The Braille Forum Vol. XXII August, 1983 No. 3 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: Durward K. McDaniel 9468 Singing Quail Drive Austin, TX 78758 * Secretary: Karen Perzentka 6913 Colony Drive Madison, WI 53717 * Treasurer: James R. Olsen Summit Bank Bldg., Suite 822 310 4th Avenue, S. Minneapolis, MN 55415 The Braille Forum seeks to promote the independence and dignity of all blind people: to stress responsibility of citizenship: to alert the public to the abilities and accomplishments of the blind. The Braille Forum carries official news of the American Council of the Blind and its programs. It is available for expression of views and concerns common to all blind persons. ***** ** Contents ACB Officers Convention Capsule President's Message, by Grant Mack 20/20 with a Twist, by Deborah Kendrick News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Third Annual ACB Student Seminar Attracts Nationwide Interest Raise Your Glass to ACB! ACB Testifies Concerning Voting Rights Legislation Coletta Whitcomb: Portrait of a Leader, by Paul Wilcox State Handicapped Hiring Preference Upheld by Montana Supreme Court BANA Initiates Braille Research, by Floyd R. Cargill The "Hard-of-Seeing" Must Be Consumer Advocates, Too, by George D. Failes Executive Director Wanted - A Rare Opportunity How Far We've Come (Conclusion): Where We Are Today - Retinal Detachment Voice-Indexed Dictionary Soon to Be Available ACB Affiliate News: ACB of Minnesota Convention Draws 115 In Memoriam: Jack Murphey Calendar of Events Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** Convention Capsule Because the August issue of The Braille Forum goes to press within only a few days following the close of the 1983 ACB national convention in Phoenix, a detailed report is not possible at this time. There are, however, several actions which should be reported at least in brief. Officers elected unanimously at the annual business meeting are as follows: President, Grant Mack, Salt Lake City, Utah; First Vice President, Dr. Otis Stephens, Knoxville, Tennessee, Second Vice President, Durward K. McDaniel, Austin, Texas; Secretary, Karen Perzentka, Madison, Wisconsin; and Treasurer, James R. Olsen, Minneapolis, Minnesota. You should begin thinking now about the 1984 ACB national convention, which will be held in Philadelphia, hosted by the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, during the week of June 30-July 7. The convention voted unanimously to accept the invitation of the Nevada Council of the Blind to hold the 1985 convention in Las Vegas. The convention was recorded, and tapes will be available soon. Watch The Braille Forum for further information. ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack This article is being written less than one week following the close of the 22nd annual convention of the American Council of the Blind. I have almost recovered from the lost sleep and expended energy during that very busy and action-packed week. Any of you who have ever attended an ACB convention will be able to relate to the need for a recovery period following a national convention. Now that the recuperation period is almost complete, only the high points and positive observations seem important. Many positive statements overheard during the week stand out loud and clear. One of the Phoenix Hilton employees was heard to say, "This is the best organized convention the Hilton Hotel has had since I have been here." A first-time attendee told me, "This is my first convention, but you can be sure I will be in Philadelphia next year." A person who had missed only one of the 22 ACB conventions stated that the Friday morning session was one of the most impressive he had ever attended. The three main speakers were George Mertz, Executive Vice President, National Industries for the Blind; Russell Redenbaugh, a blind vice president of a Philadelphia-based investment firm (Cooke and Bieler); and Senator Orrin Hatch (R., UT). A bus driver who drove one of the eight bus loads of people to the Pinnacle Peak outing said that he had never seen eight buses filled more quickly. "We had expected to encounter some problems when we learned most of our passengers were blind. These people boarded much more quickly and surely than most of our sighted passengers." A regular convention-goer from Oregon stated that the Awards Gala was the only one he had ever attended which, had he known what it was going to be like, he would have been willing to pay an admission fee in order to attend. The Central Arizona Mormon Choir and its narrator, Doug Holladay, provided a spectacular and impressive background for all the award recipients. To my knowledge, this is the first convention that had cheered and applauded a Resolutions Committee chairperson. Paul Edwards of Florida not only presented resolutions with efficiency and effectiveness, but also entertained with his ability to change pace and his great sense of timing. All were impressed with his proficiency in the use of the VersaBraille. Forty-two exhibitors completely filled the exhibit hall and represented the most complete array of exhibits ever gathered at an ACB convention. Judging by the amount of coverage in newspapers and on radio and television, the Phoenix media were duly impressed. This 22nd annual convention of the American Council of the Blind was one of the largest and one of the best in ACB's history. You who were there will certainly want to set your sights on Philadelphia next year. To you who did not attend, may I encourage you to set that goal and work toward coming to Philadelphia. Conventions are not only informative, but also inspirational and downright fun. ***** ** 20/20 With a Twist Ned E. Freeman Writing Competition Award-Winning Essay By Deborah Kendrick Note: Rehabilitation counselor and homemaker, Deborah Kendrick is also a writer. She is the winner of the 1983 Ned E. Freeman writing competition sponsored by the American Council of the Blind Board of Publications. Married, with two young children, Mrs. Kendrick and her husband live in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was employed in the rehabilitation field for the State of Ohio. She became a full-time homemaker and a part-time rehabilitation counselor (one client) soon after her second child was born. She views this career switch as a golden opportunity to pursue her love of writing. "I have always thought I would like to write," she says, "but it has been only in the last three years that I have done any serious writing." Although Mrs. Kendrick was unable to attend, an award certificate and check for $100.00 was presented at the Awards and Charter Gala on Wednesday, July 6, during the ACB national convention in Phoenix. Her imaginative and charming winning essay follows. She swiveled her chair to face the desk again and absently slid the reference volume under the appropriate clamps of the dot-conversion deck. After ten years, it still seemed a minor miracle, she reflected, as the familiar process began with a nudge of the switch and a few adjustments of knobs. It was always a little thrilling to run her hand up the tactually blank page and feel the braille emerging magically. As chief administrator of the Department of Visual Equality, she found paper work and reference materials to be endless components of the job. The dot-converter made it all so effortless, so compact. There were drawbacks to the device, of course. Since only 10 to 30 percent of the text could occupy a page at one time in its dot-converted form (due to the variations in space requirements), it could be a small irritation if the machine needed to be put in its reverse mode for recalling data which had already fled the page. Because of her age, however (she would be 47 on 05/04/2020) and the memories those years had incurred, Mary Seymour was not prone to viewing such annoyances with much seriousness. How could she, when the horrors of the '90s - those years now called "the dark ages for the visually impaired" - seemed like only yesterday? She had been one of the lucky ones - learning to read prior to the silencing of braille. Even during her own childhood of the '70s and early '80s, braille teachers had been scarce. In the mid-'80s, university programs had ceased requiring braille for prospective teachers, and, with a reality more terrifying than any nightmare, braille production facilities had begun folding with rapid succession. With the closing of radio reading service studios had gone access to print, to a large extent, and the withdrawal of special mailing privileges had taken most of what remained. By the 1990's, blind children were no longer being educated at all, and blind adults had begun to cluster together frantically for survival. Mary Seymour had been a teenager when the dark ages had become harsh reality, but she had tasted the joy of literacy and the freedom of movement sufficiently so that her role