The Braille Forum
Vol. XXI September, 1982 No. 3

George Card
Prominent Leader in Organized Blind Movement Dies at 84

Proposed Deregulation of P.L. 94-142 A Threat to Education of Handicapped Children

Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind
Mary T. Ballard, Editor

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** Contents

President's Message, by Grant Mack

In Memoriam: George Card

From the ACB Board of Publications

I Knew George Card, by Durward K. McDaniel

George Card -- Dreamer, Doer, Friend, by George Fogarty

ACB 1982 Convention:

	Elections

	ACB Officers and Directors

	1983 and 1984 Conventions

	ACB Resolutions, 1982

A Decade of Progress in Jeopardy: Proposed Deregulation of P.L. 94-142, by Scott Marshall

News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller

Goldwater Introduces Workshop Legislation, by Kathy Megivern

Crisis in Radio Reading Services, by Rosie Hurwitz

Disabled Sue U.S. Postal Service

Here and There, by George Card

Notice to Subscribers

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.

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This Issue of The Braille Forum Is Dedicated to the Memory of George Card

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** President's Message
"He Was a Legend in His Time"
By Grant Mack

George Card passed away on Tuesday evening, July 27, at the age of 84. 

Very few people achieve legendary status during their own lifetime. Most flowers are strewn on the grave. One who received deserved accolades during his lifetime was George Card. 

One of my first committee assignments in the American Council of the Blind was to select the George Card Award recipient at the 1976 ACB national convention in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A meritorious award given in the name of another usually honors one whose life has stood the test of time. So it was with some surprise that I learned that George Card was still a living, active member of the American Council. George Card is one who has achieved notable and predictable lasting fame while still actively working for the blind.

His notable contributions to the blindness movement in the United States will have an eternal impact on us all. Because many of you may not have known him, a major part of this issue of The Braille Forum is being devoted to the memory of this great man. On behalf of all members of the American Council of the Blind, we express our sincere sympathy and condolences to his wife, Darlene, and to his family. 

The moments we spend appreciating the gifts, talents, and thoughts of others become moments of renewal for ourselves. This time encourages us to clarify our own sense of purpose and belief, acknowledge our gifts, recognize the value and extent of our accomplishments, and release new energy for the never-ending growth that is our opportunity and our challenge.

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** In Memoriam: George Card

George Card, active in the organized blind movement since its early days in the 1940s, died in a Madison, Wisconsin, hospital on Tuesday, July 27, at the age of 84. 

George lost the sight of one eye at the age of 6 when one of his playmates accidentally shot him with a pellet gun. He lost the sight of the other eye in a 1931 automobile accident at the age of 33. 

"Since I did not lose my sight until early middle life," he once wrote, "I still retain the viewpoint of a sighted person." 

The South Haven, Michigan, native received his Bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin in 1935 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Law in 1940 with highest honors. He was a member of the honorary society of Phi Beta Kappa and in law school was elected to the Order of the Coif, the highest scholastic honor in the school.

A former county supervisor, a successful small businessman and lawyer, he operated a vending machine business for a time. He also ran the George Card Sales Company, an automatic machine merchandising and wholesale firm. He was active in local politics and in community affairs in general and served for fifteen years as county supervisor, retiring in 1972. He was a member of the Lions Club and was the first recipient of the Madison Exchange Club's ?Book of Golden Deeds Award? in 1971. 

George Card played a key leadership role in the organized blind movement from its very beginning in 1940. Active first in the National Federation of the Blind and later in the American Council of the Blind, he and his wife Darlene traveled extensively throughout the United States organizing numerous state affiliates and local chapters. He served as editor of NFB's Braille Monitor in the 1950s and has been an Associate Editor of The Braille Forum since it began publication in 1962, writing the popular ?Here and There? column. For a time he was a member of the ACB Board of Directors. 

George Card served as Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind for many years and in 1954, was a delegate to the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, an organization in which he maintained a continuing interest. He was the first recipient of ACB's George Card Award.

In an article entitled "He Helped Us See," the Madison Capital Times of July 30, 1982, wrote: "The word 'remarkable' has lost much of its currency by being spent on people who are merely ordinary. But 'remarkable' accurately describes George Card. He was a successful businessman, a progressive politician, an able lawyer. And he was blind ....

"Long before the movement to win recognition of the rights of the handicapped took hold, George Card was showing how a fine mind and indomitable spirit could triumph over physical limitations. This man helped the rest of us to see."

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** From the ACB Board of Publications

The Braille Forum has lost an ardent and dedicated supporter and contributor with the passing of George Card.

George Card has been a Contributing Editor of The Braille Forum since its inception in 1962. He initiated the "Here and There" column, and readers everywhere eagerly digested his tidbits of information from local, national, and worldwide sources. 

The members of the ACB Board of Publications offer a tribute to his memory and deep sympathy to his ever-loyal wife, Darlene.

? Harriet Fielding, Chairperson

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** I Knew George Card
By Durward K. McDaniel

Yes, I knew George Card -- first through our activities in the National Federation of the Blind -- in his crowning, dramatic, very effective, year-long campaign to rescue the Federation from its eventual schism in 1961 -- in the founding and building of the American Council of the Blind. Our strong and growing friendship endured the strains of several differences on issues in those controversial later years in the Federation. 

George was a charismatic politician with great ability to lead and to execute. His devotion to the Federation and its purposes, plus his belief that Jacobus tenBroek was indispensable as president of that struggling organization delayed his joining the reform rebellion until the 1960 convention suspended six organizations. He knew then that the organization which he had done more than anyone to build would be split unless he, through his large personal following, could change the votes at the next convention. Change them he did, but the cause failed because six organizations could not vote. 

He was more than a politician -- he was a brilliant student in college and in law school, a success in his private business, an active leader in Wisconsin's Progressive Party, and a realist with strong convictions, who made strong and lasting friendships, and some enemies. Yes, he was all of these and more, but his major commitment and monument was, and is, in his organization work with and for the improvement of living conditions for blind people.

So it is that he will be remembered -- the advocate, the organizer and builder, and, yes, the politician who almost rescued the Federation from its autocracy and eventual division. His leadership converted a minority into a majority whose will was defeated only by the earlier suspensions of organizations which would not then vote as a part of that new majority. 

George was a leader and a strong factor in the building of the American Council of the Blind. I will remember him and his ever-present partner, Darlene, for monumental achievements and for a great and lasting friendship which superseded past differences and made our mutual forgiveness and reconciliation easy.

