The Braille Forum Vol. XXIII July 1984 No. 1 Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor For the latest legislative and governmental news, call the Washington Connection after 6:00 P.M. weekdays or all day weekends and holidays. Toll Free-1-800-424-8666. ***** * 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 Promoting Independence And Effective Participation In Society ***** ** Contents ACB Officers President's Message, by Grant Mack Commencement Address to 1984 Graduating Class, Texas School for the Blind, by Larry Johnson News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Top Blind Scholars in the Nation Win $25,000 in ACB Scholarships CPB to Fund Three Radio Reading Service Projects NPR to Implement New Plan for Print Handicapped Programming Rhubarb -- Hero Cat of the Decade ACB Testifies Regarding Travel Barriers and the Handicapped New Transportation Project Go Where You Want to Go ... Do What You Want to Do -- Mobility International USA Pet Peeves of Blind People Living with Sighted People Letters from Readers ACB Affiliate News: Old Dominion Spring Conference a Big Success, by Roy Ward High Tech Swap Shop Calendar of Events Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack El Paso, Texas, is one of my favorite cities. Years ago when I was growing up in Miami, Arizona, I visited this most western Texas city many times. Each visit was anxiously looked forward to because it meant a trip across the border to Juarez, Mexico. It was exciting and stimulating to be exposed to the unique Mexican culture, the friendly people, the interesting shops, the marketplace with its strange smells, and the ever-present merchants hawking their wares form every corner. A flood of memories returned when I again visited El Paso the last weekend of May to attend the state convention of the American Council of the Blind of Texas. A large number of our Council members in Texas are bilingual. The English language, when laced with a strong Spanish accent, is beautiful. None of the Spanish-speaking members with whom I conversed at this extremely well-organized and effectively produced convention were aware that The Braille Forum is now being published in Spanish. It is a limited edition and will only be published four times per year. As the demand grows, and as the mailing list expands, perhaps more frequent issues will be published in the future. Some gratifying letters are already starting to come in. Consider, for example, the letter I recently received from a young lady in North Carolina, which was written in Spanish. Following is the translation of that letter: My Good Friends: Before anything, I would like to thank you for the work you are doing for the Spanish blind community by offering us The Braille Forum in Spanish. I would like to make the suggestion that you include a section of letters from the readers so that we can establish a circle of friendship, and I would like that this letter be one of the first. I would like to have an exchange of cassettes and letters in braille with other readers of The Braille Forum. I love Latin American music ... cumbias, corridos, merengues, etc. I am 35 years old and live alone with my five cats. I like psychology and the talking book. I would like to go and live by the border, but for now it is not convenient, because I don't know anyone there. ... I hope that this letter gives you some positive results, because I feel very alone and very desirous to receive some correspondence. -- Dorotea Elena Taylor, 405 Morrison Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608. Dorotea Taylor undoubtedly is one of thousands of blind people in this country who have difficulty communicating in their primary language. I encourage you who write Spanish to drop her a line, and I suggest that those of you who may know other Spanish-speaking blind people send those names to our editor, Mary Ballard, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620, so that future issues of The Braille Forum in Spanish may be sent to them. It is right that the American Council of the Blind reach out to find these people. ***** ** Commencement Address to 1984 Graduating Class, Texas School for the Blind By Larry Johnson I really loved playing baseball. I decided to hang up my kneepads a couple of years ago, though. I knew it was time to move on to something else when I discovered that I was older than all the umpires. After baseball, I tried jogging. I spent a year doing 15, maybe 20 laps around a quarter-mile track and then realized that all I was doing was going in circles. No jogging is great fun ... For those who like fallen arches, shin splints, or being chased by stray dogs. My latest hobby, though, is tandem bike riding. It's loads of fun ... Hazards, too, of course. You should try not to pick a sighted partner who is shorter than you. If you're biking along a trail, sometimes they forget to tell you about low-hanging branches. I can tell you the difference between cedar bark and oak ... by the taste! Well, so much for the athletics. I have been invited here to inspire you, but I am really the one who is inspired. After meeting with some of the graduating seniors earlier today, I feel proud and confident that our future is in good hands. Our future ... We all should be interested in it; for that is where we're going to spend the rest of our lives. And the secret of dealing with the future is to thoroughly know the present and to make conscious choices about today. We do a lot of things in our lives for the wrong reasons ... go to school, get a job, get married, have children ... Pretty important things. And yet, very often we do them without much planning, preparation or commitment. People spend more time planning their once-a-year vacation than planning their careers. We also like to let others make decisions for us. We prefer to just kind of lay back and let someone else take charge -- tell us what to do and what not to do. Of course, that way, when things don't go right, we can always blame someone else … our parents, our teachers, society. But it's really up to us -- each one of us -- to become the architects of our own lives, the masters of our own fate. We have the power to mold our futures ... for the better or for the worse. It has been said that there are three kinds of people in the world: there are those who sit around and watch what is happening; there are those who are forever confused and wonder what's happening; and there are those who make it happen. You, the graduating seniors of 1984, have the opportunity and the challenge to demonstrate that you belong to this latter group -- by taking charge of your destinies; by being responsible for your own tomorrows. Some of you may be planning to go on to college, while others may be thinking: "I'm free at last! Now I can go out and get a job, make a living, become independent." Whichever you choose -- more years of schooling or the workaday world -- let me urge you: Don't give up learning! As long as you live, make learning be the excitement of your life. I'm not talking about learning just in terms of acquiring job skills or doing math or reading history. Learning