The Braille Forum Vol. XXI February, 1983 No. 8 22nd Annual Convention American Council of the Blind Phoenix, Arizona July 3-9, 1983 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 1-800-424-8666 * Editorial Office The Braille Forum: Mary T. Ballard 190 Lattimore Road Rochester, NY 14620 (716) 244-8364 * Contributing Editor 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 Box 237 Department Of Mathematical Sciences Loyola University New Orleans, LA 70118 * Secretary: Karen Perzentka 6913 Colony Dr. 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 ACB Officers President's Message, by Grant Mack Leonard J. Suchanek: A Portrait, by John M. Williams From A to Z in AZ: 1983 ACB National Convention, by Ruth Bagby Druding Notice Concerning Applications for and Renewals of ACB Membership-at-Large Thoughts on Membership Hurry, Hurry, Hurry! Blind Inmates - Prison Within a Prison, by Barbara Nelson NLS to Produce Dictionary on Cassette Hazard Cited for the Blind on Subways Lament of the Lame Duck Session, by Scott Marshall Challenges for the 98th Congress, by Scott Marshall Electronically Watched Neighbors Blind Ambition Stay Tuned to the Continuing Saga of Radio Reading Services, by Barbara Nelson Jobs for the Disabled - Japan Style Congress Approves $14 Million Increase for Eye Research IABT to Hold Conference NIB and RRTC Cooperate in Research Projects to Further Employability of Blind Persons LCCR Thirty-Third Annual Meeting Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President?s Message By Grant Mack Phoenix, Arizona, is a delightful place to visit in January. Thousands of tourists from the more frigid areas of the United States make their way to this "Valley of the Sun" during the winter months. The soft air, gentle breezes, and ever-present sunshine act as a tonic. Perhaps this accounts for part of the reason your Board particularly enjoyed this year's mid-year meeting which was held in the downtown Phoenix Hilton Hotel in January. More explicit details of that meeting will be reported in a future issue of The Braille Forum. But I would like to mention one significant "first" which occurred. For the first time, the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind approved an annual budget in excess of one million dollars. There is no real virtue in just spending a lot of money, but it is significant that your Budget Committee deliberated many long hours to make certain that the anticipated revenue for 1983 would be spent wisely. We should all thank Carl McCoy, Chairman, and Delbert Aman and James Olsen for their diligent and sustained efforts in preparing this well-planned, practical, and useful outline for the budget. Without exception, every person attending this mid-year board meeting was high in praise of the Phoenix Hilton, where the ACB convention will be held this summer. Those who had never been in Arizona were particularly interested to learn more about this unique state. Those who were returning found new and exciting adventures and are looking forward to next summer's activities. You will hear more about this as you read the Host Committee report elsewhere in this and future issues of The Braille Forum. To conclude, I would like to bring to your attention something not too well known. Arizona has the unique distinction of having 100 percent of its agencies serving the blind accredited by the National Accreditation Council of Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped: the State School for the Deaf and Blind, the Center for the Blind of Phoenix, the Foundation for Blind Children in Scottsdale, the Tucson Association for the Blind, and the Yuma Center for the Visually Impaired. Arizona seems to be particularly sensitive to the need for and value of accreditation, as shown in an article appearing in the Arizona Republic on January 8. Excerpts from the article bear re?printing: In 1980, when the new Deer Valley High School opened its doors, some parents worried that it would not be as good as schools in Phoenix and Glendale. It was a scary proposition to send their children to a new school, according to principal Bob Sauter. But administrators in the Deer Valley Unified School District assured the committee that students would be educated properly. Now they're out to show that they have made good on this promise. The high school, with its first senior class graduating in the spring of 1983, is under scrutiny by its faculty and outside agencies. The 87-year-old North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has set criteria and evaluates elementary and secondary schools and colleges to see if they measure up. Being approved by North Central, Sauter said, "is an assurance that your programs have been evaluated by an effective set of people." If a school's membership in the Association is not accepted, the faculty will be told why and can rectify the situation and re-apply, Sauter explained. It's prestigious to have North Central accreditation, according to the principal, and most schools in the Valley have it. Each committee evaluates the continuing situation. Committee reports are reviewed by Sauter and given to the North Central organization. It's the in-house evaluation, more than the North Central team coming for an on-site look in February, this is most important to the principal. Sauter said it "brings the faculty together as a working unit. You need to work as a team. You need to work for the student." The importance of accreditation seems to have impacted educators in this great southwest state. It is fortunate for blind citizens that the value of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped is understood. Hats off to all the agencies serving the blind in Arizona for taking this forward step toward improvement of services to the blind! ***** ** Leonard J. Suchanek: A Portrait By John M. Williams Free-Lance Writer Leonard J. Suchanek (pronounced Su/ha/nek) is one of those rare, charismatic individuals you meet and will always remember. Physically small, he is a large man in the way one dreams of being hugely successful as both a human being and a professional. His "I can do it" attitude is impressive to strangers who meet him for the first time. It seizes them and leaves them with the memory of a man who does not indulge himself in self-pity, for he is blind, totally deaf in his right ear, and has a 10 percent hearing loss in his left ear. When you speak to him, he turns his head to his left so he can hear you. He is an achiever. Since 1978 he has been chairman and Chief Judge for the Board of Contract Appeals, General Services Administration (GSA), in Washington, D.C. He supervises the work of ten other judges, four staff attorneys, and sixteen others. He determines Board policy and direction, and hears and decides contract disputes with the GSA, the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Commerce, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the Executive Office of the President, and other Federal Agencies. He has been the Chief Counsel for Appeals, Office of General Counsel, GSA, where he tried major cases before the Board on contract disputes from 1971 to 1978, relating to the design and construction of major Federal buildings, the leasing and alteration of space, the development and purchase of computer hardware and software, and many other types of Government contracts. And he has been Chief Counsel for the Public Building Service Claims, Office of GSA, 1969-71; trial attorney, Office of General Counsel, GSA; and a general practitioner of law with the firm of Kennedy and Kennedy, Omaha, Nebraska, 1962-63. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Nebraska Bars and a member of the American Bar Association, where he chairs the Public Contracts Section, responsible for developing positions on a broad range of ethical questions. He is a graduate of George Washington University National Law Center, LL.M., 1967, and Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska: J.D., 1962; B.S., 1958. Suchanek is married, has a 15-year-old son, loves cooking and gardening, and is a voracious reader. His friends and family call him a workaholic. * Early Days Suchanek was born on April 5, 1937, in Sherman County, Nebraska. He was one of twelve children, with six brothers and five sisters. His family was very poor and his life was very harsh. He was 5 years old when he lost his eyesight. While playing with a pair of scissors, they accidentally went into his left eye. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment. The scissors were removed, and shortly afterward, his left eye became infected. In a matter of months, he lost the vision in both eyes. "I was scared to death. I literally mean that. So was my family. Taking care of a blind child is difficult now; then it was even worse. My family gave me plenty of support then, and even now. I would not have made it without them." Two years later, he lost the hearing in his right ear and partially in his left. It was a sudden loss. It was also frightening. Again his family gave him support. He found comfort in it. In September 1942, he was sent to the Nebraska School for the Blind. It was a traumatic experience for him, and one he still remembers. "I was always homesick. I missed my family very much - so much so that it took me nearly two years to learn braille. Other students there learned it in a matter of months." Until he was either 12 or 13, he saw his family only during the Christmas holidays and summer. He missed his family very much. Everyone was very close. His father was a farmer and worked very hard to support his family. His mother was a Czechoslovakian who spoke German and Polish and very little English. Both parents set high standards in the ways they worked, prayed, and cared for one another and their children. It was a strong, close family, true to the tradition of the midwest. Another midwest tradition is independence, and he showed he wanted to be independent. His family could not afford to send him any money, so he learned how to make door mats out of binder twine which was used at harvest time. He sold them for $1 apiece. It was rough going, and he often had blisters on his hands from the work. Finally, he could afford to go home for Thanksgiving. He paid his way home, and even purchased the turkey that year. "I remember that Thanksgiving so well. It was very cold. My family was so proud of me. I was so glad to be home and happy I could buy the turkey," said Suchanek. Besides his family, there were a number of teachers who influenced him during his early years. In Grades 5 and 6, there was Miss Heywood. She taught him self-confidence, and in return he started studying harder. At Grand Island High School, there were Miss Hartsook and Miss Mahoney. Miss Hartsook trained him in English, American literature, and Latin - subjects he still appreciates and believes have helped him, particularly Latin and English, in his study of law. Miss Mahoney persuaded him to study music, and so he began to take guitar lessons. She also taught him to feel, to wink, to raise his eyebrows, to smile. "She used to put her arms around me so I could learn to show emotions," says Suchanek. "I am very grateful to her. She showed me a part of life I had been missing." Socially, high school was difficult for him. He had spent eight years in an environment where all the students were disabled. Now he was the only disabled student at Grand Island (his family had moved to Grand Island after he started school at the Nebraska State School for the Blind). He recalls, "I was an oddity. I was never really accepted by my classmates. I would go to dances and stand there. Very, very few people ever came up to me and spoke to me. Very few girls ever asked me to dance. You know, today my wife and I are invited to functions, or I go to functions, and people still shy away from me. I don't understand their behavior and attitudes." He was an honors student in high school and graduated in 1955. He went to Creighton College in Omaha on a scholarship that covered his tuition and board. He also received $65 monthly from his county, but that was not enough money to meet his needs. And so, he sold magazines and pre-fabricated garages, and did promotion surveys for the campus radio station. At times, money was so short that he often went two to three days without eating. One of the survival techniques he learned was to go to the bar on campus and buy a beer. While drinking the beer, he would eat as many crackers and as much other free food as he could. "If it hadn't been for the beer and crackers, I would not have survived." He majored in history, with concentrated studies in political science, philosophy, and economics. He was also a delegate to the University Student Leadership Conference, Vice President of the Chess Club, and secretary of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity. He graduated in 1958 and went to Creighton Law School. While in school, he served as vice president of the senior class, was a member of the Student Bar Association and Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, and was elected "King Creighton," a university wide social honor. "I enjoyed graduate school and was looking forward to starting a new life when I left." * The Later Years In 1962 he graduated from law school and went to work for the law firm of Kennedy and Kennedy. He handled criminal cases and worked in other legal areas as cases came up. After working there a year, he decided he needed more of a challenge. He and his wife Carol decided to try Washington, D.C. "I wanted a higher law degree, and I wanted to work in a city where there was more excitement, where decisions were being made with immense impact. I felt Washington, D.C., the place to come." He arrived in Washington, D.C., in June 1963 and was interviewed at the Department of Justice and the GSA. GSA gave him a temporary job, and he has progressed up the ladder. He started at a GS-8 level; today he is GS-18, with an annual salary of $57,000. His climb was not easy. There have been insults by peers; there have been attempts by some Administrations to force him out of office and to make him pay for technological aids he uses for his work; there have been smear campaigns against his character, and even innuendos that he and one of his staff assistants were having an affair. And when he was appointed to his present position in 1978, there were howls that a blind man could not do the job, despite his past record at GSA. He has emerged victorious, and a stronger person for it. He does not put up with nonsense, and he combats prejudice by both word and deeds. He believes there are a lot of good people out there and enjoys working with them. Many are surprised at how much he works and produces. One of the reasons he can produce so much is that he has learned to use technology during a given work day. Technology is rapidly changing the working patterns of disabled people. It is making it possible for disabled people to work in areas that have been traditionally closed to them. Suchanek has seen the value of technology and has been a leader in both utilizing it and advocating for greater use of it among disabled people. In his office, he has a tape recorder, two braille typewriters, and a Kurzweil reading machine. In a room across from his office, he has a Total Talk, a talking terminal manufactured by Maryland Computer Services. With his Total Talk, the Judge can write and edit his own reports, proofread his work, and do other work. He says of Total Talk: "I believe Total Talk is marvelous. The people at Maryland Computer Services have shown considerable skill in developing it. It is better than my Kurzweil. I use it several hours during the day and at least eight hours a day or more on weekends. It is connected to our main computer here and gives me immediate access to all the information I need. Its voice quality is superb. Its unlimited vocabulary makes it a huge asset to have." The Kurzweil reading machine is a fully automatic reader which scans a page, recognizes the words on it, and "reads" them in a synthesized voice. The machine can read up to 200 words per minute and is manufactured by Kurzweil Computer Products, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The equipment puts him on an equal footing with his peers. He encourages other disabled people to investigate how computer technology can change their lives and help in both education and employment. * Concerns The Judge is an advocate for protecting and enforcing the human and civil rights of all disabled people. He believes there are far too many disabled people who are being discriminated against in every profession. He encourages disabled people to stand up for their rights; to be aggressive when they need to be. He knows that disabled people have given much to the