Large Type Edition The Braille Forum Vol. XIX May, 1981 No. 11 ACB Fights Budget Cutbacks Testifies in Behalf of National Eye Institute ... Legal Services Corporation 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 "Free Matter for the Blind": Will It Survive?, by Kathy Megivern ACB National Convention, 1981: More about Exhibits, Program, Special Functions, General Arrangements Double News Flash from Friends-in-Art/ACB CCLV Addresses Needs of Older Low-Vision People Don't Miss the Boat! -- VISTA Annual Conference Therefore, Be It Resolved ..., by Judith M. Dixon Dick Seifert Named Administrator, Arkansas Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired ACB Testifies in Support of Legal Services Corporation San Francisco NLS Library, Over-Stuffed and Under-Staffed, by Harriet Penner Fielding Congress Urged Not to Cut Money for National Eye Institute Right Turn on Red: a Safety Hazard? Ione Miller and the BEP, by Ione Miller From the Archives: What Should Be the Relation of the National Federation of the Blind to Organizations of Other Handicapped Groups?, by Earl Scharry Free Lifetime Entrance Permit to National Parks White House Announces Nominations for Special Education and Rehabilitation Positions Here and There, by George Card Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Report from the ACB President Oral O. Miller Plans are progressing well for the American Council of the Blind legislative seminar scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., on May 12-13-14, 1981, and as discussed in more detail in ACB Action Memorandum Tape 81-01 (distributed in early April). The purposes of the seminar are to educate ACB members further concerning the Federal legislative process and to inform many key Congressmen and Senators of the position of the American Council concerning timely issues. The seminar is not intended to be a "mass march on Washington," but a concerted effort to contact the Congressmen and Senators who, according to the highly structured committee system in Congress, are most likely to be voting upon matters of concern to the blind. In short, decisions concerning who will be invited to attend the seminar and to receive assistance from ACB will be influenced greatly by the effect they can have on their Congressmen and Senators. We are asking our state affiliates to assist in this undertaking by covering the hotel and ground transportation costs, and we are hopeful that this will be just the first of many more legislative seminars. A future issue of The Braille Forum will carry a report concerning the success of the seminar. It was my pleasure and honor to spend the first two weeks of April in Norway as the guest of Healthsports, Inc. (formerly known as Ski for Light, Inc.), in which I have been active since its formation several years ago. Another blind cross-country skier and I were selected to make the trip in order to observe and take part in the Ridderrenn (Knight's Race), which is closely associated with the world-famous Beitostolen Helsensportsenter (healthsports center). The Beitostolen Helsensportsenter is the inspiration for the Vinland National Center, the healthsports center now being constructed in Loretto, Minnesota. Readers of The Braille Forum will recall that in 1978, the ACB national convention adopted a resolution endorsing the formation of the Vinland National Center and urging the granting of Federal assistance for its development and construction. Since there was almost no snow in the eastern United States on which to train before going to Norway, I left with no delusions concerning my expected success in the grueling 22-kilometer race through the mountains. My guide (a Norwegian-born accountant from Minneapolis) and I covered the course in the respectable time of a bit over three hours, which, of course, was considerably slower than the times of the highly trained Scandinavian athletes who have been skiing regularly since early childhood. Several other blind skiers from America also took part in the race and did very respectably. Two blind ladies from America won third-place medals in their categories the previous day in the biathlon, an event in which each participant skis a total of 6 kilometers and, during scheduled stops along the way, does target shooting with an air rifle equipped with a specially designed light-sensitive, audible sight. The final score of each biathlon competitor is based upon his or her skiing time and shooting score. Not until this year were there biathlon categories in which blind women could compete. While the American women did not generally ski as well as their European counterparts, the equaled or bettered them on marksmanship. I am pleased to report that the American Council of the Blind will be playing a very important role in the upcoming annual meeting of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped (PCEH). For example, Edward LeMoine of our national staff has been actively involved as a member of the program planning committee, and he is also scheduled to take part as a panelist dealing with modern advocacy. The panel is to be moderated by Reese Robrahn, recently of the ACB national staff. In addition, an outstanding and attention-getting exhibit is being designed and constructed by Roberta Douglas, our National Office manager. I want to urge all ACB state affiliates to move forward promptly in selecting the blind students to be sent to the special seminar scheduled to precede the upcoming ACB national convention in St. Louis. This is an excellent opportunity for ACB and its affiliates to offer a very valuable and informative service to both present and prospective members. An article concerning that seminar was published in the April, 1981 issue of The Braille Forum. In closing, I want to urge all ACB members and friends to make their travel reservations now for the 1981 ACB national convention week, running from July 4-11. Separate articles in this issue contain information concerning the national convention program and the special-interest conference programs. Current plans call for the national convention pre-registration packets to be mailed in the latter part of May, so it is important for the forms to be returned promptly. ***** ** "Free Matter For The Blind": Will It Survive? By Kathy Megivern Buried deep in the Reagan Administration's budget proposal under the category "Commerce and Housing Credit," there is a short paragraph recommending a cut in the subsidies currently paid by the Federal Government to the U.S. Postal Service. The rationale for this cut is stated as follows: The Federal money "subsidizes certain mail users and services and increases the financial burden for all taxpayers. The Administration believes that the costs of mail service should be borne by users, not taxpayers." One of the subsidies in which a substantial cut has been proposed is the Revenue Forgone subsidy. This money pays specifically for the Free Matter for the Blind and Handicapped program as well as for non-profit mailing permits and other reduced­rate mailing provisions. Since the Reagan proposal does not specify how the Postal Service should make up for the budget cuts, it is conceivable that some cutback in the Free Matter program might result. However, in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee dealing with the Postal Service budget, Postmaster General William F. Bolger outlined the ways in which the Postal Service plans to compensate for these budget cuts: "If the cut is approved in this amount, and in the absence of other allocation instructions, I would regard this cut as covering the phasing portion of the subsidy. As provided under the law in case of a failure of appropriations, the Postal Service would make needed adjustments in the rates for the affected preferred-rate mailers, effective October 1, 1982, by moving from Step 10 on the rate-phasing schedule to Step 16. This would eliminate the remaining years of rate phasing, which was authorized as a way to spread out postage increases for the mailers who in 1970 had the farthest to go to begin paying the costs associated with their own mail. "By allocating the cut to the entire phasing subsidy request, we would leave intact the continuing subsidy, which covers free matter for the blind and limits the rate for non­profit mailers and in-county publications to the cost of their particular mailings, without contribution to overhead (emphasis added)." While this assurance by the Postmaster General is encouraging, it is not conclusive. The only way to ensure that the Free Matter program remains intact despite any subsidy cuts would be for Congress to include specific instructions to that effect when they pass the budget. Anyone wishing to contact his or her Representative should urge that if the Postal Service subsidy is cut, such a move should also include language directing the Postal Service not to cut back any services now provided under the