The Braille Forum Vol. XXII February 1984 No. 8 Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor 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. ***** * 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) 442-3131 * 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 American Council of the Blind Summit Bank Building, Suite 822 310 4th Avenue, S. Minneapolis, MN 55415 ***** ** Contents ACB Officers President's Message, by Grant Mack Justice Department Proposes Section 504 Retreat, by Barbara Nelson Life, Learning, and the Pursuit of Happiness at the 1984 ACB National Convention, by John A. Horst Notice Concerning Applications for and Renewals of ACB Membership-at-Large Medicare/Medicaid Cuts Expected, by Scott Marshall Professor Sees Students' Side of Graduation Highlights, ACB Fall Board Meeting The Fading Future, by Paul Edwards Capitol Capsules, by Scott Marshall Hosting an ACB National Convention, by Carla S. Franklin ACB Files Brief in Important Special Education Case, by Barbara Nelson Who's Who in the Blind/Visually Impaired Community?, by Emmy Hesse Blind Children in Mississippi, by Bonnie Thompson and Billie Jean Hill FER Spearheads Drive to Increase Federal Support for Eye Research ACB Affiliate News: Maine Fraternal Association Acts to Protect Services to Blind Children, by Richard Bennett Wilson Elected President in Kansas, by Lee Razak ACB/NYS 1983 State Convention, by David Schreibstein In Memoriam: Philip E. Pofcher Calendar of Events Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack Although the holiday season and New Year's are well past, 1984 is still very new, and the high hopes and optimism that accompany this turning of a corner in time are still fresh and vivid. For some, it is a time of thankfulness for the good things; for others, it is a time for resolutions to make things better -- or it may be some combination of both. As we look at the past and contemplate the future, I hope that each of us can find much for which to be thankful. None of us should be so complacent as not to want things to be better. We do not have to look very far to realize what a blessing it is to be an American and to live in a country which offers so much. Admittedly, things are not perfect here, and never will be, and we should never be satisfied with the status quo. Too often, though, we bog down into the "sloth of despond" by harping on the imperfections around us. During the past year, I have received two letters which I would like to share. One is from a man in Korea. He is a partially blind person who has organized a male quartet of totally blind young men. This Gospel-music oriented quartet has given these singers an opportunity to do one of the few things acceptable from blind people in that country. Following is an excerpt from his letter: There are 120,000 blind in Korea. We do want to build a bridge between America and Korea for the Blind. In Korea, blind is a cursed person due to the previous incarnation influence by Buddhism. To open the door for the poor Korean blind to the glorious U.S.A. is a historical fact between both America and Korea. Warm friendship and real humanism are these to exchange the experiences. A young woman from Zambia wrote the following: With respect, I am grateful to inform you that I have met some from your country. I bet you realize there have been people from your place there to come and conduct the mobility training here in Zambia. I have seen and read the Forum magazine twice when I was given by those who have access to getting them from there. This magazine drew some interesting items to me. As a result, I thought it necessary to correspond with someone who would tell me more about those activities. Hope you are going to do this task. For your information, I am blind. This blindness came when I was 4. I was taken to a school for the blind at the age of 6 at Magwero, which is in Chipata, the headquarters of the eastern province, which is my home province. This is a missionary school and is a boarding school. I did all my primary level and then I was very lucky. I qualified to go for secondary education. I again went to another missionary school, this time an ordinary, and I was the only blind person there. To make it worse, it was the first time for that school to receive a blind person. I was fortunate, to tell you the truth. I encountered plenty of problems in the first three years. I managed to suppress the idea of ignorance about blindness. I achieved the goal of obtaining a very encouraging grade, which impressed them. I went further in education until I completed Form 5 (Grade 12). Here again I did the examination successfully. I obtained a Division 2 Cambridge School certificate, but because I did not get myself registered for the University of Zambia, I created an obstacle in my way to continue with my education. I am now working as a telephone operator with Standard Bank. It is true that things are not perfect for blind people in this country. Like all Americans, though, we do have much for which to be grateful, and we also have a duty to make things better. May all of us in the American Council of the Blind not lose sight of this fact and pledge to work for improvement during 1984. Let us be positive and firm, but also cooperative with our friends whose goals are the same as ours; that is, to promote the independence and dignity of all blind people. ***** ** Justice Department Proposes Section 504 Retreat By Barbara Nelson Staff Attorney The United States Department of Justice has, as predicted in the January issue of The Braille Forum, published for public comment Section 504 regulations for the programs it operates. The regulation, if adopted, sets a dangerous precedent. It does not require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make its programs accessible to handicapped people if the Department believes that to do so would cause an "undue burden." The Department of Justice is responsible for the civil rights enforcement policies of the Federal Government and for coordinating implementation of Section 504 throughout the Federal Government. With the notable exception of the "Baby Doe" rule (discussed elsewhere in this issue), DOJ has attempted to whittle away civil rights protection for handicapped people and minority group members. The new "undue burden" defense is another step in that process. It will permit the Department of Justice and other Federal agencies which adopt the same rule to argue that Section 504 does not protect from discrimination some persons who are qualified for Federally operated programs. It would allow such persons to be excluded if the program administrator assumes that to allow them to participate would constitute an "undue burden." On January 11, 1984, eighteen other Federal agencies published proposed Section 504 regulations for the programs they operate. These include the Department of Energy, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the National Endowment for the Arts. They also include such obscure agencies as the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Marine Mammal Commission. In addition, eighteen other agencies will probably be publishing their proposed regulations very soon. All of these regulations are identical, and all contain the "undue burden" defense. These weakened Section 504 regulations mean that the Department of Justice would impose less of an obligation to eliminate discrimination in the Federal bureaucracy than it imposes on schools, colleges, state governments, and other recipients of Federal funds. Can this trend to weaken Section 504 be stopped before the "undue burden" defense is applied in larger Federal agencies such as Health and Human Services, Social Security, and the Veterans Administration, which affect large numbers of handicapped people? It can be stopped -- but only if the Department of Justice and the White House can be convinced that this action is extremely unpopular. Comments must be filed no later than April 13, 1984. The American Council of the Blind has cassette tapes of the Department of Justice proposed regulations, an analysis of those regulations, and sample comments. Call the ACB National Office toll-free at 800-424-8666 for your packet of information. You