world, and that they can give much more. He believes there are individuals out there willing to help disabled people, just as they have helped him. ***** ** From A to Z in AZ 1983 ACB National Convention By Ruth Bagby Druding As July 1983 draws closer, the host committee for the 1983 national convention of the American Council of the Blind is preparing to make your visit to Phoenix, Arizona, most enjoyable. The Valley of the Sun has everything from A to Z, literally. Even the state abbreviations is AZ. Arizona is generally regarded as a desert state; yet it has land at sea level and mountains which rise to 13,000 feet. There is much desert, but there is also an inland ocean, complete with beaches and lots of sunshine. Buildings in and around Phoenix range from ancient Indian ruins thousands of years old to the most modern structures designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who called Arizona home. Indians still make their wares as they did hundreds of years ago, while space-age industries and nuclear power are evident as well. Arizona has experienced tremendous growth, but the visitor doesn't have to look far to find the frontier. Boots, Levis and cowboy hats, and even occasionally gun-toters may be seen, in contrast with the businessman in suit and tie. Casual and comfortable is more generally the order of the day for clothing. It's A to Z in tourist attractions, too. Visit the antique aviation museum or the zoo. Check out the antique fire engines (there's even one that's a bob-sled) in House of Flame. Grind your own corn, card wool, and learn about Indian pottery, jewelry, and basketry at the Hurd Museum. Here are some convention specifics. By this time, all special-interest organizations should have received information packets about the convention. Included in this material are menus for special-interest occasions, boutique information, and requests for program details. Each special-interest group is asked to send all details of meetings, meals and special activities, no later than March 1, to 1983 ACB Convention Committee, Attention: Maxine Schramm, 3124 E. Roosevelt, Suite 2, Phoenix, AZ 85008. All ACB affiliates should by now have received a letter from Mr. Norbert Nathe, Exhibits Chairman, concerning the ACB boutique. If your affiliate would like to reserve a booth in the boutique, contact Mr. Nathe no later than March 1. By the way, the boutique is open to local chapters of state and special-interest affiliates, too. Convention headquarters is the Phoenix Hilton Hotel, Central and Adams, Phoenix, AZ 85001; telephone (602) 257-1525. Room rates are: singles, $30; doubles, $34; triples, $38; and quads, $42. If you have any questions or suggestions which you would like to share with the Convention Committee, please do not hesitate to contact Hal Newsome, Convention Chairman, at 3124 E. Roosevelt, Suite 2, Phoenix, AZ 85008; telephone (602) 273-1510. ***** ** Notice Concerning Applications for and Renewals of ACB Membership-At-Large The American Council of the Blind Constitution and By-Laws provide that any person who has reached the age of 18 years and who is not a voting member of an ACB affiliate is eligible to become a member-at-large, with the right to an individual vote at the annual convention. Annual membership-at-large dues are $2.00. New applicants for membership-at?large pay an initiation fee of $3.00, which includes the first year's dues. Application forms are available from the ACB National Office. The Constitution and By-Laws further provide that all dues are to be received no later than ninety days prior to the ACB national convention; that is, in 1983, by April 7. All membership-at-large dues should be clearly identified as such and should be sent, no later than April 7, 1983, to the ACB National Office, Attention: James R. Olsen, Treasurer, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. ***** ** Thoughts on Membership (Author unknown) Are you an active member The kind that would be missed? Or are you just content That your name is on the list? Do you attend our meetings And mingle with the flock? Or do you just stay at home And criticize and knock? Do you take an active part To help the work along? Or, are you satisfied To just belong? Do you work with fellow members And get right in and mix? Or leave the work to just a few, And complain about the cliques? Think this over, members. You know right from wrong. Are you an active member? Or do you just belong??? ***** ** Hurry, Hurry, Hurry! The theme, "A Perfect Vision of Life for the Blind in the Year 2020," should stir the imagination and creative impulses of writers interested in entering the 1983 Ned E. Freeman Literary Competition, sponsored by the Board of Publications of the American Council of the Blind. Essays may be humorous or serious; they may concentrate on electronic gadgetry or on a comparison between "the good old days" of 1983 and the future in 2020. Please refer to the November 1982 issue of The Braille Forum for full rules and guidelines for the annual literary competition. To refresh your memory, the deadline for entries is April 1, 1983. Entries should be no more than 1,500 words nor less than 1,000 words. Send entries directly to Mary Ballard, Editor, Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. The members of the ACB Board of Publications are the judges. The winner will receive an award of $100.00, with publication of the winning essay in the July 1983 Braille Forum. Hurry! ***** ** Blind Inmates - Prison within a Prison By Barbara Nelson Staff Attorney Life is tough for all of the 22,000 inmates in the overcrowded Attica State Prison in New York. Fear, despair, isolation, brutality are a daily reality. But life is even tougher for the four blind inmates in the prison. Currently, three of them spend their days and nights confined to a 20-by 20-foot room with a sighted inmate. A fourth blind inmate was recently transferred to the prison infirmary for other health reasons. All of these men became blind either at the time of their arrest or during their stay in prison. Until this past August, after one of the blind inmates petitioned a Federal court judge to review his situation, they were receiving no rehabilitation services whatever. They had no orientation and mobility skills, no talking books, no braille skills, no privacy, and nothing to do. The room where the inmates are confined is so small that there is only 18 inches between inmates' beds. Caught in a classic Catch-22 situation, the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped could not provide rehabilitation services because the men lacked the "vocational goal" necessary to justify expenditure of vocational rehabilitation funds for training, and the prison had no personnel trained to assist the men in learning compensatory skills. Prison officials, legitimately concerned about the safety of the blind inmates in the general prison population, felt they had no option but to establish a separate unit for these blind prisoners. In August, a Methodist minister began volunteering to try to help the men by raising money for braille watches, canes, food, and an electric oven, and by trying to teach them independent living skills. The judge who was assigned to review one prisoner's request for a transfer has not yet reached a decision, but has indicated that Attica's "prison within a prison" may be unconstitutional, cruel, and unusual punishment. The American Council of the Blind is providing assistance and information to the inmates' attorney, who says that there is a good chance they may be transferred to a smaller, less dangerous correctional facility. One prisoner's comment sums up the feelings of the four blind inmates: "Because we're blind, we've been put here and forgotten." ***** ** NLS to Produce Dictionary on Cassette The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, has been quietly working for the past two years on a project which can only be described as mind-boggling. Under the watchful eye of Michael M. Moodie of the NLS recording studio staff, development of tone and voice indexing techniques is making possible a complete recorded version of a standard dictionary. The narrating portion of the project was due for completion in October 1982, and users can expect to have the entire volume available by early summer of 1983. The project was just an idea in 1975 (see "A Dictionary on Tape," by James G. Chandler, The Braille Forum, September-October 1975). Serious consideration began at NLS in 1978, and actual program development and recording got under way in October of 1980. To give just a hint of what the project involves: The finished product will be recorded by ten different narrators on 58 four-track cassettes ? 