is much more than that. Learning is ... Discovery! Learning is finding out about your environment and using that knowledge to your advantage. Learning is being alive. The amazing advances in technology and medicine are as a consequence of accumulated knowledge, which is learning. Learning is also survival. After you fall down a flight of steps two or three times, you learn to remember they are there. Even animals must learn in order to survive. Perhaps one of the most fascinating and exc1t1ng areas of learning, though, is learning about one's self. We can find within us many unused talents and much hidden potential which, if developed, can bring us great satisfaction, material reward, and a new and deeper appreciation of our own self-worth. It will not happen, of course, unless we put forth the effort to look. "I can't do it" really means, "I'm afraid to try." If you want others to believe in you, you must first begin by believing in yourself. And there is so much to believe in ... to be proud of ... for you are unique. You are like no one else in the universe. You are an individual, and you can make yourself into being whatever you choose. You know, success and failure, like happiness, are, for the most part, a state of mind. You are a failure if you choose to believe you are. They say it took Tom Edison one thousand attempts before he found the right substance to make a light bulb work. Since he was wrong 999 times and right only once, does that make him a failure or a success? Personally, I believe that we all need to fail ... and more than just once. Many people in our society would have you believe that failure is a totally negative thing. No so. Failure serves a very important function in the learning process. Through it, we discover not only the right way of doing something, but also the wrong way — which may be equally as important. ... Most of the world's greatest inventors achieved their success through the process of trial and error, each time adding a few bits of new information to their store of knowledge until at last they were able to solve the problem. Fear of failure has been taught from the time when we were small children. ... Another thing, over-protective parents may actually inhibit their children from learning by trying to spare them the temporary unpleasantness of failure. With my mother, it was different. I remember when I was little, if I fell and scraped my knee or cut my finger and went crying into the house to my mother, she would take me to the bathroom and immediately pour iodine over my wound. Do you know the feeling of iodine over a newly scraped knee? Wow! Well, I quickly learned that minor cuts and bruises really didn't need my mom's loving care. She was always there, of course, for the really serious things, and she constantly encouraged me to explore new interests and discover new skills. Each one of us, I think, possesses a potential for success far greater than we ever dare to dream. Hidden within us are talents and abilities which have yet to be tried. How can we realize this potential? First of all, by changing our attitude toward the concept of success and failure. Start thinking about failure in a positive sense. Make failure your friend and not your enemy. Make it work for you and not against you. Derive from each disappointment a spirit of new hope; from each little mistake, a small seed of precious wisdom; from each precipitous fall, the courage and strength to rise again and try once more. Remember, the real defeat will come from only one person: You. If when you leave school and go on your first ten job interviews and receive only one offer to be hired, how will you rate yourself? What if you receive no job offers from those first ten interviews? How many interviews will you go on before you consider yourself a failure? Fifty? One hundred? That's up to you. It took me two years, sending out about 250 resumes, and perhaps 65 interviews before I "lucked out" with the job I've got now at Southwestern Bell. This, your graduation day, the end of four long years of term papers, tests, and late-night studying, is not really the end. It's another beginning. It's your commencement along another path, toward another goal. And the foundation for your future rests on your understanding and believing without a doubt that it is not circumstance or the actions of others that determine the quality of your life. It depends upon what you do about the circumstances that occur; what you think and what you feel about them, and how committed you are to that which you have decided you want. You are either in control of your own destiny or you have relinquished that power to others. ... No other person can be the cause for how you feel, how you think, what you do, your success or your future ... unless you choose to allow them this control. ... To finish, let me share with you this simple credo by an unknown author which I found a couple of years back and which pretty much seems to sum up what I've been trying to say: I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon if I can. I seek opportunity, not security by being a kept citizen, humbled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk … to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I prefer the challenge of life to a dole. I will not trade freedom or my dignity for a hand-out. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself; enjoy the benefits of my creations; and to face the world boldly and say: This I have done. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller National Representative A lighthearted vaudeville song begins by referring to "strolling through the park one day, in the merry, merry month of May," But there was no time for such a pleasant stroll by National Office staff of the America! Council of the Blind during May, due to an extremely busy schedule. While feverishly preparing for ACB's own national legislative seminar, National Office staff members (minus an ailing Scott Marshall, and with only limited service from Laura Oftedahl following eye surgery) participated actively in the annual conference of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped (PCEH), held in Washington. While some staffed ACB's attractive exhibit, others spoke in behalf of blind people at various workshops and meetings. For example, during his remarks before the PCEH Subcommittee on Sheltered Workshops, the National Representative emphasized that any efforts to remove or dilute the priority given to sheltered workshops for the blind by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act will be strenuously and vociferously opposed by the American Council of the Blind. During the meeting of the PCEH Subcommittee on Handicapped Concerns, the National Representative emphasized that, although there may be legitimate philosophical differences between the current Administration and some advocacy groups, it is essential for all advocacy groups to remain ever vigilant to prevent the dismantling or erosion of basic service programs that are minimal in any concerned society. ACB's fourth national legislative seminar followed immediately on the heels of the