as revolutionary had never been a conscious decision. There had simply been no other logical alternative. It had been a grim eighteen years - meeting with groups, large and small, in secrecy; teaching with outdated materials; plotting, failing, and finally success. Ironically, their greatest strength had been an element of visual impairment itself. Working without light, after all, was no real hardship for any of them. Many tactics of the visionary rebellion, Mary reflected, had been comic, and many had been devastatingly effective. Tampering with power sources had been their greatest tool. First there had been the television blackout, allowing only audio portions of broadcasts nationwide to be transmitted. If her optic sensor had been installed during those days, Mary smiled, it might have been entertaining to see the faces of those in countless homes as TV screens first rolled and then went utterly blank. "You, too, can function without pictures," the intermittent announcements had informed the seeing public. The rebels had scrambled computers, taken over radio networks, and then, tauntingly, ground all power to a halt. It had been a tedious struggle, but the gains had been remarkable. A key to the success of the revolution had been its emphasis on peaceful tactics. No bodily harm had come to anyone on either side — unless, of course, one considered the capture of Mary and a dozen other revolutionary leaders or the optic sensor implantations as "bodily harm." The reasoning on the part of their captors had been along the lines that if the leadership of the visionary rebellion were transformed into seeing persons, they would automatically abandon the cause, and thus dissolve the movement. Some medical experimentation had been conducted prior to the dark ages in which mini-cameras had been connected to optic nerves, resulting in minimal vision for the totally blind. The optic sensor plan had been based on that earlier data, but weakly so, for the results were something of a surprise to all. If there had ever been a moment when she had weighed the possibility of giving up the rebellion, it had been during the time of her capture. People moved wordlessly around the hospital bed where she had lain helplessly restrained. To Mary's repeated, although calm questions regarding their intentions, Mary was ultimately given the singular, short response: "You will see when the surgery is over." And so she had - in a manner of speaking. The final power shut-down had enabled the dozen captives to escape three days following their imposed surgery. Only gradually in the months of negotiation ahead were they to realize what the effects - and the intended effects - of the implant operation had been. None were rendered seeing persons in the conventional sense, as had been intended, but each experienced some unexpected heightening awareness. George Thompson, for example, discovered a kind of telepathic effect, enabling him to form a visual image of a room before entering it. Joan Brighton realized that she could perceive colors. Mary Seymour's outcome was a bit more peculiar. "I've always had an incredible hindsight," she had quipped in the final days of the visionary rebellion. Indeed, her own optic sensor - a typical follow-up of the implant exercise - provided her with a detailed visual perception of human faces and environments, but did so only after she had left their immediate vicinity. It was little more than a novelty now, rarely of any practical use. She did, however, occasionally attract attention to herself by entering an unfamiliar area, quickly and briefly retreating so that the image could establish itself in her mind, and then calmly re-entering. Usually the tools of her childhood were sufficient - sounds, smells, and the unconscious absorption of environmental cues through every cell of her body's surface. The real success of the visionary rebellion had come in the form of print-accessing technology. Braille had been re-established in the universities in 2007, with far more stringent requirements than had ever existed previously. Visually impaired children were taught braille and print simultaneously, so that the choice was ultimately a personal one. Street signs, billboards, and elevators were all equipped with speech-synthesized devices. For those who used braille, dot­conversion decks were commonplace - desk models in offices for accessing books and computer information, and hand-held versions for quick reading of menus, entertainment programs, and similar materials. For the visually impaired print user, miniature high-powered magnifiers with polarity reversal mechanisms were the widespread answer to print accessibility. Returning the reference volume to its place and noting that it was nearly time for her scheduled meeting with President Olga Henderson, Mary swiftly reviewed a few notes and switched off the converter. When she was a little girl, she thought, her teacher had told her that there were only two things that she could never do. "You will never drive an automobile," she had said, "and you will never read print. " Mary Seymour smiled with genuine contentment. Saint that she had been, even her teacher had underestimated the future of her visually impaired students. Private automobiles had been eliminated ten years ago now, so that the ability or inability of anyone to drive them was no longer relevant. As far as print was concerned, she thought, giving the converter an almost affectionate pat, she had something better than reading print: she could read everything, and read it in her own familiar language of dots. Now where, she wondered with a touch of annoyance as she pushed back her chair, had she left the portfolio of data for the meeting with the President? Slipping into her coat, unfolding her white cane, Mary Seymour walked briskly out of the office and hesitated expectantly just beyond the threshold. With an impatient shake of her hair, the anticipated image finally flashed before her mind's eye. "Ahh, yes," she said aloud as she hastily re-entered the office and snatched the portfolio from the top of the file cabinet. From the dark-age days of the '90s, the blind had finally achieved their long-deserved status in education and employment and had secured a Department of Visual Equality in the bargain. The attractive woman who now strode confidently towards the elevators did not look much like a once tough-minded leader of the visionary rebellion. But, she thought, shifting the portfolio in her arm, she had the optic sensor as one amusing and occasionally useful souvenir. "Going down," the elevator spoke in its distinct, synthesized syllables. The door slid open and, smiling, Mary Seymour stepped inside. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller National Representative During early June, it was the pleasure of the American Council of the Blind to host the semi-annual meeting of the Commission on Accreditation of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) in Washington, D.C. It is at these meetings that the Commission, made up of twelve people, examines in great detail the reports prepared by on-site teams regarding applicants for accreditation. Consequently, these sessions involve countless hours of careful consideration, evaluation, and discussion. ACB's Director of Governmental Affairs, Scott Marshall, is a member of the Commission. Although ACB hosted the meeting, it should be pointed out that ACB was not involved in any way in any of the decisions made, inasmuch as the decisions are made fully by the members of the Commission. During June, I was honored by election to the Board of Directors of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD). ACB has been an active supporter of ACCD since its formation approximately seven years ago, and although ACCD is now experiencing financial difficulties due to the termination of many Federal grant programs, we are optimistic about its ability to remain one of the most viable and effective cross-disability coalitions in the country. In late June, the ACB office staff was pleased to meet Dr. James Johnson, the new Executive Director of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL). Dr. Johnson, who has extensive legislative experience, is working diligently to learn more about the subject of services to the blind, and we wish him the best of success in his new position. Since more detailed articles will be published regarding the 1983 ACB national convention, I shall limit myself for now to a brief discussion of an ACB national convention "first," the employment promotion luncheon hosted by ACB for the business and professional leaders of Phoenix. To be more specific, on Thursday, July 7, ACB hosted approximately 25 of the business and professional leaders of Phoenix at a luncheon, the primary purpose of which was to educate them concerning the employment capabilities of properly trained blind workers. Most