can also voice your concern by writing to President Ronald Reagan, the White House, Washington, DC 20500. Send copies of your letter to William Bradford Reynolds, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20013, and to your Congressional delegation. ***** ** Life, Learning, and the Pursuit of Happiness at the 1984 ACB National Convention By John A. Horst Assistant Chairperson 1984 Convention Host Committee CHECK YOUR CALENDAR. Are the dates June 2 to July 7 checked IN RED? They should be, so that you will not forget to make plans to attend the 1984 national convention of the American Council of the Blind in Philadelphia, the City of Independence and Brotherly Love. Philadelphia and ACB members from Pennsylvania are ready to welcome you to our exciting city to sign your name to your own Declaration of Independence and concern for blind people. In 1984, there is special good news. There will be no registration fee for the convention. However, the Host Committee is requesting that all persons attending the convention register. No one will be permitted to attend any function without an identification badge provided at the registration desk. You will want to register early so that you do not miss out on any convention features in which you are interested. A most interesting and challenging program is being developed. There will be excellent opportunities for learning more about blindness and about our nation's history and, at the same time, to have some fun. By this date, all special-interest organizations have received information packets about the convention. Letters have gone out to potential exhibitors and to those who may wish to place an ad in the convention program. Special-interest organizations are reminded to send details of meetings, meals, tours, and special events to the address provided. The Tours Committee is planning for five tours during the convention. Included is a trip to Veterans Stadium in South Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 3, when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Cincinnati Reds. Since this is the eve of Independence Day, a fabulous fireworks display will take place immediately following the game. Watch The Braille Forum for further details. For those interested in services to blind persons, a tour is planned to the Nevil Building, at its famous address at 919 Walnut Street, where six agencies are located. These include Nevil Institute for Rehabilitation and Service; the Radio Information Center for the Blind (RICB); Wheels, Inc., which provides transportation; the Blind Relief Fund of Philadelphia; the Regional Library for the Blind and Handicapped, which is a multi-state center for the deposit and distribution of braille books; Volunteer Services for the Blind, which produces braille materials, provides Optacon training, and operates Sen-Sations, a store that sells aids, novelties, and devices for blind people. Transportation: Philadelphia International Airport, only eight miles from Center City, is served by all major domestic carriers. There is limousine service to the Philadelphia Center hotel and there are express buses to Center City. Philadelphia is served by Amtrak, which operates rail service along the busy northeast corridor from Boston to Washington, D. C., including the full schedule of high-speed metroliners. Intercity rail service is also available to many points across the United States. Suburban Station is adjacent to the hotel, and 30th Street Station is about ten blocks away. Greyhound and Trail ways offer excellent intercity bus service. The Greyhound terminal is across the street from the convention site, and the hotel can be reached by walking a short distance underground. The Trailways terminal is just five blocks away. Limited-access highways that serve Philadelphia include the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes and 1-95. These highways with their connecting routes enable motorists to reach the city conveniently and quickly. There are local loop buses that serve Center City every few minutes and make regular stops at historical sites, museums, shopping areas, and other attractions. During convention week, the information desk which will be located adjacent to the registration area will have information available on all Philadelphia attractions and transportation to them. The Philadelphia Center hotel at 1725 J. F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103 -- telephone (215) 568-3300, is the convention site. Room rates are $38 per night for single, double, triple, etc. If you have any questions or suggestions which you would like to share with the Convention Host Committee, please write or call the Host Committee chairperson, Dr. Mae Davidow, Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, Adelphia House, No. 5 Mezzanine, 1235 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 -- telephone (215) 561-1079. ***** ** Notice Concerning Applications for and Renewals of ACB Membership-at-Large The American Council of the Blind Constitution and By-Laws provide that any person who has reached the age of 18 years and who is not a voting member of an ACB affiliate is eligible to become a member-at-large, with the right to an individual vote at the annual convention. Annual membership-at-large dues are $2.00. New applicants for membership-at-large pay an initiation fee of $3.00, which includes the first year's dues. Application forms are available from the ACB National Office. The ACB Constitution and By-Laws further provide that all dues are to be received no later than ninety days prior to the ACB national convention; that is, in 1984, no later than April 5. All membership-at-large dues should be clearly identified as such and should be sent, to be received no later than April 5, 1984, to the ACB National Office, Attention: James R. Olsen, Treasurer, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. ***** ** Medicare/Medicaid Cuts Expected By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs About one-third of President Reagan's proposed budget cuts for fiscal 1985 are expected to affect the Medicare/Medicaid program. In F.Y. 1985, Medicare would be cut by $2 billion and Medicaid by $1.1 billion. These Medicare/Medicaid proposals are basically a revamping of the cuts proposed last year and include holding down payments to doctors and states and shifting more of the cost of care to patients. It is also expected that the President will ask for a $660 million reduction in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program and a revival of last year's proposal to tax employer-paid health insurance premiums to the extent that such benefits exceed $900 a year for individuals and $2,220 a year for families. Such health insurance premiums are untaxed at the present time. If enacted, this proposal alone could net the Treasury $2.5 billion in the first year and as much as $30 billion over a five-year period. Congress in the past has been reluctant to enact election-year cuts in the Medicare program, which has 30 million beneficiaries. According to the Washington Post, conservative minority whip Trent Lott (R., MS) said after a budget briefing: "It's pretty unanimous there won't be any cuts in Medicare ... That's pretty clear. But without the health cuts the Federal deficit will be higher in fiscal 1985, which begins on October 1, and the Medicare program (will be) that much closer to fiscal exhaustion ..." Some of the highlights of the proposed Medicare/Medicaid provisions include: * Freeze payments to doctors for treating Medicare patients at current levels for one year. * Introduce a "catastrophic" health insurance feature into Medicare. The patient would pay more than he/ she pays now for the first 60 days of hospitalization, but Medicare would pick up all future hospital costs for the year. Short-term patients would pay more out-of-pocket than they do now, but long-term patients would be protected against expenses above$1,530 per year. Because relatively few patients stay in the hospital more than a few days and even fewer stay more than 60 days, this provision would net Medicare more than it costs. * Increase from 25% to 30% through 1990 the amount which the Medicare Part B doctor bill