The Braille Forum Vol. XVIII September, 1979 No. 3 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 Reese H. Robrahn, 7809 Bristow Drive, Annandale, VA 22003 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 from the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Civil Rights Bill Progresses, by Kathy Megivern ACB Annual Business Meeting, 1979 Report of the National Representative, Durward K. McDaniel Call to the Post -- Derbytown Convention, 1980, by Carla Franklin McDonald's Restaurants to Offer Braille Menus ACB of Ohio -- Newest State Affiliate Supreme Court Decides Weber — Refuses to Rule on Trageser, by Kathy Megivern Voiced-Indexed Cassette Cookbook -- A Historic First! For Your Information -- From the ACB Board of Publications, by Harold Dachtler, Chairman Breakthrough in Braille Production State Office Found Biased Against Women and Blacks Commission for Blind Replaces Director Early Here and There, by George Card Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Report from the ACB President Oral O. Miller At the recent ACB national convention, the membership, through Resolution 79-00, took a firm stand in opposing H.R. 3236, a bill before Congress which would, if enacted, drastically and unnecessarily reduce Social security benefits to the handicapped. That resolution was implemented almost immediately, because not only did the National Representative testify against the bill at hearings the following week, but the ACB staff delivered a copy of ACB Resolution 79-00 to every Congressman before the hearings were conducted. The impact and effectiveness of this swift, hard-hitting action was proven by a letter received a few days later from congressman Carl Perkins of Kentucky, Chairman of the influential House Committee on Education and Labor, in which he said, "I can assure you that Carl Perkins has no intention of supporting any move to cut back the levels of payments to blind and disabled individuals, as proposed in H.R. 3236." As of this date this article is being written (July 27, 1979), the bill has not yet come before the House for action, and one astute legislative observer in Washington has remarked that perhaps the opposition to the bill has "chased its supporters into the woods." If the bill is acted upon before this issue of The Braille Forum goes to press, the action taken by the House will be reported. In the August, 1979 issue of The Braille Forum, I reported the way in which the American Council of the Blind had assisted a large, county-wide school system in giving vocational advice to its handicapped students. I am pleased to report that since then, we have also given important assistance to a nearby state school for the blind by participating in a day-long program devoted to career and vocational advice to its residential students, as well as many blind students who are attending public schools in that state. We assisted by arranging a meeting for the large group with representatives of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (formerly the U.S. Civil Service Commission), who discussed employment opportunities for the handicapped with the Federal Government. After a small amount of sightseeing, the students then visited the ACB National Office, where they met the staff and heard short presentations by blind people engaged in a variety of careers. Among those who spoke to the students and then answered questions were a computer programmer, a lawyer, a secretarial transcriber, a librarian, a braille specialist, a radio announcer, and a photographer (yes, a photographer!). There was not time for presentations by blind people engaged in several other careers. Before the students and faculty members left, they were served refreshments by the ACB staff. I would like to point out that the entire program described above is just one more way in which the American Council of the Blind performs invaluable service in furthering the cause of the blind. I would like to point out also, that our organizational structure, which now includes fourteen special-interest affiliates, makes it very easy for us to obtain the advice and counsel of many blind experts in a variety of occupations and professions. During the fall of 1978, we publicized the plans of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare to create several hundred new jobs for which the blind were eligible. At that time, we urged ACB members and friends to apply if they were interested, and we provided the names and addresses of the appropriate OCR officials. Since then, we have heard about several applications that were submitted, but in order to evaluate the effectiveness of our communication and to assess the employment practices of the Office for Civil Rights, we need to know the names of others who applied, regardless whether or not they were employed. As a matter of fact, we especially need to know about people who applied and were not employed. Anyone with any information on this subject should communicate with me as soon as possible. Several months ago, we announced that the American Council of the Blind was interested in employing a Legislative Director, and, accordingly, we requested applications for the position. Since then, we have received many applications from many highly qualified people, and those applications have been examined carefully by a select advisory committee. I am pleased to announce that we have selected Reese H. Robrahn to fill the position, which, as many readers of The Braille Forum will recall, he held until September of 1978. We believe that Reese's education and experience qualify him uniquely for this position, and we are confident that he will be even more effective in the future than in the past, thanks to the employment of additional clerical and professional staff in recent months. Reese will probably have assumed his duties in the National Office by the time this issue of The Braille Forum goes to press. Although only one candidate could be selected to fill the position, some of the other candidates may be interested in other positions which ACB may establish in the future in order to provide a wider range of services to its membership. To summarize the report of ACB National Representative Durward K. McDaniel would be difficult, at best. So comprehensive a statement is it of ACB's current activities and concerns, so effective is it as a call to unity of purpose, so well does it express ACB's commitment to improving the lives of blind people, and so optimistically does it paint the future of the American Council that it is excerpted at length starting on page 12. The membership voted to accept the invitation of the Missouri Federation of the Blind to hold the 1981 national convention in St. Louis at the Chase­Park Plaza Hotel. The dates are July 4-11. The 1980 convention, hosted by the Kentucky Council of the Blind, will be held in Louisville, July 13-19. Mark your calendar ahead now and plan to attend! ***** ** Civil Rights Bill Progresses By Kathy Megivern The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources voted on August 1, 1979, to favorably report S. 446, which amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include handicapped persons as a protected class. Title VII is that portion of the Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination in employment against the enumerated protected groups. This action by the Committee clears the way for the bill to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Never before has civil rights legislation for the handicapped advanced so far in the legislative process. There were numerous last-minute efforts to amend the bill in various ways. Some Senators were disturbed because the definition of handicap (the same language which appears in Title V of the Rehabilitation Act) has been interpreted so broadly. After much political maneuvering and lively debate, it was agreed that the bill should not be amended. Instead, the committee report will contain a clear indication that it is not the intention of the Senators to include short-term disabling conditions such as a broken ankle or an intestinal infection in the definition of handicap. Another topic of extensive discussion was whether the bill should contain language requiring reasonable accommodation on the part of employers. Such language currently appears in the law as it applies to religious discrimination. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that very little accommodation is required of employers (de minimus) in this area of religious discrimination. The fear has been expressed that the Court would rule the same way in cases of handicap discrimination unless the law clearly spells out a requirement that employers must make certain reasonable accommodations. The Committee finally agreed to put all references to accommodation in the report language, where it could be explained in greater detail. Many people have been disturbed by the recent Supreme Court actions which have resulted in a very narrow interpretation of the rights available to handicapped persons under Section 504. One response to the Davis case has been to suggest amending Title V of the Rehabilitation Act to clarify the rights and remedies which should be available to handicapped individuals. A strong push was made by Senator Alan Cranston (D., GA) to add such an amendment to S. 446. While there was full agreement among committee members with the substance of Senator Cranston's amendment, most felt that such action belonged in a separate bill. It was finally agreed that the amendment would be referred to the Subcommittee on the Handicapped, since rehabilitation legislation is within their jurisdiction. The determination of Senator Harrison Williams, Chairman of the Committee, was obvious as he firmly held the line on limiting amendments. The result was a bill unencumbered by negative amendments. The American Council of the Blind, the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights have led the battle for this bill. Representatives from these and other groups met with Frank White of the Carter Administration to discuss the position to be taken by the White House. The success of this meeting was made clear in a letter dated July 31, 1979, to Senator Williams from Stuart E. Eizenstat, Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs and Policy. Text of that letter is reprinted below: Dear Senator Williams: I have followed with great interest your recent efforts to increase the equal employment protections afforded handicapped workers. Your desire to ensure that private sector employers are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of handicapping conditions comports with the policies and goals of this Administration. During the Presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter stated his support for promoting equal opportunity for the handicapped through both executive and legislative action. As your committee has heard, the Departments of Labor and Health, Education and Welfare have stepped up their efforts to protect the rights of the handicapped. Moreover, in Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978, the President transferred the responsibility for policing the obligation of Federal agencies to hire the handicapped from the Civil Service Commission to the Government's lead civil rights agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Administration is pleased to inform you of its strong support for including the handicapped under the coverage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The time has long passed when an employer should be permitted to reject a handicapped job applicant without regard to the individual's ability to perform the required task. It is appropriate that the EEOC be assigned the role of rooting out and rectifying instances of such discrimination. Moreover, we believe that employers should be required to make reasonable accommodation to the handicapping condition of an individual, unless such an accommodation presents an undue hardship to the employer's business. This proviso will ensure that employers do not mask their discrimination behind the minor expenses which may be attendant to facilitating the employment of a qualified person who happens to have a handicapping condition. The Administration attaches great importance to the adoption by the Congress of a bill embodying the two concepts that I have mentioned. We look forward to working closely with you and your committee on this matter. Please feel free to call on me or any other members of the Administration if we can be of assistance to you in the effort to ensure full citizenship to the millions of handicapped persons in this country. Sincerely, Stuart E. Eizenstat The ACB National Office has written to President Carter to express appreciation for the firm commitment from the White House. ACB members and friends are urged to communicate to the President their request for continued aggressive support for S. 446 by the Administration. They are also encouraged to contact their Senators to ask for their active support of this very important civil rights legislation. ***** ** ACB Annual Business Meeting, 1979 Fifty-six affiliates were certified by the Credentials Committee (James D. Faimon of Nebraska, Chairman) to participate and vote at the 1979 annual business meeting of the American Council of the Blind, held July 6 and 7 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Of these, five were chartered over the past year and were eligible to be seated for the first time: American Council of the Blind of Ohio, Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, Concilio de Ciegos de Puerto Rico, American Council of the Blind Parents, and World Council of Blind Lions. A number of amendments were proposed by the Constitution and By­Laws Committee, chaired by Charles Hodge of Virginia. The most significant of these are summarized here. The Committee requested, however, that the Constitution and By-Laws be updated and that copies be made available in braille and other suitable media. An amendment was proposed to Article I of the Constitution changing the name of the American Council of the Blind, Inc., to "American Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc." This proposal was referred to the affiliates for discussion and consideration, with the suggestion that The Braille Forum be requested to publish articles both pro and con, and action was deferred until the 1980 convention. Article IV -- Officers, was amended to abolish the office of Second Vice President, to extend the term of the current officers (including the incumbent Second Vice President) through 1981, and to increase the number of directors from eight to ten. Thus, election of officers, including the immediate past president, would take place in odd-numbered years; directors (who serve a term of four years) would be elected in two classes of five each in even-numbered years. By-Law IV -- Duties of Officers, was amended to provide for appointment by the ACB President of a qualified parliamentarian to serve at annual conventions. By-Law VI -- Standing Committees: A new Section E. was added, establishing the Constitution and By-Laws as a standing committee. The 24 resolutions considered and acted upon by the convention were reported at length in the August issue of The Braille Forum. A dramatic change in ACB's financial picture over the past year was reflected in the report of Treasurer James Olsen. "We're using a lot of black ink," he reported. "We got rid of all the red!" This came about in large measure as a direct result of formation of ACB Enterprises and Services and their acquisition and management, as of October 1, 1978, of the Thrift Stores. As a result of this improved financial picture, the Board of Directors, as has been reported in The Braille Forum, approved the hiring of additional staff which was much needed in the National Office. In addition, in recognition of the important role of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America and the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, the Board authorized a contribution of $1,000 in support of the work of each of these organizations. For the first time, accommodating the needs of a Board of Directors composed almost entirely of blind persons, the certified audit report of Price Waterhouse Co. for 1978 was provided in braille. Development of the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services, Inc., and in particular its function as manager of the Thrift Store operations, was detailed by Vice Chairman Grant Mack of Utah, in the absence of Chairman Ray Kempf of Minnesota. Increased public relations efforts should result in expanded income from existing Thrift Stores and from anticipated new stores. "You would be proud of these Thrift Stores," he remarked in conclusions. "They are a great image-producer for ACB. ... We run a legitimate business. We perform a great public service in these stores by bringing used merchandise into the hands of people at very low cost. It beats the tar out of a lot of other fund-raising projects, and I would ask that you continue to support this program." Dr. Robert T. McLean, Chairperson of the Affiliated Leadership League and Second Vice President of the American Council, reviewed the history, structure, and purposes of ALL, now some 56 organizations strong. Among issues of current concern, he cited specifically the concept of minimum compensation for all sheltered workshop operations, unionization of workshops, credibility and ethics in fund-raising, and commitment to the concept of accreditation. He stated further: "We are challenging you, as consumers, to look over the boards of directors of your favorite agencies