The Braille Forum Vol. XIX September, 1980 No. 3 ACB Convention Attracts Largest Convention Ever See Reports by the President, National Representative, Director of Governmental Affairs Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor ***** * National Office: Durward K. McDaniel National Representative 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 506 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 833-1251 * Editor, The Braille Forum: Mary T. Ballard 190 Lattimore Road Rochester, NY 14620 (716) 244-8364 ** Contributing Editors George Card 605 South Few Street Madison, WI 53703 Elizabeth Lennon 1315 Greenwood Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007 ** ACB Officers and Directors * President: Oral O. Miller, 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 236, Washington, DC 20008 * First Vice President: Delbert K. Aman, 115 Fifth Avenue, S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401 * Second Vice President: Dr. Robert T. McLean, 2139 Joseph Street, New Orleans, LA 70115 * Secretary: M. Helen Vargo, 833 Oakley Street, Topeka, KS 66606 * Treasurer: James R. Olsen, 6211 Sheridan Avenue, S., Minneapolis, MN 55423 Robert Campbell, 253 Stonewall Road, Berkeley, CA 94705 Adrian DeBlaey, 3340 N. 57th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53216 Christopher Gray, 301 G Street, S.W., No. 331, Washington, DC 20024 Charles S.P. Hodge, River House One Apartments, Apt. B1110, 1111 Army-Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202 Grant Mack, 139 E. South Temple, Suite 5000, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Carl McCoy, 925 E. Magnolia Drive, Apt. D7, Tallahassee, FL 32301 LeRoy Saunders, P.O. Box 24020, Oklahoma City, OK 73124 Mary Jane Schmitt, 528 S. Des Plaines, Apt. 2A, Forest Park, IL 60130 Richard Seifert, 1023 Scott, Apt. F, Little Rock, AR 72202 Otis H. Stephens, 2021 Kemper Lane, Knoxville, TN 37920 ** ACB Board of Publications Harold Dachtler, Chairman, 600 W. Rouse Street, Lansing, MI 48910 Harriet Fielding, 1880 Pacific Avenue, No. 504, San Francisco, CA 94109 Dean Flewwellin, Dorian Apartments, No. 3, Aberdeen, SD 57401 Janiece Petersen, 1629 Columbia Road, N.W., Apt. 800, Washington, DC 20009 Phyllis Stern, 1178 S. Kenilworth, Oak Park, IL 60304 ***** ** Contents ACB Officers and Directors ACB Board of Publications ACB Convention, 1980 (Part 1) Constitution and By-Law Amendments Elections 1981 and 1982 Conventions Report from the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Report of the National Representative, Durward K. McDaniel Report of the Director of Governmental Affairs, by Reese Robrahn From the ACB Board of Publications, by Harold Dachtler Report on the Braille Authority of North America, by Floyd Cargill Resolutions Research and Training Center on Blindness Terminated, by Durward K. McDaniel Fair Housing Act Amendments Start to Move in Senate, by Kathy Megivern From the Archives: Just Ordinary People, by Margaret Liggett Ordinary Daylight: Portrait of an Artist Going Blind, by Andrew Potok (a book review by George A. Covington) EEOC Honors Clarence Mitchell Here and There, by George Card Notice to Subscribers ***** ** ACB Convention, 1980 (Part I) "The fastest and only growing national organization of the blind in the United States!" These words of president Oral Miller were greeted with cheers of pride and enthusiasm by the more than 1,200 persons in attendance at the 1980 national convention of the American Council of the Blind, held in Louisville, Kentucky, July 12-19. Well planned and executed from beginning to end by the host affiliate, the Kentucky Council of the Blind, and with outstanding support by the staff of the Galt House Hotel, this "Derbytown Convention" was without doubt the largest, and certainly among the best ever. Space does not permit reporting the entire convention in one issue. Business matters, including Constitution and By-Law amendments, staff and committee reports, and a summary of resolutions, are included here. Highlights of the formal program will be reported in the October issue. One full day (a day and a half in election years) at the end of each convention has in the past been reserved for internal business. The inevitable "logjam" at the end of each convention created a number of problems, such as lack of scheduling flexibility to meet unanticipated demands on time, and significant numbers of conventioneers sometimes having to leave before important matters could be reached for full discussion and consideration. By action at the 1979 convention, elections. were more evenly divided, providing that officers and directors were to be elected in alternate years. This year, in a further effort to resolve these problems and at the same time to provide a change of pace throughout the convention, business matters (resolutions, reports, and the like) were interspersed throughout the formal program. This was well received and hopefully will become the general practice at future conventions. Forty-three state and fourteen national, special-interest affiliates were certified by the Credentials Committee (James Faimon of Nebraska, Chairman) and were seated at the 1980 convention. Among these were three newly chartered affiliates -- the Badger Association of the Blind (in place of the former American Council of the Blind of Wisconsin) and two new affiliates, the Maine Fraternal Association of the Blind and the Mountain State (West Virginia) Council of the Blind. ***** ** Constitution and By-Law Amendments The Constitution and By-Laws Committee was chaired again this year by Charles Hodge of Virginia. Three amendments -- two to the Constitution and one to the By-Laws -- were adopted by the convention. Article III, Section C. Language was added to Section C establishing standards under which roll call votes are required, may be requested, or must be ordered by the presiding officer. The new Section C reads as follows: Article Ill. Membership, Voting, and Dues C. Each voting member attending an annual convention shall be entitled to one vote. In addition, official delegates from affiliates shall cast the number of votes to which their organization is entitled as provided in the By-Laws. Voting on all issues at annual conventions shall be conducted in one of two manners: voice vote, by which the presiding officer calls for the oral nays, or record vote. A record vote shall be composed of two distinct components: a standing vote by which the individual votes of certified voting members and members-at-large are taken, and a roll call of affiliates by which official affiliate delegates shall announce the votes of their respective organizations. Elections where there are contests of officers, directors, and members of the Board of Publications must be conducted by record vote. If a voice vote on any issue, in the opinion of the presiding officer, is too close to determine the result, the presiding officer shall have the discretion to order a record vote on the issue. A record vote on any issue shall also be ordered by the presiding officer if any ten (10) certified voting members and/or members-at-large identify themselves from the floor of the convention and request a record vote. Article IV, Section A, of the Constitution re-establishes the office of Second Vice President, which was abolished by amendment adopted at the 1979 convention. By-Law VI, Section A, dealing with the Membership Committee, was revised as follows: By-Law VI. Standing Committees A. The President, at the close of each annual convention, shall appoint a Membership Committee which shall be composed of five (5) members. The President shall designate one of the members of the Committee to be National Membership Chairman, and insofar as practicable, the members of the Committee shall reside in as many and different geographical regions of the country as possible. The Membership Committee shall have the responsibility, in conjunction with the staff of the National Office and the Board of Directors, to develop, coordinate, and implement the membership development efforts of this organization. ***** ** Elections Elections were held to fill six positions on the ACB Board of Directors and the three elective positions on the ACB Board of Publications, with the following results: For the ACB Board of Directors: Re-elected for a second four-year term, Carl McCoy of Florida; Elected for a first four-year term, Robert Campbell of California, Adrian De Blaey of Wisconsin, Charles Hodge of Virginia, and Dick Seifert of Arkansas; elected for a two-year term, Mary Jane Schmitt of Illinois. For the ACB Board of Publications: Re-elected for a third two­year term, Phyllis Stern of Illinois; elected for a first two-year term, Janiece Petersen of Washington, D.C., and Dean Flewwellin of South Dakota. A complete listing of the names and addresses of ACB officers and directors and of the Board of Publications appears elsewhere in this issue. ***** ** 1981 and 1982 Conventions Unanimously, the membership voted to accept the invitation of the Georgia Federation of the Blind to hold the 1982 ACB national convention in Atlanta. The 1981 convention, hosted by the Missouri