Large Type Edition The Braille Forum Vol. XIX November, 1981 No. 5 Las Vegas "Strip" Hotel Charged with Discrimination Against Handicapped Portrayal of Characters in Literature and Mass Media Mirrors Changes in Image of Blindness Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor ***** * National Office: Oral O. Miller 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: Grant Mack 139 East South Temple, Suite 5000 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 * First Vice President: Otis H. Stephens 2021 Kemper Lane S.W. Knoxville, TN 37920 * Second Vice President: Dr. Robert T. McLean 2139 Joseph Street New Orleans, LA 70115 * Secretary: Karen Perzentka 6913 Colony Drive Madison, WI 53717 * Treasurer: James R. Olsen Summit Bank Bldg., Suite 822 310 4th Avenue, S. Minneapolis, MN 54415 ** Directors Delbert K. Aman 115 5th Avenue, S.E. Aberdeen, SD 57401 Robert Campbell 253 Stonewall Road Berkeley, CA 94705 Adrian DeBlaey 912 N. Hawley Road Milwaukee, WI 53213 Christopher Gray 1104 N. Stafford Stret Arlington, VA 22201 Charles Hodge 2895 S. Abingdon Street, Unit A-2 Arlington, VA 22206 Carl F. McCoy 925 E. Magnolia Drive, Apt. D-7 Tallahassee, FL 32301 Patricia Price 337 S. Sherman Drive Indianapolis, IN 46201 LeRoy Saunders P.O. Box 24020 Oklahoma City, OK 73124 M.J. Schmitt 528 Des Plaines Avenue, Apt. 2A Forest Park, IL 60130 Dick Seifert 1023 Scott Street, Apt. F Little Rock, AR 72202 ***** ** Contents ACB Officers Directors President's Message, by Grant Mack News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Introducing Laura Oftedahl, ACB Director of Public Affairs Technology for the Visually Impaired in the 1980s, by Lee Brown Las Vegas Hotel Gambles on Discrimination, by Kathy Megivern Solidarity Day -- the People's Response Congress Pressured for Increased Funding of Handicapped Programs, by Scott Marshall League of Disabled Voters to Hold National Meeting Blind Characters in Literature and Mass Media, by Olivia Ferrante Canes Remain on Planes, by Barbara Nelson House Victory for Voting Rights Legislation, by Scott Marshall Remember What I Do ... Forget What I Am, by Larry Johnson Court of Appeals Strikes Triple Blow Against Handicapped Rights, by Barbara Nelson The Listening Ear, by Dorothy Stiefel Love-Hate Relationship Exists in Laser Medicine NIB, 1980 -- Facts Say It All Letter to the Editor ACB Affiliate News: North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Carolina Conventions Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President's Message by Grant Mack In southern Utah, there is a large, man-made reservoir which has been referred to by many as the 10th wonder of the world. This vast body of water reflects against a backdrop of red- and black-streaked cliffs, laps at the feet of the wind- and age­sculptured Rainbow Bridge, and lies quietly beside history's "hole in the rocks." The Glen Canyon Dam, built about 20 years ago on the upper Colorado River, approximately a hundred miles northeast of the Grand Canyon, allows this lake to follow the erratic course of the river and to drift off into steep canyons. This water storage project has created a man-made miracle, Lake Powell, which is 180 miles long and boasts a shoreline of 2700 miles, which eddies and meanders through the colored country of that arid region. Indeed, this is not only one of the largest, but one of the most unique, lakes in the world. What was once an ancient sandstone deposit thousands of feet deep and covering hundreds of square miles is now Lake Powell. The master architect used nature's tools of wind, water, and temperature changes to create a most spectacular setting for water storage. It is the kind of setting that is difficult to describe; one must experience the country to appreciate its unusual beauty and to know the special feeling that comes from actually being in such remote grandeur. People who have told me they have been to Lake Powell have really only been across the dam. In order to really know and feel the lake, one must spend days wandering through the canyons and gorges, and perhaps even spend a night or two camped at the base of a 500-foot cliff. On my most recent trip to the lake in mid-September, the thought occurred to me that there are a lot of blind people who have heard about and have been nominal participants in the American Council of the Blind, but who have never really come to know the organization. There is a tremendous difference between being a spectator and being a participant. I am reminded of the definitive statement my old friend, Harv Jeffries, made after attending a national convention: "I come home from those conventions with my tail feathers on fire!" No one can tell you what it's like to attend a national convention; it must be experienced to be fully understood. Involvement and participation with your local affiliate can bring the same kind of enthusiasm, feeling of accomplishment, and close friendships. These are just a few of the fringe benefits which come from activity and service. This is the time that you who have never attended a national convention should start making your plans to be in Atlanta next July. It is also a good time for you who have been thinking about becoming involved with your local affiliate to take action and make yourselves available to further the objectives and goals of your local groups. I can assure you that involvement and participation will bring rewards that will more than offset your sacrifices of time and effort. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller In early September, the newest staff member of the American Council of the Blind -- Miss Laura Oftedahl, Director of Public Information -- came on duty. Since then, all programs have been moving forward. Much of Laura's time has been spent in preparing for the distribution of the recorded public service announcements mentioned in last month's issue of The Braille Forum. As soon as they are distributed, we will contact the affiliates in the communities involved so they may encourage their local radio stations to play the announcements. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of the contacts made by our local affiliates. I am pleased to report that our evaluation site for the "Talking Optacon" is the busiest and most popular of the six evaluation sites around the country. This fact comes as no surprise to me, because I knew from the beginning that the blind of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area would have great interest in learning to use "Thomas the Talking Optacon." It drew tremendous attention during the four days it was on exhibit at the national convention of the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America, and plans are now under way for it to be exhibited and demonstrated at three other conventions or exhibitions within the coming month. Perhaps the most exciting of these events will be the reception which the American Council of the Blind plans to conduct for Congress and many high Federal officials on October 19, 1981, in conjunction with the House committee on Science and Technology. That event will be the first opportunity which Congress has had to see and hear the "Talking Optacon" in operation. That event will also give ACB's new president, Grant Mack of Salt Lake City, his first good opportunity to present his views to many Congressmen and high Government officials at one time. Although the "Talking Optacon" will be demonstrated and exhibited within a short distance outside the Washington metropolitan area before the fall is over, we regret that it cannot be easily and safely transported over great distances because it, as a prototype, is still relatively delicate and fragile. In mid-August, 1981, it was my pleasure to speak before the state convention of the Georgia Federation of the Blind. That meeting gave me my first good opportunity to meet several more of the people who will be serving on the 1982 ACB national convention host committee. Before long, all of the ACB special-interest affiliates will be contacted by someone on the host committee regarding their meeting plans for next summer. Therefore, I urge all special-interest affiliates to make a special effort to co- operate fully and promptly with that person. During September, 1981, it was a genuine pleasure for me to speak to the members of the newly revitalized Nevada Council of the Blind during that organization's state convention in Las Vegas. I was very favorably impressed by the organization's enthusiasm and optimism in spite of substantial geographic obstacles to the operation of a statewide organization. I want to commend the Nevada Council, also, for the firm position which it took immediately upon learning of the alleged policy of one of the very large and famous Las Vegas hotels to the effect that blind guests in its large theaters would have to be seated near the rear exits (and nowhere else), for their own protection in the event of fire. While both the Nevada Council and the American Council recognize that appropriate fire precautions must be taken by large hotels and theaters