Large Type Edition The Braille Forum Vol. XIX February, 1981 No. 8 National Mail Order Service for ACB Members Oceanography, Exciting Career Opportunity for Handicapped 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 accomplishments of the blind. The Braille Forum carries official news of the American Council of the Blind and its programs. It is available for expression of views and concerns common to all blind persons. ***** ** Contents ACB Officers Report from the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Two ACB Major Professional Positions Open A Mail Order Service for ACB Members, by Durward K. McDaniel NCSC Launches Project Energycare Oceanography for the Handicapped: Opening Doors to a New Career St. Louis Calling -- 1981 ACB National Convention, by Assunta Lilley Attention, Charter Members of ACB Future of the Legal Services Corporation in Doubt, by Kathy Megivern Recommendations of the American Council of the Blind to the Minimum Wage Study Commission New Computer Terminal and Paperless Braille System Introduced The 96th Congress Revisited, by Kathy Megivern Education Task Force Issues Final Report In Memoriam: Morris S. Frank Challenge for Leadership -- 1981 ALL Delegate Assembly, by Dr. R.T. McLean ACB Affiliate News: South Dakota, Alabama, and Kentucky State Conventions Here and There, by George Card Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Report from the ACB President, Oral O. Miller Although the 1981 national convention of the American Council of the Blind is only a few short months away, I want to begin this report by telling you about the availability of an informative cassette containing two professionally prepared programs which were developed around the 1980 ACB national convention in Louisville. Those of you who were in Louisville probably saw or heard from time to time that Vernon Henley of The Oklahoma Educational Radio Talking Book Network was recording many of the national convention and special-interest presentations. A couple of Vernon's short articles about the convention were aired over National Public Radio soon after the national convention. However, he has also prepared two longer programs, consisting of appropriate explanatory and introductory comments on his part, plus excerpts from many of the presentations — such as the remarks of Senator Jennings Randolph, Dr. Betty Bird, Mr. Will vans, Mr. Herbert Segal, Assistant Secretary Edwin Martin (of the U.S. Department of Education) and many others. Although some of the presentations were recorded under very difficult conditions, the programs are very well done, and they would be extremely useful as reminders for those who attended the convention as well as informative summaries of the convention for those members who were unable to attend. In addition, they would be very informative to any prospective members of the American Council, inasmuch as they show the democracy and the free exchange of ideas which characterize ACB national conventions. Anyone who is interested in obtaining a copy of these programs (both of which are recorded on one C60 cassette) should send a good quality C60 cassette and a written request to the program producer, Mr. Vernon Henley, whose address is: Oklahoma Educational Radio Talking Book Network, 1108 N.E. 36th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111. During December, 1980 it was my pleasure to make a rather hurried and somewhat unexpected trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, to serve on a committee which was assigned the very formidable task of preparing proposed amendments to the Constitution of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, as well as a statement of principles for guidance of the World Council. The committee was made up of representatives from Denmark, Sweden, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The committee met in very long and productive work sessions at the headquarters of the Danish Association of the Blind, and although there was very little time for anything but work and work-related activities, we were hosted most cordially by the Danish Association. One of the primary objectives of the proposed amendments is to encourage greater input on the part of consumers of blind services, especially in the developing nations. While the proposed amendments have not yet been seen by the Executive Committee or the members of the World Council, one of the very important proposals attempts to delineate, for the first time on the international level, the distinction between organizations of the blind and organizations or agencies for the blind. The distinctions may seem fairly clear in the U.S.A., where there is a well-established concept of consumer input, but in some of the developing countries, there is no such concept. In addition, in many countries there is little recognition of even the minimal civil rights of the blind, and it is hoped that some of the proposed operating principles will enlighten the governments of such countries as well as encourage the blind themselves to do everything possible to help themselves. The American Council of the Blind has been a member of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind for many years, but only in recent years has the ACB been in a position to assist significantly in helping the World Council to achieve some of its expanding objectives. A subsequent issue of The Braille Forum will contain a summary of the important decisions made by the ACB Board of Directors during the mid-year Board meeting held in St. Louis the weekend of January 2-4, 1981. However, a couple of those decisions should be mentioned at this point. For example, in adopting the largest budget in the history of the ACB, it was decided that ACB should give its affiliates an opportunity to share in the attainment of an objective about which all ACB members have been concerned for many years -- that is, the preparation and distribution of meaningful and professionally prepared public service and educational announcements concerning the American Council of the Blind. A start in this direction was made last summer with the preparation of public service spot announcements for use in cities where ACB Thrift Stores are located, but the announcements that are now to be prepared will be for distribution throughout the country, in cooperation and with the support of our affiliates. More information concerning this subject will be forthcoming in a future issue of The Braille Forum. Another important decision which was made by the ACB Board will hopefully result in a greater number of students in attendance at the ACB national conventions. This subject will also be discussed further in a future issue of The Braille Forum, as well as in a future Action Memorandum tape. One of the most difficult and important steps which the American Council of the Blind will have to take during 1981 will be the selection of a new National Representative to replace, by virtue of his upcoming retirement, Durward K. McDaniel, the hard-working, dedicated, sincere, and extremely effective director of the ACB National Office in Washington since its opening some twelve years ago. Replacing a man of the stature of Durward McDaniel will be an exceptionally difficult task. A short announcement concerning the acceptance of applications for the position appears elsewhere in this issue of The Braille Forum. To assist the ACB Board and me in this very difficult task, I have named a special Search Committee, which is being chaired by Dr. Otis Stephens of Tennessee, and whose members are Mr. George Fogarty of California, Mrs. Carol Derouin of Oregon, and Mr. John Nelson of Minnesota. The final paragraph of this report falls into the category of "ACB's loss is ACCD's gain." To be specific, during mid-December, 1980, Reese H. Robrahn, who has served, with a short interruption in service, as ACB's Director of Governmental Affairs from 1976 to the present, accepted a position as Executive Director of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. The ACB has been an active member and supporter of the ACCD since its organization several years ago, and during that time the members of the ACCD had an opportunity to become acquainted with Reese's work. We want to thank Reese for his service to ACB and to wish him well as he assumes his new position. An announcement concerning the selection of a new Director of Governmental Affairs appears elsewhere in this issue of The Braille Forum. ***** ** Two ACB Major Professional Positions Open The American Council of the Blind is now accepting applications for two positions in its Washington office, National Representative and Director of Governmental Affairs. The first of these openings results from the impending retirement of Durward McDaniel, which was announced after the 1980 convention. The second position became