Large Type Edition The Braille Forum Vol. XIX March, 1981 No. 9 ACB Joins with ACLU in Filing Amicus Brief to Supreme Court ACB Board Decisions Reflect Growth and Expansion of Service Programs 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 Summit Bank Bldg., Suite 822 310 4th Avenue, S. Minneapolis, MN 54415 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 ACB Joins with ACLU in Filing Amicus Brief to Supreme Court, by Kathy Megivern ACB National Convention, 1981: Convention Notes from the ACB National Office ACB National Special-Interest Affiliates Fun Time in St. Louis, by Assunta Lilley Notice to Applicants for and Renewals of ACB Membership-at-Large Position Available: Executive Director, AAWB Unique Mobility Hazards, by Paul Filpus Japanese Technology Produces Raised-Line Copier; Advances Mass Production of Braille Summary, ACB Board of Directors Meeting ACB Board Adopts Revised Thrift Store Income Sharing Guidelines Health Insurance: "A System in Disarray," by Melvin A. Glasser Conference on National Health Insurance Held in Washington Three Cheers for the Winner! National Policy Fellowship Program in Education of the Handicapped New Resource Handbook Available on Voice-Indexed Cassette Texas State Board of Education Mandates Practical Training for Special Needs Teachers ACB Affiliate News: Family Adjustment Seminar, by Lester Ketterling Utah Blind Consumers and State Library United in Significant Victory Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Report from the ACB President Oral O. Miller It is exciting to be able to inform you that the leadership training seminar sponsored by the American Council of the Blind in Oakland, California, the weekend of January 23-25, 1981, was a solid success in every way. In spite of tremendous travel distances, approximately seventy participants attended from California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. The interest and dedication of the participants was reflected by the fact that one young woman had to fly on three separate airlines in coming from Montana; a large contingent from Oregon traveled more than 900 miles to Oakland in a rented van; the participants from Hawaii had to fly approximately 3,000 miles to reach the conference; and the Utah delegation, in an automobile trip of over 600 miles, braved a severe winter snowstorm, passing through the famous Donner's Pass in the high Sierras to reach Oakland, with a breakdown on the return trip home before daybreak in open country some 80 miles from Salt Lake City. We were very pleased, also, to welcome a sizable and very enthusiastic delegation from the recently revitalized Nevada Council of the Blind. The program content was received with great interest, and several presentations resulted in standing ovations. While some may believe that ACB should spend more time at such seminars belittling or criticizing other organizations of the blind, the seminar leaders were commended several times for concentrating on subjects which teach ACB members to be more effective leaders and consumer advocates. Absolutely no time was spent conducting the kind of "brainwashing" or "hate campaign" directed against ACB almost continuously by another organization of the blind. It is amazing how much influence a single act by a responsible organization such as the American Council of the Blind can have on services to the blind when that act is performed on the national level. I am referring now to the fact that only yesterday (February 6, 1981) a representative of the ACB finished meeting with a high-level advisory committee put together by the prestigious Battelle Institute for the purpose of monitoring whether libraries for the blind are complying with the applicable standards of the American Library Association. The American Council was represented at the first of the meetings (of which there will be four over the next two years) by Dr. Judith Dixon, a member of the ACB of New York State. The first meeting was conducted at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Washington, D.C. It is interesting to note that Dr. Dixon was the only consumer of library services present at the meeting, although other organizations were asked to send representatives. ACB's participation in this project is another way in which we help bring about worthwhile changes in services without resorting to bombastic and counter-productive tactics. Although an Action Memorandum tape will be sent out on this subject within the next few weeks (perhaps by the time this issue of The Braille Forum reaches most of its readers), special mention should be made about the legislative training seminar to be sponsored by ACB in late April or early May so our affiliates may start thinking about it and making tentative plans now. To be more specific, at its January 3, 1981 meeting, the ACB Board of Directors budgeted a limited amount of money to be used to assist members from most of our state affiliates to come to Washington, D.C., to take part in a three-day legislative training workshop, much of which will be conducted on Capitol Hill by very experienced Congressional staff members or legislative specialists from outstanding consumer organizations such as labor unions and civil rights organizations. By necessity, the workshop will be conducted on weekdays rather than weekends, because some time will be spent calling on key Congressional personnel concerning important legislation. While ACB will be able to provide substantial assistance to each participant, it will probably be necessary to ask the affiliates to assist, also, in view of unusually high hotel room rates and restaurant costs in Washington. I am pleased to report, in closing, that real progress is being made in the composition and development of professionally prepared public service announcements which before long will be sent to hundreds of radio stations throughout the United States to tell the public about the American Council of the Blind as a responsible, effective consumer organization. Never before has ACB been able to afford such announcements, and I, just as most other ACB members, have long wished that we had the resources to afford such a public information program. Additional information will be published in The Braille Forum as it becomes available. I would like to remind all charter members of the American Council of the Blind to contact Mr. Fred Lilley of St. Louis concerning their plans to attend the 1981 national convention of the ACB. As indicated in the February Braille Forum, Mr. Lilley's address is: Missouri Federation of the Blind, 2683 Big Bend Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63143; telephone (314) 647-3647. ***** ** ACB Joins with ACLU in Filing Amicus Brief to Supreme Court By Kathy Megivern The American Council of the Blind has joined with the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations in the filing of an amicus curiae brief to the United States Supreme Court. The brief was filed in the case of University of Texas v. Camenisch (see "Supreme Court Agrees to Review a Section 504 Case," The Braille Forum, January, 1981). "Amicus curiae" means "friend of the court," and such briefs are customarily filed by organizations with no direct involvement in the litigation, but with a serious interest in the outcome of the case. Camenisch was a graduate student at the University of Texas who needed a sign language interpreter in order to understand and participate in his classes. The University refused to provide such an interpreter. Both lower courts ruled in favor of Camenisch, so the University appealed to the Supreme Court, which accepted the case. As was reported in the January Braille Forum, the University maintains that Section 504 does not place any financial or administrative obligations on a recipient of Federal funds. The University bases much of its argument upon a broad reading of the Supreme Court's decision in Southeastern Community College v. Davis. The lower court narrowly interpreted the Davis decision and found that the circumstances of the Camenisch case were readily distinguishable. This same position is taken by the ACLU and ACB in the amicus brief. " ... In its brief and certiorari petition to this Court, the University of Texas has attempted to mislead the Court by arguing that the Fifth Circuit incorrectly applied Southeastern Community College v. Davis, and to further confuse the issue by erroneously equating 'affirmative action' with the steps necessary to ensure equality of treatment for handicapped persons. This case, however, is not about affirmative action, but rather the finding of two courts below that the University discriminated against respondent by its unjustified refusal to extend the reasonable accommodation required by HEW regulations to affect the equality for qualified handicapped persons