The Braille Forum Vol. XX April, 1982 No. 10 Reagan Budget Proposals Jeopardize Programs For Visually Impaired Children And Adults 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 Reagan Budget Proposals Jeopardize Programs for: Visually Impaired Children and Adults: Budget FY '83 Proposal for Special Education, by Barbara Nelson Budget FY '83 Rehabilitation Services, by Scott Marshall Newest Arrival in the ACB National Office, by Bonnie Young ACB Convention, 1982: Introducing a Great New Hotel It's Atlanta for You in '82, by Stephen E. Douglass Nominations Invited - Robert S. Bray Award Calling All Students to a Special Seminar! Fly to Atlanta for Less Good News for SSI Recipients!, by Barbara Nelson Magazines, Keeping Pace with Readers' Demands News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Twenty Years of Theater of the Imagination Braille and Large-Type Menus "To Go!", by Laura Oftedahl ACB Speaks to RRS Listeners BANA Annual Meeting; Action on ACB Resolution Legal Services Again Under Siege, by Scott Marshall Careers in Allied Health The Listening Ear, by Dorothy Stiefel The Washington Connection in Review Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack How does one describe the grand opening of a new American Council of the Blind Thrift Store? The anticipation, excitement, and charged atmosphere during the last fifteen minutes before the doors are opened for the first time is something which must be experienced to be fully appreciated. It actually parallels in many ways the beginning of any exciting event. Who among you cannot remember the electrically charged atmosphere just before the opening kickoff of the first football game of the season - or the last fifteen minutes before the Kentucky Derby gets under way? The pulse beats a bit faster and the adrenalin flows more freely. Such were the feelings of a good many people in Memphis, Tennessee, shortly before 9:00 A.M. on Friday morning, March 5, 1982. Promptly at 9:00, the doors swung open and over 200 noisy, scrambling Tennessee citizens rushed into the twelfth American Council of the Blind Thrift Store at 1300 Getwell Road in Memphis. It would be interesting to read the minds of some of the key people involved in that grand opening. Ray Arrington, for example, moved to Memphis the first week in December, 1981, to take on the awesome job of opening that store. In addition to his main responsibility of starting this new business, he was faced with locating and purchasing a new home, the Christmas holidays, and the demands on time that moving always brings. Of course, the life blood of a Thrift Store is the generous citizens of the area, who supply the stock. Ray Arrington's responsibilities also involved the establishment of a solicitation program and arranging pickups of merchandise that Memphis citizens were willing to contribute to the American Council of the Blind. This he was able to do with a high degree of success. The vacant, dilapidated building which had been so beautifully renovated was fully stocked with every kind of merchandise from furniture and appliances to clothing and toys. Several dedicated employees felt the excitement as well. When I speak of these special people, I mean employees like Ruth Pringle, who had logged 191 1/2 hours in the two weeks prior to the opening. It was not the money alone which motivated Ruth to spend that much time at her work. When you talk to her, you get the feeling she enjoys what she is doing and likes being involved with an organization such as the American Council of the Blind. Helping to raise money for ACB projects and programs seems to be part of the reason for her dedication. Another employee, Dean Stuby, who seemed very happy to have a job after being unemployed for nine months, also felt the excitement. Another new employee, Joseph Simmons, expressed his pride in the new diesel truck he was assigned to drive to make the pickups of the merchandise. "I love my truck and I love this job," is how Joe put it. In fact, all of the ten to fifteen employees reflected a positive attitude toward their work and what it represented. As the people streamed in from the parking lot when the doors were opened, I wondered what was in their minds, just as I used to wonder what was in the minds of the frantic, excited shoppers in Filene's Bargain Basement in Boston. Was it the need to replace a household item, the search for a good bargain, or merely the thrill of the hunt? At any rate, the Thrift Store served the needs of over 800 people, who spent $6,000.00 that first day. Other participants in this grand opening were representatives from Wendy's fast-food chain. Ray Arrington had made the acquaintance of Mark McArthur, manager of one of the Memphis Wendy's. He volunteered to provide personnel to serve free coffee and doughnuts to the opening-day patrons. Several gallons of coffee and 90 dozen doughnuts were contributed by this fine organization to help make this occasion even more festive. Much credit must be given to one of our members in Memphis for the successful opening. Hubert Hudson has been extremely supportive from the start, particularly in obtaining publicity and disseminating factual information about the Thrift Store program throughout the business community. Several ACB Enterprises and Service Board members, plus the Executive Director, James R. Olsen, were also on hand to lend moral support, inasmuch as this was the first ACB Thrift Store to be launched completely by ACBES. Thanks to the industrious, diligent, and innovative Ray Arrington, plus excellent guidance from LeRoy Saunders and James Olsen, this store opening set a new record in sales and acceptance by the people of Memphis. We anticipate that it will become one of our more successful stores, setting an example for the ones which will follow in the future. While winging back to Salt Lake City on Sunday night following this historic weekend, I couldn't help but compare our kind of fund-raising program with others. In Memphis, we have established a new business, provided 20 to 30 new jobs, and created a delightful atmosphere in which merchandise with much utility still left in it can be put into the hands of people needing that merchandise at very low cost. As a fund-raising activity of a non-profit organization, it is well within the guidelines of the Better Business Bureau, and that is a claim that few fund-raisers for charitable organizations can make. ***** *** Reagan Budget Proposals Jeopardize Programs for Visually Impaired Children and Adults ** Budget FY '83 Proposal for Special Education By Barbara Nelson The 36,397 legally blind school-age children in the United States have unique needs for special education services, which are met in part with funds from the Federal Government. Those blind and visually impaired children who attend "mainstreamed" schools with non-handicapped children usually need direct services from teachers specially trained to instruct them to read braille, to travel independently, and to learn the other compensatory skills necessary to enable them to become productive citizens. Their regular classroom teachers may need assistance from these vision consultants to help them to adapt their teaching techniques for their blind students. P.L. 94-142 state grants provide some financial assistance to states to enable them to meet the costs of these specialized services, ensuring that the educational needs of these children are adequately assessed and that appropriate services are provided. Further, P.L. 94-142 provides for pre-school incentive grants to assist school districts which wish to do so to provide special education services to pre-school children. Appropriate services in pre-school years are crucial to enable blind children to function appropriately when they reach regular school age, and are cost-effective eliminating the need for the blind child to "catch up" later. Other blind children, most of whom have severe handicaps in addition to blindness, attend state-run residential schools for the blind, previously funded by P.L. 89-313, now part of Title I of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act block grant. State special education programs are also assisted by other special-purpose grants for teacher training, projects for the severely handicapped, and regional resource centers. All of these enhance educational opportunities for blind children by making it possible to meet their unique educational needs by providing services and teacher training that cannot be adequately, sufficiently, or cost-effectively provided on the state or local level. In 1981, the Reagan Administration proposed placing all special education funds into two block grants. The proposal would have block-granted P.L. 94-142 state grants, pre-school incentive grants, and all of the other Education of the Handicapped special-purpose funds. In its proposed budget for fiscal year 1983, the Administration states, "In response to the overall need for fiscal restraint, funding for these activities should be reduced because they represent lower priorities for Federal funding than other activities" (emphasis added). The Administration's 1983 budget proposals would: 1. Combine P.L. 94-142 state grants, pre-school incentive grants, and P.L. 89-313 funds now in the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act into one block grant, administered by a Foundation for Education Assistance, and reduce total funding for these programs by approximately 25% from fiscal year 1981 levels. 2. Combine the eight "special-purpose programs" previously funded under P.L. 94-142 into a second discretionary fund administered by the Foundation for Education Assistance, and reduce total funds for these grants about 40% from 1981 figures. 