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** George Card -- Dreamer, Doer, Friend
By George Fogarty

George Card is dead! Although it occurred some days ago, I heard of it today. How characteristic of George and Darlene, I thought, that even their closest and dearest friends should hear of George's passing in such a way. Concern for others was their way of life; what happened to them, they deemed of little consequence. A more dedicated and devoted couple would be hard to imagine; a more selfless one, impossible to find. 

Few blind people today know how much George Card contributed in energy and courage to assure the economic and social benefits enjoyed by them. Much of George's productive life had none of these. Recognizing these things for what they are ? incentives to achievement and self-respect ? he gave the rest of his life, and a long and significant life it was, procuring these things for his fellow blind. 

The things he sought were these: He strove to attain a floor of security in the way of a pension, so richly earned by those who had lost their sight in their later years, and so vital to the younger blind if they were to have any chance for success. He, with the help of a few others throughout the land, also blind, championed through the years the principle of "exempt earnings" as a necessary incentive to self-support and to the road of opportunity. Many of the tenets adopted by the rehabilitation offices today as essential to the removal of economic and social barriers to equal opportunity for all handicapped persons are largely the brainchildren of this small, dedicated band of blind people, of which George was a major force.

No one spent more time and effort than George in organizing the blind themselves. He saw in this effort our greatest assurance of acquiring and maintaining those needs and aids so vital to equal opportunity. This, without possibility of debate, would have to be seen as George Card's major contribution to those who meant most to him ? the blind. 

Lest we forget, in this moment of overwhelming loss, much of this could not have been possible without the unfaltering devotion, quiet, sustaining courage, and always present love of his wife and ever-present helpmate, Darlene. 

There are many who cross our paths, but few who touch our lives as warmly as did he. His dedication went far beyond the norm, for his desire to serve extended to all who sought his services. 

Even more important, he was a warm and generous human being, rich in his love of people and affection for all in the world around him. There have been few like George Card. His memory will be an inspiration to many of us who admired, respected, and loved him.

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** ACB 1982 Convention
(Part I)

"The State of Georgia is indeed proud to welcome all of those attending this conference, and in recognition of this event, I signed a proclamation earlier this week which designates the week of July 3-10 as American Council of the Blind Week in Georgia." ? The Honorable George Busbee, Governor, State of Georgia. 

"I truly believe that this is the most enthusiastic convention that I have welcomed to the City of Atlanta in the six months that I have been Mayor." ? The Honorable Andrew Young, former Congressman, former Ambassador to the United Nations, and current Mayor of the City of Atlanta.

In opening ceremonies climaxed by welcoming remarks from the Mayor of Atlanta and the Governor of Tennessee, the 21st annual convention of the American Council of the Blind was called to order by President Grant Mack on Wednesday, July 7. Total registration for the convention plus the special-interest conferences, meetings, and seminars which preceded it was in excess of 1300. It was most decidedly the largest ACB convention ever!

Space does not permit a complete review of the convention at this time. A summary of the outstanding program, the Awards and Charter Gala, Constitution and By-Law amendments, and committee reports will follow in upcoming issues of The Braille Forum. Elections, the 1983 and 1984 conventions, and resolutions are reported in this issue. Because of their importance as statements of ACB policy and goals, the seventeen resolutions adopted by the convention are published in full. 

The 1982 convention was recorded. Tapes will be available for purchase at $7.50 per set. Make checks payable to the American Council of the Blind, and address all requests to the Braille Forum office at 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. 

The inspiring banquet address by Captain G. L. Coffee, U. S. N., was not recorded. However, a tape entitled "Faith ? the Key to Survival," containing essentially the same address given at the ACB banquet, is available directly from Captain Coffee. The cost to ACB members is $5.00, plus 4% sales tax, plus $1.50 per tape for shipping and handling. Order directly from, and make checks payable to, Captain G. L. Coffee, U.S.N., CINCPACFLT, Code 0135P, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860, ATT.: Code 013.

The success of any convention depends upon the cooperation, careful planning, and hard work of many groups and individuals. This 1982 convention could never have been the great success it was without the dedicated efforts of the Convention Host Committee (chaired by Stephen Douglass) and the host affiliate, Georgia Federation of the Blind, the management and staff of the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel, and Atlanta area Girl Scouts, whose countless volunteer hours of assistance to conventioneers deserves special commendation.

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** Elections

The Credentials Committee (Carla Franklin, Kentucky Council of the Blind, Chairperson) certified 512 affiliate votes and seated 47 state and 16 special-interest affiliates. 

Elections were held to fill five positions on the ACB Board of Directors and three elective positions on the ACB Board of Publications, with the following results:

For the ACB Board of Directors: Delbert Aman of South Dakota, Carla Franklin of Kentucky, Patricia Price of Indiana, LeRoy Saunders of Oklahoma, and M. J. Schmitt of Illinois. 

For the ACB Board of Publications: Don Cameron of Florida, Dean Flewwellin of South Dakota, Christopher Gray of Virginia.

* ACB Officers and Directors

President: Grant Mack, 139 East South Temple, 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, 6913Colony Drive, Madison, WI 53717 
Treasurer: James R. Olsen, American Council of the Blind, Summit Bank Building, Suite 822, 310 4th Avenue, S., Minneapolis, MN 55415

Delbert K. Aman, 115 Fifth Avenue, S.E., Aberdeen, SD 57401
Robert Campbell, 253 Stonewall Road, Berkeley, CA 94705 
Adrian De Blaey, 912 N. Hawley Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213 
Carla Franklin, 148 N. Vernon Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206 
Charles Hodge, 2895 S. Abingdon St., Unit A-2, Arlington, VA 22206
Carl F. McCoy, 925 E. Magnolia Drive, Apt. D-7, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Patricia Price, 337 S. Sherman Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46201 
LeRoy Saunders, P.O. Box 20420, Oklahoma City, OK 73124 
M.J. Schmitt, 528 Des Plaines Avenue, Apt. 2-A, Forest Park, IL 60130 
Dick Seifert, 1023 Scott Street, Apt. F, Little Rock, AR 72202

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** 1983 and 1984 Conventions

The ACB membership this year was asked to make a very difficult choice between two outstanding invitations ? from the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired to hold the 1984 convention in Honolulu, and from the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind to hold the convention in Philadelphia. By a roll call vote impossible to judge until the final count was announced, the membership elected to accept the invitation of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind to hold the 1984 convention at the Philadelphia Center Hotel (formerly the Philadelphia Sheraton) during the week of June 30-July 7. Room rates are to be a flat $38.00 per room. 

