The Braille Forum Vol. XX January, 1982 No. 7 The Washington Connection New ACB Information and Legislation Hot Line Weicker Rehabilitation Amendments Pass Senate ... How Did Your Senator Score? Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor ***** National Office: Oral O. Miller 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 506 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 833-1251 Editorial Office 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: Dr. 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 55415 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 Contributing Editors ACB Officers President's Message, by Grant Mack The "Washington Connection" - ACB's Newest Membership Service, by Scott Marshall News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller ACB on the Air!, by Laura Oftedahl "It's Atlanta for You in '82, " by Stephen E. Douglass ACB Special-Interest Meeting Notes Did Your Senator Vote for Increased Rehabilitation Funding? - An ACB Scorecard Report, by Scott Marshall Fifth ACB Leadership Training Seminar a Success, by Laura Oftedahl ACB Members Participate in Evaluation of New Folding Cane The Insight of Roy Andries de Groot, by Morton Hockstein Senate Rules Committee Votes to Delete "Fast Track" Provisions of S. 807, by Scott Marshall Volunteer Efforts Urged at Low Income Aging and Disabled Consumers Conference The Listening Ear, by Dorothy Stiefel Works of Art Sought - Sister Kenny Institute Art Show Now in Living Color IYDP Leaders Call for Continued Focus on Disabled Issues Vinland National Center Receives Two RSA Grants At the Forefront of Technology - The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President’s Message By Grant Mack It has been said that people who dislike cold weather can do two things if they want a short winter. One is to take up skiing, and the other is to sign a ninety-day note the first part of November. This implies that if you are enjoying yourself and having fun, or if you have deadlines to meet, time passes rapidly. This principle certainly applies when one is faced with preparing an article each month for a publication like The Braille Forum. At any rate, I find this is true in my case. Mary Ballard's reminder each month that deadline time is here seems to come up weekly instead of monthly intervals. I tip my fedora to those professional writers who have daily deadlines to meet and admire their capacity to produce newsworthy and interesting columns every day. Instead of discussing one idea this month, I feel compelled to bring to your attention a potpourri of some of my experiences and observations during this past month. It was my pleasure to participate in this year's National Industries for the Blind convention in Atlanta. Perhaps my scant experience with NIB is shared by many in the blind community. I really didn't know that much about NIB, but after attending their meetings for three and a half days and getting to know those involved in the organization, I am impressed by two things. First of all, the quality and sincerity of the leadership of NIB is outstanding; and secondly, the effectiveness of the NIB program is superb. One would be hard-pressed to find more effective leaders than George Mertz, Vice President and General Manager, Jim McFarland, Vice President in Charge of Government Sales, and Thor (Tom) Rolie, Chairman of the Board. These men could be successful leaders in any field of endeavor, and NIB is fortunate to have this quality of leadership. During the past thirty years, I have attended numerous conventions and seminars sponsored by the insurance industry. This NIB convention was as well organized and interestingly programmed as any I have ever experienced. It's a shame the NIB story isn't better known, because this organization has a lot to shout about. The bottom line, of course, is the employment of blind people in effective workshops throughout the country, and my impression is that NIB continues to constantly work toward that goal. The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped held its annual board and membership meetings immediately following that of NIB in Atlanta. Your president was honored by being elected to its board for a three-year term. The NAC deliberations were also impressive. Otis Stephens was re-elected president of NAC for a two-year term. As is true with NIB, NAC has been successful in attracting high quality leadership. Throughout the NAC meetings, sincerity and genuine interest in improving standards of those delivering services to the blind came through loud and clear. The Atlanta Airport is becoming very familiar to me. I was back once again on the last weekend in November to attend the southeastern leadership training seminar. Details of this meeting will be covered elsewhere in this issue of The Braille Forum. Be assured that the American Council of the Blind will continue to sponsor these kinds of programs. I would behoove you who have an opportunity to attend the next one in the southwest to make every effort to be there. Even though these sessions are rather short, they are action-packed, and loaded with good ideas. Because the groups are rather small, opportunities to meet new people are an important bonus of the program. May I express my personal thanks to those great ACB leaders in the southeastern part of the country who made this meeting such an enjoyable and rewarding experience. ***** ** The "Washington Connection": ACB's Newest Membership Service By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs Want information about current legislation affecting handicapped persons, or the. latest organizational news from the ACB National Office? y ou can obtain such up-to-the-minute information by calling the American Council of the Blind's new information hotline service: the "Washington Connection." Simply call toll-free (800) 424-8666 after 6:00 p.m. weekdays or any time on weekends or holidays. You will hear a brief recorded message which will summarize current developments in Washington — legislation, regulations, and ACB organizational news - information that can't wait for the next issue of The Braille Forum. This newest ACB membership service will begin operation on January 5, 1982. The taped announcement will be changed or reviewed for timeliness each week while Congress is in session. Details concerning the matters discussed on the "Washington Connection" will appear in The Braille Forum, or you may call the ACB National Office during regular business hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Eastern standard time, weekdays, for more information. So call us weekdays after 6:00 p.m. or on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays. The call is free, and so is this new membership service. Call (800)-424-8666. The "Washington Connection" is your connection to what's happening in Washington. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller By the time this article is published, the ACB public service announcements will have been sent to hundreds of radio stations throughout the country. By that time, all the affiliate presidents will have received a list of the stations to whom the announcements were sent so they may urge those stations to air our announcements frequently and at good times. This is one way in which all ACB members may help tell the world about the American Council of the Blind and its services. So I urge each of you to assist your affiliate in contacting these stations. Although there is not space in this short article to summarize the fall meeting of National Industries for the Blind (NIB), held in Atlanta during November, 1981, it was encouraging to hear many Federal officials reassure the NIB members that the Federal Government does not intend to attempt to reduce funds spent in the coming year on blind-made products. On the other hand, it was somewhat disconcerting to hear one especially uninformed Federal official state that his office could, at its discretion, revoke the regulations implementing the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act. The fall meeting of the membership and directors of the National Accreditation Council (NAC) featured a better-than-average program and increased optimism concerning the importance, future, and growth of accreditation throughout the field of work for the blind. While the self­appointed critics of accreditation will undoubtedly shout even louder in a vain attempt to keep others from hearing, the notion is becoming more and more widely accepted that accreditation by a responsible organization such as NAC is going to become a prerequisite for the receipt of various benefits —- just as it is now in the fields of education, public health, library service, etc. Another possible roadblock to accreditation by sheltered