vacant in December when Reese Robrahn resigned to become Executive Director of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. Mr. McDaniel plans to retire this summer -- after the St. Louis convention. The target date for employment of his successor is July 1, which will allow for a brief on-the-job training period for the new national representative. National Representative is the title of the principal ACB staff position. This employee directs all ACB Washington office operations and is responsible for development and implementation of programs, promotion of membership development, negotiations of settlements in legal matters, technical assistance to affiliates and individuals, and maintenance of relationships with associated organizations. The beginning salary will be $44,547.00 a year. A special committee, chaired by Dr. Otis Stephens, will solicit and review applications for this position. The primary duties of the ACB Director of Governmental Affairs are implementation of the legislative program of the American Council and coordination of its governmental relations with those of affiliated and associated organizations. The beginning salary will be $26,951.00 a year. Applications for the position of National Representative should be filed by May 1. The closing date for filing applications for Director of Governmental Affairs is April 1, one month earlier. Resumes and/or Federal standard Forms 171 should be mailed to the ACB President, Oral O. Miller, 3701 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 236, Washington, DC 20008. A job description and information about fringe benefits may be obtained from the ACB Washington office. ***** ** A Mail Order Service for ACB Members By Durward K. McDaniel Each member of the American Council of the Blind will soon receive a letter from ACB describing a national mail order service through which prescription drugs and other products can be ordered by mail through a major national retail chain. Through this arrangement, we are able to offer our members substantial savings because of mass buying power and marketing efficiency. The information will give detail about this new service, with instructions for ordering and necessary legal restrictions on some items. All prescriptions will be filled by registered pharmacists. Also enclosed will be some sample listings contrasting the prices of name brands and their generic equivalents, which are significantly cheaper. Some prices for non-prescription items will also be enclosed. Our agreement provides that orders will be filled and mailed (with the bill and with postage pre­paid) on the same day they are received. This is a service for ACB members to help you save money on such necessary expenses. ACB will not be charging or receiving any compensation or commissions for this service to its members. Interested non-members are always welcome in the American Council of the Bind, and inquiries may be sent to the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. ***** ** NCSC Launches Project Energycare The National Council of Senior Citizens has been awarded a major grant by the Community Services Administration that will enable NCSC to conduct a nationwide outreach effort publicizing energy assistance for low-income families, the disabled and elderly. With the assistance of cooperating organizations, NCSC hopes to save thousands of Americans from needless suffering this winter. There have been numerous reports in past winters of hardships faced by those unable to meet high heating bills. Because many low-income families, as well as disabled and elderly persons, are determined to pay their bills no matter what, they are often forced to cut back on such other necessities as food, medicine, and visits to doctors in order to do so, or they reduce the level of heat in their homes so substantially as to endanger their health. These are the people to whom Project Energycare is directed. Project Energycare is a national information and education program aimed at identifying the energy needs of low­income households with either disabled or elderly people and assisting them in gaining access to the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and other Federal or state assistance programs. The National Council of Senior Citizens, a labor-supported membership organization representing nearly four million retirees, was chosen for the outreach grant because of its recognized skill in local organizing, its successful experience in previous outreach campaigns, and its ability to mobilize a national network of councils, clubs, and individuals. To bring Project Energycare to the attention of disabled citizens throughout the nation who may not otherwise be reached by a massive media campaign which will intensify in February with a nationwide Energycare Week, NCSC has enlisted the cooperation of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities including the American Council of the Blind. In addition, energy issues have been a major NCSC concern for several years. The National Council is a prominent member of the Citizen Labor Energy Coalition and worked closely with Congress last fall in an attempt to get the highest funding level possible for the Low­Income Energy Assistance Program. The 1981 assistance program is funded with $1.85 billion to be distributed among low-income families and the elderly who are unable to meet rising utility bills. But available energy assistance encompasses much more than the Federal Low-Income Assistance Program. Other sources of aid include state funds that are set aside to help low-income energy consumers, state and Federal weatherization programs that help the poor insulate their homes, and the Federal Crisis Intervention Program that grants emergency assistance to victims of utility shutoffs and other crisis situations. Without a comprehensive outreach campaign, however, many of the households most in need might never know that such help is available. This is why NCSC's Project Energycare is so important. The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federal grant program to the states, with minimal requirements placed on each state program by the Department of Health and Human Services. Eligibility for LIEAP assistance is based upon income, with the maximum allowable income established at 100% of the Bureau of Labor Statistics lower living standard. States are allowed to set a lower eligibility ceiling and must demonstrate that the highest level of assistance will be provided to those households with the greatest home energy burden in proportion to income. Under the Federal guidelines, the maximum level of assistance which may be provided each household is set at $750. However, it should be emphasized and re-emphasized that ceilings may be considerably lower in most states. Authorized as Title III of the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act of 1980, LIEAP will help where medically necessary, cooling costs during the winter and summer of 1981. Integral to the success of Project Energycare is the participation and cooperation of a nationwide network of area Energycare sponsors, local agencies which regularly deal with the problems of low-income families and the elderly. Energycare sponsors include community action agencies, church groups, nutrition programs, and legal services offices. Seventy such agencies have been named by Project Energycare. For further information on Project Energycare or for the name of the area Energycare sponsor nearest you, write or call the ACB National Office. ***** ** Oceanography for the Handicapped Opening Doors to a New Career By Norma Galles Reyes (NOAA Reprint, Vol. IX, No. 4, Oct. 1979) The old army surplus bus slowly made its way over deep ruts in the road. Behind it followed a small caravan of vans and station wagons, each keeping far enough behind the vehicle in front to avoid the dust clouds it kicked up. At the dunes where they alighted, their NASA badges securely in place, the passengers sprayed themselves and each other with insect repellant, assembled wheelchairs and helped the owners into them, gathered tools, and made their way to the beach. The Marine Science School for the Handicapped at Wallops Island, Virginia, was on a field trip. The 22 students and eight staff members from Oregon to Nova Scotia and Georgia were participating in a 5 1/2-week program that had been created as a gamble three years before. In 1976, Dr. Edward Keller responded to a request from a Congressional committee on Science and Technology for information on National Science Foundation programs for the handicapped. When he learned that money was to be given to NSF for supporting programs for the handicapped, he submitted his proposal and was accepted. On the beach, Keller, director of the Marine Science Program for the Handicapped and biology teacher at West Virginia