The 1983 convention is scheduled to take place in Phoenix, Arizona, July 2-9, hosted by the Arizona Council of the Blind. Headquarters is to be the Phoenix Hilton, a brand new hotel located in downtown Phoenix. Room rates are: singles, $34.00; doubles, $38.00. Watch The Braille Forum for details concerning this convention as plans develop.

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** ACB Resolutions, 1982

Nineteen resolutions were presented to the 21st annual convention of the American Council of the Blind by the Resolutions Committee (Brian Charlson, Oregon Council of the Blind, Chairman). Of these, one was referred back to committee, one was defeated, and seventeen were adopted.

* Resolution 82-01

WHEREAS, for many years the Internal Revenue Service has hired blind and visually impaired persons as taxpayer service representatives and taxpayer service specialists; and 

WHEREAS, these highly trained professionals provide direct telephone taxpayer assistance to millions of Americans, many of whom cannot afford private tax advice; and

WHEREAS, the Internal Revenue Service has proposed substantial cuts in funding for direct taxpayer service, which may result in diminution of service and employment opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled at the Marriott Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, that this organization is opposed to any funding cuts for taxpayer service provided by the Internal Revenue Service; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization support upward job mobility and increased job opportunities with the IRS for qualified blind and visually impaired persons; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ACB President be directed to send a copy of this resolution, along with a support letter, to the members of Congress and the official representatives of the IRS responsible for making these decisions. 

* Resolution 82-02

WHEREAS, library service for the blind and physically handicapped in the United States is provided through a network of approximately 160 cooperating regional libraries which participate in the National Library Service program of the Library of Congress; and 

WHEREAS, subregional libraries are often established in local communities to facilitate the distribution of reading materials to patrons within a geographic area; and 

WHEREAS, subregional libraries provide a worthwhile public service to their patrons who are assured of a local supply of reading material; and

WHEREAS, it appears that many subregional libraries may be forced to close as their budgets are strained with ever-increasing costs and funding cuts, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED . . . that this organization endorse the subregional library concept and support funding of such facilities to the maximum extent possible; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ACB President is hereby directed to take such steps as may be necessary to publicize this resolution.

* Resolution 82-03

WHEREAS, millions of disabled persons and senior citizens in our nation presently rely on, or will be relying on, Social Security benefits as their sole source of income; and 

WHEREAS, the climate of political rhetoric has fostered fear that Social Security recipients will lose their benefits; and 

WHEREAS, thousands of disabled. Americans receiving Social Security disability benefits have been unjustly terminated in order to realize cost savings in the disability program, despite ample surplus in the disability trust fund; and 

WHEREAS, the Social Security program should be protected from manipulation for political ends,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED . . . that the Social Security program not be used to balance the Federal budget, and that it be removed from the unified general Federal budget.

* Resolution 82-04

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, protects the civil rights of disabled people; and 

WHEREAS, the Section 504 guidelines were issued by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare five full years after the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and only after an all-out, concerted effort by the disabled community; and 

WHEREAS, these guidelines represent a reasoned approach to Section 504 implementation and were promulgated only after extensive comments and testimony were carefully considered; and 

WHEREAS, just at the time when disabled people are beginning to reap the benefits of the hard-sought?after guidelines and regulations, the Reagan Administration is proposing to destroy many crucial provisions, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED ... that this organization opposes those revisions in the 1978 HEW Section 504 interagency guidelines which, in the opinion of the ACB staff, are deemed to be detrimental to the welfare of blind persons; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization support continued implementation of the Section 504 interagency guidelines; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind send copies of this resolution to President Reagan, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of Management and Budget, informing them of this position. 

* Resolution 82-05 

WHEREAS, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients ? our nation's poorest disabled and elderly citizens ? are entitled to their full constitutional rights of privacy and due process; and

WHEREAS, the SSI program, as established by law, does not require lower-income elderly and disabled Americans to sacrifice their constitutional rights and dignity; and 

WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration has recently begun to coerce SSI recipients to waive their legal right to confidentiality of tax records without statutory or regulatory authority; and 

WHEREAS, the threatened termination of benefits for failure to waive their legal right has alarmed SSI recipients across the country who rely on SSI to maintain a minimal standard of living; and 

WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration has alternative methods to achieve the laudable goal of reducing fraud and waste in the SSI program; and 

WHEREAS, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has already issued a temporary restraining order against the Social Security Administration because of its action, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that this organization oppose termination of SSI benefits based upon failure of recipients to waive their right to confidentiality of tax records, unless the Social Security Administration secures statutory and/or regulatory authority to terminate benefits based upon a recipient's refusal to grant such a waiver; and provided, further that such waivers are obtained only after disclosure of the recipient's rights in a clear, accessible notice; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers and staff of this organization are hereby directed to communicate this position to all appropriate public officials.

* Resolution 82-07

WHEREAS, use of the slate and stylus as a skill for writing braille is essential for the well-rounded education of any child who uses braille; and 

WHEREAS, use of the braille writer as the initial means of teaching braille writing makes future learning of use of the slate and stylus extremely difficult; and 

WHEREAS, in many schools, blind children are taught braille with use of the braille writer before being taught use of the slate and stylus, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that this organization go on record as strongly recommending and urging that the initial teaching of braille be through use of the slate and stylus; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to all state departments of education.