of the members of the ACB Board of Directors as well as the presidents of several of ACB's national special-interest affiliates and the ACB staff discussed employment capabilities informally over lunch. Following lunch, demonstrations were conducted of two "high tech" devices which have already opened countless employment doors and opportunities for advancement by blind workers - the "Audio Typing Unit" of IBM and the "Information Through Speech" talking computer of Maryland Computer Services. The demonstrations and information provided were real "eye-openers" for most of the business people present, and one virtually promised to employ a thoroughly trained blind computer programmer. The fact that the educational purpose of the luncheon was a "first" was underscored by the reaction of one business leader at the time he was initially contacted by telephone about coming to the luncheon. Before listening to the terms of the invitation, and as a result of operating under the assumption that we were contacting his company for a contribution, he quickly stated that his company could not make a contribution because it had just lost $27 million. However, the young woman who was extending the invitation quickly assured him that rather than asking for a contribution, we were inviting him to a free meal, after which he would receive an invaluable amount of information regarding the capabilities of blind workers. By the time this article is published, ACB's new public service announcements will have been distributed to the top 100 radio markets throughout the United States. I urge all ACB members to listen for these PSA's and to let us know if they are not being aired on the major stations in their areas. ***** ** Third Annual ACB Student Seminar Attracts Nationwide Interest The 1983 ACB Student Seminar, held on July 3 during National Convention Week in Phoenix, Arizona, attracted over 80 bright and energetic blind and visually impaired post­secondary students from across the United States. The students came from practically every state and represented small, medium, and large colleges, universities, and vocational schools. The American Council of the Blind, along with many of its state and special-interest affiliates, provided substantial financial assistance to bring the students to this valuable seminar. Participants stayed through the week to attend meetings of ACB special-interest affiliates as well as the 22nd annual ACB convention. Topics discussed during the third annual student seminar included: "Concrete Steps Toward Gainful Employment," Debra Sampson, Coordinator for Career Services for Students with Disabilities, San Jose State University; "Preliminary Report of the National Survey of Blind and Visually Impaired Students," Corinne Kirchner, Ph.D., Director of Social Research, American Foundation for the Blind; "Slipping into the Social and Recreational Mainstream on Campus," Bud Keith, President, Ski for Light, Inc.; "Personal Challenge - A Physical Education Program for Blind Students at Arizona State University," B.J. Maxson, Counselor of Visually Impaired Students;" How to Get Financial Assistance to Get You Through School," Judy Belanger, Financial Aid Officer, Arizona State University. Other topics included: "Getting Yours - What Your School Does and Doesn't Owe You," Barbara Nelson, ACB Staff Attorney; "How to Shop, Dress to Impress, and Look Your Best," Vera McClain, Rehabilitation Teacher, Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Services; and "Personal and Professional Involvement in Organizations," Grant Mack, President, American Council of the Blind, plus various representatives of ACB special-interest affiliates. ***** ** Raise Your Glass to ACB! Here's the best ACB memorabilia yet. ... ACB coffee mugs and ACB beer mugs ... Great conversation pieces, great collector's items, and a great way to say "Cheers" to your organization! The National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS) is selling attractive mugs which have the ACB logo in brown and the words "PHOENIX 1983" in gold. The coffee mugs hold a generous amount of your favorite warm or cold drink and are microwave and dishwasher safe. The clear glass beer mugs will hold twelve ounces of your favorite brew or cold drink and are decorated with several gold stripes around them, as well as the ACB "eye" and "PHOENIX 1983." There are a limited number available, so rush your order in today. These are collector's mugs, so don't miss out. Buy a set for yourself and your favorite ACB friend. Coffee mugs are $6.50 each, including shipping and handling. Beer mugs are $7.50 each, also including shipping and handling. MINIMUM ORDER OF TWO MUGS MAILED TO EACH ADDRESS. You may mix or match coffee and beer mugs as you please. Make checks payable to National Alliance of Blind Students and mail to the ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. Your order will be shipped promptly so that you can lift your cup to ACB. ***** ** ACB Testifies Concerning Voting Rights Legislation (On July 14, 1983, Scott Marshall, Director of Governmental Affairs for the American Council of the Blind, presented testimony regarding H.R. 1250, the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act, before the Task Force on Elections Subcommittee of the Committee on House Administration of the U.S. House of Representatives. Following are excerpts from that testimony.) ... We firmly believe that blind and visually impaired Americans - like our sighted peers - have a solemn duty to exercise the right to vote and to contribute our talents to the decision-making process in this Democracy. Needless obstacles which unduly impinge on the exercise of this most fundamental right must be eliminated. Since 1981, the American Council of the Blind has been working with leading disability rights organizations to develop H.R. 1250, the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act. In Membership Resolution 83-21, the American Council of the Blind reaffirmed its commitment to the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act and pledged to actively participate in a voter education project to provide information about voting rights, procedures, and candidates in media accessible to visually impaired people. The time is ripe for the passage of the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act. Congress has established a goal of "full participation" of handicapped people in the mainstream of American life, recognizing that our society can benefit from the input of its handicapped citizens ... Passage of the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act is also a logical and necessary sequel to the passage last year of the Voting Rights Act Amendments. In that Act, Congress reaffirmed and strengthened the nation's commitment to ensuring full participation of racial and cultural minority groups in the electoral process. Enactment of H.R. 1250 is necessary to ensure that the protection afforded to minority group members by these recent amendments to the Voting Rights Act will become a reality for the millions of disabled people who are also members of racial and cultural minority groups. Severe disability (under Social Security standards) is almost twice as prevalent among blacks and persons of Hispanic origin as other groups. Furthermore, the Voting Rights Act Amendments passed last session took a preliminary step toward elimination of obstacles to blind and visually impaired individuals' exercise of the franchise. An amendment to that Act, initially introduced by Representative Fenwick, allows qualified voters who are blind, disabled, or unable to read or write to have an assistant of their choice accompany them into the voting booth ... When this amendment becomes effective in January 1984, it will be a significant benefit to many blind and visually impaired voters because it will eliminate the uncertainty which existed in many jurisdictions, and differences between jurisdictions, regarding whether a blind or visually impaired voter could choose a sighted individual to accompany him or her into the voting booth. The provisions of the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act are needed to eliminate remaining obstacles which deter visually impaired people (some with additional handicaps) and those with other handicaps, from voting. Many people with severe visual impairments who have some remaining vision will be able to vote, perhaps with the use of their own visual aids, without assistance, if registration and voting instructions in large, clear print are conspicuously displayed in each polling and registration place. Further, many newly blind or severely visually impaired people are elderly. According to the National Society to Prevent Blindness, about 70 percent of the 1.3 million voting­age Americans with severe visual impairments (defined as persons who cannot read ordinary newsprint even with the