in higher education which it was Congress's clear intention to ensure ... "The University of Texas mischaracterizes the issue in this case by asserting that the courts below failed to heed this Court's decision in Southeastern Community College v. Davis. The Fifth Circuit did not misconstrue this Court's decision in Davis, however, but correctly distinguished the instant case by applying the analysis undertaken in Davis. "In Southeastern Community College v. Davis, this court held that Mrs. Davis failed to meet the legitimate and necessary physical requirements of the College's nursing program and hence was not an 'otherwise qualified handicapped individual' within the meaning of Section 504. ... This Court further found that more of the modifications and auxiliary aids authorized by the HEW regulations could accommodate Mrs. Davis's handicap to enable her to participate in the program and become a registered nurse. "By stark contrast, both courts below found — and even the University of Texas has stipulated -- that Walter Camenisch is an otherwise qualified handicapped student within the meaning of Section 504, who, despite his handicap, could both participate successfully in his classroom activities with an interpreter or other educational aid and preform well in a job as dean of students at the Texas School for the Deaf, which his degree would guarantee. Because Mrs. Davis did not meet the threshold requirement of being an otherwise qualified person within the meaning of Section 504, this Court did not and could not decide in that case the degree of accommodation Section 504 requires for persons like Mr. Camenisch, who is within the scope of the Act. The Fifth Circuit's holding that the University of Texas was obligated to provide a sign language interpreter was not inconsistent with this Court's holding in Davis and was squarely based on the duly promulgated HEW regulations pursuant to Section 504. ... The relief requested in Davis required major restructuring of the clinical portion of an academic program. No such restructuring is necessary here, and affording Camenisch the accommodation would not change the program as it affected other students in any respect. Camenisch could participate in the graduate program as given if a sign language interpreter or other educational aid were provided to give him access to classroom lectures." Oral argument of this case before the Supreme Court is scheduled for March, and The Braille Forum will report further developments at that time. Many who are concerned about civil rights for handicapped people saw the Supreme Court's decision in Davis as a serious setback. This case provides the opportunity to the Court to answer many of the questions raised by the Davis opinion. A final decision in the Camenisch case will not be issued for many months. ***** *** ACB National Convention, 1981 ** Convention Notes from the ACB National Office Plans for the 1981 national convention of the American Council of the Blind are developing rapidly, and many people are working hard to make ACB's 20th birthday a memorable one. The host: Missouri Federation of the Blind. The place: the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri, where room rates are singles, $24, doubles, $28, and triples, $30. The dates: July 4-11, 1981. And you may want to come even earlier. The Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL) has scheduled its annual delegate assembly at the Chase­Park Place, July 1-3, just before Convention Week. National Chairman Robert McLean urges as many ACB affiliates as possible to join ALL as consumer organizations and to participate actively by sending representatives to the National Delegate Assembly. The time from Saturday through Tuesday of Convention Week (This year, July 4-7) is traditionally reserved for board meetings, conferences of ACB's fourteen national special­interest affiliates, and educational workshops and seminars. This year, a major seminar on leadership and students' rights is being planned, in cooperation with the National Alliance of Blind Students. The annual convention of the American Council of the Blind will convene on Wednesday morning, July 8. Pursuant to an amendment to Article IV - Officers, of the ACB Constitution, passed at the 1979 convention, officers for the coming two years will be elected at this year's business meeting. Careful thought should be given in selecting those persons who you feel will best direct future programs and policies of the American Council. Careful consideration, too, should be given to Constitution and By-Law amendments and to resolutions to be presented to the convention. Mr. Brian Charlson, 530 Jefferson Street, N.E., Salem, Oregon 97303, has been appointed chairman of the Resolutions Committee. He will appreciate receiving as many of your draft resolutions as possible prior to the convention. Mrs. Sue Graves, 1334 S. 57th, West Allis, Wisconsin 53214, will chair the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. She, too, will appreciate receiving proposed amendments to the ACB Constitution and By-Laws in advance of the convention. Presentation of a number of awards has become a meaningful tradition at each year's convention. The Ned E. Freeman Article-of­the-Year Award is presented annually for an outstanding article written specifically for The Braille Forum. The recipient is selected by the ACE Board of Publications. For the first time this year, the article will be selected from among entries submitted to a writing competition. The subject selected for the first competition is: International Year of the Disabled — Its Significance and Potential. One final reminder: The deadline for submitting articles is March 31, 1981. 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 from time to time, not necessarily annually, in recognition of outstanding achievement in extending library services or access to published materials, or improving communications devices and techniques. Nominations for this award must be received no later than June 1, 1981, and should be sent to Walter L. Smith, Chairman, Robert S. Bray Award Committee, 2301 Sherbrook Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. The Ambassador Award is selected each year from among candidates who are blind and who, by their lives, associations and activ1iies, have demonstrated their integration into and interaction with the life of the community. It is not necessary that the candidate be a member of or active in any organization of the blind, or that he or she be engaged in work for the blind. The George Card Award is presented periodically to an outstanding blind person who has contributed significantly to the betterment of blind people in general. This award is not limited by locality or by nature of the contribution, and it is not necessarily given each year. Nominations for both the Ambassador Award and the George Card Award should be submitted no later than June 1, 1981, to Mrs. Karen Perzentka, Awards Committee Chairperson, 6913 Colony Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53717. If you have questions concerning the convention, the American Council of the Blind, or any of ACB's national special-interest affiliates, you may contact the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036, or you may contact the special-interest affiliate directly for information. ** ACB National Special­Interest Affiliates American Blind Lawyers Association - Norman S. Case, President, P.O. Box 65, Bethel, VT 05032 American Council of the Blind Service Net — Travis Harris, President, 3840 N. W. 31st Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 American Council of the Blind Federal Employees — Robert Jones, President, 309 N. 2nd Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153 American Council of the Blind Parents - Gretchen H. Smith, President, Route A, Box 78, Franklin, LA 70538 Council of Citizens with Low Vision - Marvin Brotman, President, Friends of Eye Research, 99 Cedar Avenue, Boston, MA 02114 Guide Dog Users, Inc. - Donna Veno, President, R.F.D. 1, Johnson Avenue, Templeton, MA 01468 National Alliance of Blind Students - Eugene Lozano, 2621 Fulton Avenue, No. 42, Sacramento, CA 95821 National Association of Blind Teachers - Edna Schmidt, President, 912 N. Hawley Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213 Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America - Ione B. Miller, President, 9291 Fermi Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123 Visually Impaired Data Processors International - McKinley Young, President, 514 Quackenbos Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20011 Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association - Patricia Price, President, 337 S. Sherman Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46201 Visually Impaired Veterans