magic word that brings it all out. What it's going to require is the dedication and hard work of the members of this organization and all organizations of and for the blind in the country ..." ALL's Executive Director, William T. Snyder, reinforced these remarks as he referred to the structure of ALL as a coalition of, with, and for the blind. He reported that this last year, ALL had joined in statements presenting a composite point of view of the membership before a number of regulatory bodies and some Congressional committees. This year's program format, four panel discussions covering highly relevant topics in the blindness field, furnished vital information and unique opportunities for dialogue between providers of services and the consumer. "Full disclosure" and "accountability" were the key concepts reverberated by each participant of the "Attitudes and Action, Ethics and Fund-Raising" discussion panel moderated by LeRoy Saunders, Oklahoma League for the Blind, and reacted to by Cleo Dolan, Cleveland Society for the Blind. Helen L. O'Rourke, Vice President, Council of Better Business Bureaus, Philanthropic Advisory Service, after clearly outlining her bureau's structure and function, stressed genuine willingness to assist member organizations to achieve high standards. Dr. Richard W. Bleecker, Executive Director, National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, emphasized the need for a cooperative, balanced, interdependent, and complementary relationship between governmental and voluntary agencies in the blindness field. Additionally, he urged that, though doubt and uncertainty are characteristics of the confusing times in which we live, ALL should continue leading the way in using this as an occasion to sharpen its perspectives, review and refine its commitments, and reaffirm its resolves. Joseph J. Larkin, Industrial Home for the Blind, urged member organizations to no longer assume a position of low visibility, but to become aggressive, in a prudent way, and meet the challenges head on. Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the one-sentence civil rights law of the handicapped, has been extremely complicated, and the discussion, moderated by ACB National Representative Durward K. McDaniel and reacted to by Reese Robrahn, Chairman, All's Committee on Civil Rights and Employment of the Blind, gave a comprehensive overview of the problems and suggested possible solutions. Dr. Raymond (Bud) Keith, Employment Specialist, Office of Civil Rights, Department of HEW, traced the history of the legislation, including most recent court rulings. Darryl J. Anderson, Counsel, Senate Subcommittee on Labor, discussed current trends intended to strengthen the legislation against discrimination, and thereby counteract some of the damage sustained by recent court decisions. Raythel Jones, past president of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind, expressed the need and desirability of developing strong consumer advocates to work closely with the service providers. In essence, the consensus was that while Section 504 has many possibilities, it is admittedly somewhat incomplete and not a magic panacea. It is, however, a beachhead of significant importance to handicapped people. The importance of selecting qualified blind persons for boards of directors and policy-making councils, providing them with adequate training, and then ensuring their effectiveness by actively involving them in board committees and functions was candidly discussed by a panel moderated by Loyal E. Apple, Executive Director, American Foundation for the Blind, with Richard Johnstone, President, Minneapolis Society for the Blind, T. A. Workman, Dallas County Lighthouse for the Blind, Anthony L. Cimino, consumer Board member, Oklahoma League for the Blind, and discussion reactor, Harold Richterman, National Industries for the Blind. Practical solutions to the problems posed were also presented. The fourth panel's topic, "Delivery Services to the Physically Handicapped," through government and private sectors, was moderated by Louis H. Rives, Executive Director, Arkansas Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Panelists E. Ross Fullmer, Arizona State Services for the Blind, Austin G. Scott, Dallas County Lighthouse for the Blind, and Charles Monroe, Blinded Veterans Association, shared a common conviction, i.e., regardless of the administrative structure used to provide the various services, the task can be accomplished effectively if there is identity, independence of operation, autonomy, and responsible leadership. Dialogue among the speakers, the delegates, and the observers occurred at the close of each panel discussion, but was expanded more fully in the popular "Speak-Out" session conducted by ALL Program Chairman Pat Price, President, Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association. A variety of subjects were discussed, constructive criticism voiced, and feasible alternatives presented. It was during this session that ACB National Representative Durward K. McDaniel spontaneously addressed attention to the volatile issue of the workshops: "As many of you know, I have been associated with one workshop or another -- principally the one here in Oklahoma City -- for 30 years. I know, as one of the people who promoted the establishment of the one here that we deliberately set about, as did other people in other situations, to create a problem industry, an industry based on the problems of a certain group of people. I think we have to realize that we are not talking about ordinary industry. On the other hand, we're not talking about a disaster industry either. ... "There isn't any jury in this country that you can go to and convince them that 5,124 blind people in the workshops associated with National Industries for the Blind -- last year's statistics -- many of them part-time workers -- ... The thing that we've all got to have a better perspective on is that these people, multi-handicapped or not, produced materials and services of over $125 million last year. You've got to give those people credit. I think it's a disservice to blind people to portray those people as barely able to come to work, low producers -- Some of them are low producers, but they're not all. These people couldn't produce $125 million worth of products and services if they were as bad off as some people make them out to be. "Do you know that last year, the workshops for the blind associated with National Industries for the Blind, on the average -- on the average -- paid $.22 an hour more than the minimum wage? They did. That is an objective fact. "The workshops have got a lot of problems, and they've done a lot of things right and they've done some things wrong. But it's not a disaster industry. There has been some bad management in some of the shops, and some of them have failed. Whether it was because they paid the minimum wage or better, I don't know. "I've been preaching to my workshop friends for years that they need to get off the defensive: they need to put their best story forward. I don't think we're doing that yet. I don't think ALL is doing it; I don't think the workshops are doing it. I think the workshop people are so uptight about the criticism that they spend too much time defending themselves and not enough time putting out their accomplishments and, by all means, being realistic about their strong points and their shortcomings — and they have some of both. ... "I don't know how generally realized it is that there are a lot of part-time blind employees in these workshops for the blind. Last year, blind people did 3,177 man-years of work in these 99 shops. But the total number of blind people in these same shops, in the same year, was 5,124. So, you see, you've got a lot of part-time people. Part of that -- not all of it, but part because of it -- is because those people are regulating their own subsidy program because of SSI limitations and SSDI limitations. I think that kind of individual approach -- and the last time was in a General Council of Workshops meeting on the subject, they took the position that the individual approach was better than subsidizing the institution itself, the employer. I think that's fundamentally sound, because if you go into subsidizing employers, then you run the risk of subsidizing some pretty weak and pretty bad management. ... "Donald Elisburg, Assistant Secretary for Labor Standards, says that 40% of the blind employees in these workshops for the blind get the minimum wage or better. The statistics I've looked at indicate that another 40% get 75% of the minimum wage or better. So we're talking about maybe one-fifth of them getting less than 75% of the minimum wage. And almost all of these people are eligible for and do receive either SSI or SSDI. Whether subsidy would give them more take-home pay, I don't know. I think that's the bottom line: how much do they get home with and how much do they have to spend to live on. "I wish very earnestly that we could stop considering this volatile issue affecting a very few people in a crisis situation. I think it's something that we need to be objective about. We shouldn't defend ourselves on issues where the facts are not as bad as they are painted to be. ... I think we're in a panic state of mind, and we don't need to be in a panic state of mind." Though the session was an informal one, the leaders of ALL, as in the past, listened attentively to seek direction from the membership in the establishment of posture positions for the coming year. The tradition that ALL's banquets are occasions for much relaxation and sociability, but also times for serious contemplation of relevant issues, was manifested again this year as newly elected Executive Vice President of National Industries for the Blind George Mertz pledged his desire and commitment to improve the employment opportunities for the blind in workshops across the nation. And, Dr. Robert J. Winn, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Rehabilitation Services Administration, HEW, skillfully analyzed and challenged ALL to assume the role of change agent in strategically dealing with problems of improving services to the blind within the service-delivery, governmental, and political systems. Business of the Affiliated Leadership League was conducted by Chairman, Dr. R. T. McLean, and included usual officer and committee reports and was highlighted by the passage of ten resolutions relating to pending legislation and subjects of vital interest to visually impaired and blind people. Newly elected Board members were Jerry Dunlap, President of the American Association of Workers for the Blind, and Dr. Nathaniel Fullwood, President of the North Carolina Council of the Blind. Though there was an obvious reluctance to place the 1979 conference into the annals of history, the sound of the adjourning gavel was still echoing in the distance when the new Executive Board began planning ALL's direction for the year ahead. These plans include co-hosting with the American Foundation for the Blind the Helen Keller Congress, honoring the centennial of her birth, June 23-27, 1980, in Boston, Massachusetts, with ALL's fifth annual Delegate Assembly scheduled for June 26-28. ***** ** NLS To Conduct Experiment In Grade One Braille The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress is looking for braille readers to help determine the usefulness of Grade One (uncontracted) braille. Beginning January, 1980, NLS will conduct an experiment in Grade One braille by producing the monthly magazines National Geographic and Children's Digest in uncontracted braille. Grade Two editions of these two magazines will continue to be distributed. The Grade One editions of the magazines will be