The Braille Forum Vol. XXI May, 1983 No. 11 Administration Halts Plans to Revise Current Section 504 Coordination Guidelines 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 News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Section 504 Victory Notes from the Valley of the Sun - 1983 ACB National Convention Seminar in the Sun - Students Meet in Phoenix, by Laura Oftedahl Tax Credit for Sensory Aids, by Scott Marshall Amazing Laser Surgery Saves Secretary's Sight ACB Marches up Front on National Student Action Day Social Security Changes Enacted SSI Consumer's Guide to Plans for Achieving Self-Support, by Barbara Nelson 17 Ways to Kill Most Any Organization FCC Acts to Protect Radio Reading Services Emergi Call Summons Help Fast From P38's to B52's - 39 Years of Engines and Fuel Pumps Braille Writing in Pascal 1984 International Games for the Disabled Innovative Training Program at Mississippi State University CPF 550 Spectacles: a Status Report High Tech Swap Shop Calendar of Events Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack The past month has brought a variety of activities and developments. Without going into great detail, let me mention just a few. Reference was made in last month's Braille Forum to a resolution to be considered by the Hawaii State Legislature with regard to dog guide quarantine regulations. During the last week in March, hearings were held in Honolulu with the Senate and House Committees on Agriculture. The resolution was considered by both committees, and it appears at this point that the door has moved slightly ajar with respect to Hawaii quarantine restrictions on dog guides. Dr. Thomas Bunn, who is with the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, and Dr. Robert Stear, of the Norden Laboratories in Lincoln, Nebraska, were impressive witnesses at those hearings. Dr. Bunn told of a new process that makes it scientifically possible to test an animal's immunity to rabies Dr. Stear testified to the tremendous advances in the development of better quality rabies vaccine in recent years. The work of Linda Cote and Alice Roberts of the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired in preparing testimony for those hearings represented dedication and effort that one seldom sees demonstrated by volunteers. They spent a sleepless and work-filled night on the eve of those hearings. A cooperative printer also got caught up in the project and kept his place of business open throughout the night, printing and collating the 72-page documented testimony that was used at the hearings. It is too early at this point to know the outcome of those hearings, but one must feel optimistic about the fact that a door that seemed impossible to open has been pushed ajar. When the final chapter is written and dog guide users are permitted to travel freely in Hawaii with their dogs, it will be said that this effort was the beginning to a solution of a long-existing problem. We ask that you who are interested in this matter direct letters of encouragement to Linda Cote, President of the Aloha Council. Her address is: 1539 Piikoi, Apt. 205, Honolulu, HI 96822. On April 7, another ACB Thrift Store opened its doors in St. Paul, Minnesota, bringing to fifteen the number of ACB stores in this chain. This was the most successful of any opening to date, thanks to the effectiveness of Jim Olsen, Executive Director, ACB Enterprises and Services; Jim Habel, General Manager of Arliss Henderson Management Company, and Gerry Guivette, Regional Director of Henderson Management. It appears that we have launched yet another successful Thrift Store. We now have fifteen high quality, well run businesses, operating completely within National Better Business Bureau guidelines for charitable, non­profit organizations. Fifteen to twenty new jobs have been created in the St. Paul area. Thus, the American Council of the Blind has added yet another block to the foundation of its financial support. One last note to all ACB affiliate presidents. At the national convention in Phoenix in July, we will institute what hopefully will become an annual event at the national convention. On Wednesday morning at 7:00 A.M., ACB will sponsor a President's Breakfast. All state and special-interest affiliate presidents, or their representatives, will be invited to this complimentary breakfast, along with a selected list of guests. Convention plans are moving forward nicely, and we look forward to seeing you in Phoenix in July. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Officer By Oral O. Miller National Representative By the time this issue of The Braille Forum is distributed in mid­May, the ACB National Office should have completed its expansion into the adjoining suite of offices. This will increase floor space by approximately one-third. While the newly expanded office will not be spacious in any sense of the word, it will provide more adequate working space, especially in the outer office area, and it will contain a long-needed conference room and library. It will also provide more adequate operating space for our computer system, which, as members know following the mailing of affiliate membership information in February of this year, is becoming a more productive working tool every week in connection with membership services and information retrieval. The additional space should also enable us to make more efficient use of the Kurzweil Reading Machine, which hopefully will be made available for use by ACB members in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area who have been trained in the use of the machine. Within the past few weeks, all members and several thousand friends should have received an appeal from the ACB Treasurer requesting donations to the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of donating to this fund, because it is a classic example of an organization "putting its money where its mouth is." The amount of scholarship assistance to be awarded by ACB this year has been doubled, and I am hopeful that the amount can be increased substantially next year. However, since even another substantial increase next year would not provide all the scholarship assistance needed by deserving blind students throughout the United States, I should like to mention that ACB would like to assist the donors of other scholarships if their publicity and the processing of their applications can be consolidated into ACB's system. I am pleased to announce that last year we were able to refer many outstanding applicants who did not receive ACB scholarships to another source which was able to assist several of them. During March 1983, it was my pleasure to participate in the spring meeting of the National Advisory Council of the National Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Visual Impairment, administered by Mississippi State University under a grant from the National Institute for Handicapped Research. While it is still too early to assess the real value of some of the research being done, and while that value will also depend upon the amount of dissemination given to the research results, I was very favorably impressed by the conscientiousness of the members of the National Advisory Council as well as the dedication and industry of the Center's administrative and research staff. Although university-based research is frequently rather academic in nature, the practicality of some of the research projects is impressive. For example, systematic research is finally being done in an effort to assess the importance of illumination and color contrast to partially sighted workers. People with impaired vision have been acutely aware of these factors for years. The presentation which is to be given by a representative of the Center at the upcoming ACB national convention will not be able to go into great detail about the various research and training projects Gust as this was not possible in an article in an earlier issue of The Braille Forum). However, I feel confident that the presentation will be received with great interest by everyone who hears it. During March, ACB Staff Attorney Barbara Nelson was the featured speaker at the annual state convention of the Minnesota ACB affiliate. The group which formerly called itself the Gopher State Blind Associates changed its name to the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota at its March 26 meeting. Members and friends of the American Council are reminded that the popular