Free Matter program. ***** *** ACB National Convention, 1981 ** More About Exhibits, Program, Special Functions, General Arrangements ... The 1981 National Convention Host Committee is pleased to report that all indicators point to the largest convention the American Council of the Blind has held to date in its twenty-year history. As an example of the way plans have been moving along, although this article is being written in early April, contracts have already been signed with twenty exhibitors. It is more than likely, therefore, that a total of thirty exhibitors (the maximum number which can be accommodated) will have their products and services on display during part or all of Convention Week, July 4-11. The Convention Committee urges each of you to leave time in your schedule to visit the exhibit area. Only by examining the exhibits and talking with the exhibitors can you stay informed concerning the unbelievable progress being made in aids and services for the blind. One exhibit, however, the "Talking Lights," is scheduled to be demonstrated in another section of the hotel away from the main exhibit area. The "Talking Lights," we are told, are unobtrusive devices which can be used to mark hard-to-find rooms or as mobility cues. Only by trying them will you know whether they can be of any assistance to you or your friends. SPECIAL NOTICE: The Chase-Park Plaza Hotel, headquarters for the 1981 ACB convention, has requested that any person needing a room to accommodate a wheelchair should make this need known in advance so that proper accommodations can be arranged. Send this information as soon as possible to the Missouri Federation of the Blind, Suite 12, 2683 Big Bend Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63143; telephone (314) 647-3647. The ACB National Office indicates that current plans are to have convention pre-registration packets in the mail by late May. The pre­registration form will include a listing all activities, special events, and tours planned for Convention Week. Please do not lay it aside to be filled in later! Reservations for tours which can accommodate only a limited number of persons will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Although the Chase-Park Plaza is a large hotel, and although more rooms have been blocked than ever before for an ACB convention, St. Louis is a very accessible city, and because this is ACB's 20th anniversary, we cannot predict the size of the turnout. You alone can assure yourself of good accommodations by returning your completed pre-registration form promptly. For the convenience of conventioneers, the Host Committee has obtained the following information concerning ground transportation to and from the hotel: The Airport Limousine Service operates daily, in­cluding weekends, from 6:30 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. The service operates from the airport to the hotel at ten minutes after each hour and twenty minutes to the hour. Limousines depart the hotel for the airport at five minutes to the hour and twenty-five minutes after the hour. Cab fare from the airport to the hotel is approximately $12.50; the Airport Cab is more expensive. Cab fare between Amtrak and the hotel is approximately $5.00; between the bus station and the hotel, approximately $6.00. A short article such as this cannot possibly list all the speakers who will address the upcoming convention or describe all the seminars and other special functions that will take place during Convention Week. However, a few must be mentioned in order to give a better idea concerning the tremendous variety of educational and interesting topics to be covered. One subject which has evoked enormous controversy and discussion within recent years is the education of the blind. With the passage of P.L. 94-142, opinions concerning the education of the blind changed even more, but the subject has not yet been clarified sufficiently. Convention program presentations in recent years have dealt with only certain aspects of the question, so a day-long workshop on the ramifications of P. L. 94-142 and specialized education for the blind is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 5. Anyone who is interested in the subject is encouraged to attend. There will be no registration fee for the seminar. However, in order to have an idea beforehand as to the approximate number of people to expect, the seminar will be listed on the pre­registration form. Arrangements are now being completed for the conduct of a workshop on Tuesday evening, July 7, that will concentrate on the skills needed by handicapped women, in particular, in reaching the goals set by the United Nations Decade on Women (1975-1985). The workshop will examine skills needed in such critical areas as employment, assertiveness, and socialization. There will be no registration fee for this special workshop, which will be listed on the pre-registration form so we may have an idea as to how many participants to expect. By the time the national convention takes place, the picture will hopefully be a little clearer concerning the all-important subject of Federal funding of services for the handicapped. In view of the enormous, if not catastrophic, change in attitude toward such funding on the part the new Federal Administration, we have invited high-ranking Federal officials to address the convention and to answer questions propounded by conventioneers. Since some key positions have been filled only very recently, and since some of the new officials are still somewhat unclear concerning their programs, the next issue of The Braille Forum will identify some of the Federal officials who will be present. Many employment thresholds have been pushed back by determined, qualified, and imaginative handicapped people, as well as by professional workers in the field of services for the blind. The examples of such handicapped people often serve as inspiration and encouragement for other handicapped people. For this reasons, one segment of the convention program is to be dedicated to the remarks and experiences of imaginative blind people who are blazing new employment trails. For example, we will meet the only blind woman in the United States who works as a reservationist with a large airline. Also we hope to learn more about a new training program which is expected to help place more blind people in positions as long-distance telephone operators. One of the most influential private agencies involved in work for the blind in the United States is the American Foundation for the Blind. Within the past several months, that agency has appointed a new executive director, William F. Gallagher, who is scheduled to speak to the convention about "The AFB -- Its Past and Its Future." In a sense, we have kept the best until last! Traditionally, the ACB banquet has featured the remarks of an outstanding speaker. This year, however, the format of the banquet is being changed considerably, to honor Durward McDaniel, ACB's retiring National Representative, and his dedicated, tireless wife, Aileen. The general format will be that of an appropriately humorous testimonial "roasting." The banquet will be followed by a reception honoring Durward and Aileen. In view of the thousands of friends which Durward and Aileen have made over the years, and in view of their unswerving dedication to the American Council of the Blind and its goals, the banquet and the reception will be convenient opportunities for many of their friends and well-wishers to visit with them and wish them well as they leave Washington, D.C., and start working on ACB matters on a more selective basis. Individuals and organizations interested in making presentations to Durward and/or Aileen during the reception should contact Roberta Douglas, the ACB National Office Manager. ** Double News Flash from Friends-in-Art/ACB Friends-in-Art/ACB is pleased to announce that six "suitcase exhibitions" from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, will be on display for the entire week of the 1981 ACB national convention, July 5-11. Each suitcase contains art replicas from a different culture: American, Medieval, Pre-Columbian, Classical, King Tutankhamen, and Survey of Art. All items can be handled. Don't miss this unique opportunity to explore art objects from various cultures! Metal sculpture by Butch Honeck will be on display on Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7. Oral Miller saw this sculpture at the state convention of the Michigan Association of the Blind last fall at Ann Arbor and was excited about it because the subject was machinery that works, in miniature, showing industrial processes. The exhibit includes a sawmill, a grain elevator, an oil refinery, etc. Butch Honeck is a native of Ann Arbor, now living in rural Jackson, Michigan. He has had a lifelong interest in metal work and machinery. Since 1972, he and his wife, Susan, have been