* Resolution 82-08

WHEREAS, opportunities for upward job mobility for blind and severely handicapped workers are often limited by stereotypical assumptions concerning the skills and abilities of blind and severely handicapped workers; and

WHEREAS, the Javits-Wagner?O'Day Act has for the past forty years provided valuable employment opportunities to many blind and severely handicapped workers, but fails to address the need for upward job mobility and placement into competitive employment; and 

WHEREAS, the Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely Handicapped administers the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act program through two centralized, non-profit agencies, namely: National Industries for the Blind and National Industries for the Severely Handicapped, which provide services to member workshops, including new product development; and

WHEREAS, the General Accounting Office has recently published a report in which it found, among other things, that NIB serves as an effective link between public and private resources in the administration of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act program; and 

WHEREAS, stronger Federal enforcement of fair labor standards is currently needed to protect the interests of blind and severely handicapped workers, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that the officers and staff of this organization are hereby directed to take necessary steps to implement the following basic improvements in the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act program and the Fair Labor Standards Act which will better serve the interests of the blind and severely handicapped workers:
1)  Stronger enforcement of labor standards by the Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely Handicapped to ensure that wage rates and production standards are fair, reasonable, and accurately calculated;
2)  Better evaluation of workers' skills and abilities, to ensure that each worker's employment potential is maximized and to ensure that, whenever possible, qualified blind and severely handicapped production workers will be promoted to supervisory and administrative positions;
3)  To encourage workshops to promote qualified blind and severely handicapped production workers, the Javits-Wagner?O'Day Act should be amended to require that qualified blind and severely handicapped workers who are promoted to supervisory and administrative positions be included in the 75 percent direct labor requirement for participation in the Javits?Wagner-O'Day Act program, and that this eligibility requirement for workshop participation in the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act program be vigorously monitored by the Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely Handicapped; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization recommends that National Industries for the Blind use more of its resources to improve working conditions, benefits, services, and opportunities for upward job mobility of blind production workers, after consultation with blind production workers, their representative organizations, citizen consumer groups, and workshops. 

* Resolution 82-10 

WHEREAS, the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, with which and in which the American Council of the Blind is a voting member, has liberalized its membership rules to permit state and local affiliates of national organizations to be voting members of ACCD if such affiliate is also a participating voting member of any state coalition of the handicapped for which it is eligible to join; and

WHEREAS, this change will permit a much broader base of participation by blind and visually impaired people at the local level, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities' liberalized membership rule be publicized through The Braille Forum and through direct communication with the president of each ACB affiliate.

* Resolution 82-11

WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind and other major organizations have developed a plan and useful legislative materials for the implementation of a National Lobbying Network on issues affecting the interests of blind and visually impaired persons; and 

WHEREAS, ACB legislative seminar participants and professional staff took the major responsibility in the distribution of the legislative materials, plus additional material produced by the American Council of the Blind itself; and 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of American has officially agreed to coordinate the National Lobbying Network, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLED, by the American Council of the Blind, ? that it continue its support and participation in the establishing and implementation of the National Lobbying Network, in the interests of the American Council of the Blind, its objectives and commitments. 

* Resolution 82-12 

WHEREAS, high quality special education services are an essential investment in the future independence and productivity of blind and visually impaired persons; and 

WHEREAS, strong Federal regulations currently safeguard the right of handicapped children to educational opportunities appropriate to their needs and ensure that parents have effective input into the kind of services their children receive, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that this organization support strong, consistent Federal leadership and commitment to the education of handicapped children, including comprehensive Federal laws and regulations, vigorous enforcement of these laws and regulations and expanded Federal funding for special education services; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers and staff of this organization are hereby directed to communicate this policy to members of Congress and other appropriate public officials.

* Resolution 82-13

WHEREAS, Radio Reading Services provide current, local news and information to over 100,000 blind and handicapped people using closed circuit Subsidiary Communication Authorization (SCA) of main channel FM public broadcasting stations at 67 kHz of the FM radio frequency spectrum; and 

WHEREAS, this radio frequency is currently available only for public educational, noncommercial uses, such as radio reading services; and 

WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission is considering a proposal which would allow this frequency to be used for commercial, noneducational purposes;

WHEREAS, commercial use of this broadcast frequency would threaten the continued existence and growth of Radio Reading Services; 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that this organization urge the Federal Communications Commission to reserve the SCA subchannel at 67 kHz of the public FM radio frequency spectrum for public, noncommercial broadcast uses, such as radio reading services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers and staff of this organization are hereby directed to assist the Association of Radio Reading Services in its efforts to insure that this frequency continue to be protected from commercial use. 

* Resolution 82-14 

WHEREAS, quality education for blind and visually impaired children throughout the country could be greatly enhanced if up-to-date textbooks could be obtained; and 

WHEREAS, these materials are available from companies other than the American Printing House for the Blind, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that the officers and staff of this organization be directed to investigate the necessity and advisability of legislation to make the American Printing House for the Blind a clearing house so that Federal quota account funding could be made available to purchase textbooks and equipment made by other companies as well as that made by the American Printing House. 

* Resolution 82-15 

WHEREAS, there are many low?vision and elderly persons who have great difficulty reading the labels on bottles, boxes, and tubes of medication; and

WHEREAS, being able to read said labels is important to the health and safety of these persons, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that the manufacturers and dispensers of these medications be required to use large and clear type on the labels that identify the medications and give instructions concerning their use; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the labels be placed on the outside of the containers, and not be obstructed by any material that degrades the quality of the image presented by the labels to the low-vision consumer; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that dangerous substances be in containers that are readily identifiable by touch. 

* Resolution 82-16 

WHEREAS, major visual impairment represents one of the most disabling long-term physical disabilities; and 

WHEREAS, more than three?quarters of those who have disabling eye conditions have useful residual vision that is frequently not utilized maximally; and 

WHEREAS, the National Institute for Handicapped Research has failed to give adequate recognition to the above,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that this organization urges the National Institute for Handicapped Research to give priority to its research and training programs to the partially sighted; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that research and training in low vision be in major categories listed for funding. 

* Resolution 82-18 

WHEREAS, the Marriott Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, has done an excellent job in accommodating the special needs of the American Council of the Blind and its special-interest affiliates, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that special thanks and appreciation be conveyed to the management and personnel of the Marriott Airport Hotel for their efforts in making the American Council of the Blind 1982 convention a success. 

* Resolution 82-19 

WHEREAS, the Georgia Federation of the Blind, its membership, leadership and Convention Committee, have provided an excellent combination of exhibits, speakers, and tours for the 1982 national convention of the American Council of the Blind, 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, ... that this organization expresses its appreciation to the Convention Committee of the Georgia Federation of the Blind for its efforts in making the 1982 convention of the American Council of the Blind a success.

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** A Decade of Progress in Jeopardy:
Proposed Deregulation of P.L. 94-142
By Scott Marshall
Director of Governmental Affairs

On August 4, 1982, the Reagan Administration issued proposed regulatory changes (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, "NPRM") governing Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. These regressive changes would substantially alter the rights of parents of handicapped children vis-a-vis school districts which must provide special education services to such children. 