232 sides, amounting to more than 340 hours of reading time. The dictionary itself contains close to 60,000 entries. Each one is being tone-indexed, and every third one is voice-indexed. The 58 cassettes will be housed in a specially designed folder system. Each folder will hold twelve cassettes, and each one will indicate the word range in both large-print and braille. Each cassette within the folder will tell the user the beginning word on each track. Thus, the user will find it simple to select the right folder and the right cassette needed to locate a word. Attendees at the 1981 convention of the American Council of the Blind in Atlanta got a brief look at this production marvel at the NLS booth. Final plans are still somewhat sketchy, but NLS intends to make master copies available to its regional libraries and to non-profit groups for duplication and sale to users at cost. At this point, there is no guess as to what the cost to individuals will be. The dictionary itself is the Concise Heritage Dictionary, published on 819 pages by the Houghton-Mifflin Company. The recorded version will require the use of a slow-speed, four?track cassette player. Both the tone and voice indexing entries are heard when the machine is operated in the Fast Forward position. ***** ** Hazard Cited for the Blind on Subways (Reprinted from The New York Times, Jan. 6, 1983) Spokesmen for New York's major organizations for the blind charged yesterday that two models of the city's subway cars posed a serious danger to the blind, the visually impaired, and the elderly. The cars are the virtually identical R-44 and R-46 models ... In recent weeks, blind people have been in two subway accidents, one of them fatal, that involved these cars. Dorothy Matano, President of the New York State chapter of the American Council of the Blind, said she and other leaders of organizations for the blind had been "talking about this devastating hazard for years" with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "The M.T.A. has largely been ignoring us," she said. "I am irate." She said there were wide spaces between these subway cars that blind people waiting on a platform could mistake for an open subway door. No barrier warns blind passengers or prevents them from falling between the cars. On other types of subway cars, a chain or gate hangs between the cars. On December 20, David Schnair, the 75-year-old Executive Director of the Blinded Veterans Association, fell into the space between two such cars ... Mr. Schnair was saved when Reginald Andrews, an unemployed father of eight, leaped on to the tracks and pulled him away. On December 27, Burt Zimmerman, 53, a blind social worker, fell between the cars ... and was killed. The transit police termed the death an accident. "It's a negligence on the part of the M.T.A. not to have some kind of barrier to protect people." Robert Huber, a spokesman for the Transit Authority, acknowledged that the R-44 and the R-46 cars do not have gates or barriers between them. He declined, however, to comment on whether that posed a safety hazard. A suit against the Transit Authority and the M.T.A. is pending before the State Division of Human Rights. The suit, filed in 1978 on behalf of the New York City chapter of the American Council of the Blind charges that by not providing adequate safety precautions on the R-44 and the R-46 cars, the Transit Authority and the M.T.A. were discriminating against the visually impaired. "M.T.A. policy is not to comment pending the outcome of litigation," Mr. Huber said. Mrs. Matano said the M.T.A. has been "unresponsive and insensitive." "We are not asking for a big thing," she said. "We're not telling them to renovate the subway system. We are just saying we need a little safety." (NOTE: William F. Gallagher, Executive Director, American Foundation for the Blind, presented a $500 check on behalf of the AFB Board and staff, to Reginald Andrews, the (then) unemployed father of eight who saved the life of David Schnair on the Monday before Christmas. Mr. Andrews was returning from a job interview when he saw Mr. Schnair fall between two subway cars. "I wasn't thinking about the danger - just that, hey, somebody needs help," said Mr. Andrews, explaining why he leaped on to the subway tracks to rescue Mr. Schnair. Since that time, Mr. Andrews, himself, has been the recipient of a number of good works: He received $3,000 from an anonymous donor to pay off his debts; the $500 from AFB and other small donations, and a call from President Reagan. Mr. Andrews also got the job he applied for.) ***** ** Lament of the Lame Duck Session By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs All-night sessions ... Filibusters ... Threats of Presidential veto ... All this plagued the post-election session of the 97th Congress. As the Senate was virtually paralyzed by a Republican filibuster over gasoline tax legislation, the Government's funding authority expired on December 17, leaving most departments and agencies penniless. Yet, everyone knew that such a situation could not last for long. The House, with amazing alacrity, passed its version of a continuing resolution. The House package contained a $5.4 billion jobs program, which the President threatened to veto. The delivery of a continuing resolution on the Senate side was much more painful. Having temporarily diffused the gas tax debate (which would be taken up later), the Senate began consideration of the continuing resolution during a marathon 36-hour session. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday went by as Senators passed amendment after amendment to be hung on to the continuing resolution (known as the Christmas tree effect in legislative circles). Finally, a stripped-down version of the amended continuing resolution was passed - and once again under threat of Presidential veto because of the inclusion of a Republican-backed $1.2 billion jobs program, a program that the President claimed was more "pork" than substance (the term "pork" refers to lawmakers' pet projects and programs). A conference committee made up of both Senators and Representatives then met to reconcile the differences (almost 200 in number) between the House and Senate versions of the continuing resolution. As the President observed during a radio interview, "When you mix apples and oranges, you sometimes get pears." And such was the case with the conference committee's version of the continuing resolution, which dropped the controversial jobs program. The President then signed the continuing resolution on December 21. However, the Senate continued in session until December 23, when anxious legislators, eager to return home for the holidays, passed the gasoline tax bill. Advocates for disabled people view the performance of the 97th Congress lame duck session as a mixed bag. Although funding increases for special education and rehabilitation services were achieved, other worthwhile legislation died in committee or failed passage. The following is a capsule summary of some of the highlights of the lame duck session: Helen Keller Center Bill - H.R. 6820, legislation which would have established a permanent authorization for the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults, failed to pass on the House floor December 17. This legislation would also have created a five-year authorization for the Vinland National Center for Healthsports in St. Paul, Minnesota, and, further, would have provided authorizations for post?secondary centers for the deaf and for captioned film services. The bill, introduced by former Representative Arlen Erdahl of Minnesota, received overwhelming committee approval, but failed to pass on the floor under unanimous consent because Representative Robert Walker (R., PA) objected to the $2.6 million unbudgeted funding which would have been provided to the Vinland Center. Supplemental Security Income - P.L. 97-424 (formerly H.R. 6211, as amended) provides that energy assistance furnished by a non?profit organization or public utility may be disregarded in calculating income eligibility for SSI or AFDC benefits. Social