monthly radio program, ACB Reports, is carried on 64 radio reading services for the print handicapped throughout the United States. Be sure to tune in, and if ACB Reports is not listed in your local service's program guide, please urge the station to include the listing so that all will know ACB is on the air. ***** ** Section 504 Victory The Administration has halted plans to revise the current Section 504 coordination guidelines. In a letter to the American Council of the Blind dated March 21, 1983, Vice President George Bush stated "that a full evaluation of all of the information brought to bear on this subject prompted the conclusion that extensive change of the existing 504 coordination regulations was not required, and that with respect to those few areas where clarification might be desirable, the courts are currently providing useful guidance and can be expected to continue to do so in the future. In these circumstances, the Administration has decided not to proceed with its planned issuance of a revised set of coordination guidelines." The significance of this important announcement for blind and disabled people was underscored by the following commentary by Senator Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. (R., CT), published in The Congressional Record dated Tuesday, March 22, 1983: Mr. Weicker: Mr. President, I wish to advise you and our colleagues of an Administration decision of great importance to disabled Americans. Yesterday I received the following letter from Vice President George Bush: The Vice President Washington, D.C. March 21, 1983 Hon. Lowell Weicker, Chairman Subcommittee on the Handicapped Committee on Labor and Human Resources Washington, D.C. Dear Lowell: In view of your subcommittee's concern with possible modifications to the Section 504 coordination guidelines under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, I am writing to advise you that the Department of Justice and the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief have concluded their review and have decided not to issue a revised set of coordination guidelines. This decision brings to a close a lengthy regulatory review process during which the Administration examined the existing regulatory structure under Section 504, studied recent judicial precedents, and talked extensively with members of Congress and of the handicapped community. Especially important were the personal views and experience of those most directly affected by these regulations. The comments of handicapped individuals, as well as their families, provided an invaluable insight into the impact of the 504 guidelines ... Sincerely, George Bush Mr. President, this letter comes as a great relief to disabled Americans and all who advocate for their cause. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a cornerstone in the construction of equal rights for the disabled. It is a cornerstone to be built upon, and I assure my colleagues that the Subcommittee on the Handicapped intends to continue to do just that. ***** ** Notes from the Valley of the Sun - 1983 ACB National Convention The 1983 national convention of the American Council of the Blind will start out in a hole, and end up in a hole - intentionally. Conventioneers will have an opportunity to visit the famous Grand Canyon either before or after Convention Week. In between, a packed schedule of meetings, workshops, seminars, and social events will keep attendees busy from morning till night. Details of some activities follow; more information will be contained in the pre-registration materials, and a complete schedule of events will be published in the braille and print convention programs available from the convention registration desk. Special Programs - Seventeen ACB special-interest organizations will be meeting during Convention Week, and many persons will have difficulty choosing which of these outstanding programs to attend. One group may particularly appeal to you, or you may wish to mix and match, blending the best of several. Consult the list of ACB national special­interest affiliates which appeared in the March Braille Forum; then pre­register for the programs that interest you most. Three workshops and seminars are worthy of special note. The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) plans a seminar on Sunday, July 3. Leaders and other representatives of ACB affiliates will learn how the accreditation process improves services to blind people. On Sunday afternoon, the ACB Membership Committee (Vera McClain, Chairperson) will conduct a two­hour workshop. Come and learn all about how to recruit and keep new members in your affiliate. On Monday afternoon, the Visually Impaired Secretarial/ Transcribers Association (VISTA) invites convention-goers to participate in a physical fitness seminar. Wear casual clothing and come ready to take an active part in this "first" for ACB Convention Week. There is no charge for any of these seminars. However, it is important that you pre-register for those you plan to attend in order that plans may be made to accommodate the correct number of workshop participants. The Braille Revival League (BRL), one of the fastest-growing ACB affiliates, seeks to promote greater use of braille to provide maximum literacy independence by those who need it. During Convention Week, BRL will be conducting a braille slate-writing contest with cash prizes. The Hadley School for the Blind will handle the necessary materials at its booth in the exhibit area. It is hoped many will want to test their abilities at this valuable skill. Grand Canyon Tours - Two tours of the Grand Canyon are planned-one preceding and one following the convention. Tour No. 1 leaves the hotel at 9:00 A.M. on Saturday, July 2, and returns by 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, July 3. The second tour (Tour No. 6 on the pre-registration form) will depart at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 9, and return at 6:00 P.M. on Sunday, July 10. You will explore the Oak Creek Canyon/Red Rock area on the way and enter the Grand Canyon from the east entrance for a professionally-guided tour. Each package includes transportation on air-conditioned, deluxe buses, overnight lodging (double occupancy) and all meals. See the pre­registration form for more details. Please note: You must register for this tour no later than June 15. Other Social Events - There has been a major change in the wine and cheese party sponsored by the Council of Citizens with Low Vision. Tickets purchased for this event will entitle each person to two drink tickets (for wine or soft drinks). Additional wine, drinks, or soft drinks may be purchased at a cash bar. Following the wine and cheese party, plan to attend the Fiesta Night. The Arizona host committee is welcoming conventioneers to Arizona by a special mariachi concert, a free activity. Don't miss the Awards and Charter Gala on Wednesday evening. Awards for outstanding service to the blind, the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships, and charters to new ACB affiliates will be presented in an outstanding program of recognition and music, featuring the Valley Mormon Choir. Convention Reminders - The convention headquarters hotel is the Phoenix Hilton, Adams and Central, Phoenix, AZ 85001; telephone (602) 257-1525. Room rates are: singles, $30; doubles, $34; triples, $38; and quads, $42. Make reservations by returning the hotel reservation form found in the pre-registration packet or by calling the Phoenix Hilton directly. You are encouraged to take advantage of the discount pre­registration fees offered by ACB and many special-interest organizations. Remember, also, that tours are available on a first-come, first served basis. Limits are usually filled by convention time. By now you should have received your pre-registration form. Return it as soon as possible to the host committee in the enclosed pre-addressed envelope, along with your check or money order to cover the cost of the events for which you are registering. Make all checks payable to the· 1983 ACB Convention Committee. Come early! Stay late! And, most of all, enjoy yourself at the 1983 ACB national convention. ***** ** Seminar in the Sun - Students Meet in Phoenix By Laura Oftedahl Many blind and visually impaired college and vocational students are already making plans to attend the third National Student Seminar this summer in Phoenix, Arizona. The greatest number of students yet