Federation of the Blind, will be held at the Chase­Park Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, July 4-11. Room rates at the Chase-Park Plaza are singles, $24; doubles, $28; triples, $34. The American Council of the Blind was formed in Missouri in 1961, and the Missouri Federation considers it a privilege to host ACB's 20th anniversary convention. Look for further details in upcoming issues of The Braille Forum. ***** ** Report from the ACB President Oral O. Miller (As given July 19, 1980, before the national convention of the American Council of the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky) Because I communicate with the ACB members through The Braille Forum and Action Memorandum tapes, my report today will perhaps be shorter than some have been in the past, and it will concentrate on some things not previously mentioned, or if so, at least from a different perspective. As many of you know, in 1978 I initiated the report system, the monthly report in The Braille Forum in order to keep ACB members much more aware of relevant events, and shortly thereafter I initiated the Action Memorandum tapes as a way of stimulating action quickly or to provide action quickly. The Action Memoranda are not intended to replace The Braille Forum, but to supplement The Braille Forum. Because of the cost and the enormity of the job, we cannot send Action Memorandum tapes to everyone. They go mainly to affiliate officers, directors, and long-time active members -- thus putting much more responsibility on affiliate officers to pass on information to their members and to implement necessary action. I hope these communications innovations have been well received and that they are having the desired effect, which is a better informed and more quickly and effectively motivated ACB membership. Let me know if you think of subjects which you would like to hear more about. I can't help but be rather pleased, indeed, by the growth which the American Council continues to experience. This growth, by the way, is not just accidental or coincidental, but it is a result of continued efforts by the officers, staff, and members. We now have 47 state affiliates, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as fourteen special-interest national affiliate organizations. I predict that we will have more by next year and that our total membership will have increased markedly by then; also due to the membership-at-large campaign which we hope to launch within the next few months. It's true that numbers aren't everything, but they certainly carry great weight, especially in an area where one organization has claimed for so long that it has 50,000 members that some government officials have almost started believing such propaganda and unsubstantiated claims. We haven't yet benefitted fully from the computerization of many of our records, but I fully expect our computer experts to devise ways very quickly to maximize the usefulness of, for example, a computer which we have recently leased at a truly nominal rate. We are hopeful that the computerization of much of our information will facilitate quicker and more efficient communication with the members. Because of my location in Washington, D.C., where my office is only about five blocks from the ACB National Office, I am in a unique position to work closely with the National Office staff and to observe many of the operations of the National Office. I continue to be very impressed with the high quality and quantity of the work produced by the National Office staff, although it is quite obvious that there will never be enough time for the staff members to do all the things that should be done. I accepted my position two years ago with the expectation that it would be an active, busy position, and it has been. The records of the past year, for example, indicate that within a year I have originated approximately 425 pieces of correspondence. This is all during non-office hours, inasmuch as I am employed on a full-time basis by the United States Government and my activities in connection with the American Council cannot conflict with my position. I have made an effort to meet as many ACB members as possible through attending, when invited, the various state affiliate conventions, my objectives being to inform our members more fully concerning ACB's accomplishments, its organizational philosophy, its structure, its policies, etc. But I have also encouraged the other officers and directors to attend such meetings whenever practicable, and many have attended. Efforts have usually been made to have ACB represented by officers or directors living in the general area where state conventions are to take place. This is done, of course, for obvious economic reasons. One of the more interesting duties that I have performed as President of the American Council has related to the American Council's involvement in the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind. Although the ACB has been a member of the World Council Delegation from North America for many years, not until lately has the American Council itself been financially able to participate on a continuing and meaningful basis. The 1979 quinquennial --and that's a long word which means every five years -- the 1979 quinquennial International Congress of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind was held in Antwerp, Belgium, last summer. That was my first good opportunity to discuss and hear in any detail the concerns of the blind around the world. During the Congress -- to give you a bit about what went on -- the European-controlled management of the WCWB tried, unsuccessfully I'm glad to say, to greatly reduce the representation of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the Executive Committee of the World Council. The American delegation, I must say, defended itself more than adequately, and in the process, countless foreign workers in work with the blind, as well as many blind consumers themselves from other countries, came to recognize, many for the first time, that the American Council of the Blind is an outstanding spokesman and organization of the blind in America. The World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, whose main function involves serving as an international catalyst or resource in all areas of interest to the blind (such areas as employment, education, vocational training, orientation and mobility, prevention of blindness, concerns of blind women, and countless others) works with such international organizations as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Labor Organization. At the conclusion of the Congress held in Antwerp, Belgium, I was complimented by being elected by the members of the World Council Executive Committee to serve on a three-person international committee, made up of one each from the United States, England, and Russia, charged with exploring and developing means of cooperation with the International Federation of the Blind and, more broadly, means of cooperation between providers of services and consumers of services internationally. The next meeting of the two committees -- the World Council and the International Federation -- is scheduled to take place in Moscow this coming October. On the regional level, the advanced countries such as the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia have committed themselves to assisting the blind of the Pacific Islands. And as a result, I was very pleased to see that ACB adopted a resolution a day or so ago, and then I believe another one earlier today, pledging ACB continued support to participation in World Council affairs such as the recycling of braille materials. The American Council has committed itself to using more of its limited, but growing financial resources for membership services and assistance in order to help the members become better leaders and consumer advocates. Examples of such assistance to date would include the small, but hopefully meaningful travel expense subsidy paid to members who took part in the leadership training workshop held in Chicago this past April. Other examples would be the 504 and advocacy workshop, as well as the editors workshop preceding this convention. It is likely that additional training seminars and workshops will be held in other parts of the country before the end of the year. But greater assistance to the membership will take other forms, also. For example, we hope that the additional staff member -- that is, the Director of Public Affairs -- will be able to assist the affiliates with better planned and conducted public education programs, which, of course, in turn will help those affiliates accomplish many of their organizational goals. You have already heard some of the public service spot announcements that are to be made in conjunction with the ACB Thrift Stores. But it's hoped that very soon similar material, or at least material that is appropriately adjusted, will be made available also regarding the objectives and the programs of the American Council of the Blind itself. Two evenings ago, the American Council Board approved my appointment of Mr. Edward