Specifically, NPRM restricts parental rights and involvement in the education of the handicapped child by eliminating the current requirement of parental consent for pre-placement evaluation and initial placement. The NPRM further alters the current safeguards which ensure a parent's right of participation at an IEP meeting; changes the procedural requirements at a due process hearing by no longer requiring full disclosure of all evidence prior to such hearings; and gives to the local education agency (LEA) sole discretion in determining whether placement of a handicapped child in a classroom with non-handicapped children will constitute a ?substantial and clearly ascertainable disruption? in the classroom. The NPRM also permits educational agencies to charge parents for a portion of the services that a child receives while placed in a residential program, and further limits the obligation of an educational agency to provide "related services" such as medical and counseling services.

Other changes include deleting the present requirement that a child must be placed as close to home as possible, as well as eliminating the current time frame in which determination of eligibility for service and the IEP meeting must take place. School districts under the NPRM will no longer be obligated to provide extended school year services to handicapped children. In addition, professionally trained educators and/or evaluation personnel will no longer be required to attend the IEP meeting.

Interested organizations and individuals are urged to file written comments on the NPRM. The comment period extends through November 2, 1982. Nine regional hearings will be held during the month of September, and it would be useful for organizations and individuals to participate in these public hearings. Final regulations are expected to be issued in the spring of 1983.

Appendix A to this article is a brief summary of the key changes contained in the proposed regulations. The detailed comments of the American Council of the Blind will be available in early September and will be furnished upon request. 

Appendix B to this article offers some suggestions about how to prepare comments or testimony, as well as the hearing schedule and other important procedural details. 

Only through a concerted, grassroots effort can we stop these devastating changes to the Public Law 94-142 regulations. Be sure to send copies of your comments or testimony to your members of Congress and ask their assistance in vetoing the proposed regulations. 

One final thought: Remember that the NPRM is only a proposed change to existing regulations. The underlying statute, P.L. 94-142, remains unchanged at least for the present, and it is the law as passed by Congress, and not the interpretive regulations, which is the final word with respect to education of handicapped children.

* Appendix A
Summary of Key Changes to Public Law 94-142 Regulations

I. Evaluation and Parental Consent (NPRM Secs. 300.139-300.144; 300.1577-300.159)

Under the proposed regulations, a parent's prior consent to pre-placement evaluation and initial placement is no longer required. If the parent disagrees with the LEA's decision with respect to these matters, the only recourse open to a parent is a due process hearing. The current requirement that test and evaluation materials be validated is eliminated. Tests need not be administered by qualified personnel, and the re-evaluation of a child at least every three years is no longer required. If a parent desires an independent evaluation of the child's needs at public expense, he/ she must initiate a due process hearing and must prove to a hearing officer the need for such independent evaluation. The requirement of interdisciplinary evaluation is also eliminated.

COMMENT: The current regulation, Sec. 300.504, requiring prior parental consent to pre-placement evaluation and placement, should be retained. Tests and evaluation materials should be validated and administered by trained personnel. Sec. 300.141 of the NPRM should be revised to continue the current practice of re-evaluation every three years or upon request of either teacher or parent.

II. Individualized Education Program (NPRM Secs. 300.114; 300.120-300.128)

The NPRM would:

A.  Eliminate the present documentation required to show parental involvement in the IEP process.
B.  Eliminate the current requirement that a professionally trained person who has either evaluated the child or who is familiar with evaluation techniques must attend the IEP meeting.
C.  Eliminate the current requirement that an IEP meeting be held within thirty days after a child has been found eligible for services.
D.  Allow the state education agency to prescribe the contents of the IEP notice sent to parents.
E.  Allow the education agency to expel or discipline handicapped children for behavior which is not caused by handicapping conditions.

COMMENTS: Sec. 300.124 of the NPRM should be revised to require that someone knowledgeable about evaluation procedures, or a member of the evaluation team, must be present at the IEP meeting for a child who has been initially evaluated. The time line for conducting an IEP meeting should not be altered, and the IEP team, and not a local principal who may be unfamiliar with the behaviors associated with a particular handicapping condition, should be involved in disciplinary decisions. The Federally prescribed content of the IEP notice should also be unchanged.

III. Related Services (NPRM Secs. 300.4(b)(10))

Education agencies are given broad discretion in connection with the provision and amount of "related services." School health services, social work services, and parent counseling and training would no longer be part of the child's IEP. Medical services (such as insulin shots) would no longer have to be administered to the child, and the school would no longer have to provide ?specifically prescribed devices? such as hearing aids.

COMMENT: The existing "related services" regulation (Sec. 300.13) should be retained. A broad spectrum of related services must be provided by school authorities to ensure that the handicapped child will be able to benefit from the educational process.

IV. Least Restrictive Environment (NPRM Secs. 300.113; 300.160-300.161)

The NPRM would:
A.  Eliminate the requirement that a handicapped child be placed as close to home as possible, preferably in a neighborhood school.
B.  Make it easier to exclude the handicapped child from non-academic and extracurricular activities.

Other provisions which ensure that the handicapped child must receive services comparable to those offered non-handicapped children are eliminated. Local education agencies need provide only ?assurances? to state agencies that adequate special education services are being provided. School officials would also be able to weigh the disruptive impact on non?handicapped children when deciding whether to place a handicapped child in a regular classroom.

COMMENT: The existing regulations (Secs. 300.551-300.556) should be retained, including the requirement that state agencies must monitor LEA's to ensure compliance with P.L. 94-142. Mere "assurances" that the LEA is meeting the needs of handicapped students are inadequate. Children must not be segregated into special classes or institutions unless such placements are truly in the best interests of the handicapped child.

V. Parental Rights and Involvement in the Due Process Hearings (NPRM Secs. 300.125; 300.145-300.152)

In addition to the prior consent issue discussed above, the rights of parents at the due process hearing are also reduced. Schools will no longer be required to inform parents of the availability of advocacy services or of low-cost or free legal counsel to assist them at the hearing. Disclosure in advance of evidence to be offered at the due process hearing is also no longer required, and parents need not be informed that such hearings can be open to the public. The time frame for making due process hearing decisions is also expanded. 

COMMENT: Existing regulations which ensure parental involvement and prior disclosure of evidence at the due process hearing should be unchanged.

* Appendix B
What Can I Do?

