The Braille Forum Vol. XIX October, 1980 No. 4 ACB to Take Part in "Talking Optacon" Field Test See Report from the President Dr. Carl Kupfer Reviews a Decade of Progress in Eye Research 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 * 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 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 accomplishment 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 Report from the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Advances in Eye Research: A Decade of Progress, by Carl Kupfer, M.D. ACB Convention, 1980 Part II: Awards and Charter Gala Friends in Art at ACB, Louisville, by Barbara Chandler Outreach Assistance Sought for NABS, by Eugene Lozano Jr. Department of Labor Files Brief in Workshop Dispute, by Kathy Megivern From the Archives: Statement of Principles, by John Hebner Tragic Accident Takes Life of Blind Woman in Washington Subway, by Donna Veno-Eggert U.S. Wins Olympics for the Blind, by Charles Buell, Ed.D. NLS Publishes Unique Reference Work for Blind Musicians ACB Affiliate News: Iowa and Nebraska Conventions Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Report from the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Flash! More Good News! The American Council of the Blind is now making arrangements to take part in the national field testing of the electronic reading machine popularly referred to as the "Talking Optacon," being developed by Telesensory Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California. We have all been hearing about the TSI reading machine for several years (going back as far as a presentation made at the ACB national convention in 1977), and we are definitely looking forward to its development and field testing, which probably will take place on the premises of a large rehabilitation agency with which we are negotiating. It will be necessary for ACB to raise approximately $30,000 as its part of the cost of the initial stage of the project. The young man entrusted with chairing the ACB Board committee handling the arrangements for ACB is Christopher Gray. News concerning the progress of the project will be reported in future issues of The Braille Forum. The leadership training seminar conducted by the ACB in conjunction with the Illinois Federation of the Blind in Chicago last spring was so successful that plans are already being implemented to conduct two more such regional seminars. The first one is to take place the weekend of November 14-16, 1980, in New Haven, Connecticut, and it will provide training to ACB members and prospective members in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Action Memorandum tapes and registration forms should be in the hands of members and prospective members in those states by the time this issue of The Braille Forum is received. A few of the practical subjects to be covered during the seminar are membership development, legislative and other governmental processes, Section 504 and advocacy, fund­raising, and personal development. While there are practical limits as to how many people may attend the seminar and how much financial assistance may be given, the ACB plans to make meaningful subsidies available to assist with the travel expenses of most of the attendees. Information concerning a similar seminar to be conducted on the West Coast will appear in a future issue of The Braille Forum. August has always been a popular month for ACB state affiliate conventions, and August of 1980 was no exception. On successive weekends, it was my pleasure to attend conventions of the Georgia Federation of the Blind (held in Rome), the ACB of South Carolina (held in Charleston), and the South Dakota Association of the Blind (held in Aberdeen). Space limitations prevent me from reporting at length concerning each convention, but a few words should be said about each. For example, the members of the Georgia Federation were uniformly enthusiastic about plans for the 1982 ACB national convention to take place in the Atlanta area, just as they were enthusiastically amused by the induction of their new officers and this writer into the humorous "Order of Siam." I was very favorably impressed by the tremendous growth in membership and financial stability by the ACB of South Carolina within the past year -- in a state in which the National Federation of the Blind has traditionally been very strong for many years. While in South Dakota, I was very favorably impressed by the tremendous number of interesting topics covered during the program, as well as by the very practical and people-oriented problems being considered and solved by the members (such as the legal difficulties encountered by the parents of North Dakota blind children wishing to send their children to the residential school in South Dakota, just as they may already, under some circumstances, send their sighted children to schools across the border in South Dakota). It has long been the policy of the American Council of the Blind not to attempt to reply to every inaccurate, misleading, and untrue charge made against it in the pages of The Braille Monitor, unless such replies are necessary to protect the integrity of the American Council of the Blind, its members, and its activities. Such a time is now at hand. In a recent issue of The Braille Monitor, it was reported with characteristic inaccuracy and disregard for the facts that members of the NFB of Alabama had, by picketing and otherwise harassing the management, forced an ACB Thrift Store in Birmingham to close its doors or cancel its agreement with ACB. The basic truth which was overlooked by the article is that the ACB does not have, and has never had, a Thrift Store in the state of Alabama. The store which was picketed had entered into a valid, legal agreement with the Alabama Council of the Blind (formerly known as the Alabama Federation of the Blind) for the solicitation and sale of used merchandise in the name of the Alabama Council of the Blind -- an arrangement which was legal, legitimate, ethical, and fair for everyone involved. Obviously, the management and employees of the store were entitled to reasonable compensation. The article belittled (in a poorly disguised tone of envy) the basic way in which Thrift Stores operate, and it thereby ignored the maudlin, "tear-jerking," degrading, embarrassing, undignified, misleading solicitation letters which the NFB has dumped on to the American public for years. Perhaps the most important fact which the article ignored was that the attack on the store was clearly an act of vindictive, malicious, petty retaliation against the ACB affiliate in Alabama for actions which the Alabama Federation had to take to protect itself the year before. To be specific, in 1979 (approximately six months before the Thrift Store incident described in The Braille Monitor), the NFB of Alabama employed a production company from Wetumpka, Alabama, to raise funds for the NFB of Alabama by soliciting donations and selling tickets to the public for entertainment events. The fund-raiser, in a typical "boiler room" operation, went about his job by taking telephone numbers, taking at least one Post Office box, and soliciting funds in the name of the Alabama Federation — the ACB affiliate. The officers of the Alabama Federation of the Blind brought the matter immediately to the attention of the authorities, including the Attorney General for the State of Alabama, and they determined that the actions of the fund-raiser were illegal because they misled the public into believing that they were supporting the Alabama Federation of the Blind, the long-established and highly respected affiliate of the ACB. Of course, the fund-raiser, who was ordered to close down his operation, claimed that he did not know he was using the name, or a name almost identical to, that of the Alabama Federation of the Blind. (Some solicitations were in the name of the Alabama Federation "of" the Blind and others were in the name of the Alabama Federation "for" the Blind.) The Alabama Federation of the Blind could have successfully sued the NFB of Alabama and the fund-raiser for the unauthorized and illegal use of its name, and it also could have successfully claimed all the money collected in its name. However, it did not. It merely insisted that the NFB of Alabama and the fund-raiser should stop using its name, and it insisted that the money collected from the public should be refunded. As to whether the NFB of Alabama knew the fund-raiser was using the name of the Alabama Federation, I am informed that it was the purported author of the Braille Monitor article who answered the phone at one of the numbers being used by the fund-raiser when the former president of the Alabama Federation called to see that the illegal fund-raising activities were being shut down as directed by the authorities. The Braille Monitor belittled legal Thrift Store appeals as a fund-raising method. But from the facts enumerated above, are we to assume that it favors the illegal use of an established organization's name instead? ***** ** Advances