to attend this annual event is expected to flock to the sun for an interesting and informative program. The gathering begins Saturday evening, July 2, with a workshop orientation program and get-acquainted party. Then on Sunday, July 3, the seminar will run all day and will have something for everyone. Students will be able to meet and mingle all week with their fellow classmates during the 22nd national convention of the American Council of the Blind. A varied and creative program has been put together for this year's seminar. Those ever-important areas, including how to obtain financial aid to get through school and how to work with your school to obtain those auxiliary services you need will be covered. Mixed in with these important areas will be discussions on how to set up recreation programs on and off campus (so you can get in shape physically as well as intellectually) and how to buy clothes and dress for success (without your mother or a pushy sales lady breathing down your neck). Finally, the American Council of the Blind is pleased to have a leader in the career planning and placement field for disabled students speak to the group. The best news of all is that the American Council of the Blind, in cooperation with its 67 state and special-interest affiliates, is offering a limited number of grants to help selected students get to Phoenix. If you are a full-time student in a post­secondary school and want to attend the seminar and bring this information back to campus for your fellow blind students, contact your ACB state affiliate to apply for a grant. If you are not familiar with your affiliate, contact the ACB National Office at 1-800-424-8666 for the name of your ACB president. So, load up your back-pack and head for the ACB in Phoenix this summer. All students, prospective students, and former students are urged to participate. (Note: See the March 1983 Braille Forum for detailed information on the selection criteria for subsidized students). ***** ** A Tax Credit for Sensory Aids By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs Talking computer terminals ... Optacons ... VersaBraille Systems ... Large-character print terminals ... These sensory aids - and many others which benefit such disability groups as the deaf or vocally impaired - are expensive and are often beyond the means of many individuals. Last September, the American Council of the Blind testified before a joint committee of Congress concerning methods by which such devices and equipment could be made more available to individual users. One of the suggestions offered by ACB and others at the hearing was a tax credit for the purchase or lease of sensory and communication aids. Tax credits are more valuable than tax deductions, since a tax credit represents a direct offset against the amount of the tax owed by a taxpayer, rather than a mere deduction from gross income required to calculate taxable income. Proposed legislation has been drafted which provides for a 50 percent tax credit for the purchase or lease of sensory and communication aids needed for employment or education. The credit would be limited to $5,000 in any one taxable year, with provision for a five-year carry-forward of unused credit, for a maximum of $15,000. A three-year carry-back of the credit would also be available. The draft legislation defines individuals to whom the credit would be available to include not only disabled persons, but also the parent, guardian, child, or stepchild of a disabled person who is claimed as a dependent on the taxpayer's return. Although this proposed bill may still see some changes and/or modifications prior to its introduction, the American Council of the Blind believes this legislation is an important step forward toward lessening the burden of acquisition of communication and sensory aids and devices. Several manufacturers of such equipment are also interested in this legislation, which admittedly should help to increase sales. Nevertheless, increased sales of sensory aids should operate to reduce prices and should help to interest other manufacturers to enter the market. In addition, tax incentives such as a 50 percent tax credit will help some individuals to acquire this sort of equipment. It should be emphasized, however, that tax credit legislation is only one step toward making sensory and communication aids available to blind and other disabled people. Other alternatives such as subsidized loan programs and Medicare coverage for sensory aids must be investigated to meet the needs of disabled people. ***** ** Amazing Laser Surgery Saves Secretary's Sight (The Employee Newsletter of the Nationwide Insurance Company, February 3, 1983) Lynda Martino has a zest for life. A person of humor and vitality, Lynda can also be described as having something else - courage. On Sept. 28, Lynda, the compliance and licensing secretary in Heritage Securities, finally made the trip to the eye doctor she'd been putting off for nearly nine months. The flashing she was experiencing in her left eye had been more frequent. And now that she was back from a trip to California, she had become more comfortable in her new job at Nationwide, and her gardening had slowed down, she didn't have any more excuses for waiting. As Lynda says, "Going into the office I had everything going right in my life." Two hours later, she left the office in a wheelchair, emotionally drained, too weak to stand. She had a tumor in her eye. Subsequent examination at University and Grant Hospitals in Columbus determined the tumor was cancerous. Luckily, however, she had no cancer in any other part of her body. Normally, such a cancer would have called for the removal of her eye. But Lynda was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of an amazing new treatment for such a cancer involving surgery with an argon laser. The surgery also involved a hematoporphyrin derivative, a natural substance extracted from the blood of cows. The drug sensitizes all the cells of the body to light soon after injection, then slowly dissipates. However, in the case of cancerous cells, the drug lingers and keeps the cancerous cells light sensitive. After a period of 72 hours, an argon laser can then be used to burn and destroy the cancer cells, allowing the body's natural defense system to remove the dead cells. Lynda was scheduled for the surgery only two weeks after the discovery of the tumor, and was to be one of four people receiving the same operation. She learned the surgery was so experimental that Oncology Research and Development, Inc., the developers of the hematoporphyrin derivative, were going to film the surgery to make into a documentary to help promote the drug and new surgical technique. The hematoporphyrin derivative caused her to be so sensitive to light that her room windows were covered with rubber blackout curtains so no light could enter. She was not allowed outside her room during the day and use of overhead lights was limited. Any exposure to light caused her skin to sunburn. On the day of the surgery, Lynda received another setback. After two successful operations the previous day, the laser had broken and could not be repaired in time to take advantage of the drug. Lynda returned home to wait until the operation could be rescheduled. "I was very down and depressed," says Lynda. "I was upset about not having the surgery, and I was also upset about not being allowed to go outside. I cheated just once just to go to the mailbox and sunburned my face. I learned my lesson quickly." Finally, just before Thanksgiving, she reentered the hospital. This time the operation went off like clockwork and in three days she was home again to recover. The skin reaction to the second injection, however, was worse than the first. "I was more sensitive to light the second time, probably because of the accumulative effect of the hematoporphyrin," says Lynda. "So I had to be more cautious in my exposure to light for a period of about six weeks. It was a joy just to finally be able to go to the grocery store." Lynda was only the 17th person in the country to receive the surgery. In fact, her doctors related to her that at age 35, she is the second youngest person ever recorded to have such a tumor. Generally, eye tumors are found in people over 55. The experience was traumatic, exhausting and emotional. "It has caused me to get a new perspective on life," she says, "and not to worry about the little details in which so many people