and find out how you can get consumer members on those boards of directors. Further than that, a lighthouse or a state agency or a private type of agency -- we would like to see qualified blind and visually impaired individuals in middle and upper management levels of those organizations, as well as on the boards of directors. We are pushing hard for this." The lateness in mailing pre-registration convention packets elicited much discussion and concern among those present. The primary cause cited by President Oral O. Miller, not only this year but for the past several years, was the default of some special-interest organizations in submitting conference requirements and program details to the host committee. "It is absolutely essential, essential, essential," he emphasized, "for special-interest affiliates to respond promptly, promptly, promptly! ... It has been a headache for everyone for the last several years, and it has been an obstacle to the early mailing of the packets. ... Each year, the host committee, and then the National Office, must extract this information from people who have not sent it in." The 1980 Convention Host Committee has already sent letters to special-interest affiliates. Anyone who is planning a conference, seminar, or workshop of any kind must contact the National Office or the 1980 Host Committee early. President Miller also indicated that the ACB Board of Directors is initiating steps to update and improve the mailing list system and to eliminate the many duplications and errors which recur from year to year. Reese Robrahn, Secretary of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, reported on that organization's recent growth and activity. ACCD has grown to some 83 members, comprising national, state, and local coalitions and organizations of handicapped persons. From the outset ACB has been very active and currently has three representatives on the Coalition's 14-member Board of Directors. In addition to Mr. Robrahn, at the ACCD fifth annual Delegate Assembly, held May 17-20 in Texas, Pat Pound of Texas and ACB National Representative Durward McDaniel were elected to the Board. Main issues at this year's Delegate Assembly included consideration of action to be taken as the result of failure of any manufacturer to bid on production of transbuses, and resolutions having to do with the failure of implementation of various sections of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act and the slowness of Governmental departments and agencies (other than the Department of Health, Education and Welfare) in getting out Section 504 requirements. With membership steadily increasing, ACCD recently added two new staff positions and moved into larger quarters. Mr. Robrahn urged ACB affiliates to explore the possibility of becoming active in state and local coalitions, where such organizations now exist; or if there is none, to become involved in creating such a coalition. For information and/or guidance, write American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, 1200 15th Street, N.W., Suite 201, Washington, DC 20005. Mr. Robrahn also reported briefly upon the success of the Section 504 Workshop which he conducted earlier in the week. An enrollment of forty to fifty had been anticipated; nearly 60 were in attendance. The aims of the workshop were: (1) to familiarize participants with the Section 504 regulations to the point where, when an issue is raised, they are sufficiently familiar with the regulations to be able to find appropriate sections dealing with that issue; and (2) to teach participants to be good neighbors. A repeated criticism of the one-day workshop was that it was not long enough. Hopefully, next year a two-day seminar can be arranged. A brief report on the Helen Keller International Congress — what it is and what ACB's involvement is going to be -- was made by Phyllis Mitchell, President of the Bay State Council of the Blind and ACB's representative on the planning committee. The Congress will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, June 23-27, 1980. Co-sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind and the Affiliated Leadership League, the Congress is being supported by and participated in by numerous agencies and organizations of and for the blind and deaf-blind, both national and international, many of whom are holding concurrent meetings that same week. Helen Keller Centennial sessions will be held each morning, with afternoons available for separate meetings of the cooperating organizations. Topics to be covered in the morning sessions are: "The Early Years," "The Working Years," "The Later Years," and "Human Rights, Privileges and Responsibilities." Ms. Mitchell stressed the importance of ACB being in the forefront of this Congress, since it is very important that blind people be represented, and no other blind consumer organization has agreed to take part. In view of the growing involvement of the blind in politics and the fact that 1980 is an election year, and since this Congress is attracting much national attention, the American Council of the Blind and the Bay State Council plan to invite as many Presidential candidates as possible to a special Friday afternoon session, as a logical followup to the morning session on human rights. Watch The Braille Forum for more details as plans develop. In his brief report to the membership, ACB President Oral Miller described his first year in office as "an interesting, busy, productive, and challenging one." Specifically, he cited the challenge of overseeing the establishment of ACB Enterprises and Services and the transition of Thrift Store management to that corporation. Through monthly reports in The Braille Forum and through issuance of several "Action Memo" cassettes to affiliate presidents and others, he has made an effort to keep members better informed of the programs and accomplishments of the American Council. Concerning the presidential reception held on Capitol Hill in late January, he said: "We were very pleased at the response of you, the affiliates, in urging your Congressional delegations to attend, and in many, many cases, your great support in providing tickets for your Congressional delegations. Believe me, that puts the pressure on them, and that's the kind of consumer action that they cannot ignore. ... The reception was a real success in every way. It gave us a good opportunity to meet the members of Congress; it gave them an opportunity to meet us, to get to know who we are." He went on: "The financial conditions of the American Council has stabilized ... it's not where we want it to be, but it is certainly improving. Now that the condition has stabilized, and now that we are expanding staff we are looking forward to providing more services to you, the members, and to being even more effective as an advocate for the blind." Among expanded services, he referred specifically to plans for more membership training seminars such as the Section 504 workshop. The Board of Directors has already approved the concept of regional training workshops or conferences for the purpose of teaching leadership and advocacy skills conducted by ACB, in conjunction, where possible, with local affiliates. ***** ** Report of the National Representative Durward K. McDaniel ... On the legislative front this year, things have happened rather furiously. We have had the advantage of a volunteer -- namely, Kathleen Megivern -- who as of the first of June came to work for ACB full-time, and for money this time, as a staff attorney. So you not only hear her as the voice of The Braille Forum but you'll hear of her in many other ways in her new capacity. It has made a lot of difference. As you know, I think, the Board has decided that we are able to fill the legislative position which has been vacant since Reese Robrahn left last fall to take another job. I do hope that will be filled soon, because, believe me, the demands of the Congress and all the work that they generate for those of us who are there to try to represent the interests of blind people are greater than all of us together can cope with. We'll cope very much better when we get more fully staffed, and you'll be hearing more from us, too, because we'll be better organized in ways of referring to the constituency and the Council. That reference and your action are very, very important. ... I want to touch, by way of summary, on the fact that we have been very active on Social Security legislation, both Title II and Title XVI, Title XVI being the Supplemental Security Income program. One of the things we have given special emphasis is raising the exempt earnings under Title XVI and also special emphasis to extending Title XVI to blind people -- particularly blind people, but other eligible people -- in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. SSI does