Security Disability Insurance - At this writing (mid-January), H.R. 7093 awaits the President's signature. This is a temporary measure designed to ameliorate the effect of termination upon disability insurance beneficiaries. If signed into law, this legislation would provide: a) That for terminations prior to October 1, 1983, disability and Medicare benefits would be continued until a decision is made by an administrative law judge. Benefits in no event may continue beyond June 1984. Monies paid are, however, considered overpayments if the administrative law judge upholds the determination. b) That beginning in January 1984, claimants are entitled to a face?to-face evidentiary review of their case at the reconsideration level of the appeal. Taxpayer Service - An amendment to the continuing resolution, P.L. 97-377, provides that funds cannot be used to reduce the number of positions or level of service provided by the Taxpayer Service Division of the Internal Revenue Service, including walk-in assistance and the toll-free telephone assistance program. Those who have worked hard to convince Congress of the importance of taxpayer service should be pleased with this result. Telecommunications - The Telecommunications for the Disabled Act, P.L. 97-410, reverses a Federal Communications Commission ruling which would have prohibited telephone companies from providing specialized equipment to disabled persons. Telephone companies may ask for permission from state public service commissions to subsidize the cost of specialized telephone equipment. The bill also required public telephones, coin telephones, and emergency telephones to be compatible with hearing-aid devices. This bill does not, however, require that telephones be equipped with amplification devices. Vocational Rehabilitation and Special Education Services - Special education services received an increase over the F.Y. 1983 level. The continuing resolution provided for $1,110,252,000 up from $1,068,580, 000 in F.Y. 1982. Similarly, vocational rehabilitation saw a substantial increase - $1,036,727,000, up from $952,171,000 in F.Y. 1982. This is certainly a dramatic increase over the President's requested budget for rehabilitation of $650 million. A full breakdown of these figures can be obtained by calling the ACB National Office. ***** ** Challenges for the 98th Congress By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs On January 3, 1983, the 98th Congress convened to swear in new members and to work on organizational matters. Although no legislative business was conducted the first week, the new politics in the 98th Congress emerged. With over 24 new seats, the Democrats in the House are ready to war over such matters as the status of Democratic Representative Phil Gramm of Texas, who split with his party and co-sponsored the Administration's budget bill in 1981. When faced with loss of his Budget Committee seat, Representative Gramm resigned from Congress and may run as a Republican in a special election. Democratic influence was also felt as the House passed its rules for the 98th Congress - rules which govern the conduct of legislative business. One controversial rule change would increase to two-thirds the number of signatures required to discharge a committee; i.e., the ability to bring a bill to the House floor without committee action. This is particularly significant with respect to the House Judiciary Committee, which considers Constitutional amendments. Democrats traditionally attempt to block Constitutional amendments from floor action, but the Republicans were able last session to bring the balanced-budget amendment to the House floor via the discharge mechanism, which currently requires only a simple majority vote. The Democratic caucus also succeeded in limiting riders on appropriations bills. Such riders are used to fund favored "pork barrel" projects or to limit the use of Federal funds. An example of such a rider is the limitation on the use of Federal funds for abortions. Republicans are also upset about a rule which would permit the Speaker to call for approval of the Journal (previous day's minutes) at any time during the legislative day. The Journal vote, which heretofore was taken at the beginning of the day, is used by the party leadership to ascertain a head count of party members. Republicans fear that the Democrats will be able to initiate legislative business without an opportunity for the minority to muster forces. All of this illustrates the importance of parliamentary procedures and the House rules in the legislative process. Congress adjourned until January 25, and by the time this article is published, the President's Fiscal Year 1984 budget will be public. In addition to funding for programs of particular interest to blind persons, the 98th Congress will face the reauthorization of the Education for the Handicapped Act as well as the Rehabilitation Act. Congress is expected to act on these reauthorizations by May. Senator Lowell Weicker (R, CT) is expected to replace Harrison Schmitt as chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Resources Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and it is anticipated that this strong ally of disabled people will be invaluable in this new position. The Congress will also be faced with needed reform in the area of Social Security financing. Although the recommendations of the Social Security Reform Commission are not yet public, solutions may include reduction in the amount of benefits paid to future beneficiaries, inclusion of Federal workers in the Social Security system, and increased Social Security taxes for those presently contributing to the system. In addition, since borrowing authority among the several Social Security trust funds expires next June, Congress must address ways to maintain ample surpluses in these funds so that current benefit payments may continue. All in all, there is much work ahead for the 98th Congress. ***** ** Electronically Watched Neighbors A new type of neighborhood watch is now possible, thanks to a unique electronic security system designed recently by Cook Engineering of Canandaigua, New York. The system, being marketed under the trademark "Voiceguard," differs from others in that it uses a computer-synthesized voice to communicate to the homeowner and his or her neighbors. Because the system "speaks," the neighbor requires no special equipment to receive the calls other than a push-button phone. The caller is identified by number over the phone, and the specific problem is stated. The neighbor then responds by pressing two buttons on his or her phone simultaneously. This sends a signal back to the system, letting it know it has "gotten through." If the neighbor does not respond, the unit will try the next neighbor, and so on, until it gets a response. Up to 96 digits may be stored. The presence of area codes or the necessity of dialing a "1" first will determine how many "neighbors" can actually be called. Features: The application of powerful microprocessors and voice?encoded chips has enabled the development of numerous features within a single cost-effective unit. The panel's standard features include a library of vocabulary expressions, inside and outside siren drivers, dialer, time clock input, automatic maintenance check-in, and input capacity of ten supervised zones, programmable in any of the following ways: fire, intrusion, door designated door for exit/entry), area with siren, area without siren (furnace, sump pump, water heater, etc.), medical (panic button), "All is well" (individual periodically checks in), silent (hold-up - no voice or siren in home). Alarms are reported not only by type, but also by zone. Homeowner?generated false alarms have virtually been eliminated by the system design. Operation: Operational control is via a simple five-button keypad. This is all the user requires. As many keypads as desired may be installed throughout the house. As there are no visual indicators for system status, operation by blind or visually impaired persons, or operation at night, is no problem. This feature also allows the installer to hide the actual control panel in a remote area of the house. Should an intruder discover the keypad, nothing he can do to it short of entering the proper security code will cancel the alarm in progress. For further information about Voiceguard, contact Ron Cook, Cook Engineering, P.O. Box 