PCEH conference. A full­length article concerning the seminar appeared in the June issue of The Braille Forum, but an additional fact which should be mentioned as an improvement in this year's seminar was the "streamlining" of the position papers left in the approximately 300 Congressional offices visited by seminar attendees. Another improvement was the reduction in the number of issues included. ACB's efforts in behalf of the Grove City Response Bill were especially timely, as demonstrated by the perchance visit at our Rayburn Building command post by Ralph Neas, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, who was also on Capitol Hill that day working to generate support for the bill. As readers of The Braille Forum know, the Grove City Response Bill would make it abundantly clear that discrimination due to handicapping conditions, along with various other conditions, is strictly illegal when committed by any "recipient" of Federal funds. During May, members of the national staff attended and participated in the state conventions of the Arizona Council of the Blind and the ACB of Texas, as well as the National Delegate Council Assembly of the American Coalition of citizens with Disabilities (ACCD). Although the ACCD is still viewed as the most logical organization to serve as a national coalition of citizens with different handicapping conditions, the ACB representatives who attended its Delegate Assembly were sorely disappointed by its program and its apparent lack of stability and effectiveness. During the month, the National Representative was interviewed by the radio reading services serving the Washington, D.C., and the Pittsburgh metropolitan areas. Both programs were of the "call-in" type, and both interviews elicited a number of questions regarding the programs and operations of the American Council of the Blind. The Pittsburgh interview, which was conducted by telephone, evoked, also, a number of questions about ACB's upcoming national convention in Philadelphia. Among the foreign dignitaries who visited the National Office during the past month were an official of the Department of Education of Niger and the Secretary-General of the Finnish Association for the Blind. Both officials were interested in learning more about programs and services for the blind in the United States. Since the world of computers is ever-changing, I am pleased to report that initial steps have been taken to upgrade ACB's computer software so that the process of maintaining and updating membership and other records will take even less time. I now want to emphasize and re-emphasize the fact that information provided by our affiliates and/or individual members must be current and accurate at the time it is sent to us, because only then can information and other material be sent to everyone quickly and correctly. I am sorry to report the untimely death of Dr. James Johnson, Executive Director of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America. All National Office personnel dealt with this cooperative, soft-spoken gentleman, respected him, and enjoyed working with him. ***** ** Top Blind Scholars in the Nation Win $25,000 in ACB Scholarships One of the highlights of the recent national convention of the American Council of the Blind was the an­nouncement of the 1984 ACB scholars who will receive the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships and the Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship. ACB made it possible for many of the winners to be at the convention in Philadelphia to receive their scholarships during the July 4 Awards Gala. The students were grateful for the financial assistance to help them with tuition and other school expenses and really appreciated the opportunity to experience the excitement and wide-ranging activities of an ACB convention. The selection of this year's ACB scholars was a difficult one, as hundreds of impressive blind and visually impaired post-secondary students submitted applications. All applicants are to be commended for their diligent studies and their unselfish involvement in community service activities. The American Council of the Blind Board of Directors increased the total scholarship amount this year to $25,200 so that more of the nation's blind students would benefit from this worthwhile ACB program. Another change in this year's program made the competition more equitable for applicants. Students were judged against other students at their same academic level, so that entering college freshmen, for instance, were compared with other entering freshmen. The Scholarship Committee is pleased to present the 1984 Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholars. In the freshman group, Lisa Gazarek, whose family presently lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, will receive $2500 to help pay for her education in political science and languages at Yale University. Brett Lewis will be awarded $1500 to help with expenses in the Mathematics Department at Stanford University. Anna Bauer, from Prairie Village, Kansas, will use her $1000 ACB scholarship to attend Knox College, and Rodenna Castillo of Pensacola, Florida, will begin computer science studies at Pensacola Junior College in the fall and will receive $1000 in assistance from ACB. Miss Castillo is deaf-blind and was recently featured on national network news for her outstanding achievements in her community. The following undergraduates will also receive ACB funds: Richard Holborow, who is in his senior year at Cornell University, majoring in biology and society, will be awarded $2500. A Johns Hopkins electrical engineering major, Lawrence Silvermintz of East Rockaway, New York, will receive $1500. Larry Papenhagen of Phoenix, Arizona, will be helped with his studies in urban agriculture by a $1000 scholarship, and Marjorie Donovan of Berkeley, California, is receiving $1000 to help cover costs in the recreation therapy program at San Francisco State University. The competition in the graduate group was stiff. These four outstanding students will receive Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships: Susan Nelson of Santa Rosa, California, is pursuing a doctorate in education from the University of Washington and will receive $2500. John Bundy, from Eugene, Oregon, will be awarded $1500 to help with his studies in clinical psychology at the University of Oregon. A first-year Harvard Law School student, Edward Reznik of Philadelphia, will receive a $1000 scholarship, and Christopher Tromborg, Pacifica, California, will receive $1000 to help with his graduate studies in biology. In the vocational/technical school group, these deserving students will be assisted financially by ACB: Jaclyn Kusters, from Racine, Wisconsin, will receive $2500 for her advertising studies at Gateway Technical Institute. Deborah Snodgras lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and will certainly use ACB's $1500 scholarship to help with costs of the physical therapy program at Cuyahoga Community College. Data processing is Rosemary Aguilar's major at Houston Community College, where $1000 will help her, and Jill