workshops was hurdled at the NAC banquet when a spokesman for National Industries for the Blind announced that NIB will pay the cost of initial accreditation by any NIB member. During November, 1981, it was my pleasure to lead a workshop conducted during the national convention of the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation, held in Baltimore, Maryland. Although it is apparent that the primary objective of many of the fully sighted members of the RP Foundation is to eradicate retinitis pigmentosa by medical means, I was encouraged by the growing interest shown by both fully sighted members and RP sufferers in the need for RP sufferers to receive the full range of quality services available to all other people with impaired vision. Although there is a separate article elsewhere in this issue of The Braille Forum concerning the regional leadership training seminar sponsored by the American Council of the Blind in Atlanta the weekend of November 27-29, 1981, I want to point out that the Atlanta seminar was an obvious success from beginning to end. Since the program of each regional leadership training seminar is influenced by experience gained at the preceding seminars, everyone agreed that the topics covered and the presentations given were extremely timely, informative, and practical. The Atlanta seminar was also the first opportunity for most of the ACB members who attended to become acquainted with our new staff members - Scott Marshall, Barbara Nelson, and Laura Oftedahl - all of whom did outstanding jobs in discussing the issues on the program. Although attendance at regional seminars must necessarily be limited, the attendance at the Atlanta event was the largest and most enthusiastic yet. What great things that seminar portends for the next one!! It is still too early to say much about it, but I am pleased to report that ACB has now placed the order for its own computer system. Although the use of any computer system is always fraught with difficulties and "bugs," it is a gross understatement to say that we are merely optimistic about the future. More about this in future articles! ***** ** ACB on the Air! By Laura Oftedahl Director of Public Affairs When your clock radio wakes you tomorrow morning, don't roll over and go back to sleep. Listen carefully. You won't want to miss the new ACB public service announcements being aired coast to coast. The American Council of the Blind's national public service campaign is in full swing. Tapes containing four 30-second, professionally produced PSA's are rolling in to radio stations across the country. Eleven hundred commercial radio stations and all radio reading services were selected to receive these excellent spot announcements. We are counting on members of the American Council of the Blind to gather around their radios and help make this campaign a resounding success. There are four different announcements. Through the use of short skits, the following topics are addressed: the general public's preconceived notions of blind people, partial vision, barriers to employment, and services available from the American Council of the Blind. Listeners are referred to the ACB toll-free line at (800) 424-8666 for more information. Inquiries will be routed to the state and special-interest affiliates. So, you see, this campaign is not only aimed at public education, but will also strengthen affiliates through increased membership. These PSA's are for you! This is the most exciting promotional campaign for the American Council of the Blind in its history. So get your ears on and work for maximum air­play in your area. You may find out which radio stations have received the tapes by contacting your ACB affiliate president or public information chairman. Then tune in and listen for the ACB. If you have had your ear glued to your radio for days and days without hearing the friendly voice telling of the wide variety of services and programs of the American Council, a call to the public service director of your radio station may be in order. We caution you, though, to keep in mind that PSA's are generally not repeated as often as commercials. So be patient and vary the time of day you listen to the radio. We are confident we will get cooperation from the stations. Those we surveyed before the tapes went out were interested in us. We know we have highly creative messages to run, and we also have an enthused membership: all components necessary to produce a "smash hit" destined for the No. 1 slot on the charts. ***** ** It's Atlanta For You In '82 By Stephen E. Douglass Host Committee Chairman In approximately six months, ACB members will be meeting together at the Marriott Hotel-Atlanta Airport, 4711 Best Road at Riverdale Road, College Park, Georgia 30337, from July 3 through July 10, 1982. (College Park is one of the many cities which make up Greater Atlanta.) Room rates at the Marriott for this ACB national convention are: single, $29.00; double, $29 .00; triple, $29.00; and quad, $29.00. Now is the time to begin your planning to attend the 1982 national convention in Atlanta, the metropolis of the southeast. Here are a few of the features of the Marriott Hotel. All meeting rooms, eating facilities, registration, and information desks are on the first floor. For those who are coming from nearby states by car, there is parking space for 975 vehicles. For those coming by plane, the hotel operates a shuttle bus to and from the airport on an around­the-clock basis. The shuttle bus makes the trip from the airport to the hotel or vice versa in approximately five minutes. The hotel has a roof-top cocktail lounge, as well as cocktail service in the main lobby. Shops and services include a gift shop, a beauty/barber shop, an airline counter, and a rental car counter. For recreation, there are an indoor­outdoor swimming pool, a hydrotherapy whirlpool bath, game room, health club, and exercise club, as well as in-room movies and nearby golf. The ACB 1982 National Convention Committee has met twice thus far, once in September and once in November. Oral O. Miller, National Convention Coordinator, attended both meetings, and ACB President Grant Mack attended the November meeting. Considerable progress has been made to date, but there is much still to do, and you will be reading about many of the highlights in upcoming issues of The Braille Forum. One of several tours being arranged is a trip to Stone Mountain, where conventioneers can take advantage of the skylift to the top of the largest chunk of stone in the world, a paddle­wheel boat ride on a large lake, or a trip on the narrow-gauge railroad train around the mountain. This trip is a must ... But watch out for the Indians! A real southern style banquet dinner will be served with all the trimmings, and a Dixie Land band will provide entertainment during the meal and throughout the evening. Watch The Braille Forum for information on other tours as plans develop. You can count on good entertainment throughout the week, but plans are not yet finalized. Again, watch The Braille Forum for details. So, make your plans now to attend one of the best ACB national conventions yet. All of us in the Georgia Federation of the Blind are expecting you to come see us in July. See you then - and in The Braille Forum in the next few months. Don't forget: "It's Atlanta for You in '82"! ***** ** ACB Special-Interest Meeting Notes Friends in Art/ACB is planning an exhibition of pictures by blind artists as part of its activities at the 1982 ACB national convention. Those who wish to exhibit pictures are urged to contact Merrill A. Maynard as promptly as possible at 171 Washington Street, Taunton, MA 02780; phone (617) 823-3783. Editors of ACB state and special­interest affiliate newsletters are urged to attend a Publications Workshop to be sponsored by the ACB Board of Publications during Convention Week. This bi-annual workshop is provided so that those working in any phase of publications may become more knowledgeable and better informed. Topics to be covered include computerized mailing lists, "FREE MATTER" and bulk mailing regulations, and specific guidelines for production of more effective print, braille, and cassette newsletters. Let the Board of Publications know your problem areas and any suggestions you may have for the workshop. Contact Dean Flewwellin, ACB Publications Workshop Chairman, Dorian Apartments, No. 3, Aberdeen, SD 57401; phone (605) 229-4129. Readers are also reminded of the second annual ACB writing competition. Purpose of this contest is to determine the recipient of the Ned E. Freeman Article of the Year Award, presented annually during Convention Week at the ACB Awards and Charter Gala. Topic for this year's competition is: "If My White Cane (or Dog Guide) Could Talk." Entries must be received