in light of the terrible hotel fires which befell Las Vegas approximately a year ago, we discovered in Las Vegas, as we suspected, that the alleged rules had been made with no prior consultation with the handicapped concerning their capabilities. The matter is now being litigated administratively under Nevada's Fair Practices Act. Although the ACB national convention is still approximately nine months away, it is not too early to start thinking about convention topics or subjects which should be included on the national convention program. Accordingly, I am asking all readers of The Braille Forum to send to me any suggestions they may have. ***** ** Introducing Laura Oftedahl ACB Director of Public Affairs In September, Laura Oftedahl joined the ACB National Office staff as Director of Public Affairs. Laura will be coordinating educational and promotional programs for the American Council of the Blind such as the leadership training seminars, and will be assisting affiliates with newsletters and public education materials. She is working to acquaint the media and the public with the excellent services and activities offered by ACB. Already she is distributing public service announcements to radio stations across the country. Prior to her move to Washington, D.C., Laura held a similar position as field representative for the Lions of Illinois Foundation. She has had much media experience, serving as disc jockey and public service director at radio stations in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida. She was graduated from the University of Illinois in 1974 with a degree in radio-TV communications. Recreational programs for the visually impaired are very important to Laura. She participates in and helps coordinate HEALTHsports, Inc. programs, including Ski for Light (cross­country skiing) and Sports for Health (fitness training, tandem cycling, etc.). She spends her free time downhill skiing and bowling. ***** ** Technology for the Visually Impaired in the 1980's By Lee Brown Over the past five years, I have been designing, manufacturing, marketing, and studying products for the visually impaired. Often I am asked the question: What lies ahead in terms of products for the blind? In this brief synopsis, a forecast of products and product trends for the visually impaired is outlined. Although I have discovered among the data of product sales certain formulas and penetration factors which indicate product trends and growth curves, it must be emphasized here that the forecast is about half scientific and about half intuitive. A point also should be made that specific quantities of various types of products in terms of unit sales are not herein identified. In the 1980's, we will be faced with political conservatism. This means budget cuts and a softening in sales of various products. This could also very well mean that progress in changing attitudes toward the visually impaired might be impeded. However, because of rapidly changing technology, which has in the 1970's allowed blind people to progress educationally and compete in employment more successfully than at any time previous in our history, the general outlook for the visually impaired is good. Blind people will continue to make progress, and when the history books are rewritten, I believe that much of that progress will be attributed to technology. However, as we enter this era of conservatism, some of the companies currently involved in technology for the visually impaired will struggle financially for a time until a consistent budget policy and spending philosophy are established and understood. So much for the conservative note. In general, the trend in technology is miniaturization. Almost all electronic gadgetry has gotten smaller over the past ten years. Much of it, especially in the computer industry, has also been decreasing in price. In order to better portray this fact, consider the case of IBM, the largest computer company in the world. In 1985, they will have to sell four times the number of computers sold in 1980 in order just to keep even with the dollar volume of sales. This means that the typical IBM computer sold in 1980 will be approximately one­fourth the cost in 1985. Although this trend may not be so dramatic in the rehabilitation electronics industry, nevertheless, it will be in existence. Products for blind persons will be more miniaturized and over the next ten years less expensive. This should not be taken to mean that a blind person can buy a product for his or her special need at the same price the equivalent product for the sighted can be purchased. This will likely never be possible in most instances because of the economies-of-scale of manufacturing. When you are manufacturing an item at a thousand per year, you must charge one price. If you are manufacturing 50,000 of these items annually, your costs are significantly reduced; thus, the retail price is also made more attractive. Many individuals and organizations of and for the blind have hoped that large companies will take an interest in manufacturing products for the blind, thus taking more advantage of existing technology. Again we come to the point of economies-of-scale. Large companies do not have the financial motivation, or perhaps even the time, to worry about products that may only generate several hundred thousand, or just a few million, dollars in sales per year. Yes, some companies, such as IBM, have made an attempt. Taking IBM for an example, they forecast selling 1,000 of their audio typing units the first year. In actuality, by the end of that first year, they had sold 33. IBM is one of the most sophisticated marketing, finance, and manufacturing companies in the world. In this case, even the great IBM was not successful in the rehabilitation electronics industry. From my point of view, their failure was primarily because of the fact that they did not know how to market the product. Telesensory Systems, Inc. -- a mere pebble compared to IBM -- is successful today not necessarily because they have good products, but because they know how to market products to the visually impaired community, both in terms of territory coverage and in terms of market approach. The conclusion drawn here, then, is that product for the visually impaired will primarily be manufactured and marketed by small companies who are dedicated to this marketplace, or by companies -- usually small -- whose chief executive has an intense interest for the visually impaired. A few words concerning some specific product categories: 1. Closed-circuit TV will undergo technological changes because the computer industry Is becoming much more interested in video information. Because video is becoming popular in the commercial market -- it has always been popular in the consumer market -- technology will advance its capability. This should mean better quality closed­circuit TV and, in time, better prices. 2. "Paperless Braille" is a popular subject in recent years. As all have witnessed, paperless braille has proven to be difficult to manufacture and, thus, expensive to produce. In many instances, serious manufacturing delays have been experienced. In addition, product reliability has always been a question in most people's minds. We have also noticed that there are several competitors in the field. The first thing that needs to happen in paperless braille is a consistent philosophy and approach for product design. The second thing that is necessary is for one or two vendors to manufacture a product mix in some reasonable quantity (such as 1,000 to 2,000 per year). This would help stabilize the price of the display. However, it seems to me that paperless braille in terms of a single line -- or less than one line -- is rather artificial in terms of the full­page world we are accustomed to. Therefore, the only reasonable solution in terms of human engineering is a full-page display. Current technology is by far too expensive to produce full-page paperless displays. This suggests that a new technology is necessary in order to bring about real acceptance -- and real success -- of a paperless braille product mix. 3. Mobility aids have always been a problem. It seems that it is very difficult to replace the traditional white cane or dog guide. Electronic "talking" signs and other similar gadgetry will be interesting and have some market. However, I believe that only a reasonably functional artificial eye is the answer to significant improvement in mobility. I hesitate to suggest that this is going to happen in the near future. However, I do offer it for consideration in the long-term view. 4. Living aids such as "talking" clocks and braille microwave ovens have a good future. Because of technology, all of us should have a better quality life. Because of synthetic speech, many of the living aids and toys are possible within the next five to ten years for blind people. 