Naumann of Wausau, Wisconsin, will be awarded $1000 to pursue computer science studies at North Central Technical Institute. The Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship, offered by the Tarver Foundation of Richmond, Virginia, goes to Victoria Vaughan, who lives in Mars, Pennsylvania, and attends the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Miss Vaughan will be a sophomore this year in the social work program there. The hard-working ACB Scholarship Committee, chaired by M.J. Schmitt of Chicago, is comprised of Robert Campbell, Ruth Druding, Helen Edwards, Carla Franklin, Billie Jean Hill, Patricia Price, Walt Smith, Otis Stephens, Geraldine Stroh, and Cheryl Weiss. Applications for the 1985 ACB scholarships will be available in the fall. All students who will be studying at the post-secondary level during 1985-86 school year are encouraged to apply. ***** ** CPB to Fund Three Radio Reading Service Projects Approximately eight million print handicapped people -- the blind, disabled, and elderly -- need radio reading services, particularly in rural and remote areas, where access to information is scarce. To meet that need, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has granted $82, 713 for three radio reading service projects, to expand coverage nationwide. Currently, there are 95 radio reading services in the country, providing daily national and local reading to more than 100,000 people. This is the first year CPB has directly funded radio reading services. The Association of Radio Reading Services (ARRS) was given funding for two projects. The national office of the ARRS, based in Dallas, Texas, was given $39,600 to expand and promote the development of new radio reading services across the country, to bring the service to increased numbers of print handicapped people. The Tape Exchange Program, based in Lawrence, Kansas, is one of the most significant member services provided by ARRS. The Exchange received $26,771 toward distribution of over 14,000 hours of materials. Best-selling books and feature programming are provided weekly and monthly by the Tape Exchange to dozens of radio reading services nationwide. This service avoids duplication of effort, thousands of extra volunteer hours, and expensive tape. The Kansas Audio Reader Network of the University of Kansas houses the ARRS Tape Exchange. In Touch Networks, Inc., of New York City received $16,342 to provide technical support for six months to uplink a 24-hour daily Radio Newsstand. Starting April 19, the service, which utilizes more than 80 newspapers and periodicals, became accessible to an estimated 300,000 new listeners the first year in the continental United States. Previously, it was available to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In addition to this direct funding to radio reading services, in fiscal 1984 CPB is funding more than $375,000 for print handicapped programs through National Public Radio. ***** ** NPR to Implement New Plan for Print Handicapped Programming In an unexpected development, an official of National Public Radio told radio reading services that the network's Services for the Print Handicapped would be terminated at the end of the current fiscal year and its functions farmed out. Dr. Betty Bird, director of the unit, made the announcement in a memorandum dated June 11. The effective date of the change is October 1, the beginning of the new Federal fiscal year. Throughout its existence, Services for the Print Handicapped has been funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Begun five years ago as a special project, Services for the Print Handicapped produces a half-hour weekly newsmagazine program, "Let's Hear It!", and distributes several other programs done by outside producers. "Let's Hear It!" was originally conceived as a program specifically aimed at a blind and visually impaired audience for use by radio reading services. About two years ago, the program broadened its coverage to include other disability groups. At that time, an aggressive campaign was begun to get the program aired on main-channel NPR stations. Recently, Services for the Print Handicapped had been at the center of an ongoing dispute between the Association of Radio Reading Services and National Public Radio's now-disbanded NPR Ventures project. Ventures was intended as a money-making arm of the network and had commissioned a major study known as ASCOT that proposed using material from Print Handicapped as a pilot to deliver "premium audio" to subscribers. The Ventures initiative collapsed after a series of revelations of budget overrun forced the resignation of several top officials of the network and a decision on deregulation of sub­carriers was unfavorable to NPR's plans. The deregulation proposals were actively contested by the Association of Radio Reading Services and many individual services. It is not known if there is a relationship between the failure of the Ventures/ASCOT project and the disbanding of Services for the Print Handicapped. In her memo, Dr. Bird indicated that the conceptual goals of SPH would be implemented through a new plan, "while maximizing service to both the target and general audiences." The reorganization involves possible retirement of the "Let's Hear It!" program title and the transfer of "target audience services" to the Department of Specialized Audiences." Transferring to Specialized Audiences is one of the assistant producers working on "Let's Hear It!" and veteran Washington, D.C., broadcaster, Ed Walker, who has been a part-time host for LHI. Format and other details of this new program are unknown; pilot programs are promised by August. Dr. Bird will transfer to the office of the Vice President for Programming, with responsibility for "innovation of improved methods of information delivery for print handicapped persons and others." Another associate producer and reporter is being transferred to the National Desk of the News and Information unit; she will have responsibility for producing and acquiring disability-related stories and features for inclusion on "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," NPR's highly popular daily news programs. Said Bird in her memo, "I am pleased that National Public Radio has recognized the significance of this content area to the general public and has responded by developing a mechanism that will provide high-quality disability-related material to more than four million people who listen to 'All Things Considered' and 'Morning Edition' each week." An attempt to reach Dr. Bird for additional comment was unsuccessful. In addition to "Let's Hear It!", SPH has also born distribution costs for daily readings of The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, used by In Touch Networks Inc., of New York City, "Incorrmation," from the Central Ohio Radio Reading Service, Columbus, Ohio, and "The Science World," from the Greater Cincinnati Radio Reading Service. The daily newspaper readings are being distributed by satellite through Southern Satellite Systems of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the company that also distributes, among