insurance program is financed through premiums charged to patients. This means that the current Medicare Part B premium of $14.60 per month charged to patients would rise to $40.50 per month by 1990. * Provide automatic increases, roughly in line with inflation, in the $75 a year which patients must pay toward doctor bills before Medicare coverage begins. * Allow patients to purchase their own Medicare coverage from a private insurance carrier, using a Government voucher system. * For Medicaid, would require the states to make nominal charges to patients (such as $1 for a visit to a doctor, or $2 per day for a hospital stay). Currently, the states have an option to impose such charges. Changes in the Medicare/Medicaid programs are speculative at this time, and firm details will not be known until the budget is released in late January. ***** ** Professor Sees Students' Side of Graduation (Reprinted from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Dec. 19, 1983, by Lisa Hoods, News-Sentinel Staff Writer) For many University of Tennessee professors, graduation simply means donning the traditional trimmed academic hood and tasseled cap and watching students march down the aisle. But Dr. Otis Stephens, UT political science professor, found himself on the other side of the graduation line yesterday. Stephens, blind since birth, received a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the UT College of Law. The degree was the culmination of seven years of work. Stephens, 47, began his Law College work in 1976, shortly after coming back to Knoxville from a year as a post-doctoral Fellow in Law and Political Science at Harvard Law School. He already holds A.B. and M.A. degrees from the University of Georgia and a Ph. D. from Johns Hopkins University. The professor said he wanted to attend law school "because I have an interest in constitutional law and it relates to the discipline I am teaching. I felt it would broaden my own understanding of the field, since the law involves a systematic study of law." He said the degree took seven years because he took "one or two or three courses per semester while I continued teaching and doing research as a political science faculty member. I don't plan to practice law, though. I will continue in academics." Stephens said the fact he is blind really had no bearing on the time or difficulty in obtaining the degree. "All the Law School books are available on tape, through Recording for the Blind, Inc., a non-profit, private organization with a number of regional offices. The Oak Ridge branch does the recording for UT. I also used readers to go through the material," Stephens said. Stephens said although he went through graduation exercises yesterday, "I still have another exam to take next week, so it may not be over yet." He said, however, he felt "very good" about completing the degree. He was named Political Science Alumni Distinguished Service Professor earlier this year. He has served on the national Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind. He came to UT in 1967 from Georgia Southern College. Stephens said the law degree "probably is the last degree I'll go after," and perhaps he will continue some hobbies for which he hasn't quite had time recently. He enjoys bowling, with scores up to 150; hiking (he has climbed Mt. Le Conte), swimming, walking four to five miles daily, and has done some golfing. "I made a hole in one on the Colonial course about twelve years ago, and after that, I considered giving up golf. After all, how could you top that?" Stephens said, chuckling. ***** ** Highlights, ACB Fall Board Meeting The Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind met in St. Louis, Missouri, the weekend of September 23-25, 1983. Led by Management Consultant, Fred McDonald, the Friday night session focused on the role of the board in a membership organization. In open discussion, Board members considered a number of areas of interest and concern, as well as ways in which the Board might become more effective. Carla Franklin read a preliminary outline report of the Convention Guidelines Committee, which she chairs. Based upon input from the Board, these guidelines will be further refined, with a final report to be presented at the January 1984 meeting. The National Representative reported on activities of the National Office over the past few months. Office expansion and refurbishing has been completed, and the new conference room has already been used a number of times. The public service announcements were mailed in early summer to radio stations throughout the country, and response has been good. Bonnie Young, Data Processing Coordinator, resigned in August to assume a position with the Federal Government in her field of specialization. Voting accessibility, legal services, Section 504 and HUD regulations, and rehabilitation reauthorization are among topics on which Congressional testimony was presented by staff members. Barbara Nelson and other staff members have been assisting several state vendor groups and have resolved a long-standing problem in the State of Tennessee. Purchase of a TTY device to permit communication of deaf-blind persons with the National Office was considered and will be further researched. LeRoy Saunders, as Chairman of the Board of ACB Enterprises and Services, reported on Thrift Store operations. A computer system is to be installed in the ACBES office in Minneapolis, which will greatly facilitate accounting and other operational details of this rapidly expanding network of stores. Reporting for the Board of Publications, Mary Ballard stated that the first issue of the Spanish edition of The Braille Forum is in the hands of the translation service and will be in circulation by the end of the year. Circulation of The Braille Forum continues to increase and is now in excess of 15,000. The Board of Publications felt that the reception for affiliate editors held in Phoenix was highly successful and should be continued. Treasurer James Olsen indicated that he is encouraged by the continuing receipt of contributions to the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. The Board concurred in several recommendations of the Scholarship Committee: that four student categories be established -- incoming freshmen, matriculating students, graduate students, and vocational students; that financial need not be considered as a criterion in selecting recipients of the scholarships; that the overall amount of the scholarships be increased from $20,000 to $24,000 for 1984. In discussing long-range goals and priorities, the Board suggested that perhaps Article II -- Purpose, of the ACB Constitution should be reviewed. Topics for possible future Board action were discussed as follows: providing timely information to blind diabetics; a cultural exchange program; publication of a history of ACB; resumption of the regional training seminars, the new series to be directed to the training of blind and visually impaired persons to serve on policy making boards and committees; expansion of the scope of the Management Review Committee to include the Rochester and Minneapolis offices as well as the National Office; and financial assistance to the U.S. Association for Blind Athletes for the 1984 Winter Olympics for the Disabled to be held in Austria and the Summer Games to be held in the United States. ***** ** The Fading Future By Paul Edwards (Reprinted from Raised Dot Computing Newsletter No. 11, Dec. 1983) This article may not be appropriate material for a newsletter that has so far confined itself to important, but mundane matters of technological detail. However, I feel that this may be the best place to express my fears and apprehensions about the future. It is appropriate because many of those who read this newsletter are an elite: they are already converted technophiles and will be dedicated to a future full of adapted technology for the blind. Those who read this newsletter are potential ambassadors. They are the missionaries of the modern, in a land rife with apostles of tradition. The question that gnaws at my innards is: Do the missionaries have any clear notion of the doctrine they want to preach? A more significant question is: Are the converted