University, directed the movements of his staff and students from the sidelines, using his crutches occasionally to point to an errant crab that escaped the net. "If we keep track of the animals we bring out of the water, we can put them all back safely, except for those you put in the buckets to take back to the lab," he reminded them. He watched as Mary Frederick, teacher at the Gallaudet College model secondary school for the deaf, in Washington, D.C., teamed up a deaf student with a blind student to handle one side of the net in the ocean. With the other team of deaf students, they brought to shore a net full of sea lettuce, non­poisonous jellyfish, anchovies, and a horseshoe crab. Frederick lifted each item and passed it around, explaining each one in spoken as well as sign language. Everyone got to touch. Ernie Starcher, science teacher at the West Virginia School for the Blind, and the coordinator for the blind at the Wallops program, encouraged Robbin Barron of Montgomery, West Virginia, to touch the jellyfish. Her reaction was typical of that of many teenage girls: "Yeecht!" The primary purpose of the program -- which is currently one-of-a-kind in the country and possibly the world -- is to offer outstanding handicapped high-school students pre-college exposure and experience in the various areas of marine science, and to expose them to practicing oceanographers like Dr. Thomas S. Austin, recently retired director of NOAA's Environmental Data and Information Service. It is conducted in the field station of the Marine Science Consortium, Inc., which includes 17 colleges and universities from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Austin, himself a paraplegic, lectured to the students from his wheelchair, pointing out various specific tasks they can perform in spite of their various handicaps. Paul Cunningham signed for Austin, as he does for other instructors who have not been trained to sign. A science teacher at Gallaudet College model secondary school for the deaf, Cunningham is also an instructor and signer at the Marine Science School for the Handicapped. Because of the lack of signs for many scientific terms, he is currently working on a glossary that will help fill the need. The students attending the summer program represented three major physical impairments: blindness, deafness, and orthopedically disabled. The success of the program is evident by the enthusiasm with which the students approach their projects in the lab and on field trips, and by the fact that only one student did not finish the session this year. The facilities on Wallops Island were once barracks for the Chincoteague Air Base and are located next to the NASA Flight Center and NOAA field station. Cooperation from these facilities and local fishermen and organizations allows Keller's staff to plan field trips to the Government-owned beaches of North Wallops and Assateague Islands, and to go on boats, whether on field trips or on a pleasure fishing outing. For some of the students, the chance to be in the program was a chance to make career decisions. Mark Pietrusinski of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, used the experience to help him decide how much science to pursue. "Like Dr. Austin said, you need a lot of science," he said as he made his way with the cane to a pond behind the dunes to gather water for his project testing the salinity of local water sources. Each student, with the advice of a counselor, selected a main project to complete by the end of the five weeks. Carroll Haller of Newport, Oregon, sat in her wheelchair counting the snails working their way up the tall marsh grass in a basin in her room and recording the times according to a chart. For her, coming to the school was the first time away from home alone and the first time on a plane. But there is little sign of homesickness. "I would like to find out more, stay for a longer period of time," said Carroll, who will be a freshman at college this fall. "I like it here. I've never been this close to nature." For the worried parents who don't know how their children will manage, Helen Keller, licensed practical nurse and instructional coordinator for the program, tells them: "Don't worry. We're one family. We do everything together." And they do. They take care of each other. It was not unusual to see Charlene Smith of Morgantown, West Virginia, who is blind, pushing Carroll's wheelchair to the cafeteria when no one else was around to help. For some of the students, the program fills a void in their quest for information, often limited for them because of their handicap. James Krpan, a deaf student from a rural community near Kansas City, Missouri, has an interest in marine science that causes him to walk miles from his rural home to a college in the city to get answers to his questions. For such a student, the Marine Science Program for the Handicapped is an invaluable opportunity. "The main thing in a group like this (high-school students) is to instill a love of nature," says Jim Koehler, a wildlife resources specialist who had his first experience with the handicapped program this year. "If they get this, they will get all of the hard facts in college later." According to Director Keller, almost all of the students that have participated in the program during its first two years are going to college. "When a counselor tells a handicapped student that he can't be an oceanographer and that student has seen Dr. Austin and knows he's been an oceanographer for 33 years, and he's in a wheelchair, and the student's in a wheelchair -- well, 'If Dr. Austin's an oceanographer and he's in a wheelchair, why can't I be an oceanographer?' And, of course, the answer is, he can." The biggest problem -- besides the lack of sufficient funds to do things the NSF grant does not cover, like administrative support, more printed and braille materials and better vehicles -- the biggest problem is the pre-judged ideas of what handicapped people can do. And certainly at Wallops, at the NSF Marine Science Program for the Handicapped, where snow fences laid flat help the wheelchairs get into the marshes, where blind students learn to hold crabs so they don't pinch, and where deaf students learn a scientific vocabulary that doesn't exist in their signs, certainly here, no one has any pre­judged ideas of what they can do. (Editor's Note: For further information concerning this unique and exciting program for pre-college physically handicapped students, contact Dr. E.C. Keller, Jr., Director, Marine Science Consortium, Inc., 237 Brooks Hall, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506.) ***** ** St. Louis Calling -- 1981 ACB National Convention By Assunta Lilley, Chairperson Convention Host Committee As the months roll by and the week of July 4-11, 1981 grows closer, each member of the Host Committee is working hard to make the 1981 national convention of the American Council of the Blind a memorable occasion for all who attend. Outstanding exhibits, memorable entertainment, well-planned tours, an informative program-all these and more are in the planning stages. A "Get Acquainted Night" is being planned for Sunday, July 5. You will want to arrive early and stay late, since there will be activities throughout the week that you won't want to miss. Convention headquarters 1s the Chase-Park Plaza hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO 63108; telephone (314) 361-2500. Special room rates are as follows: single, $24; double, $28; triple, $30. Please note the correction in the rate for a triple room, $30. This has been listed incorrectly in previous issues of The Braille Forum. Information on transportation into St. Louis is as follows: Eleven airlines serve the city -- U.S. Air, American, Delta, Eastern, Frontier, Ozark, Northwest Orient, Republic, Texas International, TWA, and Midway. Both Greyhound and Continental Trailways buses serve St. Louis, and Amtrak comes to the city from some parts of the country. As you know, with ongoing inflation, transportation costs continue to rise. However, we suggest that if you make reservations and pay for your ticket now, you can avoid paying any further fare increases. The Host Committee is working hard to arrange for volunteers to assist conventioneers at all points of entry. We have, therefore, asked that a special question be included in the pre-registration form to identify your mode of transportation and travel time. Your cooperation in furnishing this information will make our work easier and your arrival more convenient. Further information on the hotel, tours, special conferences, social events, and the convention program will appear in The Braille Forum as plans develop. The Host Committee suggests that you keep these articles so that when you arrive at the convention you will be completely