seem to get bogged down." Her eyesight improves every day. Though she may never have perfect vision in the eye again, Lynda says her doctors believe it will return to near normal in another six months or so after the eye has had a chance to fully heal and eliminate the dead cells. "The scariest thing, and the only thing I have the hardest time telling people," she says, "is that if I had seen the doctor when I was supposed to, or even only six months earlier, they would have removed my eye. By waiting, which is something you should never do, I took advantage of this wonderful new surgical technique and saved my eye. But it's my hope that others can learn through my experience and know there is a new technique that can help people." ***** ** ACB Marches Up Front on National Student Action Day Harry Herzek, a senior social work student at Temple University in Philadelphia, represented the American Council of the Blind and its student affiliate, the National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS), at the 14th annual U.S. Student Association lobbying conference held in Washington, D.C., during early March. Harry, who is active in the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind as well as in NABS, participated in issues workshops and joined hundreds of fellow students who marched on Capitol Hill on National Student Action Day, Monday, March 7. Mr. Herzek was selected from over 250 students to testify before a Congressional subcommittee on education. Here are some of the major points in his testimony: He voiced the need for more leeway in determining financial eligibility for handicapped students, since these students incur additional expenses in purchasing adaptive materials and equipment. Harry also pointed out that a government-funded counseling program to assist students in the transition from study to career would be an excellent investment. "Since a college education is becoming one of our civil rights," he added, "financial need should not deter people from availing themselves of their civil rights." ***** ** Social Security Changes Enacted The Congress has finalized amendments to the Social Security Act, adopting the major recommendations of the National Commission on Social Security Reform discussed in the March 1983 Braille Forum. The cost-of-living adjustment for Supplemental Security Income and Social Security beneficiaries, which normally increases benefit amounts each July, will be delayed until January 1984. However, Congress did vote to raise the basic benefit amount for SSI recipients from $284.30 to $304.30 per month for individuals and from $426.40 to $450.40 per month for couples, beginning July 1, 1983. This will result in a $20.00 per month increase in SSI benefits for individuals and a $30.00 increase for couples who receive SSI, to make up for the fact that the cost­of-living adjustment has been delayed. The Social Security amendments also increase funding for the Social Security program by requiring newly hired Federal employees to be included in the Social Security system. In addition, one-half of the Social Security benefits for individuals with taxable income of over $25,000 per year ($32,000 per couple) will be subject to income tax. Also, the employer/employee and self-employment Social Security tax rate will be increased in 1984, and the retirement age will gradually increase after the year 2000. The amendments will also require the Social Security trust funds to be in their own separate category in the Federal budget beginning in October 1984. After 1992, the Social Security trust funds will be removed altogether from the general budget. This provision will insulate Social Security from pressure to cut benefits in order to balance the Federal budget. ***** ** SSI Consumer's Guide to Plans for Achieving Self-Support By Barbara Nelson Staff Attorney SSI recipients: Are you aiming to become self-supporting and looking forward to the day when you will no longer need to rely on Government benefits? Are you unable to save the necessary money to purchase equipment or to acquire the training you need to get the job you want? Are you concerned that accumulating savings for these purposes will cause you to lose your SSI benefits? There is an under-utilized provision in the Supplemental Security Income program that may be important to you. SSI regulations permit beneficiaries to keep income and extra resources as part of a "Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS)." In 1981, less than 100 blind people took advantage of this opportunity to work toward independence. The following examples illustrate how the plan can be applied. Example 1. Mary is a college freshman training to be an accountant. Her college tuition is being paid by her state agency for the blind. During the summer, she plans to live with her parents, to work and to deposit all of her earnings in a bank account to pay for her room and board for the next school year. Without an approved Plan for Achieving Self-Support, her SSI checks would be cut down during the summer months, or even terminated, if her savings account balance grew to over $1500. But Mary's approved Plan for Achieving Self-Support allows her to keep her full SSI checks during the summer months so that she can be ready to meet her expenses during the next school year. Example 2. Harry currently works part-time and receives small SSI and Social Security Disability checks. He wishes to establish a cabinet-making and woodworking shop in his basement. He has surveyed the need in his community and feels quite certain his craft could provide income to enable him to become self-supporting. However, he needs to purchase a closed­circuit television to enable him to keep records, as well as saws, lathes, and sanding machines for the work itself. He will deposit his Social Security Disability checks and earnings each month in a separate bank account for the next two years, until he has enough money to purchase a Visualtek and make a downpayment on the other equipment he needs. Because he has an approved Plan for Achieving Self-Support, his SSI check will not be reduced because of his SSDI benefits and earnings income. Who Qualifies - Only SSI recipients who can justify the need to keep specific income or resources to achieve a concrete, reasonable vocational objective which will enable them to become employed and self-supporting are eligible. Persons who are already self-supporting cannot use a PASS to upgrade their jobs. Similarly, SSI recipients who wish to save for retirement are not eligible. Most people develop a Plan for Achieving Self­Support with the assistance of a rehabilitation counselor. Essentials - For income or resources to be excluded, the following conditions must be met: 1. A written plan must be approved by Social Security. 2. The plan must state a specific and feasible occupational objective. 3. The plan must state very specific savings/planned-spending goals directly related to attainment of the employment objective. 4. The money or resources being saved must be kept separate from other bank accounts and must be identifiable. 5. The plan must state a specific timetable for reaching the goal. 6. Once established, the plan must be followed carefully by the SSI beneficiary. If changes in the plan are necessary, they should be discussed with Social Security before they are implemented. The key to getting a PASS approved is specificity. Social Security will not allow a beneficiary to keep extra income and resources for a vague, "pie in the sky" plan. The plan must be concrete and realistic. The beneficiary must be able to state an exact goal, steps to achieving that goal, almost exactly how much money is needed for the plan, and when and how the money will be spent. Also, PASS rules apply after other SSI rules for excluding income are considered. A second important key is that a PASS must be in writing and approved by Social Security before SSI benefits can be favorably affected. Because so few people use Plans for Achieving Self-Support, you may be the first person asking about one at your local Social Security office. Be prepared to be able to "sell" the Social Security representative on the feasibility of your plan and to adapt your plan to Social Security's strict standards. ***** ** 17 Ways to Kill Most Any Organization (The Student Advocate, National Alliance of Blind Students) 1. Don't attend meetings, but if you do, arrive late. 2. Be sure to leave before the meeting is closed. 