3. Eliminate many of the procedural and record-keeping requirements contained in P.L. 94-142 which are necessary to ensure that programs for visually impaired children are tailored to meet each child's needs and that Federal funds are used effectively for the most severely disabled children. Impact: * Reduction in quality and availability of special education services to visually impaired children * Competition between parents of children with more common or less severe handicaps and parents of blind children for limited special education funds * Property tax increases in most local communities * Less effective special education now, with likely future costs for vocational rehabilitation, welfare, and, in some cases, expensive institutionalization Impact - one example: Stacy Pederson, the bright, energetic, 6-year-old daughter of Harvey and Dianne Pederson of Starbuck, a rural community in west central Minnesota, suddenly became totally blind eighteen months ago. The Starbuck public school system has only 470 students; none of the other students are blind. Her school cannot afford to employ a teacher trained to teach Stacy and, because of the shortage of teachers trained to teach visually impaired children, probably could not find a teacher to hire, even if they could afford to do so. This year, Stacy is being taught braille by a teacher's aide, who is being supervised and coached by a trained vision specialist, the vision consultant for Region 4 of the state, an area with about 32,000 students. The vision consultant supervises the educational program for the 50 visually impaired children in that region, only ten of whom receive direct teaching from instructors trained to teach the visually impaired. Because of cuts in Federal and state funds, the vision consultation position will be eliminated at the end of this school year, leaving Stacy with no one with the special training necessary to teach her the skills she needs to reach her potential to be an independent, productive adult. American Council of the Blind counter-proposal: In order to serve blind and severely visually impaired children adequately, special education funds should (1) remain categorical; (2) be funded at FY 1981 levels; and (3) remain a high priority for the Federal Government. ***** ** Budget FY '83 Rehabilitation Services By Scott Marshall As first reported via the American Council of the Blind information hot line service, the Reagan Administration intends to introduce legislation to abolish the Department of Education and to create the Foundation for Education Assistance. Administration of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, now the responsibility of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the Department of Education, would be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although full details about this transfer are not yet known, it is believed that rehabilitation services would be contained in essentially two block grants to be administered by the Office of Human Development Services of the Department of HHS. The first block grant would include the "basic state grant" program, which provides Federal money on an 80/20% matching basis to the states for direct case services to clients. The President has proposed to cut this funding from approximately $863 million in fiscal year 1982 to approximately $579.5 million in fiscal year 1983. A second block grant, referred to in the budget documents as a "Special Purpose Fund," would cover eight categorical programs formerly administered by RSA. The new "Special Purpose Fund" would be bankrolled at $43.7 million (down from the $60.3 million level in FY 1982) and would include such items as "Projects with Industry," which provides on-the-job training to handicapped people, and the Helen Keller Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. Client Assistance Projects, which counsel handicapped persons as to their rights and responsibilities in a vocational rehabilitation program, would receive no funding in FY 1983. The Administration has also proposed a rescission or cut of approximately $91 million in FY 1982 for the Basic State Grant program. At this writing, the status of the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program is uncertain, although it is believed this program will be administered by HHS. Obviously, these proposals are just that: proposals. They must be acted upon by the Congress. The budget documents state that these changes are designed to "reflect administrative simplification of the Federal/state program for basic state grants and consolidation of special-purpose programs at the Federal level ..." In keeping with this objective, legislation is anticipated which would amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to reduce the Federal role in the administration of rehabilitation services. A separate initiative designed to reduce the Federal regulatory framework in the rehabilitation area is also under way. Some anticipated effects of the Administration's block grant proposal include: 1. States may choose not to fund rehabilitation services under a "block grant" approach. Eligibility requirements will undoubtedly vary from state to state. The present requirement of state matching funds would undoubtedly be eliminated, with the inevitable result that fewer Federal dollars will be spent for services to handicapped people. 2. The Federally mandated priority for services to the severely handicapped (including the blind) may be eliminated. This means that states may choose to spend limited rehabilitation dollars on minimally handicapped individuals for whom a vocational rehabilitation program is less costly than a similar program for a severely handicapped individual. 3. Funds may be eliminated for medical care, low vision aids, technological devices, tuition assistance, and reading assistance. The effect of budget cuts and uncertainties goes well beyond the realm of conjecture and probability. The proposed rescission of approximately $91 million in the state grant program for FY 1982 (a cut of approximately 22%) will have a drastic effect on state services for the blind. Since approximately 51% of the FY 1982 state grant monies have already been allocated to the states, the rescission will fall heavily upon funding for services to be delivered during the second half of the fiscal year. In the State of Florida, for example, the lost funding as a result of this cut will amount to approximately $588,000, according to Mr. William Thompson, Executive Director, Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches, Inc., in a recent letter to Senator Lawton Chiles (D., FL). "There is no way that the programs that are presently funded could be sustained," writes Mr. Thompson. "Such a cut would mean another reduction in state staff and the reduction of services to many blind individuals in Florida." The National Office of the American Council of the Blind will continue to monitor these proposals and will report to the membership as events occur. It is recommended that letters and telephone calls be directed to each member of your Congressional delegation concerning the President's fiscal year 1983 budget request. The Congress should be urged to reject the President's budget request vis-a-vis rehabilitation services. These programs should remain categorical and should be administered by a strong Federal oversight agency. Funding should be maintained at levels at least commensurate with the 1982 funding levels which have already been approved by Congress. ***** ** Newest Arrival in the ACB National Office By Bonnie Young Data Processing Coordinator The newest staff member of the American Council of the Blind has arrived in Washington and Rochester. This two-month-old staff member has been hard at work since the day of arrival in order to facilitate communication to and among Council members and staff. This as yet unnamed addition is ACB's own computer system, a NorthStar Horizon, both in the National Office in Washington and in the Braille Forum office in Rochester. Its primary responsibility is to house the ACB mailing list of over 20,000 members and Braille Forum readers. With an up-to-date mailing list, ACB will enhance its ability to serve members and friends in a timely fashion. The next several months are being devoted to updating and computerizing the mailing list; therefore, we ask your cooperation during the setup phase. If you have recently submitted address changes or changes to your Braille Forum subscription, or if you know of members or friends who have asked to be added to the Braille Forum mailing list, please be patient. These will be processed, but it may take some time while the files are being converted. Projects that are planned for the computer include its use in the ACB lobbying effort. We will be able to keep tabs on the activities of Senators and Representatives as they relate to handicapped issues. Letter-writing campaigns geared to making Congress aware of the position of the ACB community on numerous issues affecting its members will be greatly facilitated by the word-processing capabilities of the system. Further, we plan to develop a bank of information necessary to respond to inquiries generated by the public service campaign. We also hope to set up a bibliographic data bank in the near future that will house information about publications by and for the blind and visually impaired. We feel certain you will be pleased and impressed with this newest staff arrival as you become better acquainted. ***** ** ACB Convention - 1982 Introducing a Great New Hotel Although the Marriott Hotel - Atlanta Airport, the site for the 1982 ACB national convention, has