no later than March 1, 1982. For complete details, see The Braille Forum, September, 1981, or contact the 1981, or contact the Braille Forum office. ***** ** Did Your Senator Vote For Increased Rehab Funding? An ACB Scorecard Report By Scott Marshall Mark Twain once said of New England weather, "If you don't like it, wait a few minutes." In a sense, the same could be said of the budget and appropriations process in the 97th Congress: a process which has been forced to respond to President Reagan's changing budget demands. On November 19, 1981, members of the Senate were faced for the first time this session with an admittedly difficult decision of vital interest to handicapped Americans. As reported in the November, 1981 issue of The Braille Forum, Senator Lowell Weicker (R., CT) was unsuccessful in his attempts at both the subcommittee and committee levels to pass certain amendments to the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill which would have raised funding for rehabilitation and special education services in fiscal 1982 to the levels contained in the Budget Reconciliation Act passed by Congress last summer. Weicker vowed to offer these amendments on the floor of the Senate when the appropriations bill came up for floor action, and accordingly, the American Council of the Blind mounted a massive campaign directed toward members of the Senate to convince them of the value and cost effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation and special education expenditures. Unfortunately, due to the controversy surrounding the President's September budget request, which sought an additional 12% cut from the amount of the budget already agreed to, the Congress was unable to finish its appropriations work prior to September 30, 1981, the end of the fiscal year. As a result, it was necessary for the Congress to pass and the President to sign a Continuing Resolution to allow the Government to operate after October 1, 1981. The initial Continuing Resolution expired on November 20, 1981, and since all of the appropriations bills were not passed by that date, it was necessary to pass a second Continuing Resolution, which remains in effect as of the date of this writing (December 3, 1981). Senator Weicker offered his amendments to the second Continuing Resolution during an all-night session of the Senate held during the late evening hours of November 19. The debate was heated, as illustrated by the following exchange between Senator Weicker, in favor of increased funding for rehabilitation services, and Senator Harrison Schmitt (R., NM): Senator Weicker: Mr. President, I want to raise one point in the course of my debate with the distinguished Senator from New Mexico. I realize the difficult choices he had to make, but constantly during the course of the debate in the Committee on Appropriations, the point was made that we, as members of that committee, had to look at the entire scope of appropriations rather than at individual programs. Yet, I think there are some choices to be made here on the floor as to what programs are important in our society. Vocational rehabilitation is not a welfare program, Mr. President. It is not a handout program. It is a program that sets people on their feet, gives them their rightful place within our society, enables them to earn their own way ... Again, Mr. President, let me say that, in the course of discussions in the committee, it might have been possible to compromise out a million or two more. But that would not have done the job. I was never interested in just saying, "Well, I obtained some more money for vocational rehab," not if obtaining the additional dollars meant, say, cutting special education. I recognized the budgetary restraints and tried to fall well within them. However, if anything meaningful is to be done in vocational rehabilitation, it has to be done at the levels I recommend in this amendment. Senator Schmitt: Mr. President, the committee allowance now in the bill is the same as the House allowance, and maintains last year's level of $854 million for the vocational rehabilitation program ... This again, Mr. President, is one of the very few programs not being cut below last year's appropriation, despite the budget request for only $768 million. That is, the committee’s recommendation is already $86 million over the President's request. Again, I think the commitment of the committee to the needs of the handicapped, for education as well as rehabilitation, is very clear. Unlike almost all other discretionary programs, these programs related to the handicapped have been held at or above 1981 levels ... (The Senator then commented that there was nothing preventing the states from increasing their share of the costs of vocational rehabilitation ... funding and lamented the waste in the program.) This is one program, Mr. President, where there is no income test. I am not saying there should be; nevertheless, we must realize that, unlike most of the programs that we are talking about in this budget, which are aimed at serving the disadvantaged, this program does serve even those who can afford to serve themselves … (The Senator then discussed other sources of rehabilitation funding, including CETA funds spent for the handicapped.) We have done far more. than we have been given credit for by the submission of these amendments - and this in the face of a budget which is $3.2 billion over the President's September request ... (Senator Cranston from California then spoke in behalf of the Weicker Amendment and pointed out that the increase being sought did not exceed the amount already agreed to in the Budget Reconciliation Act passed by Congress last summer.) Senator Weicker: Mr. President, I think it is necessary to point out why we return to these reconciliation figures and why this is an entirely different situation from that presented anywhere else in the budget. The fact is that when it came to education and the various health care programs and special education programs and rehabilitation programs, it was necessary for the Administration to sit down and compromise on the various differences between themselves and members of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Those negotiations went on for several weeks. Without them, no bill would have been reported. The specific beneficiaries were the education budget and the budgets which are under discussion here by virtue of amendments today. So when the Senator from New Mexico says that we cannot fund these programs at the reconciliation levels, I would agree with him. I would not expect it to be done for everybody. But I would expect it for these programs because nobody else, or no other portion of the budget, went through the process that these portions went through several months ago. So I say to the Senator that I am sorry you are discomfited by the fact that I say these people in these programs have been rebuffed. They have been. You can't have it both ways. If you want a balanced budget and you want to do it at the expense of these people, then so be it. You have your balanced budget. I say the same thing to the rest of my colleagues: You cannot have it both ways. These are expensive programs ... but in terms of total return, a dollar return, not even a human return, they are very expensive ... Thus, the stage was set. Each Senator present and voting had to make a decision whether to support Senator Weicker's amendments for increased vocational rehabilitation and special education funding or to support the lower funding levels proposed by Senator Schmitt and the Appropriations Committee. In short, the decision was between adequate funding for vocational rehabilitation and special education services or a balanced budget. In a roll call vote, 65 to 39, the Senate chose to support the Weicker amendments. Unfortunately, however, because of the dispute between Congress and the President concerning levels of funding for foreign, military, and political assistance - a difference on only $2 billion - the President vetoed the Continuing Resolution. As a compromise solution, the Congress then passed, and the President signed, a stop-gap measure which essentially renewed the status quo in order that the Government could be funded until December 15. At this writing (December 3) it is unclear as to exactly what will happen on December 15. It is clear, however, that the budget deficits for fiscal year 1983 will be even greater than the 1982 deficits. Accordingly, we must continue the fight for adequate funding for vocational rehabilitation and special education services. The vote on November 19 was significant because it established clearly which Senators favor increased funding for vocational rehabilitation and which Senators do not. Appended to this article is a list of the