creating original sculptures using brass and steel and featuring minute detail and touches of humor. ** CCLV Addresses Needs of Older Low-Vision Persons The theme of the annual convention of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision centers on the special needs and services encountered by the older low-vision individual. William Gallagher, Executive Director, American Foundation for the blind, will deliver the keynote address. Henry Hand from the Bureau for the Blind, St. Louis, will speak on mobility, and Dr. Larry Baker of the University of Missouri will chair a panel on recreation for the low-vision older person. Members will have an opportunity to visit the University of Missouri School of Optometry on a tour hosted by Dr. Jerry Christensen. Changes in Social Security as they affect the visually impaired, and diseases and conditions of the eye particularly affecting older persons are other topics to be addressed. The conference kicks off with a wine and cheese party on Sunday, July 5, at 6:30 P.M., and runs through Tuesday morning, July 7. ** Don't Miss the Boat! VISTA Annual Conference You don't have to wait for your "ship to come in," according to Doris Clevenger, Program Chairman for the 1981 conference of the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, to be held July 6, 7, and 8. Be the captain of your own future! Theme of this year's conference is: "The future belongs to those who prepare." Featured on the program will be a half-day workshop on professional motivation, with speakers, exhibits, demonstrations, and entertainment. IT will be a time for learning and a time for sharing of ideas. Plan now to attend. As you "cruise" through the conference, you will update your skills and get "oceans" of new ideas. ***** ** Therefore, Be It Resolved ... By Judith M. Dixon Each year at the national convention of the American Council of the Blind, as I listen to members discussing issues of concern to them, I often hear some resourceful individual suggest, "That would make a great resolution!" or, "Why don't we write a resolution on that?" Whenever I hear this, I groan inwardly, knowing that the number of resolutions to be considered on the floor is about to increase again, and that it will be even more difficult for us to complete our business in the allotted amount of time. At ACB's most recent convention in Louisville, a record number of resolutions (thirty, to be exact) was presented to the membership. After this session, I began to wonder: What exactly is a resolution? Are the issues that inspire resolutions really being dealt with in the most effective way? It seemed to me that maybe many of us didn't really know how to handle some of these issues. So the simplest thing to do was to write a resolution. Amazingly enough, there is very little written material on the subject of resolutions. After a considerable amount of research, I discovered that a resolution is nothing more and nothing less than a motion that has been put into writing. Being written, it becomes a permanent part of the organizational record. It can be circulated to the individuals and organizations involved. A resolution may be written to express facts, opinions, principles, or purposes. A resolution is not in order if it conflicts with the constitution, by-laws, rules of order, or standing rules. ACB By-Law VI, Section B, states: "All resolutions submitted to the (Resolutions) Committee shall be reported upon, with or without Committee recommendation." Since a resolution can be written on just about anything, this means that the responsibility for the content of the resolution rests solely on its author. Before writing one, therefore, one should ask: What can be accomplished by writing a resolution? If a resolution is passed by the membership, the only action that is taken is whatever is specifically directed by the resolution. It is not enough to say that the government of a particular state has been discriminating against blind persons and we think they should cease and desist. Unless letters are written or other action taken, these employees may never know how we feel. The action that is prescribed by a resolution must be feasible and directly related to the specific topic of the resolution. Basically, the same things can happen to a resolution that can happen to a motion. A resolution can be adopted, defeated, amended, rescinded, or referred somewhere else. Once it has been decided that a resolution shall be written, careful attention should be given to its form. The resolution itself must take the form of a statement, beginning with the words, "BE IT RESOLVED ... " If the reasons for the resolution are necessary, they are given in a preamble. Each reason constitutes a paragraph and begins with the word, "Whereas ... " The preamble should never contain a period. Each paragraph should end with a comma and the word "and" — except the last paragraph of the preamble, which should close with the word "therefore." A resolution need not be lengthy. It is often helpful when writing a resolution to take a look at previous resolutions that have been printed in The Braille Forum to get a better idea of the proper form. As the membership of the American Council of the Blind steadily grows, so does the number of issues of concern to us. Resolutions may be adopted by state and national affiliates, as well as by the whole organization. Often when a resolution is being considered, it may be advisable to have a special-interest organization or a particular state affiliate adopt such a measure. A resolution is not an end in itself. It is only a means of expressing a statement by an organization. Statements that are concise, meaningful, and address issues of real concern will do much to maintain the dignity and respectability of our organization. ***** ** Dick Seifert Named Administrator Arkansas Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired At his weekly news conference on Friday, April 10, Governor Frank White announced the appointment of Dick Seifert of Little Rock as Administrator, Arkansas State Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Mr. Seifert succeeds Louis H. Rives, who retired on November 14, 1980. The Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired serves about 2,000 persons annually and administers the vocational rehabilitation program, the independent living services program and the vending facility program. A native of Arkansas, Mr. Seifert attended the school for the blind in Little Rock. He did his undergraduate work at Arkansas Tech, receiving a degree in economics in 1971, and a Master's of Social Science in economics from the University of Mississippi at Oxford in 1972. He served as Client Assistance Project Director from 1974 to 1977 and as Policy Development Specialist from 1977 to the present. Dick joined the American Council of the Blind in 1974 and has attended every national convention since that time. He is a member of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America and the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists and served as Resolutions Committee chairman in 1979 and 1980. In 1980, he was elected to the ACB national Board of Directors. Congratulations, Dick, from the officers, directors, staff, and entire membership of the American Council of the Blind. ***** ** ACB Testifies in Support of Legal Services Corporation Durward K. McDaniel, National Representative, American Council of the Blind, testified before the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice, on March 18, 1981. The subcommittee was considering a bill to re-authorize the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) for another three years. The Corporation's authorization expired last year, and the Reagan Administration has proposed the elimination of LSC. The Corporation has been criticized recently for alleged political activities by its lawyers around the country, and its aggressive representation of poor people has angered many powerful conservative interests. While the Reagan budget recommends zero money for LSC, other budget proposals have included some funding, albeit greatly reduced. One alternative budget put forth by the House Democrats would fund the Corporation at two-thirds of its current level. While this would be a serious cutback, it is, however, an indication that the Reagan proposal to abolish LSC faces an uphill battle. In addition to his oral presentation, Mr. McDaniel, testifying on behalf of the American Council of the Blind and the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, submitted a written statement for the record, excerpts of which are reprinted below. A large number of blind and handicapped people live on Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance payments and thereby qualify as low-income persons eligible for legal services. Likewise, because of severe job discrimination, many blind and handicapped persons