3. Never have anything to say at meetings; wait until you get home. 4. When at meetings, vote to do everything - then go home and do nothing. 5. The next day, find fault with the officers and members. 6. Take no part in the organization affairs. 7. Be sure to sit in the back, so you can talk it over with a friend. 8. Get all the organization will give you, but don't give the organization anything. 9. Never ask anyone to join the organization. 10. At every opportunity, threaten to resign, and try to get others to do the same. 11. Talk cooperation, but don't cooperate. 12. If asked to help, say you haven't the time. 13. Never read anything pertaining to the organization. 14. Never accept an office, as it is easier to criticize than to do things. 15. If appointed to a committee, never give any time or service to this committee. 16. If you receive a renewal notice, ignore it. 17. Don't do any more than you have to and when the others willingly and unselfishly use their abilities to help the cause, howl since the organization is run by a clique. ***** ** FCC Acts to Protect Radio Reading Services On April 7, 1983, the Federal Communications Commission ruled on a proposal to deregulate the use of subcarriers of public/educational FM radio stations. Such subchannels are now being used by nearly 100 radio reading services for the blind and print handicapped throughout the country. The Commission's ruling authorizes the use of more than one subcarrier channel, allows FM radio stations to use their subcarriers for a wider range of activities, and permits the use of subcarriers even at times when the main channel is not on the air. Although the ruling does allow public FM radio stations to use their subchannels for commercial ventures, there is also good news for radio reading services. The FCC very carefully acted to ensure that radio reading services cannot be forced off the air by public stations which wish to use their subcarriers for monetary purposes. The Commission concluded that "public radio stations engaging in remunerative activities must ensure that commercial subcarrier undertakings do not diminish in quality or quantity the provision of existing or potential radio reading services for the blind." This means that no currently operating radio reading service can be taken off the air by the main-channel station. If the main channel wishes to move the radio reading service to a different subcarrier, it must pay the entire cost of doing so. In addition, newly established radio reading services must be given the opportunity to use a subcarrier. The text of the final FCC rule adopted on April 7 is not yet available; therefore, a detailed analysis of the scope of protection for radio reading services is not possible at this time. It is clear, however, that even though the Commission did not actually reserve one subchannel specifically for public telecommunication services such as radio reading services, as advocated by the American Council of the Blind and the Association of Radio Reading Services, it did take decisive action to ensure the continued growth and development of this important program. ***** ** Emergi Call Summons Help Fast! For those who are confronted with an emergency and need to summon help fast, People Protection Products, Inc., now offers EMERGI CALL, a telephone assistance device that electronically delivers your recorded emergency message to law enforcement, fire, or medical agencies and then becomes a two-way speaker phone. The device, which is easily plugged into any modular telephone jack, electronically calls the emergency number and then delivers your pre­recorded message, stating calmly and clearly your name, address, and other pertinent details. You program the message and the local emergency numbers into the unit. In an emergency, you push one of three color-coded buttons to summon the assistance you need. EMERGI CALL electronically calls the number and, when the connection is made, delivers your message. If the line is busy, the device automatically re-dials until the connection is made. Incorporating a number of features which have resulted from meeting the law enforcement and fire department officials in major U.S. cities, EMERGI CALL employs digital dialing stored in a RAM chip, which means that dialing the correct emergency number begins the instant the appropriate button is pushed. The synthesized voice chip begins to operate three seconds after dialing is completed. It says, "Fire (Medical or Police) emergency. When ready for message, say "O.K." This immediately identifies the nature of the emergency and permits proper forwarding in some "911" systems. It also prevents the unit from delivering critical information to a recording. When the receiving party says, "O.K.," he or she releases the pre­recorded tape on which the citizen has put a 25-second message with name, address, and pertinent data about the house, its location, and its residents. After delivering the message, EMERGI CALL converts to a two­way speaker phone so that the authorities can proceed to ask the caller about the nature of the emergency, if the caller is able to respond. The device must be manually activated with significant mechanical pressure. Since it is battery-operated, sudden surges in current will not activate the device. There is a low-battery warning signal which beeps for 48 hours, during which period the device is still operative. The handsomely-styled, rugged unit uses six standard AA alkaline batteries and has separate symbol and color-coded buttons for police, fire, and medical assistance. Each button has an embossed symbol for use by the blind or in a darkened room. EMERGI CALL is available from telephone/electronic departments, full-service departments stores in major cities; or for further information, write People Protection Products, Inc., 5150 Rosecrans Avenue, Hawthorne, CA 90250; or phone toll-free, 800-421-2996. People Protection Products also plans to be among exhibitors at the ACB national convention in Phoenix in July. ***** ** From P-38’s to B-52’s - 39 Years of Engines and Fuel Pumps (Oklahoma City Times, Thursday, Sept. 16, 1982) Ralph Gotcher wears safety glasses like his fellow workers because the rules at Tinker Air Force Base apply to everyone. Gotcher has worked at Tinker for 39 years, but he has never seen the base. He went blind five years before the base was built. He was honored, Thursday, September 16, 1982, as the Outstanding Federal Handicapped Employee of the Year by the Federal Executive Council of Oklahoma City. Tinker officials say he is the only totally blind worker now at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, although there have been others. Probing a finger into the workings of a fuel pump from a B-52 bomber, Gotcher deftly installed "O" rings and other seals as part of a general overhaul. "I started out here in 1943 dismantling generators from B-24's, P-38's and lots of other kinds of air­planes that were coming through here during World War II," he said. He has been working with jet engine fuel pumps since 1963. "It's always interesting to find out why they don't work," he said. "A lot of times I can feel what someone else can't see. I often get pumps someone else has worked on and they let me rework them." Gotcher was 17 when he had a brain tumor operation. "I didn't have any choice if I wanted to live," he said. "Earlier the tumor took my sight and my senses of taste and smell. In the hospital before the operation, I got all three senses back. After the operation I couldn't see, except to tell dark from light." He enrolled in the school for the blind in Muskogee and learned to read Braille. But he finished high school in Norman's public schools. "University students in the National Youth Administration program read my lessons to me," he said. Gotcher says he had no particular experience with mechanical components when he went to work at Tinker. He worked there 23 years before base officials got special tools for him through the American Foundation for the Blind. Like other workers overhauling fuel pumps, Gotcher takes his turn at the drill press for the delicate job installing a buffer on an internal bearing. "About the only reading I do now is for pleasure," he said, "but my fingers have gotten so toughened that it's easier to listen to tapes and records than to read Braille." ... "I think the worst part of being blind is losing your mobility." Although he can't drive it, Gotcher