informed. ***** ** Attention, Charter Members of ACB The 1981 convention of the American Council of the Blind marks ACB's 20th birthday. We of the Convention Host Committee are anxious to contact as many as possible of the organization's charter members -- those who joined during the first year. So, if you are one of those pioneers, please, without delay, notify Fred Lilley, Missouri Federation of the Blind, 2683 Big Bend Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63143; telephone (314) 647-3647. ***** ** Future of the Legal Services Corporation In Doubt By Kathy Megivern The concept of equal access to our judicial system is basic to American democracy. Few people would quarrel with the principle of providing quality legal assistance to poor people. But while the principle is not controversial, the corporation created to make that theory a reality has become very controversial, indeed. In fact, the Legal Services Corporation, which funds legal services programs around the country, is said to be high on the "hit list" of the Reagan Administration. A recent report sent to the Reagan transition team by the conservative Heritage Foundation called the Legal Services Corporation "unabashedly a government-subsidized 'public interest' law mechanism which shares and sustains the ideological left." The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a private, non-profit corporation established by law for the purpose of funding local programs to provide free legal assistance to poor people. The act which established LSC contains several limitations on activities of the Corporation and Legal Services attorneys. In the course of their jobs, these attorneys cannot engage in any public demonstration, strike, or boycott. In addition, there are prohibitions against political activities and against the use of Corporation money to provide legal assistance in any case relating to desegregation of schools or any litigation seeking to procure a non-therapeutic abortion. These attorneys cannot organize or assist in the organization of any "association, coalition, alliance, federation, confederation, or any similar entity.'' Yet, despite all of these limitations, obviously intended to keep the Legal Services program out of controversial activities, the Corporation has still managed to invoke the ire of many conservatives, including Ronald Reagan. When the legislation re-authorizing the funding of LSC was proposed in this past Congress, over twenty restrictive amendments were offered by conservative Congressmen. These amendments would have further limited LSC activities in areas such as alien representation, legislative advocacy, and litigation against public school districts. That last category is one which would directly affect handicapped people, since much of the litigation being brought to assure equal education for handicapped children under P.L. 94-142 is being handled by the Legal Services attorneys. Because of the many limiting amendments and the uncertainty of passage, the re-authorization bill was never brought to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. Money for LSC was included in the omnibus continuing resolution passed in the final hours of the 96th Congress. That means that the Corporation is assured funding through September 30, 1981, but the new Congress will have to pass a re-authorization bill if LSC is to continue in existence. That continued existence of LSC should be of more than passing interest to blind and handicapped Americans. In addition to their involvement in lawsuits to enforce the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, Legal Services attorneys around the country are in the forefront of many other battles on behalf of handicapped people. Because they represent poor persons, they are very much involved in litigation to assure due process and full equality in the administration of public assistance programs, including SSI and disability insurance. Legal Services attorneys frequently represent disabled persons in discrimination suits such as the case against the former management of the Mississippi Industries for the Blind. Because many blind and handicapped people fall within the low-income category, it is safe to assume that Legal Services attorneys will continue to be deeply involved in broad issues affecting all handicapped citizens (such as discrimination), as well as continuing to offer individual assistance to their many handicapped clients. LSC will be fighting for its very existence in the 97th Congress. In addition to the re-authorization and funding battles, there will be five openings on the Board of Directors which are to be filled. President Carter's nominations for these positions in 1980 were not confirmed by the Senate. So President Reagan will be appointing new people to LSC's governing board. Supporters of LSC are preparing for the difficult battles which lie ahead. The following excerpt is from a column written by LSC President Dan J. Bradley and published in LSC's November-December newsletter: "It would be naive of us not to acknowledge that some of those elected in November are opposed to the concept of providing aggressive legal assistance for poor people. But it also would be incorrect of us to equate election results with hostility toward legal services. Many conservatives recognize that access to vigorous advocacy is the cornerstone of this nation's justice system. We hope to educate those who do not accept this principle to understand that the need to provide all people with access to law is basic to a democracy. We will oppose any and all attempts to deny poor people their right to full and effective counsel, or to restrict the nature and type of legal representation. And we will continue to carry on this fight because we stand for principles that are basic to this nation's justice system." We will continue to report in future issues of The Braille Forum as LSC's battle for existence proceeds. ***** ** Recommendations of the American Council of the Blind to the Minimum Wage Study Commission (NOTE: The Minimum Wage Study Commission was established by law to conduct a study of the effects of the Federal minimum wage upon employment and unemployment. Among the issues which the Commission was ordered to address are the effects of a special subminimum wage for handicapped people and the relationship of public assistance benefits to the minimum wage. The Commission solicited comments from interested persons and organizations. Following are excerpts from comments filed by the American Council of the Blind, on January 6, 1981.) ... We were particularly interested in the preliminary outline of a report to the Commission on handicapped workers and the minimum wage. Perhaps the most significant point made in that preliminary outline was the finding that discrimination is a major factor in the high unemployment rate among handicapped people. The Council firmly supports legislation to add handicapped people to the coverage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination in employment. While such a recommendation does not relate directly to the minimum wage issue, one cannot give proper consideration to the question of wage rate effects upon handicapped persons without first recognizing the serious implications of discrimination. We hope the Commission will note this problem and include a recommendation for legislative action. ... Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act provides for the issuance of special certificates allowing employers to pay subminimum wages to blind and handicapped persons. The Department of Labor is charged with the enforcement of this program, and there has been much publicity about abuses of these special provisions. While some have called for the immediate repeal of 14(c) as it applies to blind persons, the Council believes that such a move could have a serious negative impact upon the employment prospects of many blind persons currently employed under special certificates. However, we recognize the serious need for improvements in the administration of Section 14(c). At our 1979 annual convention, the members of the Council passed a resolution endorsing several changes in the special certificate program. Among other things, our members support raising the level of the subminimum wage to 75 percent of the Federal minimum wage rather than the 50 percent level currently allowed. We also support elimination of "blanket" certificates, thus requiring employers to demonstrate in each case that the individual worker is in fact unable to meet the competitive level of productivity. The Department of Labor has announced its intention to commence an "experimental" program requiring sheltered workshops to pay the minimum wage to all blind employees who are not otherwise handicapped. The stated rationale for such a program, according to Labor Department officials