remain chronically unemployed or work only part-time at extremely low-paying jobs, and thus, they, too, rely upon their local Legal Services offices as their only affordable source of legal help. The National Office of the ACB receives hundreds of calls from visually impaired persons around the country with legal problems. Sometimes the questions are such that we can answer them for the caller, but most frequently we refer the person to his or her nearest Legal Services office for help. Most of these callers simply would have no place else to turn if the Legal Services program were not available. Both ACB and ACCD are deeply concerned about the Reagan Administration's proposal to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation, and we wish to express our strong support for H.R. 2506, introduced by Representative Peter Rodino, to reauthorize the Corporation. It is a fallacy, indeed, to talk about eliminating LSC as a cost saving measure. Here is a Federal program that works and is cost-effective, as noted by American Bar Association President William Reece Smith, Jr., at a March 10 press conference: Corporation-funded local programs handle over 1.5 million cases a year -- helping these individuals resolve housing problems, consumer disputes, family law matters, and other similar legal problems. Most of these problems tend to be simple, routine legal issues, but to many of these individuals they are of critical importance in their lives. This is all done at a cost of just over $10.00 per poor person and an administrative overhead rate of less than 3% of the Corporation's budget, making this program one of the most cost-effective Federal programs. The Reagan Administration's alternative suggestion that the work now being done by neighborhood Legal Services offices could be picked up by some combination of increased pro bono efforts from the private bar and funding from the proposed social services block grant program is wholly unacceptable. The President of the American Bar Association noted in his March statement that efforts of the private bar have never been able to keep up with the needs of our poor people: "Without a Federal program, the doors of justice remain shut to millions of our nation's neediest citizens." The ACB and the ACCD are also very much opposed to the block grant approach for any of the important social programs, but particularly for legal services. Access to our legal system is a constitutionally guaranteed right which should not be left to the discretion of state or local officials who are trying to distribute reduced numbers of Federal dollars to finance a whole panoply of social programs. In addition, such an arrangement contains an inherent conflict of interest for those officials allocating the funds, since they frequently are the very officials whose decisions about housing, health care, public benefits, etc., became the subject of litigation. When Congress considered re­authorization of the Corporation last session, many negative limiting amendments were proposed. The ACB and the ACCD oppose any such limitations upon the activities of Legal Services lawyers and programs. We believe that there are sufficient safeguards already written into the law to prohibit political activities and other "improper" involvement by Legal Services employees. These other amendments were clearly attempts to prevent poor people from pursuing their rights against certain favored interests. We are particularly opposed to amendments such as the one to prohibit Legal Services programs from providing representation on education-related activities. Much of the representation provided by Legal Services lawyers has been assistance to the parents of handicapped children or to the children directly, to assure that equal educational opportunities will be available. A quality education is one of the most basic rights which provides a foundation for the individual to become a truly productive, self-supporting member of society. For too long, handicapped children were denied this right and were thus condemned to a life of dependency. Legal Services lawyers assisting individual children around the country have been an integral part of the progress we have made in assuring equal educational opportunities for all handicapped children. Absolutely barring Legal Services programs from involvement in such litigation would have a devastating effect upon the lives of many low­income handicapped children. ***** ** The San Francisco NLS Library, Over-Stuffed and Under-Staffed By Harriet Penner Fielding The gentle persuasion method of reaching public servants and governing bodies in San Francisco just doesn't seem to work. Regretful sympathy and misunderstanding are the net results of a frustrating effort to find adequate housing for the San Francisco Subregional NLS Library. More than two years of concentrated effort by a majority of the nearly 1,000 blind and disabled patrons seems to have gone down the drain. BACKGROUND: There were only 400 subscribers in San Francisco city and county when the National Library Service subregional library was established in a tiny storage room in a remote corner of the main San Francisco Public Library. The young librarian assigned to the new subregional library was expected to divide her time between serving the blind patrons and serving the reading needs of the inmates of the city jail. While the jail service was a laudable enterprise for the Public Library, it did seem to the talking-book users that the library "brass" saw the new NLS subregional as an unimportant warehouse for storing and mailing the special books to be read by only 400 blind individuals. Despite the fact that NLS patrons could communicate with their librarian only by telephone, the number of patrons soon increased to 600. In 1977, after much behind-the-scenes maneuvering, the subregional library became one of the sections of the new Communications Center located in the Presidio branch library, 3150 Sacramento Street, San Francisco. Sharing the floor space was the film and video section of the San Francisco Library System and the much-reduced collection of print books for the sighted neighborhood patrons. The misguided concept that all that the blind and physically handicapped patrons needed from the library was a good mailing department evidently still remained, as only 1,200 square feet of space was allocated to the subregional library section. (Note: According to a master plan of the American Library Association, standards for libraries serving the blind and physically handicapped call for 8,500 square feet of space.) AN "HONEST-TO-GOODNESS" LIBRARY? Within a few weeks, blind readers began to stop in to see the librarian and to take advantage of certain library services they had not had through the mail. Older adults whose sight loss was comparatively recent were delighted to renew their library attendance. The number of "walk-ins" increased daily, and things were really humming! Leslie Eldridge, the young, energetic librarian of the "cubbyhole" days, became full-time, with a part-time assistant and a CETA employee. Working within the confines of that 1,200 square feet, Leslie has achieved a real, "honest-to-goodness" library for the blind and physically handicapped San Francisco patrons. Her ingenuity in devising methods of identifying the discs and cassettes she has been able to place on the limited shelving is incredible. Not only can the visually impaired walk-in patron find his or her own book on the shelves, but so can the totally blind person. For example, a visually impaired person who can read titles with some type of magnification can find the mystery book desired by looking in the section indicated by a placard with a large black dot drawn on it. A placard with a large red slash indicates that this section contains books with "explicit descriptions of sex." The totally blind person can check a braille card index file to find a title which may be in the braille book section. The bimonthly "sneak previews" of the latest books are always well attended, and patrons bring home shopping bags filled with the books they have selected. FAMINE TO FEAST: When a subscriber list grows from a mere 400 disinterested mail-order readers to nearly 1,000 vitally aware, participating blind patrons, with wanted and needed library service crammed into only 1,200 square feet of space, you have a crisis situation. It is a well-known fact that blind persons are among the most avid readers in the world. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, cannot be equaled. It appears that the blind patrons of the San Francisco subregional library are "out-reading" the seeing library patrons. In a recent report, Ms. Eldridge stated that in a single year, the subregional library circulates 44,000 books, which is more than are circulated by ten of the 26 branch libraries in San Francisco city and county. The entire book collection is larger than that of nine branches. DILEMMA: A blind person visiting the library now must be an expert cane traveler, for it is necessary to run an obstacle course between huge mail sacks loaded with talking book containers, leaning against desks, and stacks of books on chairs and tables. Talking-book record players and cassette players are stored in the basement, along with the greater part of the book collection. The library staffers spend half of their time running up and down the basement stairs. PATRON INVOLVEMENT: Blind and physically handicapped San Franciscans have not been willing to let the unpleasant, crowded conditions at the subregional library remain static. Several positive steps have been taken. Unfortunately, to date no results can be reported. Here are some of those steps: 1. A master plan was drawn up projecting library needs for a five-year period. The city librarian, John Frantz, reviewed the plan and forwarded copies to the Library Commission, the San Francisco Supervisors, and the Mayor. 2. Shortly after the plan was forwarded, a committee of six patrons called upon individual Supervisors by appointment, called upon the Mayor by appointment, and attended a meeting of the Library Commission by permission of the chair. The results of these contacts were: (a) The Library Commission strongly supports the efforts of the blind to find a suitable location for the subregional library. (b) Individual Supervisors strongly support the need for a subregional library, and the Board of Supervisors as a whole unanimously passed a resolution supporting the blind. (c) The Mayor could not be reached in person, but her administrative assistant offered help in writing a grant proposal for funding to renovate or remodel an unused building. To date, nothing has come from these statements of support. 3. In July, 1980, following the defeat of Proposition 9 and the adoption by the City of a budget which would allow all branch libraries originally slated to close to remain open, a new approach to the problem was planned. A corporation was formed, to be called Friends of the Talking Book Library, now legally incorporated under the laws of the State of California. The corporation is comprised of seven persons -- five blind, one physically handicapped, and one sighted person. The purpose of the corporation is to make it legal and permissible to raise funds through grant proposals and to open a bank account where contributions and funds raised can be deposited. No grant proposals have been instituted as yet. 4. Following the June election, with all branch libraries remaining open -- thus eliminating any possibility that one of the closed branches could be taken over by the subregional -- all hope went a-glimmering. There was no evidence of the support pledged by the Supervisors, the Library Commission, or the Mayor. What now? Why not a mass meeting in a public building-of the general public, library patrons, and with special invitations to the Mayor, the Supervisors, and the Library Commissioners? Called by James McGinnis, President, Friends of the Talking Book Library, Inc., the meeting was to be a rap session — an airing of the problems of the library patrons and an appeal for help in finding a suitable location. Held in September, 1980, the meeting was moderately well attended, but no Mayor's representative, no Supervisor, no Library Commissioner was present. The meeting was well publicized with radio, television, and news media cooperating. A newspaper photo of Leslie Eldridge standing at her desk, surrounded by stacks of talking books and mail sacks, elicited much interest — temporarily. 5. Then, early in October it was deemed advisable to hold a demonstration for the library. Plans were made to hold the demonstration in front of City Hall at noon on the Supervisors' meeting day. Twenty-five blind individuals carrying signs marched round and round the City Hall for two hours. There was good publicity before and after the demonstration, but, unfortunately, there was a much larger and louder one going on across the street in the plaza. APPEAL FOR ADVICE AND COUNSEL: This sad saga of frustrated hope is written to acquaint the thousands of talking-book readers throughout the country with the efforts of a comparatively small group of blind persons to sustain, support, and enlarge the subregional library which has afforded them many hours of enjoyment. The Friends of the Talking Book Library, Inc., and Ms. Leslie Eldridge, Librarian, will be grateful for any advice or suggestions you may have on how to keep this unique library going and growing. Perhaps you have solved a similar problem in your area. Please write to James McGinnis, Chair, Friends of the Talking Book Library, or to Leslie Eldridge, Librarian, 3150 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94115. ***** ** Congress Urged Not to Cut Money For National Eye Institute Among the massive budget cuts proposed by the Reagan Administration is a $73 million reduction in the budget base for fiscal year 1982 of the National Institutes of Health. One of the many agencies whose work is threatened by such a cut is the National Eye Institute (NEI). For the past eleven years, NEI has been conducting research into the prevention and treatment of blindness and visual impairment. The American Council of the Blind believes that such research is vitally important both for those persons whose sight is saved by such efforts as well as for those low-vision people who are able to preserve and make maximum use of remaining visions because of NEI's work. Durward K. McDaniel, ACB's National Representative, appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on March 17, 1981, to urge that NEI's budget not be cut. Mr. McDaniel represented both the American Council of the Blind and Friends of Eye Research, an organization located in Boston, Massachusetts, for which he serves as a national adviser. In his testimony, Mr. McDaniel stressed the cost effectiveness of programs such as those conducted by NEI. "Blindness and partial sight loss annually drain some $8 billion from the U.S. economy. That is what it costs in medical hospital care, government assistance payments, time lost from work, and other expenses too numerous to mention here. Only eye research can prevent doubling this visually impaired population over the next half century. Only eye research and better treatment of blindness can reduce that $8 billion figure in the years just ahead." Mr. McDaniel emphasized that money spent on eye research saves us untold amounts of money on rehabilitation and income support programs. "I know that more eye research makes sound economic sense. If it had not been for advances in treatment and research, taxpayers would be paying several times more to take care of the needy blind and disabled." In addition to the cut in the fiscal year 1982 budget, the Reagan Administration announced its intention to seek a $4.7 million rescission in the fiscal year 1981 budget. The American Council went on record opposed to this action as well as to the cut in the 1982 budget, and telegrams were sent to the members of the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee urging them to reject any such cutbacks. ***** ** Right Turn on Red: A Safety Hazard? (Reprinted from State Legislatures, publication of the National Conference of State Legislatures, Feb., 1981) Laws allowing right turns at red lights, now on the books in all fifty states, appear to have increased accidents at intersections by 20%, according to a study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. The Institute gathered its information from six states (New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin) where right-turn-on-red laws were adopted between 1974 and 1977, and compared it with findings from three other states (Maryland, Texas and Washington) where such laws had not been adopted at the time. The result: an apparent increase of about 20,000 accidents per year, with 1,400 involving pedestrians and a disproportionate number involving the elderly. Universal adoption of right-turn-on-red laws came after Congress required their enactment as a condition of Federal aid for energy conservation plans. The Insurance Institute study concluded that the actual effect of the laws conflicts with Congress's stated goal of promoting right turn on red only to "the maximum extent practicable consistent with safety." ***** ** Ione Miller and the BEP By Ione Miller (Reprinted from the ACBC Digest, publication of the American Council of the Blind of California, Summer, 1980) (Editor's Note: The following article was written at the request of Harriet Fielding, Editor of the ACBC Digest, who thought it might be a source of information and inspiration to blind persons looking for a profitable and interesting career. Ione Miller is presently the president of the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America. She