Senators who voted for and against the Weicker rehabilitation amendments. Members of Congress must be continually reminded of the importance of these programs to handicapped people. Since the issue of funding for vocational rehabilitation and special education will undoubtedly come up again later in this session as well as next year, we should write those Senators who did not vote for the Weicker vocational rehabilitation amendments expressing our disappointment for their lack of support. When you write, indicate to the Senator how important rehabilitation and special education services are to you and other handicapped people. And finally, don't forget the thank­you letters to the Senators who supported us. They need to know that we appreciate their concern. * Senate Roll Call Vote - November 19, 1981 The following Senators voted for the Weicker rehabilitation amendment: Armstrong (R., CO) Baucus (D., MT), Biden (D., DE), Bumpers (D., AR), Burdick (D., ND), Cannon (D., NV), Chafee (R., RI), Chiles (D., FL), Cochran (R., MS), Cranston (D., CA), D'Amato (R., NY), De Concini (D., AZ), Dodd (D., CT), Durenberger (IR, MN), Eagleton (D., MO), Ford (D., KY). Glenn (D., OH), Hart (D., CO), Hatch (R., UT), Hawkins (R., FL), Heflin (D., AL), Heinz (R., PA), Hollings (D., SC), Huddleston (D., KY), Humphrey (R., NH), Inouye (D., HI), Jackson (D., WA), Jepsen (R., IA), Kassebaum (R., KS), Kennedy (D., MA), Levin (D., MI), Mathias (R., MD), Matsunaga (D., HI), Melcher (D., MT), Metzenbaum (D., OH), Mitchell (D., ME), Murkowski (R., AK), Nunn (D., GA), Packwood (R., OR), Pell (D., RI), Pressler (R. , SD), Pryor (D. , AR), Randolph (D., WV), Riegle (D. , MI), Sarbanes (D. , MD), Sasser (D., TN), Specter (R., PA), Stafford (R., VT), Stennis (D., MS), Stevens (R., AK), Thurmond (R., SC), Tsongas (D., MA), Weicker (R., CT), Williams (D., NJ), Zorinsky (D., NE). The following Senators voted against the Weicker rehabilitation amendment: Abdnor (R., SD), Andrews (R., ND-AL), Baker (R., TN), Bentsen (D., TX), Boren (D., OK), Boschwitz (R., MN), Byrd (I., VA), Cohen (R., ME), Danforth (R., MO), Denton (R., AL), Dixon (D., IL), Dole (R., KS), Domenici (R., NM), East (R., KS), Domenici NE), Garn (R., UT), Gorton (R., WA), Grassley (R., IA), Hatfield (R., OR), Hayakawa (R., CA), Helms (R., NC), Johnston (D., LA), Kasten (R., WI), Laxalt (R., NV), Lugar (R., IN), Mattingly (R., GA), McClure (R., ID), Nickles (R., OK), Percy (R., IL), Proxmire (D., WI), Quayle (R., IN), Roth (R., DE), Rudman (R., NH), Schmitt (R., NM), Simpson (R., WY), Symms (R., ID), Tower (R., TX), Wallop (R., WY), Warner (R., VA). The following Senators did not vote: Bradley (D., NJ), Byrd (D., WV), Goldwater (R., AZ), Leahy (D., VT), Moynihan (D., NY). Senator Long (LA) did not vote, but would have voted nay. His vote was paired with Senator Moynihan, who would, if he had been present, have voted yea. ***** ** Fifth ACB Leadership Training Seminar A Success By Laura Oftedahl This time around, it was American Council of the Blind members and friends in the southeastern part of the country who took part in a three-day leadership training seminar. The Atlanta Airport Marriott was the site for the seminar. This is the same place the 1982 ACB national convention will be held, so seminar participants had a chance to preview the fine accommodations in store for all attending the annual convention in July. On Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, approximately one hundred energetic people from twelve state affiliates assembled in Atlanta. Many received financial subsidies from the ACB and state affiliates to help defray travel expenses. They came from Alabama, the Carolinas, the District of Columbia, Florida, and Georgia. Persons eager to develop their leadership skills from Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were also present. And they left Sunday, November 29, with a wealth of information and loads of enthusiasm, ready to dig in and strengthen their ACB affiliates. Evaluations of the four previous seminars were reviewed in planning this Atlanta training workshop. Topics covered included personal growth, setting goals and overcoming roadblocks, improving communications, motivating others, fund-raising, and fundamentals of public relations. Excellent presentations were made concerning ACB chapter development, civil rights for the blind, the legislative process and governmental regulations, and how to be an effective advisory committee member. Seminar participants had the opportunity to hear many excellent speakers. This variety removed the chances of anyone losing interest along the way. Presenters included Fred McDonald, management consultant from Chicago; Miss Geri Price, fundraising consultant from Oklahoma City; Grant Mack, ACB President; and members of the ACB national staff. An informative talk by Senator Perry J. Hudson, member of the Human Resources Committee of the Georgia State Senate, was a special treat for all. It will be enlightening to see the progress made by the participating affiliates in the coming months. We are confident they will use this experience to build and strengthen their organizations from the local level on up. We have been assured there will even be several new chapters started as a result of this leadership training seminar. And there is the potential for this experience to help others outside the southeastern region of the United States. Cassette tapes of the entire seminar are available from the ACB National Office. We urge you to obtain these tapes and use the material for you and your ACB affiliate organization. Why not solve your program problems by using some of this material at your next meeting? We know everyone will benefit. ***** ** ACB Members Participate in Evaluation of New Folding Cane The ACB Electronic Aids and Technology Committee is currently involved in the field testing of a new folding cane designed by the American Foundation for the Blind. Interested testers/evaluators were solicited through affiliate presidents. A group of twenty outstanding ACB members was put together. These people are now using the cane and will submit a detailed evaluation to AFB at the close of the test period. William Pickman of New York, chairman of the committee, thanks all persons volunteering for the project. The response was great. The American Council of the Blind is proud to be able to offer input during the developmental stage of new aids and products. ***** ** The Insight of Roy Andries De Groot By Morton Hochstein (Reprinted from Writers Digest, July, 1980) (Editor's Note: Many ACB members will remember Roy De Groot, whose presentation was among the highlights of the 1972 convention in Milwaukee.) Roy Andries de Groot, a British­born radio and television writer, is one of this country's leading food writers. His Feasts for All Seasons has been a best-seller since its appearance in 1966, and he has followed it with such books as Revolutionizing French Cooking and Pressure Cookery Perfected. He now writes a popular weekly newspaper feature, "One Great Meal," and for many years he was a contributing editor to Esquire and Cuisine magazines. He recently resumed writing for Esquire. Not many of de Groot's readers realize he is blind. He suffered several eye injuries during the London blitz of World War II. Two decades later he was totally blind. When he realized he was losing his sight, he turned from radio and TV and prepared himself for a career he could pursue sightlessly: writing about food. De Groot has accepted his blindness, and has even benefited from it. He agrees that a food writer who travels as much as he does can benefit from sight, but he adds that he was sighted until his mid-40's and had traveled widely, so "I know what a sun-flecked forest looks like and I know what a provincial French restaurant looks like. All I need is someone to tell me what they see. Because of the blindness, I'm a more romantic writer." He is a man of enthusiasm and emotion. In Elsace, he halted a tight schedule of wine-tasting to "see" Grunewald's famous Isenheim altar in Colmar. He touched it gently and listened as the museum director described it and others told him their perceptions of the religious masterpiece. De Groot has hugged pillars and cathedrals to fix in his mind their form, and one late afternoon at the northern-most tip of Bordeaux, with his Seeing Eye dog at his side, he walked into the Atlantic Ocean at the point where it intercepts the Gironde River, the waterway of the Bordeaux wine trade. It was the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition for a writer deeply interested in wine. "When I first went blind," he says, "editors asked me why I needed to travel. What would I get out of it? they wondered. At The Seeing Eye institute, we were trained to note the ground under