other services, the programs of Ted Turner's Atlanta "super station," WTBS. The other programs will be provided to services through the Tape Exchange of the Association of Radio Reading Services. ***** ** Rhubarb -- Hero Cat of the Decade (Reprinted from Buffet Cat Club News, Vol. I, No. 3, 1984) Cat lovers are certain that the objects of their fancy are intelligent and affectionate creatures, but for some reason dogs were the ones to gain the reputation of "man's best friend." The truth is that cats, too, can be the best friend a pet owner could ever have. Throughout history, there are many incidents of heroic cats saving the lives of their human family. Other cats are exceptionally loyal and helpful to their owners, allowing their human benefactors to live better lives. Over the years, the Carnation Cat Council has recognized dozens of heroic feats with its Hero Cat Award. The Council, dedicated to increasing interest in cat ownership as well as promoting humane treatment and continued feline research, has awarded cats who have demonstrated their bravery by chasing away burglars, protecting babies from poisonous snakes, and saving families from destructive fires. Of all the worthy felines so honored by Carnation Company, most outstanding was Rhubarb, the "seeing eye" cat. Even now, three years after her death, Rhubarb's story has not lost its poignancy. Not only were her skills unique, but Rhubarb gave her blind mistress, Mrs. Elsie Schneider, a gift of incalculable worth -- independence. After Mrs. Schneider lost her vision along with most of her family in an automobile accident, a neighbor offered her a mismarked Siamese. Rhubarb was a good companion, but Mrs. Schneider wondered if the cat could also function as a helpmate. Using what she had learned about "seeing eye" dogs, Mrs. Schneider set out to train Rhubarb. First, Rhubarb learned to wear a soft collar and a leash, which allowed her to guide Mrs. Schneider to the trash can, the mailbox, and the laundromat. Mrs. Schneider taught her to produce a special meow to indicate when they had arrived at their destination. Rhubarb recognized neighbors' names and could find their homes. She even learned to wait at curbs until traffic cleared before crossing to safety with her mistress. Rhubarb risked her life for Mrs. Schneider more than once, owing to a few over-anxious canines. When their neighborhood began to fill up with large dogs bent on menacing the local pussy cats, Mrs. Schneider moved. Rhubarb's safety was as important to her as her own. Eventually, of course, Rhubarb aged and could no longer assist her mistress. Still, they enjoyed each other's company until Rhubarb's death. In a special ceremony at the San Diego Pet Memorial Park on June 8, 1980, Rhubarb was again honored -- this time as Carnation's Hero Cat of the Decade. In fitting tribute to Rhubarb's special contribution, part of the inscription on her commemorative plaque was in braille. As Mrs. Schneider's fingers brushed across the inscription, she reminisced about Rhubarb, the cat who served as her eyes and her loyal companion for over 17 years. ***** ** ACB Testifies Regarding Travel Barriers and the Handicapped On May 22, 1984, Ms. Helen Hartman, President of the South Dakota affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, testified before a Congressional subcommittee concerning discrimination against blind and visually impaired persons in the travel industry. Ms. Hartman, who two weeks earlier had attended ACB's 1984 legislative seminar, was asked to testify by Senator Larry Pressler (R., SD), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Business, Trade and Tourism, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. A highlight of Ms. Hartman's oral testimony was the recounting of an incident which occurred while she was flying to Washington to appear before the Subcommittee. Although she requested only an escort to change planes, Ozark Airlines assumed, as many airlines do, that blind passengers cannot walk and that a wheelchair was required. Despite embarrassment and humiliation, Ms. Hartman was required to use the wheelchair in order to catch her connecting flight, notwithstanding her ability to walk and the fact that she has a high degree of travel vision. Such arbitrary and insensitive treatment of handicapped passengers illustrates the need for better training of travel industry personnel, as well as the need for uniform standards of accommodation in the travel industry. As a result of this incident, Ms. Hartman was interviewed by her local television station as well as the Gannett News Service, publishers of USA Today. In addition, National Public Radio and a travel industry weekly have subsequently contacted the ACB National Office regarding Ms. Hartman's testimony. The American Council of the Blind stands ready to work with Senator Pressler and his Subcommittee as well as the travel industry to eliminate discrimination and unnecessary barriers to travel by blind and visually impaired persons. The text of Ms. Hartman's prepared statement follows: Mr. Chairman, my name is Helen Hartman. I am the President of the South Dakota Association for the Blind, the largest organization of blind and visually impaired people in the State of South Dakota. Our organization is proud to be an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, which for the past 23 years has worked to improve the lives of the nation's blind citizens through legislation, legal advocacy, and public education concerning the capabilities of blind and visually impaired persons. Accompanying me at the witness table is Mr. J. Scott Marshall of our National Office, and we both are pleased for this opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee concerning travel barriers faced by blind and visually impaired Americans. I am sure that all of us agree that blind and other handicapped persons should have the right to enjoy travel and tourism on the same basis as non­disabled people. Unfortunately, however, blind and other handicapped travelers often encounter a variety of experiences while traveling, ranging from extremely positive to extremely negative. Since there are no uniform standards of accommodation in the travel industry, blind and other handicapped travelers may face inappropriate, inconsistent, or even illegal treatment by service providers. It is even sometimes difficult under the current law and regulations to determine what is or is not illegal discrimination on the basis of handicap, thus creating confusion and uncertainties for both travelers and service providers alike. One of the greatest barriers to travel by blind and visually impaired persons is the often arbitrary and inconsistent policies of service providers which are imposed upon the disabled traveler without first asking how best his/her needs can be met. Here are just a few situations which many blind and other handicapped persons have encountered. Airlines, for example, often require pre-boarding or post-boarding of blind passengers. These policies are imposed frequently without first ascertaining the blind passenger's preference or whether, indeed, assistance is needed