has been active in the California affiliate of ACB (ACBC) and has been an officer in that organization. She was the recipient of the annual ACBC Award for Meritorious Service upon her retirement from her business enterprise location in March of 1980. In appreciation of her twenty years of service to her fellow California vendors, she received many gifts and was honored at a retirement dinner in San Diego, during which a resolution of appreciation from the California State Legislature was presented to her.) You asked me why I chose to be a vendor. I did not exactly choose this work. Twenty-three years ago, I found myself a lone parent with three half-grown children. There was no time to consider a career. I needed to make money, and fast. It came about very suddenly, my being a vendor. It was like the program came up and snapped me out of thin air. I heard about an opening for a vending location from my rehabilitation counselor. I hadn't the slightest idea what a vending facility was. But I hustled out to take the two weeks' training. I learned what a vending facility was and a few of the things I was expected to do. The selection committee met and I was chosen from three equally inexperienced blind people. I stood in the middle of the employment office lobby, frightened and unsure of what to do next. As I finally got my wits about me, I began to enjoy the challenge of business. I learned through trial-and-error methods that when you manage properly, business can be very rewarding. Life within government offices is heavy with protocol, rules and structures. I soon learned that my job was the only one in the office that left me free to talk on an equal basis with everyone from the boss to the janitor and all those poor, categorized clients. I also learned that the lobby of the employment office offered the greatest show on earth. You never knew what would happen from one minute to the next. I began to awaken each day with anticipation, wondering who would come by to talk with me that day. As the day flew by, I touched the hands and the money and the spirits of thousands of people. As I became more confident in my role, I began to see, with other vendors, the inadequacies of our program, and gradually the program itself became a greater challenge to me than the business. As the vendors pressed for higher standards, better methods of training, better equipment, and more and more information, all manners of things began to change and great progress came about. A new vendor no longer needs to be frightened. They are now well trained to take their role, and many blind people are actually working toward a career in the business enterprise program for the blind. No, I am not sorry that the program found me. And yes, I would recommend the program for people who like people, and people who enjoy challenge, and people who like a degree of independence. The rewards of the program can be great and its requirements stimulating. I look back on that part of my life as happy, busy years. ***** *** From the Archives The events which constituted the "civil war" within the organized blind movement took place, technically, between 1956 and 1961. However, some of the issues which surfaced as controversy had been discussed long before 1956. One of these concerned the stance of the National Federation of the Blind toward other organizations, particularly other organized groups of handicapped individuals. Most leaders of the NFB adopted an introverted view, believing that the work done by the blind was to be performed by the National Federation of the Blind, and that the movement should remain pure of external interests. After all, if the blind could not solve their own problems with rehabilitation agencies, what good would it do them to enter into the problems of other diverse, unknown groups? The following article addresses this point and presents a differing, extroverted outlook which emphasizes individual and organizational responsibility. Delivered as a speech on the convention program for 1953, it seems to have been received more with curiosity than in a spirit of adopting its suggestions. In retrospect, active members of the organized blind movement in the 1950's feel that this speech was perhaps the beginning flicker of a viewpoint which focused upon external as well as internal responsibilities of the organization. Reference is made in the article to the American Federation of the Physically Handicapped. This group was a forerunner of the current National Association of the Physically Handicapped. Earl Scharry was a prominent and well-respected figure within the organized blind movement in the mid-1950's, serving for a time as head of the NFB national office. As with A.L. Archibald, he was summarily removed from this position when his outspokenness displeased the tenBroek administration. Though an attorney who had practiced law in Iowa for twelve years, he joined the staff of the then Division for the Blind of the Library of Congress in 1959 as a braille assistant. Together with Maxine Dorf, he co-authored the Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing, the text used for a number of years by the Library of Congress in training hundreds of braille transcribers. Many ACB members will remember Earl Scharry as editor of The Braille Forum from 1969 to 1973. -- Christopher Gray ** What Should Be the Relation of the National Federation of the Blind to Organizations of Other Handicapped Groups? (A talk by Earl Scharry, President, Iowa Association of the Blind, at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July, 1953) What should be the relation of the National Federation of the Blind to organizations of other handicapped groups? I am only too painfully aware that this question has been discussed by experts at one of our previous meetings and that perhaps the issue is a dosed one in many of your minds. I do hope, though, that you will not take the attitude of the wife who, in the course of a heated argument with her husband, was apparently squelched by the array of uncontradictable facts which he finally marshalled to prove his point. But instead of being impressed, she scolded him with: "Now, dear, my mind is already made up, so don't try to confuse me with a lot of facts." In order to simplify the issue, I think I should begin by pointing out that organizations of other handicapped groups means, in effect, the American Federation of the Physically Handicapped, or AFPH, which is the only other such organization of any importance. ... Insofar as I have been able to ascertain, its chief emphasis is on employment for the handicapped. ... As an organization of the blind, we will of course be primarily concerned with improving the status of the blind, but if we are to be first-class citizens, we will also be concerned with the status of other groups, and we will take into consideration the fact that measures proposed by us will not act in a vacuum, but will have an impact upon the community as a whole. On the one hand, we will not dissipate and disperse our strength by fostering measures which may defeat or impede the attainment of our ultimate and primary goal of first-class citizenship. We will not be Lazaruses begging from the table of the rich Dives crumbs in the form of little concessions and protections, such as free bus rides and free fishing licenses. We will be satisfied with nothing less than the opportunity to set a table of our own. And we will want to serve on that table the strong meat of independence, and not the gooey marshmallow of petty plunders that offer only the semblance of sustenance and do not nourish our great needs. We will keep in mind that if we are given the opportunity, we can provide these things for ourselves and will have no need for these ersatz desserts. On the other hand, if we find that by helping others win economic independence we can further the cause of equal opportunity for all and strengthen that idea, we will be ready with a helping hand. Cooperation with other handicapped groups would therefore seem to be logically an integral part of our own program. Eradicating the public concept of the blind as a pitiable and helpless class fit only for mendicancy is certainly a staggering task. This concept is so firmly implanted in the mass mind through centuries of unchallenged acceptance that it is even reflected in the dictionary definitions of blindness. To replace it with the concept of the blind as useful and constructive citizens of the first class will require the most painstaking attention to the psychological impact of all our deeds and utterances. Progress is being made, but such a deep-rooted concept will die a hard and lingering death. Surely the one place in which we can act most effectively is in controlling our own behavior and acting the part of the good citizens we want to be regarded. In this area, at least, we are the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls. If