aid of glasses) are over age 65. These older citizens with severe visual impairments may not possess the ability or confidence to travel independently that many younger blind and visually impaired people have gained through experience and through training in orientation and mobility skills. These older people may wish to vote by absentee ballot. The Equal Access to Voting Rights Act would require states to allow disabled and elderly people who wish to do so to use the absentee ballot procedure. This will allow visually impaired persons who prefer this method of voting to complete their ballots in their home when reading assistance is available to them. However, it is important that the process for obtaining absentee ballots be as streamlined as possible so that this process itself is not so cumbersome that it, too, presents unnecessary barriers to voting. The requirement that each polling site have paper ballots available will be important to those visually impaired people who have additional handicaps, and to other handicapped people who have difficulty using voting machines. It will also be helpful to those visually impaired people who can read if they can hold the paper ballot very close to their eyes or use magnifying devices. All of these provisions will have little impact without the requirement in the bill that jurisdictions provide notice about this law in a variety of media, such as in public service announcements and in print, so visually impaired and hearing impaired people may benefit from it. Some may ask: Why does this legislation not require voting registration instructions and ballots to be transcribed into braille? We regret this step - which would assist many blind voters - is not practicable now. At the present time, it would be extremely expensive and difficult to transcribe copies of ballots from each political subdivision in this country into braille and to quickly tabulate completed ballots. In addition, the majority of people with severe visual impairments cannot read braille. However, computer technology for braille production that would make it economical to provide braille ballots is rapidly advancing and, accordingly, it may be feasible to require braille ballots in the future. * Conclusion It is now time to enact the Equal Access to Voting Rights Act. The Act would eliminate many obstacles that now preclude handicapped people from exercising their right to vote and would be an important step toward the goal of full participation of handicapped people in the mainstream of American life. ***** ** Coletta Whitcomb: Portrait of a Leader By Paul Wilcox "Coletta Whitcomb therefore receives the award for the Outstanding Disabled Person in Hawaii in 1983, reflecting the philosophy of independent living. She is the person in Hawaii who most exemplifies that the greatest of all human benefits is independence." In response to these ringing words, a barely five-foot-tall woman, looking much younger than her fifty years, stepped forward with a bright smile and received from President Kristin Mills of the Hawaii Centers for Independent Living a kiss, a handsome maile lei, and a beautiful Hawaiian koa bowl at ceremonies on May 14, 1983, at the Pacific Beach Hotel, overlooking fabled Waikiki Beach. The occasion was the second annual conference of the Hawaii Centers for Independent Living, held in cooperation with the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This was not Coletta’s first award. In 1981, she received the award for the most outstanding female leader in the State of Hawaii in connection with the International Year of Disabled Persons. Who is Coletta Whitcomb, and why are people saying these nice things about her? This year's Outstanding Disabled Person in Hawaii is a woman whose life truly reflects the philosophy of independent living. She entered this world with congenital cataracts in the pupils of both eyes obstructing 95 percent of her vision, making her legally blind. She was born on the "big island" of Hawaii, and after graduation from Hilo High School, she attended Cannon School of Business and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She was married in 1954 and now lives in Honolulu. Not only has she used her business education professionally, but she has channeled it into years of volunteer service. Despite her handicap, she has sustained an enviable record of achievement in the arts, politics, and community service. Her interests and her achievements are inseparable. Coletta is the founding president of the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired and served from 1976 to 1982, helping the organization to grow into a dynamic community force. She is a member of the national Board of Directors of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision and chairman of its political and education committees. She is political chairperson of the State of Hawaii Commission on the Handicapped. In 1981, she was selected by Governor George Ariyoshi to serve as co-chairperson of United Nations Week during the International Year of Disabled Persons. At a year's end banquet for the IYDP, she was honored as the most outstanding female leader for her contributions and leadership in independent living, receiving a beautiful gold medal. She is coordinator and director of the Hawaii Association for Blind Athletes and was coordinator for Blind Sports Week, held in Honolulu May 30 through June 8, 1983. She is current president of the Honolulu Civitan Club, an organization serving the disabled community. She is a past coordinator and a performing member of the Honolulu Symphony Chorus. Despite her low vision, she sang the second lead in an opera. Active in politics, she does volunteer work for the Democratic Party and has met Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter in various working capacities. She was chosen by the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired to represent Hawaii at the ACB legislative seminars in 1981 and 1982. At the seventh annual convention of the Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired in 1982, Coletta was honored as its founding president. A luncheon was dedicated to her. Speaking her praises and accomplishments were U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga, U.S. Congressman Cecil Heftel, Honolulu Mayor Eileen Anderson, representatives of U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and Governor George Ariyoshi, and ACB National Representative Oral O. Miller. Coletta Whitcomb is handicapped by low vision, but she presents herself in such a way that it is difficult to believe that she is indeed handicapped. She has given many of her years to help the handicapped, always with confidence and creativity, trying constantly to maintain a low profile in order to get things done. She is what is known in Hawaii as a dynamic wahine. "A lot of really important things could be done," she told me, "if workers were not so determined to receive credit for a project. Credit­taking always slows down the process. Everything would be simple if you could eliminate the credit-takers." Telling the exact truth is also very important to her. "The withholding of truth is sometimes a worse deception than a direct misstatement," she says. "The word 'independence' is united to the ideas of dignity and usefulness. The word 'dependence' is limited to the idea of inferiority. One's views as a disabled person should be directed to independence. Without independence, no person can be happy. No person can lift up his head who is a slave to other men's judgments." This philosophy, she indicated, must be evident in all we do, even little things. "President Franklin Roosevelt tried for two years to move his big toe. After that, no job was ever too big for him." Coletta Whitcomb has been a pioneer in getting diverse handicapped groups to work together. Through her many impressive achievements, she has demonstrated the ability not only to live independently, but she has exerted a considerable force for constructive change in society's attitudes and policies toward the disabled. She has lent strength, guidance, and inspiration to others working to aid persons with diverse handicaps in their quest to function as independent citizens. Perhaps her energy and motivation flow from her strong desire to see that all disabled people live with dignity. Across the blue Pacific, Coletta Whitcomb is igniting Hawaii's handicapped. ***** ** State Handicapped Hiring Preference Upheld by Montana Supreme Court Vivian Crabtree of Helena, Montana, heard some exciting news from the State of Montana Supreme Court on June 16, 1983. For two years, she had been fighting a court battle to determine whether the State of Montana Library System had violated the state law which gives qualified veterans and disabled people a hiring preference for state employment. The provision of the law which applies to disabled people has