in July, 1980, is to find out if higher wages to blind workers will result in higher productivity. Such a program will require very careful monitoring and administration by the Labor Department if it is to produce any meaningful results. In addition to the recommendations contained in the resolution mentioned above, there are other proposals which we endorse for the improvement of the Section 14(c) program. We believe that the special certificates should apply only in the sheltered workshop situation. In competitive industry, we feel that a tax credit for employers is a far more appropriate way to encourage the hiring of blind and handicapped persons than the issuance of special certificates allowing payment of subminimum wages. There are other areas in which the establishment of criteria by the Labor Department would improve the subminimum wage program. For example, there are many factors affecting a workshop's ability to employ handicapped persons and pay sufficient wages. Setting formal criteria for payout ratios of gross business to gross wages and administrative costs to gross wages would be a valuable step toward assuring the payment of minimum wages to all handicapped employees, while avoiding a negative employment impact. Such criteria would have to contain a clear delineation of what goes into calculation of these ratios. Another important step would be the establishment by the Labor Department of strict criteria governing bidding practices. When a workshop offers unrealistically low bids merely to increase its business, it often ignores the fact that even the highest productivity rate will now allow it to pay the minimum wage to its handicapped employees. Such practices should be prohibited, as they defeat the purpose of Section 14(c). The Labor Department should make the appropriate criteria for bidding practices a factor to be considered in entitlement of a workshop for subminimum wage certificates. A large number of blind and handicapped persons employed in sheltered workshops or at other part-time jobs also receive benefits under various public assistance programs. The fear of losing these critically needed benefits is a serious disincentive to full employment for many. Many blind persons receive benefits under the Supplemental Security Income program, Title XVI, the Social Security Disability Insurance program, Title II, or in some cases under both of these programs. Currently there is a significant difference in the amount of earnings allowed to be disregarded under Titles II and XVI. The Council favors increasing the amount of disregarded earnings of blind SSI beneficiaries to bring the provisions of Title XVI more in line with the more liberal amounts allowed under Title II. For many blind and disabled persons, the potential loss of Medicaid and other social services is an absolute bar to employment. One change which this Commission should recommend would be an indexing system tying the amount of earnings allowable to increases in the minimum wage. While such a change would not correct the more serious disincentives currently built into the law, it would at least permit those persons who are able to work part-time to maintain employment at whatever level they may have been working prior to any increase in minimum wage. Thus, an increase in the minimum wage would not automatically require that such persons cut back on the number of hours worked in order to remain eligible for public assistance programs. ***** ** New Computer Terminal and Paperless Braille System Introduced On January 8, 1981, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, held a luncheon in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with a four-day demonstration by Clark and Smith Ltd., manufacturers of the extended-play British talking cassette book. Major Clark was the featured speaker at the luncheon and presented a description of Brailink, a new paperless braille system. It is first and foremost a sophisticated, "SMART," cursor-based computer terminal which contains two memories with a capacity of 2,000 characters each. This equals two television screens of 25 lines with 80 characters. Besides its technical computer applications, this system holds many possibilities for the more general consumer. It contains a 40-character paperless braille display — one full braille line. Braille can either be read from or written on to one of two built-in mini-cassettes. It is quite discernable by touch, quiet, and can replace itself with great rapidity. One can search through a cassette for groups of letters, full words, or phrases. Those interested in the technical capabilities of Brailink should know that it is being used as a terminal on IBM, Univac, mini-computers, and Apple equipment with success. Through the use of a Z-80 microprocessor chip, it is programmable by its owner; able to send and receive from 5 to 960 characters per second; equipped with all normal setting controls such as parity, duplex, and transparent; and attachable to other devices such as printers with a standard RS-232 plug. For more information on Brailink, write to Clark and Smith Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Melbourne Works, Melbourne Road, Wallington, Surrey SM68SD. At this time, the Brailink sells for $11,000 and can be delivered within 30 days. ***** ** The 96th Congress Revisited By Kathy Megivern As the 97th Congress arrives in Washington and begins its work, it seems an appropriate time to look back at the accomplishments and the things left undone by the 96th Congress. Readers of The Braille Forum will be familiar with most of the legislation discussed below, since frequent reports have been carried of the progress (or lack thereof) of many of these bills. As the 96th Congress began, hopes and expectations were high. In February 1979, two bills of major importance to handicapped Americans were introduced. S.446, introduced by Senator Harrison Williams (D., NJ), would have added handicapped people to the coverage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination in employment. For many months, S. 446 progressed rapidly. Co-sponsors were added, a hearing was held, and the bill was successfully reported out of committee and placed on the Senate calendar. But there it died. Early in the process, the opposition apparently had underestimated the chances of success for S. 446, but once it was reported out of committee, an intensive lobbying campaign succeeded in killing the bill. Also in February 1979, Senators Birch Bayh (D., IN) and Charles McC. Mathias (R., MD) introduced S. 506, the Fair Housing Act Amendments. Among other things, this bill added handicapped people to the protection of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. The bill came as close to enactment as possible, but was defeated by a Republican filibuster in the final hours of the session (see the January Braille Forum for details). Undoubtedly, the most controversial issue relating to handicapped people to arise in the 96th Congress was transportation. The American Public Transit Authority and others attempted to undo the effects of the Department of Transportation's Section 504 regulations by adding amendments to both the Department of Transportation appropriations bill and its authorization bill. The amendment became known as the Cleveland Amendment because it was sponsored by Congressman James Cleveland (R., NH), The Cleveland Amendment provided for "local option," thus allowing local transit authorities the choice of providing alternative transportation services for handicapped people rather than making their transit systems accessible. The Cleveland Amendment set no standards for these alternative services, so compromise language was worked out in the Senate which still allowed local option, but established minimum standards for any paratransit services. This became known as the Zorinsky Amendment, for Senator Edward Zorinsky (D., NE). After protracted negotiating and intense lobbying, the appropriations bill for fiscal year 1981 was passed with a reference to the Zorinsky Amendment included. The authorization bill was not passed. The 97th Congress will again take up the authorization bill, and there is every reason to expect that the language of the Cleveland Amendment will once again be the focus of a bitter fight for proponents of handicapped people. One bit of good news for handicapped people came with the passage of H.R. 7466, sponsored by Representative Patricia Schroeder (D., CO). This bill permits the employment of personal assistants for handicapped Federal employees. Such a provision already exists for the employment of readers for blind and interpreters for deaf Federal employees. A major piece of legislation to succeed in the 96th Congress was the Disability Insurance Amendments of 1979. This bill, H.R. 3236, was opposed by every major