been described to many people before, a few words about it are appropriate, inasmuch as many of its features and services were not known at the time the Georgia Federation of the Blind convention invitation was accepted (because the hotel had not yet opened). Obviously, the hotel is new, having opened in February of 1981. It is located within a ten-minute complimentary van ride from the magnificent new Atlanta International Airport. The hotel's complimentary van runs between the hotel and the airport every 20 to 30 minutes, so it is always easy, fast, and economical to get from one place to the other. Although it is not necessary for arriving passengers to call the hotel from the baggage area by means of the direct-line telephone, passengers may do so if they wish in order to alert the van driver that they are interested in being transported to the hotel. The hotel lobby, which is wheelchair accessible, is simply arranged and well lighted, by modern standards. It is located on one level, except for a sunken lounge area which is skirted by railings and/ or lounge furniture. All the meeting rooms are on the same level with the lobby. The larger meeting rooms are located in a convention wing, and the smaller meeting rooms are located along a single corridor which runs off the lobby near the elevators - which are permanently marked in braille and raised numerals. The hotel has two fine restaurants on lobby level, and in order to facilitate food service during lunch time, arrangements will probably be made during the convention to serve a simple soup and sandwich type lunch in a lobby-level cocktail lounge and a lounge located on the top floor. Sandwiches and soft drinks are served in the sunken lobby lounge all night after the regular restaurants close. Since the hotel is located in a somewhat rural and spacious setting, it will not be feasible for people to walk to other food service facilities. In order to reach such facilities, it will be necessary to take a cab or go by automobile (unless other arrangements are made in the meantime for incidental transportation). The national convention pre-registration material will hopefully be mailed from Washington in early May. So please do not panic if you do not have your forms by then. It is recommended that you make your hotel reservations promptly by using those forms. Everyone who is interested in coming to the convention should be able to get a room in the hotel. At the time of registration at the hotel, it will be necessary to display a major credit card or make other credit arrangements for payment; the hotel will not wait until checkout time to ascertain the proposed method of payment. Accordingly, anyone who may be interested in paying his/her hotel bill by cash or check should discuss that when checking in, so that, if necessary, a deposit can be made. All guest rooms are completely air-conditioned and comfortably furnished. Many of the rooms overlook the outdoor part of the beautiful indoor-outdoor pool. Guests whose rooms are located in the two wings which run alongside the pool may use elevators located in those wings, thereby eliminating the need to take the elevators which are located in the lobby. The exhibit hall and the hospitality room will be located very near the national convention hall. All of the larger meeting rooms have their own sound system, and all meeting rooms are well lighted. Since it is becoming customary for hotels to charge separately for the use of extra microphones, special-interest affiliates are being notified of this fact so their orders for microphones and related equipment will remain realistic. The next issue of The Braille Forum will contain information concerning the national convention program, which promises to be one of the most interesting yet presented. ***** ** It's Atlanta for You in ?82 By Stephen E. Douglass Host Committee Chairman Among the social and recreational activities being planned for those attending the 1982 national convention of the American Council of the Blind is a downtown, residential, and shopping tour of Atlanta. The trip includes a visit to such downtown landmarks as the white marble Government Complex, Atlanta Stadium, the Georgia Archives Building, Underground Atlanta, Georgia State University, Sweet Auburn, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial. The tour then proceeds to Atlanta's northwest residential section, with many beautiful homes set amid acres of greenery and gardens. There will be opportunity for shopping at Lennox Square, with Rich's, Davison's and Nieman-Marcus - three of Atlanta's major department stores - plus 180 shops and boutiques. Then enjoy a dutch-treat lunch at one of the many fine restaurants located in this large mall. Atlanta, the "City of Charm," was a major supply center for the Confederacy from 1861-1865 during the Civil War. Following a long siege during the summer of 1864 by General Sherman's troops, the city was abandoned by the Southern army, and while retreating, the soldiers burned ammunition dumps and supplies to keep them from falling into enemy hands. After two months' occupation by General Sherman's army, Atlanta was put to the torch. In fact, today only 400 of some 3600 homes and buildings from that period are still intact. Atlanta's destruction by fire, however, paved the way for a new city to be constructed. The city's emblem is the phoenix, the mythical bird that perished by fire and was reborn from its own ashes. This city's motto is Resurgens, which tells its history in one short word. Come and see it for yourself. The 1982 annual convention of the American Council of the Blind is a very good time to do it. Once again, convention dates are July 3-10, 1982. The place is the Marriott Hotel - Atlanta Airport, College Park, Georgia, where room rates are $29.00 a day for single, double, triple, or quad occupancy. The Georgia Federation of the Blind is looking forward to greeting you in July. ***** ** Nominations Invited - Robert S. Bray Award The Robert S. Bray Award was established several years ago by the American Council of the Blind in memory of the late Chief of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. The award is presented from time to time, not necessarily annually, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of library service to the visually impaired or for outstanding contributions in making print media accessible to the visually handicapped. Because it is presented by ACB - a consumer organization - the primary intent is that the recipient's contribution shall have been of direct, substantial benefit to consumers. The Bray Award should not be thought of as a "professional" award; rather, it should reflect a recognition by blind and visually impaired persons that some individual, group, or corporation has done something very special which has in some way enriched the lives of blind men and women, opened employment opportunities which had perhaps been closed because of print media barriers, or in some other way had a special impact upon our lives. If you know of someone you believe has made such a special contribution in the field of library service or print media availability, why not nominate that person for ACB's Robert S. Bray Award? The recipient will be honored during the Awards and Charter Gala or Wednesday evening, July 7, during the ACB national convention in Atlanta. Send nominations either in print or on tape - please, no braille - to Walt Smith, Chairman, Robert S. Bray Award Committee, 2301 Sherbrook Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Deadline for nominations is June 1. Nominations should be as detailed and specific as possible. ***** ** Calling All Students to A Special Seminar! Blind students have been saying for a long time that more of them would enjoy coming to the ACB national convention and the national conferences of the special-interest affiliates if they could afford to do so. So again this year, something is being done about that situation. More specifically, the American Council of the Blind, with the cooperation and assistance of the National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS), is scheduling a special seminar for blind students preceding the 1982 ACB national convention and is asking all of its state and special-interest affiliates to help by co-sponsoring eligible students. The "get-acquainted" mixer and orientation for the seminar will take place on Saturday evening, July 3, 1982, at the Marriott Hotel - Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, and the one-day seminar itself will take place on Sunday, July 4. The committee which is in charge of planning and conducting the seminar is chaired by Christopher Gray of Arlington, Virginia, and its members are Dr. Judith Dixon of Virginia, Delbert Aman and Rochelle Foley of South Dakota, and Cyndy Selfridge of Oklahoma. ACB President Grant Mack and National Representative Oral O. Miller are consulting resource persons for the committee. The seminar itself will deal with topics of vital importance and interest to students - topics such as dealing with the printed word (textbooks, readers, equipment); using existing college and other services; Supplemental Security Income and other benefit programs (vocational rehabilitation, basic education opportunity grants, scholarships); advocacy on the campus (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, problem-solving, and career planning); the benefits of organization, and recommendations for future action. Useful seminar materials which may be taken home will be provided in braille, large-print, and on tape. Each ACB affiliate is being asked to assist with this seminar by co-sponsoring a blind student (totally or partially blind) who either lives in its state or attends school in its state. The affiliate is being asked to pay the first $200.00 toward the cost of transportation, plus 50% of the cost of transportation above $200.00, for the student selected. ACB will pay 50%of transportation costs above $200.00, plus $200.00 for room and meals while at the convention. It is expected that the sponsored student will attend the special seminar, attend special-interest conferences of interest to him/her, and attend the ACB national convention, leaving no earlier than Friday, July 9. Special-interest affiliates are asked to extend honorary registration privileges to any students who may be interested in attending any of their sessions. In selecting the students to be sponsored, the affiliate should follow these guidelines: 1. The blind student must be at least 18 years of age and must have completed high school by the date of the convention. 