343, Canandaigua, NY 14424; telephone (716) 394-1820. ***** ** Blind Ambition (Reprinted from the Indiana Newsletter on Career Enrichment for the Visually Impaired) A blind student in the chemistry lab? Performing his own experiments? The University of Louisville has just such a person, and he hopes his work will open up new academic horizons for all blind students. Dr. Emerson Foulke is taking freshman chemistry lab at U of L this semester. But he is not a typical blind student, since, as director of U of L's Perceptual Alternatives Laboratory, his life's work involves exploring the outer boundaries of blind people's capacities. Still, he believes his work in the chemistry lab will open up new avenues of study for the blind. "The purpose of our work is not to teach me chemistry," says Dr. Foulke, who has been blind since early childhood. "Rather, our goal is to make it possible for any blind student to consider a career in the sciences." Traditionally, blind students have faced insurmountable problems in taking even the beginning science courses such as freshman chemistry. "How do I transfer exactly 1.5 ML of a harsh chemical from one test tube to another without touching it? Or, how do I obtain a spoonful of a powdered substance from a container and know for certain I actually have anything, or enough, in the spoon?" Answers to these and other questions are what Dr. Foulke is searching for during his lab sessions. He says blind people are shut out of pursuing a degree in the sciences from the very beginning of their academic life. "Even biologists, physicists, and other people in other branches of the physical and natural sciences need some basic chemistry." Once a week, Dr. Foulke and his team of investigators make a step-by?step analysis of each operation he must conduct as he works his way through the lab manual, and any problems are noted. Then, in "review and re-design" sessions, the group considers what modifications would have to be made in order for a blind student to conduct the operations both effectively and efficiently. So far, Dr. Foulke is encouraged. He hasn't encountered any major roadblocks, and he says the U of L investigators believe they will be able to remove some barriers and help make a career in science a realistic possibility for the blind. ***** ** Stay Tuned to the Continuing Saga of Radio Reading Services By Barbara Nelson Staff Attorney Will there be a radio reading service in your future? The Federal Communications Commission is currently considering two proposals which very well may determine whether or not radio reading services will continue to exist and expand their services. At issue is whether the subchannels of FM public radio stations, now used by most of the nation's reading services, should continue to be reserved for public, non-commercial uses. At the same time, the FCC will decide whether to allow FM radio stations to create additional subchannels. The American Council of the Blind has taken the position that the existing subchannel should be reserved for public services which are important, but not commercially liable. The FCC is under pressure from the Reagan Administration to deregulate the broadcast industry as much as possible. Further, National Public Radio is urging deregulation because it is developing at least two commercial ventures which would utilize the subchannels of NPR member stations to raise money. Reservation of the existing subchannel would limit money-making projects to those which could be developed on the second subchannel to become available pending FCC action. Congressional representatives, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds public radio), and some FCC commissioners have expressed concern for the fate of radio reading services should the proposed deregulation occur. In order to convince the Federal Communications Commission not to reserve a subchannel for public, non?commercial use such as radio reading services, National Public Radio has developed a plan to pay member stations whose subchannels are used by radio reading services (and who, therefore, cannot participate in the new commercial venture) a monthly payment. NPR hopes that this approach will ease the fears of the FCC and will weaken opposition to the deregulation move. The NPR proposal provides neither an adequate incentive nor adequate protection to main-channel operators to ensure the continued existence, growth, and development of radio reading services. The limitations of this plan - and all merely voluntary plans to protect radio reading services - are clear. First, such an offer by National Public Radio can only assist those reading services which use subchannels of NPR member stations. Secondly, this offer by NPR could be rescinded or changed at any time in the future. The promise to pay money to main-channel radio stations is not enforceable by radio reading services. If NPR's business ventures fail, such payments would undoubtedly cease. Third, unless the FCC reserves a subchannel for public purposes, the development of new radio reading services will be thwarted. Stations which might be able to earn thousands of dollars each month leasing their subchannel will find it difficult to forego that revenue in order to start a radio reading service for as little as $500 per month (the amount offered by National Public Radio). Therefore, even though the NPR payments represent a positive gesture which may help ease the financial crunch for some member stations and may, at first glance, appear to answer problems with the FCC deregulation efforts, the Association of Radio Reading Services and the American Council of the Blind continue to urge the FCC to reserve a subchannel for public telecommunications purposes. So don't touch that dial! You will be kept informed of developments as they occur. ***** ** Jobs for the Disabled - Japan Style (Reprinted from Chit, Chat & Chatter A Report - For Disabled People, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501) The Japanese government shows very positive support for the employment of the handicapped. A 1960 law requires that 1.5 percent of an employer's work force must be workers who are disabled. Employers of 300 or more workers must pay the equivalent of $130 penalty per month for each employee needed to bring the disabled force up to 1.5 percent. In Kyoto, Japan, an electric relay factory employs 31 persons, 27 of whom are persons with handicaps. For instance, a worker who is blind and his supervisor who is in a wheelchair are part of this plant which is highly automated and specially tailored for the employment of disabled persons. It is supported by an unusual system of government subsidies, part of a broader Japanese effort to show that employing the disabled is economically feasible and socially acceptable. The electric relay plant is a joint venture of Omron Tateisi Electric Company and Japan Sun Industries, Inc., a non-profit corporation which has the mission to rehabilitate the handicapped. Japan Sun also runs manufacturing joint ventures with Honda Motors and Sony, and is a subcontractor for several other large companies. Using many disabled workers in its operations, Japan Sun was organized in 1975 by Yutaks Nakamura, an orthopedic surgeon who, when he studied in England, was impressed with encouragement given to individuals with disabilities to find jobs. Currently, Japan Sun employes 630 individuals, of whom 450 are handicapped. ***** ** Congress Approves $14 Million Increase for Eye Research Congress recently approved a $141.4 million budget for eye research in fiscal 1983. This is an increase of $14.1 million over 1982 levels. "The 11 percent hike represents a compromise worked out between the House and Senate during the recent lame duck session of Congress," said a spokesman for Friends of Eye Research (FER), a nationwide public education organization. FER spearheaded a national information campaign to raise Federal support for eye research. Earlier, the Senate had voted $144.4 million to fund the National Eye Institute (NEI). The Institute is the principal source of Federal grant support for eye research throughout the U.S. However, the House agreed on a spending bill containing about $5.5 million less for NEI. "We later split the difference during a meeting between House and Senate conferees," explained one lawmaker. The added support permits the funding of at least 50 percent of new