prepared to assume the leadership roles that they are capable of handling? Knowledge has liberated a small number out of the total blind population. Too often, the few have chosen to use their knowledge and ignore the needs of other blind persons. This attitude is short-sighted and self-defeating. It has already cost us much, and it is likely to cost us even more unless this trend can be reversed. When the VersaBraille was new and BrailleEdit was yet unborn, there were predictions that Grade Two braille was dead. It was said that braille books would soon be available in bookstores, produced by converting computerized compositor tapes into VersaBraille format, and that there would be daily newspaper delivery. This would liberate the blind from their dependence on the Library of Congress and its arbitrary book selection policies. There still is talk -- but that's all there is. There were confident predictions that the Library of Congress would begin producing a cheap paperless braille reader. Such a device would move the masses into the new technology camp -- provided that the devices could write as well as read. It might even persuade more than two percent of the blind that it was worth their while to learn braille. Those predictions are as near fruition now as they were when they were first made. There are as many reasons why this is so as there are brands of computers. Some of the reasons are beyond our control. Some things we could and should have done. Blind consumer organizations have failed to assume a leadership role in the emerging technology. The economics of production have been dictated by agencies serving the blind, whose myopia would qualify them as clients of their own agencies. What have any of us done to change the course of events? I need hardly add that Ronald Reagan was elected and has operated relatively unhindered by the disability movement. Granted, his Administration was unable to gut educational programs for the handicapped. But where is the competent, workable blueprint for future policy that will be needed for real progress? How many Senators and Representatives know a VersaBraille from a VoxCom, or care? We have for too long assumed that our disability by itself is sufficient to protect us from the slings and arrows of political annihilation. What is needed is a united disabled community with clearly expressed and forcefully articulated goals. The blind are becoming vulcanized as surely and as disastrously as have the blacks and the Hispanics before us, and it is time that we, the blind elite, recognize our obligation to try to stop it. If this means overthrowing the leadership of existing organizations, so be it! The blind may be writing for this newsletter, but where are the articles on technology in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness? Who is writing for The Braille Forum, The Braille Monitor? How many community workshops have each of you BrailleEdit users done? How many educators among you have begun to use the new technology as an integrating element into the school and college system? ... It is essential that every blind school in the world have a computer. It is essential that every school district in the country make computers available to their blind students. It is imperative that we, the technological elite, ensure that the next generation can run circles around us. Too often, I have heard that the computer will free the blind. What I am seeing increasingly is a new prison population who have been mollycoddled through school and who are not prepared for the present, much less prepared for the future. Unless the next generation of blind people is computer literate, blindness will be more of a disability than it has ever been. Have you considered that we graduate more good typists from school than the normal population does? Yet we have failed to reap the rewards that this advantage has given us. It may seem that this article has gone far afield from its mild beginning. Let me return to where it started. The halcyon promises are gone, but there are new hopes. Those who have access to Kurzweils and Apples could begin producing material without waiting for a large printing house to do it for them. High-speed duplication makes the production of VersaBraille materials or of spoken-word books little more costly than the production of paperbacks. Those with modems can start producing digests of materials from The Source or CompuServe. The Cranmer brailler printer is cheap enough and braille paper is plentiful enough to being producing materials for wider circulations. If Telesensory Systems and the Library of Congress will not come through for us, let us do it for ourselves. We are the end-users of the products and appear to be the last to be taken into consideration by manufacturers, service providers, or book producers. Whose fault is it? If we are truly liberated by technology, let us prove our freedom by action. (Editor's Note: Paul Edwards is a member of the Florida Council of the Blind. Those who attended the 1983 ACB national convention in Phoenix will remember his effective use of the VersaBraille as chairman of the Resolutions Committee.) ***** ** Capitol Capsules By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs * New "Baby Doe" Rule Released The Reagan Administration has released a new "Baby Doe" rule regarding the treatment of severely handicapped infants. A previous rule which required quick Federal intervention in the decision whether or not to treat a severely handicapped infant was struck down by a Federal court last spring. The new rule requires that a voluntary hospital committee (made up of doctors and lay people) would review difficult cases in which parents have decided to forego lifesaving surgery or other forms of medical treatment. The new proposal also requires hospitals to post a sign in certain areas of the hospital, advising medical personnel of the procedure to be followed in suspected non-treatment cases. Federal intervention is contemplated only after review by the hospital's voluntary committee (if one exists) or the state child protection agency. As this issue of The Braille Forum goes to press, spokesmen for pediatricians generally seem to support the new rule, while the right-to-life lobby labels it as the Reagan Administration's "kowtowing to the medical establishment's God complex." Disability rights groups, including the American Council of the Blind, are cautiously optimistic that the new rule will represent a more acceptable solution to this complex moral and legal problem. * F.Y. 1985 Budget to Go to Congress in Late January By the time this issue of The Braille Forum reaches you, the President's F.Y. 1985 budget will be public. At this writing (January 9), it is expected that the new budget will mirror in many respects last year's budget proposal. Debate is currently flourishing at the highest levels in the Administration concerning whether or not the budget should include some kind of tax increase so that declining budget deficits could be achieved in later years. Discussions are also centered around whether a tax increase should be contingent upon Congress's acceptance of the $8.4 billion in spending cuts which the Reagan Administration is expected to request in the budget to be released in late January. Another view -- perhaps held by the President himself -- is that no tax increases should be proposed at this time, particularly since budget deficits are declining. Many members of Congress have been briefed on the President's budget proposal, and although nothing is carved in stone, it is believed that the spending package will total $924 billion, with a projected deficit of $186 billion. This would contemplate no new taxes. Reactions from the Hill have been mixed. Many Republicans feel that a tax increase (at least during the first year of the budget) would be premature, and that many economic experts have underestimated the recovery of the economy. Republican minority leader Robert Michel (R., IL) also believes that only about fifty House Republicans, from safe, conservative districts, would be willing to further cut domestic spending for the coming year. Specific details of the F.Y. 1985 budget will not be available for several