To obtain standard print, large?print, or recorded copies of the NPRM, write Dr. Ed Sontag, Special Education Program, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 4000, Washington, DC 20202. A standard print copy of the NPRM can also be obtained from the Federal Register for August 4, 1982, at page 33836, available at most public libraries. Recorded copies of the NPRM are also available from the American Council of the Blind. Send three new, good quality, name brand cassettes to: Education Tapes, ACB Radio; 1108 N.E. 36th Street; Oklahoma City, OK 73111. 

To file written comments: Address Dr. Ed Sontag at the above address. 

Hearing Schedule: Briefings/hearings will be conducted in the following cities (call ACB or consult the Federal Register for location, time, and name of the Department of Education contact person): Sept. 8-9, Washington, DC; Sept. 13-14, Portland, ME; Sept. 13-14, Chicago, IL; Sept. 15-16, New York, NY; Sept. 15-16, Atlanta, GA; Sept. 20-21, Los Angeles, CA; Sept. 20-21, Denver, CO; Sept. 22-23, Dallas, TX; Sept. 22-23, Seattle, WA.

How to prepare comments and/ or testimony: Presentations, both oral and written, should be concise and to the point. Identify your statement with your name, title, organization name (if any), address, and telephone number. Refer to specific sections of the NPRM and describe your concerns with respect to each subpart and section. Witnesses are encouraged to summarize statements during oral presentations, with the full text being submitted for the hearing record. Be sure, also, to specify your recommended action. A mere statement that the proposed change is unacceptable, without presenting a rationale, is not recommended. If you are a parent whose child has been benefitted from P.L. 94-142 and its implementing regulations, it is suggested that you include concrete examples which demonstrate how the present regulations and procedures have benefitted your child. 

Persons making presentations at the hearings will be called upon in the order of registration. Persons wishing to make oral statements during the second day of each hearing should consult the Department of Education regional contact person in advance to schedule a hearing time.

To ask your questions by telephone: The Department of Education has set up a special information hotline. We are told that knowledgeable people will be available to answer your specific questions regarding the NPRM. To have your questions answered, call (202) 426-6114, or call the ACB National Office at 1-800-424-8666 and we will try to assist you.

*****

** News Briefs from the ACB National Office
By Oral O. Miller
National Representative

What a fantastic success! Not only was the 1982 ACB national convention largest ever (approximately 1300 people), but it featured dozens of interesting exhibits, many informative presentations and speeches, entertaining tours, pioneering demonstrations (such as the Eastern Airlines evacuation demonstration), a fabulous performance by Terri Gibbs, delicious meals, and outstanding hotel service. An enormous vote of thanks goes to the host affiliate, the Georgia Federation of the Blind, and to the 1982 National Convention Host Committee, chaired by Stephen Douglass of the Georgia Federation). Each year it is difficult to imagine how the next national convention can equal the present one, but we know that the Arizona Council of the Blind has already started working on the 1983 national convention, scheduled to take place in Phoenix. 

Although this article is not intended to summarize the 1982 national convention, I want to include a special word of welcome to our 16th national special-interest affiliate, the Braille Revival League, whose president received its charter at the 1982 Awards and Charter Gala. The interest shown in the use of braille is underscored by the phenomenal growth of this organization. 

Although the final organizing details had not been completed by national convention time, the establishment of an affiliate in the state of New Hampshire is just around the corner, and we are confident that that affiliate will be chartered by the time next year's national convention takes place.

Several weeks ago, the American Council of the Blind was informed that it would be the recipient of a Kurzweil Reading Machine for use in the ACB National Office. Thereafter, the ACB Board agreed to the conditions connected with acceptance of the machine, and it arrived in the National Office during the first week of August. It is expected to be very useful for several of the national staff members, and plans are under way to train other staff members to teach ACB members in the Washington metropolitan area to use the KRM when it is not being used by the staff. While the Kurzweil Reading Machine does not sound the same as ?Thomas the Talking Optacon,? we are looking forward to using it, and we sincerely thank the Xerox Corporation for giving it to us.

It is with mixed emotions that I report the departure of Marty Schaffer from the National Office staff and the Washington metropolitan area to relocate in California. Hundreds of ACB members and friends have spoken to Marty, our senior administrative assistant, by telephone, and dozens have met him when in Washington. All of us have appreciated and benefitted from his hardworking temperament, his knowledge about services for the blind, and his loyalty to ACB. While we hate to lose him, we sincerely wish him well as he moves to California. The esteem in which Marty is held by his friends and associates in the Washington area is underscored by the fact that there was not quite enough room for everyone who wanted to wish him well at his going-away dinner in early August.

*****

** Goldwater Introduces Workshop Legislation
By Kathy Megivern

On June 3, 1982, Representative Barry Goldwater, Jr. (R., CA) introduced H. R. 6529. Entitled the "Jobs and Business Opportunities for the Handicapped Act of 1982," this legislation would drastically change the sheltered workshop program as it now exists. 

Currently, the Javits-Wagner?O'Day Act authorizes a special procurement program providing for the Federal Government to purchase certain goods and services from sheltered workshops which employ blind and handicapped persons. Under this Act, the Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely Handicapped is designated to select which goods and services may be provided by eligible workshops. The Committee also establishes the fair market price for these goods and services. The Committee has designated two central, non-profit agencies to assist in implementing the Act. These agencies are National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and National Industries for the Severely Handicapped (NISH).

The Goldwater bill would abolish the Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely Handicapped and transfer administration of the program to the Department of Commerce. As a result, NIB and NISH would also be abolished.

Current law requires that 75 percent of direct labor hours in the workshops be performed by blind or handicapped persons. H.R. 6529 would change that to require that 60 percent of workshop employees (including administrative and management personnel) be blind or handicapped, and that at least 60 percent of the wages, salaries, and fringe benefits must be paid to blind or handicapped persons. This change would appear to be an incentive for upward mobility, since many persons have complained that limiting the 75 percent to direct labor only, may prevent blind or handicapped persons from being promoted to management or administrative positions. The American Council of the Blind, in Resolution 82-08, has endorsed amending current law to allow that when blind and handicapped persons are in management or supervisory positions, they may still be included in the 75 percent requirement. 

Another major change made by the Goldwater bill is the inclusion of for?profit industries in the procurement program. In introducing this bill, Congressman Goldwater referred to the General Accounting Office investigation of the sheltered workshop program which he requested three years ago. What he failed to note, however, is that this legislation ignores the recommendations made by the GAO as a result of his requested investigation. 