organization of elderly and handicapped persons because of its regressive provisions limiting disability benefits for certain future beneficiaries. The bill as finally passed contained some improvements in the Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance programs, but two negative sections were also enacted despite the intense opposition. Numerous other proposals died in committees in the 96th Congress, including the Legal Services Corporation re-authorization bill (see article elsewhere in this issue) and the Kennedy-Waxman proposal for national health insurance. All in all, there was very little progress made by the 96th Congress on behalf of handicapped Americans. Most of the major battles were lost, and these failures emphasize more than ever the need for a stronger, more organized lobbying effort by and for blind and handicapped people. ***** ** Education Task Force Issues Final Report On April 16, 1980, the Secretary of Education appointed a Task Force on Equal Educational Opportunity for Handicapped Children. The Task Force was convened in part as a response to increasing criticism about the Department of Education's failure to properly implement P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The Task Force was asked to review these criticisms and to recommend specific policies and procedures to improve the Department's performance in this area. An interim report was issued by the Task Force in June which concluded that issues requiring further consideration were raised in four key areas, as follows: (1) data collection; (2) enforcement; (3) policy development; and (4) technical assistance. A final report was issued by the Task Force on October 15, 1980 One of the most important elements of this report was a Memorandum of Understanding between the and the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education (OSE). The Memorandum provides for coordinated action between these two offices in the four key areas identified above. In addition to the Memorandum of Understanding, which includes specific steps for improved coordination, the final report also recommended certain additional steps. Included among these was the recommendation that the Department of Education improve coordination with the Department of Justice by developing procedures for sharing information and criteria for use of sanctions. It was also recommended that the Department of Education take immediate action to provide formal guidance in a number of key areas. The Memorandum of Understanding between OCR and OSE contains the following specific provisions: • Improved utilization of information derived from complaints. • Clearer procedures for referral and complaint investigation. • Review of state plans under P.L. 94-142, using whatever information is available throughout the Department of Education. • Joint development of a yearly compliance review activities plan. • Consultation among OCR, OSE, and the Office of the General Counsel to foster more effective use of the range of enforcement options available within the Department and to provide state and local agencies with consistent guidance regarding their responsibilities under Federal Law. • Joint development of a yearly training plan to ensure that Department personnel can perform their responsibilities in implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and P.L. 94-142 in the most informed and effective manner possible. • A more coordinated and open system of policy development, involving both OCR and OSE, designed to reduce uncertainty regarding requirements imposed by Section 504 and P.L. 94-142. • Joint development of a yearly plan for technical assistance designed to use available resources as effectively as possible and avoid overlap. • Yearly assessment of the effectiveness with which the Memorandum of Understanding is being implemented. ***** ** In Memoriam: Morris S. Frank Morris S. Frank, who pioneered and promoted the use of dog guides in the United States, died at his home near Morristown, New Jersey, on November 22, 1980. He was 72 years old and a retired vice president of the Seeing Eye, Inc. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1908. Mr. Frank lost the sight of one eye when he fell at the age of 2. He lost the use of the other eye while boxing at the age of 16. The son of a blind mother who was a staunch supporter of social issues when such subjects as racial and sexual equality were unpopular, he perhaps gained his indomitable spirit from her. Upon becoming blind, Mr. Frank encountered a universal prejudice which equated blindness with lack of intelligence. Offered a job selling brooms, he decided instead that he would rather sell insurance. He enrolled at Vanderbilt University and paid his way through college as a piano tuner. He taught himself braille. For three years after losing his sight, Mr. Frank had a hired boy guide, who managed to "get bored easily." His enthusiasm for the idea of trained dog guides was no doubt born of his reluctance to be dependent upon paid helpers. He was led to the idea by an article in the Saturday Evening Post by Dorothy Harrison Eustis, an experimental breeder and trainer of German shepherd dogs, who was then living in Switzerland. Mrs. Eustis had trained dogs for police and Red Cross work, but had never trained dogs for the use of the blind. Nonetheless, Mr. Frank contacted her and in 1928 traveled alone to Switzerland, where he trained with his first dog, Buddy. This German shepherd was to become the forerunner of countless dog guides throughout the United States. Upon his return home, Mr. Frank offered to promote the use of dog guides in the United States and one year later incorporated the Seeing Eye in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the years, he and Buddy traveled over 50,000 miles publicizing the work of the school. The Seeing Eye began modestly with one trainer and two students. The early success of this class and of classes in several other cities spurred Mr. Frank on. Ironically, much of the resistance to the idea of dog guides came from organizations for the blind. The successful matching of a dog guide with Herbert Immeln, Director of the Lighthouse for the Blind in New York City, was a significant breakthrough. As Mr. Frank and Buddy traveled and demonstrated their remarkable relationship, support and acceptance grew. In 1932, Mr. Frank closed his insurance business in Nashville and began touring New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to explore and improve opportunities for dog guides in those states. With the consolidation of the Seeing Eye at Morristown, many of the early problems faded. Mr. Frank and Buddy toured private schools from Maine to the Carolinas, and during World War II traveled for months at a time to Army, Navy, and veterans hospitals. In April of 1956, Morris Frank retired from the Seeing Eye on the 28th anniversary of his arrival in Switzerland to meet Buddy. On his retirement, he settled with his wife Lois in Morristown, where at the age of 48 he launched his own insurance agency. Morris S. Frank obtained his first Seeing Eye dog, Buddy I, in Switzerland. His last dog, Buddy VI, was trained at the Seeing Eye in 1979. "Although Morris Frank, the man, is no longer with us," said Stuart Grout, Executive Vice President of the Seeing Eye, "that indomitable spirit which characterized his life continues to pervade the Seeing Eye, its philosophy, and the lives of the people it touches. Mr. Frank has left us a legacy of uniquely conquered challenge which will live on in widening impact on the lives of thousands of people in the years ahead. He was one of those rare and fortunate persons whose life has had a profound influence on his fell ow men. He leaves the Seeing Eye as a monument to his memory. As one of its architects, he leaves a heritage of freedom and human dignity. ... "As we see it, although the man who pioneered the use of Seeing Eye dogs is gone, the impact of his efforts is not. We at the Seeing Eye pay tribute to the memory of this remarkable and courageous human being, and in so doing renew our own striving to keep alive the spirit of independence bequeathed by Morris Frank." ***** ** Challenge for Leadership 1981 ALL Delegate Assembly By Dr. R.T. McLean, Chairman Affiliated Leadership League There is a thumping, bumping, drumming cry heard over the land: Look at me! I am the leader and these are the blind. What miracles we have wrought! This type of voice from the blue leaves me waiting for the thump of the other shoe: There has to be something tied to this sort of claim. The real challenge facing the world of the blind is the need to have potential leaders from among the blind themselves come forward and work together to build a bigger, better, and more open world for blind and visually impaired persons. The Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL) tosses