2. The blind student must already be, or must plan to be, a full-time student next fall in college or other postsecondary education. 3. The blind student must be pursuing a degree or a certificate in an ongoing educational or training program. 4. The blind student should be able and willing to take home with him or her the materials and knowledge received at the seminar so they can be shared with others in the student's state or affiliate. 5. The blind student should have demonstrated some leadership ability in his or her school or community. 6. A preference should be given to undergraduate students as contrasted with graduate students, although graduate students are most assuredly eligible and welcome. Blind students who are interested in attending the seminar should contact the ACB affiliate in their state. Any student who does not know how to contact the local ACB affiliate should contact the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, D.C. 20036; telephone 1-800-424-8666. It should be emphasized in closing that the seminar is not limited to sponsored students only. Any other students, prospective students, and recent students are urged to attend and take part. ***** ** Fly to Atlanta for Less Since the introduction in the February issue of The Braille Forum of Olsen, O'Leary Travels, Inc., as the recommended travel service for those planning to attend the 1982 national convention of the American Council of the Blind, most callers to the toll-free number have asked the question: Why use Olsen, O'Leary for travel arrangements to Atlanta? The answer is basic and straightforward: convenience, economy, and efficiency. The consolidation of individual and small-group travel arrangements through one agency gives that agency the leverage required to negotiate with air carriers for substantially lower rates than previously available. This saving is passed on to the passengers in the form of lower round-trip air fares. In order to obtain these lower-than-usual air fares, ACB conventioners must call Olsen, O'Leary concerning their travel plans. These calls give the travel agency the numbers the airlines need to rationalize a lower fare. Call early. Reserve your seat. Your ticket will be issued when the low group fare is established. Save time, trouble, and money in getting to Atlanta. Call toll-free, (800) 245-6497. In Pennsylvania, call (412) 782-3950. ***** ** Good News for SSI Recipients! By Barbara Nelson Starting April 1, 1982, the Social Security Administration will begin using a new method to calculate the amount of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks. While this change may cause some confusion initially, it will eventually simplify the administration of the program, enabling claimants to tell how much their next month's SSI check will be, and reduce the number of SSI overpayments. Prior to April 1, 1982, the Social Security Administration determined eligibility and the amount of benefits on the basis of a three-month period. Thus, extra income received at the end of a quarter sometimes made the beneficiary ineligible for SSI checks already received in previous months. The new system will use a beneficiary's income in the second month prior to the current month to determine the amount of the current month's check. For example, a person's earnings and income in April will be used to calculate the amount of SSI benefits for June. In the first month of entitlement, that month's income will be used to determine the amount of the check. Similarly, the previous month's income will be used to determine the amount of benefits in the second month of eligibility. In order to get the new system working, everyone will be treated as if April 1982 is the first month of entitlement. April income will also be used to calculate the amount of the SSI check received in May. After that, the system will be in place, and April's income will be used to determine June's benefit amount, May's income will be used to determine July's benefit amount, and so on. This system is used only to calculate the amount of benefits. A claimant's situation in the current month will be used to determine whether he or she is eligible for benefits in that month. For example, to claim SSI as a blind person in April, Social Security will establish whether the person is blind and meets the asset limitation in April. Also, on March 2, 1982, Social Security Commissioner John Svahn announced that $479 million will be spent to upgrade Social Security's inadequate computer system. He emphasized that recipients should not expect a dramatic improvement immediately, because for some time after installation, the new equipment will be "treading water," simply trying to catch up with backlogged work. He estimated that Social Security is three years behind in compiling individual earnings records and has about 120,000 hours of unprocessed work on hand. ***** ** Magazines: Keeping Pace with Readers' Demands (Reprinted from News, published by National Library Service, May-June, 1981) Every month twenty-five thousand flexible-disc editions of Good Housekeeping magazine arrive at readers' homes at about the same time that print copies are available on news stands - a testimony to the popularity of magazines among blind and physically handicapped readers and the NLS effort to achieve timely production and distribution. CIRCULATION. Total magazine circulation last year was nearly six million copies, with magazines such as Sports Illustrated and U.S. News and World Report produced weekly to match their print counterparts. Approximately seventy magazines are circulated directly to readers through the NLS program, about half in recorded format and half in braille. National Geographic and Good Housekeeping are the most popular recorded magazines with readers; Ladies' Home Journal and the braille version of the New York Times Large-Type Weekly (also produced on flexible disc) top the braille list. A 1977 study of the magazine program included a survey of readers. The result showed that 86% of NLS readers over age 15 are magazine readers, and that they read between two and six magazines a month. Magazine circulation constitutes 35% of the NLS program's total circulation. SELECTION. Magazines in the program cover a large variety of topics: news, consumer affairs, home and garden, art, history, science, health, sports, travel, music, literature, recreation, professions, and children's magazines. Areas identified in the 1977 reader survey are now represented in the collection. The three priorities were news and science magazines in braille and a financial magazine in recorded form. Reader interest is the criterion for selection of specific magazines. The ad hoc Advisory Group on Selection-Building Activities - which consists of consumers, consumer-group representatives, and network librarians - makes recommendations on high-priority informational needs. Also considered are requests from individual readers and recommendations from consumer groups. NLS has also used focus panels - group discussions with users focused on the subject of magazines. Two magazine programs provided by NLS offer an additional service to readers and another means of measuring reader interest. Magazine of the Month provides a limited substitute for newsstand browsing, with a recorded issue of a different magazine each month. Magazine of the Quarter provides one issue of four different magazines in braille. Readers are polled as to general preferences and sometimes asked to choose between two magazines with similar content. Approximately a dozen magazines have been identified for the program through this method, including Prevention, True West, Natural History, Analog, Outdoor Life, and Money (all on disc); Consumer's Research (braille); as well as three of the most popular magazines: National Geographic (disc and braille), Ladies' Home Journal (braille), and Better Homes and Gardens (braille). The newest addition to the magazine program is Books of the Times, published monthly in print by a subsidiary of the New York Times. It was selected in 1981 in response to numerous requests for a book-review magazine. Books of the Times contains brief book reviews published in the daily issues of the newspaper during that month, plus hard-cover and paperback bestseller lists, and highlights and trends in the book market. It is provided in both recorded and braille editions. INFORMING READERS. To keep readers informed about available magazines, the complete list of recorded magazines is included in every issue of Talking Book Topics, and braille magazines in Braille Book Review. These two bi-monthly magazines announcing books recently produced are sent to patrons. A bibliography describing all magazines available through the NLS program was sent to all patrons