5. Employment and education aids have been successful product areas in the 1970s. Increased electronic telecommunications and data instrumentation will facilitate more jobs for visually impaired people because technological aids can be made for the blind to interface with these types of products. Today many information data bases are being stored in computers which can be accessed from any point in the nation by telephone. Several newspapers and business journals as well as other related data are available at this time via computer terminal. (I have personally read the July 1, 1981 issue of the New York Times in braille on July 1, 1981. This process cost about $15.00.) As prices for utilization of these types of data and equipment to access it fall, such information will be increasingly available to blind people. In conclusion, I feel that the coming years are exciting ones. Our conservative era will place many stumbling blocks in our paths. However, with a fighting spirit of progress, and with exponential increase in technological development, this world will be a better place for visually impaired people to dwell in the 1980s. (This forecast is offered for your review and perhaps your comments. If any individual or any organization would like to provide input or comment on the subject matter, you may write me, Lee Brown, at 16205 Fantasia Drive, Tampa, FL 33624; (813) 962-4105.) ***** ** Las Vegas Hotel Gambles on Discrimination By Kathy Megivern In a city full of risk-takers and odds-players, a new policy, allegedly motivated by concern for safety, has resulted in the filing of a discrimination suit. The complainant is long­time ACB member David Krause of Las Vegas, Nevada. The defendant is the Desert Inn, a popular Las Vegas "Strip" hotel. Mr. Krause, who is totally blind, and his wife, Bettye, who is legally blind, set out with two sighted friends to attend a performance of the musical, "Annie." When they arrived at the Desert Inn show room, they requested seats up front so that Mrs. Krause could see the performance. The maitre d' told them that Mrs. Krause and the two sighted people could sit up front, but that Mr. Krause had to remain in the rear because he is blind. When the Krauses objected, they were told that it was hotel policy and necessary for the safety of everyone. Hotel management confirmed that this policy has been in effect since the tragic MGM Grand Hotel fire. In addition to seating in the rear of the room, the policy also requires a captain to remain near any handicapped persons to help them out of the hotel in the event of fire. Mr. Krause has filed a discrimination complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission. He is not seeking monetary damages against the hotel, but merely wants to have the policy declared illegal. A resolution of support has been passed by the Nevada Council of the Blind and endorsed by the Southern Nevada Sightless, Inc. and the National Federation of the Blind of Nevada. Nevada Council president, Rick Kuhlmey, has expressed concern that if such a policy continues, it would preclude the Nevada Council from bidding for the national convention of the American Council of the Blind. The resolution passed by the Nevada Council makes the point that, "No evidence exists of a single instance where a blind person has proven to be a danger to himself or herself or to others in an emergency situation in any public accommodation." In the MGM Grand fire (the incident which allegedly motivated this policy), most of the deaths occurred in the casino, where people engrossed in the gambling either didn't hear or ignored attempts to evacuate. There certainly was no indication that any handicapped person was even involved, let alone responsible, for any injuries. Mr. Krause asks any Braille Forum readers who have information about court decisions involving discriminatory policies based on "safety" to please contact him or the ACB National Office. Dave Krause's address is 1500 E. Karen, Apt. 359, Las Vegas, NV 89109. ***** ** Solidarity Day -- The People's Response The place: Washington, D.C. the date: September 19, 1981. The event: Solidarity Day, the people's protest against President Reagan's economic and social programs. Under the auspices of the AFL­CIO, the American Council of the Blind, together with over 300 other organizations, participated in a mass rally to voice concern about the drastic cuts in Social Security benefits, Medicaid, housing assistance, and numerous other social programs proposed by the Reagan Administration. Under the slogan, "Independence Through Rehabilitation," ACB members and friends in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area joined forces with over 250,000 people to publicly protest these and other budget cuts. Addressing the thousands which filled the Capitol Mall, Reese Robrahn, former ACB Director of Governmental Affairs and currently Executive Director of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, spoke of his outrage concerning the Administration's "emasculation and destruction of social and educational services which have been put in place in Federal law over the last fifty years." It is, of course, much too soon to assess the effect of Solidarity Day upon the President's policies. However, on October 4, the President announced that the Social Security program would be immune from further budget cuts during fiscal 1982. Let us hope that human concern, and not politics, was the motivation for this change of policy. In any event, the ACB National Office will continue to monitor President Reagan's budget proposals and will report developments in these pages. ***** ** Congress Pressured for Increased Funding of Handicapped Programs By Scott Marshall As Braille Forum readers know, ACB members were in the forefront of the opposition to the Reagan Administration's block-grant concept for rehabilitation funding proposed last spring. Although block granting of rehabilitation funds was prevented at least for the present, opponents of block granting are now faced with the prospect that the Senate will fail to appropriate funds for handicapped programs to the levels provided for in the budget passed last summer. At this writing (October 12), Senator Lowell Weicker (R., CT) intends to offer amendments to the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Bill, H.R. 4560, which would increase funding of programs such as rehabilitation, special education, and developmental disabilities to the levels provided for in the budget. A dramatic example of the effect of the Weicker Amendments can be seen in the area of special education services. For fiscal year 1982, the Senate's current version of the appropriations bill would provide funding of only approximately $1.014 billion. The budget, on the other hand, would have permitted funding for special education in fiscal year 1982 in the amount of approximately $1.149 billion. The Weicker amendments would simply increase funding levels for special education and other handicapped programs to the budgeted levels. The American Council of the Blind has wired all members of the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of the Weicker amendments and has contacted state affiliate presidents in those states having Senators on the Appropriations Committee to urge similar support of the bill. Once the Senate passes an appropriations bill, members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate will meet in conference to resolve any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. President Reagan has indicated that he may veto any appropriations bill unless the Congress is willing to cut an additional 12o/o from the budget passed last summer. At its recent state convention, the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind passed a resolution in support of the Weicker amendments, which was immediately wired to Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter. Other ACB members and state affiliates have similarly communicated to their Senators on the Appropriations Committee in support of these amendments. Grassroots efforts such as these are the most effective tool in the legislative arena. Plans are under way at the ACB National Office to devise and implement a nationwide system for keeping members informed as to current legislation. It is hoped that such a system could alert ACB members to the need for prompt action — telephone calls and letters — which must be initiated immediately in order to effectively influence current legislation. Detailed reports of legislative developments would, of course, continue to appear in The Braille Forum. To this end, it is imperative that the ACB National Office be advised of the name, address, and telephone number of each affiliate's governmental affairs coordinator. Such information will greatly facilitate dissemination of information concerning legislation on the Federal level. ***** ** League of Disabled Voters to Hold National Meeting The League of Disabled Voters has announced plans for its first national membership meeting, to be held December 11-13, 1981, in New York City. The meeting will be a working session, with seminars on topics such as chapter development, publicity, and coordination of voter registration drives. In addition, there will be