circulated free to all participants in this experiment. Those wishing to participate should contact their braille lending library or: Processing Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC 20542. ***** ** NECA Lawsuit Settled Louis H. Rives, Jr., President of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, announced on July 27 that an out­of-court settlement has been reached with the National Eye Care Association (NECA) and its parent company, the Healthy Eyes Program Corp. In the mutual release signed by all parties, NECA acknowledged that "on the basis of further investigation, it appears that the defendants would prevail in the merits at trial." In August, 1977, the National Accreditation Council and its executive director, Richard W. Bleecker, were sued jointly and severally for $10 million by NECA. NECA claimed that NAC and Dr. Bleecker had waged a calculated campaign to "destroy" NECA's "business potential and very existence." Between April and November, 1978, four more lawsuits were filed by NECA against other national and local organizations serving blind people: the American Foundation for the Blind, the Minneapolis Society for the Blind, the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, and the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America. The original complaint was amended to charge that a conspiracy existed among the defendants to drive NECA out of business because of a "bitter nationwide struggle" against Kenneth Jernigan, NECA's president and head of several other organizations. The terms agreed to by all parties release the defendants and the plaintiffs from all claims and counterclaims and include a provision that the defendants collectively pay a total of $10,000 to NECA. (Editorial Note: the press release fails to mention the fact that this total payment of $10,000 is in fuII settlement of five lawsuits brought for $10 million each, or an aggregate of $50 million.) Mr. Rives said: "Although NAC will pay a portion of the $10,000 as a consideration in settling this case, it is not an admission of wrongdoing." Instead, the mutual release states that the settlement is being made "in order to avoid the inconvenience and expense of further litigation ..." The National Eye Care Association opened for business in May, 1977, advertising a membership program and range of services which included an insurance policy providing a benefit of $75,000 for any member who became accidentally, totally, and irrecoverably blind in both eyes. At that time, one of NECA's four principal investors, and its president, was Kenneth Jernigan, then executive director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind and president of the National Federation of the Blind. Another principal investor and chief administrative officer of NECA was, and is, Roger Jepsen, formerly Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and presently U.S. Senator from that state. NECA's claim -- which the settlement indicates was made "in good faith" -- was that NAC and the other defendants acted "in a conspiratorial effort to commit wrongful acts, all for the express purpose of injuring" NECA. However, even before NECA opened its doors, the Des Moines Register had printed several articles raising pointed questions about the NECA operation. The Register questioned the ethics of a public official such as Kenneth Jernigan also serving as president of a profit-making venture. The following year, a committee appointed by Governor Robert Ray examined Iowa Commission practices and recommended that the Governor determine whether public officials should be barred from using their names to promote profit-making ventures. Another question concerned reservations optometrists might have about selling memberships to their patients. According to Barron's (Apr. 30, 1979), NECA hired a consulting firm to evaluate prospects for success a full year before going public. The firm reported that it was "essential that the program receive official approval of the American Optometric Association. Without the AOA's okay, the whole idea should be dropped." This approval was not forthcoming; by policy, the AOA does not endorse profit-making concerns. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * Connecticut Council Spring Convention The Holiday Inn in Meriden was the site of the 1979 spring convention of the Connecticut Council of the Blind, held in mid-May. The largest attendance in CCB history turned out for the 1:00 to 10:00 P.M. get-together. The meeting opened with a business session chaired by CCB President Gertrude Deleo. Highlights included a report by Legislative Chairman Edward LeMoine; a report from the Membership Committee, reflecting 29 new members since the fall convention; a review of plans for Civil Rights Enforcement Week, to be held in Connecticut during early June; and a discussion of the possibility of CCB hosting a national convention. Rounding out the program, three speakers and a panel addressed the convention theme, "Employment Opportunities." James Meehan, representing the local convention bureau, detailed the many steps involved in organizing a large convention, pointing out the responsibilities both of the local convention bureau and of the affiliate host committee. David Katzin, Selective Placement Officer, represented the Governor's Team to Hire the Handicapped. Mr. Katzin related the history of this committee, which had its beginnings during World War II when there was a shortage in the labor market and handicapped persons, who had previously been "hidden in the closet," were first given the opportunity to exercise their skills in industry. George Precourt, an executive from the Connecticut state agency for the blind, discussed job opportunities. He predicted that by the end of 1979, Connecticut's vending program would have 39 facilities, and he spoke very highly of Connecticut's home