in Eye Research: A Decade of Progress By Carl Kupfer, M.D., Director of National Eye Institute (Delivered before the session sponsored by the Friends of Eye Research, Rehabilitation and Treatment at the Helen Keller Centennial Congress, Boston, June 25, 1980) A centennial dedicated to the visually impaired is a particularly appropriate occasion to discuss recent advances in eye research. New methods of preventing, diagnosing, and treating eye disease have been instrumental in restoring sight to those who face permanent loss of vision and in preserving at least some vision in many thousands of people. In addition, recently developed low-vision aids, some of which I will describe later, have helped many partially sighted persons make better use of their remaining vision. Let me begin by describing some recent achievements in the prevention of visual loss. Glaucoma has recent achievements in the prevention of visual loss. Glaucoma has traditionally caused about 10 percent of the legal blindness in this country. But techniques for measuring and controlling internal eye pressure have advanced so rapidly that most cases of glaucoma can now be detected before severe visual loss occurs. An entire battery of drugs developed through research has replaced surgery as the treatment of choice for most cases of glaucoma. One of the most promising drugs, timolol, is being studied in a long-term clinical trial supported by the National Eye Institute. The trial will determine whether timolol is safe and effective for long-term use. The National Eye Institute has also supported clinical trials of treatment to protect the eye from another leading cause of blindness: diabetes. Among its several harmful effects on the eye, diabetes can cause changes in the blood vessels of the inner eye. This potentially blinding disease is called diabetic retinopathy. A few years ago, the National Eye Institute sponsored a nationwide clinical trial that proved that photocoagulation can cut in half the risk of severe visual loss from advanced diabetic retinopathy. In photocoagulation, powerful beams of light are directed at the retina, the visually sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. The light beams, usually generated by a laser, burn and coagulate many small areas of retinal tissue and seal leaking blood vessels in the treated areas. Photocoagulation also destroys new, abnormal vessels that grow along the surface of the retina in eyes with advanced diabetic retinopathy, and the technique seems to discourage new blood vessels from growing in nearby, untreated areas of the retina. These effects are important because bleeding from new vessels, and formation of scar tissue in their vicinity, are the two events that generally lead to blindness from diabetic retinopathy. The National Eye Institute is now supporting a new clinical trial, called the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study. The study will explore whether photocoagulation earlier in the course of diabetic eye disease can slow or halt the progression of diabetic retinopathy, and increase the patient's chances of retaining good vision. Preventing visual loss from diabetic retinopathy is an urgent priority for the National Eye Institute. About 600,000 Americans are now believed to be entering the more advanced stages of this eye disease when the risk of visual loss is greatest. Fortunately, advances in medicine have helped diabetics live longer, but one result will undoubtedly be an increase in the number of persons who have diabetes long enough to develop severe diabetic retinopathy. Moreover, the American population is aging, which means all age-related diseases, including adult-onset diabetes, will become more prevalent unless better means of prevention are found. This graying of America has special implications for eye research, because four of the five diseases which are today's leading causes of new adult blindness are associated with aging. These are: senile macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Macular degeneration is a little understood but very common disorder that destroys the central vision used in reading. Its strong association with aging becomes alarming when one considers that the number of Americans over age 55 is expected to double in the next half century, while the number over age 85 is expected to triple! This aging of the population will cause the number of cases of senile macular degeneration to increase by 180 percent in the next 50 years, unless new means of prevention are found. Similarly, the number of people requiring treatment for cataract is expected to increase by 175 percent. For glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, the projected increase is 146 percent and 152 percent, respectively. Thus, even a treatable disorder like cataract may pose a public health threat when its incidence increases year by year, decade by decade. A steady increase in the number of persons stricken with macular degeneration -- a disorder that is not yet treatable for the most part -- would be calamitous. It is essential to slow or halt all of these age-related eye diseases before they impair vision. Eventually, we must find ways of preventing the diseases from developing at all. We are making steady progress toward this goal, although many of our research accomplishments have been made in the laboratory and are so recent that they have not yet been applied at the clinical level. As an example, let me describe recent research on macular degeneration that the National Eye Institute has supported. For years, ophthalmologists have asked why certain diseases attack the macula but leave the rest of the retina undamaged. Researchers trying to answer this question were limited to working with tissue that had been recently removed from the intact eye. Such tissue was too complex, delicate, and perishable to be useful. Now, however, new laboratory techniques permit researchers to isolate specific cells from the macula and the peripheral retina, grow them in the test tube and study their biochemical processes directly. These new tissue culture techniques have not solved the problem of macular degeneration -- far from it -- but they have released eye research from its long dependence on the intact eye as a source of living material for study. I believe that quiet laboratory revolutions of this sort are often the ones that eventually lead to major breakthroughs in treatment. In other studies of the mechanisms underlying cataract formation, a group of NEI scientists have found that certain drugs can stop the formation of so-called sugar cataract in diabetic animals, even in the presence of uncontrolled diabetes. The success of these experiments offers hope that someday doctors may be able to prevent many of the serious complications that plague people with diabetes. These complications include cataract, which occurs with a higher-than-normal frequency among diabetics, diabetic retinopathy, and also disorders of the nerves and small blood vessels throughout the body. So the implications of this research extend beyond the eye to the entire body. Prevention is also the long-range goal of research on gyrate atrophy, one of a group of hereditary degenerations of the retina affecting 100,000 Americans. It is now possible to detect gyrate atrophy by biochemical means and take corrective action to protect the patient's eyesight long before any visual loss has occurred. Although this disease is very rare, the same principles of early detection and treatment could someday be applied to retinitis pigmentosa and other more common hereditary disorders affecting the retina. Of course it is important that advances in prevention be accompanied by advances in treatment, at least until we develop preventive measures that are wholly effective. Steady progress in ocular surgical techniques, for example, has resulted in a 95 percent success rate in cataract surgery, an 80 to 90 percent success rate for most corneal transplant operations, and an 85 percent chance of reattaching a detached retina. Ophthalmologists are also restoring useful vision to people who have experienced sudden visual loss from bleeding within the eye, caused by diabetic retinopathy. In a procedure called vitrectomy, the blood-clouded vitreous gel that fills the center of the eye is removed and replaced with a clear fluid. I believe that more sight-restoring treatments will become available in the future because of research that is now being supported by the National Eye Institute. For example, Institute-supported investigators have recently made a major breakthrough in the study of uveitis, a group of little-understood inflammatory diseases affecting the inner eye. Recent research suggests many of these diseases strike because the body's immune system has somehow mistaken the tissues of the inner eye for invading bacteria or viruses, and has begun to attack these tissues. It may be possible to treat uveitis like other so-called autoimmune diseases, using drugs to destroy the so-called "killer" immune cells that