LeMoine of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the position of ACB's Director of Public Affairs. Mr. LeMoine is at this convention as the chairman of the Connecticut Council delegation, and he comes to us from the position of Commissioner of the Bridgeport Fair Housing Commission. Inasmuch as I plan to continue communicating with you, the members and friends of the American Council of the Blind, through the Forum, through Action Memos, and by other means, I am looking forward to passing on to you good news about ACB's growth and about the further development of the fastest and only growing national organization of the blind in the United States. After all, you, the members, are our strength and our source of support. That concludes my report. In giving a report such as this, there is no way we can ever give appropriate recognition to all of the people who work with us and do just sterling work throughout the year, both our own staff people and those who have worked closely with us in other capacities. At this time, I certainly want to take advantage of the opportunity to thank the countless people who have worked with us so closely on so many different projects. ***** ** Report of the National Representative Durward K. McDaniel In his report to the convention, National Representative Durward K. McDaniel touched briefly upon but a few of the many areas of activity in which he has been directly involved over the past year. He addressed the convention as follows: I'm not going to make a legislative report as such, but I do want to fill in some on the areas in which I still pretty much retain the primary function. You will recall last year thar Professor Wilbur Cohen came and talked to our convention. He was that good fighter to save our security. Well, the Pickle bill did pass and it did have those two adverse provisions in it when it was signed by the President, so that all persons who apply for disability benefits after the effective date will be subject to those provisions. We lost that round. In so doing, we put up a good fight, along with a hundred other organizations who came together in Save Our Security. We lost that fight; we probably won the large fight to avoid further damaging amendments to the Social Security Act. ... In the matter of Supplemental Security Income, the major changes in that were primarily directed toward liberalizing the benefits and some of the conditions for other disabled persons. You know that in Title XVI SSI there is no substantial gainful activity rule for blind beneficiaries, but there is for other disabled beneficiaries. On the matter of the Randolph-Sheppard vending facilities program, there was no legislation directly affecting that. There was one piece of legislation which had to do with exempting the soft-drink industry from the Anti-Trust Act. It passed both houses. The President said he was opposed to it. If he has vetoed it, it's been since we've been out here. I don’t know what's going to happen on that. We have participated in a number of comments on rule-making, a number of ad hoc meetings with other organizations to develop strategic positions on legislation and on rule-making and on other negotiations. When I went to Washington twelve years ago, the operation was fairly new to me, although I knew quite a bit about legislation. But as I look back on it, Washington was a much simpler place in 1968 than it is now. We are very gratified to be able financially to afford more staff ... We have a very strong determination in this organization to be of more direct service to our members and to our affiliated organizations, and that will be a major policy emphasis in the coming months ... We are for the first time in the history of ACB in a position to not only expand staff, but to expand services. ... One of the things which I have reserved the opportunity to talk to you about is, the situation in which we find ourselves today -- I'm not talking about the politics of Washington now; I'm talking about the growth of this organization. It must be very gratifying to you, as it is to me, to note the continued growth. But I say to you that psychologically, this is the strategic time for ACB to launch a massive membership recruiting drive throughout this country to give people an opportunity to be of service to us and to themselves. The reputation of this organization is such now that it will attract those people. We do have to search them out and we do have to invite them. I have a goal for the next eight months of inviting at least fifty thousand people to join this organization. They won't all do it, of course, but a lot of them will. And nobody has ever done that before. Nobody has ever mailed fifty thousand pieces of mail inviting visually impaired people to join ACB. We're going to do that! Nobody before in this special population of ours has ever undertaken to reach some undetermined number -- probably more than 75,000 -- people whose first language is Spanish in this country. We don't have their names and addresses right now. We have some of them. But you know that your Board of Publications has set a goal to have a Spanish edition of The Braille Forum. We now have the resources to do that, and I am sure it will be done before the end of this year. I think you can look for the ACB, through its National Office, through its Board of Directors, and through its affiliates, to turn more and more to services for members which will be of great interest to those members. I'll give you one of the new examples. You have read recently of a plan which we have negotiated which will institute what we call a mail-order program for prescription and related drugs at very substantial savings to our members. You will be getting something in the mail about that. I will include specific instructions on how to order and where to order from. We do believe that, as in the case of the American Association of Retired Persons, this will be a very great service to our membership and to members of their families. ... Different times, I have tried to sum up the phases of growth of ACB and the phases of work which we all do, and which I principally do as National Representative ... We have come through the early years of growth, and we don't mention the name of Ned Freeman often enough in this organization. He was a retired chemist and he gave eight years, eight full-time years for nothing, to build this organization. If it hadn't been for Ned, we would have had a very much slower time. We did the best we could then. The next phase, the middle phase of ACB, we did the best we could. But as you look back on it, you can see patterns taking shape: that era of formation of special-interest affiliates; a little later another pattern of working through coalitions. Perhaps the newest pattern is more direct services to members. It was suggested to me -- I don't claim credit for this idea -- it was suggested to me that it's time we stopped growing like Topsy; time that we made some long-range plans, because this organization does have a great future, and I do believe that one of the things we'll do in the coming months is to develop a well-reasoned, practical plan for the future growth of this organization and its relationship not only to its members, but to organizations outside. ... I want to say to you that ACB has a great challenge. Each of you has a great challenge in making an organization like ACB mean more in the lives of blind people than any organization ever has before. We don't have to have a hundred thousand members to do that, but I do believe that we need to set a goal, a goal of unifying the responsible, intelligent, constructive activities of blind people in America. And I believe that will happen within five years. Thank you very much. ***** ** Report of the Director of Governmental Affairs By Reese Robrahn Reese Robrahn reported on the many areas of activity in which he has been involved throughout the year as ACB's Director of Governmental Affairs. He stated that the Section 504 and Advocacy Workshop, expanded this year to two days, was very successful. It was anticipated to train about 80 persons. However, there were in fact 110 to 120 people in attendance. A significant block of Mr. Robrahn's time has been devoted to representing the interests of the American Council of the Blind and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, where, in addition to his position on the LCCR Executive Committee, he also serves on its Legislative Committee, on its Task Force on Education, and on its Task Force on Civil Rights Enforcement. "But it is time well spent because of the support that the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and its member organizations, the AFL-CIO, have given to us, because it is invaluable. On every issue involving the rights of handicapped people, they have given their support without reservation and have provided individual lobbying by their lobbying forces and some influential lobbying clout which we could never buy. ... "In addition, we participate in a never-ending list of projects in research and demonstration and technical assistance and training, such