at all. Some airlines require dog guide users to sit in one of the bulkhead seats, even though the passenger may wish to sit elsewhere; e.g., with friends who prefer to sit in the smoking section of the aircraft, which generally does not include the bulkhead area. Of course, some dog guide users may prefer one of the bulkhead seats. But, unfortunately, airlines often impose these restrictions without any regard to the preference or convenience of the passenger. Some airline personnel as well as other providers of service in the travel industry are frequently unfamiliar with appropriate sighted guide techniques, which vary depending upon whether the blind person is a cane user, a dog guide user, or, for that matter, a visually impaired person. As a visually impaired person who has some remaining sight, I have encountered numerous situations in which people assume that my visual acuity is greater than it really is. Even when I ask for assistance, some people react negatively, thereby communicating the subtle message that I am not "handicapped enough" to warrant such accommodations. Other airlines have required some handicapped individuals, particularly the orthopedically or neurologically impaired, to sit on folded blankets, based upon the assumption that the passenger might be unable to control his or her bladder. Airlines, of course, are not the only offenders. Hotel and restaurant personnel may similarly lack training in sighted guide techniques. Some may still refuse to admit dog guide users or may make arbitrary decisions on such matters as where a blind person must sit in a theater or the location of a hotel room: predicated, of course, on someone else's notion of what is safe or convenient for the blind traveler. Most cruise ship lines refuse passage to blind people who use dog guides. These and many other examples of discriminatory treatment are often motivated by the best of intentions; i.e., concern about the safety or convenience of the blind traveler. In other instances, these attitudes and/or policies are based upon stereotypical assumptions concerning the abilities of blind and visually impaired people. Blind airline passengers, for example, have been told to wait for assistance by a cabin crew member in the event of an emergency! I dare say that most blind people are in a much better position than the average sighted passenger to find the emergency exits in a darkened, smoke-filled aircraft cabin. When asked by a crew member to wait for assistance in case of an emergency, many of us politely reassure the flight attendant that we will be the first person off the plane (assuming, of course, that anyone gets off the plane). I do not mean to suggest by these criticisms that progress with respect to accommodating the needs of blind and other handicapped travelers is not being made. Allow me to cite just a few examples of this progress. In 1982, at the request of the American Council of the Blind, Eastern Airlines displayed safety equipment at our national convention which was held that year in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 1,000 people attended that convention. And Eastern further provided tours of its Atlanta personnel training facility, where interested blind conventioners were offered a hands-on look at the operation of emergency exits, evacuation slides, etc. Eastern should be congratulated for this effort. More programs of this kind should be conducted around the country for those blind and/or visually impaired travelers who are interested in this sort of information. In the process of these demonstrations, I am sure that Eastern also learned a lot about the capabilities of blind people, and thus this experience was a mutually beneficial one. Other airlines have also taken steps to sensitize their employees to the needs of blind and visually impaired travelers. Recently, a member of the American Council of the Blind was asked by Pan-American World Airways to write an article for inclusion in that company's magazine. The article stressed the need for communication between the individual blind passenger and airline personnel and helped to debunk some of the misconceptions discussed earlier. The Holland-American Cruise Ship Line now accommodates travel by dog guide users. Many hotels and restaurants have also responded to our needs. A few years ago, the McDonald's Corporation cooperated with the American Council of the Blind to produce its menu in braille. Regional restaurant chains, as well as individual establishments throughout the country have worked with local volunteer braille transcribing groups to produce their menus in braille. Major hotels such as the Sheraton in Washington and the Hyatt Regency Crystal City have consulted with our members in connection with a training program for their employees with respect to the needs of disabled travelers. Similarly, the National Office of the American Council of the Blind and/or our local host convention committee meets with hotel personnel prior to our national convention each year to help train employees responsible for providing guest services and to offer guidance with respect to such matters as braille markings on elevator call panels. Our national conventions continue to grow each year, and I am told that the hotels which host our national conventions and other meetings welcome our business, and that our organization enjoys a high rating by convention reporting services. Obviously, our conventions are profitable to service providers and, accordingly, we expect quality service commensurate with our needs. Finally, I would like to discuss the legal protections available to blind and other handicapped travelers. Unfortunately, much work needs to be done in this area, since the laws and regulations which do exist are fragmented and are often inadequately enforced. The FAA, for example, has issued a regulation which, quite frankly, creates more problems than it solves. The FAA requires certificated carriers to establish procedures for the safe transport of handicapped passengers. If a handicapped traveler cannot be transported in accordance with these procedures, or if the handicapped traveler fails to comply with the airline’s procedures, the carrier may refuse transportation. Although the airline's procedures must be filed with the FAA and public notice of the procedures is to be provided, the FAA's rule fails to set forth any standards relative to refusal to provide transportation to handicapped passengers. Thus, blind and other handicapped travelers must either comply with the airline's procedures (whatever those procedures might be) or risk denial of transportation. As a practical matter, both ground and flight attendant personnel are frequently unfamiliar with their own company's procedures relative to the transportation of handicapped passengers, and disputes are often resolved on an individual basis with the captain of the particular flight in question. The potential for arbitrary, inconsistent treatment of blind and other handicapped passengers is obvious. The CAB's Section 504 regulations relative to nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap are also of