our feet. I know when I am on a cobblestone street or a concrete walk. I touch the walls of houses. I get the feel of the old brick. I think there is nothing more wonderful than the feel of an ancient barrel that was cut by hand with a chisel. You learn a lot by being on the scene." CHEFS AND CHATEAUS. It must be disconcerting for those who watch de Groot eat, sometimes working neatly with a fork, sometimes tearing food apart with his hands. "I've been working with professional cheese tasters in Wisconsin. They take the cheese in their hands and rub pieces with their fingers to get a better feel of it. I do the same. I very often eat food with my hands because it tells me the texture of things. I tear meat apart with my hands, and I would certainly do that if I were sighted. Even if my sight were to return tomorrow, I would make very few changes in the way I work. I would have to depend less on people to help me, but otherwise I'd continue doing things the way I do them now." Preparation is key to his success. "People, whether they are chefs or cellarmasters of great chateaus, respect you if they find you know something about their job. The first few questions, they'll just fob you off. They'll say to themselves: 'this is nobody important. What can this American from New York know about my business?' But as you ask them increasingly sharper questions, they say, 'Well, he knows about that, does he?' Then they begin to take you seriously. "A while back, I was tasting the wines of a highly respected German vintner. I had been warned to walk gently with him, that I might not get to sample his best vintages. Sure enough, the first wines I was given were mediocre. I criticized them freely. I didn't pull my punches, and gradually he started to bring out better bottles. "Then suddenly, he got up, excused himself and disappeared into his back yard and into the side of a mountain that rose up sharply behind the house. The man who had brought me to the winery said, 'You're all right now, Roy.' The winemaker returned with four bottles of wine under his right arm and four under his left. They were superb vintages, not available anywhere else. "That man wasn't going to waste his best wines on someone who didn't understand them. It's the same with restaurant people. You have to prove yourself before they'll bring out their very best dishes." RECIPES, REVIEWS AND RECORDERS. DeGroot's files on food and restaurants would do credit to a culinary university. His wife - Katherine Hynes, a former British actress - and a fluctuating staff of young food acolytes cross-file an index of tape-recorded notes, as well as a huge collection of reviews, recipes and articles about restaurants and food personalities. The time spent on the files makes field work easier and more productive. "If an editor today were to ask me to do a piece about six great nouvelle cuisine restaurants of France, I could do the story faster than a writer who would have to start from scratch. If necessary - though I wouldn't want to do it that way - I would write the article from this office." His chief interviewing and writing tool is the tape recorder. He has fourteen recorders ranging from pocket size to secretarial machines on his huge desk in Westbeth, an apartment house for artists in New York's Greenwich Village. He carries a pocket machine with him at all times and thinks all writers could benefit from using tape recorders. "Notes scribbled on a piece of paper can't do for a writer what tape does. Tape not only gives me the actual words of the person I am interviewing, but it also returns me to the restaurant and I am reminded by the tone and sounds of what happened, what the food was like, what the atmosphere was like. It may be two o'clock in the morning two months later, but I am there." And there's also a legal aspect, most important for writers in these litigious times. "I have been sued a number of times by restaurant people who felt my description of the food or the atmosphere or what they said to me was inaccurate. Time and time again we have avoided libel actions and suits because the proof of what I have written is there on the tape. "When I am touring, I use the 90-minute tapes. I could save bother by using two-hour tapes, but I have found that they are too thin and tend to break. You can cover a lot of restaurants on a 90-minute tape. "I then re-record, putting all my reports on Chinese restaurants together, and all my reports on French restaurants together. Then I can go to my file a year or two later and have reports on restaurants in any category. For instance, if I were returning to Tour d'Argent in Paris, it would be a matter of minutes for me to retrieve every review, every note on my visits to Tour d'Argent in the last ten years. I'd also have the menus so that I would be able to report on how prices have changed." His telephone, which has a recorder attached, is another tool. De Groot finds people more verbal on the phone, but says information comes easier in direct confrontation. "Often people tend to be long-winded on telephones, perhaps because you can't shut them off as easily." "The great problem is the immense amount of transcription, so that often I will just use a hand machine, repeating into it key elements of the phone conversation as we go along. That's editing on the phone. You cut down retyping by almost three-fourths if you do it properly." When the basic research is done, de Groot gets down to the serious business of writing, far from the comfortable tables in great restaurants and the tasting rooms of the winemakers. "All pertinent material is read into several tape machines and I sit there, interweaving the best parts on to master IBM disks. Katherine takes those disks and transcribes them and I'll edit with her or another helper. "If the story is difficult, it's cut and recut and retyped three or four times. And if new material is needed, we get the information and fit it in. Recently I did an article on the wealth of food in Hong Kong and some of the street market pictures weren't right. The editor called and asked me to fill the space that had been held for visuals. I had a lot of material I hadn't used and was able to give her, quickly, 300 pertinent words." De Groot respects good editors. "Working with editors like the late Arnold Gingrich of Esquire and his chief assistant, Don Erickson, you learn to appreciate the true professionals. They never insert a comma or change a word without calling you. No more than once every two or three years did Don send a manuscript back to me saying: 'Roy, I'm going to be tough with you. It needs work on these points: a, b, c, d and e.' He never wrote on the manuscript, but always gave me a memo. Nothing he ever worked on did not come out better for his help." De Groot believes that good editors can improve a writer's work because they approach it objectively. "Antipathy to editors is a great mistake. They are trying to make a story better." Good editors, good writing, good research — all are made even more important when blended with one other ingredient: de Groot's philosophy about food. He believes, for instance, that agribusiness has gone too far. "You cannot," he says, "make food into hardware. My philosophy is that food should be something fresh out of the earth, lovingly prepared by a farmer who cooperates with nature, instead of trying to rule nature. I attribute any success I have had to following that philosophy." A final element in de Groot's writing is the inspiration he takes from Joseph Conrad, described by de Groot as the greatest writer in the English language. "Conrad spent a lifetime at sea, developing his ideas. Only when he left the sea did he express those thoughts, but he made them popular by wrapping them in tales of high adventure. He wrote his aunt, to whom he confided his deepest thoughts: 'I could write dry essays like Montaigne, but instead I make my ideas more attractive by surrounding them with stories of battles and darkest Africa.' "I took that idea from Conrad and wove it into my writing about food. I work to make my articles as sensuous and vivid as possible. Once Arnold Gingrich wrote me a note saying: 'Great article, Roy. I salivated three times.'" ***** ** Senate Rules Committee Votes to Delete "Fast Track" Provisions of S. 807 By Scott Marshall The December, 1981 issue of The Braille Forum outlined the major provisions of Senate Bill 807, the Federal Assistance Improvement Act of 1981, and urged readers to contact their Senators and Representatives regarding opposition to this bill. We are pleased to report that, thanks to the efforts of ACB members and others, the Senate Rules Committee. has voted ten to one to delete most of the "fast track" provisions from its version of the bill. Under the new version approved by the