in 1978 in large-print, disc, or braille editions. The 1981 revised edition of this bibliography, which also lists many special-format magazines available from other sources, is being prepared. PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION. Magazines have been an important element of the NLS program since its inception fifty years ago, but direct circulation to readers began only in the last decade. Currently, readers order magazine subscriptions through their network library, with mailing lists maintained and copies shipped directly to readers by the producer. Prior to 1974, mailing lists were maintained at network libraries and copies circulated to several readers in turn. This practice was not satisfactory to readers, particularly for news magazines and other timely material, which often arrived long after the events covered. Speedier production and distribution of magazines have been NLS priorities for several years. Today's rapid production of recorded magazines is the result of planning, improved technology, and cooperative arrangements with print publishers. The flexible-disc format is fast and inexpensive to produce; pre-publication galleys supplied by some print publishers allow recording to be done at an earlier point in the process. Braille magazines still take longer to produce than recorded magazines. "We are about at the limit of current braille production," says John Kozar, Assistant Chief, Materials Development, who oversees the magazine program. "We won't get much faster delivery until we review the results of several braille production studies and related activities currently under consideration by NLS." In the meantime, new technology is being utilized to improve the braille production process where possible. The New York Times Large-Type Weekly is available in print on Monday and in braille by Thursday, using a computer-assisted process. Compositor tapes, used in the computer production of the print magazine, have been used for the past two years to produce the braille version of National Geographic. The possibility of using this process for a weekly magazine is now being explored. However, there are several conditions to be met: the print magazine must be produced on compositor's tape (a growing, but not yet universal print practice), it must be in demand by readers, and the print publisher must be willing to cooperate and experiment. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller National Representative "It was like losing an old friend!" "I hope he is happy in his new home." Those were typical comments heard around the ACB National Office in late February, following the shipment of "Thomas the Talking Optacon" (officially known as the TSI Voice Output Reading System) to his new evaluation site in St. Louis. As reported in an earlier issue of The Braille Forum, ACB's Missouri affiliate, the Missouri Federation of the Blind, opted to participate in the official evaluation by sponsoring the final six months thereof. We are informed that the Missouri Federation has retained a very qualified instructor and that plans are under way to contact many prospective students or evaluators in the coming months. Although the "Talking Optacon" is a very complex instrument, the fact that we had almost no mechanical or electronic difficulty with it while in the National Office is underscored by the fact that, after it was shipped to St. Louis, we had to make a special effort to find some of the small parts and devices that would have been used for diagnostic purposes had difficulties developed. Since those difficulties never developed, and since those highly specialized diagnostic parts were never used, no one here or in St. Louis was really familiar with them. It is needless to say that we wish the best of good fortune to the Missouri Federation and its part in this extremely important project. I hope a future issue of The Braille Forum will carry an article concerning the success which I am sure the program will experience in St. Louis. It finally came! Yes, it finally came! I am referring to ACB's own computer and related equipment, which now graces one corner of the National Office. Ms. Bonnie Young, our Computer Service Coordinator, completed her initial training on the equipment as soon as the "Talking Optacon" was shipped to St. Louis. Although our experiences with commercial data processing firms and our own observations of new computer systems force us to be somewhat cautious in our optimism, we are confident that the computerization of many of our records and other information, both here and in the office of the editor of The Braille Forum in Rochester, will eventually improve our efficiency and enable us to do many things which are not feasible now. Again, however, let me caution all ACB members that use of the computer here and in Rochester will not bring about overnight results. Therefore, I am asking everyone to be patient until we can ascertain the exact capabilities of the equipment and get it programmed to do exactly what we want it to do. I want to remind all our state and regional affiliates again that we shall appreciate their assistance in helping to pay for the recorded public service announcements distributed earlier this year. Recently we sent to all affiliate presidents a set of the multicopied referral form we are now using for sending them the names and addresses of people who make inquiries as a result of hearing the announcements. These referrals should be taken seriously and acted upon promptly. The ACB national legislative workshop is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., on May 5-6-7, 1982. This year, as in the past, invitations will be extended to ACB members who reside in the states and districts of the Senators and Congressmen who serve on the committees whose duties are of most relevance to the blind and visually impaired. An ACB Action Memorandum containing more details of the workshop will be distributed during March 1982, after the issues have been analyzed more fully and committee makeup has been examined more closely with reference to ACB membership distribution. Invitations will start being issued around the latter part of March, and although it is up to ACB to determine to whom invitations will be extended, it will undoubtedly be necessary to consult closely with state affiliate presidents in many cases concerning the extension of invitations. The first session of the seminar on Wednesday, May 5, will concentrate on the best tactics and techniques to be used in communicating with Senators and Representatives. That session will be led by an outstanding, experienced legislative action specialist. The second session will deal with the substantive issues to be discussed with the Congressmen - issues such as Government funding of essential programs for the handicapped, governmental reorganizations as they affect programs for the handicapped, rehabilitation and special education, affirmative action and civil rights, etc. Informational material will be made available in advance in accessible forms. As in the past, the American Council will pay the transportation costs of the attendees, and we are asking the affiliates to pay the costs of room and board for their members. While there is no guarantee that someone will be invited from each state affiliate, it is quite likely that someone from almost every affiliate will be invited. So I am urging the state affiliates to start thinking now about the possibility of supporting at least one workshop attendee. For planning purposes, an affiliate may use the figure of $175.00 as a conservative estimate of the cost of sponsoring one person, based upon double occupancy. The 1981 national legislative workshop was enormously effective in holding back, for a time anyway, the plans of the Administration to lump rehabilitation and many other important programs into "block grants," thereby removing many of the safeguards written into those programs over the years. This year the issues are even more critical because they involve, in many cases, the future existence and survival of countless programs for the handicapped. In short, the job to be done in 1982 is even bigger than it was in 1981, and I am positive that before long, Congress will come to recognize the American Council of the Blind legislative workshop as one of the most useful services provided by national membership organizations. ***** ** Twenty Years of Theater of the Imagination There has always been a great desire among blind persons to perform, sing, and participate in the performing arts, especially the theater. Twenty years ago, in 1962, David Swerdlow of New York City and his sighted wife Lillian got an idea: Why not form an independent drama troupe to provide greater opportunities for creative self-expression for the blind, and coordinate this project with sighted players? They called their form of theater "audio" and their troupe the ELBEE Audio Players. The technique was similar to radio, except that they planned to perform live - never to broadcast. As this new project was going to be based on the use of braille scripts, ELBEE took its name, quite naturally, from the initials of Louis Braille. The troupe uses no sets, costumes, or even a stage. To augment their productions, effective use is made of pre-recorded music and sound effects on tape. Audiences in the Greater New York area have been many and varied - churches, temples, hospitals, community centers, and colleges. ELBEE constantly reaches out to the imagination of its listeners. For twenty years, with permission of the authors, ELBEE has given innumerable performances of major American and English plays and popular musicals. There are now more than fifty