limited value. These regulations are based upon Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap in programs or activities which receive Federal financial assistance. The American Council of the Blind has joined the Paralyzed Veterans of America in a lawsuit now pending before the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to attempt to remedy coverage and other difficulties associated with the CAB rule ... A few examples will illustrate just how inadequate the CAB's Section 504 regulations really are. For example, CAB's Section 504 regulations have been interpreted to cover only a very small number of carriers which receive payments or grants of money under the Federal Aviation Act; e.g., airlines which service low-traffic, Federally subsidized routes. Thus, if the present interpretation of the CAB's Section 504 regulations is left to stand, most of the commercial airlines in this country would not be covered by its provisions. The CAB's Section 504 regulations are also defective with respect to the definition of a "qualified handicapped individual." As a condition of coverage, the CAB's rule requires that handicapped travelers must be willing to comply with reasonable safety requests. What exactly is meant by a "reasonable safety request" is unclear, as is exactly when such a requirement could be imposed: at the time of ticketing, at the time of boarding, or during the duration of the flight. We believe that this portion of the CAB rule violates Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act because airlines are permitted uncontrolled discretion as to the conditions which they may impose upon blind and other handicapped passengers who seek to travel by air. The CAB regulation is also defective in that it requires a handicapped person to give 48 hours' advance notice to a carrier if "extensive assistance" is required. "Extensive assistance" is defined to include the provision of medical oxygen needed by the passenger during flight, the provision of lifts and wheelchairs for boarding and deplaning, and even the provision of boarding assistance to blind passengers. Although advance notice of the need for in-flight medical oxygen may be reasonable, we find it incredible that 48 hours' notice is necessary in order to provide boarding or deplaning assistance to a blind passenger wishing this service. In addition, when authority for the CAB expires, interline agreements presently in effect between carriers may be in jeopardy, thus causing confusion and uncertainty as to which carrier is responsible for providing assistance; e.g., in situations where a handicapped person needs assistance in connecting with another airline. Even if we are successful in our Section 504 litigation against the CAB, that statute alone is insufficient to provide protection against discrimination on the basis of handicap in the travel industry. Hotels, restaurants, places of amusement, or other modes of conveyance may not receive Federal financial assistance and thus would not be covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Many states have public accommodations laws, popularly referred to as "white cane" laws, which ensure access to public places by cane and dog guide users. Enforcement of these laws varies from state to state. Accordingly, a comprehensive Federal statute is needed to guarantee non-discrimination on the basis of handicap in the travel and tourism industry. ... ***** ** New Transportation Project (Reprinted from The White Cane Bulletin, March-April 1984, published by the Florida Council of the Blind) Taxi transportation for blind, elderly, or handicapped residents of Charlotte County (Florida) at a moderate cost to the user has been the subject of a successful pilot project during the past six months. Continuation of the project will shortly be presented to the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners, with the hope that tax-raised funds will replace the original voluntary grant from the Charlotte Cultural Center and Council on Aging. Charlotte County Chapter, Florida Council of the Blind, plans to lobby. Public transportation in this semi­rural, low density population county is not feasible. This has been attempted on several prior occasions and soon abandoned. Automobile is the only suitable means of safe travel for the blind, considering the vast distances between homes, medical centers, shops, and the near complete absence of sidewalks. This program, TOTE (Transportation of the Elderly), offers subsidized taxi travel to the elderly and the handicapped. TOTE ticket prices are graded according to the income of elderly users. Income testing of the blind has been waived, and $1.00 TOTE tickets are sold to the user for $.25. The blind user simply telephones one of the three cooperating taxi companies in order to arrange time and destination of the trip. The driver accepts TOTE tickets in payment. Blind users are particularly appreciative of the door-to-door service and the awareness shown by most drivers of the need for a guiding arm. Users are reporting extra instances of help such as parcel assistance. The cooperating taxi operators are themselves supporting the program by rebate of 10 percent of revenues. Despite that gesture, operators report a reasonable return. Interested organizations may obtain fuller particulars of the program by writing to: Ron Moss, Coordinator, Adult and Community Education, Charlotte County School District, 801 N.W. Aaron Street, Port Charlotte, FL 33952; (813) 625-6155. ***** ** Go Where You Want to Go ... Do What You Want to Do ... -- Mobility International USA (Adapted from Over the Rainbow, Vol. II, No. 4, January 1984) Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is a national, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and facilitate international educational exchange and recreational travel experiences for people with disabilities. MIUSA believes that disabled people, along with their families and friends, have a right to the same opportunities with those who are able­bodied. MIUSA is committed to the goal of integrating people with disabilities into existing avenues of leisure travel and international educational exchange, as well as developing alternative ventures for people with special needs. MIUSA's activities reflect this commitment. For example, it offers travel information and referral service, pen friend clearing house, news of international workcamp openings, and help with selecting and applying to international educational exchange organizations. Those working for MIUSA attend many conferences to represent the interests of the disabled consumer. Internships are provided to disabled American as well as international students. MIUSA also publishes a quarterly newsletter, Over the Rainbow, in print and on cassette. MIUSA is affiliated with the parent organization, Mobility International (MI), whose office is in London. MI was founded in 1973, pioneering the development of international activity camps, co-sponsoring international youth festivals and conferences which bring disabled and able-bodied people together, and helping thousands to travel independently. MI is a member of Rehabilitation International. In addition to the United States, other member countries of MI include Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, and Switzerland. MIUSA invites interested persons to join and to "use us as a resource to go where you want to go; do what you want to do, and become an active participant in the world community. Challenge yourself to soar to the boundaries of your dreams." For further information, write Mobility International USA, P.O. Box 3551, Eugene, OR 97403. ***** ** Pet Peeves of Blind People Living with Sighted People (Reprinted from ACB of South Carolina Newsletter, May 1984) At a Board meeting, Ellen Boone suggested that it would be interesting to have some of the pet peeves of blind folks who live with sighted persons given in the Newsletter. Since we have not been able to circulate this idea, your editors have come up with the following: 1. Half-open doors. 