not apply to those people. Most of them are citizens of the United States, and yet they aren't treated like citizens. Commonwealth status in Puerto Rico gives them a special status and some special advantage, but more particularly some special disadvantage. And for those 172 members of ours in Puerto Rico, we owe them some support and help in trying to get that done. The Department of Education bill, which the Administration is very keen about, has been very controversial. There have been some adverse amendments tacked on in the House of Representatives, and I guess it's very speculative about what the future of that bill is. Some of the worst amendments have been coped with; some others have not. It's important to us because the Rehabilitation Services Administration is part of that bill, and if the Department of Education is ever passed, that's where RSA will be, and the vending facility program and others that pertain directly to employment. Very extensive and very concentrated oversight hearings were held on April 30 on the vending facility program, and that continues to be a problem area that the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors and ACB are working on. We are still prosecuting a lawsuit in the Court of Appeals; both organizations are. We had oral argument on it last month and we haven't heard yet whether we have won or lost at that level. Appropriations have been very problemsome. The Administration and Congress are very conservative with the money. I think we need to be realistic about where we stand with Congress and with the Administration, particularly at the Secretary of HEW level in Washington. It's just a simple matter of dollars and cents that rehabilitation funding has not kept pace with the demands of the program or in comparison to other programs that have grown dollar-wise. I think we need in the near future to undertake to do a thorough-going assessment of what's wrong with us or what's wrong with rehabilitation, because we obviously have lost a large amount of credibility; it wouldn't be so difficult to get the kind of money or to keep up with the demands of the rehabilitation program. We're all sold on rehabilitation. We all know it's desirable. But, somehow, we're not convincing; we're not convincing Congress. If the old system needs changing, I would like to see the Council reach an assessment and take the lead in whatever changes may be necessary to restore that credibility and to provide more nearly adequate rehabilitation for blind and handicapped people in this country. Over the years, I have gotten very much involved in activities of many organizations within and without ACB. As I look back on eleven years, I at this point divide it into two and a half portions. The first half of that time since we opened the office in Washington, I think the trend was to establish the special-interest approach. As you know, we now have fourteen special-interest national affiliates of ACB. That has been a very interesting and rewarding development. One of the obvious facts, I think, is that we have made extraordinary progress, not without difficulty, in assisting these groups to form. I think now the next phase must be that ACB needs to have a well-planned cooperative development and consolidation program with these organizations to help them be more effective -- not to dominate them, not to run them. They have shown that they can run their own organizations, but they have not reached their potential in any case, and ACB is coming into an era when it can be of direct service to these special-interest affiliates. I do believe that the rewards to the people within those special fields and to blind people generally will be much enhanced with Phase II of special-interest national affiliates in ACB. That's something that we'll be talking about in Board meetings and future conventions. I do hope that within a year we will come back with a well-made plan to consolidate and help expand the activities and scope of the special-interest affiliates of ACB. I do hope, also, and recognize the need for greater service to the general membership state organizations within ACB. It's a well-known fact that some of our affiliates are struggling a bit. I don't believe in exaggerating or glossing over. Some of our affiliates need help. During the past few years, we haven't been able to give the degree of help that they needed, and I do hope that we will solve that problem, that lack, because our general membership state affiliates also have a great potential which has not fully been realized. Phase Two of this period, I think, has to come under the heading of coalition. It was increasingly obvious that a single national organization, however well led, however well motivated, however progressive, did not have enough influence by itself to do for the blind population what we fully recognized the need to be. … You are wondering, probably, why I said two and a half. The reason I said one-half at the end of that was that I look upon the growing involvement in consumer organizations in concerns with who represents us in government as the newest phase of consumerism, consumer action. ACB is a 501C(3), non-profit corporation, and we must at all times, to preserve that status, follow the law which would prohibit our ever endorsing candidates. On the other hand, we are concerned about participation of blind people in the democratic process, and I think we have to recognize that the reputation of blind and other handicapped people in that process is a rather weak one. We have not convinced the elected officials, in most cases, that we vote in the same numbers and percentages as other people. We are not recognized as a well-organized, get-out-the-vote kind of organization. That, I think, is a reputation that we have to change -- not by coming out for Joe Dokes for Congress, but by getting our constituency to register, to be informed, and to vote. We, as blind people, are not as numerous as others, but in coalition with other handicapped people, we can be effective. I take some pride in the fact that in all of these coalitions that we speak of, ACB has, in its appropriate way, been a leading factor in their formation and in their progress. One of the newest of these is an organization being formed called the League of Disabled Voters (see "League of Disabled Voters Formed," The Braille Forum, June, 1979). As of this time, and probably for the future, it is not a coalition of organizations; it is not one that ACB could join. It is intended to be an organization of individuals. I didn't intend to be on its temporary board of directors, but I went to the first meeting it had and, as chance would have it, I ended up on their By-Laws Committee and on their Board of Directors. ... Of the various other organizations, I am still on the Executive Committee of the Association of Radio Reading Services; I am still on the ALL Board; now on the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities Board. It's always a struggle to stay informed on so many different subjects, but I do believe that those activities reflect credit upon ACB. ... (Mr. McDaniel next commented at some length upon his participation on the review panel for the establishment of the first Research and Training Center for Blindness and Severe Visual Disability, which was reported on at length in the July issue of The Braille Forum, and on civil rights legislation, and in particular S. 446, the Equal Employment Opportunities for the Handicapped Act of 1979, an update on which appears elsewhere in this issue.) I look upon the era of coalition as one of the major achievements in which ACB was a major factor. But we absolutely must multiply our influence in order to adequately represent the interests of blind people in this country. It isn't a true conclusion that because we were better organized earlier than some other handicapped groups, we or they are going to retain or advance in the programs that we need very much. The Social Security amendments that Wilbur Cohen talked about show us clearly that we are not beyond reach of reactionary and regressive legislation. What we have, we could lose. I don't intend to be paranoid about it. I just intend to be positive and prepared to cope with that, and in so doing, we need coalition. We need the strength that multiplication can give us. I know that you were all pleased with Jim Olsen's very upbeat report, which is based on solid facts. I submit to you that this is a time for optimism, for progressive planning, and for even harder work than we have done before. I submit to you one other thing, and this is not a prediction -- I'm always tempted to predict, but this not one. But the organized blind movement, as some people like to call organized activities in this field, is undergoing a profound change in this country. The profound change finds ACB rising