attack the body's own tissues. Research is also opening up new approaches to treatment of corneal diseases. Many of the 10,000 corneal transplant operations performed in this country each year involve the replacement of corneas which are not hopelessly scarred, but merely clouded. Researchers supported by the National Eye Institute have discovered how to remove a clouded cornea from the eye, strip off its endothelial cells, replace them with new cells grown in laboratory cell culture, and return the cornea to the eye. If the new cells succeed in establishing themselves in the eye, they will pump the excess water out of the clouded cornea and restore its transparency. This procedure already has been tested in animals and may be applied to humans in a few years. If it is found to be safe and effective, it may lessen the risk of rejection of corneal grafts, increase the success rate of the operation, and shorten the time required for convalescence. These sight-restoring treatments apply only to persons whose basic sensory tissues -- the optic nerve and the retina -- are still able to function. Unfortunately, research has still not discovered any way of restoring or replacing these sensory tissues once they have been severely damaged. But research is finding increasingly effective ways to help the partially sighted utilize their remaining vision. As examples of this low-vision research, I'd like to describe a pair of projects intended to help persons with macular degeneration read more easily. As I mentioned earlier, macular degeneration destroys the central vision ordinarily used in reading. But the disease may leave peripheral vision unaffected. However, when persons who have macular disease in both eyes try to use their peripheral vision for reading, they encounter tremendous difficulties. They find it hard to direct the eye at the appropriate place on the page, to concentrate on the letters, or to see them clearly. Traditional magnifying devices are of limited usefulness in this situation. However, two NEI-supported investigators working on this problem have devised independent solutions that rely on a known strength of the peripheral retina: its exquisite sensitivity to motion. In fact, vision researchers showed several years ago that many of the nerve cells of the peripheral retina will not respond to a visual stimulus unless it is moving. Using this basic research finding as a clue, each of the two investigators has devised a low vision aid that uses movement, rather than simple magnification, to enhance the visibility of words. One device uses a computerized display panel to show letters and words that appear to move across the observer's visual field. The other uses a moving mask that slides across the surface of a printed text. The mask screens out distractions and assists the reader in directing his or her remaining vision toward the next word to be read. More testing will be needed to determine how useful these devices will be to the average person with macular degeneration. Such low-vision aids, based on known principles of retinal function, appear quite promising. The Institute is supporting other research to improve the assessment of residual vision in the partially sighted and to better diagnose visual impairment in very young children. Much of this research addressed to the needs of the visually impaired -- like the research on blinding eye disease that I described earlier -- is based upon studies aimed at understanding the normal eye. Such basic eye research will, I believe, eventually contribute to the improvement of low-vision aids for the partially sighted. Thus, eye research has made phenomenal progress in recent years. It has taken major steps toward its three basic objectives -- preventing visual loss, restoring vision that can be restored, and compensating for visual losses that are not reversible. And research is gaining momentum with every passing year. In fact, I believe that eye research today has much in common with Helen Keller during the early years of her education: It is advancing with astonishing speed, breaking through barriers that would once have been considered insurmountable, and proving itself eminently worthy of society's continued support. But let me warn you that there is nothing automatic about that support. Eye research faces an increasingly intense competition for scarce funds in the years ahead and will need many strong advocates. I have always considered the Friends of Eye Research, Rehabilitation and Treatment to be among the most effective supporters of our cause. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to explain how their efforts, and those of many other dedicated supporters of eye research, have paid off in a steady series of research advances. ***** ** ACB Convention, 1980 -- Part II: Awards and Charter Gala The Awards and Charter Gala has over the years come to be an important tradition of each national convention of the American Council of the Blind. Held on the Wednesday evening of Convention Week, this is the occasion for presentation of charters to new ACB affiliates and for recognizing recipients of ACB's several prestigious awards. Master of Ceremonies for the 1980 Gala was Gordon Haldiman of Wisconsin. Entertainment was provided by Rita Levy of the Connecticut Council of the Blind, whose skill as a harpist was discovered through her participation earlier that week in the activities of Friends in Art/ACB. A special awards program was made possible this year through the generous donation of fifty high quality braille watches by the Citizens Watch Company. Though fairly new to the United States, Citizens is the second largest maker of quality watches. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, their products are sold in over 150 countries worldwide. These watches were presented to persons selected by each of ACB's 44 state affiliates and to persons in six special categories who have done outstanding work for the American Council and for the community of the blind as a whole. Because of the significance of the awards as representative of the kind of concerned, dedicated leadership provided by ACB nationwide, the names of the fifty recipients are listed here. For outstanding work in each of ACB's 44 state affiliates: Alabama, Roland Teel; Arizona, Maxine Schramm; Arkansas, Chester Holden; California, Byrdyna Goodart; Colorado, Patricia Benson; Connecticut, Gertrude De Leo; District of Columbia, Thelma Quisenberry; Florida, Don Cameron; Georgia, Johnny Wilson; Hawaii, Coletta Whitcomb; Idaho, Kim K. Toomer, Illinois, James Russell; Indiana Patricia Price; Iowa, Norbert Schrage; Kansas, Helen Vargo; Kentucky, Carla Franklin; Louisiana, Una Gillot; Maine, Natalie Matthews; Maryland,· William T. Snyder; Massachusetts, Dineese Karuth; Michigan, Eugene Saumier; Minnesota, Walter Jagow; Mississippi, Garland Lee; Missouri, Phyllis Lovett; Nebraska, Betty Hofmann; New Jersey, Charles Ward; New York, Dorothy Matano; North Carolina, Marvin Gatlin; North Dakota, Lloyd Robertson; Ohio, Dessie Page; Oklahoma, Laoma McDill; Oregon, Brian Charlson; Pennsylvania, Dr. Mae Davidow; South Carolina, Evelyn Hydrick; South Dakota, Velma Schultz; Tennessee, Johnson Bradshaw; Texas, Margaret Sanderfer; Utah, Norma Hoppe; Vermont, Stanley Beauregard; Virginia, Donna Eggert; Washington, Arnold Sadler; West Virginia, Ninetta Garner; Wisconsin, George Card. For outstanding work in expanding employment opportunities for the blind -- Ms. Rose Resnick of California. Ms. Resnick left a concert career to help found the California League for the Handicapped in San Francisco. This was the first non-profit agency to undertake job counseling and placement of physically, mentally, and emotionally handicapped persons. The League has made an average annual placement of 150 persons, of whom 10% to 15% have been blind or visually impaired. "A positive image" is what she says provided most of these people with jobs. For outstanding service as a teacher -- Mrs. Theresa Lauer of Missouri. Mrs. Lauer has specialized in the teaching of children with visual handicaps and children with emotional and behavioral disorders. She was the first blind person in Missouri to practice teach in a public school. She has taught at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind and at a private girls' school in St. Louis, and currently she teaches at the school for the blind in Missouri. For a blind student who has achieved meaningful accomplishments -- Mr. Paul Saboff of Illinois. Mr. Saboff was born in Illinois in 1954, and after graduating from high school became an X-ray technician. In 1977 he was blinded as the result of an accident. Within nine months he was learning daily living skills as a blind person and now attends the University of Southern Illinois, majoring in human services. For a blind person who has done outstanding work as a volunteer for the American Council of the Blind or one of its affiliates -- Mrs. Billie Elder of Arkansas. It seems almost superfluous to recount the many contributions to ACB of Billie Elder, so