the challenge of leadership to affiliates of the American Council of the Blind and invites them to follow the lead of many of their fellow affiliates and join the Affiliated Leadership League. We need the added strength of more consumer input in ALL -- we need to keep the balance between consumer and provider members. Participation in the Affiliated Leadership League represents a positive opportunity for putting to work the training gained in recently sponsored ACB leadership seminars. Half of ALL's Board of Directors as well as its national chairperson are consumers, representing consumer organizations. Officers are elected each year, so newcomers to the organization have a good chance to become leaders. The Affiliated Leadership League will hold its 1981 National Delegate Assembly in St. Louis, Missouri, immediately prior to the national convention of the American Council of the Blind. Your delegate would, therefore, need no extra travel money to attend and represent your affiliate, but only additional expense money for meals and hotel. Annual membership dues are $100 per organization, and each member organization has one vote, whether a small consumer group or a large national agency serving the blind. Included on this year's program will be a workshop on leadership and employment, as well as the very popular Annual Speakout. Come join in building a truly broad-based leadership in the world of the blind. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * South Dakota Convention The 54th annual convention of the South Dakota Association of the Blind was held August 22 and 23 in Aberdeen. The wide-ranging program covered such topics as sports and recreation, education of blind children, and housing rights of the handicapped. Highlights of the two-day convention included a presentation by Eunice Ketterling of North Dakota, who described the camp for adult blind operated annually by the North Dakota Association of the Blind. She told of a full week of fun and leisure activity. Eunice, who serves as camp director, indicates this is one of their most successful projects. Jim Mastro of Pierre described his participation in the 1980 Olympics for the Handicapped in Holland. Jim reported he had a delightful time and that the Olympic were well organized. He won three medals, one of them gold. Dave Miller, Sioux Falls, reported on the South Dakota Association for Blind Athletes. SDABA was formed to take the place of the Beep Ball Association and plans to encourage a broad range of team and individual sports throughout the state, including beep ball, goal ball, and skiing. Donna Cernohouse of Sioux Falls described her role as a special teacher for the visually handicapped in the Sioux Falls public school system. She works with a varied age group and serves approximately eight students. A strong advocate of mainstreaming, she described her various functions as a tutor, a resource person, and a teacher of special skills. Her presentation was followed by a lively discussion of how children might best be served. Several members of the audience emphasized the need to promote and insist upon development and use of maximum braille skills. Jeanne Reisenweber-Lyke of Aberdeen, representing East River Legal Services, discussed South Dakota's housing laws as they pertain to the handicapped. In terms of private housing, she does not feel blind and visually handicapped persons have the same protection that is afforded to other minorities. Mr. and Mrs. Roland Hoffman of Lemmon presented a very moving, and at times emotional description of the unusual situation in which they and their twin daughters find themselves. The daughters, both blind, have attended the South Dakota School for the Blind for five years. They have returned home for all but two weekends during that five years. Now, due to a variety of legal and residency questions, efforts are being made to force the family to enroll the children in the North Dakota school at Grand Forks. The girls would then be more than 400 miles from home and unable to return home each weekend. If they attend the South Dakota school, someone must pay tuition of $9,500 per year for each child. (Note: Shortly after the convention, Governor William Janklow directed the South Dakota school to admit both girls without penalty to the parents. The eventual decision as to where they may attend school and at whose expense will apparently be settled in the courts.) The business meeting included reports on fund-raising, legislation, and the gadgets project. The membership voted to conduct a Bike-a­thon in various communities next spring as a major fund-raiser. Sale of a handy six-in-one household or office tool was approved. The tool is a small hammer with a detachable handle which contains four screwdrivers of varying sizes. Officers were elected as follows: President, Rochelle Foley of Brookings; Vice President, Don Michlitsch of Rapid City; Secretary, LeRae Olesen of Sioux Falls; and Treasurer, Delbert Aman of Aberdeen. The annual banquet concluded the year's activities. Many former students of the South Dakota School for the Blind chose the banquet as a form of reunion activity, making this the largest banquet in recent memory. Oral Miller, President of the American Council of the Blind, was the featured speaker. He gave a glowing account of ACB's growth and activities on the national level. He emphasized ACB's open and democratic process and stressed the individual autonomy of the state affiliates. He pointed up the need to develop cooperative and working relationships with other groups of the disabled if we are to achieve many of our mutual objectives. The banquet concluded with the annual presentation of the Gus Zachte Memorial Award to Denise and Marvin Zebell in recognition of 38 years of continuous effort toward improving opportunities for all blind and visually impaired persons. * Alabama Council Convention The Alabama Council of the Blind held its 25th annual state convention October 10-12, 1980, in Oxford, Alabama. The convention had been planned for Talladega, but because Talladega did not have a hotel large enough to accommodate the crowd, the meetings were held in nearby Oxford. Nonetheless, the welcome was heartily given by Larry Barton, Mayor of Talladega, who stayed for the entire convention. Friday evening was devoted to a business meeting, and the Saturday morning session was packed full of interesting presentations. Mary Hiers, operations Supervisor with the Social Security Administration, gave an informative explanation of the 1979 amendments to the Social Security Act. Other speakers on the program included George McFaden, Director of the Department of Adult Blind and Deaf, Dr. Jack Hawkins, President of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Ellis Campbell, who spoke about Alabama Sight. Miriam Pace, Department Head of the Alabama Public Library Service, Division for the Blind and Handicapped, and Carl Monroe, Assistant Director of Services to the Blind and Deaf. The Saturday afternoon session was again devoted to a business meeting, with election of officers being the main item on the agenda. The Saturday evening banquet featured two speakers: Kathy Megivern, representing the American Council of the Blind national staff, and Judge William Sullivan, a local circuit court judge, who provided non-stop laughter with his home­spun stories and jokes. The final session of the convention was a legislative luncheon held on Sunday, featuring U.S. Congressman Bill Nichols as the speaker. Also at the luncheon the following officers were installed: James Gibson of Montgomery, President; Joan Ridgeway of Gadsden, First Vice President; Nancy Marie Luce of Huntsville, Second Vice President; Rhonda Lynn of Gadsden, Secretary; and Exie Hill of Talladega, Treasurer. Following installation of officers, a most successful 25th convention was then adjourned. * Kentucky Council Convention, 1980 The Kentucky Council of the Blind held its 1980 convention in Louisville the weekend of October 24-25. The program included guests speaking on various topics, a business meeting, and a banquet to top off the proceedings. Will Evans, Superintendent of the Kentucky School for the Blind, discussed mainstreaming visually handicapped children into the public school system and the coordination of public school programs with the residential program at KSB. Ruth Carmichael, Acting Director of the Kentuckiana Radio Information Service, and Adam Ruschival, Administrator of the Kentucky Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Frankfort talked about the new radio reading service, KRIS, and the coordination of KRIS services with existing library services. Carson Y. Nolan, President of the American Printing House for the Blind, outlined the wide variety of functions performed by APH and the use of the