to the forefront and becoming the focal point of a unification of more blind people than we ever had before. I think that the opportunity is here, if we can deal with it intelligently and in a progressive and conciliatory way, to come into the 1980 convention of ACB with perhaps as many applications for affiliation as we had this time. I hope that in looking toward the strengthening and the unification of what we're all about, that we can have the wisdom at the right time and the will to bring people together in the greatest organization the blind that we find ourselves in. I want you to know I'm proud to be associated with you, and I want your help on this front, too. We can't afford to be so divided. We need unity -- not that we all have to agree on everything. We don't intend ever to be a monolith, I think. But we need strength, and we need that unity of effort. I think it's been a great year. It's going to be a greater year. I commend you for all that you've done and all that you've helped do. ***** ** Call to the Post -- Derbytown Convention, 1980 By Carla Franklin Louisville, Kentucky, is the home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby, and it's also the site that you have chosen for the 1980 convention of the American Council of the Blind. The Kentucky Council of the Blind would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about Louisville and the plans that are already under way to make the 1980 ACB convention the biggest and best ever. Louisville is located on the historic Ohio River, and it has a lot to offer ACBers. Are you interested in: Horses? Racing? Louisville has two major race tracks: Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby and some of the best thoroughbred racing in the world; and Louisville Downs, where harness racing and good food abound. And of course there is the Churchill Downs Museum, too. Steamboats? The Belle of Louisville, a sternwheeler from bygone days, cruises the Ohio afternoon and night. It docks less than a block from the convention hotel, and the calliope will entertain you every day. A steamboat museum just across the river in Indiana offers lots of information about river lore and the boats that once ruled America's waterways. The American Printing House for the Blind? It's here, with tours available just a few minutes from the convention hotel. The arts? There is the Louisville Orchestra, the Louisville Ballet, the Kentucky Opera Association, Actor's Theater, Derby Dinner Playhouse -- just to mention a few points of entertainment and interest. Night life? There are a number of excellent clubs close to the hotel, and you will have no difficulty finding outstanding live entertainment, no matter what your taste in popular music. Parks? Museums? Visit the Louisville Zoo, or one of our beautiful open-air parks. Tour the Museum of Natural History (just down the street from the hotel), or see the trains the way they used to be at the Kentucky Railway Museum. Visit Farmington, where Thomas Jefferson once lived, and famous Bakery Square, where handcrafted items of every description are on display and for sale. Good food? Louisville has an abundance of fine restaurants, many within walking distance of the convention hotel. Remember that great food is a Kentucky tradition. Hotel facilities? The Galt House in the heart of downtown Derbytown, overlooks the Ohio River. This 25-story hotel was built in the early 1970s. It's fully air-conditioned, and all sleeping rooms, meeting and registration areas, elevators, restaurants, and lobbies are accessible to wheelchairs. The hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool, spacious meeting and banquet rooms, a ballroom that seats 2,400 people, and convenient lobby and registration areas. Ice and soft drink machines are found on every floor. Accessibility of Louisville to other cities? Louisville is served by both Trailways and Greyhound bus lines, and both stations are close to the hotel. Airlines serving Louisville include Allegheny, American, Delta, Eastern, Ozark, Piedmont, and TWA. Or, you can get to Louisville by automobile on Interstates 64, 65, 71, and 264. In the coming months, we'll be telling you more about Louisville and giving you details about 1980 Convention Week. For now, it's THE CALL TO THE POST! Plan to take your 1980 vacation during the week of July 13-19, and spend it with us at the "Derbytown Convention." ***** ** McDonald's Restaurants to Offer Braille Menus Thanks to a joint project of the American Council of the Blind and McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's is providing its more than 4,600 franchised and company-owned restaurants across the country with braille and large-print menus. In announcing the menus, representatives of McDonald's presented President Oral O. Miller with a bronzed first edition of the braille menu at ACB's recent national convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In making the presentation, a McDonald's spokesman stated: "It's a pleasure for me and all of us at McDonald's to be part of this great ACB convention. And it's a little bit of an awesome responsibility, also. In one way or another, every one of you here is an expert in blindness. We at McDonald's, like most people in business, are not. But over the last few months, in our dealings with the American Council of the Blind in Washington and the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, we think we've come a long way in beginning to understand some of the needs of our blind customers." How was the idea born? Linda Jaworski, McDonald's Store Marketing Coordinator in Detroit explains: "A woman named Jenny Smith, who holds the same position I do in the Rochester, New York area, saw and met one of these special needs last year on a strictly local basis. Working with the Association for the Blind in Rochester, Jenny developed with them brail le menus for the local McDonald's restaurants. They were a big hit, and Jenny sent us all of the information. As we did some follow-up investigation, we also found that our New York City McDonald's restaurants were going ahead with a similar program, and then we heard about braille menus in development in California. From all these local situations, McDonald's people around the country got the word, the people in Oakbrook, Illinois, our headquarters, began to get excited, and we decided to produce the (braille) menus and the large-print menus and put them into the entire system ...." " ... (T)he placement of these men us in our restaurants will go a long way in sensitizing our store managers, our young crew people, and others about the special needs of our blind and visually impaired customers. We think, too, that the menu will spark lots of new ideas among our restaurant staff people on how to get more involved with you and your organization at the local level. As a matter of fact, each restaurant has received a list of ACB affiliated organizations and may well be calling on some of you to consider various programs that can be run by both you and McDonald's jointly." Commenting on the project in a recent ACB News Service release, President Oral Miller stated: "McDonald's actions represent a business that is willing to make its facilities more accessible to the handicapped. They realize that the visually impaired are customers who will appreciate this service. If more American businesses are this perceptive, the tens of millions of handicapped in this country will find life a lot simpler. "McDonald's leadership in this program is an example of how American retail businesses can meet the needs of handicapped customers." ***** ** ACB of Ohio -- Newest State Affiliate One of the five affiliates to receive charters at the ACB national convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the American Council of the Blind of Ohio. That this is certain to become a very large and very active organization is evident from the fact that its dues-paying membership of 88 at the initial organizing meeting on June 23 in Columbus had grown by mid-July to over 100. At the organizational meeting, the following officers and directors were elected: Dr. Dessie Page of Columbus; Vice President, Mitchell Darling of Cleveland; Secretary, Harriet Watson of Columbus; Treasurer, James Green of Cleveland; Directors-at-Large -- Charlotte Vaughn of Xenia, Linwood Walker of Columbus, and Kenneth Boger of Canton. Tentatively, a statewide convention was scheduled for sometime this fall. Among immediate concerns were publication of a newsletter and informing blind Ohioans about the goals and plans of their new ACB affiliate. Take note of the name: ACB of Ohio! You'll be reading it more and more in the months ahead. ***** ** Supreme Court Decides Weber -- Refuses to Rule on Trageser By Kathy Megivern On June 27, 1979, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of United Steel