involved has she been over the years. She is a past president of the Arkansas Council of the Blind, has organized several chapters in that state, and has lobbied extensively for important legislation. On the national level, she helped formulate the concept of leadership training seminars, served on the ACB Board of Directors and as vice president, has written a number of articles for The Braille Forum, helped arrange for the 1976 national convention in Hot Springs, continues to serve on many committees. For a blind person who has done outstanding work in the area of membership development -- Mr. John Ginn of South Carolina. Mr. Ginn was elected president of the South Carolina Council of the Blind in August, 1979. Over the past year, membership has greatly increased and the harmony and spirit of optimism and cooperation within the affiliate have grown significantly. For the blind person receiving the Ambassador Award — Mr. Fred Lilley of Missouri. The braille watch and the Ambassador Award were presented to Mr. Lilley by Darrell Lauer, President of the Missouri Federation of the Blind. The Ambassador Award is presented annually to a blind person who, in his or her life, associations and activities, has demonstrated integration into and interaction with the life of the community. Mr. Lilley worked in the vending program in Illinois for fifteen years, and for approximately five years he was assistant executive director for the program in that state. Later he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was employed by the Department of the Army as Director of Benefits and Services. In this capacity, he developed many benefits and services for the employees within the department. While employed by the Army, he received a number of awards, including the Meritorious Award for Civilian Employees, the highest award given to a civilian employee in the Army, and in 1973 he was named Handicapped Employee of the Year by the Department of the Army. But perhaps Mr. Lilley's real greatness is in what he had done outside his job. Shortly after moving to St. Louis, he became involved in activities of the local Missouri Federation chapter, Real Independence Through Employment (RITE). Under his leadership, a large building, RITE Hall, was purchased by the chapter. He was instrumental in writing a grant under Title III and Title VII of the Older Americans Act to serve hot meals and provide social services and many other activities for the elderly. He was also instrumental in developing a grant which purchased five totally wheelchair accessible mini-vans which are now operated as transportation to meet medical needs of blind persons in the St. Louis area. He has been active in Lionism and is the founder of the ACB affiliate, World Council of Blind Lions. The Robert S. Bray Award, in memory of the late Chief of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, is presented in recognition of outstanding achievement in extending library services or access to published materials, or improvement in communications techniques. The award this year was presented to Mr. Charles Gallozzi. Mr. Gallozzi served as Assistant Chief on NLS from 1958 until his retirement in 1975. He was responsible for initiating the open­reel tape program and was largely responsible for beginning the cassette tape, and later the flexible disc program, as well as for the opening of multi-service centers in four states. The George Card Award is given periodically to persons who are blind and who, through their examples of courage, leadership and dedication to the blind community, warrant. recognition for their many activities. The award this year was given to Mrs. Esther V. Taylor of Kansas City, Kansas. Born with a congenital cataract condition, she attended the Kansas School for the Blind for a time and later graduated from the Kansas City Public schools. She is an accomplished violinist and is a member of the Mozart Club of Kansas City. Membership is by election only, and all members are required to perform twice a year for club members and to participate in at least one public performance each year. Mrs. Taylor has a strong commitment to better education for all blind children. For thirteen years, she taught at the Kansas School for the Blind and later worked as a transcription typist. She has been a member of the Kansas Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired since 1928 and has missed only two state conventions in that time. She has recently been appointed by the Kansas City school system to serve as advocate for handicapped children in an investigation concerning proper implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In addition, she has been appointed to a task force to seek legislation for the training of pre­school handicapped children and their parents. Even in retirement and at age 80, Mrs. Taylor is still seeking appropriate education for the blind, using her abilities, knowledge, strength, courage, and understanding to make better lives for all those with whom she comes in contact. Chapters were presented to three new affiliates by ACB President Oral O. Miller. "The life blood of any organization," he began, "is growth, because as time goes by, more people learn about an organization. … It is important for that organization to go out and not simply to rely on luck, or chance, or good fortune for people to know about those objectives, but for it to go out and do some miss ionizing. The American Council of the Blind has been blessed with great growth. This has come about through the dedicated work of its members, its officers and directors, and its national staff." Charters were presented as follows: To the Badger Association of the Blind, a long-established organization in Wisconsin, replacing the former American Council of the Blind of Wisconsin as the ACB affiliate. The charter was accepted by Badger Association President, Mr. Adrian De Blaey. To the Maine Fraternal Association of the Blind, an organization established in 1909, which recently voted to affiliate with the American Council. The charter was accepted by Ms. Natalie Matthews. To the Mountain State Council of the Blind, a newly established affiliate in the State of West Virginia. The charter was accepted by Vice President Laura Hoffmaster. ***** ** Friends In Art at ACB, Louisville By Barbara Chandler The presence of Friends in Art at the ACB convention in Louisville surpassed our most optimistic expectations. Besides an evening discussion, "How the Artist Who Is Blind Creates," and an evening Showcase of the Performing Arts with music and poetry, two rooms were reserved for wood sculpture and pottery workshops. The framework for these events was planned in advance, but the actual unfolding and focus took shape as the conference convened at Louisville. Lydia Breed, a sculpture of abstract wood objects from Swampscott, Massachusetts, was with us for two and a half days, giving generously of her talents. She included in the exhibit not only a variety of her work, talking about each piece and how it came into being, but with unfinished pieces of wood and her chisels, she demonstrated and invited participation in wood carving. Sarah Frederick, a potter from Louisville, conducted a workshop in clay modeling, leaving material available for further work as needed. We were pleased to see that younger family members of ACB conventioneers found this a happy activity -- a spinoff we hadn't anticipated. As an introduction to the discussion, "How Does an Artist Who Is Blind Create?", Merrill Maynard presented a writing in poetry titled, "I Celebrate My Blindness With My Art." His focus stimulated a lively evening of conversation. Andrew Potok, author of the book Ordinary Daylight -- Portrait of an Artist Going Blind, attended the convention and joined us for the Showcase evening. Portions of his book were read, in company with a talented group of musicians and writers of poetry, too many to enumerate here. We find we have a rich internal resource of artistic ability. Rita Levy played the harp for the Showcase evening. When ACB President Oral Miller learned that she was to perform, he asked her to play at the Awards and Charter Gala on Wednesday evening, as well as during the cocktail hour at the banquet on Friday. We thank Rita for making the presence of Friends in Art heard. A comment from one member was, "Imagine coming to a convention and finding this kind of program!" Knowing that art touches everyone, Friends in Art has had an underlying aim of the art experience to be available at conventions. This happened all week. If anyone would like to join us, please write to Barbara Chandler, 9116 St. Andrews Place, College Park, MD 20740. ***** ** Outreach Assistance Sought for National Alliance of Blind Students By Eugene Lozano, Jr. The National Alliance of Blind Students, Inc., was founded and became an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind at the Knoxville, Tennessee convention in 1973. NABS was formed to: (1) Provide a forum for discussion of the special problems encountered by blind students