workshops examining legislation, vocational rehabilitation programs, and the future of accessible transportation for disabled people. Attendees are encouraged to come to the meeting prepared to work and to help develop future policies and programs of the League. The New York chapter will be reporting on its first voter registration effort, which was held in September, 1981. In another development, the League plans to begin publishing a bi­monthly newsletter, The Bulletin. In addition to organizational news, The Bulletin will include legislative updates and reports on the status of voter registration drives and efforts to secure passage of laws involving accessible polling places and other issues of concern to disabled voters. The newsletter will be edited by Kathleen Megivern, and associate editor will be Mary Ballard. Anyone wishing membership information should contact Kay Arneson at the ACB National Office. ***** ** Blind Characters in Literature and Mass Media By Olivia Ferrante (Note: Ms. Ferrante is a legally blind itinerant teacher of visually impaired children, covering four towns in the Revere, Massachusetts, area.) What students read and see in movies and on television has a great impact on the development of their attitudes and opinions. I offer this very brief survey of how literature and mass media have handled the subject of blind characters throughout history. In Ancient Greece, the mythical Homer was said to be a blind bard. In the Odyssey, the Cyclops, Polyphemus, was blinded by Odysseus and his men as punishment for his evil acts and to enable them to escape. Tiresias, the prophet of Thebes, was blinded by the gods in punishment for offending them. Oedipus blinded himself as self-punishment for the great evils he had unwittingly done. So blindness as a punishment was established in ancient mythology. Some of the goddesses and abstractions were also blind in ancient Greek mythology. Justice was said to wear a blindfold so that she would be impartial. "Blind Fate" was spoken about. Cupid was blind, for Love is blind. Odin, the greatest god in Norse mythology, gave up one of his eyes for wisdom, so valuable was sight considered among the Vikings. The blind god, Hodur, was manipulated into slaying Baldur, the god of light. In the Bible blindness is also touched upon in several books. Sampson was blinded by the Philistines as punishment for his war against them. Tobias the Elder went blind, but was later cured by Raphael, the healing angel. St. Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus, but when he was baptized and believed in the Lord, he was cured. Jesus helped countless blind people to health. He refused to speak of any sickness or affliction as a punishment from God. There have been a number of blind characters in literature. The blind slave girl in Last Days of Pompeii loved the hero, Glaucus, and saved him during the eruption when everything was darkness. But in the end, she knew he did not love her, so did away with herself. She was congenitally blind. By contrast, most such characters were blinded at some time during their life. In Michael Strogoff, the hero is blinded by the Tartars for defying them and being loyal to his country and defending his mother. However, the punishment proves to be only a sham. He fakes it to stay alive and, in the end, defeats the villain of the story. Blindness was truly a punishment of the Mongols, Tartars, and other Oriental peoples. Movies have been made about fictitious blind characters. A poor, deprived blind girl is helped to an education in "A Patch of Blue." A blind woman is involved in a terrifying murder plot in "Wait Until Dark." The congenitally blind girl in the former movie is a tremendous contrast to the competent, though frightened, adventitiously blind woman in the latter. To stop the murderers, she smashes the light so that she is on an equal level with them. Movies made for television have also portrayed blind characters. In "Seven in Darkness," a group of blind people survive a plane crash and must struggle to freedom with no sighted help. This is a refreshing change from the image of helpless blind people, so often portrayed on television shows. A movie was made about a true story, the struggle of a young man to go to medical school to be a psychiatrist. On a special two­hour program of "The Rockford Files," a blind psychologist is shown as competent in the areas where competence is needed most. She is also independent, intelligent, understanding -- with human weaknesses. Some plays about real blind people have been great successes. "The Miracle Worker," about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy, is a famous example. "Butterflies Are Free," about a blind college student, was different in that it showed a blind person who is like the rest of humanity, neither highly superior nor grossly inferior. It was based on a true story. Naturally, stories of real blind people are further from stereotypes than fictional characters. A short-lived series called "Longstreet" showed a blind detective who performed wonderful feats. He used a cane, dog guide, braille, and tapes in everyday life. It was an adventure show, however, and not intended to show that all blind people could emulate his adventurous and incredible life. Roger Zelazny has used blind characters in two of his science fiction novels. In The Dream Master, the blind doctor quite overpowers her sighted psychiatrist. This book shows a future in which dog guides can speak. The lady in the book is rich and beautiful as well as blind, but her outstanding qualities are her will of steel and extreme vitality. In Nine Princes in Amber, Prince Corwin, the main character, is blinded by his jealous brother. In dreadful agony, he curses the entire kingdom. Because this is about magic, in time and with great suffering he eventually does regain his sight, but the experience of blindness profoundly changes him and his world. In one of the most memorable "Star Trek" episodes, a blind telepathic doctor and ambassador is portrayed as supremely intelligent. She has a sensory web which enables her to sense accurately her entire environment so that she has perfect mobility. She is able to command respect from everyone. The only emotion of the people around her that she cannot deal with is pity. She has no self-pity, but must shield herself from that of others. She is being sent to a planet of aliens who are tremendously ugly, but have sublime thoughts. No one may look on them and stay sane. So the choice of a blind telepath to communicate with them is extremely wise. However, her concealment of blindness from the crew almost leads to disaster, and her jealousy of Mr. Spock almost leads to his madness. She was quite a complex character, functioning in a highly complex future. In comic books, two blind characters stand out. The first is Alicia, blind sculptress, stepdaughter of a villain, who falls in love with Benjamin Grimm, a warm-hearted but grotesque monster. She has no special abilities, but shows that she can make an independent living for herself and is much more understanding of physical differences than those around her. The second character is Daredevil, a blind lawyer who, when he was blinded accidentally, received ultra-sharp senses. He is a trained athlete and so masquerades, in a colorful costume, as Daredevil, the man without fear. He uses his blindness to advantage when he is Daredevil. He can pursue evil-doers in the dark, can swing over vast abysses without being bothered by the height, can trail crooks by scent or hearing … In his private life as a lawyer, he helps the oppressed. His secretary is a highly competent, sensitive girl in a wheelchair. Both the blind sculptress and Daredevil are bothered by the attitude of society toward their impairment. As is obvious from this brief survey, the image of blindness has changed over the centuries. It is not any longer thought of as being a punishment. Characters are shown as much more competent and human. But the stereotypes of the highly superior or of very helpless blind persons still persist. Perhaps in time society will realize that the truth is in between: Blind people are neither all superior nor all inferior; neither is any other group of people. ***** ** Canes Remain on Planes By Barbara Nelson National Staff Attorney The long saga of the "Cane Mutiny" has finally ended. The last chapter was written in July when the Federal Aviation Administration issued final regulations which govern the ways that rigid long canes must be stowed during airline flights. The FAA's regulations which require all carry-on items to be stowed either under the passenger's seat or in a storage bin were alleged to be discriminatory because they did not allow a blind person to hold a rigid long cane during the flight. The FAA recognized that it is preferable to stow canes as near as possible to the passenger. However, it also recognized that allowing a rigid long cane to be either held during the flight or buckled in the seat belt with the passenger would create safety hazards. In the event of a