Workers of America v. Weber. The Weber case was to employment what Bakke was to education -- a suit brought by a white man charging "reverse discrimination." Brian Weber is an employee of Kaiser Aluminum who sought entry into an apprenticeship training program. He was refused admission, even though he had more seniority than the most junior black employee who was selected. Kaiser had entered into a voluntary affirmative action plan in 197 4 in order to eliminate conspicuous racial imbalances in their almost exclusively white craft work forces. The plan provided that 50 percent of the openings in the in-plant craft training programs would be reserved for black employees until the percentage of black craft workers in the plant was commensurate with the percentage of blacks in the local labor force. Weber sued on the basis of Title VII, which makes it unlawful to "discriminate ... because of ... race" in hiring and in the selection of apprentices for training programs. The Court held that Title Vll's prohibition against racial discrimination does not condemn all private, voluntary race-conscious affirmative action plans. A vigorous dissent was filed by Justice Rehnquist, joined by Justice Burger. The case is of interest to proponents of civil rights for the handicapped for several reasons. If the Court had found this affirmative action plan illegal, it would have been a severe blow to all such plans under Title VII, at a time when there is much activity aimed at including the handicapped as one of the classes protected by that civil rights legislation. The Weber opinion is also an interesting study in how very differently the Court approaches a case which it recognizes as involving basic civil rights. In the Davis case (reported in the July issue of The Braille Forum), the Court clearly had no understanding that it was dealing with a civil rights movement; no perception of Section 504 as a civil rights statute. Therefore the Justices were unwilling to look beyond the exact wording of 504; unable to see any implication of affirmative efforts to undo the effects of discrimination. Thus, they were able to look beyond the wording of Title VII. "It is a 'familiar rule that a thing may be within the letter of the statute and yet not within the statute, because not within its spirit, nor within the intention of its makers.'" The second action by the Supreme Court, which was billed by the media as yet another blow to the handicapped was really not an action at all. The Court denied certiorari in the case of Trageser v. Libbie Rehabilitation Center. This means simply that the Court refused to review the decision of the lower court. It is not an affirmation of the Fourth Circuit decision, but it does allow that decision to stand at least within the Fourth Circuit. Novella Trageser's eyesight had been failing as a result of retinitis pigmentosa. When she learned she was to be fired because of her vision loss, she resigned and brought a discrimination suit under Section 504. The fourth Circuit ruled that there was no right under 504 to sue a private employer receiving Federal financial assistance unless "a primary objective of the Federal financial assistance is to provide employment." (This was not the case with Trageser's employer.) While it would have been desirable to have a Supreme Court decision overturning this lower court ruling, if the Supreme Court had agreed to review the case, it might very well have affirmed the decision and left no discretion whatsoever to other Circuit Courts, who can presently choose not to follow the Fourth Circuit ruling in Trageser. ***** ** Voice-Indexed Cassette Cookbook -- A Historic First! The Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association (VISTA), an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, announces the availability of the first voice-indexed cassette cookbook ever produced. This two-cassette edition consists of Part I and II of "Coffee Klatch Nibbles," a cookbook containing over one hundred recipes, including casseroles, salads, breads, snacks, vegetables, main dishes, and desserts, collected by VISTA members. The cassettes are designed for use on special four-track players such as the National Library Service's Talking Cassette or the APH-GE player. The name of the individual recipe is clearly heard and understood when the player is in the Fast Forward position on Tracks 3 and 4. Just as soon as the name of the desired recipe is heard, the player is immediately stopped. Track 1 or Track 2 is then selected and the Play key is depressed. The name of the recipe is heard again, followed by the ingredients and preparation instructions. This is equivalent to scanning a Table of Contents and is a very new and exciting concept, for it makes taped material readily accessible. This cookbook will be an important addition to a library's or an individual's collection; will make a unique and practical gift; and will be an important tool in rehabilitation centers for use in teaching activities of daily living. This V-Dex (TM) two-cassette edition, read and voice-indexed by James G. Chandler, may be purchased at $6.50 per set from Pat Price, 337 S. Sherman Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46201. Checks should be made payable to V.I.S.T.A. ***** ** For Your Information -- From the ACB Board of Publications Harold Dachtler, Chairman Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 1, 1979, the ACB Board of Publications discussed and acted upon a number of matters which will be of interest to readers of The Braille Forum and to members and friends of the American Council of the Blind. In conjunction with the 1980 national convention of ACB, to be held next July in Louisville, Kentucky, the Board of Publications plans to conduct a workshop for those involved in publishing affiliate or special-interest newsletters. The workshop is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday afternoon of Convention Week. Such a workshop can be easier for the Publications Board to plan and of greater benefit to participants if you will tell us what areas you would like to have included. For example, you might wish us to consider such topics as writing, editing, content, production, cost, and distribution. Please let us know. Chairperson for the workshop is Judy Pool, 3101 N. Virginia, Oklahoma City, OK 73118. Since the time it was first published in 1962, the large-type edition of The Braille Forum has been distributed by the Oklahoma League for the Blind. In the past few years, the actual printing, too, has been done by the Oklahoma League. Expansion from bi-monthly to monthly publication in 1977 and increased circulation due to recent rapid growth in ACB membership and in the stature of The Braille Forum among blind people generally have placed ever greater demands upon OLB, which is not really equipped or staffed for so large a printing operation. It is with great pleasure, therefore, that we announce that, beginning with this issue, production and distribution of the large-type edition is being assumed by the National Braille Press of Boston, Massachusetts. Publicly, the Board of Publications wishes to thank the Oklahoma League for the Blind for its invaluable support over the past years. Have you considered receiving The Braille Forum either on cassette or flexible disc? These recorded editions are convenient and practical and much less expensive to produce than either the braille or large-type editions. It costs about $.82 per copy for the braille editor and about $.50 per copy for the large-type edition. Cost of the cassette edition is minimal -- basically the cost of two cassettes and mailers set up for each new reader. These must be returned for use in future issues. The cost to produce the flexible disc is about $.35 per copy. If you would find one of the recorded editions practical, please notify The Braille Forum Editor at 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, New York 14620. When your affiliate publication acquires a new editor or has a change of address, please send this information to The Braille Forum Editor. From time to time, the affiliate publications directory is updated and made available to readers. Your cooperation is requested. It is important to keep mailing lists as up-to-date as possible. If you are receiving duplicates or editions you do not read, or if you have a change of address, please notify the Editor. It is helpful to have your old address as well as the new, and also an indication of which edition you receive. As your affiliate or chapter acquires new members, it is important that their names, addresses, and the edition which they prefer be sent to The Braille Forum Editor. Many persons assume that they will receive The Braille Forum automatically upon becoming a member of ACB. However, this cannot be done unless your affiliate or chapter delegates