of America - Michael Young, President, 1740 Robinson Street, No. 2, San Diego, CA 92103 World Council of Blind Lions - Felix Polo, President, 54 Davis Boulevard, No. 8, Tampa, FL 33606 ** Fun Time in St. Louis By Assunta Lilley The 1981 ACB National Convention Committee wants everyone to know that the upcoming convention won't be all work: We're planning a lot in the way of fun and entertainment. This month, we'd like to tell you about two of the fun times being planned, so that you can have time to do some planning of your own. The first is a trip to the Goldenrod showboat. Although the boat is on the Mississippi River, it does not leave the dock. This is about a 20-minute bus trip from the hotel, and dinner will be served aboard the boat, which is air-conditioned. Normally, this is a buffet dinner, but as a special accommodation to ACBers, a sit-down dinner will be served. The Goldenrod has two dining rooms -- one upstairs and one in the theater area downstairs. The management suggests that dog guide users might prefer to use the downstairs dining room, where there is more space for dogs. After dinner, the two groups will join for the show. The show will be an old-time melodrama, where the audience is urged to participate by booing the villain and cheering the hero, who undoubtedly will save a damsel from some horrible fate. By prearrangement, the cast of characters will have names of people known to us, which will help us in making responses. The Goldenrod accommodates 300 persons, and Thursday night will be exclusively ACB night. This trip cannot be over-sold, so when you are making your plans, keep in mind that space will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis. That same night, alternate entertainment has been arranged at a facility in St. Louis known as Queeny Park. This consists of music and a sing-along with Mitch Miller. Dinner is not included. One hundred seats have been reserved for ACB for this event. Watch future issues of The Braille Forum for more details on fun time in St. Louis! ***** ** Notice to Applicants for and Renewals of ACB Membership-At-Large The American Council of the Blind Constitution and By-Laws provide that any person who has reached the age of 18 years and who is not a voting member of an ACB affiliate is eligible to become a member-at-large, with the right to an individual vote at the convention. Annual membership-at-large dues are $2. New applicants for membership-at-large pay an initiation fee of $3, which includes dues for the first year. Application forms are available from the ACB National Office. The Constitution and By-Laws further provide that all dues are to be received no later than sixty days prior to the ACB national convention — that is, in 1981, by May 9. All membership-at-large dues should be clearly identified as such and should be sent to the ACB National Office, Attention: James R. Olsen, Treasurer, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036, no later than May 9, 1981. ***** ** Position Available: Executive Director, AAWB The American Association of Workers for the Blind is now accepting applications for the position of Executive Director. Requires college degree. Experience in rehabilitation and/or education of blind and visually impaired persons helpful. Administrative experience considered a plus. Open to residents of U.S. and Canada. Incumbent will direct daily operation of small professional membership association covering U.S. and Canada. Duties include personnel management, management and preparation of budget, fiscal control, membership, conferences and meetings, publication activities, public speaking, legislative activity, government and organizational liaison, fund-raising, and other duties as assigned. Travel required. Located in Washington, D.C. July 1, 1981 starting date as Deputy Director. Assume full responsibility July 23, 1981. Salary range, $26,000 to $28,000, depending on experience. Equal opportunity employer. Send letter of application and resume to: AAWB Search Committee, Mr. W. T. Coppage, Chair, 1511 K Street, N.W., Suite 637, Washington, DC 20005. Deadline for applications is April 1. ***** ** Unique Mobility Hazards By Paul Filpus I enjoy walking to work and do so as often as weather permits. My home is just over a mile from where I work so it makes for a nice way to get a bit of exercise without really noticing it. Half the route I walk is through a residential area and the other half is through an industrial area. Except for a double set of railroad tracks and a wide parking lot entrance, there are sidewalks all the way. This makes it convenient for cane travel, which is the way I go. During five years of walking this particular route, I have periodically encountered some unique hazards which perhaps are worth sharing. None of these situations were covered in the mobility training course which was part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program I went through in 1971. The mobility skills I picked up from that training were adequate enough for me to gain back a little of the independence which I had lost with the sudden advent of total blindness as the result of an automobile accident. It would be im­possible for mobility instructors to foresee every possible hazard a blind cane traveler might encounter. It seems to me, however, that we can help each other by sharing our experiences in written articles or at meetings and conventions. Trains. -- A few months ago, a train crossed my path as I was walk­ing to work. This was the first time I had encountered a train in the four years plus that I had been walking the route. As I approached the tracks and heard the train coming, I was not entirely sure what it was. But the "toot-toot" of the whistle told me for sure that a train was coming. In a few moments, it was whizzing by. As I waited for it to pass, it occurred to me that if I had been between the two sets of tracks when I first heard the train, I would not have known which set it was actually traveling and would have had to hustle to get out of the way. Since then, I listen more closely for the sound of approaching trains each time I get near that crossing. The next time, I will be better prepared to handle that particular hazard. Trucks and Trailers. -- Another potentially hazardous situation can result from a large tractor-trailer rig making a 90-degree turn in front of a blind cane traveler. This can occur only when the vehicle and the pedestrian are traveling in the same direction before the vehicle makes its turn. It is not at all difficult to hear where the tractor portion of the rig is located, but the trailer following behind is not so easily detected. If the cane traveler proceeds ahead as soon as he hears the tractor go by, he could walk directly into the side of the trailer, especially if the rig is moving very slowly. Also, the turning radius of the rear end of the trailer is sharper than that of the tractor. This means that the rear end of the vehicle passes closer to the pedestrian than does the front end. I came across one of these situations one morning as I approached the entrance to the parking lot. The sound of a large truck slowing down behind me told me that the driver was probably going to turn into the parking lot just ahead of me. So I stopped. The driver made a wide, sweeping turn into the lot, and it was obvious to me that he had a big rig. Sure enough! After the sound of the engine was well past me, I heard the rear wheels of the trailer go by. It seemed like several seconds before the whole rig had crossed my path. Fortunately, there was little wind or traffic noise at the time, so I could hear exactly what was going on. If I had been in a hurry, or if there had been other noise to interfere, I might have proceeded too soon and been in real trouble. This was a valuable lesson for me. Barricades. -- Occasionally I run into construction areas such as sidewalk or sewer line repairs which are barricaded off. Here again, the infrequency of such occurrences makes them hazardous at first encounter. Often times barricades are crudely constructed and are open at the bottom, which causes the cane to go underneath and the traveler to bump the barricade with his body. There is little time to react and alter one's course. If I had anything to do with setting architectural barrier standards for the handicapped, I would require that all barricades used in areas of pedestrian travel have a six-inch-high riser at the base. A cane traveler would then make contact with this riser as he walked along and would have ample time to react. Parked Vehicles. -- Vehicles parked over the sidewalk sometimes give problems. Cars are not so bad, since the cane usually picks them up. However, flatbed trucks are more of a challenge. One windy morning I bumped into the bed of one such truck as my cane