crash, an unstowed cane could injure passengers or crew members or block aisles or exits. The new regulations are a sensible solution to this contrived controversy. They allow a rigid long cane to be stowed on the floor, under the row of seats in front of the passenger, so long as it does not protrude into the aisle. Also, a blind person in a window seat may stow a cane on the floor, either between the seat and the side of the plane or under the passenger's seat and the seat in front. Each airline must keep a copy of its policy at each airport it serves. The FAA's new rule respects both the dignity of blind travelers and the need to minimize safety hazards. Hopefully it will also be the last word in this long, tiresome tirade. ***** ** House Victory for Voting Rights Legislation By Scott Marshall On October 6, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3112, which extends indefinitely the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act, hailed by many as the most successful civil rights legislation of the past fifteen years, bans the use of literacy tests, poll taxes, and other devices designed to keep blacks and other minorities from voting. In addition, nine states and portions of thirteen other states, all of which have had a history of voting discrimination, must receive pre-clearance from the Justice Department before making any changes in their state or local election laws. The law further provides that bilingual ballots must be provided in certain areas of the country having significant non-English-speaking populations. Since passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the number of blacks registered to vote in the South has increased from 29.3% to 56.6% in 1980, and the number of blacks holding elective office has risen from less than 100 to over 1,800. The American Council of the Blind, together with other leading civil rights organizations, actively supported passage of the voting rights extension legislation in the House through letters, telephone calls, and direct contact with Congressional staff. Although handicapped was not covered in the Voting Rights Act, for strategic reasons ACB feels that it is important to support such influential organizations as the NAACP and the AFL-CIO toward passage of this important legislation. The American Council is, of course, directly concerned with voting accessibility legislation which would ensure accessible voting places for handicapped persons, and which would further ensure that blind persons would have free choice in the selection of voting assistance. Such legislation is currently pending in the House of Representatives. We look forward to the support of other civil rights organizations with respect to voting accessibility when the time is right. The Senate will consider the voting rights extension bill after the first of the year, and it is unclear at this writing whether the Administration will veto this legislation. ***** ** Remember What I Do ... Forget What I Am By Larry Johnson (Larry Johnson of San Antonio is a member of the American Council of the Blind of Texas and Vice President of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. At the request of the Chairman of the Texas Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, he delivered the following address to the general membership at its first quarterly meeting in 1981). As I was leaving home this morning, my daughter asked where I was going, and my 10-year-old son responded: "Oh, he's going to speak at a meeting of the Mayor's Committee on Unemployment of the Handicapped" ... which may be more painfully close to the truth than we might care to believe. I have three key words that I would like to leave with you this morning. They are: "Image," "Economics," and "Partnership." First I want to talk about "Image." And to do this, I would like to ask you to close your eyes for just a moment and imagine, if you will, a figure limping down the street toward you. At a distance, you feel pity, revulsion, or a curious interest in the unusual. As this figure draws closer, you notice that the leg is in a cast, indicating a temporary injury. Many of those negative feelings that you first experienced now vanish, replaced by relief, mild curiosity, or even empathy. As the figure comes closer yet, you see that on the cast there are autographs and a stick draw­ing of a figure on skis, somersaulting through the air. Now what do you feel? The situation, however, is changed if you see a metal leg brace instead of a cast, for unlike temporary injuries, a permanent physical disability is seen by able-bodied persons to be an integral, essential part of the handicapped person's social being. He is treated differently because of his handicap, and he is expected to behave differently. Yes, able-bodied persons may joke about a friend temporarily in a cast or wheelchair ... even borrow the wheelchair to go for a spin. But they become very uncomfortable when the disabled person jokes about his or someone else's disability. It is because able-bodied people think of that person as handicapped first and as a person last. Image is everything. Both Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar had epilepsy. Lord Byron had a club foot and Alexander Pope curvature of the spine. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was paraplegic. Milton was blind when he wrote "Paradise Lost" and Beethoven deaf when he wrote his Ninth Symphony. To speak of these men and women as handicapped seems a contradiction of terms. It is truly ironic that these examples of successful handicapped people have not modified or changed to any major degree the traditional belief about handicapped people in general. Instead, their successes are perceived as the exceptions to the rule. They are seen as individuals who have overcome incredible odds and achieved a positive social identity. Society's perception of a handicapped person nearly always reflects an unconscious decision to treat normal social functions and the possessing of any handicap as mutually exclusive attributes. To grow up handicapped in America is to grow up in a society that, because of its misreading of the significance of disability, is never entirely comfortable in the way that it treats the person who is disabled. It's as if we were to say: "All men are created equal" ... except those who are handicapped. Now open your eyes wide and let's talk "Economics." It costs society $1 million to maintain an unemployed disabled person during his working years. Forty billion dollars of government money goes each year for disability benefits. One-third of the 1977 Social Security tax hike was required to pay for anticipated disability benefits. Almost half of the adult disabled population is on or near the poverty level. Of all families on welfare, 20% are there because the head of the household is disabled. One out of six Americans is disabled. That's 36 million people. By the year 2000 there will be one chronically ill, over-65, or disabled person for every able-bodied person in the country. Society handicaps disabled people and in so doing handicaps itself as well. Do we wish to see disabled persons as taxpayers or as tax users? Of the approximately 16 million disabled persons between the ages of 16 and 64, very close to half, or 7.7 million, are either out of the labor force or unemployed. Many of these have quit even looking for jobs because they have found they cannot get them. This is 3.7% of the population. For San Antonio, that represents an available labor market of some 33,000 people who, if they remain unemployed and on welfare, will be costing us $1 million each to maintain throughout their non­productive adult lifetime. It cost this nation $150 billion last year in lost wages and government and private expenditures for its disabled population. This amount will increase to one trillion, (or one thousand billion) by the year 1990. These figures are courtesy of Dr. Frank Bowe, from his book, Rehabilitating America. Are they shocking? Indeed! More shocking, though, is what they represent in terms of unutilized human ability, wasted talent, and lost benefits to society. Maximizing the productivity and contributions from disabled persons is no longer merely an issue of social conscience; it is a matter of economic imperative. For my final word, "Partnership," we will need to join hands. If you in the past have been doing things ... good things ... for disabled people, I ask you now to stop. Stop doing things for disabled people and start doing them with disabled people. Do them with our help, with our ideas, with our abilities. To achieve the goal of the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) ... the goal of "Full Participation" of disabled persons in our society ... we must, all of us, become full partners in a community effort. Private industry must learn to trust and utilize the services of vocational rehabilitation agencies. Service­provider agencies must learn to trust and utilize the advice of disabled consumers. And public officials must play an active leadership role in bringing