industries program, which he felt to be more progressive than similar programs in many other states. The formal program concluded with an employment panel moderated by Richard Hull, staff trainer with the agency serving handicapped persons other than the blind in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Panelists, all blind, were: Camille Petrecca, a counselor of the handicapped at Springfield Technical College; Kathryn Mobley, a lawyer in private practice; Ralph Adams, Senior Program Analyst at Travelers Insurance Company in Hartford, and Anna Godrie, public transcriber at MK Labs in Fairfield. Panelists described their jobs and took part in informal discussion covering such areas as individual approaches used in obtaining employment, attitudes helpful in fitting into a particular job situation, and helpful hints and on-the-job experiences. The banquet speaker was National ACB President Oral O. Miller of Washington, D.C. Mr. Miller complimented CCB on an outstanding convention program and on its legislative efforts. He detailed steps involved in hosting a national ACB convention and concluded by describing the many and varied activities of a typical convention week. As a perfect ending to a successful day, music for the evening was furnished by CCB member Burt Johnson and his orchestra. * ACB of Nebraska Second Annual Convention The American Council of the Blind of Nebraska held its second annual convention at the Holiday Inn in Omaha on June 23, 1979. The program consisted of a business meeting and speakers on a wide range of subjects. Homer Steele, immediate past president of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, spoke on the growth of vending operations and various state and Federal plans for expanding such programs. Rochelle Foley, Vice President, South Dakota Association of the Blind, described the various activities and programs being carried on by ACB's South Dakota affiliate. The noon luncheon featured an address by Senator David Newell of the Nebraska State Legislature, on how citizens can promote and guide bills through the Legislature. At the business meeting, the convention resolved to study and develop procedures to enact a "Little Randolph-Sheppard Act" for the State of Nebraska. James Faimon of Lincoln was re-elected vice president, and Jo Anne Kurisu of Lincoln was re-elected recording secretary. * Louisiana Convention The Louisiana Council of the Blind held its annual state convention at the Hilton Hotel in New Orleans, the weekend of June 8, 1979. A panel discussion was held on types of agencies for the blind throughout the country, both public and private. It was announced that funds will soon be available to provide facilities for a statewide network of the Radio for the Blind and Print Handicapped. Several resolutions were passed, one of which pertained to tactile money. Melvin Myers, from the Department of Human Development, announced that Mr. George Marzloff will be the next Director of Blind Services Program in Louisiana. He will replace Vernon J. Broussard, who is retiring after thirty years of service. In the past, Mr. Marzloff has served as assistant director. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon A meeting was held on August 21, 1979, in Washington, D.C., between organizations of disabled consumers, provider organizations, and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Chaired by Eunice Fiorito, Special Assistant to the Commissioner of RSA, the meeting opened with remarks by the new Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Patricia Roberts Harris. Mrs. Harris noted that this was the first official meeting she was attending in her new position as Secretary of HEW. The American Council of the Blind was represented at the meeting by Durward K. McDaniel, Reese Robrahn, and Kathy Megivern. The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped will hold its annual meetings November 10-11 at the Sheraton-Century Center Hotel in Oklahoma City. The annual business meeting of the corporation will be held Saturday, November 10, and the Board of Directors will meet on Sunday, November 11. Both meetings are open to the public, and all interested persons are invited to attend. — NAC has begun a two-year project to develop standards for low-vision clinic services. The work of the project is being done by a national technical committee chaired by Milton Jahoda, Executive Director, Cincinnati Association for the Blind. NAC encourages interested persons to assist by reviewing the draft standards and suggesting ways to improve them. For a copy of the review draft, to be available early in 1980, write National Accreditation Council, 79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. An Optacon with typewriter attachment, completely new, is offered for sale for $2,000. Write in braille or print to Olga Espinola, 5 Adelaide Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. -- Feel and Read, See and Read, greeting cards are available from Harry A. Fribush, Parkview Apartment 104, 400 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12204. These high-quality Christmas, birthday, sympathy, get-well, etc., cards are offered with or without Scripture verse; with name in braille free upon request. Write Mr. Fribush for full information on cards and other stationery items. -- The 1979-80 gift catalog of Mahoney's Gift House, containing over 200 items for Christmas and other occasions, is now available in braille. Send $1.00 to Mahoney's Gift House, 1285 Carriage Way North, East Lansing, Ml 48823. From Disabled USA: The Office of Personnel Management has given Federal agencies new guidelines on hiring or assigning readers or interpreters for Government employees who are blind or deaf. Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, readers or interpreters may be appointed non-competitively in the excepted service on a full-time, part-time, or intermittent basis. Agencies may still use outside sources for readers or interpreters on a volunteer basis, and may still assign readers or interpreters to employees on an "as needed" basis. -- Blind students in driver education? An Illinois school district says yes! Cook County School District 214 has successfully mainstreamed three blind teenagers in its driver education program. The students, of course, will not be drivers on the streets, but it was felt that they would benefit from the program. On the driving range, students actually experienced driving behind the wheel during individual instruction periods, to give them the feel of driving. Also taught were mechanics of driving and the importance of car care. The large-print market is expanding, reports the National Library Service News. The first edition of "Large-Type Books in Print," published in 1970, listed 1,200 entries from 44 publishers. In the 1978 third edition, 68 publishers listed 3,380 entries. Other signs of growing interest include publication of the 1978 Webster's New World Dictionary of the English Language in large print by William Collins Publishers, Inc. -- A new terminal system for two-way transmission of braille messages over public telecommunications is being tested at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. This system may be linked to conventional telephones, allowing deaf-blind persons to receive and transmit braille messages. From Talking Book Topics: The King James Version of the New Testament is now available on ten 8 rpm flexible discs. To order, send a check for $6.00 to Talking Book Publishers, P.O. Box 1653, Englewood, CO 80150. -- Blind and physically handicapped guitarists have formed a club to help each other learn more about the guitar. Members record and circulate cassette tapes with guitar questions and answers, discussions, and samples of playing styles. The club welcomes beginners serious about playing. To join, write Dr. Dallas W. Lynn, 204 S. Wilson Avenue, Dunn, NC 28334. Let's Cope, a non-profit organization operating in Dade County, Florida, is the brainchild of Dr. Eve McNanamy, a blind clinical psychologist who has maintained a busy practice in Miami since 1966. The purpose of the organization is to help ordinary people deal with the various issues that "bug" men and women in today's complex world. Gladys E. Loeb; who has been blind for the past 20 years, recently received the 1979 Volunteer Activist Award of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area for her efforts in helping individuals cope with the problems of blindness. Wife, mother, homemaker, lecturer, teacher, radio personality, volunteer worker, and inventor, Mrs. Loeb devised a marking system for food and supplies which has been widely disseminated through the cooperation of the Maryland State Vocational Rehabilitation Department and other agencies. A new college-credit correspondence course, entitled "Readings in Visual Disabilities," has been developed through the University of Florida. The text contains chapters written by many well-known authorities in work for the blind and visually impaired. For further information, contact University of Florida, Division of Continuing Education, Department of Correspondence, 2012 W. University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32603. Ross C. Purse, Managing Director of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind since 1973, was this year's recipient of the Ambrose M. Shotwell Distinguished Service Award at the convention of the American Association of Workers for the Blind in Oklahoma City in July. Mr. Purse is the fourth Canadian to receive the award, which is presented for outstanding contribution in work for the blind and prevention of blindness at home and around the world. He is a life member of the American Association of Workers for the Blind, currently chairman of the North America-Oceania Region of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, and a member of the International Association for Prevention of Blindness. Now available from United Airlines is a pamphlet entitled "Travel for the Handicapped." The pamphlet outlines United's policies and covers such topics as wheelchairs, deafness, blindness, special diet, pregnancy, therapeutic oxygen, and aero-stretcher services. To receive a copy, write Consumer Affairs Department, United Airlines, P.O. Box 66100, Chicago. IL 60666. Congressman Claude Pepper (D., FL), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Aging, and Committee member Thomas A. Luken (D., OH) recently won approval of an amendment to authorize reduced fares for senior citizens and the handicapped on railroads, according to the Committee's newsletter. This amendment to the Amtrak Reorganization Act of 1979 gives Amtrak needed authority to offer seats to the elderly and handicapped at 50% of the regular fare on a stand­by basis and at 75% of the regular fare for reserved seats. From VCVH Views and Ventures (Va.): Blind, black actor Leonard J. Watkins will play a sighted white man in the Norfolk Players Guild production of "A Man Called Peter." In fact, he will play the lead role of Peter Marshall, the Scotch Presbyterian minister who became chaplain of the U.S. Senate. Residents of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, may now take advantage of a new Grocery Delivery Service. For persons who cannot or do not wish to shop in person for whatever reason, the service will shop for groceries, deliver them to homes, and even assist in putting them away, if requested. By telephoning the service, a customer may have groceries shopped for at his or her favorite store for a charge of $3.00 on an order up to $40.00 and $1.00 for each additional $10.00 of the order. ***** ** 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, you or your attorney may wish to contact the ACB National Office. ###