as in the area of training of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. We monitor the issuance of regulations by Federal departments and agencies and make comments, file official comments, where appropriate ... "We have assumed leadership in the coalitions to bring about the initiation of actions on the part of Federal departments and agencies. One example of this is our activity in the ad hoc Coalition on Employment of Handicapped Persons by the Federal Government. We succeeded through that ad hoc coalition, through negotiations and assertive persuasion, to bring about the issuance of regulations under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. That is the one that requires affirmative action in the employment and advancement of handicapped persons in the Federal Government. We have succeeded through the same means in the issuance by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of a directive to all Federal agencies requiring them to establish goals and timetables in the employment and advancement of handicapped persons in the Federal Government. Those 501 regulations that I spoke about at our insistence set forth a statement that it is the policy of the Federal Government that it shall be the model employer of handicapped persons, and we intend to see to it that the Federal Government does, indeed, become the model employer of handicapped persons." Mr. Robrahn went on, commenting at some length concerning ACB's leadership role among organizations of handicapped people in seeking passage of such major pieces of legislation as S. 506 and H.R. 5200, the Fair Housing Act Amendments; S. 446 and H.R. 7423, to amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of handicapping condition; and four bills currently pending to provide for accessible places of voter registration and polling places in Federal elections, and to provide that handicapped persons who require assistance in casting ballots shall have the right to designate a person of their own choice to provide assistance (see Resolution 80-20). Mr. Robrahn concluded: "I would suggest to all of you that if we, that is, visually impaired persons, as part of the handicapped community are to really become a viable political force in the political process of the United States -- if we are to succeed in that, then we must get ourselves registered and we must go to the polls and vote, and we must confront candidates for election with the issues, with our issues, and make them take a stand on them, and if they don't take the right stand on them, vote against them. Sooner or later they'll realize that we are a viable voting block in this country. ... "What I want to say is that on the Washington scene, in the atmosphere of the Proposition 13 mentality, the backlash on Section 504, the interest of Congress and politicians to arrive at a balanced budget, this past year has been very frustrating, and on some occasions some rather tremendous feelings of discouragement surfaced. But I have to say that to come here and meet all of you, and to realize that we have your support out there in every state, is a tremendous inspiration and it's a renewal, and we can go back and continue the fight as we always have. "Thank you very much." ***** ** From the ACB Board of Publications By Harold Dachtler Like propriate to win $100, receive an appropriate certificate for first place in a writing contest, and have your article published in The Braille Forum? This is the opportunity you have if you enter the writing competition to be sponsored by the ACB Board of Publications. The Ned E. Freeman Article of the Year Award was established in 1970. Ned Freeman was the first president of the American Council of the Blind. When he stepped down as president, he assumed editorship of The Braille Forum, a position he held until the time of his death. This award is most appropriate, for it has often been said that editing The Braille Forum was the work Ned Freeman enjoyed most for ACB. Until now, the award has been based upon what the Board of Publication shas considered to be the outstanding article to appear in The Braille Forum for the preceding year. Because the number of freelance, feature-type articles has decreased over the years, it was felt that a change in the criteria for selecting the award recipient should be made. The award will continue to be given at each ACB annual convention. However, it will be based upon articles submitted to a writing competition rather than evaluation by the Board of Publications of articles already published. All ACB members are eligible and are encouraged to enter. The simple rules for the contest are: 1. The purpose of this shall be to select the recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Article of the Year Award. 2. The article shall be judged in its unedited form, using the following criteria: a. The article is timely. b. The article is creative and/or inspirational. c. The article is organized in thought and structure. 3. Articles may be submitted in braille or print, shall follow standard manuscript form, and shall be no less than 1,000 or more than 1,500 words in length. 4. Articles shall be written on subjects which will be wide ranging and selected annually by the ACB Board of Publications. 5. Articles must be postmarked no later than December 31 of each contest year (this deadline is extended for the first year to March 1, 1981). 6. Articles shall be submitted to the Editor of The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. All articles will become the property of The Braille Forum. 7. No members of the paid staff of the American Council of the Blind, contributing editors of The Braille Forum, or members of the Board of Publications shall be eligible to enter this contest. 8. Entries shall be judged by the Board of Publications, and the decision of the judges shall be final. The award shall be presented at the ACB national convention immediately following each yearly contest. The subject selected for the first competition is: International Year of the Disabled -- Its Significance and Potential. This subject is most timely and appropriate, since it was selected by the United Nations as a major area of concern of that organization for the coming year. Please note that the rules state articles must be submitted by December 31 of each contest year. For this first contest, however, that closing date has been extended to March 1, 1981. In response to a number of letters over a period of time from low-vision readers, the past several issues of the large-type edition of The Braille Forum have been printed in split page (that is two columns to a page) format. The letters suggested that the shorter lines of print were easier to follow than were lines running entirely across the page. A decision will be made soon whether to stay with the split page or return to the full-line format. Comments from low-vision readers would be very helpful in making this decision. Write to Mary Ballard at the Braille Forum office. The Board of Publications would like to encourage the affiliates to exchange publications among themselves. A wide range of benefits may be derived from such contacts. A new directory of affiliate publications will soon be ready. If you have changes of editors or new addresses for your publications, please notify Mary Ballard. Before this year is out, we hope to have available a recorded Spanish edition of The Braille Forum. This project has been under consideration for some time. Now it is about to become a reality. Your concerns and inquiries about The Braille Forum are encouraged. Also, if the Board of Publications can be of help in matters dealing with your publication, please write to us. Address: Board of Publications, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. ***** ** Report on the Braille Authority of North America By Floyd Cargill The American Council of the Blind has long supported organizations whose objectives include the promotion and advancement of the use of braille. One such organization is the Braille Authority of North America. Not only is ACB represented directly in BANA, but its representative, Mr. Floyd Cargill of Illinois, has for the past two years served as chairman. Mr. Cargill reported at some length regarding the activities, objectives, and programs of the Braille Authority. By definition, the Braille Authority of North America is the official, internationally recognized assembly for North America to evaluate and change the braille rules. Mr. Cargill outlined the makeup of BANA as consisting of the most capable representatives of consumers (the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind), instructors (Association for Educators of the Visually Handicapped and American Association of Workers for the Blind), transcribers (the National Braille Association), producers (American Printing House for the Blind, Clovernook Printing House for the Blind, and the Association of Computer Machinery), distributors (the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress), and over-all consultants (American Foundation for the Blind and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind). A