titles in ELBEE's complete repertoire. This season, they are concentrating on six productions: "Milk and Honey," a charming musical by Don Appel and Jerry Herman; "Ladies and Gentlemen," a comedy-drama set in a jury room, by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht; a musical revue, "Broadway Songs and Melodies to Remember"; "I Remember Mama," by John vanDruten; and two one-act plays by W. Somerset Maugham, "Mister Know-All" and "Winter Cruise." For Season No. 21, ELBEE has great plans. The possibilities of audio drama and song are endless. The well of the theater never runs dry. ELBEE is an amateur group with a professional attitude. Throughout the years, the dedication of all the players has constantly energized the project. The players, blind and sighted, are fully employed during the day in various occupations and professions - teachers, social workers, and government, office, and medical employees. Prominent men and women of the theater are on ELBEE's sponsoring committee, giving them warm and invaluable encouragement - Leonard Bernstein, Alexander H. Cohen, Jean Dalrymple, Henry Fonda, Walter Kerr, Molly Picon, Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, to name only a few. Financial support comes from small foundations in the New York area. Twenty years' experience has shown that audio drama and song as ELBEE has developed it is particularly suited to the blind: Sets, costumes, and lighting are certainly important to the theater. But with ELBEE, everything must go into the voice alone: characterization, mood, dramatic nuance - everything! Yes, twenty candles are now burning brightly on ELBEE's theatrical birthday cake. ***** ** Braille and Large-Type Menus "To Go!" By Laura Oftedahl The American Council of the Blind will again be working with McDonald's Corporation in providing braille menus. As in 1979 when McDonald's originated this project, they have asked for ACB input in the development and production of these convenient menus. This time, however, the affiliates will have a big part to play. All franchised and company-owned McDonald's restaurants will receive braille menus listing the standard items. The ACB affiliates will be asked by their local McDonald's to customize these menus to reflect local variations, special breakfast hours, and so on. For example, the restaurant chain offers regional food items such as Ham Biscuits and Sausage Biscuits in selected areas. Such items will not appear on the standard menu, since they are not available everywhere. The restaurants featuring these regional items, however, will certainly want to let their blind customers know they are available. So the local affiliate will be asked to produce braille, plastic overlays which will be affixed to the standard plastic braille menu. The McDonald's authority will tell the affiliate what should be brailled. The affiliate will contact the ACB National Office to receive the self-adhesive, clear plastic sheets which are to be used for the project. Large-type menus will also be distributed to all McDonald's restaurants. ACB affiliates, however, will not be involved in "localizing" these menus. Affiliate presidents should have an expert braillist lined up for this project. Every affiliate must do a top-notch job, as this is an opportunity to form a strong public service relationship with your local McDonald's. This is just one more example of how the American Council of the Blind and McDonald's Corporation are striving to serve the community in positive, meaningful ways. ***** ** ACB Speaks to Radio Reading Service Listeners "ACB Reports," an exciting new half-hour program, is being introduced this month over radio reading services throughout the country. This monthly radio show is being offered to all services as a public service of the American Council of the Blind. Through this excellent program, radio reading service listeners will keep up-to-date with the latest activities and projects of the ACB. "ACB Reports" is being professionally produced by long-time friend of the American Council, Vernon Henley, of the Oklahoma Radio Reading Service. Each month Vernon will skillfully fill the half hour with important information. Regular features will include an update from National Representative Oral O. Miller, reports from other staff members in the National Office, and the Council calendar of upcoming events. Outstanding affiliates and members will be highlighted, as well as convention seminars and workshops. The American Council of the Blind has long been an enthusiastic supporter of radio reading service and the excellent service they provide. This unique program, tailored for RRS's, is just one of several new ways in which the Council is spreading the good news about its progressive programs and services. We are confident members and friends will be proud of "ACB Reports" and will inquire about this superb show if it is not being carried by their local information service for the print handicapped. ***** ** BANA Annual Meeting: Action on ACB Resolution The Braille Authority of North America held its annual business meeting on November 4-5, 1981, in the Helen Keller Room of the American Foundation for the Blind, New York City. Most of the meeting was devoted to plans for the International Conference on English Braille, Grade Two, to be held during the week of September 13-17, 1982, at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The conference is sponsored jointly by the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) and the Braille Authority of the United Kingdom (BAUK). Plans are being coordinated by a six-member steering committee: three from BANA - Richard Evensen, National Library Service, Committee Chairman; Darlene Bogart, Canadian National Institute for the Blind; and Floyd R. Cargill, American Council of the Blind; and three from BAUK - William Poole, John Lorimer, and J.R. Hughes (Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary, respectively, of BAUK). Invitations have been mailed to forty organizations and individuals in thirty countries. Any country in which English Braille, Grade Two, is used as the major reading and writing system for blind persons may send one delegation. The United States will be represented by Richard Evensen, National Library Service; Floyd R. Cargill, American Council of the Blind; Dr. George Gore, III, Association for Educators of the Visually Handicapped; and Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, National Federation of the Blind. Betty Epstein, National Braille Association, will serve as an alternate delegate. A limited number of observers will be permitted to attend and participate in the conference, the number to be determined by the total number of delegates and the available space. Volunteer Service for the Blind, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was admitted as the twelfth member of BANA. American Council of the Blind Resolution 81-05 was thoroughly discussed. The resolution directs ACB to petition BANA to develop and embark upon a strategy, in conjunction with its various committees and the National Library Service, to encourage and promote the revitalization of braille instruction whenever blind and visually impaired persons are being educated and rehabilitated. There was unanimous agreement on the need for good braille instruction to and by public school teachers so that blind people will learn and be encouraged to use braille. The American Council of the Blind was commended for its role in organizing the Braille Revival League (BRL), a grassroots-type association to promote the use of braille. BANA exists to promote braille through all its actions. The By-Laws Committee was instructed to prepare an appropriate amendment to the BANA Constitution to include the promotion of the teaching, use, and production of braille as an official purpose of BANA. There was an expression of general consent that BANA is in complete agreement with the resolution and assures ACB of its support. Alice Mann, Chicago, Illinois, was appointed chairperson of the Technical Committee on Braille Textbook Format. Other technical committee chairpersons include: Maxine Dorf, Washington, D.C., Literary Braille; Dr. Robert T. McLean, New Orleans, La., Braille Mathematics and Computer Notation; and George Bennette, New York, N.Y., Braille Music Notation. Officers elected for the ensuing year are: Chairman, Richard Evensen, National Library Service; Vice Chairman, Dr. Susan Spungin, American Foundation for the Blind; Secretary, Darlene Bogart, Canadian National Institute for the Blind; and Treasurer, Michael Sears, Clovernook Home and School for the Blind. ***** ** Legal Services Again Under Siege By Scott Marshall "If legal services were stopped for the rich," says Senator Ernest Hollings (D., SC), "this place would be a ghost town." Although Washington will never be without lawyers, many poor and handicapped people will find themselves without legal representation if President Reagan's proposed budget cuts for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) are adopted by the Congress. The Legal Services Corporation is a Federally supported legal aid project which provides direct, community-based legal services to people who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. Legal Services lawyers handle a variety of cases, ranging from landlord/tenant disputes to Social Security appeals and cases involving discrimination on the basis of handicap. The Reagan Administration attempted last fall to destroy the LSC by proposing a total abolition of funding for this worthwhile project. This effort was unsuccessful, and the LSC survived despite a substantial funding cut from approximately $325 million in