and professionals in practicing their skills and training for their professions. (2) Protect the interests of blind members of all professions. (3) Acquire, preserve, and maintain periodicals of special interest to the blind student and professional. (4) Promote the production and dissemination of information concerning materials in braille or recorded form suitable for use by blind students and professionals. Activities in which NABS has engaged are: (1) The publication of a newsletter, The Student Advocate. (2) The compilation and maintenance of a reference file of visually impaired students. (3) A workshop presented at the American Council of the Blind convention in Salt Lake City in 1978. The subject of this workshop was "Blind People in Unusual Jobs." (4) A survival skills workshop displaying aids and equipment available to blind students, presented during the American Council of the Blind convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (5) Advocacy and legal assistance in cases dealing with civil rights of blind students. (6) Compiling a survival skills handbook for blind students. (7) Representatives of NABS have attended and spoken at many professional national and state conferences. (8) NABS is in the process of compiling a brochure which will inform students of all their rights for services on school campuses under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Despite the accomplishments of the past seven years, NABS has suffered through struggles of changing leadership and fluctuation in membership as a result of the transient nature of lifestyles of students. Now NABS is asking assistance of the ACB membership in identifying potential student members and leaders for NABS. We would appreciate any names, telephone numbers, and addresses of potential members or leaders, informational inquiries about NABS, and speakers or requests for speakers concerned with issues faced by blind students. Write Eugene Lozano, Jr., President, National Alliance of Blind Students, 2621 Fulton Avenue, Apt. 42, Sacramento, CA 95821. ***** ** Department of Labor Files Brief in Workshop Dispute By Kathy Megivern In an unusual action, the Department of Labor has filed an amicus curiae brief in the case of Cincinnati Association for the Blind versus National Labor Relations Board. This case on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit hinges on the issue of whether "sheltered workshops" are covered by the National Labor Relations Act, and thus whether the management of such workshops is obligated to bargain with a union elected by workshop employees. The Department of Labor's action is unusual because that department has no responsibility for enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act and, therefore, would seemingly have no interest in the outcome of this suit. However, the Labor Department does have enforcement authority with respect to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and it has become involved because of certain arguments made by the Cincinnati Association for the Blind (CAB). Lawyers for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind suggest, among other things, that the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act dealing with sheltered workshops affect applicability of the National Labor Relations Act. "In its brief, the CAB suggests that certain provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act ... and Department of Labor (DOL) regulations concerning sheltered workshops, are relevant to this court's determination of the issue before it. The CAB argues, in part, that these workers are not employees within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act because they work in a sheltered workshop which is certified as such by the Department of Labor pursuant to Section 14(c) of the FLSA ... Throughout its brief, the CAB also implies that the NLRB's assertion of jurisdiction over these workers would be destructive to the objectives of the FLSA sheltered workshop provisions. The Secretary of Labor, who is charged with the administration, interpretation, and enforcement of the FLSA, including the sheltered workshop provisions, believes that the CAB's characterization of these provisions is confusing and misleading." The Department of Labor Brief goes on to discuss the background of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Section 14(c), which allows payment of subminimum wages to certain handicapped workers. The brief concludes this portion of the discussion as follows: "Thus it is plain that the special structure of minimum wages for handicapped workers is just one Congressional accommodation to the particular wage needs of a particular class of employees. Nonetheless, Congress recognized that while certain adjustments in the minimum wages paid to handicapped workers may be appropriate, they, like all employees, must be guaranteed a minimum wage to prevent their exploitation. However, any implications that handicapped workers need not be paid a minimum wage (CAB Main Brief at 9) or that an employer of handicapped workers must obtain the permission of the Department of Labor to employ such workers and must pay them according to the special minimum wage schedule, are unwarranted. Nothing in the statute prevents an employer from treating handicapped workers in a sheltered workshop precisely like other employees by paying them the regular Section 6 minimum wage, or higher wages. The statute simply permits such an employer to seek a certificate allowing the employer to compensate handicapped workers at established lower minimum wages in accord with their productivity." In reviewing the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act regarding handicapped workers, the Labor Department brief describes the three levels of payment provided for in the Act. First, there are those handicapped workers "whose earning or productive capacity is impaired" and who must be paid not less than 50% of the minimum wage. The second category consists of handicapped workers engaged in work incidental to training or evaluation programs and multi­handicapped workers whose earning capacity is "so severely impaired that they are unable to engage in competitive employment." These workers must be paid not less than 25 % of minimum wage. Lastly, there are those who are so severely handicapped that their productive capacity is inconsequential. These persons, employed in work activities centers, may be paid "equitable compensation." The Department of Labor brief notes that: "CAB's partial description of Section 14(c) confuses these separate categories. It refers to its workers as 'so severely handicapped that their productive capacity is impaired and they cannot engage in competitive employment.' (CAB Main Brief at 31). This erroneously merges the first two categories described above. The CAB's brief also implies that the issuance of any Section 14(c) certificate means that a workshop is of a 'therapeutic nature' (CAB Main Brief at 32). However, this language applies only to the last category, covering work activities centers, for those 'whose physical or mental impairment is so severe as to make their productive capacity inconsequential.'" Another argument made by the Cincinnati Association is that handicapped workers are not "employees" within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act, instead calling them "clients." The Department of Labor rejects this argument, stating that there must be an employment relationship in order for any provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act to apply. "In fact, individuals employed pursuant to Section 14 (c) of the FLSA are entitled to all the protections of the Act, just as much as any other individual covered by the Act. Application of Section 14(c) merely means that the required statutory minimum wage is reduced." Another argument made by CAB and rejected by the Department of Labor is the CAB's assertion that language in the Labor Department Regulations recognizes the inappropriateness of collective bargaining in a sheltered workshop. The brief responds to this point as follows: "Rather than indicating, as the CAB asserts, that collective bargaining is inappropriate in a sheltered workshop, these regulations assume that sheltered workshops, like other places of employment, can be subject to labor disputes which may either precipitate or follow the unionization of workers. The Department of Labor's Regulations merely reflect concern that factors which normally determine the outcome of a labor dispute should be allowed to operate without interference or manipulation based upon the DOL regulations on sheltered workshops. By maintaining the status quo on the certification of workshops and the hiring of employees, these regulations are meant to assure that the DOL remains neutral during such a labor dispute." The conclusion reached by the Department of Labor attorneys is unequivocal: "In summary, handicapped workers working in a Section 14(c) workshop are employees under the FLSA. Upon certification, employers are permitted