passed beneath and indicated no obstacle. The bed of the truck was at nose level. It didn't feel very good! Since then, I have been more cautious at that particular point on my route, since I find trucks parked there fairly frequently. Windy days make it more difficult to detect the kinds of hazards I have described. Excessive traffic noise also contributes to the problem. I travel more slowly and cautiously when these conditions prevail. I feel sure other blind cane travelers have run into hazardous situations other than those which I have mentioned, and no doubt I will continue to encounter new ones myself as time goes on. ***** ** Japanese Technology Produces Raised-Line Copier Advances Mass Production of Braille By Seigo Sakamoto (Reuters) Tokyo -- A Japanese engineering professor and a chemical company have developed jointly a new system that could lead to greater access for the blind to everyday information. The new system involves making three-dimensional copies from plane line drawings and writing that can be run off on a special copying machine. It can copy maps, diagrams, pictures, musical scores, and ordinary photographs, according to Yoshimichi Yonezawa, an assistant professor in Shinshu University's Engineering Department in central Japan. Yonezawa joined forces a year ago with a firm in western Japan, Matsumoto Yushi Seiyaku, to produce the system which is based on what are called surface active agents. At the same time, three Japanese companies claim to have developed, at a cost of $560,000, a computerized system to "read" braille and produce masses of copies. Yonezawa said his system consists of three parts — a copying machine similar to those used in offices, a specially prepared wafer-thin sheet, and a heating device to produce raised figures. The key is the sheet, one side of which is smeared with a mixture of plastic and heat-expanding micro­capsules. The micro-capsules inflate five- or six-fold instantly to form raised figures when exposed to temperatures of about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The material to be copied is placed on the copying machine, and its image is transposed on to the sheet, which is then heated. Writing or line drawings swell in to about the same height as embossed letters. The process takes about 15 seconds, with the inflation of letters and lines determined by the degree of blackness, while white areas remain unchanged. Yonezawa said the system had been tested on blind children at a special center at Yokosuka, near Tokyo. One child was quoted as shouting, "I see it!" when running her fingers over a picture of a flower. The Matsumoto Company plans to market the copy machine and sheets at a total cost equivalent to about $4,400. The other invention for the blind, devised by three Japanese firms, funded with a government grant, involves the speedy production of braille-type pages. The type letter reading machine, with the help of a mini­computer, can "read" a page every 30 seconds. Copies, up to 600 an hour, are made by placing a sheet on a cylindrical glass plate in the reading machine. An optical mechanism then "reads" the figures and relays them to the computer. The computer turns the figures into code. Later they emerge on a television-like screen, enabling easy correction with typewriter keys. Once corrected, copies flow off the machine. The Japanese Government plans to equip its 70 or so institutions for the blind with this system, at a cost equivalent to $31,200 each. The three organizations involved in the project are Toppan Printing, Nippon Typewriter, and the Matsushita Research Institute. For the blind, who number about 250,000 in Japan, the government is also financing a $1.4 million project to develop a walking aid. The aid, with electronic sensors, is designed to be worn like a headband and warn the wearer of obstacles. ***** ** Summary, ACB Board of Directors Meeting The midyear meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind was held January 3, 1981, at the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, with all Board members present. The lengthy agenda resulted in an 11-hour meeting, broken only by an occasional stretch break and a working, sandwich lunch. The Board directed that a summary of each Board meeting, after review and approval by the President, be published in The Braille Forum during the same quarter in which the meeting takes place; that key roll call votes be reported; and that executive sessions be noted, but not reported in detail. It was pointed out that this would fulfill the requirement of By­Law 4B, directing that each affiliate and member-at-large be furnished a summary of all official actions taken at each convention or meeting of the Board of Directors as soon as possible after the close of the meeting. Report of the ACB Treasurer, James Olsen: The Treasurer reported that revenues will approximate $630,000 for 1980. Expenses are well within budget at $400,000, with an additional $20,000 being spent for office furniture and equipment. The result is that net revenue over expenses will be $210,000. The cash generated by this increase in revenue over expenses has been used to retire outstanding debt in ACB Enterprises and Services of approximately $122,000. In addition, ACBES has invested additional dollars in inventory, store equipment, and trucks. The Board approved appointment of Price/Waterhouse Co. as auditors for the coming year. Effective January, 1981, all major ACB accounting functions will be transferred from the Washington office to the Treasurer's office in Minneapolis. Mr. Olsen announced a pending move to larger quarters which will allow for expansion to meet future needs of both ACB and ACB Enterprises and Services. American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services: Board Chairman Ray Kempf reported on operations of ACBES over the past year. Over-all performance of the Thrift Stores has greatly exceeded expectations. A continuing concern of the ACBES Board is future growth and development of the Thrift Stores and financial return to the owner, ACB. While urging caution and conservatism, Mr. Kempf also expressed optimism for the future of the Thrift Stores. Public service announcements have been distributed to cities where Thrift Stores are now in operation. A draft brochure, "The Blind Who Lead," has been developed and will soon be available for distribution to Thrift Store donors and customers. The brochure outlines the purpose of the Thrift Stores and their relationship to ACB. 1981 Budget: For the first time, the worksheet for the base line budget was available in braille, and the Board commended Jim Olsen for his work in preparing this material. LeRoy Saunders, Chairman of the Budget Committee, presented the proposed budget for 1981, based upon current operations, with increases to reflect new programs, upgrading and increases in staff and inflation, plus contingencies should funds become available. The Board approved a base budget of $644,000. Major items include: employee compensation (salaries, fringe benefits and pay roll taxes), $273,000; printing and publication costs for The Braille Forum, exclusive of staff salaries and including funding for a Spanish edition, $77,000; leadership training seminars, $60,000. The fallowing new projects were also approved in the base budget: development of public service announcements for ACB, in partnership with the affiliates; a grant to the Affiliated Leadership League's Research and education project; funding for a national convention leadership seminar for blind students, in cooperation with the National Alliance of Blind Students; and purchase of computer equipment. These programs will be reported in detail in The Braille Forum as plans develop. In addition, the Board approved a contingency budget in the amount of $82,000. This includes additional computer equipment; funding for a southwest regional leadership training seminar; participation with Telesensory Systems, Inc. in evaluation and testing of the "Talking Optacon"; a national legal support project in the field of blind and handicapped concerns, in conjunction with other organizations of the handicapped; and a further grant to ALL's Research and Education project. Professional Staff Vacancies: By­Law 4A provides that the president shall select professional staff, subject to approval by the Board of Directors, President Oral Miller announced appointment of an advisory search committee to seek out and screen applicants for the position of National Representative. The committee consists of Otis Stephens of Tennessee Chairman; George Fogarty of California, Carol Derouin of Oregon, John Nelson of Minnesota, and Durward McDaniel, staff consultant. The committee will also consider applications for the position of Director of Governmental Affairs, recently vacated by