H.R. 6529 would not improve the Javits-Wagner-O'Day program; it would destroy it.

This goal is not inconsistent with previous positions taken by Representative Goldwater. At 1979 Congressional hearings on the issue of sub?minimum wages, Mr. Goldwater presented testimony which expressed his true concern; that is, the competition which sheltered workshops give to profit-making businesses. That testimony by Congressman Goldwater did not mention improved working conditions, better wages, or upward mobility for handicapped workers. Rather, it focused on what he perceived as the unfair advantages which workshops have because of the Javits?Wagner-O'Day program. 

A recent analysis of H.R. 6529 by the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress noted that "this legislative initiative was developed and is supported by the National Federation of the Blind." NFB has been seeking a Senate sponsor for this legislation and has contacted, among others, Senator Jennings Randolph (D., WV). Senator Randolph is said to be concerned about problems in the Javits-Wagner-O'Day program, such as the lack of upward mobility. 

Most major organizations of and for the blind are working together to produce positive legislation which will address some of these concerns. The American Council of the Blind, the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of American, and the American Association of Workers for the Blind will be working with National Industries for the Blind and others in the coming months to improve and strengthen the Javits-Wagner-O'Day program. 

As for H.R. 6529, it seems unlikely that there will be any action on it in this Congress. Representative Goldwater lost his bid for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, so he will not be returning to Congress in January. However, we can expect that the NFB will continue its battle to destroy the workshop program, and legislation similar to H.R. 6529 is sure to appear in the 98th Congress.

*****

** Crisis in Radio Reading Services
By Rosie Hurwitz, President
Association of Radio Reading Services, and Director, University of Kansas Audio Reader Network

Congress, in the Public Broadcasting Amendment Act of 1981, Section 396(a), Item No. 5, stated: "It furthers the general welfare to encourage public telecommunication services which will be responsive to the interests of people, both in particular localities and throughout the United States, and which will constitute an expression of diversity and excellence, and which will constitute a source of alternative telecommunication services for all of the citizens of the nation." 

Those of us who are involved in public telecommunications through the provision of radio reading services for blind and handicapped people feel deeply our obligation to supply that "alternative telecommunication service" through the provision of daily local newspapers, periodicals, best?selling books, and the information that permits the opportunities for maximum personal independence and social interaction for our listeners. Radio reading services, using the sub?channels of public broadcasting stations (and in some cases commercial subchannels), are presently serving approximately 125,000 persons whose disabilities deny them access to current and local printed materials, for reasons of blindness, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, residuals of polio, severe arthritis, upper paraplegia, and other neurological and orthopedic syndromes, derived congenitally or from accident or disease. 

Radio reading services are locally derived, grassroots movements which depend heavily on local relations for their rather meager funding, and on the many thousands of volunteers across the country who do the actual reading performance on these stations. There have been many threats to the continued growth and development of radio reading services, as we strive together to reach the potential audience of three million people in our country who could benefit from and enjoy this greater access to their local communities. While local National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate station managers as well as many other local civic-minded organizations have supported and helped to build irreplaceable, independent radio reading services, it has been clear to all of us, as members of the Association of Radio Reading Services, a national organization, that NPR has been insensitive to local needs and opinions. 

We understand NPR's need for money. This is also a major problem for radio reading services, which do not enjoy a Federal funding allocation of any kind. However, FCC Docket 82-1, which would deregulate the subchannels of public radio stations that currently carry local radio reading services, so that public radio could lease that space for remuneration, while displacing these local services to the blind and handicapped, appears to the members of ARRS to be in conflict with the stated purpose of public broadcasting. 

NPR's request to the Federal Communications Commission to broaden the base band of the broadcast spectrum, thus permitting a second sub?channel at 92 kHz, would seem an ideal solution to the problem of earning additional income for public radio stations. Radio reading and other telecommunication services could continue to operate in their present 67 kHz subchannel location, and new space at 92 kHz could be used by public stations for remuneration. NPR has flatly refused to negotiate protection for public telecommunication services on either subchannel. 

The need for additional financial support for public radio is something no radio reading service would deny. However, such support must not be achieved at the expense of the blind and handicapped who depend upon these local radio reading services. NPR's proposed national program for the "print handicapped" on cable will not take the place of the local information currently supplied by 115 local radio reading services. 

The Association of Radio Reading Services, which represents these services, earnestly seeks your support. Please ask your local members of Congress to support local radio reading services by opposing FCC Broadcast Docket 82-1.

*****

** Disabled Sue U.S. Postal Service

(Reprinted from Achievement, National Voice of the Disabled, July, 1982.)

Mason H. Rose V, former Chairman of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, has filed a suit against the U.S. Postal Service because it leases more than 15,000 inaccessible postal facilities throughout the nation. 

The suit has been filed by Mr. Rose on his own behalf as a handicapped person, on behalf of all other persons similarly situated, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Darrell McDaniel Independent Living Center. 

The suit seeks to enforce the Congressional mandate "to assure that architectural barriers to handicapped persons are eliminated in buildings operated by the United States Postal Service, including buildings leased to the Postal Service." 

The suit alleges that the Postal Service is violating the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. It also cites violation of due process of law and the equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The suit seeks restraining orders and injunctions requiring (chiefly) that Postal Service "refrain from entering, renewing, or extending leases for buildings and facilities for the conducting of Postal Service operations without requiring that said leased buildings be made accessible to and usable by, handicapped persons," and that the Postal Service "make accessible to physically handicapped persons the leased buildings and facilities it operates which are not now accessible, in accordance with law." 

The suit was filed in the United States District Court in Los Angeles, California, April 22, 1982, by Attorney Stanley Fleishman and Mason H. Rose V. Mr. Rose served papers in the lawsuit to Assistant Postmaster General Roger Craig at the May 4 meeting of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. (Mr. Craig is the gentleman who is leading the Reaganite attempt to rescind the Board's accessibility guidelines or to weaken them.)

Handicapped individuals and their organizations and friends throughout the nation are urged to join this most important court action. Address: Mason H. Rose V, 4010 Palos Verdes Drive, N., Academy Center, Suite 100, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274; telephone (213) 541-9722.

*****

** Here and There
By George Card

(Editor's Note: The following items are taken from "Here and There" columns which appeared in The Braille Forum during the first two years of its publication, from April 1962 to October 1963.) 