Rules Committee, block grant proposals would be subject to the normal legislative process, rather than to a speedier one which would require Congress to act quickly on complex proposals involving billions of dollars worth of Federal aid programs. The Rules Committee vote testifies to the effectiveness of our efforts to inform both Republicans and Democrats on the Committee concerning the detrimental effects of this legislation. Despite this victory, we must continue the fight to ensure that the Senate as a whole does not permit amendments which would restore the deletions made by the Rules Committee or otherwise approve this legislation. Because the Governmental Affairs Committee previously approved the bill containing the "fast track" provisions, Senators will be placed in the position of having to choose either version of the bill when it is called up. for floor action. It should also be noted that, for technical jurisdictional reasons, the Rules Committee's version of the bill, although favorable in many respects, nevertheless still contains many problematical sections, including the repeal of "maintenance of effort" provisions for Federal programs and provisions allowing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to suspend civil rights and other worthwhile regulations for a period of up to 180 days. Thus, if you have already written to your Senator regarding S. 807, do it again! Tell your Senator that you oppose any floor action on the bill. It is particularly important that Senator Robert Dole (R., KS) receive mail in opposition to the bill. Senator Dole was the only member of the Rules Committee who voted in favor of the "fast track" provisions. Senate Bill 807 has received a serious blow from the Rules Committee. Your ACB Legislative Affairs Department will keep you advised as developments warrant. ***** ** Volunteer Efforts Urged at Low-Income Aging and Disabled Consumers Conference (Reprinted from Consumer News, published by United States Office of Consumer Affairs. Vol. II, No. 19, Oct. 15, 1981) Community leaders in consumer education and Government participation learned "how-to-do-it" techniques from each other at last month's "New Independence for Low-Income, Aging, and Disabled Consumers" conference. The main objectives of the conference were to train and encourage the leaders in their day-to-day contacts with low income, elderly, and disabled consumers. Throughout the series of workshops and panel discussions, more than 160 participants exchanged ideas and suggested solutions to a variety of problems, such as crime (especially fraud) against older Americans, transportation barriers, and credit denial to low-income consumers. Other workshop topics included consumer mechanisms for assuring quality nursing care, buying insurance, creating food banks, and independent living for the disabled. Virginia H. Knauer, Special Assistant to the President and Director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA), delivered the keynote address. She urged community volunteer programs to meet the problems of elderly, disabled, and low-income consumers and cited several examples of volunteer efforts by private enterprise. One pilot program, "Project Partnership," was recently designed by the White House to combine efforts of local businesses with local disabled constituent groups to place disabled personnel in meaningful jobs. Project Partnership also began a study to determine how work disincentives have affected the employment of millions of disabled Americans. So far, Mrs. Knauer noted, Partnership programs have been put into effect in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York-Hartford. In her speech, Mrs. Knauer asked the public to send her examples of community volunteer programs that have proved effective in meeting community problems. Specifically, she wants to hear about programs that helped the unemployed and the disabled find work; that helped low­income citizens move higher on the economic ladder; that protected the aged against medical quackery and fraud; and that provided the consumer with effective product and service information. All of the information she receives, Mrs. Knauer said, will be used to support the President's effort to promote volunteerism. This information should be sent to Public Affairs, OCA, 1009 Premier Building, Washington, DC 20201. ... The low-income conference was sponsored by the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs; Howard University; the D.C. Office of Consumer Protection; the National Center and Caucus on the Black Aged; the Associacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores; and the National Retired Teachers Association and American Association of Retired Persons. In addition, co-sponsoring organizations were the National Council on Aging; the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities; the Goodwill Industries of America; the National Association of the Deaf; and the American Council of the Blind. ***** ** The Listening Ear By Dorothy Stiefel Dear Dorothy: In regard to your column in the October issue, there is a third organization for reader R. F. of New York to investigate, as follows: National Association for Visually Handicapped, 305 E. 24th Street, New York, NY 10010. My question concerns lighting levels for the partially sighted. Where can one obtain printed material on illumination standards or studies for reading and mobility of persons with visual disabilities? More specifically, I am referring to actual foot-candle ratings designated for individual tasks. - Larry J. Harper, 111 S.W. Harrison (7-A), Portland, OR 97201. Dear Larry: First of all, I am told that no standards are available for individual tasks of persons with visual disabilities because too many variables are involved in the setting in which a person is to perform a task. In addition, each individual has his own tolerance or sensitivity to light, especially those with visual problems. However, a resource is available as to recommendations of foot-candle usage for various tasks. Write to the Illuminating Engineering Society, 345 E. 47th Street, New York, NY 10017. Some low-vision studies were included in the report I received. You might check with your local low vision clinic for additional information. I believe this is an area for reconsideration. Certainly, improvements to lessen the number of controllable variables would result in better lighting for everyone. Good luck, and let us hear from you again. Dear Dorothy: In your November column, you discussed the problem of dealing with both blindness and deafness. Could you give me some more information about the “two for one” air fare? I have called both Delta Airlines and TWA, and no one seems to be aware of this provision. - R. R., Birmingham, Alabama Dear R. R.: It is very possible that the new ruling has not been exercised enough to acquaint airline personnel with the fare exemption for a guide. Eligibility criteria are requested, and certification of blindness and deafness must be shown. Write to the Helen Keller National Center, 111 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY 11050; phone (516) 944-8900 (TTY and voice). Dear Dorothy: Few people know what I am going through with a gradual loss of vision plus a hearing problem. Recently my husband changed jobs. As of yet I have not met one single person he works with and have been dreading the day. Well, "the day" is coming fast, as the company is throwing a party and my husband feels obligated to go. Since it is a "family" affair, I, too, must go. It will be at night at a country club, so I know the lighting will be dim; there will be a lot of people, so I know there will be noise. It is difficult at best for me to understand people I am familiar with in a crowd. Now I must try to understand total strangers. If I thought there was going to be just one other person besides my husband who understood my predicament, I'd feel so much better. Could you possibly help me figure out the best way to handle the situation? - H. H., Tennessee Dear H. H.: I am not sure that misery isn't going to have good company at this party. You say your husband feels "obligated" and you are "dreading" it. That's a double minus! Most gatherings consist of very sociable people who go out of their way to make people feel at home. You say it is a "family" affair. So is a vision and hearing problem. Your husband can do his part, in advance, at the office to let fellow workers know you have some uncomfortable communication restrictions. I have found that people appreciate knowing how to assist or respond appropriately to a person who doesn't have a visible disability. You certainly will feel better knowing they know. All you'll need is to hook up with one person "in the know" and a good conversationalist (there's always one), and you'll be off making the rounds - with or without hubbie! Explain your situation simply. I tell people that objects appear much darker in dim light and my hearing aid distorts conversation in places with background noise. I ask people to speak - not loudly - close to me, and to touch my arm so I will know in which direction to turn and respond. You will not receive total understanding in one night. But, you will know whether you have enjoyed yourself enough to give it another try in the future. 