Reese Robrahn. It was agreed that an announcement of the two positions will be sent to the handicapped media list; that full job descriptions will be sent to all ACB affiliate presidents; and that the deadline for applications will be April 1 for Director of Governmental Affairs and May 1 for National Representative. The Board directed the President to appoint a committee to work with the 1981 National Convention Host Committee in planning an appropriate occasion to honor the retiring National Representative. Membership Development: In the face of an administrative recommendation to abolish the Bureau for Services to the Blind, the Nevada Council of the Blind reorganized this past fall and now has in excess of 100 members. Membership development activities are being conducted in Delaware, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. An extensive nationwide membership recruitment by mail will soon be under way. Upon motion, action on the application for affiliation with ACB by the Bluegrass Council of the Blind (Lexington, Kentucky) was deferred until after April 1, 1981. Convention Report: President Miller stated that the 1980 national convention was a financial success, with a net profit to ACB of approximately $3,500. Plans for the 1981 convention in St. Louis are going well. The new hotel tentatively chosen as headquarters for the 1982 convention in Atlanta, Georgia, will not be ready for final inspection and approval until February, 1981. Office Management Survey Committee Report: As directed by motion of the Board at its July, 1980 meeting, President Miller appointed a committee to study operations in the National Office. The committee consisted of Carl McCoy, Chairman; Adrian De Blaey and LeRoy Saunders. The committee's "Findings and Recommendations" covered the following areas: improved internal communications, including the desirability for regular staff meetings; assignment of primary responsibility for development of grant applications; evaluating staff time spent on work for other organizations, in relation to the benefits to ACB; personnel policies, including review and updating of job descriptions, annual performance evaluations of staff, and development of written policies concerning annual leave, sick leave, fringe benefits, probationary period for new employees, etc.; desirability for greater visibility of ACB, particularly with Congress; physical arrangement of the office to provide greater privacy for professional staff; ratio of sighted to blind employees, with consideration of such support services as reader assistance and more effective use of volunteers, so as not to limit the effectiveness of blind professional staff or to under-utilize the abilities of sighted staff; careful assessment of goals and objectives in order to implement proper development of the new position, Director of Public Affairs. Personnel matters were discussed in executive session. Acceptance of the report of the Office Management Survey Committee and adoption of its recommendations as Board policy was unanimously approved. Litigation Report: Durward McDaniel reported briefly upon litigation in which ACB is involved or actively supports, including the recently filed suit to attempt to com­pel the Secretary of Education to assign ten staff positions as authorized under the Randolph-Sheppard Amendments. Personnel Committee Report (Carl McCoy, Chairman; Otis Stephens and M.J. Schmitt): The committee presented two preliminary draft reports for Board reaction and direction before further study and development: (1) basic personnel policies and regulations, upon which a detailed personnel manual and appropriate forms will be based; and (2) guidelines for expense reimbursement regulations for officers, employees, committee members, delegates to meetings, and volunteers, which will be used in preparing a manual of procedures, appropriate forms, and instructions. Report of the Committee on Thrift Store Income Sharing (Otis Stephens, Chairman; Pat Price and Harold Dachtler): The Board unanimously adopted the committee's report as presented. That report is printed in full elsewhere in this issue. Applications for two grants under the Thrift Store income sharing program were approved by the Board: To the Michigan Association of the Blind, $1,200 to fund a two-day workshop in the spring of 1981 for 40 participants, to strengthen leadership on the local chapter level. To the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, $1,200 toward purchase of a Thermoform machine to produce its newsletter and other materials in braille. World Council for the Welfare of the Blind: President Miller reported on his work with the WCWB on behalf of the American Council. He stressed WCWB's role as a catalyst among developing nations. As a result of involvement with WCWB, ACB is coming to be recognized more and more as a responsible, articulate organization of the blind and visually impaired and is receiving international exposure in the eyes of such bodies as the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization. The Board approved President Miller's attendance at a meeting of the WCWB Executive Committee scheduled for May of 1981 in Sweden. Miscellaneous: President Miller announced that ACB has accepted an invitation to become an organizational member of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. ACB's general brochure is being revised and will be produced in braille and recorded form as well as in print. Details of the prescription mail order service will soon be sent to all ACB members. Feasibility of making this catalog available in braille and/or recorded form (perhaps on voice­indexed cassette) is being studied. The recently installed WATS line has been invaluable, particularly in planning and implementing such projects as the leadership training conferences. The next regular meeting of the ACB Board of Directors is scheduled immediately prior to the 1981 national convention in St. Louis, Missouri. ***** ** ACB Board Adopts Revised Thrift Store Income Sharing Guidelines Several years ago, the American Council of the Blind Board of Directors established a set of guidelines under which affiliates in states where Thrift Stores are located might share in the income derived from this source. Through this arrangement, grants up to $1,200.00 during a single calendar year have been awarded to several affiliates, including those in Indiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. In response to growing interest in membership expansion and other projects funded by the Thrift Store income sharing program, the ACB Board at its January 3, 1981 meeting adopted a major revision of this policy, including, among other things, the extension of eligibility to all state and special-interest affiliates. The newly revised policy is reprinted below: 1. All state and special-interest affiliates are eligible to apply for funds under the Thrift Store income sharing program. 2. Each application for such funds must be submitted in writing to members of the committee designated to review applications at least one week prior to the meeting of the ACB Board of Directors at which the committee's recommendations on such requests are considered. 3. The current ceiling of $1,200.00 per grant during a single calendar year is retained, but each allocation of funds is made in the form of a matching grant through which the American Council of the Blind may subsidize up to two-thirds of the cost of any project, subject to the $1,200.00 limitation noted above. 4. Applications are to be considered on a first come, first serve basis, subject to the provision that if two or more applications are submitted on the same date and insufficient funds make it impossible to approve each of them, priority shall be given to applications from states in which Thrift Stores are located. 5. Written applications should include a detailed description of the projects for which support is requested. These projects shall be designed to advance at least one of the following activities: membership development and/or expansion, including the possibility of leadership training of affiliate officers and other members; publication of affiliate newsletters or periodicals; and affiliate fund-raising. 