and competing grants. It also protects ongoing, multi-year grants as well as providing funds for training additional eye research scientists. There will be much-needed support for clinical trial projects - new advances in treatment which are promising but require further follow-up to measure long-term benefits to patients. Besides providing witnesses for Congressional hearings on the National Eye Institute budget, FER prepared special summary reports on the needs of eye research for Congress and the public. The American Council of the Blind testified on behalf of the bill on April 22, 1982. ACB was the only organization of the blind to support the increase. "We are deeply grateful to our friends in Congress for their enlightened policy toward eradicating blindness and other severe visual loss," said Dr. Charles L. Schepens, FER President. "We also appreciate what our friends nationwide have done to convince Congress that new breakthroughs in eye research and treatment are vitally important." ***** ** IABT to Hold Conference The Illinois Association of Blind Teachers (IABT), in conjunction with Northern Illinois University, will hold a conference for blind teachers and students studying to be teachers on Friday and Saturday, April 15-16, 1983, in Dekalb. A major emphasis will be the use of technology in the classroom. There will be a hands-on demonstration of the way microcomputers, video tapes, and overhead projectors can be used to supplement the chalkboard. A session will be designed to help students crystalize their vocational goals and plan a realistic approach to job?seeking. IABT is an affiliate of the Illinois Council of the Blind. Organized in 1971, one of IABT's first projects was to compile a directory of blind and partially seeing teachers in Illinois. For the 1973 edition of the directory, 110 teachers and 48 students were contacted. In 1972, with support of the Illinois Council of the Blind, legislation was initiated and enacted to amend the Illinois School Code to give blind students who are otherwise qualified the guaranteed right to practice teach, be certified to teach, and be fairly considered for teaching positions. The 1983 conference will be a significant service of IABT and Northern Illinois University to help blind teachers keep abreast of modern technology and the ways it can be used in the classroom to provide quality education. Membership in the Illinois Association of Blind Teachers is open to (1) blind persons who are certified to teach, are actually teaching, or have retired from teaching in Illinois; (2) blind students who are studying to be teachers; and (3) all persons who are willing to help promote teaching as a viable profession for blind people. For further information on IABT or on the conference, contact Larry McInnes, President, Illinois Association of Blind Teachers, 7707 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60656. ***** ** NIB and RRTC Cooperate in Research Projects to Further Employability of Blind Persons The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Blindness and Low Vision is conducting two research projects in conjunction with National Industries for the Blind (NIB). Both of these projects build on pilot work conducted by Royal Maid Association for the Blind, Inc. Significant findings will be available on both projects in late 1983. The Illumination and Color Contrast Study hypothesizes that under certain lighting conditions and with certain color contrasts, partially sighted persons are better able to utilize their residual vision. The increased ability to utilize residual vision on the job increases worker comfort and leads to greater worker productivity. Subjects for this study are tested to determine optimum functional lighting level in foot-candles. The color that best contrasts with that of the subject's work material is also determined. Job site modifications are made on the basis of these findings. Productivity is monitored before and after modifications are made to determine if comfort and productivity improve. Establishment of individual lighting conditions and color contrasts is simple and can be done in less than an hour. In the pilot study, no relationship was found between eye pathology and light intensity or color combinations. A large improvement in acuity was found in several subjects, and some improvement in 50 percent of the subjects, thus indicating that a simple adjustment of working conditions based on light and color can be highly beneficial. This project is being conducted in cooperation with National Industries for the Blind and is based upon pilot work conducted by George Aarons at Royal Maid Association for the Blind, Inc. Currently subjects are being tested and job sites modified at Mississippi Industries for the Blind. The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center will be providing training in determining optimum light and color conditions, as well as making simple job site modifications with light and color. ***** ** LCCR 33rd Annual Meeting The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a coalition of 162 major national organizations representing Blacks, Hispanics and Asian?Americans, labor, women, the handicapped (including the American Council of the Blind), the aged, the major religious groups, and minority business groups and professions, held its 33rd annual meeting January 24-25 in Washington, D.C. Sessions focused on the theme, "The Civil Rights Challenge for the '80s: Equal Economic Opportunity." Featured speakers included economist Sar Levitan on "Jobs in Equal Employment Opportunity"; Carin Clauss, former Solicitor of the Department of Labor, and Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin, and Dorothy Ridings, President of the League of Women Voters, on "Women's Economic Equity Issues"; and political scientist Gary Orfield and Tom Atkins, NAACP General Counsel, on "Segregation in America." A major highlight of the two-day meeting was presentation of the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award. This year's recipients were Douglas Fraser, President, International Union, UAW, and Mrs. Rosina Tucker, 101-year-old civil rights labor activist who was instrumental in the founding of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From NLS News: Frank Kurt Cylke, Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, received the Francis Joseph Campbell Citation and Medal during the American Library Association meeting in July 1982. This award has been presented annually since 1966 from the Library Service to the Blind and Physically Handicapped Section of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for blind individuals. Mr. Cylke accepted the award on behalf of the NLS staff, who were cited for their effective, professional contribution to the nationwide library program. From TSI Newsletter, Winter 1983: The Taxpayer Service Division of the Internal Revenue Service employs 161 visually impaired employees. Of these, 98 have vision limited to the extent that they require braille. Recently, Taxpayer Service purchased 100 of TSI's new VersaBraille Model P2C's for those employees who read braille. This equipment will enhance the employees' ability to perform one of their major job duties of researching tax publications and forms instructions. Of special importance, visually impaired employees will now have access to the computer system where account record information is available. The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped has announced that at its December 1982 meeting, the Commission on Accreditation awarded accreditation for the first time to two organizations: the Phoenix Center for the Blind, Phoenix, Arizona, and Service Center for the Visually Impaired, Flint, Michigan. This brings the total number of NAC-accredited agencies to 92. The second annual Kaiser Roll will take place in Bloomington, Minnesota, July 16, 1983. Featured are 5K (3.1 mi.) and 10K (6.2 mi.) road races open to all persons, including wheelchair and blind - with A and B divisions. For applications and full information, contact Sharon Limpert, Vinland National Center, 3675 Iduhapi Road, Loretto, MN 55357; telephone (612) 479-3555. "Feel and Read, See and Read" Easter greeting cards in combination print and braille; all-occasion cards, with or without Scripture. Name brailled free upon request. Also assorted envelopes. For further details, write Harry A. Fribush, 400 Hudson Avenue, Apt. 104, Albany, NY 12203. From The Matilda Ziegler Magazine: Two cassettes, one presenting Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the other, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, will be duplicated without charge by the Office for Civil Rights, 330 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20203. Send a high-quality, 90-minute cassette in a self-addressed "Free Matter" mailer for each copy desired. The four-track, monaural tape, recorded at 15/16 ips, is tone indexed. A waterbed is helping blind and visually impaired children at the Delta Gamma Foundation Learning Center in St. Louis to learn to stand without tottering, according to an article in The Missouri Chronicle. Laura Gray, education specialist at the Foundation, said the children have a hard time with balance because of their sight limitations. However, as they play on the 25-gallon waterbed, which is about the size of a sofa cushion, they learn to balance on the constantly shifting surface. A large-type catalog of over 400 items has been issued by the Mid?Michigan Center for the Blind, 111 S. Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933. The catalog includes such items as watches and clocks, canes, craft items, household items, games, low vision aids, writing aids, and a variety of "talking" devices, as well as cassette machines and accessories. The Center also offers a cassette duplicating and repair service. From The Articulator (National Committee, Arts for the Handicapped): Over 8,000 listings on this continent and abroad for square dance, round dance, and contra and clogging clubs for disabled persons will be published in the 1983 edition of the National Square Dance Directory. For more information, contact National Square Dance Directory, P.O. Box 54055, Jackson, MS 39208. From the ACB of South Carolina Newsletter: The following is an excerpt of a letter from ACB Treasurer James Olsen: "On behalf of the Board of Directors and the membership of the American Council of the Blind, I wish to thank your organization for the recent donation of $1,000 to the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. This gift, together with the $500 given to the Fund during the week of the ACB national convention in Atlanta, represents the first money that the Endowment Fund has received from any ACB state or special-interest affiliate. You are to be commended for your leadership role." Betty Crocker Food and Nutrition Center now has available the fifth large-type edition of "Cooking with Betty Crocker Mixes." This book contains package directions and simple recipes for many Betty Crocker products, to help prepare delicious foods quickly and easily. To order one free copy, write Cooking with Betty Crocker Mixes, Box 6, Dept. 885, General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN 55460. Development Products is a company that makes braille and large?print signs and sells canes, slates, small notebooks, braille and electronic watches and clocks, cassettes, and many other useful items. For further information, write Frederick W. Noesne, Development Products, 2427 Ardsley Avenue, Glenside, PA 19038. Beamscope, a new television magnifier, has been developed for people with partial vision. When the Beamscope is placed in front of a TV screen, it enlarges the picture to more than twice the normal size. It has been optometrically tested and approved. For further information, write Beamscope Lens, P.O. Box 8075, Washington, DC 20024. From Iowa Association of the Blind Newsletter: CAPD is a new treatment whereby diabetic patients, dialyze within their own bodies. For persons with kidney failure, this is an alternative to chemo-dialysis, using the peritoneal cavity rather than hooking up to a dialysis machine. Its benefits are that it allows patients to be ambulatory and that treatment is continuous. For some time, however, CAPD was not available to blind persons because it was believed that an exchange portion of the treatment which must be handled with extremely sterile techniques would be impossible for persons with sight limitations. When a case arose where CAPD was the only treatment possible for a blind person, the staff of the Iowa Lutheran Hospital decided to work with the person to see if the procedure could be carried out successfully. Thus, a new area of self?care is now available to the blind. However, CAPD for the blind has not stopped with Iowa. A film has been developed showing blind patients performing CAPD. Also, a seminar was held at the Iowa Lutheran Hospital for medical personnel from throughout the country, where information was presented by blind patients, medical staff, and a representative from the Iowa Commission for the Blind. The material is to be published. It is hoped that these efforts will enable other hospitals to offer CAPD as an alternative method of dialysis for blind persons. "Voices," a communications center for the print handicapped, provides extensive cassette and open-reel services, including an extensive library of elementary and high-school textbooks, a music collection, and a recorded weekly newspaper. For further information about these services, write Voices, P.O. Box 837, Bethel, ME 04217. LaGuardia College of the City University of New York and the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness co-sponsored a conference, "Breaking Tradition: Employment Opportunities for Blind and Visually Impaired Women," on November 6, 1982, at LaGuardia College, Long Island City, New York. Designed to help blind and visually impaired women find and reach vocational goals, the conference was for high?school and college students as well as working women. Speakers included Dr. Judith Dixon of the National Library Service, Eunice Fiorito of the U.S. Department of Education, Karen Luxton of Baruch College Computer Center for the Visually Impaired, and Ferne Roberts, Professor Emeritus at Hunter College. It is wise to check your Social Security records for accuracy every few years, since correction of errors Iong after the fact may be very difficult. To obtain a statement of your Social Security earnings record, call your local Social Security office and ask for the pre-addressed post card, "Request for Social Security Statement of Earnings," Form SSA-7004. Fill in your name and address, date of birth, Social Security number; then sign and mail the card. You will receive an accounting of your lifetime earnings covered by Social Security. There is no charge for this service. Triformation Systems, Inc., announces the newest product in its line of computer peripherals. The Micro?Brailler, MB-2400, uses cassette tapes to record in braille or in audio. A 90-minute cassette will hold 1,000 braille pages. The MicroBrailler is lightweight and will operate up to eight hours on batteries. In the near future, Triformation Systems will be producing braille reading material to be used on the MicroBrailler. If you are interested in a demonstration, would like more information, or have comments concerning the reading material, please contact the Marketing Office, Triformation Systems, Inc., 3132 S.E. Jay Street, Stuart, FL 33494; telephone (305) 283-4817. "Dealing with the Threat of Loss," the first booklet in a series on retinitis pigmentosa entitled The Business of Living Booklets, is to be made available on audio cassette in Castilian Spanish and French in the early spring. The Spanish and French versions will be $5.00 each. International orders, please add $2.00 for handling if invoice is required; U.S. orders, remit an additional $1.50. Tapes will be mailed "Free Matter." Write Dorothy H. Stiefel, Business of Living Booklets, P.O. Box 8388, Corpus Christi, TX 78412. ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large-type, and two recorded editions - flexible disc (8 1/3 rpm) and cassette (15/16 ips). As a bimonthly supplement, the recorded editions also include ALL-O-GRAMS, newsletter of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America. Send subscription requests and address changes, as well as items intended for publication, to The Braille Forum,190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. 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 ACB 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 a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, you or your attorney may wish to contact the ACB National Office. ###