large proportion of BANA's work is currently being carried on by four technical committees: the Mathematical Committee, chaired by ACB Second Vice President, Dr. Robert T. McLean, Professor of Mathematics, Loyola University; the Literary Braille Committee, chaired by ACB member Maxine Dorf of the National Library Service; the Musical Braille Technical Committee; and the Braille Textbook Format Committee. Technical questions brought to BANA are directed to one of these committees. Problems requiring revision in the various codes are studied first by the appropriate committee and then reviewed for possible conflict by all of the other technical committees. Criteria used in considering changes in the system are: (1) usability by blind people; (2) conformity as nearly as possible to material in the printed text; and (3) consideration of problems involved in production with modern technology. Rules are being changed a few at a time, with the goal of causing the least amount of confusion for both producers and readers of braille. BANA is concerned that braille be used, and that it be usable, by the greatest possible number of people. To this end, Mr. Cargill commented upon a study of Grade 1 braille conducted by the National Library Service. H e pointed out that highly contracted braille was adopted as the standard primarily to save space. However, the NLS study has shown that the greatest per capita distribution of braille materials exists in countries which do not use contractions. Logically, then, uncontracted braille, learned by the majority of blind persons who lose their sight later in life, should become the standard; contracted braille, or personal braille, would then be for professionals, college students, and those long-time users of braille. With computers, there is no problem in producing the same material in either contracted or uncontracted braille. The saving in space by the use of Grade 2 braille is somewhere between 10% and 20% only. Internationally, many differences exist in braille codes even among English-speaking countries. An Ad Hoc committee has been established, with representatives of BANA and the National Uniform Type Committee, the official assembly in Great Britain for establishing braille rules, to plan and convene a congress of selected English-speaking countries, to be held in London in the spring of 1982 (see Resolution 80-07). The goal of this conference will be to eliminate some of the minor differences in the respective braille codes, in order to make standards uniform and compatible with the production of computerized braille. This should greatly expand the quantity and scope of materials available in braille. ***** ** Resolutions Of the thirty resolutions presented by the Resolutions Committee (Dick Seifert of Arkansas, Chairman), two were defeated, three were referred, and twenty-five were adopted by the convention. Space does not permit reprinting these 25 resolutions in full. However, copies are available from the ACB National Office. Resolutions adopted are summarized below. 80-01. Establishes a braille recycling program for distribution of surplus braille materials to underdeveloped countries, this project to be conducted in cooperation with the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind. 80-02. Urges Congress to appropriate the sums authorized in Title VII of Public Law 95-602 for independent living rehabilitation services and services to older blind people in future fiscal years. 80-03. Calls for legislation to bring Supplemental Security Income payments up to the poverty level for non-farm families, with such payments thereafter to be regularly increased at the actual rate of increases in the cost of living. 80-04. Endorses and supports H.R. 6027, requiring implementation of the clipped-corner system for identification of denominations of paper currency by blind and visually impaired persons. 80-05. Directs that manufacturers be made aware that heat-sensitive controls on appliances eliminate or restrict sue of such products by blind and visually impaired persons, and requests manufacturers to consult with the staff of the American Council of the Blind in developing corrective measures. 80-07. Endorses the Conference on Braille for English-Speaking Countries, scheduled to be held in London, England, in the spring of 1982, to be planned and conducted by the Braille Authority of North America and its counterpart in Great Britain, the National Uniform Type Company. 80-08. Opposes adoption of the Cleveland and Zorinsky amendments in any form of mass transportation legislation, viewing either amendment as a clear vote against civil rights for disabled persons; calls upon all members of the American Council of the Blind and all disabled citizens to express to their Congressional delegations opposition to this serious attack against Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 80-09. Requests the Secretary of Education and the Congress of the United States to take all necessary administrative and legislative action to cure certain enumerated deficiencies within the Bureau for the Blind and Visually Handicapped of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and specifically to: (1) assure the elevation of the Bureau for the Blind and Visually Handicapped to division status; (2) assure adequate professional and support staff to carry out the duties and responsibilities of that agency; and (3) initiate annual appropriations of at least $25 million to permit adequate funding, including particularly the establishment of new vending facilities on Federal and other property, and for administration and expansion of the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program. 80-10. Urges the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to favorably report S. 506, the Fair Housing Act Amendments, as amended by Senators Bayh and Heflin; urges all members of the United States Senate to support S. 506 as it would be amended by the Bayh-Heflin proposal; and if opponents attempt to block passage of this bill by means of filibuster, urges all members of the Senate to vote in favor of cloture so that S. 506 can be duly considered. 80-11. Urges that the administration of programs directly affecting the lives of blind and visually impaired persons be kept separate and distinct from the administration of programs infringing upon the lives of other handicapped persons. 80-12. Urges that Federal and state governments, despite their zeal to save tax dollars and cut expenses, take care not to cause undue hardship to blind and partially sighted persons by cutting back programs which provide assistance and support to such persons. 80-13. Requests that counselors and teachers of the blind, rehabilitation counselors of the blind, and orientation and mobility specialists be given training in how to meet the special needs of partially sighted clients. 80-14. Expresses the unhappiness of the American Council of the Blind at the failure of the armed forces to avail themselves of the valuable resource of the skills and training of many blind persons which would enable them to provide effective and competitive service in the armed forces; calls upon the American Council to take steps to assure that the authorities and Congress are made aware that such waste of valuable people-power can be ill afforded at a time when the quality of the armed forces is constantly being called into question. 80-15. Points out that no general equivalency diploma examination in the Spanish language is currently available in media accessible to the visually impaired and states that ACB regards the failure to provide such tests in appropriate media as requiring immediate remedy. 80-16. This resolution represents a compromise between the positions taken by Guide Dog Users, Inc., and the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired concerning the Hawaii State Animal Quarantine Law. ACB Resolution 79-07 is repealed. The resolution states: (1) This organization places itself on record as supporting dog guide users asserting their rights with regard to this issue, while at the same time recognizing the legitimate need of the State of Hawaii to remain rabies-free. (2) This organization fully supports responsible efforts to negotiate with the state of Hawaii mutually acceptable regulations with regard to dog guides entering Hawaii from the other States, Territories and Possessions of the United States. (3) This organization supports Guide Dog Users, Inc., or any other responsible organization and/or individual who initiates or participates in action for redress of grievances with regard to this issue through established, appropriate procedures. 