weeks, but rumor and speculation continue to abound. ***** ** Hosting an ACB National Convention By Carla S. Franklin Convention Coordinator While attending a national convention of the American Council of the Blind, you and other members of your affiliate may have had thoughts concerning the possibility of hosting such an event yourselves. You may have commented to your friends that convention-goers would really enjoy a particular tour or a particular sight-seeing event in your city. You might have considered how you would conduct a certain activity if you were planning the event. In any case, your speculations were probably then followed by many questions and doubts as to whether your affiliate could handle such an undertaking. The purpose of this article is to answer some of the questions that ACB affiliates may have about hosting the annual convention and to encourage affiliates to develop a bid. Read carefully; consider the possibilities; then follow the instructions given here to obtain more information and begin the bid process. The Hotel: The first item that must be considered is the size and type of hotel facilities available in various cities throughout your state. Some of the basic considerations are: 1. There should be 550 to 600 sleeping rooms, preferably located in one hotel. If two hotels must be used, they should be within walking distance of one another. 2. Meeting-room facilities should be ample enough to accommodate groups from 25 to 1,000 persons. 3. An exhibit area should allow at least fifty 8-foot by 10-foot booths to be arranged comfortably and attractively. 4. Careful consideration should also be given to such matters as restaurant facilities within and around the hotel, the location and layout of the registration and information area, and recreation and shopping facilities within the hotel (swimming pool, gift shops, etc.). The Host Committee: It is essential to have a corps of people who are willing and able to assume the leadership and carry out the numerous responsibilities required for the planning and operation of a successful convention. A good host committee consists of eight to twelve persons. Additional individuals will be needed to serve on subcommittees and to act as volunteers during Convention Week. Specific positions on the host committee include: chairman, assistant chairman (optional), secretary, treasurer, hotel arrangements chairman, registration chairman, special-interest chairman, exhibits chairman, publicity chairman, entertainment chairman, and volunteer chairman. Costs: At its midyear meeting on January 7, 1984, the ACB Board of Directors adopted new convention guidelines. One of the significant changes in these guidelines deals with the means of financing the national convention. The host affiliate is no longer responsible for raising the initial funds required for the convention. Beginning with the 1984 convention, ACB will guarantee the host committee seed money in the amount of $2,500. These funds are intended to help meet initial expenses which must be paid prior to the collection of any convention receipts. Also beginning with the 1984 convention, there will be no pre-registration or registration fee for the ACB convention. The Board of Directors, in an effort to encourage each person in attendance to register for the convention, has dropped the fee, as one means of providing a service to the membership. However, because host committees have depended heavily upon receipts from registration fees to meet the financial obligations of the committee, the ACB Board of Directors has also guaranteed the host affiliate a set payment for each bona fide name appearing on the registration list. More Details Available: The information given here is, of course, only a brief outline of the facilities and needs of a national convention. It is only reasonable to expect that an affiliate bidding for and perhaps hosting the ACB convention may have had little or no prior experience with such planning. The Convention Coordinator is available to answer questions, to meet with your board and/or your general membership, and to guide you through the bid process. Should your affiliate win the bid, the Convention Coordinator is then "on call" to assist your host committee in every aspect of its planning and preparation for. the big week. In addition, the new convention guidelines provide in writing step-by-step details on bidding for and hosting an ACB convention. The guidelines contain a handbook of check lists, sample letters, and other information to make your work easier. How to Begin: If your affiliate is interested in submitting a bid for a convention, or if you would simply like more information on the subject, feel free to contact me at your convenience. Letters of intent from affiliates interested in making a bid for the 1986 convention must be received by March 1, 1984. Address all inquiries to: Carla S. Franklin, Convention Coordinator, 117 Coral Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206; telephone (502) 895-4598 or 897-1472. ***** ** ACB Files Brief in Important Special Education Case By Barbara Nelson Staff Attorney The American Council of the Blind and other disability rights organizations have filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in an important case involving Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The lawsuit, Smith v. Robinson, was initiated by the parents of a child with cerebral palsy who sued the Cumberland, Rhode Island, School Committee after being informed that the Committee planned to stop paying tuition for their child, who was enrolled in an educational program conducted while the child was hospitalized. The lower courts had found that the School Committee was responsible for the child's tuition and awarded the parents attorney's fees. At issue is the question of whether the courts may require a school district to pay attorney's fees for parents who successfully challenge decisions made by a school district about a handicapped child's special education program. The problem is that Public Law 94-142 does not specifically allow for the payment of attorneys' fees, and generally these fees cannot be granted unless they are specifically authorized by law. However, when a school violates a handicapped child's right to an appropriate education, it has broken three laws: it has violated the constitutional requirement of "equal protection of the law;" it has violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; and it has violated Public Law 94-142. Attorneys' fees are available in cases involving either Section 504 or the Constitution, but court decisions involving a handicapped child's right to an appropriate education are usually based on Public Law 94-142 because it is the most specific of the three. The question then becomes whether attorney's fees can be granted even if the court decision is based primarily on P.L. 94-142. In other areas of the law, the Supreme Court has allowed this. Without the award of attorneys' fees, many parents of handicapped children will simply be unable to afford to ensure that their child is receiving the appropriate education to which he or she is entitled under the law. The U.S. Supreme Court has recently decided to review this case, and a decision is expected either late in 1984 or in 1985. ***** ** Who's Who in the Blind/Visually Impaired Community? By Emmy Hesse (Reprinted from Newsletter of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision, Vol. 8, No. 8, July-August 1983) It used to be that people had "good" eyes, "bad" eyes, or were just plain blind. Not so today! Now people with good eyes are "sighted," while blind people are "totals." Sighted people may or may not wear glasses, but mostly they wear contacts, which seem to be always falling out, getting stuck, or becoming lost. And there, in the vague, murky in-between are all the folks with bad eyes, who make up about 80 to 90 percent of the blind/visually impaired population. Now, they have lots of exciting names. Besides "visually impaired," they are called "low vision" and "partials." And they are mostly all "legally blind," too. Now consider all the confusion surrounding these many terms. The possible combinations of all of this terminology