someone to forward the necessary information. The first day of the month is always the deadline for receiving material for the following month's magazine. It is difficult to produce any publication if contributors do not adhere to established deadlines. May we encourage you to submit summaries of your state conventions immediately following the convention? What you did at your convention may be of interest to others who are planning for their own convention and looking for new ideas for affiliate activities. Generally speaking, too much detail in such reports is better than too little. Give the Editor plenty of material so that the length of your convention report can be adjusted to fit available space. The Braille Forum is your voice. What is said depends so much upon what you provide to be said. May we hear from you? ***** ** Breakthrough In Braille Production (Reprinted from National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped News, May-June, 1979) National Braille Press (NBP) in Boston has produced the April issue of National Geographic in a way that may foster braille printing. They used compositor tapes, the storage medium that drives phototypesetting equipment for print materials, to operate braille presses automatically. This technique eliminates the time-consuming task of manual stereographing. "We want to be able to provide weekly magazines to braille readers at the same time print editions reach print readers," says Henry Paris, Assistant Chief for Materials Development. Jeff Matherly at NBP estimates that after a few more bugs are worked out of the system, the compositor tapes will produce the magazine in one-fifth the time required with traditional methods. The tape-produced version will also be cheaper and more accurate. Last summer when the project began, printing industry representatives were contacted to determine the state of photocomposition in the United States. Findings indicated that sufficient magazines are produced from photocomposition tapes to justify development of a computer system to interface with braille plate embossing devices. Editorial accuracy of the tapes is dependable, and these tapes can interface with braille production equipment. Publishers also said the number of books printed using the tapes may grow from the present 20% to 80% within five years. The primary goal of this project is to provide readers with braille versions nearer to the time the print version is published. "The April issue came out a month after the print version," says Mr. Matherly. "But within a few months, we'll be ready with the braille and waiting for the print to be published." Another goal is to reduce the amount of manual intervention required in this automatic process. Forty percent manual intervention was necessary for the first issue. "The experience of the next few issues and subsequent refinement of the computer system should bring this figure to about 5%. But the system will never be fully automatic," says Mr. Matherly. The National Library Service hopes to use compositor tapes to produce braille editions of other magazines, and perhaps eventually of books. "Although different braille computer codes will have to be developed for each publisher's tapes," says Mr. Paris, "this becomes less of a problem as the NBP computer program becomes more sophisticated." Mr. Paris also noted that NLS is planning for the day when the compositor tape information is transmitted via satellite and telephone lines to braille printers, as it is now to traditional printers. ***** ** State Office Found Biased Against Women and Blacks (Reprinted from The Arkansas Gazette, Thursday, April 5, 1979) Federal Judge Gerald W. Heaney ruled Wednesday that the (Arkansas) State Office for the Blind and Visually impaired had discriminated against blacks and women and ordered the State to make restitution to employees and job applicants who were victims of the agency's discriminatory practices from 1972 to the present. After hearing six days of testimony in a class action suit brought by Mrs. Florence Bernita Smith, a black former employee, Judge Heaney said he was convinced that the agency had rejected job applicants because of their race and sex and had failed to promote qualified blacks and women on its staff. The agency also has provided better pay and in-service training for white males than for blacks and women and has tended to lay off women when staff reductions were needed, he said. In a ruling from the bench Wednesday morning, Judge Heaney placed much of the blame for the discriminatory practices on the State Human Services Department and its Division of Rehabilitative Services, the agencies that oversee the Office for the Blind. Russell Baxter, the Rehabilitative Services commissioner, and David B. Ray, the former Human Services director, were defendants in the suit, along with Louis H. Rieves (sic), Jr., director of the Office of the Blind, and his predecessor, Harry Vines. All three agencies have had affirmative action programs for several years, but the programs haven't been followed and few blacks and women hold high level jobs, Judge Heaney said. He ordered the agencies to implement new programs for recruitment, training, and promotion of blacks and women. He said there was also evidence that the Office for the Blind had discriminated against black and female blind persons who were trained to work at concession stands operated by the agency. White males generally are assigned to the better located concession stands, he said. The blind persons weren't parties to the lawsuit, so they are not eligible to collect money from the State. However, Judge Heaney ordered the Office for the Blind to hire a black or a woman as a supervisor in the section where concession stand assignments are made. The staff in that section now is all white and all male. Judge Heaney identified only three persons who definitely will receive money from the State. ... One of the three who definitely will receive restitution is Mrs. Smith, a former employee in the Office for the Blind who has a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. She has complained in the lawsuit that she was hired in 1974 as a case worker, although she had a Master's degree, and white males with similar training generally were hired as counselors, a better paying job. She later was promoted to counselor after she complained about the inequity. Mrs. Smith also contended that she was discharged in January, 1975, because she filed a discrimination charge with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The charge stemmed from a dispute with her secretary, who was white. Mrs. Smith said her supervisors had sided with the white woman. Judge Heaney found that Mrs. Smith's "educational qualifications, her experience, the job that she did with her first supervisor were such that she would not have been discharged if she were not a black woman who filed a complaint with the EEOC." He ordered that Mrs. Smith be reinstated the first time a counselor position became available in the Office for the Blind or elsewhere in the Human Services Department. She also is to receive back pay equaling the difference between her actual earnings since her discharge and what she would have earned if she had stayed with the agency. ... ***** ** Commission for Blind Replaces Director Early Austin -- Associated Press: The (Texas) State Commission for the Blind named a new executive director Monday (June 25) to replace Burt Risley, almost eight months before Risley planned to leave the payroll. The commissioners unanimously named Evans Wentz, Executive Director of the Governor's Committee on Aging, to replace Risley, after a three-hour executive session. The outgoing director announced June 8 he would retire early for health reasons, following release of a highly critical state auditor's report on commission financing. Risley planned to use up accrued vacation and sick leave before his retirement became effective February 6, 1980. He would still be drawing a salary of over $3,000 a month. However, the board voted to terminate Risley effective Monday. "There is an urgent need to have a full-time director," commission chairman Charles Sapp of Houston said. He also said the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, which provides most commission funding, also wanted Risley's successor named immediately. Colin Carr, commission attorney, said the board's action meant Risley would not receive all the sick leave he claimed, but would be paid a lump sum for vacation time. ... HEW auditors have begun investigating commission records. The Travis County District Attorney's Office also is looking at commission transactions. Although Risley was legally blind, he was accused by some blind organizations of being unresponsive to blind Texans' needs. His sighted replacement is criticized as "a political