April 1962: From Listen - Blind voyagers traveling on the Queen Elizabeth or Queen Mary may have the opportunity of reading braille books regularly stocked in the libraries of the Cunard Lines' two superliners. ? 3,783 titles are listed in the new catalog of Recording for the Blind, Inc.

From The New Beacon - Mr. Thomas Gaygan, who lost his eyes and both hands from an exploding booby trap in Tunisia during World War II and was afterwards trained as a switchboard operator, has just passed the official test for braille writing. This is the same test given home teachers. The time allowed is seven days, but Mr. Gaygan made it in four. The Research Department at St. Dunstan's had adapted a braille writer for his use. The keys are about three inches longer than normal and are spread far enough apart so that Mr. Gaygan can press them one at a time. ? The same issue records the death of Charles E. Browne, famous science lecturer, at the age of 96. When Professor Browne was 85, he became totally blind, following which he gained great proficiency in both the reading and writing of braille and learning touch typing.

In the January issue of the Washington State White Cane, Frank M. Stewart, who has most ably edited this publication for the past five years (after telling his readers that the magazine may soon be suspended), states his reasons for resigning at this time both from membership in the Washington State Association of the Blind and his editorship: "Our decision to discontinue as editor for WSAB has nothing to do with imminent cessation of its publication. Our decision to resign from the organization is based partially on its unwillingness to oppose certain terms laid down by the national organization (of which WSAB is a member affiliate) for continued membership ? terms which we find quite intolerable and essentially devastating to the concept of independence for the blind that is so frequently talked about by organizations of the blind."

It is reported that a newly invented device which will enable blind persons to identify denominations of bills will soon become available. The little machine fits easily on a desk or counter. 

October 1962: An article in the March New Outlook points out that the law in Israel which compels employers to hire no less than 5 percent of workers who are physically handicapped specifically exempts the blind. This, of course, reinforces the popular notion that the blind are unemployable. 

From The New Beacon - In 1960 the first guide dog training center in the Soviet Union was opened in Moscow. The dogs are loaned to the blind without charge, but remain the property of the All-Russian Society of the Blind. 

A recent issue of Listen contains a fascinating account of a highly successful New York executive who has been totally blind since the age of 24. He is Mr. Irving A. Manacher, who is president of Central Coal Co. and Central Petroleum Co., and chairman of several affiliated companies in Greater New York, Westchester, and northern New Jersey. ? The first double corneal transplant operation ever performed in Great Britain restored sight to a guide dog which had become blind. Two mongrels were put to death to make the corneas available for the guide dog.

From Visually Handicapped Views (S.D.) - The South Dakota Association of the Blind assisted to the extent of $400 in making possible the first corneal transplant ever performed in this state. 

From Hoosier Star-Light - Police in Gary, Indiana, recently apprehended a blind burglar who had robbed a series of homes with the aid of his guide dog. John J. Knowles, 26, was arrested on a first-degree burglary charge after a witness had spotted him and his dog climbing out of the window of a house he had just robbed. 

January 1963: From The Montana Observer - Many will welcome with enthusiasm the establishment of a Braille Music Section in the Library of Congress. This became a reality under a law signed by President Kennedy on October 9. 

Eight of last year's blind graduates from California colleges have obtained teaching jobs ? seven in California and one in Chicago. This information comes from Miss Onvia Ticer of California. 

By an overwhelming vote on October 14, the Oklahoma Federation of the Blind at its annual convention authorized its Board of Directors to apply for the organization's affiliation with the American Council of the Blind. The OFB is one of the older and more powerful state organizations of the blind in the U.S.

The October issue of Aerospace Medicine contains a set of criteria adopted by all U.S. airlines which are to be used in deciding whether or not a handicapped person is to be accepted. Blindness is not specifically referred to, but the acceptance of ?non-ambulatory? passengers is apparently left to the discretion of the initial carrier. Once accepted, other lines to which he may transfer are bound to transport him.

April 1963: From The Jewish Braille Review - Two firsts occurred in New York City this year affecting blind people: (1) one was organizing a blind group (blind concessionnaire workers) into a union, AFL/CIO; (2) the second first is that a contract was signed between blind employers (concession chief operators of stands in Federal and state buildings) and blind employees. The employers refused to negotiate at first, but upon the advice of the Commission for the Blind, sat down with their workers and ironed out a contract. 

From Hoosier Star-Light - A relatively simple compound that blocks some viruses as effectively as antibiotics knock out bacteria was described recently to the American Medical Association. The anti-viral drug resulted in apparent cure of 87 cases of the virus disease known as herpes simplex keratitis, an infection of the eye cornea that causes the transparent tissue to turn opaque and develop blinding scars. 

Washington - AP - Marilyn B. Brandt of San Antonio, Texas, is the first blind volunteer accepted by the Peace Corps. The 23-year-old graduate of Southwest Texas State Teachers College has been assigned to a school for the blind in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic. 

July 1963: From The Lion Magazine - A very unusual camera was recently given Westbourne Hospital by the one-year-old Bournemouth, England, Lions Club. The Japanese-made Noyori Fundus camera is used for photographing the back of the eye, recording in black and white any "doubtful" eye disease. Patients previously had to go to Oxford, or even further afield, to have special drawings of their infected eyes made by an eye artist. The new camera enables photographs to be taken and compared with others a month later, thus simplifying diagnosis. 

Joseph Morello, a Springfield, Massachusetts, drummer with very little vision, recently received the top honor in the jazz world. He won Downbeat Magazine's 27th annual reader poll. He was a member of the famed Dave Brubeck Quartet for seven years, and before that, of the Marion McPartland Trio.

October 1963: From The Wisconsin State Journal - Mr. Wallington Simpson of Ramsey, New Jersey, who loves children and who is almost blind himself, has built a bike that will enable a blind boy and his mother to ride side by side. It consists of two 24-inch bikes connected by three metal bars.

From The Nebraska Observer - The first blind person ever to win laurels as an expert speleologist (explorer of caves) is a 27-year-old French girl named Colette Richard. Sightless since birth, Miss Richard is said to have made two major underground explorations, climaxing her adventures by spending a night in the Cavern of Saint-Gaudens, France. Described by fellow explorers as ''one of our aces," the young French woman also excels as a mountain climber, golfer, swimmer, and horseback rider.

*****

** Notice to Subscribers

The Braille Forum is available in braille, large-type, and two recorded editions -- flexible disc (8 1/3 tpm), 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.

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