are endless. For instance: a legally blind person who is sighted ... or a sighted person with partial vision ... or a partially sighted person with impaired vision ... or how about an impaired person with low vision ... or a low person who is legally blind but has partial, impaired sight ... or a partial person with low vision ... or a partially impaired sighted person ... or a partially sighted person who does not see totally ... or a totally partially sighted person ... or just a total partial person ... or an impaired person with total partial vision ... or an impaired partial person with low total sight ... or a blind, impaired person with partially low vision ... or a low, not quite total, legally impaired person ... or may be a low visionary. Enough? Maybe one day the all-seeing powers will come up with one term which can apply to all these visually impaired, low-vision, partials. It might take a large-type or braille computer to do it! ***** ** Blind Children in Mississippi By Bonnie Thompson and Billie Jean Hill A local newspaper recently suggested that millions of dollars could be saved simply by closing the schools for the blind and deaf here. The journalist writing the story seemed to think there were no special-interest groups involved, but that if there were, they would crawl out of the woodwork to declare that interest. Crawling out of the woodwork is sometimes necessary -- not that we are woodwork habitues --so we came out fast! In recent months, we have been involved in a service project traveling around rural Mississippi (and you can't get much more rural than that!), talking to families with blind children who need advice. We have been amazed to find so much apathy in families and so much isolation for their children. Some parents feel it is a "minor miracle" if their blind child learns to dress or feed him/herself or go to the bathroom alone. It is distressing to find many blind children classified as retarded, when we feel that they are not retarded, but, rather, have not received proper assessment leading to appropriate education. We know of one blind child who has been classified as profoundly retarded and placed in a class with eleven retarded children in her public school. The child is beginning to imitate the only peers she knows. But once a child is classified as retarded, it is almost impossible to reverse this label. We find children struggling to read large-print when they should be learning braille, but don't have a teacher. We know of children losing their sight who are not being prepared for their changing world. We know of children who are not being seen by ophthalmologists. We are told that it is less costly to educate almost any handicapped child other than a blind child. Is it -- in the long run? Mississippi is not unique. We have talked to people all over the country, and the pattern is similar. Although we have no professional qualification (other than being born in the business), we know blind children and we care very deeply about their quality of life. Our chief battle seems to be against ignorance and apathy. Is it fair that this added burden be borne by blind children? Some laws currently applicable to the education of blind children, though well intentioned, do not provide what they were intended to provide: EDUCATION. The more we become involved, the more confusing the issues are. Who decides what is most appropriate and what is least restrictive? Suppose a blind child is being abused or neglected in his or her present environment, or is being made to feel like an "odd fish"? We have found children in all these situations. What is most appropriate and what is least restrictive? Who decides? How many generations of blind children will be subjected to such low expectations? Every blind child must have the right to be a child who will grow into a well-adjusted, productive citizen. ***** ** FER Spearheads Drive to Increase Federal Support for Eye Research Friends of Eye Research (FER) successfully spearheaded a nationwide citizens' effort to increase Federal support for vision research by some $13 million. President Ronald Reagan recently signed into law a bill that provides $150,783,000 for the National Eye Institute (NEI), the Federal agency that provides about 80 percent of all funding for eye research in the United States. The 9.2 percent increase covers the 1984 fiscal year. About 250 institutions receive grant and contract support from the Eye Institute. Friends of Eye Research is a nationwide, grassroots public education organization that works closely with a coalition of agencies and organizations representing some 25 million people. Included are major agencies for the blind, senior citizens organizations, Lions clubs, and others interested in accelerated progress in eye research. Funding for NEI will be used to support research and treatment of many blinding eye conditions, including diseases of the retina, glaucoma, and cataract problems. ***** *** ACB Affiliate News ** Maine Fraternal Association of the Blind Acts to Protect Services to Blind Children By Richard Bennett, President Maine Fraternal Association of the Blind In 1979, the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services and the Commissioner of the Department of Education, State of Maine, signed an agreement which would have placed the majority of state services for blind and visually impaired children in the Department of Education. The Maine Fraternal Association of the Blind (state affiliate of the American Council of the Blind) responded by passing a resolution asking the Commissioners to reconsider their decision, as it would have fragmented services to blind and visually impaired school children. The membership also felt that the Commissioners' action was inappropriate because they had signed the agreement before calling for public input. A public hearing was held in the spring of 1980, which resulted in the formation of a fact-finding committee. This committee was charged with assessing the impact of such an agreement on the education of blind and visually impaired children. Over the next two years, the committee held several meetings, but its findings were inconclusive because of the wide philosophical differences between the blind community and the state administration. In 1982, we were advised that this agreement would take effect at the end of the 1982-83 fiscal year, regardless of our opposition. Once again, MF AB adopted a resolution calling on the Commissioners to give this matter further study before implementing the agreement. The heads of both departments answered the request for further study by stating that they felt additional study was unnecessary. As negotiations were at a standstill, our organization felt that new legislation was our only recourse. The MFAB Executive Board appointed a legislative committee which reached out to the community and found the necessary expertise to write meaningful legislation. The proposed legislation was presented to the current Legislature, but we were then surprised to find that our work had just begun. The MFAB legislative committee had several meetings with the sponsors of the proposal and found that the bill had to be modified. Because the Commissioners' agreement involved transfer of funds, we had to appear before the Appropriations Committee on two occasions -- first to oppose Education's request for the transfer of funds from Human Services; and secondly, to oppose Human Services' decision to release the funds. Following a well-conducted public hearing, we found that our endeavors were still not over. Although much input is derived from public hearings, most of the actual legislative decisions are arrived at through legislative workshops. We were fortunate to be represented at these working sessions, and our efforts were finally realized by the eventual passage of legislation which nullified the Commissioners' 1979 agreement. ** Wilson Elected President in Kansas By Lee Razak Nearly 100 persons attended the 63rd annual convention of the Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Hutchinson on October 1, 1983, and elected Sam P. Wilson of Kansas City to serve as President for a two-year term. Mr. Wilson has served in many positions in numerous