to pay handicapped workers minimum wages lower than the regular Section 6 minimum in order to increase their employment opportunities while assuring against their exploitation. These objectives are generally the same as for all covered employees. In the Secretary's view, the NLRB's assertion of jurisdiction over workers employed in certified sheltered workshops would hamper neither these general objectives nor the certification system. There simply is nothing inherent in the FLSA sheltered workshop provisions which precludes the application of the NLRA to sheltered workshops." ***** ** From the Archives John Hebner was a blind Californian who became involved in organizations of the blind in the 1950s. Though a member of the California affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind for a time, he was in the forefront of those who felt that they could no longer remain a part of that group or of the NFB nationwide. This group became the Associated Blind of California and seceded from the NFB in 1959. John Hebner was employed in private business as the sole owner of an insurance agency. He was one of the founders and an at-large Board member of the Federation Free Press Association. Due to health problems, he was only able to be an active participant with the American Council of the Blind in its early years. However, his activity is remembered and appreciated by those who were fortunate enough to work with him. He has been described by his friends as a strong personality and a moving force in the events of that time. In the "Statement of Principles" below, one gains an idea of the philosophy for which he was striving. Also, one cannot help but relate it to the overall philosophy of the American Council of the Blind. The statement was written to highlight the perceived differences between those who were leaving the NFB and those who remained. In 1959, it was adopted as the preamble to the Constitution of the Associated Blind of California. * Statement of Principles By John Hebner WE BELIEVE THAT THE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE BLIND SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED ON THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH AMERICA WAS FOUNDED. WE BELIEVE in the dignity of the individual, and that our clubs, councils, and Federation should be dedicated to respect for this principle. We believe that we must have respect for the rights of minority opinions within our organization. We believe the state council must respect the integrity and autonomy of the local clubs and the National Federation must respect the integrity and autonomy of the state affiliates. We believe the local clubs should have autonomy over local affairs; the state councils should have autonomy over state affairs; the National Federation should deal exclusively with national affairs. We believe that the members must support, but not be controlled by their clubs; we believe that the clubs must support but not be controlled by the state councils; we believe that the state councils must support but not be controlled by the National Federation. We stand firmly dedicated to the principle that the members and delegates of each organization, local, state and national, shall have the right to express their views and cast their ballots without fear of reprisals. WE BELIEVE in the principle of representative government. We believe that the delegates to the state council and to the National Federation should be selected for their intelligence, judgment, responsibility, and fairness, and that they can represent their constituents better by determining the best course of action on any issue before any convention only after consulting with other delegates, hearing the points of view of those who wish to speak on any issue, and weighing all factors in the light of the best interests of the blind as a whole. Delegates must, of course, convey any resolutions passed by their organizations to the resolutions committee, and make every effort to see that they are brought before the convention for consideration. We believe that the instructed delegate is hampered in his effectiveness, reduced to the status of a messenger, and that the swaying of local opinion can be too easily accomplished by strong national or state organizations willing to spend the funds to do so. WE BELIEVE in the secret ballot for all elections. The principle is firmly established in our American system of government. It reduces the opportunity for reprisals and for personality clashes which would hamper the effectiveness of our organization. WE BELIEVE that a basic responsibility of our organization's -- local, state, and national -- is to promote goodwill among the blind and on behalf of the blind. Wherever our influence can be promoted by the practice of good public relations, this is to be preferred to coercive methods of establishing and enforcing laws guaranteeing the rights of the blind. We believe that we have all of the rights guaranteed American citizens under the Constitution, and that unnecessary legislation merely helps to isolate us and build resentment against us as a group seeking favored consideration. This is not intended to mean that social legislation is not needed by the blind, but rather to prevent a few of the blind from achieving control of all blind organizations and representing themselves as the complete voice of the blind, and thus further entrenching the idea that all of the blind are alike -- in depriving us of our dignity as individuals. WE BELIEVE that any organization representing that the blind can speak for themselves must grant this right to its members; any such organization denying this right contains within it the seeds of dissension and disunity. A healthy and mature blind movement must be rooted in the principles of respect for its members. A loyal organized opposition is a natural step in our growth toward maturity. We pledge ourselves to work for a unified, democratic organization of the blind, and in the event that prolonged and continued suppression of expression should lead to the setting up of parallel state and national organizations, we pledge ourselves to work toward reunification under democratic leadership. ***** ** Tragic Accident Takes Life of Blind Woman in Washington Subway By Donna Veno-Eggert On Tuesday, July 10, 1980, a tragic accident occurred in the Washington, D.C. Rapid Rail Transit System. A young blind woman, Patricia de Board of Maryland, fell on to the tracks while walking through the station with her dog guide. Unable to get out of the way of an approaching train, she was struck and two days later she died. The American Council of the Blind became involved immediately both through its Guide Dog Users listing in the telephone directory and its representation on the Advisory Committee to the Transit Authority. As the only dog user on that committee, I was consulted for technical assistance by the Authority and the media. While the ACB held its annual convention in Louisville, a regular meeting of the Advisory Committee occurred. Because I was unable to be at that meeting, I wrote a document containing suggestions as to what the Authority could do to improve access for blind and visually handicapped riders. These included such items as sensitizing station attendants to offer assistance to blind passengers. At the edge of each station platform and going back for about 16 inches is a granite strip. Ostensibly, this strip was made texturally different to serve as a warning system to blind persons to let them know that the edge of the platform is near. This strip is so narrow and only so slightly texturally different from the flooring that one must walk scraping one's feet to find it clearly. I suggested, therefore, that this strip be widened significantly and that the so-called textural difference be improved. Other suggestions included taping of brochures describing Rapid Rail stations. In attendance at that July meeting were representatives of the National Federation of the Blind. From reports of the meeting and from my own personal observations at the August meeting, the NFB tried to minimize the blindness factor involved. One member stated that Ms. de Board probably just wasn't paying any attention. They further tried to convince their members and other blind people that if the blind spoke up and tried to improve access, the Transit Authority would refuse to transport them. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was their issuance of a press release which was prepared and issued before the beginning of the August meeting. That release, which was distributed to all Washington media, stated that Transit Authority officials met with the D.C. chapter of the NFB and accepted their recommendation that nothing needed to be done for access for blind people in the subway, and that the accident was just that -- an accident. The truth is that the Committee invited the Federation's input at its regular meeting and decided to meet in a closed session in September to review pertinent facts of the accident and make substantive recommendations. As a result of the NFB's press release, the Transit Authority officials issued their own release, stating that, indeed, the Committee had not come to any final recommendation; that this stance of "No action needed" was only a viewpoint of some of the blind in the Washington, D.C. area. As members of the Advisory Committee, Reese Robrahn and I will be in attendance at the September meeting. Our representation there will ensure that the Transit Authority gains a realistic understanding of access issues as they apply to blind and visually handicapped travelers. ***** ** U.S. Wins Olympics for the Blind By Charles Buell, Ed.D. (Mr. Buell is a visually impaired member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Association for Blind Athletes. He spoke on the Olympics for the Blind at the 1976 ACB national convention in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1978, he received the George Card Award at the Salt Lake City convention.) The United States won more medals than did any other country in the Olympics for the Blind, held in Holland, June 21 to July 5. Three hundred blind athletes from 38 countries competed in the games. The Olympics for the Blind were part of the Olympiad for the Disabled, which also involved 1,400 wheelchair and 300 amputee athletes. The 2,000 athletes and their coaches and leaders were housed and fed in the military barracks. There were ten athletes and two leaders assigned to each room. The Dutch Army was on maneuvers. The Olympiad for the Disabled is one of the largest athletic events in the world. Besides the athletes, about 4,500 people were needed to run the games. For example, 550 judges, umpires, and other officials were needed to run the sports. Thousands of people were involved in backup services, such as 350 scouts acting as messengers. The Fourth National Championships for the Blind served as tryouts for the Olympics. A team was selected in March, consisting of fifty athletes and thirteen leaders. Dr. David Beaver of Western Illinois University was the leader of the mission. The team trained for a week in June before flying to Holland. The United States Association for Blind Athletes, 55 W. California Avenue, Beach Haven Park, NJ 08008, provided the leadership. This organization is affiliated with the International Sports Organization for the Disabled, which sponsored the games. Since USABA did not have funds for travel, the athletes or their sponsors were asked to raise money for this purpose. Athletes were divided into Classes A and B. Class A athletes were totally blind, while those in Class B had less than 1/20 normal vision. Notice that the definition for legal blindness varies from that of the United States. The European definition is more strict. Class B athletes ran and jumped in the usual manner. Totally blind athletes ran toward callers in the 60 m. dash. Carmella Lovitt of New Jersey set a world record for the event in a time of 9.08, while Melvin Copeland of Tennessee placed second in the male division. In the distance runs, the totally blind ran with sighted partners. Lou Keller of Texas set a world record in the 400 m. run for Class A, 1:10.32. Jim Neppl of Illinois put the shot 11.76 m. to set a world mark in Class A. In the Class B shot put, G. Karlsson, Sweden, nipped Jim Mastro of South Dakota, with a heave of 13.26. Melissa Ricketts and Janet Row, ley were outstanding in women's track. Each set two world records and won gold medals in the shot put. Rowley competes for the women's track team at Boston University. With less than 1/20. normal vision, she is able to do this successfully. The United States won 38 medals in swimming. More medals were won in swimming than in any other sport. The U.S. team was led by Trischa Zorn of California. She set world Class B records in the 100 m. freestyle, the 100 m. backstroke, the 100 m. butterfly, the 200 m. individual medley, and the 400 m. individual medley. She brought the U.S. from far behind to win the 400 m. free style and medley relays. So she won seven gold medals, to become the outstanding athlete in the Olympics for the Blind. Missy Akins of Tennessee placed first in the Class B 100 m. breaststroke in world record time. Among men swimmers, Dean Winger of Wisconsin was outstanding. He set three world records -- in the 100 m. freestyle, the 100 m. butterfly, and the 200 m. individual medley. The above swimmers attribute their success to the fact that they have been competing against opponents who have normal vision. Trischa Zorn is one of the better back-strokers in the United States, blind or sighted. Wrestling was a demonstration event in 1976. The United States wrestlers defeated York University Wrestling Club 21 to 15. This was a group of wrestlers with normal vision. In 1980, wrestling was an official sport in the Olympics for the Blind. However, only the United States and Canada entered teams. Blind athletes in some European countries seem to prefer judo to wrestling. The U.S. won all ten bouts. The team was led by Jim Mastro, who placed third in the N.A.A.U. Greco-Roman competition and was an alternate on the regular 1976 U.S. Olympic wrestling team that year. With an 8-2-2 record, the U.S. placed second in goal ball in a field of thirteen countries. The high scorer was Jim Neppl with 16 goals. Germany won the goal ball championship. The European countries have been playing this game much longer than players in the U.S. There is much more to international competition than winning medals. The athletes experience a great deal of pride in representing their country. Sightseeing, shopping, and travel provide educational experiences. Athletes gain much knowledge from talking with people from all over the world. The Olympics for the Blind was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our athletes. ***** ** NLS Publishes Unique Reference Work for Blind Musicians Dictionary of Braille Music Signs, the only reference work of its kind for blind musicians using braille music notation, has just been published by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress. The book (210 pages in large print) was prepared by Bettye Krolick of Champaign, Illinois, a music braillist and consultant. It contains definitions of more than 400 music signs and about 100 literary abbreviations, and there are explanatory sections on the history of the braille music code and fundamentals of braille music notation. Signs defined include those in current transcription and obsolete signs that appear in older music. The dictionary can be used by braille music readers to determine meanings of unfamiliar braille symbols. Each page of the print edition lists corresponding pages of a companion braille edition. In this way, sighted teachers and blind students can easily locate the same information. Author Krolick is a professional violinist. She has a Bachelor's degree in performance from the Eastman School of Music, chairs the Music Committee of the National Braille Association, and is the U.S. representative to the Subcommittee on Braille Music Notation, World Council for the Welfare of the Blind. Dictionary of Braille Music Signs is available free to blind musicians and music students. It will also be provided for music teachers libraries, and schools serving blind music students. Interested persons should write Music Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC 20542. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * Iowa Council 1980 Convention About forty members attended the 11th annual convention of the Iowa Council of the Blind, reports The Trumpet's Voice, and that number should be doubled. The convention was held in Des Moines the weekend of June 6-8. "Never fear! Those forty members were good, strong members and many debates arose, which makes for a strong organization." Tony Cobb of the Iowa Commission for the Blind was the keynote speaker. He described a new independent living program at the Commission. Representing the national American Council of the Blind was First Vice President Delbert K. Aman of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Mr. Aman told of the activities of his home affiliate, the South Dakota Association of the Blind, and of its work with the American Council. Featured speaker at the Saturday night banquet was Dr. Richard Bleecker, Executive Director of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. Mr. Bleecker described the operations of NAC and commented upon the many problems the organization has had to face over the past several years. Mr. Aman also spoke at the banquet, telling of the beginnings of the American Council. Two awards are given annually by the Iowa Council. The Chester A. Hill Award went this year to Ernest Walk and the Joseph Klostermann Award for unselfish service to Richard Farmer -- both long-time, active members of ICB. At the business meeting, a motion was passed to purchase a photocopier. This means the Iowa Council will soon be printing its own newsletter, The Trumpet's Voice. The assembly also voted to become a supporting member of the National