been on the books in Montana since 1927, but had never been interpreted by the courts. The problem arose in September 1981 when Ms. Crabtree applied for a job with the Library System as coordinator of volunteer services. After interviewing Ms. Crabtree, who is legally blind, the Library concluded that she lacked essential qualifications necessary to design and implement a statewide program using volunteer readers to record library materials for blind and visually impaired persons. Ms. Crabtree learned that the Library conducted a preliminary screening of applicants by scoring each applicant on a rating scale it had developed; however, the rating process used criteria different from those stated in the job announcement. Later, the top applicants were interviewed and points were added to their score. Unlike other applicants, however, Ms. Crabtree was never asked questions during the interview designed to elicit information that would have added points to her score. For example, the person eventually hired was given extra points because the interviewer found that she had taken three college speech courses. Ms. Crabtree had a similar college background, but was given no extra points. Ms. Crabtree went to court and successfully challenged the manner in which the Library System applied the disability preference. The trial court interpreted the law to require that disabled people who meet the physical and mental qualifications for a job, and who possess the "business capacity, competency, and education to discharge the duties of the position," have a preference over other applicants. The court directed that the top qualified disabled applicant for a job should be employed even if there is some relatively more qualified non­disabled applicant. The court also found that the process of determining the most qualified applicant for the State Library System position had not been conducted in a fair manner because it required qualifications not relevant to the job. The trial court's decision was appealed to the Montana Supreme Court by the State Library System. It claimed that the preference should apply only if the two top candidates were equally qualified and one was disabled. The Montana Supreme Court agreed with Ms. Crabtree and upheld the decision of the lower court and ordered that the Library re-advertise the position and re-open the entire hiring process. Throughout the case, Ms. Crabtree consulted with the American Council of the Blind and its staff attorney, Barbara Nelson. According to Ms. Crabtree, the process of preparing for and presenting testimony at trial was stressful and difficult. She is delighted, however, that the new, favorable interpretation of the Montana law will help many disabled persons find jobs in state employment. She also relates that in the meantime, she has found a job quite similar to the position she was denied by the State Library System. ***** ** BANA Initiates Braille Research By Floyd R. Cargill Research projects in seven braille­related areas were approved by the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) at its spring 1983 meeting held April 28-29 at Volunteer Services for the Blind, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The projects had been previously identified, outlined, and recommended by BANA's Ad Hoc Committee on Research. The BANA-BAUK International Conference on Literary Braille Grade Two, held in September 1982 at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), stressed the urgency of launching extensive research programs within the English­speaking countries. BANA established its Ad Hoc Committee on Research during its November 1982 business meeting, to initiate and coordinate braille-related research in the United States and Canada. The members of that committee are: Dr. Susan Jay Spungin, Associate Director for Service Programs, American Foundation for the Blind, Chairperson; Floyd R. Cargill, American Council of the Blind, Co-Chairperson; Dr. Hilda Caton, Teacher Training Program, University of Louisville; Dr. Susan Lederman, Associate Professor of Psychology, Queens University, Canada; Karen Luxton, Director, Computer Center, Baruch College; and Dr. Sally Mangold, Teacher Training Program, San Francisco State University. The committee met February 17 at the American Foundation for the Blind to develop a proposal for the first phase of a comprehensive research effort. The seven projects included in that proposal, listed in the order as approved by BANA, are: 1. Compile an exhaustive bibliography of research that has been and is being done relevant to the braille system. A procedure to evaluate the relative value of the research will be devised once the bibliography has been compiled. 2. Study the effect of contractions that bridge syllables on factors such as speed of reading, comprehension, and recognition errors. A computer-assisted survey will be conducted to determine how extensively syllables are currently being bridged by contractions. 3. Conduct a statistical study, using computers, to learn the consistency — or lack of consistency - in using contractions for ea, be, ar, etc. An extensive quantity of literature published in Grade Two braille according to standards followed by NLS will be analyzed. 4. Evaluate the comparative effects of using and not using the capital sign. An effort will be made to determine whether or not the life style of blind people is affected by its use or non-use. Its effect on human and machine consistency in using and producing braille materials will be measured. 5. Compare the results of using Grade One and Grade Two literary braille with newly blinded adults by measuring speed of reading, comprehension, recognition errors, etc. This study may be expanded to include students. 6. Assess the recognition problems that are directly related to braille symbols and the present code - upper­cell placements vs. lower-cell placements, left-hand dots vs. right-hand dots, one-cell signs vs. two-cell signs, etc. 7. Conduct basic experimental research to learn how fundamental psycho-physical mechanisms are involved in learning and using braille. The studies will strive to identify factors that determine the legibility of a braille symbol and the optimum size of a braille cell. Changes should not be made in the braille code just for the sake of making changes. BANA's policy is to make a change only "if it makes a lot of sense" to do so. This research effort is a logical approach to promoting the efficiency of the braille system and avoiding confusion that will result from unnecessary or too many changes. ***** ** The "Hard-of-Seeing" Must Be Consumer Activists, Too By George D. Failes (Reprinted from Minnesota Memo, Newsletter of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, June 1983) Have you ever considered what was involved in bringing the much­needed close-caption technology on television for the hearing impaired? Certainly it was much more than scientific knowledge itself, as the size of the hearing-impaired population alone probably could not justify the over-all economics of research, development, production of equipment for TV transmission and reception of the closed-caption signals. As a matter of fact, there is a lawsuit currently initiated by the hearing impaired against a commercial TV station that refused to transmit close­caption signals on the basis of economics alone. The point behind all of this is that a need by the hearing impaired existed and they joined forces, however small, to exert their demands and obtain certain rights to which they are entitled. The same is also true for the so-called "hard-of-seeing" - the low-vision population. The time is now for low-vision people to organize and develop a mechanism through which they can express their individual needs, interests, and preferences. The need for organizing, however great in past years, is becoming even more important with the drastic changes that have occurred in governmental and public concepts and social and political concepts and social and political issues affecting all of us. To give you a small but important example of our need to organize a low-vision consumer group, it is technically simple to have verbal signals transmitted on TV to small receivers like our Radio Talking Book system, to describe action in non­verbal scenarios in movies and other television programs. For those who are able to see the general action on their TV screen, but are unable to understand the non-verbal details occurring, it would be most helpful to have these described between verbal scenarios. This service is being provided on non-commercial national educational television on a limited basis in some states now. If enough low-vision people believe strongly enough about this one issue, they will eventually have all TV and movie productions providing verbal descriptions as well as closed-caption description in the future. There are, however, broader