World Book Encyclopedia that has just been recorded on cassette. Adrian De Blaey, President and Business Manager of the Badger Association of the Blind, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and member of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind, gave a very informative presentation on the activities of the Badger Association, and specifically on the operation of the Badger Home for the Blind in Milwaukee. Many of his ideas may some day become active projects of the Kentucky Council. Speaker at the Saturday night banquet was Reese Robrahn, Director of Governmental Relations for the American Council of the Blind, who spoke about civil rights legislation affecting the handicapped. Oral Miller, President of the American Council of the Blind, was a surprise and most welcome special guest at the banquet. ***** ** Here and There By George Card For many years, Fred Krepela of Salem, Oregon, former ACB Board member and treasurer, as well as former president of our Oregon affiliate, has been planning to visit Czechoslovakia, where both his parents were born and where he knew he still had many relatives. Last year he finally made it. From Seattle, he flew to London, over the North Pole, and changed there to an Air Czech plane for Prague. When his plane reached the airport of that famous old city, he was met by three carloads of relatives and received a heartwarming welcome. Incidentally, he says gasoline over there is about $4 a gallon. He had a wonderful holiday visiting those relatives in their homes, talking with officials in agencies for the blind, and getting to almost every corner of the country. Those interested in the formation of a special-interest affiliate for visually impaired employees of sheltered workshops may get in touch with either Mr. Herb Royster, 15 Arbor Drive, Chester, PA 19013, telephone (215) 876-0166, or with Mr. Rod Powell, 819 9th Street, Chester, PA 19013, telephone (215) 876-5356. From Visualtek News: Over 10 million Americans have visual impairments which cannot be further corrected. Blindness in the United States will increase by 160% over the next 50 years. ... Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind has served more than 4,600 visually impaired adults from all 50 states and from 51 other countries. In the current issue of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind Newsletter, I read with deep sadness of the passing of an old and highly valued former colleague, Mr. Hans Seierup of Denmark. He was a founding member of the World Council and became a life member. He was a member of its Executive Committee and a long-time president of the Danish Association of the Blind. An AP dispatch tells about Nolan Crabb, a student at Brigham Young University, who, with a great deal of persistence, is proving himself as a blind news reporter. Last summer Crabb worked as an intern for the Ogden Standard-Examiner in his home town. He surprised his editors with his proficiency on computer terminals, which are rapidly replacing typewriters on most newspapers. Nolan could sit down at a terminal and pound out a story while some of his sighted fellow workers were still trying to master it. He can read about a hundred words a minute by means of his Optacon. Another AP story is of a 53-year­old diabetic patient in Minnesota who has received the world's first implanted insulin pump, an experimental device which will free him from the daily ritual of insulin shots. By keeping the body's insulin level more steady than can be achieved by insulin shots, the pump should help minimize eye, kidney, and blood vessel damage. The pump lacks the capacity to deliver an extra dose of insulin at mealtime, something many experts consider vital. It is hoped to add that refinement in a later version. The CCB Outlook (Canadian Council of the Blind) reports that Ted Ohlsen arrived in Canada in 1950 from Germany and went to work in a potash mine. Then came a hunting accident that took his sight. At 22 years of age, he had to do a lot of hard thinking. In 1965 he began to build a dream hunting and fishing lodge near Flin Flon, Manitoba. He had $35 worth of tools — that was all his capital. But people in that part of the world proved ready to help when they saw how hard he was trying and against what odds. Today the lodge is so well established that it has a wilderness fly-in camp. His dream lodge a reality, Ohlsen decided to try his hand at motor mechanics as a winter job. He found friends at a nearby aircraft plant who were willing to give him a chance to learn. His boss says he now carries his full weight. The Missouri Chronicle reproduces a Paul Harvey column dealing with eye problems. In one section, Mr. Harvey discusses the growing awareness that that portion of the sun's ultraviolet rays which are not strained out by the earth's atmospheric layers may be a major cause of cataracts. Dr. Sidney Lehman of Emory University, the columnist reports, is urging all manufacturers of sunglasses to add ultraviolet ray protection to the lenses. The 1981 annual exempt amounts of earnings people can have and still receive Social Security benefits were announced recently. These earnings limits increase each year with increases in average wages. People under age 65 can make $4,080 in 1981, up from $3,720, and still receive all of their Social Security benefits. For people who are 65 and over by the end of 1981, the exempt amount is $5,500, up from $5,000. The earnings limit does not apply to people 72 and over (70 in 1982). Earnings over the exempt amount reduce the Social Security benefits by $1 for each $2 in excess earnings. The monthly earnings limits -- 1/12 of the annual exempt amounts -- are $458 for people 65 and over; $340 for people under 65. From Up Front (published by Mafex Associates, Inc., Johnstown, Pa.): The director of the Bluegrass Association for Mental Retardation in Lexington, Ky., asked an employer how many mentally retarded workers he had on his payroll. His answer: "I don't have any. If they can do the job, I no longer refer to them as retarded." The year 1981 will be the 18th year for Harry A. Fribush, who is deaf-blind, in his non-profit project of providing print/braille greeting cards for all occasions. These high quality "Feel and Read, See and Read" cards are available with the sender's name written in braille upon request, or in print for a nominal charge. For details and prices on cards and envelopes available from Mr. Fribush, write him at Parkview Apartments, Apt. 104, 400 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12203. The 16th annual conference of the National Braille Association will be held at the Turf Inn, Albany, New York, May 18-21, 1981. The conference committee has created a workshop schedule covering basic and advanced skills in math and science, music and textbook formats in braille. Other workshops include administration of tape recording groups, a session designed for educators and parents of blind and handicapped children, tactile illustrating, computer braille, etc. Registration information and reservations may be obtained by contacting Mrs. Doris Sager, 50 Adams Place, Delmar, NY 12054. The National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation will host a professional education conference in Baltimore, November 12-14, 1981, which will bring together for the first time professionals in various service areas related to individuals who have blinding retinal degenerative eye diseases. The conference will focus on the specialized needs of these individuals in areas of low vision, vocational rehabilitation education, employment, and mobility to name a few. This conference is part of the RP Foundation's convention scheduled for November 10-14. For further information, contact the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation, 8331 Mindale Circle, Baltimore, MD 21207. To aid in the vocational training of handicapped students, a catalog of tools, equipment, and machinery that has been modified or adapted for use in vocational training or employment of disabled persons was developed by the Wisconsin Vocational Studies Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Indian Vocational District, Shell Lake, Wisconsin, in contract with the U.S. Office of Education. To obtain a catalog, write to Arona Roshal, Wisconsin Vocational Studies Center, 964 Educational Sciences Building, 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706. From Visually Handicapped Views (South Dakota Association of the Blind): A note from Howard Hanson, former South Dakota Director of Services for the Blind, reports that his wife Phyllis is continuing to recover from a badly fractured knee. The Hansons welcome hearing from their many friends. Their address is 416 Shamrock, Little Rock, AR 72205. ***** ** 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. ###