we determinedly act the part of responsible citizens, perhaps in time society will accept us as such. Secondly, cooperation being always a two-way street, it would be a practical aid to advancing our own program. In the sphere of hardboiled politics in which we must mainly work, at least during the initial stages of our program, our effectiveness will be largely determined by the number of voters we represent, and the more noses we present to be counted, the more respect we will receive from the politicians, who are great respecters of noses. Perhaps some state organizations are blessed with an overabundance of workers and can afford to disdain help from outside, but certainly others are not. In some states, AFPH has commanded the loyalty of many blind members, and perhaps if we were to be more cooperative we could share this loyalty. The snobbishness which prevents this is difficult to understand. We could well afford to abandon this grotesque aspiration to be brahmins in the caste system of misfortune, this incongruous ambition to be high priests in the hierarchy of the dispossessed. ... Thirdly, I think cooperation with other handicapped would be good for what ails us psychologically. We like to say (and it is a good generalization) that there is no such thing as a psychology of blindness. We stress that each blind man is an individual differing in outlook, reactions, capabilities and tastes from every other blind man. But among ourselves we can admit there is one common denominator: the tendency in all of us to become self-centered and introverted. With our horizon limited to as far as we can reach with fingertips or cane, with the most prolific avenue of sensory contact with the outside world cut off, we all have a great need to fight the tendency to draw within ourselves and shun the outside world, where we instinctively feel we must put forth a greater effort to compensate for this limitation on our horizon. Many have overcome this temptation, but they must surely have been at some time keenly conscious of the danger. Their experience teaches us that the solution is not to draw into our shells like turtles, but to seek every possible contact to broaden our experience. It is as true of us as of others that the more we become immersed in the problems of others, the less burdensome become our own. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" is more than a pious platitude; it is a profound and practical truth. We who are forced to accept so much from others should grasp every opportunity to give help to others. By so doing, we will gain in dignity and self-confidence. Having demonstrated to my own satisfaction that cooperation with other handicapped groups is desirable, I should like to consider briefly the nature and degree of such cooperation. It must certainly stop somewhere short of complete absorption of NFB. Our problems are too specialized for us to permit them to be lumped with those of the handicapped generally, and we have achieved too high a degree of solidarity to allow ourselves to be dispersed in a larger group. I would advocate as a minimum of cooperation the working out of machinery for maintenance of liaison with AFPH so that our programs could be made consistent with each other and points of conflict minimized. Whenever possible, mutual assistance should be rendered. ... In conclusion, then, the point I wish to make is this: The fault is not in our stars (exclusively), but in ourselves. The work that has been accomplished in legislation is certainly a great achievement, but you can't legislate character or citizenship. Education of the public is certainly imperative; but you can't propagandize others unless you have thoroughly indoctrinated yourself. Raising adequate funds is certainly a sine qua non for the work that has to be done; but even the magic of money has its limitations. Like the wonder drugs of medicine, if not wisely used, it can be a despoiler as well as a healer. Our slogan, "Help the blind to help themselves," does not contemplate helping ourselves to the gravy, but to the achievement of full citizenship, and a healthy interest in the welfare of others is the first attribute of a good citizen. ***** ** Free Lifetime Entrance Permit to National Parks (Editor's Note: Particularly with vacation time approaching, Braille Forum readers may be interested in recently enacted legislation establishing special passport privileges for disabled persons visiting Federal fee recreation areas. The program is described in the following letter from Harry A. De Lashmutt of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.) ... On September 8, 1980, Public Law 96-344 was enacted. Section 9 of this Act amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide for the issuance of a free lifetime entrance permit to designated Federal fee areas to any citizen who is blind or permanently disabled. This permit will be available to persons who have been medically determined to be blind or permanently disabled for purposes of receiving benefits under Federal law. This non-transferable entrance permit will admit the permit holder and a carload of accompanying people to national parks charging entrance fees. Where entry is not by private car, the permit will admit the permit holder and his or her spouse and children. The permit will also provide for the use of special recreation facilities at a rate of 50% of the established use fee at areas managed by the following agencies: 1. National Park Service 2. U.S. Forest Service 3. Corps of Engineers 4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5. Bureau of Land Management 6. Water Power and Resources Service 7. Tennessee Valley Authority At the present time, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are developing procedures and regulations for the issuance of this lifetime admission permit. This permit is expected to be available sometime in early spring of 1981. However, in the meantime, you need only to present documented proof that you are qualified to receive benefits under Federal law for blindness or permanent disability as described in P.L. 96-344 as you enter any designated Federal fee recreation area for the privileges described above. When the new system and passport are made available, you may obtain one as you enter any fee area that honors the permit. It does not appear that the permit will be available through the mail. ... ***** ** White House Announces Nominations For Special Education and Rehabilitation Positions On April 9, 1981, President Reagan announced his intention to nominate George A. Conn to be Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration and Jean Tufts to be Assistant Secretary of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education. George Conn, who has served as President of the League of Disabled Voters and Vice President of the National Paraplegia Foundation, was born in Illinois in 1933 and graduated from Northwestern University in 1955. He was Special Assistant to the Executive Director and Director of Planning, White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, 1975-77. From 1972 to 1975 he was Director, Office of Public Information, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He was a member of the RSA Task Force in Implementation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and has served as a member of the Recreation Subcommittee of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. Most recently he was National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America. Jean Tufts was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, in 1927 and graduated from Boston University. She served as Executive Director of the Rehabilitation Center, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from 1974 to 1979 and as principal of the Rockingham School for Special Children from 1961 to 1970. She has been a Consultant, Pre-School Programs for the Handicapped, New Hampshire State Department of Education, and has been involved in other national, state, and local services, including the Council on Exceptional Children. Mrs. Tufts has served as President of the National School Boards Association since 1980 and has been on the Board of Directors of that organization since 1970. ***** ** Here and There By George Card After a year of training -- according to a story in The Badger Informer (Wisconsin) -- Mrs. Orville (Mickey) Lundgren of Milwaukee has become what is believed to be the first blind woman to make a parachute jump from a moving plane. After the first three seconds of panic, she says, the rest of the trip was just pure elation. All experimental work seems to indicate quite definitely that, because of its greater purity, there will be far fewer allergies resulting from the use of the new synthetic insulin which will be available commercially quite soon. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kirton have finally succeeded in adopting two little boys from broken homes in Turkey. It took well over a year to unsnarl all the red tape, but now the infants are safe in the Kirton home in northern Virginia and the adopting parents seem ecstatically happy over the whole affair. The younger one -- ten months -- looks so exactly like a miniature Paul that his friends keep asking him if he is sure he has not been in Turkey himself recently. Paul is a founding member of ACB and a former member of the Board of Directors. He is a high-ranking lawyer on the staff of the Department of the Interior and is considered the leading authority on Alaskan problems. He and Mrs. Kirton -- whom everybody calls "Sparky" -- commute to their jobs in Washington, involving an incredible round trip of 150 miles each working day. For those visitors to Washington, D.C., who have impaired vision, here are some places to keep in mind: Fort Dupont Activity Center (off Randall Circle, S.E.), where anyone with light perception can enjoy a room called "Glowing Vibrations," designed especially for them. The Museum of History and Technology (Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th Street, N. W.) and the Air and Space Museum (7th and Independence Avenue, S.W.) offer braille guides to their exhibits. The Air and Space Museum also has a floor plan in braille, as well as cassettes describing exhibits. For a guide to the whole Smithsonian complex, check the book store at history and technology for braille or cassette tapes. The Trumpet's Voice (Iowa) records that as of January 9, Vince Maher, who is blind, became a full­time sports announcer for WMT Radio in Waterloo. He reads all his material from his braille notes, and the station says he does a good job. From the CNIB National News of the Blind (Canada): It is reported that ten blind Vancouverites have received certification on successful completion of the St. John's Ambulance Safety Oriented First Aid Program. Practices were held at CNIB with four ambulance drivers from the Emergency Health Services Commission as instructors. The final exams were given orally and the low score was a very respectable 84%. The project's success gives concrete evidence that handicapped people are ready and able to offer help -- not just receive it. -- The CNIB is to host the 1981 convention of the American Association of Workers for the Blind in Toronto, July 19-23, at the Royal York Hotel. We learn from the Wisconsin State Journal that the first of the new insulin pumps has been installed in this state. It has one very important new feature — in that there is a button which can be pressed just before mealtime which will produce an additional surge of insulin. The Illinois Braille Messenger reports that on last September 3, Governor Thompson signed a bill passed by the Illinois Legislature which prohibits the denial of insurance, refusal to continue coverage, or charging of higher rates to people with physical disabilities. From The Lion: In spite of inflation, you can often get a good argument by putting in your two cents worth. From The Vendorscope: One way to save money on long-distance phone calls is to find out if the firm or government agency you are calling has a toll-free WATS line. Call the WATS operator at 1-800-555-1212. No charge in most areas. From the ACBC Digest (California): Grant Skivers, age 17, youngest son of ACBC charter member and past president, Catherine Skivers, was killed on November 19, 1980. Attacked by four young men while returning to their home, Grant was killed by one of the four who used an ice pick, and Eric, age 19, was severely beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed. His injuries required emergency surgery, but his life was saved. (The mother of the victims is also a pioneer member of ACB and formerly served on its Board of Directors). All our hearts go out to Cathy at this time of her deep trouble. Although most small objects swallowed by children will be passed without harm, get junior to the doctor fast if he swallows any of the dime-sized batteries used in watches, hearing aids, and cameras. They contain enough mercury to poison two adults. -- Conventional alarm clocks obviously don't work for deaf people, but a digital clock with a receptacle on the back for a bed vibrator is available from Heletronic, 1938 Janero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. The clock costs approximately $23 and the vibrator attachment $19. From The Stylus (Oregon): The Oregon Council's toll-free number has gotten busier each year as more and more people in the state find out about it. It has been a life saver for 31 newly blind people this year as well as 59 requests made by visually impaired persons who reached the service to obtain information and 58 calls from the general public and from agencies seeking information about services and seeking a specific service for blind persons they serve. Since the toll-free, yellow-page number began service, 159 newly blind persons have been assisted, as well as 247 visually impaired persons, and a total of 728 important contacts in the two years the number has been in operation. Carol Derouin (formerly of Wisconsin), of 735 21st Place, N.W., Salem, Oregon, is the blind volunteer behind the project, and she has done an excellent job. From The Braille Reporter (Washington): A new director was recently selected for the Washington State Commission for the Blind. He is William K. James from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Peter J. Salmon (1895-1981) died on January 21. He had deservedly become the patron saint of the deaf­blind of the world. Few, if any, who knew of his great work would challenge the statement that here was one man who left the world just a little better than he found it. From Programs for the Handicapped: The David Taylor Naval Research and Development Center boasts an affirmative action program which has made it one of the largest employers of handicapped persons in the Federal Government. To accommodate its full-time handicapped personnel, the Center has significantly modified its buildings and work facilities. Ramps and chair lifts have been installed, and basic restroom and work space modifications have been made. Special equipment such as TTY's, print enlargers, and braille teletype machines have been installed to meet specific employee needs. The employee orientation handbook has been transcribed into braille. Interpreters and readers are assigned to assist specific personnel. From the Newsletter of the Visually Impaired Veterans of America: The Social Security Administration has begun paying for medical reports needed to process claims for Social Security disability benefits. The new payment policy became effective December 1, 1980. Previously, persons applying for disability benefits had to pay for charges made by their physicians, clinics, or hospitals for preparing reports of "existing medical evidence" requested by Social Security disability determination services in the states. Under the new regulation, the Government will pay the "reasonable" cost of preparing, copying, and mailing reports of existing medical evidence, but not the cost of medical examinations, tests, or laboratory studies. These services will be paid only if the disability determination service asks that they be performed. A 42-year-old Manhattan man who is blind ran the 26-mile New York City Marathon by attaching a 4-foot string from his own finger to the little finger of a friend running in front of him, according to an article in The New York Times. After his friend dropped out, Mort Schlein, a recording tape processor, continued the race by running with a second friend, finishing in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 32 seconds. According to an article in the NLS News, the Iceland Association for the Blind was established in 1939. It sponsors a braille library, a talking book center, and accommodations for businesses owned by blind and physically handicapped individuals, who number approximately 500 in a population of 225,000. Most Association funds come from the sale of lottery tickets. The government pays for braille books and for distribution of materials recorded by volunteers. Volunteers also read texts on the Iceland State Radio. From The Trumpet's Voice (Iowa Council of the Blind): Ada Tietz spends about four hours a day on the telephone talking to fifteen elderly citizens who live along. The youngest person on her list is 68, the oldest 96, and most of them are in their 70's. Frank, Ada's husband, set up a small office in a downstairs bedroom. Ada says she would call a hundred people if the names and phone numbers were given to her. Frank and Ada are both blind. "We've pushed the elderly back too far in our society. It makes them feel they have no reason to live. I hope my calls let them know someone cares," Ada said. ***** ** 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. ###