80-17. Directs that appropriate action be taken to encourage and promote the service of blind and visually impaired persons as members of policy-making and planning committees, boards, and commissions which formulate policies and plans for the provision of service aids, and benefits for persons with visual impairment; directs that ACB participate in and conduct projects to train visually impaired persons how to become members of such committees, boards and commissions and to be more effective members of the same. 80-19. Points out that blind and visually impaired persons residing in certain Territories and Possessions of the United States are not eligible for Supplemental Security Income benefits even though they are citizens of the United States; that our Puerto Rico affiliate has asked for continued support by the American Council of the Blind in securing amendment to Title XVI of the Social Security Act which would eliminate this discriminatory situation; and calls upon the officers and staff of the ACB to redouble their efforts to abolish the present inadequate benefit system in order that SSI benefits are made available to blind and visually impaired people in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. 80-20. Calls upon ACB to support in principle pending legislation on the Federal, state, and local level to provide for accessible places of voter registration and polling places for handicapped persons where Federal elections are conducted, and to provide that handicapped persons who require assistance have the right to designate a person of their own choice to provide such assistance; and directs that the President and Board of Directors of ACB promote and conduct voter registration drives among visually impaired and other handicapped citizens. 80-22. Protests the action of U.S. Air in denying a deaf-blind couple passage en route to the convention of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind; directs that the American Council of the Blind communicate with U.S. Air, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Civil Aeronautics Board regarding this violation of basic human rights; and directs that the ACB Director of Public Affairs take the lead in developing a publication to be sent to common carriers such as airlines, explaining the needs of blind, deaf-blind, and visually impaired passengers, both cane users and dog guide users. 80-23. Sets forth the interest of the American Council of the Blind of Ohio in a project involving research and development of methods to stimulate the human visual cortex — described as Restoration of Sight Electronically (ROSE) and the desirability that an organization of blind persons should take primary responsibility in the advancement of such research and development in the interest of all blind persons; calls upon ACB to cooperate with its Ohio affiliate and to provide the technical assistance of ACB's Professional staff, within its expertise, in establishing this project. 80-24. Commends the Mayor and City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, for their progressive and innovative leadership in the installation of audible traffic signals to assist visually impaired pedestrians at several intersections within the city. 80-25. Calls for an amendment of Section 504 administrative regulations to specify that a recipient's Section 504 coordinator hold a responsible position within the recipient's organizational structure. 80-27. Calls for reinstatement of legislation which formerly governed Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) employment in the early 1970s, requiring that 50% of CETA employment positions be converted to permanent positions funded from the grant recipient's own revenues. 80-29. Expresses appreciation to the Kentucky Council of the Blind for hosting an outstanding convention. 80-30. Expresses appreciation to the staff of the Galt House for its excellent services at the 1980 ACB national convention. ***** ** Research and Training Center on Blindness Terminated By Durward K. McDaniel On July 31, 1980, the National Institute of Handicapped Research of the United States Department of Education notified the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that it would not continue its funding of the Research and Training Center on Blindness, which was established in June last year as the only one concerned directly and exclusively with blindness and visual impairment. A termination of the Center came after eight months of serious criticism by its National Advisory Council and more recently by organizations of blind persons in North Carolina. At its meeting on July 10, 1980, the National Advisory Council unanimously recommended that NIHR terminate the Center and that a new one be established. NIHR had awarded $300,000 to the Center for its first year of operation. Leaders in work with the blind and visually impaired expect NIHR to announce soon that it will accept proposals for a new research and training center on blindness. Dr. Margaret Geannini, Director of NIHR, has assured leaders that there will be such a center. ***** ** Fair Housing Act Amendments Start to Move in Senate By Kathy Megivern Seventeen months after its introduction, S. 506, the Senate version of the Fair Housing Act Amendments, was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 30, 1980. The Committee had originally scheduled the bill for consideration on July 23, but Republican members were so anxious to get to the matters involving Billy Carter that they agreed to take up the Bill on July 30 and to complete action on that date even if certain amendments had to be voted on via a telephone poll. Because of time constraints, the only amendment which was fully debated on July 30 while the Committee had a quorum was the Bayh-Heflin compromise. This proposal, endorsed by the American Council of the Blind, set up an administrative procedure for enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. After lengthy debate, including a reading from the U. S. Constitution by Senator Strom Thurmond (R., SC), the Committee approved the Bayh-Heflin amendment by a vote of 10 to 6. The only Republicans voting in favor of the amendment were Senators Charles McC. Mathias of Maryland and Robert Dole of Kansas. Several other weakening amendments were proposed and were voted on via the telephone poll. The most damaging one to succeed was proposed by Senator Howell Heflin (D., AL). The "Heflin 2" amendment, as it was called, limits the definition of "aggrieved individual" to one who has made a bona fide attempt to rent or purchase housing. Under current law, the Supreme Court has granted much broader standing to sue. Heflin's amendment would overrule that Supreme Court Decision and would greatly limit the numbers of persons eligible to sue. Another negative amendment, effectively exempting appraisers from coverage under the Act, was proposed by Senator Orrin Hatch (R., UT) and was approved. There were no attempts made by any member of the Judiciary Committee to narrow the provisions in S. 506 which extend protection to handicapped persons, so those portions remain intact. This bill now goes to the floor of the Senate, where it is sure to face a great deal of trouble, including a probable filibuster. ACB members are urged to write their Senators expressing strong support for S. 506, the Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1980. ***** ** From the Archives: Just Ordinary People By Margaret Liggett (Note: Margaret Liggett is the sighted wife of Hollis Liggett, editor of The Braille Free Press. Two of Mr. Liggett's articles were reprinted earlier in this series (see The Braille Forum, November and December, 1979). Mrs. Liggett's reflections and reactions to blind people she has known are expressed with sensitivity and understanding and are as thought-provoking today as they were twenty years ago when first written.) My childhood impression of the blind was gathered from seeing a blind lady in church walking and talking with the other ladies; and seeing her husband sing and play an accordion a couple of times a year. Occasionally I saw this man on the streetcar checking his braille watch and getting off alone to walk the few doors to his home. In my travels across town as a teenager, I often saw two men selling brooms from door to door. My first impression of blind people was wholesome and presented them as average people. These that I saw were industrious, traveling independently, supporting themselves and having a normal place in society. The couple were homeowners. The man earned his living by playing for church services; the woman did her own housework and took part in community activities. One of the broom salesmen had a family and owned a home; while the other was a close friend and boarded with them. This was my picture of the blind. A few years passed and I got to know a college classmate who happened to be blind. Later we were married. This choice of a mate has thrown me in contact with many blind persons. I have found them to be like all other people: of varying ages, interests, abilities, character and personalities; susceptible to all the virtues and weaknesses of other people. Yet some of them are poorly adjusted. They are not necessarily those who are timid and withdrawn as I would have expected, but those who have over-compensated for their insecurity by becoming so conceited that they have developed a neurosis involving delusions of grandeur. Sighted people may be the primary cause of this insecurity. So many well-meaning parents, teachers and friends discourage blind persons from doing things