fiscal year 1981 to approximately $125 million in fiscal year 1982. The President has again proposed a rescission or cut in funding for fiscal year 1982 and has, further, omitted LSC from his 1983 budget. This means that unless Congress acts immediately to restore funding, the LSC will begin to wind up its operations as of March 31 of this year. The Administration believes that sufficient funding will be available for legal services under the Community Services Block Grant, which permits the states, if they so choose, to fund legal services for poor people. Many blind and visually impaired people are clients of Legal Services Corporation offices. Letters should be sent immediately to each member of your Congressional delegation urging support for the Legal Services Corporation. Tell your Senators and Representatives that you value the LSC and that it should be funded beyond March 31, 1982. If you have been helped by an LSC office, briefly describe how you were helped and what would have been the result if you had not had an LSC lawyer represent you. Listeners to the "Washington Connection" will receive the latest word concerning the Legal Services Corporation as the drama of the budget battle unfolds during the next few months. ***** ** Careers in Allied Health Careers in allied health are traditionally unavailable for visually impaired and hearing impaired individuals. Technological advances, however, combined with an increased awareness of the varied abilities of disabled persons have caused health facilities, educational institutions, and counselors to recognize the untapped potential of these people. St. Mary's Junior College is paving the way to successful careers in allied health for disabled individuals. Located on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, St. Mary's is a co-educational institution dedicated to the preparation of allied health and human service technicians. Each program is designed as a two-year course of study during which the student enrolls in both general liberal arts and technical courses. St. Mary's teaching methods and program design are well suited to disabled students: classes are small, individualized teaching packets are used, and regular student/instructor interaction is encouraged. Clinical experiences are integrated with classroom learning throughout the two-year program. Services for visually impaired students began in 1977. By 1981, twelve students had successfully completed course work and graduated from the occupational therapist and physical therapist assistant programs. Nine of the twelve graduates are working or studying to earn the corresponding four-year degree in their chosen field. Visually impaired students have also begun studying toward the medical records technician and special education associate degrees. Counseling and guidance, taped textbook coordination, taped testing service, tutoring, adapted laboratories, some braille books, clinical affiliation placement assistance, and job placement assistance are among the college's supportive services. Adaptive equipment includes closed-circuit TV and other magnifying devices, variable-speed tape recorders, "talking" meter readers and calculators, tactile anatomical models, light probes, Perkins braillers, audible thermometers, and various measuring devices. For further information, contact the coordinator, Cheryl L. Weiss, Program for Visually Impaired Students, St. Mary's Junior College, 2500 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55454. ***** ** The Listening Ear By Dorothy Stiefel Dear Dorothy: I would like to know why the driving public is unaware that a person holding a white cane is blind, and that they should stop their car to let blind persons cross the street. I have written to our local newspaper and brought this matter to the attention of our state services to the blind. Nothing happened. I have almost been run down trying to cross the street to get to my church which is four blocks from my home. About one person in 25 will stop, and I think it is just because the very few are nice people, and not because of the law! A friend of mine is in the process of making a "STOP" sign, which might help, but I doubt it. I also considered getting a loud whistle to use with it. Isn't there some way national publicity can be arranged so that this problem can be eased, if not eliminated? What is the good of learning to use a white cane if no one is aware of what it means? - Areta Lucas, Las Vegas, Nevada Dear Areta: I checked with the local Department of Public Safety and learned that their written driver's test includes a question concerning pedestrians using white canes. In Texas it is a Class C misdemeanor under Human Resources Code, Section 121.007, for a driver or a pedestrian to fail to take necessary precaution to avoid injuring or endangering the pedestrian who is using a white cane or dog guide. A check with Nevada laws reveals the same law in both states; only the wording is different. Some time ago, I had suggested to a government agency for the visually handicapped that it take upon itself a very worthwhile project: the development and distribution of an effectively descriptive brochure to be dispensed to all driver licensing bureaus. Nothing happened. In 1980, President Carter initiated a "White Cane Safety Day." On September 28, 1981, President Reagan designated October 15 as an annual "White Cane Safety Day." If readers would contact their local newspapers two weeks in advance, we all might have a fighting chance in initiating some good public awareness. You would be violating the law to erect a STOP sign yourself. According to a local representative, the Traffic Control Division of the City of Las Vegas would be the appropriate department for you to contact and discuss your problem. An international symbol of the eye with a slash through it is being used in several Texas cities at various locations where many blind persons cross each day. I understand that it is not likely any caution sign would be erected for a single blind person making a particular crossing. As for the whistle, I think everyone traveling - driver, pedestrian, non-cane user, or otherwise - feels threatened in today's hectic traffic. If it's any consolation, the problem seems to be a social one: Motorists generally do know what a white cane is. Their only excuse is a poor one: "I was in a hurry!" Dear Ms. Stiefel: In your column in the January 1982 issue of The Braille Forum, there was a letter from R. R. inquiring about two-for-one air fares for deaf-blind persons traveling with guides. Your response to R. R.'s query indicated that airlines were probably not yet aware of the two-for-one ruling and R. R. should contact the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. The Helen Keller National Center has been receiving inquiries from blind persons interested in the purported two-for-one air fare ruling which exists only on US Air and only directly affects deaf-blind travelers. It would be commendable if US Air provided this concession to deaf-blind persons who definitely must be accompanied while traveling by plane; but US Air makes it a mandatory policy that all deaf-blind travelers must be accompanied by guides or else they cannot fly on US Air airlines alone. This policy is certainly discriminatory toward deaf-blind persons who do wish to travel alone and who have the potential and skills to do so. It infringes on a capable deaf-blind person's right to choose whether or not he/she wishes to travel alone or with a guide, and it is certainly discriminatory if US Air is permitted to deny passage for a deaf-blind person if he/ she is not accompanied by a guide . . . - Robert J. Smithdas, L. H. D., Litt. D., Director of Community Education, Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. (NOTE: A follow-up exchange of correspondence reveals the "eligibility criteria" for deafness that I had been searching for. Deafness is a physiological hearing impairment so severe that most speech cannot be understood through the ear with optimum amplification.) 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 74812. For a personal response, please be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). ***** ** The Washington Connection in Review If you did not call the Washington Connection in February, you missed the latest news about: * Revision of Section 504 guidelines by the Department of Justice. This may have serious effects on your rights under the law. * A review of the President's budget proposals for special education and rehabilitation services. This information was available to callers one day after the budget documents were released in Washington. * The latest funding status for the Legal Services Corporation. * Important information about funding cuts which may affect state libraries for the blind. The Washington Connection, ACB's information hot line, is averaging well over one hundred calls per day. If you do not make the connection the first time you call, please try again in approximately three to five minutes. The telephone answering equipment can accept only one call at a time; therefore, you may have some difficulty reaching the Washington Connection during peak early evening hours. The number to call, toll-free, is 800-424-8666. The hours of operation are from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 A.M. weekdays or any time on weekends and holidays. Many local chapters are recording these messages each week in order to play them at meetings. This is an excellent way to stimulate interest in your local meetings and to stay abreast of the latest-breaking developments in Washington. We're waiting for your call. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From The Chronicle (New Zealand): Blind people in Napier and Hastings, New Zealand, are now able to keep abreast of local news, following the recent introduction of a telephone news service. Information on such subjects as birth, deaths and marriages, public notices of general interest, and even snippets on radio and television programs are gleaned from local newspapers. These are recorded on tape, and people unable to read newspapers need only dial the number to learn what is happening. The service operates day and night, except between 5:00 and 7:00 P.M., when the news is updated and tapes are changed. To prevent ineligible people from using the service, the number is available only through organizations to which blind or disabled persons belong. In Auckland, information is disseminated regarding street repairs and other hazardous conditions which could cause accidents to blind persons walking about alone or with dog guides. Local radio stations remind blind people of the number to call for information, and a list is kept of all those travelers wishing to be routinely notified of hazardous conditions in their particular area which would require extra caution on their part. Heloise Mader, secretary of the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists, passed away as the result of a heart attack at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, in October. Heloise attended and participated actively in many ACB national conventions. The Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts, is sponsoring an International Symposium on the Past, Present, and Future Role of Residential Schools for the Blind, June 22-25, 1982, on the Perkins campus. Teachers, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation counselors, and parents concerned with the education of blind and visually impaired students are invited to participate. For further information, contact Ronald Trahan, Coordinator, Public Relations and Publications, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA 02172. From The Standard Bearer: Two officers of the American Council of the Blind - President Grant Mack and Treasurer James Olsen - were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Directors of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped at the organization's annual meeting in Atlanta in November, 1981. Three additional affiliates of ACB have become sponsoring or supporting members of NAC. They are the Council of Rehabilitation Specialists, the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, and the South Dakota Association of the Blind. Following is an excerpt from a letter from Alma Hillard, President, Pompano Beach Council of the Blind: "Southeast Florida is experiencing an epidemic of a very contagious disease known as Parvo disease. Any dog coming to this part of Florida should be vaccinated against this disease. Parvo disease is at epidemic proportions, especially in Broward County. It is one of the worst, if not the worst, epidemics known in the history of southeastern Florida. The disease is almost always fatal to puppies and older dogs. Some vets are treating infected dogs in the parking lot of their offices in order not to expose dogs inside the office. ... Please, anyone planning to visit this part of Florida any time during this epidemic, get your dog the one injection (which does not hurt) that may save his or her life ... Please take care of your dogs as they take care of you. Prevent Parvo disease from spreading to other parts of the country. On behalf of our canine friends, I thank you." Have you ever left your folding cane in a restaurant booth and walked off with a friend - or forgotten it while partying at an ACB convention and not known where to begin looking for it the next morning? The answer could be a cane-holder pouch. Available with shoulder strap and/or belt loop, the pouch comes in varying materials and colors: Naugahyde - black, brown, red, or white; denim - blue. For full information on these and other pouch-type, handmade items, write Donald A. Brown, 403 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14204. A unique parking concept for handicapped people has recently been put into practice in the city of Richfield, Minnesota. The intent is to provide easy accessibility for handicapped persons from their homes to their vehicles. A recent city ordinance recognizes the fact that many handicapped individuals do not wish to be identified with the standard handicapped parking zone signage provided for by state law. Therefore, a restricted parking zone, the length of one car, may be established in front of the home of qualified applicants. La Guardia Community College, in cooperation with several other branches of the City University of New York, is implementing a program to make continuing education accessible to blind and visually impaired adults. in the five-borough New York City area. Counseling and readers will be provided for students taking continuing education courses. In addition to on-campus courses, off-campus courses will be offered at senior citizen centers and other community facilities. For information concerning types of service available, contact George Snedeker, La Guardia Community College, 31-10 Thompson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101; telephone (212) 626-2706. Kenya has been accepted as the host city for the Seventh Quinquennial World Conference of the International Council for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (ICEVH). Some 500 persons from approximately 75 countries will gather at the Kenyatta Conference Centre in Nairobi, August 1-7, 1982, to discuss practical questions concerning the education and job training of young blind and low-vision persons. This is the first ICEVH conference to be held in a developing country. A new chapter of the American Council of the Blind of Indiana, the South Central Association of the Visually Impaired, was organized recently, according to ACBI Membership Chairman Pat Price. Nineteen charter members attended the organizational meeting. Officers elected are Doris Brown, President, Helen Gaines, Vice President; and Ruth Fountaine, Secretary-Treasurer. From Friends of Eye Research Newsletter: Mike Murray, 26, has been blind for two years. However, he makes parachute jumps from a plane hovering a mile above the earth and thinks it is a hobby that other blind people could enjoy, also. Mike, who did some skydiving before losing his sight, reports that it is "much less scary" than when he could see "everything down there." Mike recently fell the equivalent of about twenty stories before pulling the cord that opened his parachute. He then went the remaining distance, landing in a Flemington, New Jersey, soybean field only 30 feet away from his target. On the ground to greet him was his coach, Doug Angel, of Skydive East, where Mike had received about nine hours of instruction before attempting his first jump after losing his sight. During the skydive, Mike was in constant touch with Angel via two-way radio and was given instructions on how to guide his chute to the target area. Murray resides in Princeton, New Jersey, where he directs activities of a small investment company. The 1982 National Delegate Assembly of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America will be held July 22-25 in Orlando, Florida. Theme of this year's meeting is "Leadership and Vision in the '80's." A highlight of the program will be a half-day session on the latest research and technology in the field of low vision. The Vendorscope (Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America) reports that the world's first computerized submarine sandwich is being tested in Massachusetts. Customers punch the ingredients into a terminal. An open roll slides down, and the filling follows. The sandwich is ready in five seconds, untouched by human hands. ... Per capita consumption of coffee by Americans has dropped from over three cups a day per person in 1960 to slightly more than two cups a day. The greatest defection is among the 18-34-year age group: they have cut consumption in half. The coffee industry has begun a $600,000 campaign aimed at young adults to improve the image of coffee. A "talking cash register" has recently been installed in the Grand Union store in Stratford, Connecticut, according to an item in the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette. With the National Semi-Conductor's "Positalker," shoppers hear a female voice recite the cost of items purchased, the total, and the amount of change they have coming. "Thank you for shopping with us," the voice says through an amplifier beside the cash register. Henry T. Johnson, Grand Union Vice President-Marketing, says the talking cash register eliminates customer resistance to computerized checkout by "humanizing" the process. Monday, February 15, 1982, is possibly the first time that Grade Two braille was sent by transcontinental telephone call between the United States and western Europe. Using microcomputer technology, computer-translated, Grade Two braille was sent from a small computer owned by Duxbury Systems, Inc., of Stow, Massachusetts, to a new braille printer in Frankfort, West Germany. One of the people testing the braille printer was Christopher Gray, an ACB Board member. He reports that the braille was of high quality and the computer could print in Grade Two braille that was readable. Some errors occurred due to differences between American and German braille, accent marks, and so on. It is hoped that the new printer, known as the Thiel printer, will be shown at the upcoming ACB national convention. ***** ** 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. ###