owns a pickup with a camper on the back. "I get one of my daughters or someone to drive me to the lake and then they leave me by myself to fish for the weekend," he said. When the fuel pump overhaul section was rearranged, Gotcher surprised fellow workers by arriving with a white cane which he used to tap the new arrangement until he felt at home. "My wife also is blind and I never carried a cane until we got married," he said. "I just didn't want to be known as a blind man." "I've had people work in the shop for six months and not know I am blind." ***** ** Braille Writing in Pascal A Pascal Program, A Strip of Cellophane Tape, and a Rubber Glove Combined to Make a Line Printer Write in Braille. (BYTE Magazine, September 1982, Alfred Fant Jr.) Braille writing for the blind was developed by the Frenchman Louis Braille, who was himself blinded at the age of three. Since the invention of his language in 1824, thousands of books, magazines, musical scores, and other literary works have been translated into braille. One of the most ambitious translation projects to date has been the braille edition of the World Book Encyclopedia by the American Printing House for the Blind in 1961. The largest project in the history of braille, it will probably be the last time such a large undertaking is done by hand. The final edition of the encyclopedia contained 136 volumes - truly, a magnificent accomplishment. Today, numerous publications are translated into this readable print for the blind. Still, it is not unusual for a book on the best-seller list to be remaindered before it is finally brailled. This happens because there is much more material to braille than there is funding to do it. Blind people (and libraries serving the blind) are queried periodically as to what publications they would like to see brailled next and to rank them by priority. The limited funds and computer time available make it mandatory to translate only those publications that would have the greatest readership. Hence, in a situation similar to military triage, many worthwhile books are never translated. My interest in braille translation began when a local Boy Scout troop asked for help in acquiring scouting materials for its new blind members. A survey of the literature found much in the way of audio-tape materials. Unfortunately, precious little material was in braille. The Scouts had found it difficult to use the tape library because they could not readily locate specific topics. You just cannot skim a tape as you can a printed braille book. I proceeded to learn braille from the instructions given in the Scout Handbook, soon progressed to a college textbook on the subject, and finally purchased a braille machine to use with the visually disabled boys. After months of practice, study, and hand-brailling of various scouting materials, I felt there had to be a faster way to translate our literature. Eventually, the idea of a computer translation came to my mind. While working on a program to graph multifunctions on a line printer, I devised a software method to allow brailling on a standard line printer with no permanent modifications. Basically the software treats the braille characters as four lines of graphics output per line of braille type. I hasten to add that you have to add a strip of specially prepared cellophane tape to the printer, but it is not necessary to remove the inked ribbon or readjust the printer's impact force. Indeed, regular printer output can be handled concurrently with the braille output. * The Latex Cushion The devised modification for the line printer had to be simple, quick, and easily removable. The solution was a 9-inch strip of half-inch-wide, double-stick cellophane tape covering a similarly sized strip of thin latex rubber, which was cut from common household gloves used for dishwashing. The best results were obtained by using so-called flock-lined gloves. Place the latex side of the strip against the cellophane tape, leaving the flock lining exposed. Finally, press this assembly into place on the metal platen behind the computer paper. When the printer head strikes the paper, it will leave an indentation because of the minute additional travel afforded by the flock cushion. Please note that the double-stick tape must be completely covered by the latex strip. This is very import­ant because if any part of the tape is exposed, the computer paper will drag on it and cause paper-feeding jams. Of course, if you have a printer that uses a rubber platen (for exam­ple, an IBM Selectric), you would be able to eliminate the latex-tape cushion altogether. * The Software The program is written in standard Pascal. This program is designed to produce "reverse" braille for use with a standard line printer. The braille characters are reversed to enable tactile reading on the backside of the paper. Special program functions have been avoided in the interest of disseminating this program as widely as possible. The main program BRAILLE reads a text file character by character until it has 20 letters and/or blanks in its buffer. This restriction of 20 characters is used because only about that many braille cells will fit on the standard 80-column page. BRAILLE then calls CONVERT to translate each character into its corresponding braille cells. ... The monthly troop newsletter is now produced in both braille and regular print. As a result of this newsletter, we have found that the best indentations occur on thicker paper. The indentations are good for only about 15 readings by a blind person, after which the braille becomes too faded to allow correct letter identification. Even so, this method is ideal for short-lived publications such as newspapers and correspondence. ... (Alfred Fant Jr., POB 26284, Austin, Texas 78755-0284) ***** ** 1984 International Games for the Disabled The 1984 International Games for the Disabled is an Olympic Games type of competition featuring 1,500 of the top amputee, blind, cerebral palsied, and les autres athletes in the world. These elite athletes will represent between 40 and 50 countries. The Games are held every four years, with the 1976 version having taken place in Toronto, Canada, and the 1980 Games in Arnhem, Holland. Prior to 1976, this competition was limited to spinal-cord injury athletes. The 1984 Games are scheduled to take place in Nassau County, New York, June 16-30. The athletes participating in these Games are just that - athletes. They are world class performers. Competing will be the likes of U.S. cerebral palsy team member Charlie Reid, a light heavyweight lifter who has bench-pressed in excess of 450 pounds; Canandian Arnie Boldt, a single above-knee amputee high-jumper who is closing in on a seven-foot jump; arm amputee H. Jauhiainew of Finland, who holds the amputee world record in the 400-meter dash; and blind swimmer Trischa Zorn of the United States, who has recorded an impressive 100-meter butterfly time of 1:11.55. Competition for blind athletes will be governed by the rules and classification system of the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA). The American counterpart of IBSA, the United States Association for Blind Athletes (USABA), will be responsible for providing the technical expertise and leadership for this portion of the Games. Blind athletes will compete in one of three classifications based upon their degree of visual impairment. Sports will include track and field, swimming, wrestling (for men), and gymnastics (for women), with goal ball being the team sport. Amputee athletes will compete in one of nine classifications, dependent upon which limbs are affected as well as the level of the acquired or congenital amputation. Sports will include track and field, swimming, weightlifting, table tennis, archery, air pistol, air rifle, and lawn bowling. Team events will feature standing and sitting volleyball. Also in connection with the Games, the organizing committee is hosting a World Cup standing and wheelchair basketball tournament. Cerebral palsied athletes will compete in one of eight classifications based upon their degree of disability. Sports will include track and field, swimming, cycling, slalom, archery, rifle/pistol shooting, weightlifting, table tennis, cross-country run, wheelchair boccia ball, and horseback riding. Team events include wheelchair soccer and seven-a-side soccer (ambulatory). Les autres is a French term for "the others," which refers to disabled athletes who are not eligible to