and more meaningful purposes for joining the Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCLV). First of all, we need to establish the right of partially-sighted people to make full use of their remaining eyesight, with the help of all necessary visual aids, services, and technology. The Minnesota affiliate of the American Council of the Blind took the initiative to provide much of the seed money to establish a much-needed low-vision unit at the Minneapolis Society for the Blind to help the partially-sighted obtain the necessary services and information that can either improve or maintain their jobs or social potential. If we are to make any progress in establishing the rights of the partially sighted to make full use of remaining vision with the help of services and technology, it will be our responsibility to create awareness of what low vision is and what it is not. Education of the public, professionals, and even the partially sighted themselves will be necessary to let everyone know of our capabilities, potential, and special needs. One very important part of the educational effort is to establish a network of support groups by means of group meetings, telephone to share information, and distribution of updated knowledge. Support groups also have played an important role in providing both peer counseling and interaction for emotional stability. As an example of how public awareness and education can be achieved, there is an effort under way by a group in Jacksonville, Florida, to utilize public cable TV. If a viable consumer organization of low-vision people is concerned enough about controlling their own destinies and helping others, then the basic thrust will be there to meet our goals. ... (Note: George Failes is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota. The Council of Citizens with Low Vision is one of the fastest-growing special-interest affiliates of the American Council of the Blind. For information on it programs and activities or to become a member, contact CCLV President Carl Foley, 1357 E. David Road, Kettering, OH 45429.) ***** ** Executive Director Wanted - A Rare Opportunity The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped is seeking an exceptionally talented professional to assume responsibility later this year as its chief administrator. NAC was established in 1966 as the standard-setting and accrediting body in work with the blind. It is endorsed and sponsored by the leading organizations of and for the blind in America, and is recognized by the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Education as the "reliable authority as to the quality of training provided by specialized schools for the blind and visually handicapped." NAC currently has 92 accredited members, including schools, workshops, rehabilitation centers, and vocational rehabilitation agencies. Its office is located in New York City and consists of seven professional and nine secretarial and administrative positions. Policy is formulated by an elected 35-member Board of Directors consisting of leading professionals, consumers, and public members, and NAC's work is augmented by a substantial network of volunteers. The Executive Director is expected to give leadership to the corporate structure in evolving goals and obtaining results, and is responsible for the administration of the NAC office, including sound fiscal management. The successful candidate will be expected to continue the Council's steady growth and commitment to excellence that has characterized it since its inception. Candidates should possess a graduate degree in an appropriate area and at least ten years of progressively responsible experience in administration. Background in education, rehabilitation, accreditation, work with the blind, or other human-service experience is preferred. The successful candidate will have opportunity to exert significant influence over a specialized nationwide service delivery system, and he or she can expect to receive a competitive salary and benefits package. For confidential consideration, send your resume, including salary history, promptly to Otis H. Stephens, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, McClung Tower, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER. ***** ** How Far We've Come (Conclusion) Where We Are Today: Retinal Detachment (Reprinted from Sundial, Newsletter of the Eye Research Institute of Retina Foundation, Vol. IX, No. 1, April 1983) The retina lies along the inside surface of the back of the eye, between the vitreous and the choroid. The retinal detachment occurs when there is a minute hole or tear in the retina and fluid seeps between the retinal layers. This fluid separates the retina from its blood supply, causing the retina to lose its sensitivity to light and resulting in blindness. Retinal breaks and subsequent detachments can occur as a result of various conditions. Severe trauma to the eye can cause a detachment. Various degenerative diseases of the retina can cause retinal breaks and detachments. The retina can also be affected by the aging of the vitreous. After the age of forty, the vitreous tends to shrink. Most vitreous shrinkage is not followed by damage to the retina. However, if the vitreous remains attached to the retina at any point, the shrinking process can cause traction on the retina and cause it to tear or detach. Many retinal detachments occur for no apparent reason. These spontaneous detachments pose a continuing challenge to scientists, particularly because roughly a quarter of the people who have spontaneous detachment in one eye will develop one in the other eye. Many retinal breaks develop without any warning signs. However, a retinal tear or a very early retinal detachment is sometimes accompanied by a limited flicker of light which remains in a definite location in the field of vision. Tearing of the retina may also be accompanied by bleeding, which causes brown or black specks in the field of vision. Patients often describe this as the appearance of falling soot or the sensation of looking through a cobweb. When the retina starts to detach, a definite curtain may appear on one side in the field of vision. If the central portion of the retina is affected by a detachment, vision is distorted and patients have the impression that they are looking through water. Retinal tears and breaks can be treated before a detachment occurs, since there is often a time interval between the two events. The length of this period varies but in most instances it is several weeks or months. During this time an opportunity exists to prevent retinal detachment by sealing the retinal breaks. The surgical procedures to seal retinal breaks have a common goal: all are designed to make tiny scars in the retina and choroid. The scar tissue serves to weld the retina to the back of the eye, preventing further tearing and detachment. Photocoagulation, cryosurgery, and diathermy are all used today to produce the scars. The method selected depends on the size and location of the retinal tear. Photocoagulation directs a tiny, intense light, usually a laser light, through the pupil. The light is absorbed by and burns only the pigmented retina, and does not harm the transparent cornea, lens and vitreous which lie in front of the retina. Since the light cannot be conveniently or accurately directed to the front half of the globe of the eye, photocoagulation is generally used for tears or breaks in the retina that lines the back half of the globe. Cryosurgery employs extreme cold rather than extreme heat to produce retinal burns. A cold "probe" is placed on the outside of the eyeball or just under the sclera, over the site of the retinal break. Since cryosurgery is performed through the exterior of the eye, it is used for repairing tears in the retina that lines the front half of the globe of the eye. In the same manner, a diathermy device may be used to produce retinal scars in the front half of the retina. A diathermy device employs high-frequency electrical currents to make the desired retinal scars. If a retinal detachment does occur, surgery is required to drain excess fluid from behind the retina and then reattach the retina to the eye's outer coat. Before 1950, patients undergoing surgery for retinal reattachment spent up to 28 days in bed, eyes covered, head immobilized by sandbags. Today, most patients are out of bed the day after the surgery, and hospital stays have been shortened to a week. This marked improvement, which has raised the success of reparative surgery for retinal detachment to 85%, is due to two improved methods of examining the retina to locate retinal breaks, and significant improvements in surgical procedures. In both developments, the Eye Research Institute has played an essential role. The development of the indirect binocular ophthalmoscope has revolutionized retinal diagnosis. This instrument has