organizations over the years, working for the betterment of the blind and other minority groups. Other new officers elected include Nancy Johnson of Salina as Recording Secretary, Dorothy Arensman of Garfield as Membership Secretary, and Walt Thomas of Dodge City as Treasurer. Oral O. Miller, National Representative, American Council of the Blind, was featured speaker on Saturday and gave a very interesting, informative, and challenging address. Other highlights of the convention included adoption of several important resolutions, presentation of the traditional Eleanor A. Wilson and Extra Step awards, panel discussions, a "Trip to the Edge of the Universe" during the banquet, and some very interesting comments by an exchange student from West Germany. Plans are already taking shape for the 1984 convention, to be held in Hays on September 28-30. ** ACB/NYS 1983 State Convention By David Schreibstein Over 125 people attended the 1983 annual convention of the American Council of the Blind of New York State. The theme of the convention was, "We Are People, Too." Speakers covered a wide range of subjects, including advocacy, recreation, and driving with bioptic telescopes. Four resolutions were adopted. The first calls upon the New York State Commission for the Blind to seek accreditation by the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped; the second calls upon the Governor to approve an allocation of $4.6 million to be used by the Commission for the Blind for non-vocational rehabilitation services to blind children and older blind adults; the third strongly supports individual evaluation of a low-vision person's suitability for driving with bioptic telescopes; and the fourth calls upon New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority to install safety gates on all subway cars now in use, as well as those currently under construction or planned for the future. ***** ** In Memoriam: Philip E. Pofcher (1909-1984) Philip E. Pofcher, Second Vice President of the American Blind Lawyers Association and Immediate Past President of the Bay State Council of the Blind, died January 2, 1984, following a massive heart attack at his home in Roslindale, Massachusetts. Determined that he would never retire, he remained active to the time of his death in the law firm of Pofcher and Di Sciullo, in which he had been a partner for 24 years, working long hours, six days a week. In addition, he also found time for a wide range of community and civic activities, as well as for involvement in the organizations of the blind. Born in 1909, Mr. Pofcher had more or less normal vision until the age of 17. However, he was always nearsighted beyond what could be totally corrected with glasses. Although he retained slight residual vision until the mid-1940's, he lost most of his sight during his senior year in high school, as the result of detached retinas several months after an automobile accident. He completed high school at the Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1928. Following graduation from the University of Illinois, he received his J.D. degree from Boston College Law School. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1947 and to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1954. During the same period, he established a successful insurance agency, which was taken over by his wife Dorothy when the demands of a growing law practice became too great, and which today is carried on by one of his three daughters. Mr. Pofcher's community, national, and religious affiliations reflect the wide range of his interests and commitments. He was a member of the Boston Parkway Lions Club, of the West Roxbury Masonic Lodge, Toastmasters, the Roslindale Historical Society, and the National Society of Public Accountants. In February 1982, he received an award of which he was particularly proud from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, "For outstanding service to the ideals of brotherhood and for dedication to the betterment of mankind and the improvement of human relations." In addition, he received the 1981-82 Community Award from his Temple Brotherhood of Hillel B'Nai Torah. Although not a charter member, Phil Pofcher was committed to the ideals and to the growth and strengthening of the American Blind Lawyers Association almost from its beginning in 1970. He served as the organization's second president. It was he who obtained funding for a high-speed duplicator and initiated ABLA's cassette newsletter. It was he who found a sponsor to fund development of the Van Valkenburg Legal Index of braille and recorded legal materials. It was he who made contact with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, resulting in their donation to ABLA of an invaluable library of professional-level educational cassettes. And it was he who brought the American Blind Lawyers Association to the attention of law schools throughout the country, with the goal of encouraging a large number of blind law students to utilize its services and the experience and expertise of its members. "He was always willing to work for the organization between annual meetings," said ABLA President John Nelson. "He certainly will be missed." Mr. Pofcher often spoke in high praise of the work of The Seeing Eye, Inc., both for the training given him as a guide dog user and for a succession of three excellent guide dogs. The family suggests memorials to The Seeing Eye, Inc., P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07960. ***** ** Calendar of Events The blustery, cold weather of Minnesota hasn't slowed down plans for the ACB of Minnesota annual convention one bit! A superb program of presentations and social activities is already in the works for the weekend of May 4-5. In fact, those efficient ACBers in Minnesota let Laura Oftedahl and the ACB National Office know about the dates of their 1984 convention way back in October. Isn't anyone else planning state conventions? We're sure you are, but we can't help you publicize the event unless we know about it. Get your dates to Laura as soon as they are set so that they may be included in the Calendar of Events. (Keep in mind, though, that The Braille Forum goes to press five weeks before hitting your mailbox, so pass the word on early.) March 1-3 - Association of Radio Reading Services Annual Conference, New York City April 7-8 - Old Dominion Council of the Blind Spring Convention, Virginia Beach May 4-5 - ACB of Minnesota Annual Convention, Minneapolis ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon A special tour of the Corning Glass Works is now available to visually impaired persons. Designed by the Museum's Education Department, the tour offers hands-on experience and covers the three touring areas of the Hall of Science and Industry, the Steuben Glass Factory, and the Corning Museum of Glass. Braille pamphlets are also available. Arrangements for this special tour must be made at least two weeks in advance. For further information -- call the Corning Museum of Glass, Education Department, at (607) 937-5371. During the summer of 1983, Recording for the Blind, Inc., moved its headquarters from New York City to 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. RFB's 60,000-volume master tape library of recorded books is now housed in a 34,000-square-foot building on a wooded tract. The one-story building, named for Anne T. McDonald, RFB founder, is equipped with electronic conveyors to facilitate the processing of orders. The American Foundation for the Blind has received a $150,000 grant from the United Parcel Service Foundation to place Kurzweil Reading Machines in five selected NAC-accredited facilities across the country, according to The Standard Bearer, publication of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The agencies selected are the Cincinnati Association for the Blind, Atlanta Area Services for the Blind, Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, Florida Association of Workers for the Blind, and Industrial Home for the Blind (Brooklyn). From National Library Service News: International Telephone and Telegraph Co. has funded a "Blind Independence Project" with a $150,000 grant to Zambia. Mobility and reading programs have been