all sectors of the community together into a cooperative working partnership. No single group can do it alone, and no group should be left out. I would like to close with these words taken from a recent issue of an IYDP newsletter which so succinctly and eloquently expresses the needs and the hopes of disabled citizens everywhere: "We need commitment, not cliches. We need acceptance based on a realization of our human dignity and worth. We need awareness that our differences do not make us any better or worse than others. We need the same chance given everyone else in employment, social interaction, recreation, and, above all, in communication. It is a constitutional responsibility of Americans to treat others as they would be treated. Let us begin to exercise that responsibility and, in the process, integrate disabled citizens into our society at all levels, in an atmosphere of love and true acceptance." As a disabled person, my goal for IYDP is: Achievement with anonymity ... Remember what I do ... Forget what I am. ***** ** Court of Appeals Strikes Triple Blow Against Handicapped Rights By Barbara Nelson The United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit decided in July that blind applicants who were excluded from consideration for a supervisory position at the Mississippi Industries for the Blind could not bring a lawsuit under Section 503, Section 504, or the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The case of Brown v. Sibley started in 1978 when the Mississippi Industries for the Blind, one of the largest employers of blind people in the country, refused to consider blind employees for a supervisory position in its broom department, regardless of their qualifications for the job. Three blind people who applied for the position sued MIB and were allowed to bring their case as a class action on behalf of all visually handicapped people who may be excluded from supervisory positions at MIB because of their blindness. The case was first heard by the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The American Council of the Blind submitted an amicus curiae brief supporting the position of the blind workers. Despite much hard work by ACB and others, the lower court decided against the plaintiffs. This decision was appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which concluded that the workers did not have the kind of case that the courts could decide. The Appeals Court held, first, as many courts have, that an individual cannot bring a private lawsuit to complain of discrimination prohibited by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. The court stated this conclusion in very strong terms, saying that the only right a handicapped person is given by Section 503 is the right to file a complaint with the Department of Labor. Second, the court said that the workers could not bring a case under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination by agencies which receive Federal financial assistance. It is stated that since Mississippi Industries did not receive any Federal financial assistance to hire the employees in its workshop, Section 504 did not apply, even though other programs at MIB did receive Federal financial assistance. Mississippi Industries received Federal funds to run a day-care center for the children of workers at the shop; for its social services program for workers; to train workers who were later employed at MIB; and had received Federal funds to purchase some equipment for the factory. The court said: "A private plaintiff in a Section 504 case must show that the program or activity with which he or she was involved or from which he or she was excluded, itself received or was directly benefited by Federal financial assistance." It will now be very difficult for persons who have been subjected to discrimination to bring their cases to court in the 5th Circuit. The court made it very clear that it intended to limit as much as possible the availability of Federal courts as a forum for handicapped people who are suffering from discrimination in employment. The third blow from the court came when it dismissed the plaintiffs' claim based on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The court refused to treat blind people as a minority group that had been subject to discrimination in the past. There is a general rule of constitutional law which provides that the court will analyze very carefully any agency policy that has an adverse impact on a minority group. Classifications of people based on their membership in a minority group are given very close scrutiny to make certain that the agency has a real, non-discriminatory reason for treating members of the group differently from others. In this case, the court said that it would not use this kind of "strict scrutiny" on the MIB policy that blind people could not be supervisors. Thus, the court is implying that it does not believe that anyone would try to make a rule which would exclude blind people from opportunities, and that blind people do not constitute a minority group like racial or ethnic minorities that are given special protection by the 14th Amendment. This case is another in a long series of unfavorable decisions about the rights of handicapped people. Such cases would seem to indicate that many judges have not yet become sensitive to the fact that handicapped people are striving to reach greater independence. The response of handicapped people in the face of such cases should not be to give up, but to continue to try to educate the public about blind people, to work to develop stronger legal protection for the rights of handicapped people, and to keep trying to use every legal tool available to eliminate discrimination. ***** ** The Listening Ear By Dorothy Stiefel Prompt reader response brought another viewpoint of the important of "The Listening Ear" to stimulate interest among others: * Dear Dorothy: "The Listening Ear," indeed! But what about contemporary television? With FM subcarrier broadcasting for those blind persons who have appropriately fixed tuning, there is need for specially trained and prepared supplemental broadcasting simultaneous with highly meritorious dramatics on television. Description and explanation of lengthy pauses, and even those unanticipated scene changes. A recent article in TV Guide gave emphasis to the high independence of visual matter without audio tandem broadcasting. Why do I write to you about this? You might invite reader response to accumulate suggestions and criticisms of this nature. Movie theaters could offer similar information by supplying headpieces in a special area for those relying on the "listening ear." With such a packet of suggestions, we might approach movie producers, theaters, and, yes, even television policy-makers. We just might get more cooperation. -- M. Maynard, Taunton, Mass. * Dear M. M.: With good input, "The Listening Ear" is certain to stay well in tune. Good luck, and keep those letters coming. * Dear Dorothy: I am confused regarding definitions of deafness and blindness and wonder if you could clarify them for me. For instance, certain levels of blindness are defined to establish criteria for various services. Why aren't levels of deafness defined: I am interested because of the new ruling of air travel for the deaf­blind. According to the ruling, a person must be at least legally blind, but a criterion for deafness is not give. -- H. T., Pa. * Dear H. T.: If it's any consolation, I think the matter is confusing, too. I am legally blind and possess "partial deafness." When I attended the 1977 Helen Keller International Conference, I was told I could not participate in a group tour because I was not deaf­blind. And I am really not -- But, again, I am in certain situations. As I understand it, one definition of "deaf" is a loss of hearing so severe that a person cannot communicate by conventional means. Another source has indicated that an 85-90 decibel loss would be considered profound deafness. Recent correspondence, however, from the Helen Keller Center in Dallas makes comment that "deafness is not legally defined." To further the confusion, "deaf" and "hearing impaired" are terms used interchangeably. I believe that functional need should be a priority consideration in making determinations to qualify an individual for the "two-for-one" air fare exemption for deaf-blind persons. Any comments, readers? Readers are encouraged to share their comments in response to any letters appearing in this column. If you have a concern to share or a gripe to air, write to Dorothy Stiefel, c/o The Listening Ear, 4630 Coventry Lane, Corpus Christi, TX 78411. Send SASE for personal response. ***** ** Love-Hate Relationship Exists in Laser Medicine (Reprinted from Views and Ventures, published by Virginia Department for the Visually Handicapped, July, 1981) Patients have a "love-hate relationship" with laser medicine, according to Dr. Kenneth R. Fox, a Falls Church, Virginia ophthalmologist who has performed over 500 laser surgical procedures. Dr. Fox is Chief of Ophthalmology