Accreditation Council. Newly elected officers are as follows: President, Lyle Williams of Des Moines; Vice President, Robert Stratton of Maquoketa; Recording Secretary, Phyllis Walk of Vinton, Corresponding Secretary, Lorna Powers of Parkersburg; and Treasurer, John O'Leary of Vinton. * ACB of Nebraska Convention "We, as citizens, must work ever so hard to keep ourselves informed and involved if our interests are to be properly represented." This was the message of Senator Kris Beutler of the Nebraska State Legislature as he addressed the annual luncheon of the American Council of the Blind of Nebraska convention, held June 28 in Lincoln. Senator Beutler emphasized the responsibility of citizens to keep lawmakers informed by direct contact concerning their positions on matters before the legislature. In his view, the mandate of the public to the Legislature is to limit spending and taxation; therefore, available funding will remain fairly static. It is in seeking a piece of that limited "funding pie" that so-called human services-oriented groups come into competition with other special­interest constituencies. Other highlights of the program included a presentation on the education of the visually impaired child in the early elementary years, a panel on parenting by blind persons of sighted children, and a panel discussion and demonstration on the use of the Optacon. An innovation at this year's convention was the convention boutique. This was the idea of ACBN member Lorraine Bamberry, and she managed the boutique table much of the time. Various craft articles and plants donated by the members were for sale. All items were sold, thanks to the outstanding auctioneering of Chauncey Hofmann at the Saturday night banquet. At the business meeting, a resolution was adopted in support of the vendors of Nebraska in their efforts to have the state law amended to allow vendors preference in bidding on state and local office building locations. Three offices were filled by election at the Sunday morning business meeting: President, James Faimon; Corresponding Secretary, Becky Fawcett; Treasurer, Betty Hofmann. Bob Lockwood was elected Vice President, to fill the remaining year of the term vacated by Mr. Faimon. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From Hoosier Starlight (Indiana): Want to give parking tickets to non­disabled people whose cars you see in parking places reserved for the handicapped? Here's your chance! A new reminder "ticket," designed to resemble a parking ticket, is now available. It reminds inconsiderate drivers in a humorous, courteous, but pointed way, that handicapped parking signs mean what they say. You can get a packet of these free tickets from Public Information Office, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, Washington, DC 20201. Karen Lourcey, a member of the Florida Council of the Blind, represented the American Council of the Blind at the 1980 meeting of the ad hoc Advisory Group on Collection Building Activities for the National Library Service, Library of Congress, earlier this year in Washington, D.C. The committee, consisting of NLS network librarians, consumer advisers, and program users, meets each year to discuss problems of collection building affecting librarians and program users. AP, Falmouth, Maine: Edwin E. Robinson, 62, recently had his vision and hearing miraculously restored by lightning. He lost his vision and hearing in a truck accident nine years ago. When the lightning struck, he had been walking around the yard in a thunderstorm with an aluminum cane, getting his pet chicken out of the rain. After being struck, he regained consciousness twenty minutes later and went into the house to take a nap. By that evening, he could read the time on the wall clock, although it faded back and forth, not quite in focus. The next morning, he and his wife broke out the pictures of the grandchildren he had never seen. "Then I went outside and saw my big, white fat cat. He was little when I saw him last ... " A "Recruitment and Training Manual for Visually Impaired React Monitors" has been developed by Paul Edwards, a totally blind rehabilitation counselor with the Florida Division of Blind Services and a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Council of the Blind. The manual is available in braille, cassette, and large print. Quoting directly from Mr. Edwards: "React is an organization whose primary responsibility is handling emergency communications on Channel 9 on Citizens Band radio. I have been a member of a team here in Daytona for the last three years and feel that React represents an opportunity for visually impaired persons to become involved in providing services to the community, and at the same time offers a really viable social outlet for them." For further information, write Mr. Edwards at Division of Blind Services, 1185 Dunn Avenue, Daytona Beach, Florida 32014. If individuals are unable to establish whether there is a team in their local area, they may contact React International, 75 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601. The newest associate members of the Southwestern Chapter, Oregon Council of the Blind, are six young people who have adopted the name JACOB, standing for Junior Associate Council of the Blind. They assist with meals, cleanup, guiding, and money-making projects. They have already held a dance. The following publications are available in print or on tape from Tufts Research and Training Center, 171 Harrison Avenue, Box 387, Boston, MA 02111: "Developing Consumer Advisory Boards Within Vocational Rehabilitation"; "National Directory of Disabled Consumer Organizations"; "Organizations of Disabled Citizens, Basic Organization and Structure"; and "Involving Disabled Consumers in Vocational Rehabilitation: Third­Year Evaluation and Summary Report." From The Trumpet's Voice (Iowa): A friend of the Iowa Council of the Blind, Mark Sieber, 709 39th Street, Des Moines, IA 50312, has developed braille panels and instruction mats for visually impaired cooks with microwave ovens. A specially designed panel fits over the control panel of the oven and enables the visually impaired cook to quickly locate oven selectors. Mr. Seiber has adapted panels for Panasonic, Quasar, and Litton microwave ovens, and he also sells these ovens along with other models. You may contact him at the above address or phone (515) 274-0033. The U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has ordered the General Services Administration and a private landlord to remove numerous barriers to disabled persons in a Federally leased office building in downtown Atlanta. The most serious violation ordered corrected was the lack of passenger elevator service from the main lobby to the basement. The basement houses a public cafeteria and is the level that physically disabled persons use to enter the building from an adjacent parking garage. Other violations ordered corrected were unstable handrails, insufficient visual fire warning signals for deaf persons, offices without raised letters for blind persons, and inaccessible toilets. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued the third edition of a guidebook aimed at making air travel easier and more convenient for handicapped and elderly persons. Travel -- Airports lists design features and facilities that meet the travel needs of wheelchair users, the blind, and the deaf. The new edition has been expanded to include information about 282 airport terminals in 40 countries. For each terminal, the 24-page guide indicates 70 features important to handicapped travelers, including reserved parking ramps, accessible restrooms, elevator controls with raised letters, telephones with amplifiers, and special transportation. A new feature listed in this issue is the availability at some airports of a telecommunications system for the deaf which sends and receives typed messages over the telephone. Single free copies of the guide are available from the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 330 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20201. The Reading Center is a cabinet designed to hold Talking Book Model A77 at armchair or bed height. It has three shelves for tape player, records, tapes, or braille material. Beautifully finished in walnut, cherry, or clear; mounted on casters; with molded edges, $95; with plain edges, $80. Other items available include a four-drawer jewelry box, an oven aid for moving hot racks in and out of the oven, a Barbie Doll picnic table, and a Barbie Doll clothes rack and clothes. For complete details, write John Postma, 1466 W. Michigan Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49017. A second voice-indexed book has been produced by the National Library Service, Library of Congress. Cooking for Yourself, by Mirelle Beaulieu (RC14999), is now available from your regional library. Input on the effectiveness of voice indexing is desired, so please send any comments directly to your regional library. ***** ** 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. ###