participate in one of the other disabled sports associations. Sports tentatively planned include track and field, swimming, table tennis, weight­lifting, archery, and rifle/pistol shooting. Athletic competition will be held within a one-mile radius. The hub of activity will be the new, $11 million Mitchel Park athletic complex, featuring an ultra-modern pistol and rifle range and one of the world's top paved, nine-lane tracks which has electronic timing capabilities and the potential for seating 15,000 spectators. The track is lighted for night events and is surrounded by multi-use athletic fields. Adjacent to Mitchel Park are Nassau Community College and Hofstra University, which have top-notch gymnasium, field-house, and swimming facilities. Athletes will be housed in the dormitories of local universities which are within a five­mile radius of the athletic complex. Among host organizations is the United States Association for Blind Athletes, with USABA President Arthur Copeland as a member of the Executive Board. ***** ** Innovative Training Program at Mississippi State University A new program is now available at Mississippi State University to train professionals to function as Rehabilitation Counselors, Vocational Evaluators, or Placement Specialists who have training specifically oriented towards blind and visually impaired. Several student stipends are available that will pay tuition and around $250/month living expenses. The Master's program is part of the Rehabilitation Education program at Mississippi State University and involves 51 semester hours - 42 of course work plus a 9 semester hour internship. Among available resources to aid students in learning is a Vocational Evaluation Center on campus which serves clients on an ongoing basis. The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center in Blindness is located at MSU and a close relationship between this center and the training program exists. Courses are designed to produce a competent professional, trained in delivering services to persons with visual disabilities, and include Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired, Counseling Skills, Vocational Evaluation and an Internship. For more information contact Dr. Michael Peterson Ph.D. Director, Rehabilitation Education Program, Mississippi State University, P.O. Drawer GE, Mississippi State, MS 39762. ***** ** CFP 550 Spectacles: A Status Report (Information Bulletin of the National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation) Word reaching the national headquarters of the RP Foundation indicates that the recently introduced Corning CPF 550 spectacles, which were specifically designed for RP patients, continues to gain in popularity with both doctors and patients alike. Since the product has been out in the marketplace for a few months now, we thought you might be interested in hearing about the responses that other patients and doctors have had to this revolutionary vision aid. * History Corning introduced the CPF 550 spectacle program in late 1981 with absolutely no advertising or fanfare. Simply put, it was introduced as a vision aid for the RP patient (as well as other light sensitive patients). The benefits reported by over 300 RP patients during a trial period indicated that they perceived improved: • Eye comfort • Color contrast • Functional acuity • Adaptation times The CFP 550 spectacles include selective filtering photochromic lenses that eliminate: • Virtually all the ultraviolet energy (including the energy that is suspected of causing cataracts) and ... • Virtually all the short wavelength visible light that is thought to be one of the prime sources of discomfort (glare, haze, irritation, etc.) From the responses sent to Corning by patients who have actually worn the CPF 550 spectacles, it appears that Corning has succeeded in providing a vision aid that is beneficial for most RP victims and it is the first prescription spectacles with these wavelength controls that provide comfort from bright illumination and glare while improving the quality of vision. * Trial Kit Program Corning realizes that some RP patients may feel desperate to purchase any visual device reported to offer some help - and in this desperation may later find themselves disappointed with their purchase. To eliminate this possibility, Corning has made available to participating low vision doctors and clinics a CPF 550 trial kit that they can purchase. The purpose of this trial kit is to give the patient an opportunity to test-wear the CPF 550 spectacles for one to three days minimum before they make the decision to buy a pair. This way the patient knows in advance the actual perceived benefits prior to making a purchase decision. ... * Status Report The acceptance of CPF 550 spectacles continues to grow, especially when we consider that Corning has not advertised to either the patient or the doctor since the introduction of these lenses. To date trial kits have been placed in approximately 80% of the states ... And as for the sales of CPF 550 spectacles, they continue to grow, increasing more than 30 fold since their initial introduction last September. In fact, due to this increase, Corning reports that there is now a several week delay in receiving a finished pair of spectacles from Corning. Since each pair of glasses is made on a "custom" basis specifically for each patient it now requires a 6-8 week leadtime to accurately manufacture a pair of high quality filtering lenses. ... For further information about the Corning CPF 550 spectacles you can contact Corning Glass Works at the following address: Medical Optics Department MP 21-2 Corning, New York 14831 (607) 974-7823. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For sale "Beginning Basic," "Users Reference Manual" and "Terminal Emulator 2." These books are packaged in a nice cassette album for storage or display on your shelf. They are for use with the Texas Instruments T.I. 99/4a home computer with voice output and are recorded at standard speed and tracking. For price of any or all contact Mr. Tandy Way 8909 Peppermill Ct. Tampa, FL 33614 or phone 813-885-7182 evenings and weekends. ***** ** Calendar of Events May-July 1983 May 11-13 - Third Annual ACB Legislative and Leadership Training Seminar - Washington, D.C. May 13-15 - Louisiana Council of the Blind State Convention - Baton Rouge. May 14 - Arizona Council of the Blind State Convention - Phoenix. May 14-15 - New Mexico Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Organizing Convention - Albuquerque. May 16-19 - Association of Radio Reading Services Ninth Annual Conference - Phoenix, Arizona. May 21 - Connecticut Council of the Blind Spring Meeting - Bridgeport. May 23-26 - National Braille Association 17th National Conference - St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. May 25-28 - American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities National Conference - Oklahoma City. June 2-4 - Illinois Council of the Blind Leadership Training Seminar - Springfield. June 3-5 - North Dakota Association of the Blind State Convention - Fargo. June 3-5 - Florida Council of the Blind State Convention - Sarasota. June 4 - Idaho Council of the Blind State Convention - Idaho Falls. June 5-7 - NAC Commission on Accreditation meeting, hosted by the American Council of the Blind - Washington, D.C. June 11-12 - Iowa Council of the Blind State Convention - Dubuque. June 23-25 - Affiliated Leadership League Eighth Annual Delegate Assembly - Washington, D.C. June 25-26 - ACB of Nebraska State Convention - Grand Island. July 2-9 - American Council of the Blind Annual Convention Week - Phoenix, Arizona. July 10-14 - American Association of Workers for the Blind Annual Conference - Phoenix, Arizona. July 15-17 - South Carolina Council of the Blind - Aiken. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon More than 75 members of Boston's low-vision community attended a conference last fall designed to explore photography as a tool and as an art for the visually impaired. Polaroid's Affirmative Action Office worked with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Carroll Center for the Blind, and the Friends of Eye Research in developing the day-long event. Polaroid feels that the conference "opened up new horizons for low-vision persons by presenting photography both as a medium for artistic expression and as a tool for seeing the world." Guest speakers included Flo Fox, a low-vision, freelance photographer and host of a weekly New York cable TV program, "The Foto-Flo Show," and George Covington, a legally blind professional photographer, author of Let Your Camera Do the Seeing. Advances in technology have made braille use and production a dynamic subject. The Braille Research Newsletter is a publication designed to keep interested persons up-to-date on recent developments in the field. Braille Research Newsletter No. 13 contains such articles as "Stereo Copying for Reproducing Maps and Diagrams," "Two Devices for Braille Output," "The Baruch College Tactual Graphics Facility," and "Reading Electronic Braille in School Systems." Cost per issue is $6, braille or print. For braille, order from National Braille Press, Inc., 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02114, attention Diane L. Croft. For print, write Warwick Research Unit for the Blind, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, England, attention Dr. J. M. Gill. The American Foundation for the Blind is compiling a nationwide index of jobs held by blind and visually impaired persons. The index is intended to help many individuals, organizations, and employers who need to know how vision-related work problems have been solved by blind persons. The only requirement for participation is that a person must be presently employed. To help with the gathering of information, call Karen Sandhaus, collect, at (212) 620-2143, Monday through Friday, 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. You may also call and request the questionnaire in braille, large­print, or cassette. Mobility International USA (MIUSA), a non-profit organization whose purpose is to encourage and facilitate international travel and educational and work exchange by people with disabilities, has produced three booklets about travel opportunities for the disabled, comprising the World of Options series: "A Guide to International Educational Exchange and Community Service by People With Disabilities," "A Guide to International Workcamps for People with Disabilities," and "Low Cost Travel Tips for Persons Using Wheelchairs." The books may be purchased individually or in a money­saving resource packet. For information concerning the booklets and or membership, write MIUSA, P.O. Box 3551, Eugene, OR 97403; (503) 343-1284. From Opportunity (National Industries for the Blind): Radio for the Blind and Print Handicapped (RBPH) began broadcasting in September 1982 on the grounds of the Lighthouse for the Blind, New Orleans, Louisiana. RBPH is the fruition of a dream for Dr. R. T. McLean, President of the Board of Directors for the Lighthouse (and ACB Second Vice President), who has worked on the project for seven years. RBPH, whose call letters are WRBH, is currently on the air twelve hours a day, seven days a week. It is expected that it will be on the air up to nineteen hours a day in the near future. WRBH is unique among radio reading services in that it operates on its own "open-channel" FM educational frequency and thus can be heard on any FM radio. Dedication ceremonies for the Sunshine Trail and Garden for the Blind will be held Sunday, May 22, at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum near Lodi, California. This unique garden, an ongoing project of the Soroptimist International of Lodi, is planted with California's various fauna in six life zones, starting with the coastal redwoods of the Pacific slopes and ranging through the High Sierra forests to the high plains desert. The 12-acre garden is the only one of its kind in the western United States, and it was created primarily as an area for blind and handicapped visitors to enjoy nature through the senses of hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Energy Management for Human Service Agencies, published in 1980 by the Educational Facilities Laboratories, is an energy manual designed for all building-centered agencies and other non-profit organizations concerned with the ongoing high cost of energy and interested in planning their own energy management program. Price is $15 per single copy; $10, multiple copies. Educational Facilities Laboratories also makes available to agencies energy management workshops, at no cost to the agency. For further information on the manual or the workshops, write Educational Facilities Laboratories, 680 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019; attention, Elizabeth M. Gay. From The Lantern (Perkins School for the Blind): The Perkins Brailler, designed and developed by David Abraham of Howe Press, has set the standard for brailling excellence since 1951. On November 22, 1982, the Howe Press assembled its 150,000th Perkins Brailler and shipped it to Poland. Last year alone, more than 150,000 patients chose a 20-minute procedure called phacoemulsification that uses ultrasonic waves to remove cataracts, according to a recent article in Family Weekly. In the operation, performed in a doctor's office with a local anesthetic, the cataract is shattered by an ultrasonic needle which passes through a tiny incision in the eye and vibrates at the rate of 40,000 times per second. "Wherever it touches the cataract, it chops it up and sucks it out,'' explained Dr. Charles Kelman, a leading New York City cataract surgeon who developed the technique. If the patient desires, a plastic lens can then be permanently implanted. The magazine that grew out of the "back to the land" movement, The Mother Earth News, is now available on cassette. A yearly subscription costs $29.95, including shipping and handling. For further information, contact Ann Rogers, Cassette Duplications, Box 446, Derby, NH 03038. The Michigan School for the Blind is one of four agencies participating in a pilot project aimed at developing attitudes and skills for independent living by physically disabled youth through volunteer work and citizen involvement. The project is administered by the National Center for Citizen Involvement and is funded by a three-year grant from the Kellogg Foundation. A goal of the project is to foster participation of disabled persons in the community as volunteers in human service agencies. Additional information on the project is available from Gene Hensley, Director of Education Volunteers, National Center for Citizen Involvement, P.O. Box 4179, Boulder, CO 80306. Visualtek recently announced the world's first large-print, general purpose video display terminal. The Large Print Computer (LPC), as Visualtek calls it, is actually a fully programmable microcomputer, in the same class as IBM's Personal Computer, Radio Shack's TRS80, and the various Apple microcomputers. As such, it can be used as a computer terminal or as a free-standing microcom­puter for home or business use. While the standard terminal or microcomputer typically displays characters only up to 1/ 4 inch in height, Visualtek's LPC displays characters at user-selected sizes up to about four inches in height. For further information, contact James McCarthy, Marketing Coordinator, Visualtek, 1610 26th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404. From The Slate (Louisiana Council of the Blind): As a result of a meet­ing between the Commissioner of Elections for the State of Louisiana and representatives of agencies serving handicapped persons and consumer organizations of disabled people, a survey has been undertaken to determine the barriers to voting for handicapped individuals. The survey is being sent through as many channels as possible, to as many people as possible, in order to identify how many people cannot vote because they cannot get to a polling place, how many find polling places inaccessible, and what types of assistance would make the voting process easier for various groups of disabled persons. From The Stylus (Oregon Council of the Blind): The Overseas Braille Recycling Project, inaugurated by the American Council of the Blind in 1980, is well under way. Since February 1982, 30 braille magazines (comprising 1,000 volumes) and 400 press braille titles have been sent to agencies, schools, and rehabilitation centers in twelve foreign countries. Anyone having braille materials to share is asked to write, listing names of magazines or booklets before shipping, to Kim Charlson, Oregon State Library, Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 555 13th Street, N.E., Salem, OR 97303. Some large-print and disc materials are also acceptable. ***** ** 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. ###