established, and a computerized print-to-braille system, the first in sub-Saharan Africa, has been installed in ITT's Zambia office in Lusaka. From The Missouri Chronicle: After two unsuccessful operations to correct Michelle Clemens' strabismus (crossed eyes), doctors decided to treat the girl with minute amounts of a deadly poison -- and it worked! Her severe strabismus was almost entirely corrected by three injections of botulin. Only about 300 patients across the country have undergone the treatment in the five years it has been used on human beings. Botulin is the toxin which causes botulism, which is commonly associated with spoiled canned goods and is often fatal. Doctors believe the poison corrects crossed eyes by calming the over-active muscles. The eye treatment involves injecting a saline solution containing a small amount of botulin into the muscles that control the eye. Dr. Malcolm Mazow, an ophthalmology professor at the University of Texas Medical School, cautions against "overly aggressive" use of the injection. Recorded Periodicals, a division of Volunteer Services for the Blind, offers over twenty periodicals in the fields of science, broadcasting, psychology, oceanography, and more. All periodicals are recorded on cassette at 15/16 ips, four tracks. Periodicals may be purchased or may be borrowed for a period of thirty days. For subscription and further information, contact Recorded Periodicals, Volunteer Services for the Blind, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. A new Special Services Office has recently opened in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It will provide tours of the Capitol building and of the Senate for handicapped persons. Tours are available by appointment for hearing impaired, vision impaired, hearing/vision impaired; mentally retarded, and wheelchair users. To schedule a tour, write Maria Hatrak, Manager, Special Services, Room S-321, The Capitol, Washington, DC 20510. By an overwhelming majority, the Plan of Consolidation of the American Association of Workers for the Blind (AAWB) and the Association for Education of the Visually Handicapped (AEVH) was approved by the membership. The first joint conference of the Alliance will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, June 24-28, 1984. Theme of the conference is "A Brighter Future Through Unity." The Civil Rights Leadership Conference Fund, Inc., established by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to perform research and educational functions, has released its first report. The report, entitled "An Oath Betrayed: The Reagan Administration's Civil Rights Enforcement Record in Education," tracks attempts by the Departments of Education and Justice to rewrite and weaken civil rights laws such as Section 504. Copies of the report are available for $3.50 from the Civil Rights Leadership Conference Fund, Inc., 2027 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036. From Alliance News (AEVH/AAWB): Under a new law which may be the first of its kind in the nation, Massachusetts students with learning disabilities will not have to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to be accepted by public colleges and universities in that state. The law exempts students with confirmed learning disabilities, including hearing and vision impairment and dyslexia. These students will be judged only on such criteria as high-school academic achievement and teacher or guidance counselor recommendations. *** The National Committee, Arts for the Handicapped, an educational affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., has awarded funds to Very Special Arts Festivals programs in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In 1984, over 400 Very Special Arts Festivals are projected to occur nationwide. The NCAH mission is to assure that all persons, disabled and non-disabled, are allowed access to opportunities for learning and creativity and for achievement available through the arts. Negative public comment, according to the Associated Press, has persuaded the Federal Communications Commission to reverse its earlier decision to propose a new type of amateur radio license that could be obtained without first learning the Morse Code. The recent decision was unanimous, despite the fact that last January the FCC had voted without dissent to propose the so-called "no code" license. "I think the public comment made clear that the code should be required of all applicants," said Robert S. Foosaner, Chief of the Private Radio Bureau. According to an item in Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, some 15,000 persons in India underwent cataract surgery in October, as part of a new United Nations program to combat preventable diseases in the Third World. Under Project Impact, forty "eye camps" were established throughout the subcontinent, each with six to eight doctors and twenty assistants, and each treating up to 800 patients. Project Impact was launched by the U.N. Development Program, the World Health Organization, and the U.N. International Children's Emergency Fund. Microwave Large Type Edition of Cooking with Betty Crocker Mixes, 1983, is now available from General Mills, Inc. This 88-page booklet adds the convenience of microwaving, with package directions and simple recipes for 28 General Foods products. To order (single copies only, please), send $.50 to cover handling and mailing to: Microwave Large Type Edition, General Mills, Inc., Box 5401, Department 885, Minneapolis, MN 55460. *** Eight recipes, including the traditional Toll House Cookies, are included in a free, large-print book available from Nestle Large Type Recipes, P.O. Box 2703, Boston, MA 02277. *** A new large-print Scrabble game is now on the market. The board has large-print markings, and tiles are one inch square, with 5/8-inch letters, white on black. Write National Association for the Visually Handicapped, 305 E. 24th Street, New York, NY 10010. If you have a degree in electrical, mechanical, or aeronautical engineering and would like to be part of a research and development team, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has an active Handicapped Recruitment Program. Send resumes and/or Personal Qualifications (Standard Form 171) for inclusion in NASA's Talent Bank, to: Ms. Lynda Sampson, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Code UI, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546. The U.S. Customs Service has developed a three-minute cassette tape to familiarize visually impaired travelers with regulations about re-entering the United States. The information is also available in braille. Address requests to: Public Information Division, International Travel Office, U.S. Customs Service, Room 6316, Washington, DC 20209. Be sure to specify tape or braille. Brenda Trevino of Nashville, Tennessee, a member of the Tennessee Council of the Blind, was recently selected as Outstanding Handicapped Person in the State of Tennessee by the Tennessee Protection and Advocacy Council, in cooperation with the Office for the Handicapped. *** Stanley Suterko, Professor of Blind Rehabilitation at Western Michigan University, retired on January 4, 1984. Before coming to Western Michigan, Mr. Suterko served on the staff of the Blind Rehabilitation Center, V.A. Hospital, Hines, Illinois. He is recognized not only in the United States, but also internationally as a pioneer in the field of orientation and mobility for the blind. ***** ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large-type, flexible disc (rpm 8 1/3), and cassette (ips 15/16). As a bimonthly supplement, the recorded and braille editions so include ALL-O-GRAMS, newsletter of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America. Please send subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication (which may be submitted in print, braille, or tape) 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, ACB National Office, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. You may wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The National Office has available special printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his/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. ###