6. Within thirty days after the expiration of each period for which Thrift Store funds have been allocated, the affiliate that has received such funds shall submit to the chairperson of the Thrift Store committee, with copies to the ACB President and Treasurer, a written report on the status of the project for which funds were appropriated, describing the extent to which objectives have been implemented and assessing the impact of the project on affiliate programs. (The current committee consists of Dr. Otis Stephens, Chairman; Patricia Price of Indiana; Harold Dachtler of Michigan. Address correspondence to: Dr. Otis Stephens, Department of Political Science, McClung Tower, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916.) ***** ** Health Insurance: "A System In Disarray" By Melvin A. Glasser, Director Committee for National Health Insurance (Note: The following letter appeared in the Washington Post for January 5, 1981. It was written in response to an editorial published by The Post in opposition to catastrophic illness insurance. Since 1973, the American Council of the Blind has been a member organization of the Washington Health Security Action Coalition and has supported enactment of a comprehensive national health insurance system. Mr. Glasser was formerly the Director of the Social Security Department of the United Auto Workers and has recently been named Consulting Director to the Committee for National Health Insurance in Washington, D.C. Mr. Glasser is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped.) The Post's December 19 editorial indicating that catastrophic illness insurance provides no satisfactory answer to America's health care problems reflects an understanding of some of the complexities of a system in disarray. While The Post states we may have "the best over-all health care,'' the most recent reliable information indicates 26.6 million Americans have no health insurance at all. At least another 20 million have such inadequate coverage that their protection is largely token. Millions among this very large group are working. Others include the unemployed, the poor and the near poor who are either ineligible for Medicaid, barred by technicalities in state laws, or too proud to apply for "means test" health care. For almost 50 million persons, therefore, even very modest doctor and hospital bills can be a catastrophe. For decades, various proposals have been advanced that attempt to provide relatively inexpensive short-cut answers to the problem of assuring decent health care for all our people. None has survived the test of careful examination. They have proved deficient because, while purporting to solve the problems of one group, they would further skew health programs and costs to the disadvantage of others. Sixty-one other countries have national health plans. These have not been without problems. But their experience as well as our own demonstrates that only a health program that covers everyone and provides comprehensive benefits, only one with built-in cost and quality controls, can adequately deal with the root causes of our health system problems. These include runaway costs, an archaic payment method, overly expensive hospital care, too many health care resources in some localities, and far too few in the urban ghettos and rural areas. The continuing public discussion that The Post's editorial stimulates, and the urgent need for constructive solutions, should help bring about eventual national agreement that access to good health care is at least as important to the poor and near poor, the ethnic minorities, the middle class with catastrophic health bills as it is to all others. ***** ** Conference on National Health Insurance Held in Washington As part of the preparation for the White House Conference on Aging, mini-conferences have been sponsored by interested organizations. These mini-conferences focus on a specific area of concern to elderly persons. One such conference, focusing on national health insurance, was held in Washington, D.C., on January 15. The conference was co-sponsored by the National Council of Senior Citizens and the American Association of Retired Persons. The first speaker was Esther Peterson, Special Assistant to President Carter for Consumer Affairs. She spoke of the serious need, particularly among elderly citizens, for a national health insurance plan. The current health care system was examined from both the patient and the provider point of view. A panel of elderly persons told their individual stories of how life savings had been wiped out by the illnesses of loved ones. Presenting the view of the provider was Dr. Victor Sidel, Chairman, Department of Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Dr. Sidel's critical and painfully honest presentation was definitely not the image promoted by the American Medical Association. He is the author of a book called A Healthy State, wherein he advocates a national health insurance system for the United States. Other speakers included Tish Sommers, who addressed the particularly critical needs of older women. Her own story is typical of the problems of which she was speaking. She had been a homemaker all her life, covered by her husband's health insurance policy. Then, at the age of 54, she found herself divorced, uninsured, and unable to get insurance. The new Director of the Committee for National Health Insurance, Melvin Glasser, outlined the principles which must be included in any national health insurance plan. While there are various approaches to the structuring and financing of such a program, and there was some debate about those approaches, the delegates finally agreed to a resolution, excerpted below, outlining the basic principles which must be included in any plan: "A national health security plan, built upon a broad-based and progressive financing mechanism, should be established to assure comprehensive, uniform protection and high quality health services for all people." "Specifically, this plan would provide for: 1. Universal coverage. 2. Comprehensive benefits. 3. Cost controls. 4. Quality assurance. 5. Health care system reform. 6. Adherence to social insurance principles in administration and financing." "In order that this national health security plan be both efficient and effective, it must be enacted as a total plan." This resolution will be sent as a recommendation to the delegates of the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. ***** ** Three Cheers for the Winner (Reprinted from The Promotor, published by the North Dakota Association of the Blind.) Congratulations to NDAB member Duane Rasmuson for winning $30 and a second-place trophy in the Mayor's Macaroni Masterpieces Cookoff. The pasta cookoff celebrated the North Dakota durum crop and was held in Minot, which many of its citizens call Pastaville, U.S.A. Duane's winning recipe follows: * Pizza Flavored Casserole 1 pound ground beef 1/3 cup chopped onion, or 1/2 tsp. onion salt 1 medium clove garlic, minced, or 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1 tsp. oregano 1/2 tsp. salt 1 can condensed tomato soup 1/3 cup water 2 cups cooked wide noodles 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Brown beef with onion, garlic, and seasonings, separating meat into small pieces. Combine all other ingredients with meat except the cheese. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Additional cheese may be added to the meat mixture. Makes four servings. Calories per serving, 460. ***** ** National Policy Fellowship Program In Education of the Handicapped The National Policy Fellowship Program (NPF) in the area of education of the handicapped is now accepting applications for the 1981-82 fellowship year. Selected Fellows will have an opportunity to come to Washington to observe and participate in Federal policy-making through placement with a Federal agency, Congressional committee, or national association which makes or influences policy for handicapped children, youth, and adults. The year's work/placement is supplemented by weekly seminars and discussion with leaders in handicapped education and human policy and advocacy areas. NPF is a non-degree program for persons at mid-career who have had broad experience in education and human services and a record of proven leadership in the disability area. The program is particularly interested in recruiting parent and disabled leaders. Those who meet these qualifications and who are interested in a full year commitment in Washington, D.C., should write for an application to: Application Coordinator, National Policy Fellowships in Education of the Handicapped, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 310, Washington, DC 20036. Applications must be postmarked by April 3, 1981. ***** ** New Resource Handbook Available on Voice-Indexed Cassette A voice-indexed cassette edition of Coping With Sight Loss: The Vision Resource Book, by Fran Alexander Weisse, and Mimi Winer, has just been published by Vision Foundation, Inc., Newton, Massachusetts. A $5,000 grant from McDonald's Corporation was awarded to Vision to produce 500 copies of the book using the new voice-indexing technique. Recorded on four cassettes, this book brings together a wide range of information urgently needed by blind and visually impaired persons and by those losing their sight and provides a ready reference for the rehabilitation community