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, P.O. Box 8388, Corpus Christi, TX 78412. Send SASE for personal response. ***** ** Works of Art Sought Sister Kenny Institute Art Show The Sister Kenny Institute's 19th annual International Art Show by Disabled Artists will open in Minneapolis the week of April 22, 1982. The Institute sponsors the art show to give disabled artists opportunity to display and sell their works and to show the general public that disability does not affect art. In 1980, over 147 artists from 35 states and 15 foreign countries participated in the Sister Kenny Institute Art Show. In the past, the Sister Kenny Art Show has been limited to persons with physical disabilities. This year any artist with a disability — that is, a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, learning or working) - is eligible. Due in great measure to the efforts of ACB Treasurer Jim Olsen of Minneapolis, who has worked closely with the Institute over the past two years, the show has now been opened to all forms of art, thus allowing blind and visually impaired persons to participate. Any art medium, including water color, oils and acrylics, pen and ink, charcoal, pastels, photography, sculpture, etc., may be entered in the show. All entries will be judged and displayed, and over $1,000 in prizes will be awarded. The deadline for entries in the 19th Annual Art Show by Disabled Artists is February 1, 1982. Disabled artists interested in submitting entries should write for entry forms and further information to: Mary Ellefson, Community Relations and Advocacy Department, 800 E. 28th Street at Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407. ***** ** Now In Living Color ... A specially designed contact lens is providing color-blind people with a new outlook on life. Color-blindness can be a serious handicap to the 9,000,000 males and 500,000 females in the United States who have this disorder. People who have difficulty seeing or distinguishing certain colors are often barred from certain jobs which require color discrimination. Color­blindness can also interfere with children's ability to learn, especially when the vision problem is undetected. But all of these difficulties may soon be in the past, thanks to the X-chrome lens, invented by optometrist Harry I. Zeltzer, O.D., of Waltham, Massachusetts (the lens is named for the X, or female, chromosome, through which a woman transmits the recessive gene for color deficiency to her offspring). Since color­blind people can usually see some colors, the ruby-red lens is worn on only one eye. The eye provides the brain with corrections for the colors that the unaided eye misperceives. The immediate result can greatly increase vibrancy of recognizable colors and a bewildering array of brand-new ones. To provide improved color discrimination, the lens must be worn on a regular basis, because it takes up to six months for a patient to learn to recognize the full spectrum of unfamiliar shades and colors. The X-chrome lens, which is currently available only as a hard contact lens, is available commercially and costs $300.00 to $500.00. It can be prescribed for anyone who can wear conventional contact lenses, including children who are mature enough to take care of the lenses. Glasses can be worn with the X-chrome lens, or a corrective prescription can be built into the lens itself, with a conventional contact lens worn on the other eye. The only problem is a cosmetic one: the lens is very noticeable on people with light-colored eyes. ***** ** IYDP Leaders Call for Continued Focus on Disabled Issues Meeting in Washington, D.C., in early October, more than 100 state and community leaders of the International Year of Disabled Persons called for a sustained focus on improving life for disabled Americans through the 1980s and beyond. At the Community Partnership Program Workshop sponsored by the U.S. Council for IYDP, the participants also urged the continuance of Federal support for disabled Americans through enforcement of existing legislation, specifically the civil rights provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. The IYDP state liaisons and community partners wound up their two­day session with a unanimous resolution for the continuation of IYDP activities for an indefinite period beyond December 31, 1981, when the IYDP was officially scheduled to complete its year-long program. U.S. Council President Alan Reich noted that, "The IYDP has underscored the importance of partnership and community-based participation. Our experience has demonstrated that, whatever their disability, disabled Americans can work together and that they want to reach solutions to their problems by working in full partnership with the larger community." "This International Year for Disabled Persons," he continued, "has succeeded in promoting awareness of the problems facing 35 million Americans, but it will be truly successful only if it serves as. the launching pad for the hard work that lies ahead." Reich added, "The base for a continued effort is already in place with state and local liaisons, an established information exchange, substantial corporate involvement, ongoing programs in more than 1,800 communities across the country, and a public awareness campaign that is just beginning to make an impact." In a separate resolution, program participants observed that: "As the IYDP has progressed, certain ironies and contradictions have become readily apparent. Federal funding for important programs which promote 'full participation' (such as special education, vocational rehabilitation, independent living, transportation, employment, developmental disabilities) have been repeatedly threatened by proposals from the present Administration." "In addition, and perhaps more importantly," the resolution continues, "regulations which allow for equal opportunity and full participation are threatened by a review process, the intent of which is to remove government from the backs of states and local communities ... Although enforcement of these regulations has often left much to be desired, the fact that they are in place reaffirms the rights of persons with disabilities to the same opportunities afforded non­handicapped persons. Without them, basic rights which non-handicapped people take for granted, such as the right to an education, to employment and to access to community services, will be denied persons with disabilities." The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons, issuing a global call for goals and programs for improving the lives of 450 million disabled persons worldwide. To date, 129 countries are participating in the program. The mission adopted by the U.S. Council for IYDP and the Federal Interagency Committee for IYDP encompasses the following nine points: • Expanded educational opportunity • Improved access to housing, buildings, and transportation • Greater opportunity for employment • Greater participation in recreational, social, and cultural activities • Expanded and strengthened rehabilitation programs and facilities • Purposeful application of biomedical research aimed at conquering major disabling conditions • Reduction in the incidence of disability through accident and disease prevention • Increased application of technology to ameliorate the effects of disability • Expanded international exchange of information and experience to benefit all disabled persons. ***** ** Vinland National Center Receives Two RSA Grants Kjell Bergh, President of Vinland National Center, has announced the receipt of two Rehabilitation Services Administration grants. The first is a program grant that will allow Vinland to offer its complete curriculum in five three-week sessions beginning in early 1982. This demonstration project will evaluate the physiological and psychological effects of a healthsports/recreation training program with persons who are disabled. Participants will later be involved in a follow-up program to determine the impact of the training on employment status and quality of life. The main focus of these courses is healthsports — vigorous physical activities which when participated in regularly will improve social, emotional, and physical fitness. Daily healthsports skill building (four to five hours per day) will