appointment" by Texas officers of the National Federation for (sic) the blind. "I consider this to be truly and totally a political appointment," said Larry Streeter, Texas vice president of the National Federation for the Blind. "He has no background, no experience in programs with the blind." ***** ** Here and There By George Card The AFB Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness reports that, through a generous gift by the Provincial Government to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the blind of British Columbia are now able to borrow from a veritable treasure trove of equipment for use at home and in school. Twenty Optacons are available, 80 talking calculators, a large number of tape recorders, and many other items which a great many blind people could not afford to buy for themselves. When Jim Olsen came as the delegate from Minnesota to his first ACB convention, I predicted in this column that we had acquired a real blue-ribbon winner and that he would certainly be heard from. At Grand Rapids, he read his first annual report as treasurer. He gave this report in a ringing voice, with justifiable pride. He called it a "black ink" report, and it was certainly that. In addition to his duties as treasurer, he has become executive director of ACB Enterprises and Services, the subsidiary corporation which now manages the Thrift Stores program which has become so vital to our financial welfare. Quoting from the current issue of the Illinois Braille Messenger: "On February 22, 1979, the Illinois Governor issued an executive order transferring the administration and operation of the Illinois Children's Hospital, the Illinois Visually Handicapped Institution, the Community Services Program for the Visually Impaired, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, and Illinois School for the Deaf from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation." Telescoping fiberglass canes are being made in California. The tapered cane is made in six sections. When the cane is extended and given a gentle pull, the sections tighten and hold their extended position. A slight tap on the end will break the seal and the cane will close. The canes are light and easy to carry and cost $11.00. Repairs are available. For further information contact Walter L. Crandell, 7593 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, CA 94952. From Parade: Philips, the Dutch conglomerate, introduced a new record player which has no needle. Instead of the traditional stylus, it features a tiny laser beam directed on to a miniature polyvinyl disc. Philips claims it produces a better quality of sound than any other record player on the market and plans to retail it in the early 1980s. From the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind Newsletter: Blinding malnutrition can be seen as a phenomenon which occurs during a particular phase of national development, when a country has the resources to control the general level of child mortality, but has not yet developed a sufficient medical and social infrastructure to control specialized aspects such as blindness. This is precisely the development stage through which many of the mass population countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America are now passing, and for this reason we believe that blinding malnutrition has not yet by any means reached its peak, although the known figures are already startling From the Associated Press: The death of a ten-year-old boy has given scientists the first proof that diabetes in children can be caused by a virus. The discovery raises the possibility of the eventual development of a vaccine to prevent childhood diabetes, which is usually far more serious than the form of the disease which affects adults. From the AFB Newsletter: When the State of Texas created the Governor's Coordinating Office for the Visually Handicapped in the mid-1970s, it took a significant step in the direction of advocacy for the blind and visually impaired, which had a potential for far-reaching effects. The recent action of the Texas Legislature in disbanding this body is deeply regrettable. — Consumer evaluation of the general-purpose talking thermometer has just been concluded in six states. Under the supervision of six rehabilitation teachers, five of whom are blind, consumers have assessed the instrument in terms of design, speech output, and ease of usage in measuring body temperature, for use as a cooking thermometer, and as an indoor/outdoor thermometer. The talking thermometer has a vocabulary of 13 words. It can give readings in Fahrenheit and Centigrade and is equipped with clinical and cooking probes. From the UP: Cataract patients will be able to purchase a new soft contact lens that can be worked constantly for thirty days at a time, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday, June 13. The agency announced the approval of the lenses and said that 450,000 Americans who undergo cataract surgery each year may find them valuable because some patients cannot use regular glasses, regular contact lenses, or contact lenses that are surgically implanted. In an experiment thought to be the first of its kind in the United States, a small group of blind Chicago voters cast ballots last spring using a system that allowed them to vote without any human assistance. The unusual event was made possible by a combination of instructions in braille and a special vinyl template that permitted blind voters to locate the candidates of their choice and corresponding ballot squares by touch. Chicago is not the first jurisdiction with special procedures for the blind voter in North America. The Canadian province of Ontario has used a notched ballot for blind persons since 1977. From CNIB National News of the Blind (Canada): Jerusalem, Israel -- New maps illustrating landmarks, streets, and the physical terrain of Jerusalem are now in use by much of the city's visually impaired population. A little booklet has keys to the names of all neighborhoods and a code for locating them. Areas are textured differently to represent streets, grass, walls, and bus routes in concentrated areas. The South Dakota Association of the Blind newsletter notes the resignation of Dr. Jules Cote as superintendent of the State School for the Visually Handicapped. He has accepted a position with the Helen Keller National Center for the Deaf-Blind in Long Island, New York. -- Miss Julie Aman, eldest daughter of our ACB First Vice President, is one of 650 students from across the nation chosen to attend a science and engineering seminar at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Rose Resnick, long active in work for the blind in California, would like to hear from persons totally blind from birth or early childhood and 21 years of age or older who would be willing to answer a short questionnaire in connection with a study on factors affecting integration of blind persons. Questionnaires will not be signed, so the information is not identifiable as to source. Those willing to help, please write Rose Resnick, California League for the Handicapped, 1299 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108. The Arizona Committee, Arts for the Handicapped, and other interested organizations are studying the feasibility of sponsoring an arts festival for handicapped artists in winter, 1979, or spring, 1980. Location will be the Phoenix metropolitan area. Handicapped artists 18 years of age and older are eligible to participate. Only original works will be accepted, with no limitation as to media. Contact Lorraine Muns, Information Specialist, Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, 1333 W. Camelback, Suite 209, Phoenix, AZ 85013; telephone (602) 255-4049. The VSC Corporation, which produces various speech compression products, announces that it has discontinued its Model A6 Speech Controller and has approximately 50 demonstration units in stock. The company is offering these to visually impaired persons at $145 each. Original price was $295. These units permit listening to two-track, 1 7/8 ips cassettes at speeds of up to 2.5 times normal, with no pitch distortion. The A6 can also be used as a pitch-correction module when hooked up to any variable-speed sound source such as Library of Congress talking book and cassette players. Contact VSC Corporation (Attention: George Leslie), 185 Berry Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. Attention, football fans! Again this year, the College Football Yearbook, containing 1979 schedules for over 100 NCAA teams, is available in braille or cassette. Although the number of teams has been increased this year, the price per copy remains at $4.00. Send cash, check, or money order to Braille Football Yearbook, 4408 Chalfonte Drive, Columbus, GA 31904. ***** ** 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. ###