on their own. I know how easy this is. Although my husband does minor plumbing, electrical and mechanical repairs around our house, I occasionally discourage him from doing something if he seems to be doing it more slowly or awkwardly than I think I can. When this has been carried to extremes by solicitous parents or friends, the result is often an awkward, shy, immature person. In spite of this tendency of sighted people to "baby" blind persons. Most of those I have known have been fairly well adjusted to their physical surroundings. It seems to me the greatest personal handicap for many blind people (other than the difficulty in securing a job) is this ultra-conceit which separates them from the well-adjusted. Use of this escape mechanism is not limited to the blind. Many people find that facing things as they are is unpleasant; that reality causes them great suffering. They proceed to develop tricks to keep unpleasant thoughts and impressions in the background. These are escape mechanisms or behavior detours. Rationalization, which is a sort of self-alibi, is perhaps the most common. Such a device, used consciously and sparingly, may help us all at times to accept ourselves as we are and not worry excessively about our shortcomings. On the other hand, frequent and uncontrolled use of these mental mechanisms may detach us from reality and make us less able to cope with life as it is. There seem to be a number of self-appointed deliverers of the blind — otherwise normal persons who are so obsessed with their own fanciful pictures of themselves as the saviors of their group, that they truly believe they are responsible for all the progress accomplished among the blind. I know several people who make it their business to keep up with every blind person in the community and claim credit for any job that is obtained. I have heard many claim that no one else, blind or sighted, could perform their jobs as efficiently as they. Many of these persons are doing a fine job of adjusting to life in general; they are engaging in worthwhile and enjoyable phases of society, but they are often obnoxious with their expressions of highest esteem for themselves and an attitude of extreme superiority. I urge the blind to become better adjusted (as all people need to); and to realize that just as feelings of inferiority tend to isolate individuals from other members of society, demonstrations of a self-acclaimed superiority tend to separate persons from each other. Blind people are not likely to be impressed with this false or artificial designation of one's self as "the elect." They are not likely to consider another person superior simply because he is able to assume a normal role in the community. And neither are the sighted apt to be impressed with one's superiority as an individual if he is boasting only of that which he may have reason to be proud, but which is to be expected of mature persons. I think the sighted will accept blind individuals as normal persons most quickly and naturally if they steer clear of two easy extremes: (1) taking every kind of help anyone will give and thus encouraging the concept of helplessness and dependency; (2) boasting of worthwhile but ordinary accomplishments and expressing a concept of themselves as superior. Blind people have a real handicap or disability. At any rate, there are many times it would be convenient to see. Asking and accepting many special privileges while demanding to be treated as normal, average citizens is expecting the impossible. On the one hand this is perpetuating the idea of a handicap too great to overcome and on the other demanding recognition as normal humans with good abilities, capable of assuming responsibilities, deserving average pay and respect in all situations. The second extreme, with which I have dealt most here, is just as difficult to reconcile. The blind often say, in effect, "We are normal citizens. We do not have an unconquerable handicap. We simply cannot see, and this disability does not affect our minds or bodies in any adverse manner." If this is true, the blind must not expect extra glory for ordinary accomplishments. Few blind people are extremely important world-renowned leaders. After all, relatively few people of any kind are. Most persons suffering from delusions of grandeur have been unsuccessful. ... I maintain that there is nothing degrading about being an ordinary human. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, "God must have liked the ordinary human, otherwise he would not have made so many of them." ***** ** Ordinary Daylight: Portrait of an Artist Going Blind By Andrew Potok (A Book Review by George A. Covington) While many people have known the agony of slowly losing eyesight, few have recorded the experience as eloquently as Andrew Potok in his autobiography, "Ordinary Daylight: Portrait of an Artist Going Blind" (Holt, Reinhart and Winston). Mr. Potok, who appeared at the 1980 ACB national convention in Louisville as guest speaker before the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists and the Council of Citizens with Low Vision, was a promising artist when retinitis pigmentosa overtook his career. The book chronicles Potok's attempt to deal with a fate he feared and refused to accept. The main fabric of the story is Mr. Potok's experiences in England with a "miracle cure" for retinitis pigmentosa using bee stings. The brutal physical and psychological effects of this "treatment" are described in prose so concise that the reader becomes uncomfortable: "At the end of the first week, I was violently ill. The back of my neck was distorted by mounds and craters, some as tight as a drum, some soft and mushy like a half-deflated balloon. Everything from the shoulders up ached with pressure, but the backs of my eyes throbbed as if the nerve endings there were plucked violin strings. I was hot with fever, nauseated, and weak. Frightening though this was, I hoped it might be the agonizing rebirth of sight." Interwoven throughout the main chronology are flashbacks that explain much of Mr. Potok's early attempts to deal, or refusal to deal, with the loss of sight. These flashbacks provide a "Pilgrim's Progress" from his first attempts at "rehabilitation" to the role of rehabilitation counselor. The scenes are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always honest. The book points up the inadequacies of a rehabilitation system geared for the totally blind and unable to cope with the 80 to 90 percent of the legally blind who have eyesight. This book should be required reading not only for the college student studying rehabilitation, but also for the "old pro" in the field. This is not the lonely cry of an isolated man against an encroaching darkness, but a demonstration of the universal spirit that will always fight back. It is a story of acceptance without surrender, acknowledgement without defeat. As a literary work, Ordinary Daylight has been praised in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and countless other publications. It is a literary work that tells a story many of us could have written, but doubtfully so well. Mr. Potok is currently working on a first novel. If it is crafted as well as his first work, we can count on having an ACBer who is a best-selling novelist. Special thanks to Holt, Reinhart and Winston for providing Mr. Potok's travel expenses to the ACB convention. Autographed copies of Ordinary Daylight are available through the ACB National Office for $12.95 plus $1.00 postage. ***** ** EEOC Honors Clarence Mitchell The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. EEOC is the agency charged with enforcing anti­discrimination laws, including Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination in employment by the Federal Government against handicapped persons. The ceremony was attended by EEOC employees as well as leaders of various civil rights movements. The American Council of the Blind was represented by Durward K. McDaniel, Reese H. Robrahn, and Kathleen Megivern. While the program was titled an anniversary commemoration, the chief purpose was to pay tribute to Clarence Mitchell, Chairman of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Mr. Mitchell has been called the 101st Senator because of the integral role he played in the passage of major civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which created the EEOC. As usual, Mr. Mitchell was most gracious in accepting the lavish commendations. He acknowledged the importance of the contributions of people such as Royt Wilkins, George Meany, and LCCR co-workers Marvin Caplan, Arnold Aronson, and Jane O'Grady. Mr. Mitchell prefaced his remarks by noting how glad he was to see that a sign language interpreter had been provided for the benefit of the hearing impaired in the audience. He acknowledged their presence by offering them the sign for "I love you." After tracing the history of the long battle for passage of the 1964 Act and the many early difficulties at EEOC, Mr. Mitchell commended the agency for the progress it has made, while reminding everyone that there remains much important work to be done. Prior to