at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the International College of Surgeons. "Patients identify lasers with James Bond or Darth Vader and the image of British M-5 agents and The Force," Fox explains. "They are in awe of lasers and have both great expectations and trepidation" about using them. Lasers brought a technological revolution to medicine, Fox reports, citing six different types that ophthalmologists have used: the ruby laser, argon laser, krypton laser, carbon dioxide infra-red laser, and YAG laser and helium-neon laser. The argon laser, in particular, is effective intreating certain diseases of the retina, Fox says, including patients with diabetes, glaucoma, in retinal detachments, and in macular degeneration. Lasers are also being used experimentally to treat cataracts, Dr. Fox reports. ***** ** NIB, 1980: The Facts Say It All (Reprinted from Opportunity, July-August, 1981. Published by National Industries for the Blind) Sometimes the facts say it all and provide an effective evaluation of a program's successes. The fiscal 1980, National Industries for the Blind comprised 83 agencies representing 104 workshops, 61 of which are in the private sector and 35 in the public or state system. Seventy of these workshops provided products and services to the Federal Government under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. Workshops associated with NIB are located in 37 states, in addition to Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. NIB-associated workshops paid $26,494,846 in wages and fringe benefits to 5,526 blind people in direct and indirect labor. Fringes were 31% of wages. They provided employment to 5,156 blind people in direct labor, 2,924 of whom had handicaps in addition to blindness. - Provided employment to approximately 91 % of all blind people in regular workshop programs for the blind as reported by the Department of Labor in its sheltered workshop study, June, 1977. - Placed 442 blind people in competitive occupations. - Were assigned for production approximately 881 line products and seven services for the Federal Government under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. - Produced 107 items for military exchanges and commissaries under the military resale program. - Reported a total of $140,853,890 in sales for all programs, $71,744,140 of which were sales to the Federal Government $48,132,819 commercial sale; through State use law programs and subcontracts with industry, and $9,420,698 in military resale. NIB-associated agencies and workshops provided employment, rehabilitation, and other related services to approximately 76,000 blind and multi-handicapped blind people. ***** ** Letter to the Editor I have just returned from a tour of Alaska, the as yet unwritten symphony of unending forests, mountains and streams, of unique wildlife and cultures. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, although all my seeing was by touch or sound. I had the thrill of touching the Alaska pipe line, the captain's wheel and radar instrument aboard the Fairweather on the Lynn Canal, a walrus tusk (longer than I am high), the huskies, their equipment and sleds in McKinley National Park; and in the shops, figurines of animals, fish, birds, kayaks, igloos, and Eskimos. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrations and descriptions faithfully given by tour guides on buses, railroads, and planes. Yet, I felt unfairly deprived of an opportunity to touch a multitude of objects of beauty and history incarcerated in cases or behind ropes. In this International Year of Disabled Persons, there is a heart­warming acceleration of programs designed to raise public consciousness of the potential of handicapped people for productive and useful living. Beyond public education, itself enormously important, my plea is for the setting aside by all museums of a special room — a room to house samples of everything in the museums seeable by touch — artifacts, sculpture, collages, fabrics, armor, jewelry, furniture, etc., etc., etc. Blind people interested in the enrichment of travel are likely to handle things carefully, and to be accompanied by a seeing person who would guide their touching. A "Tactile Room" in museums would help significantly to equalize opportunities for learning and pleasure available to those not blessed with the gift of sight. -- Rose Resnick, Ed.D., San Francisco, California. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * North Dakota 1981 Convention The annual convention of the North Dakota Association of the Blind was held in Bismarck, June 5-7. Attendance was very good, perhaps because NDAB's special guest was ACB President Oral O. Miller, who was met at the airport by the Mayor of Bismarck. Reflecting the wide range of activities and interests of NDAB, reports were heard from the following officers and committees: Treasurer, Corkie Como; Finance, Darrell Kline; Liaison, Lloyd Marchand; Camp Director, Eunice Ketterling; Public Relations, Lloyd Robertson; State Fair, Leo Brilz; Family Seminar, Lester Ketterling; Newsletter Editor, Candy Anderson Lien; Needs, Elmer Morlock; Legislation, Lloyd Marc; and delegate to 1980 ACB national convention, Richard Veal. Guest speakers included representatives from the Office of Human Resources, Bell Telephone, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Another family seminar is being planned for the fall for families of newly blind persons. Also, the ever­popular summer camp session will run the first week in August. Many people have gained from these two projects and association with visually impaired and blind peers. The final order of business was election for three officer positions. Newly elected Vice President is Debby Ramey; two positions on the Board of Directors were filled by Dennis Everson and Cheryl Brooks. Candy Lien was re-elected editor of the Association's newsletter, The Promoter. * ACB of Nebraska State Convention The fourth annual state convention of the American Council of the Blind of Nebraska was held in Kearney in early August. Neither the dark of night, distance, complicated airline schedules, nor the failure of an airline to pay its landing fees can keep an ACB Board member from his appointed rounds. Nebraska Council members can attest to this first-hand, particularly in the case of ACB Board member Delbert Aman of South Dakota. Del was scheduled to address the ACBN convention and was assured that his connections with a Nebraska commuter airline had been confirmed. However, to his surprise, upon landing in Omaha, he was told that the commuter flight had been cancelled because landing fees had not been paid. So, resourceful Del flew to a city near Kearney, where he took a cab, arriving just in time to address the convention. His remarks and his presence were enthusiastically applauded by conventioneers. The convention program also included a presentation by an instructor from the local college on educating teachers for the modern classroom. This was followed by a talk by a first­year teacher on "The Blind Teacher in the Public School." The superintendent of the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped, Jerry Regler, demonstrated a number of new training aids based on computerized equipment, including the Apple computer and "Speak and Spell." At the business meeting, Steve Mahanes of Nebraska City was elected Vice President, and John Smith, Secretary. The convention adjourned on a high note of optimism for the future of the American Council of the Blind of Nebraska. * Highlights of ACB of South Carolina Convention The Ellen Beach Mack Chapter of Columbia hosted this year's annual state convention of the American Council of the Blind of South Carolina, held the weekend of August 21. All meetings, as well as breakfast each morning and lunch on Saturday, were held at the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Featured speaker was Durward K. McDaniel, retiring National Representative of the American Council of the Blind. As always, Mr. McDaniel's remarks gave much food for thought. He urged ACB members to stand together for the goals they wish to attain. It was announced that the Ellen Beach Mack Chapter has donated a Color Reader to the Richland Library for the use of visually impaired persons in the Columbia area. This machine is so named because it magnifies in color reading materials such as books, magazines, personal letters, or almost anything one might want to read. The Low County Chapter (Charleston) is offering a college scholarship to a qualified person in the Charleston area. The Hubert E. Smith Chapter (Aiken County) has been generous in assisting a family in financial need. The Upper State Chapter of Anderson has also helped a blind student who is attending college. For the coming two years, the American Council of the Blind of South Carolina has set two major goals: (1) membership development, and (2) transportation. The following officers were elected at the Sunday morning business meeting: President, John Ginn of Charleston; First Vice President, Ollie Bledsoe of Clearwater; Second Vice President, Marvin Lowe of Anderson; Secretary, Kathryn Cartledge of Belvedere; and Treasurer, Lawrence Nettles of Spartanburg. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon A fascinating new device which enables blind people to play bingo more efficiently is described in The White Cane Bulletin (Florida). The "Blindman's Bingo Box Card" is the brainchild of 65-year-old inventor, Joseph Molat, of West Palm Beach, Florida. It consists of a metal box about the size of a large cigar box, the surface of which has raised metal bingo numbers and their braille counterparts. Each number has a switch beside it which is thrown when the number is called. When five numbers in a straight line have been called, a buzzer sounds, indicating that the player has won the game. Molat, a retired electrical engineer, says that the device can be manufactured inexpensively. He has made it so flexible that it can also be used as an educational tool. AP: Thomas Dickey, 71, a legally blind Amherst College alumnus from the Class of '31, and a friend, Chris Samartano, 24, from the Class of '81, rode a tandem cycle 3,200 miles across the country to attend Dickey's 50th class reunion at Amherst, Massachusetts. The pair left Palo Alto, California, on April 20 and arrived in Amherst seven weeks later. They averaged 85 miles a day. Dickey's sight began deteriorating in the 1930's. He had to give up solo bicycling in 1975 "when I started running into parked cars and trees." As a service to blind customers, the NRTA/AARP Pharmacy Service has installed systems in its nine regional centers to do braille labeling on prescription orders through the mail and at walk-in locations. The NRTA/AARP Pharmacy Service, a non-profit organization devoted to lowering the cost of health care for twelve million members of the American Association of Retired Persons, the National Retired Teachers Association, and Action for Independent Maturity, is the largest private mail order pharmacy in the world. The label is a clear piece of material which is affixed over the regular prescription label. Because of space limitations, all of the usual instructions cannot be included, but the braille label does give the name of the medication, the strength, and the prescription number. For more information, write Braille Labeling, c/ o NRTA/AARP Pharmacy Service, Suite 1190, 1750 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006. Recently seven organizations, including four affiliates of the American Council of the Blind, joined the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped as sponsors or supporters. These include the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists, the Visually Impaired Secretarial Transcribers Association, the Georgia Federation of the Blind, and the Mississippi Council of the Blind. This fall, Sears, Roebuck and Company will make available braille overlays for the controls of several Kenmore appliances, including washers, driers, air conditioners, and microwave ovens. The appliances may be purchased from retail stores or from the fall general catalog. Special packets consisting of the braille overlay plus braille operating instructions and owner's manual, will be sent to the purchaser upon request. The Downtown YMCA of Tulsa chose Arthur L. Wade as the recipient of the 1980 Downtown Branch Volunteer of the Year Award. Art Wade began his Tulsa YMCA relationships in 1957 through an adult education fencing class. He founded and still coaches the Tulsa YMCA fencing club. This group has won many individual and team championships during the past 25 years. Art has been the Oklahoma champion in both foil and epee. He also helped found the Run for Your Life Club, which is among the oldest jogging/aerobics groups in the United States. Until the time he began to lose his eyesight, he personally led the running sessions. He still participates regularly. Art is a member of the American Blind Lawyers Association. ACB member Fred Krepela of Salem, Oregon, reports that his article, "A Visit to Czechoslovakia," in the June, 1981 Braille Forum, was translated into the Czech language for inclusion in Hospodar, a Czech language magazine published in West Texas. Credit was, of course, given to The Braille Forum. Fred writes, "By the way, the Hospodar magazine does go to a number of people in Czechoslovakia, including one of my cousins, so some of the people there can also get to read the article." The Jewish Braille Institute of America has announced its 11th international literary competition for blind writers. The Institute welcomes entries by blind writers of all races, creeds, and nations throughout the world in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. All entries must be received by February 28, 1982. There will be $9,000 awarded in prizes. For further information, write Jewish Braille Institute of America, Inc., 110 E. 30th Street, New York, NY 10016. From VIVA Newsletter: From the General Telephone "Northwest Newsworthy" newspaper comes the following on Dave Russell, a member of the Visually Impaired Veterans Association: A mutual dislike for losing things has put blind engineer Dave Russell back on the job. Russell did not like losing his job when diabetes caused him to lose his sight three years ago, and GTNW did not like losing a good employee who had 18 years' telephone experience ... Russell began his career with West Coast Telephone Co. in 1959 as a lineman and held various installation and repair, frame, and equipment positions until June, 1973. Until he was forced to quit work, Russell was an engineer - trunking. Today the tenacious man is again an engineer - trunking, the first employee to return to GTNW from long-term disability. Positions available: (1) Position in public law; tenure-track, beginning level assistant professor, nine-month appointment, with possibility of summer teaching; Ph.D. required at time of appointment; opportunity to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in constitutional law, judicial process, and related areas. (2) Position in public administration; tenure-track, assistant professor, 12-month appointment; duties include teaching public administration courses and coordinating MBA program; Ph.D. required at time of appointment. Teaching duties for both positions begin September, 1982. Send resume and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Thomas D. Ungs, Head, Department of Political Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916. Feeling Sports is again being published by the Braille Sports Foundation. The magazine is available in print only. A free subscription is available upon request from the Braille Sports Foundation, 7525 North Street, Minneapolis, MN 55426. From Focus: Kenya has released a set of four stamps to commemorate the International Year of Disabled Persons. One stamp shows a man in a wheelchair talking to a little boy. Another depicts the president of Kenya presenting the national flag to the captain of the Kenya team participating in the Handicapped Olympic Games. A third stamp illustrates a group of blind people climbing Mt. Kenya. The fourth features a handicapped painter, brush in mouth, working on a canvas. Each stamp bears the inscription around its border: IYDP. From The Promoter (North Dakota): Bell Telephone has offered to put a number for the North Dakota Association of the Blind in each of its telephone directories at no cost to the Association. A member in each city will be contacted to serve as information person for that area. An article in the May, 1981 issue of The Trumpet's Voice (Iowa Council of the Blind) tells of Hiroko Okamura, 28, of Okayama City Japan, a freshman college student at Cornell, Iowa. After two years of study at Cornell, Hiroko expects to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. She already has graduated from Kyoto Seika Junior College in Japan, where she studied oriental medical science and became a successful acupuncturist and rehabilitation masseuse. Acupuncture and rehabilitation massage are the traditional jobs for blind persons in Japan. Hiroko paid her plane fare to Iowa with money saved from work as an acupuncturist and rehabilitation clinic in Kyoto. EXPECTATIONS 1981 (Vol. 33), the annual braille anthology of current children's literature published by the Braille Institute of America, is now available free to any blind American child in grades through six. This edition contains nine complete juvenile books, one of which deals with the problems of a handicapped child. Other surprises include original short stories and poems, a new page of microfragrance labels, plus embossed pictures of a unicorn, a spider, a sword, and a dolphin. Published since 1948 by the Braille Institute of America Press in grade 2 braille, each anthology is geared specifically for children in grades 3 through 6 and becomes the personal property of each braille reader. To order, write Betty Kalagian, Braille Institute of America, 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. ***** ** 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. ###