be complemented by Health Promotion Education. Life Enhancement classes will provide participants skills and information needed to transfer the Vinland concept to home environments. The five three-week sessions are scheduled as follows: January 17- February 5; February 16-March 5; March 8-March 26; April 18-May 7; May 16-June 4. The second grant is for construction and site development on Vinland's 175 acres. Under this project, Vinland's first educational building will be constructed, complementing the trail system that will be constructed this fall by the Minnesota National Guard. For full details, persons of all disabilities throughout the country are invited to contact Vinland National Center, P.O. Box 308, Loretto, MN 55357; (612) 479-3555 (voice or TTY). ***** ** At the Forefront of Technology: The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) offers a wide variety of challenging positions which involve the full range of work from basic and applied research to equipment development. Efforts cover the multidisciplinary fields needed to increase the combat effectiveness of the fleet. Job opportunities exist for electronic, mechanical, aerospace, ceramic, and materials engineers and metallurgists with bachelor's degrees and/or advanced degrees; physical scientists and computer scientists with Ph.D.'s in the fields of electronic technology, information technology, laser and optical technology, materials sciences, space systems, plasma physics, chemistry, acoustics, radar, marine technology, environmental science, and space science. Starting salaries are commensurate with qualifications. NRL would like this opportunity to match your talents to our needs. Take the step that will enhance your career and send us a detailed resume or Federal Application Form (SF-171) to: Naval Research Laboratory, Steve Krumholz, Code 1811.1 BF, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20375. NLR is an equal opportunity employer. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From The Stylus (Oregon): Kim Charlson, President of the Oregon Council of the Blind, received the 1981 IYDP Award for Educational Services. The award was presented to her by the Rehabilitation Association of Oregon in Salem, October 23, in conjunction with the UN Association annual banquet. Ms. Charlson is the textbook coordinator for the Oregon State Library; Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, where she coordinates the activities of volunteer readers and braille transcribers to produce textbooks and professional materials for blind patrons. It was for this and her association with the activities of the Oregon Council of the Blind that Kim was honored. - The Toastmasters Club of Willamette has offered to present a workshop on public speaking for members of the Willamette chapter, Oregon Council of the Blind. Two of the chapter members, John Dashney and Brian Charlson, are involved in Toastmasters. The 1982 National Library Service/American Foundation for the Blind desk diary is now available. The diary is spiral-bound, with braille overlaid on large-print. Cost, $4.95 plus $2.00 for shipping. All orders must be pre- paid. Order from American Foundation for the Blind, 15 W. 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. From Disabled USA: Individuals concerned about discrimination against the handicapped in elementary and high school may obtain telephone advice without charge from the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. The Coalition can also provide information about the home energy assistance program, under which many low-income, disabled persons are eligible for financial assistance to defray costs of heating and cooling their homes. Although eligibility requirements vary, households in which one person receives Federal cash assistance or veterans benefits based on income qualify automatically. Call or write the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, 1200 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20005; phone (800) 424-2835, or metropolitan Washington, D.C. area residents call (202) 785-4265. A Summer Institute in Environmental Science for handicapped high­school students is being offered at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Dates for the two sessions are June 7-18 and June 21-July 2, 1982. Major objective of the program is to enable the physically handicapped student to understand ecological principles so that he or she might provide leadership in both youth and community conservation activities. This is one of three nationwide model science programs specifically designed for physically handicapped students that have been funded by the National Science Foundation for 1981-82. Physically handicapped high-school students will be provided room and board and instruction through National Science Foundation funding. However, transportation must be provided by the student's family or other agency. For further information, write Mary Jane Sullivan, Project Coordinator, Summer Institute in Environmental Science, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901. From Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness: Video visual aids have always used display tubes with a white phosphor (like a black­and-white television set). Now Visualtek has available a green phosphor, a tube which emits green light, producing a more uniform and higher contrast image. For a data sheet on the green tube, write Visualtek, 1610 26th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404. The Baltimore City Schools' Child Find Program, Division of Exceptional Children, now has a hotline telephone number to be used by parents and concerned community residents who may know of children with handicaps not receiving educational services. The hotline serves to identify handicapped children between the ages of 0 and 21 years, with particular emphasis on those from 0 to 5 years. Studies indicate that many handicapped children are not now in school. The Federal law identifies eleven specific handicapping conditions: deaf, deaf-blind, blind and visually impaired, mentally retarded, multi-handicapped, orthopedically handicapped, other health impaired, severely emotionally disturbed, specific learning disabled, and speech and language impaired. The UNESCO Braille Quarterly is a magazine containing articles on all aspects of education, science, culture, and mass communications. It is distributed free to blind people throughout the world in English, French, and Spanish. Requests for copies should be sent to Editor, Frederick Potter, UNESCO, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 757007, Paris, France. From Dialogue With the Blind: Ability Aids, Inc. (AAI) is a small company with a refreshing approach to technology: "Keep everything simple." For typists, AAI has a $29.95 end-of-page indicator which emits a buzzing sound a few lines before the end of the paper. To provide relief for frequently scalded fingers, AAI is about to market the Click-O-Pour, which will click when liquid poured into a cup or glass reaches a predetermined, but adjustable level. No price has been set for the Click-O-Pour, but it will be relatively inexpensive, since it works with simple ceramic magnets. For further information, write Ability Aids, Inc., Main Post Office, Box 242, Niagara Falls, NY 14302. Since 1976, the American Humane Association has been training dogs to react to specific sounds, thereby meeting needs of hearing impaired persons. The demand for these dogs has grown steadily, and to help expand this much needed service, AHA has selected Red Acre Farms, in Stow, Massachusetts, to develop a hearing dog center for New England and New York, according to an item in Programs for the Handicapped. Anyone over age 21 with a severe or profound hearing loss may apply. Dogs are trained to respond to certain sounds such as an alarm clock, smoke detector, doorbell, a child crying, or a telephone/TTY, through physical contact with the owner, and then to lead the owner to the source of the sound. The Red Acre Farm Hearing Dog Center is located at 109 Red Acre Road, Stow, MA 01775. From Awareness (National Association for Parents of the Visually Impaired): Love Lights Talking Signs are individually programmed infrared transmitters which emit verbal messages of location for the blind and print handicapped. A Love Light receiver can detect and reproduce any "talking sign" message, whether indoors or outdoors. In addition, Love Lights provides increased safety for users by means of a specially designed transmitter which can serve as a beacon to keep the user on a specific path, away from surrounding traffic hazards. For further information, write Love Electronics, Inc., Box 152, Hillsdale, NY 12529. ***** ** 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. ###