significant advantages over a direct ophthalmoscope: the visual field is much larger; the view is stereoscopic (three-dimensional); and more light can be introduced into the eye. When used in combination with a scleral depressor, a hand-held device that allows the physician to press gently on the outside of the eyeball, it is possible to bring the extreme periphery of the retina into view so that the entire retina can be thoroughly evaluated and problem areas located. Both the indirect binocular ophthalmoscope and the scleral depressor were developed, refined, and popularized by Dr. Charles L. Schepens, President and Founder of the Eye Research Institute, and his colleagues at the Institute. The second major contribution of this group was the refinement and popularization of "scleral buckling." This surgical technique has greatly improved retinal detachment surgery. A scleral buckle is a tiny plastic band that is implanted in the sclera (or "white") of the eye and gently tightened to change the shape of the eyeball. The plastic implant distorts the shape of the eye just enough to bring the retina into contact with the back of eye. Scleral buckling also diminishes the pull of the vitreous membranes on the retina by reducing the size of the vitreous cavity. Then the necessary scars can be made to reattach the retina. Some retinal detachments are so large that the retina actually folds down on itself, and the retinal flap adheres to the lower part of the retina. Termed "giant tears," these detachments are treated in a unique way. Scientists and mechanical designers at the Eye Research Institute developed a surgical table that turns the patient upside down, thus dislodging the folded retina with the force of gravity. The surgeon operates kneeling under the patient. If gravity does not separate the retina other techniques must be used to nudge the retina back into place. Once in place, the retina is reattached. Research to understand the causes of retinal detachment and to continue to improve surgical techniques is underway at the Eye Research Institute and other research centers around the country. ***** ** Voice-Indexed Dictionary Soon to Be Available The first voice-indexed dictionary for blind and physically handicapped people has been produced by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress. Recorded from the Concise Heritage Dictionary, published by Houghton-Mifflin Co., the cassette dictionary contains all of the 55,000 entries of the print edition. The dictionary is contained on 219 sides of 55 cassettes and is recorded in the standard NLS four-track, 15/16 ips format. An additional cassette contains detailed instructions on the use of the voice-indexing system and an index to the contents of the 219 sides. The dictionary is housed in five binders holding up to twelve cassettes each, and uses only six inches of shelf space. NLS has entered into an agreement with the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky, to duplicate, package, and sell the dictionary at cost. It should be available for purchase by blind and physically handicapped individuals by late fall 1983 at the production cost of $82.54 (Catalog No. C-1080). The dictionary will also be available for use at each of the 160 cooperating libraries nationwide serving NLS readers. ***** ** ACB Affiliate News * ACB of Minnesota Convention Draws 115 (Reprinted from Minnesota Memo, Newsletter of American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, June 1983) "Creative Options for the Visually Impaired" was the official title, but most of us just called it "the convention." It was both. It was a combination of workshops, seminars, displays, business meetings, and get-togethers. It was attended by Gopher State members, by professionals in the field of education and rehabilitation, and by friends and relatives. The people who came were old friends and strangers. They were senior citizens and students. They came from the Twin Cities, from throughout the state, and from out-of-state. They came for both days or one day. They stayed overnight or they came in each day. The important thing was that they came! At the annual business meeting, one very important piece of legislation was passed by the membership. The name of the organization was officially changed from Gopher State Blind Associates to "American Council of the Blind of Minnesota," or ACBM for short. We hope that this new name will better help identify our state group with the national organization and, at the same time, give more recognition to the name American Council of the Blind. For the old­timers, it may take a little getting­used-to, saying ACBM instead of Gopher State. But with a little time, it will become natural. During the next year, we will be using both names, gradually educating the public to our "new image." Officers were also elected at the business meeting. Returning as President is Geraldine Stroh, who ran unopposed. Darlene Lawson, Treasurer for many years, chose not to run for re-election, but to take a well deserved rest instead. New treasurer is Mary Weigel. Elected to the Board of Directors are George Failes; Mike Estamba, and Cheryl Weiss ... Tom Hanson and Myrtle Coplen continue as Vice President and Secretary. ... ***** ** In Memoriam: Jack Murphey (August 10, 1905 - July 17, 1983) The American Council of the Blind lost a charter member and a long-time loyal friend with the death on July 17, 1983, of Jack Murphey of St. Louis, Missouri. Respected nationally and internationally for his leadership among and contributions to the deaf-blind community, Jack lost his sight at about age 3 and began to lose his hearing at about age 19. By age 30, he was totally deaf. He attended the Missouri School for the Blind in St. Louis and in 1927, at the age of 22 - with a severe hearing impairment, and without the "reasonable accommodation" and technological advantages which we today take so much for granted - graduated from St. Louis University with a bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. At that time, no college textbooks were available in braille (this was before the days of volunteer braille transcribing services), and Jack's mother was his principal reader. Although she had little knowledge of what she was reading, and despite his ever-increasing hearing difficulty, her dedication and his determination resulted in Jack's being only the second deaf-blind person in the United States to graduate from college. Jack was one of those rare individuals whose philosophy and positive outlook enabled him to accept life as it is and to live it to its fullest. He was married in 1942, and his wife Alma is also a charter member and long-time friend of ACB. A college graduate, he turned to chair-caning for a livelihood, treating it not just as a job, but as a craft. So skilled and so successful was he that he and Alma were able to own their own home and to raise a family of six children independently. Always interested in people, Jack was proud of the fact that through chair­caning, he was able to serve those from all walks of life. He spoke often of the wide range of persons with whom he came into contact through his work. His many friends remember him particularly for his warm personality and for his fine sense of humor. For eighteen years, Jack edited Good Cheer, a magazine for the deaf-blind published only in braille. At the ACB national convention Chicago in 1974, he received the Ann Sullivan Macy Award in recognition of outstanding achievement as a deaf­blind person. The award was given jointly by the Perkins School for the Blind and the Industrial Home for the Blind. That same year, he and Alma received the Ellis M. Forshee Award, highest honor of the Missouri Federation of the Blind. In 1980, his achievements were recognized by the Hadley School for the Blind when he was presented the Richard Kinney Challenge of Living Award, and during the week of July 10, 1983, although he was unable to be present, he was given an award at the annual conference of the National Association of the Deaf-Blind. Jack Murphey is survived by his wife Alma, by six children and by eleven grandchildren. ***** ** Calendar of Events Attention, ACB affiliate presidents and convention chairpersons. This calendar of events is compiled by the ACB Public Affairs Director in the National Office to assist you in publicizing your events. We need your meeting dates and cities, however, to maintain this popular service. Contact Laura Oftedahl at 1-800-424-8666 as soon as your conventions are set. September 17-18 - Old Dominion Council of the Blind (Virginia) - Richmond September 17 - Maine Fraternal Association of the Blind Annual Convention September 23 - Mountain State Council of the Blind (West Virginia) Second Annual Student Seminar - Morgantown September 24-25 - Mountain State Council of the Blind Annual Convention - Morgantown September 23-25 - ACB of Ohio State Convention - Columbus September 30-October 1 - ACB of Indiana State Convention – Indianapolis September 30-October 1 - ACB of Maryland State Convention - Baltimore September 30-October 2 - Pennsylvania Council of the Blind State Convention - Harrisburg September 30-October 2 - Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired State Convention - Hutchinson October 1 - North Carolina Council of the Blind State Convention October 7-8 - South Dakota Association for the Blind Fall Convention - Pierre October 13-16 - Alabama Council of the Blind State Convention - Huntsville October 14-16 - Oregon Council of the Blind State Convention - Corvallis October 14-16 - ACB of California State Convention - Hollywood November 4-5 - ACB of New York State Annual Convention - Uniondale ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon A woman who is a marathon runner, skier, wrestler, and hiker - and who has been blind since birth - is joining the Peace Corps. Marsha Martin, an instructor at the Fresno (California) Friendship Center for the Blind, was accepted into the Peace Corps to teach braille to blind children and arts and crafts to blind adults in Ecuador, according to an article in the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Gazette. Ms. Martin says her friends showed little enthusiasm for her plan. "None of them really tried to talk me out of it," she said, "but none of them really encouraged the idea. I guess they didn't want to see me go." UPI - A unique electronic aid for the blind was demonstrated at the 1983 National Design Engineering Show. The system was developed and demonstrated by Gary Kelly, a rehabilitation engineer at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Atlanta. Blind persons carrying a small radio transmitter can signal receivers placed at exits, stairs, and other key locations. The wall­mounted receivers will respond in a unique musical-tone language that will both define and describe the location. From Hoosier Starlight (Indiana): For 27 years, Roy Chumley has been blind. But at age 64, he doesn't let that deter him from taking charge of his Warwick County, Indiana farm and 4,000 chickens, which produce about 25,000 cases of eggs a year. Gravel walkways connect each of the three henhouses, and concrete paths go down the middle of each building. These are practically the only concessions to Chumley's handicap. Amtrak has increased its discount to older Americans and the handicapped, offering a 25% reduction on all round-trip fares and eliminating the $40.00 minimum fare requirement. Since 1980, Amtrak has been giving a 25% discount on one-way fares over $40.00. Amtrak also has special services to assist elderly and handicapped travelers. These include assistance in boarding and de-boarding trains at all Amtrak stations, as well as special meals and other services for those who are unable to use regular services. If you plan to travel on Amtrak and need special assistance, the company asks that you give advance notice of your needs. From Modern Maturity: Fix-it­yourselfers are getting a helping hand from two of America's largest appliance manufacturers - Whirlpool Corporation and General Electric Company. Both have toll-free telephone numbers for obtaining "how to" information about repairs and for answering general inquiries about their products. You can reach General Electric answering center by dialing 1-800-626-2000. Whirlpool's toll-free number is 1-800-283-1301, except in Hawaii, Alaska, and Michigan, which have separate numbers. The National Association for Gardening is currently researching and writing a book by and for gardeners with physical disabilities: Tools and Techniques for Easier Gardening. If you are a gardener and want to share tool ideas or gardening techniques that have made gardening easier and more enjoyable for you, please write Lynn Ocone, Gardens for All, 180 Flynn Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401. From Council Currents (Old Dominion Council of the Blind): The ACB chapter in Nassau County, New York, has worked out an arrangement with a local meat-packing company to supply braille and large­print labels on quantity meat orders, plus the company gives a donation to ACB of Nassau County with every order. Good service/fund-raising idea! … A free booklet, Tax Information for Handicapped and Disabled Individuals, is available from your local IRS office. Ask for Publication 907. It explains how you can exclude certain disability payments from income, deduct medical expenses, claim credit for disabled dependent care expenses, etc. The booklet also covers deductions for businesses hiring handicapped persons and modifying the environment to make it accessible for handicapped employees. New York City now has a service to make its numerous theater, music, and dance performances on and off Broadway more accessible to disabled people. The Theater Access Project has been working since 1981 toward greater participation by the disabled in the performing arts in New York City. Among the services offered to those who are blind, deaf, or otherwise physically disabled are: mailings of show information in regular or large print; a show information telephone hotline for the blind; convenient ticket ordering by telephone and mail; seats that ensure easy access and the fullest participation of those who cannot hear or see well; recorded information sent with the ticket, describing the set, costumes, and other visual aspects of the show. For further information, write Theater Access Project, 1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; telephone (212) 221-0885. Among programs recently initiated at the Perkins School for the Blind is the Community Residence and Independent Living Service. Perkins staff supervise and direct several off-campus community residences and semi­independent apartments for tenants who are blind, deaf-blind, or multi­handicapped. Residences and apartments are equipped and staffed appropriately to meet clients' needs, ranging from full-time supervision to part-time visitation support. A goal of the program is to provide a continuum of services to prepare individuals for independent living or to help them maintain residence in the community. From The Missouri Chronicle: Babies can now take tests from an eye chart, even though they cannot read. Rather than using rows of letters, the charts, developed by psychologists at McMaster University in Toronto, show a series of vertical stripes that gradually thin out. Psychologist Daphne Maurer explains that by carefully watching a baby's eye movements, therapists can check if the infant can see the smaller lines. The Missouri House of Representatives has voted unanimously to approve a bill that would prohibit feigning blindness to gain some benefit or advantage and has sent the bill to the Senate. The measure is strongly supported by organizations of and for the blind, who claim that the few people who do feign blindness tend to bring blind people into disrepute. The sponsor, Representative William R. O'Toole of St. Louis, said that feigning blindness was illegal in Missouri until a few years ago when an overhaul of the criminal statutes eliminated the prohibition, perhaps inadvertently. Feigning blindness as a part of a dramatic production or part of a training program, however, would be exempted from the prohibition. Recording for the Blind borrowers will soon be able to locate books by subject through a new computerized service known as the Subject Reference System, according to an item in the RFB newsletter. Funding for the project was obtained through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and from other private sources. Every book in RFB's collection is being recatalogued, with annotations, tables of contents, and subject headings being added to all records. A computerized system will read all significant words in each record and match them to a borrower's request. Borrowers will be able to interact with the reference librarian either by telephone or by mail. It seems fitting that the 9,000th Optacon produced by Telesensory Systems, Inc., was delivered recently to Sweden. Back in 1971, Sweden became the first country outside the United States to have a trained Optacon teacher and Optacon user. Since that time, over 350 Optacons have been delivered to Sweden, a country with 8.2 million people. The Rochester Radio Reading Service is seeking an individual to develop all aspects of a newly established radio reading service, with heavy emphasis on fund-raising and public relations. A Bachelor's degree and two years' experience in program development and supervision are required. Salary: $18,000 to $20,000, plus fringe benefits package. Send resumes to Stanley Grenn, Association for the Blind of Rochester, 422 Clinton Avenue, S., Rochester, NY 14620. Deadline for applications is September 20. ***** ** 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. ###