the remarks of Mr. Mitchell, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chairperson of the EEOC, gave a report on progress made by the agency in catching up on the enormous backlog of cases. Mrs. Norton noted that the Commission has achieved the first permanent backlog reduction in its history, eliminating 44% of the total backlog charges by January, 1980. This resulted in over $30 million in settlement and conciliation benefits. EEOC expects to totally eliminate the backlog by 1982. Greetings were also offered by Vice Chairman Daniel E. Leach and the other Commissioners, Ethel Bentz Walsh, Armando M. Rodriguez, and J. Clay Smith, Jr. ***** ** Here and There By George Card From The Missouri Chronicle: Airline telephone reservations salesmen use computers to obtain readouts on seat availability on specific flights. Petra Gibbons, 33, telephone sales agent for United Airlines since May, 1978, has never seen a computer. She is believed to be the airline industry's first, and so far only, blind reservation agent. She punches a key of the computer for flight information like the other agents. But instead of reading the information on the screen, she moves a small camera mounted on a metal screen bar. The tracking camera guide transmits the images to an Optacon. In an eight-hour shift, she handles from 90 to 150 reservations, the same workload as her colleagues at United's reservations center. "Nobody really wants advice -- only corroboration." -- John Steinbeck. Chris Gray, ACB Board member, formerly of Washington State and now of Washington, D.C., is planning to write a history of the organized blind movement. He came to spend a weekend with us so that he could interview a real old-timer. From Hoosier Star-Light: A training bar with shock absorbers has been developed for blind joggers and hikers which will enable them to function without touching another individual. It is claimed that this aid, called the Freedom Leader, easily communicates changes in speed and direction. For further information, write Freedom Leader, P.O. Box 5347, San Pedro, CA 90733. Price, $79.50. From The Vendorscope: The final tally for air fare increases in 1979 added up to 32%. Airfare discounts based on time and day will be more common. It will be cheaper to fly mid-week, mid-day, and late at night. Individual airlines will be given leeway, so check with various airlines. -- Don Cameron has received the "Governmental Leadership Award" from the Sunshine State Association of Workers for the Blind. The MAB News announces that Oral Miller and Reese Robrahn will be featured speakers at the annual convention of the Michigan Association of the Blind in Alpena in September. -- A member of the Michigan Association of the Blind is present at each meeting of the Michigan Commission for the blind. -- The big Genesee Chapter at its meeting last January celebrated its 35th anniversary and ceremoniously burned its mortgage. Writing in The Vermont Informer, Editor Al Nichols tells us that if blind people make enough noise and keep it up long enough, somebody may pay attention. It became known that those in authority were planning to phase out Vermont's special services to the blind agency and submerge such services in a bigger umbrella agency. The blind of the state felt that this would be a disaster, as it has been in other states, and began a vigorous protest. Finally they prepared to introduce legislation to create an independent commission for the blind. This threat apparently had the desired result: The special agency will not be absorbed, but will be allowed to continue to function. The AFB's Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness describes what would seem to be a greatly improved program for training blind vending facility operators. Heretofore, the practice almost everywhere has been to place the trainee in a well-functioning vending stand for a few days or weeks and hope for the best. The trouble has been in many cases that the trained operator is so busy with carrying on his own operation that he has only minimal time for instructing the new recruit. In Florida at Daytona Beach, a completely equipped, modern vending facility is being set up where prospective new operators will receive five weeks of intensive training from experts and will receive the benefit of their undivided attention. This program will combine the advantages of the classroom and the laboratory. In the ACBC Digest (California), there appears the account of a joint meeting of leaders of the ACB and NFB affiliates, called at the request of the NFB of California, at which cooperation and joint efforts by the two organizations were discussed. The meeting proved to be very satisfactory. It was agreed that the two organizations were to work together in order to accomplish common goals, and that mutual recrimination should become a thing of the past. It was agreed that all things possible should be done in behalf of the blind of California and that the two organizations should live together as closely as possible. From The Badger Informer (Wisconsin): A dog is called man's best friend because it gives no advice and never tries to borrow money. -- Be sure brain is engaged before putting mouth in gear. On June 28, Herbert Pitz of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, long-time president of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and a former member of the ACB Board of Directors, was felled by a heart attack. The end came while he was dancing during the wedding festivities of his youngest daughter. He had a long and distinguished record as a state leader. He was beloved by many; respected by all. From The Stylus (Oregon): Blind individuals in Oregon now have a new option to seek assistance, ask questions, or raise concerns. The Client Assistance Project officially began on March 3, 1980. Known as CAP, it is designed to assist clients of the Oregon Commission for the Blind in understanding the vocational rehabilitation process, to give advice to clients about their rights and responsibilities, and to help blind persons obtain certain services which the Commission does not provide. CAP will also reach out to people who are potential clients of the Commission. Some words which might be used to describe CAP are: Advocate, Innovator, Persuader, Team Member, Ombudsman ... From The Wisconsin State Journal: Some 150 rivers, branches, creeks, and sloughs fall into Chesapeake Bay. From the mouth of the Susquehanna to the Virginia Capes, the Bay washes more than 5,000 miles of shorelands. From Nat-Cent News: Annette B. Dinsmore, former Director of Services to the Deaf-Blind at the American Foundation for the Blind, passed away earlier this year after a brief illness. Ms. Dinsmore, who retired in 1970 after 22 years of service with AFB, was known to hundreds of deaf-blind people throughout the country through her travels and letters. The United States Association for Blind Athletes holds competition in the Masters Division for legally blind men and women 30 years of age and older. At present, the sports involved are track and field and swimming. Of course, older people can also compete in goalball. For more information, write to USABA at 55 W. California Avenue, Beach Haven Park, NJ 08008. Mahoneys Gift House, which has been operated for the past several years by Bob and Jenny Mahoney, was recently transferred to the Mid-Michigan Center for the Blind. For a 1980 braille catalog, send $1 to MMCB Gift Department, P.O. Box 20247, 111 S. Capital Avenue, Lansing, MI 48901. -- "Feel and Read, See and Read" print/braille greeting cards are available from Harry A. Fribush. Christmas, birthday, get-well, sympathy, all-occasion -- name included in print or braille if desired. For prices and full information on cards and other items available, write Mr. Fribush at Apt. 104, 400 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12203. Eunice Fiorito, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, and former member of the ACB Board of Directors and president of ACB of New York State, was appointed to the U.S. delegation to the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, 1980. The conference, which was held July 14-30 in Copenhagen, marked the mid-point in the U.N. Decade for Women, 1975-1985. In Copenhagen, more than 140 U.N. member countries set priorities for the next five years and charted the progress women have made in employment, education, and health since goals were established in the World Plan of Action at the International Women's Year Conference in Mexico City in 1975. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has published a braille edition of the comprehensive guide, "Services and Facilities for the Handicapped at Kennedy International, La Guardia, and Newark International Airports." For a free copy, write Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Aviation Public Services Division, One World Trade Center, Room 65 N., New York, NY 10048. ***** ** 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 a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The National Office 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. ###