at large. Topics include: aids and devices; agencies and organizations; low vision services; eye disorders; mobility; recreation; job opportunities; benefits, etc. The book enables people with sight loss to find information for themselves, rather than relying on others to find it for them. A four-track cassette player is necessary to use this voice-indexed book. Voice indexing differs from tone indexing, which is usually used, in that spoken words rather than beep tones are heard at Fast Forward speed, to provide rapid access to all main sections of the text. Another unusual feature of this recorded edition is the inclusion of the subject index from the back of the print edition. Access is available to specific sections of the text through nearly 400 references in the index. The recorded edition of the book was read by Edith K. Lieb and voice­indexed by James G. Chandler. The first 500 copies of the cassette edition of Coping With Sight Loss: The Vision Resource Book are available below actual cost at a price of $5 as a result of the McDonald's grant. To provide as wide a distribution as possible at this low price, sales of the first 500 copies are limited to two books to each individual or agency. Bulk orders now, and for future editions, will be priced at $10. A large-print edition of the book will be available in the near future. Send your check for $5 for each individual copy of the cassette edition to: Vision Foundation, Inc., 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02158; telephone: (617) 965-5877, or Mass. toll-free: (800) 852-3029. ***** ** Texas State Board of Education Mandates Practical Training for Special-Needs Teachers (Reprinted from the Dallas Morning News, Monday, Sept. 1, 1980) Stephenville, Texas -- UPI: About 75 education students at Tarleton State University will take a unique course this fall, designed to help prospective teachers learn to deal with handicapped students. The concept of learning by doing is at the core of the course, which is intended to teach students firsthand what being disabled is like. In a program started four years ago by Dr. Virginia Kurko, students walk blindfolded across campus, try writing with their arms hampered by a wooden yoke, draw pictures of objects viewed in a mirror, and perform other exercises encumbered by mechanical handicaps. "Students experience some of the frustrations which special-needs students -- those with a physical handicap or a learning disability -- must learn to live with," Dr. Kurko said. The course is required for aspiring teachers likely to have disabled pupils in their classes. Because Federal regulations encourage school systems to keep handicapped students in regular classes, it's a possibility most teachers face. At the state level, concern is growing among educators about learning disabilities, which include physical handicaps. Texas Department of Human Resources officials estimate 13,000 pre-school children in Texas are handicapped, Dr. Kurko said. Dr. Kurko said she joined in a push four years ago to require training in dealing with special needs of all prospective teachers throughout Texas colleges and universities. "Although the State Board (of Education) requires it, not every university is implementing special training," Dr. Kurko said. "Particularly they are having difficulty in schools where there is no special education department." Most of Tarleton's program is aimed at acquainting prospective teachers with the process whereby all students learn, but it emphasizes what learning disabilities are and how to spot them, she said. Occasionally a disabled student training to teach others with handicaps will sign up for the course and bring along first-hand experience, she said. As part of a final exam in the course, Dr. Kurko asks students what part of the course made the most lasting impression. With few exceptions, students list handicap stimulation, she said. "The students react very positively," she said. "Not a single one" has spoken against the project. Kurko said she hopes to expand the program to include even more common disabilities. "I wish we had more wheelchairs so we could let the students understand all the obstacles most of us are not aware of," she said. ***** *** ACB Affiliate News ** Family Adjustment Seminar By Lester Ketterling (Reprinted from The Promoter, published by the North Dakota Association of the Blind) On October 25-26, 1980, the North Dakota Association of the Blind conducted a Family Adjustment Seminar at the Dakota Motor Hotel in Grand Forks. The project had been approved by the general membership of the Association during its 1979 convention. The purpose of the seminar was to educate the sighted members of a blind person's family on vision loss, as well as to provide a setting for the sharing of ideas and feelings about having a visually impaired person in the family. Five couples were able to attend this first seminar. Nine members of NDAB served as organizers and leaders of the various sessions. The program started Saturday afternoon and continued through noon on Sunday. On Saturday, two films were shown -- one depicting various types of partial vision; the other showing the do's and don'ts of assisting visually impaired persons. Afterwards, sighted individuals were given the opportunity to wear eye coverings that occluded vision either partially or totally, enabling them to see for themselves what their spouses experienced daily. The Saturday afternoon session concluded with a panel discussion in which sighted and partially sighted persons participated. The organized activities were followed by an evening of visiting and dancing at a local club. The Sunday morning session began with a talk on training and employment of the blind. Then staff and participants were divided into two groups, one sighted and one visually impaired. Each group discussed mutual problems and shared ideas on how to tackle these problems, before reporting back to the large group. At the close of the seminar, each staff member and participant was asked for his reaction and evaluation. The general consensus was that the program had been beneficial. One woman stated that by wearing the eye covering, she was better able to understand what her husband was experiencing every day of his life. Many expressed the hope that the seminar would be repeated for the benefit of those who were unable to attend this particular session. ** Utah Blind Consumers and State Library United in Significant Victory (Reprinted from The Courier, published by the Utah Council of the Blind, Sept., 1980) On July 11, both the Utah Council of the Blind and the Utah Federation of the Blind received a call from Jerry Buttars of the Utah State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, asking for their help. Those who have visited the library in the past may remember that not too far from the library has been a private club called the Black Bull. This summer they vacated their building and a request was put up to the Utah Liquor Commission by another club to locate in that building. There is a state law which says, however, that such an establishment cannot be located within 300 feet of a building such as a public library. The owners of the club took the position that since the Library for the Blind does most of its business by mail, it should not be regarded as a library, but more as a warehouse. The library's position, and the position which Joan Bills and your editor (Tom Mitchell) took, representing the two major blind groups of Utah, was that the library does serve a substantial number of visitors who do come each day, some of whom do bring children. It was felt that since in the past there had been damage done to tires from broken bottles and cans in the vicinity, not only to staff cars but to people who do visit the library, and volunteer readers, too, such a club should not be allowed to locate there. During the course of the hearing, the library was asked why it had not objected in the past. Mr. Buttars pointed out that since the former club was there before the library was moved there, they were not in a position to cause anything to be done about the situation. But now that another club was applying, it would be discrimination against the blind and physically handicapped community of Utah if a new club were allowed to violate the law and move into the building. There were some sharp arguments on both sides of the issue, but finally the Commission denied the request of the new club to locate near the library. Mr. Buttars hailed the decision as a good one and thanked Mr. Mitchell and Mrs. Bills for their help in coming with him as consumers. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon A recent press release of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America features a picture of Philip Pofcher of Boston, Massachusetts, past president of the American Blind Lawyers Association, as he presented honorary membership certificates in the ABLA to four ATLA members. The four were elected to honorary membership in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the betterment of blind members of the legal profession. ATLA donated 75 educational audio tapes of lectures presented at ATLA's national conventions, advocacy colleges, and circuit meetings to the ABLA for use by its members as a continuing legal educational tool. The A TLA gift guaranteed that all future ATLA educational audio tapes would be provided automatically to the American Blind Lawyers Association. The Association of Trial Lawyers of America is the nation's largest trial bar organization, with more than 44,000 members throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. A totally re-designed, two-camera, one-monitor Electronic Visual Aid (EV A) is now coming off the production line at Apollo Electronic Visual Aids, 6357 Arizona Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90045. The new dual­image system affords viewing access of two different media simultaneously. Tasks such as comparing rough drafts with final copy, examining computer printouts, reading calculator displays and recording sums, reviewing mechanical or architectural drawings, or cross-referencing research can be done more easily with the new aid. For further information, write the company at the above address. Special raised markings in the pavement aid visually impaired persons in crossing the street in Hiroshima, Japan, according to an item in Behavior Today. In Tokyo, the traffic lights have auditory as well as visual signals. Because of these and other safety features, Japan has halved its traffic death rate in the past ten years. From Access America: The United States Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board received eleven complaints about inaccessible facilities during October, 1980, from ten states, in­volving six non-Federal and three Federal properties. The eleven bring to 591 the number of complaints the Board has processed since beginning operations in March, 1975. For details on how to file a complaint with the Board, write for Access America -- The Architectural Barriers Act and You, an eight-page pamphlet with a tear-out complaint form, describing buildings covered by the Federal law. It is free from Public Information Office, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, Washington, DC 20202. From Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, encourages disabled people to visit its collections. But for people who cannot come to the Museum, organizations may rent suitcase exhibits which contain reference books and touchable reproductions. The six suitcase exhibits contain collections dealing with King Tutankhamun, Classic Civilizations, Pre-Columbian, American, Medieval, and Survey. For further information, contact Nancy Figueroa, Community Education, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028. For information on group and individual services to handicapped persons, contact Charles Steiner at the same address. — A Veterans Administration grant of up to $3,800 toward the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance is available to veterans or active-duty personnel with service-connected losses, or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet, or permanent impairment of vision of both eyes to a prescribed degree. In addition to the one-time vehicle payment, the V.A. will also pay for specialty adapted equipment and for repairs or replacement of such equipment in subsequent vehicles. For further information, contact your nearest Veterans Administration office. A "Directory of Agencies Serving the Deaf-Blind" is now available. The directory was compiled from a list of agencies reporting services to the deaf-blind. Orders may be sent to Gertrude Queen, Librarian, Helen Keller National Center, 111 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY 10050. Price, $5.00. Position available: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science/Bureau of Public Administration, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Starting date: September, 1981. Primary teaching focus is on the functions and processes of management in the public sector. Teaching responsibilities will include graduate and undergraduate courses. Ph. D. required by September 1, 1981. Send vita and three letters of reference to Professor Thomas Ungs, Head, Department of Political Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind announces publication of "A Guide to Self-Advocacy," now available in large-print and braille. Charles Crawford, Director of the Client Assistance Project, stated: "The guide will greatly increase the ability of blind clients to deal with administrative agencies both positively and productively." This 26-page guide has information on laws, regulations, and policies; on how to work with the system; and on obtaining information and using resources. The guide will also soon be available on tape. For a free copy, contact Client Assistance Project, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, 110 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108. "Disabled in Action Speaks," a publication of Disabled in Action, is now available in large-print, braille, or cassette. Write Alice Crespo, 212 N. 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211. From The New York Times: In order to earn a Red Cross certificate for completing an advanced first-aid training program, Charles Burkentine and others in his class in one test had to work blindfolded to simulate a condition in which treatment had to be given in the dark. "I could really show them all up on that," said the 44-year-old Mr. Burkentine, who is blind. He achieved a lifelong ambition when he received his Red Cross certificate for completing a 14-week training program for ambulance personnel. He said he feels confident he can deliver a baby or give aid to a heart-attack victim in an emergency. He finished the course with a grade of 89%. As greater numbers of disabled students become college students, the need for faculty guidelines on disability has greatly increased. A new publication, "The College Student With a Disability -- A Faculty Handbook," has been introduced by the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. The 35-page book discusses the needs of students with differing disabilities and offers faculty tips on successfully dealing with disabled students. The book includes a glossary of terms concerning disability, as well as the American manual alphabet for sign language with deaf people and the braille alphabet. Single copies of the handbook may be ordered without charge from President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, Washington, DC 20210. From Disabled USA: United Airlines, in cooperation with Pinetree Tours, Inc., is offering a special tour package to California. The package offers special handling for wheelchair travelers and those with other handicaps. The tour is offered on a "Go any day" basis. There is a guarantee that hotels, attractions, and other facilities will be accessible to handicapped travelers. The tour package includes both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Special group rates are available. For more information, contact your local United Airlines office. Newsweek reports that a Yale eye specialist believes that large daily doses of aspirin may slow the development of cataracts for as long as a decade. Dr. Edward Catlier based his suggestion on a study of men and women who had taken large amounts of aspirin daily to allay the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. The people who took aspirin regularly had far fewer cataracts than men and women of the same age who were not aspirin users. Of those who had taken seven or eight tablets a day for nine years, only four out of 25 showed signs of cataracts; however, cataracts had developed in six out of eight people who had not taken aspirin. Dr. Catlier warns that aspirin will have absolutely no effect once cataracts have formed, and he emphasizes that further study is necessary to prove that this everyday drug actually prevents cataracts. From Dialogue With the Blind: Tapes for Enthusiastic Listening and Education, Inc. (TELE) has been established to lend educational tapes to blind and handicapped persons. Tapes may be borrowed without charge for a period of thirty days. Offerings include documentaries, poetry, plays, classical and popular music, speeches, lectures, old-time radio shows, and children's material. Catalogs are available in print for $4.00 and in braille for $2.50 from TELE, Inc., P.O. Box 3456, Maplewood, MO 63143 ***** ** 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. ###