2. Chairs pulled away from the table. 3. Moving furniture while you are away or asleep or gone to the bathroom. 4. Using things and not putting them back. 5. Walking off while you are talking to them. 6. When reading print, to tell you that you would not be interested in that. 7. Saying that something is "Right here." ***** ** Letters from Readers * Dear Editor: I very much enjoy the taped copies of The Braille Forum and read them regularly. I noticed in the April issue comments made by listeners who questioned the policy of not returning the tapes. I believe the explanation given was most satisfactory, and I believe it makes sense. Since the new policy was initiated, I have been sharing my copy with at least two other persons. Then I send the tape to the regional library and it is added to their collection for appropriate circulation. In this way, one tape benefits a number of different individuals. I am looking forward to the 1984 convention in Philadelphia and certainly compliment The Braille Forum for supplying a great deal of useful information which is helpful in planning for the convention and in stimulating interest in attending it. -- Roy Ward, Richmond, VA * Dear Editor: I would just like to give a word of thanks. This magazine, The Braille Forum, has been such a help. We just found out last September that our 8-year-old son was legally blind, and we just learned in March that he has had this condition since birth. I still can't understand why all the doctors we took him to never told us just what his vision was. And thanks to The Braille Forum, we don't feel so alone. It helps pick us up, reading such articles as "Seeing Eye Duck Clears Path for Calf." How heartwarming! I am also writing for the catalog, "Products for People with Vision Problems." I would never have known about such a catalog. Not only the articles are great -- so is the education we get from them. So thanks. -- Lori Waters, Grandview, Tennessee ***** ** Old Dominion Spring Conference a Big Success By Roy Ward The Old Dominion Council of the Blind, Virginia affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, held its annual spring conference in Virginia Beach in early April. The entire weekend was an outstanding success: the weather was great; the hospitality was even better; and the attendance was the best ever for an ODCB spring conference. Many of the attendees arrived on Friday night and began to partake of warm hospitality and pleasant surroundings, taking advantage of the mild weather to walk down to the ocean. Socializing intermingled with work to produce an enjoyable weekend. More than sixty people attended the meetings, which began on Saturday morning. Oral Miller, National Representative, American Council of the Blind, provided the keynote address and spoke about the services of the ACB National Office. Commissioner William Coppage of the Virginia Department for the Visually Handicapped discussed the impact of reorganization proposals, budget cutbacks, and legislative actions by the 1984 Virginia General Assembly as they relate to service programs for visually impaired Virginians. Patricia Beattie of the ODCB chaired a panel discussion on advocacy. A number of ODCB members related their experiences in carrying out advocacy activities, and on completion of their remarks, Delegate Owen Pickett of the Virginia General Assembly and Oral Miller reacted to the panel presentation. Featured speaker at the luncheon meeting was Dr. David Hartman, who several years ago earned his M.D. as a blind person at Temple University. He gave a stimulating presentation and made a number of provocative comments on attitudes relating to blindness and blind persons. The afternoon program featured Dr. Philip Bellefleur and Mr. Sheldon Melton, superintendents of the two residential schools for the blind in Virginia. They discussed the programs at their respective schools and also presented their thoughts on recent changes in the structure of residential school education in Virginia. Mr. Steve Prine, Network Consultant for the National Library Service, discussed the organizational structure and administrative setting for regional libraries, a subject which was of particular importance, since there had been efforts earlier in the year to relocate the regional library in Virginia. The final speaker was Mrs. Sally Free, who described the programs of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board and outlined a number of research efforts under way which are of particular interest to blind and visually impaired persons. When the meeting was adjourned following the Sunday morning business meeting, everyone headed for his or her home with a sense of real satisfaction for having accomplished a great deal. The Host Committee, headed by President Nelson Malbone, deserves a particular vote of thanks for an outstanding job in hosting this convention. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop For Sale: APH Variable Speech Control Module. Makes rapid or faster speech sound original, while shortening listening time. To be used only on machines with selective or variable speech control, such as talking book or cassette machines. $50.00 or best offer. Contact Perry O. Knutson, 4214 11th, NE, Apartment 202, Seattle, WA 98105; (206) 632-0088. ***** ** Calendar of Events This Calendar of Events is compiled by the American Council of the Blind Public Affairs Director in the National Office to assist ACB affiliates and other organizations of and for the blind in publicizing their events. We need your meeting dates as early as possible to maintain this popular service. Please contact Laura Oftedahl at 1-800-424-8666 as soon as your meeting dates are set. August 3-4 -- Idaho Council of the Blind State Convention - Idaho Falls August 7-11 -- Blinded Veterans Association Annual Convention - Nashville, Tennessee August 10-12 -- Aloha Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired State Convention - Honolulu August 10-12 -- Georgia Council of the Blind State Convention - Macon August 31-September 1 -- ACB of South Carolina State Convention - Charleston August 31-September 2 -- Tennessee Council of the Blind State Convention - Knoxville September 22-23 -- Old Dominion Council of the Blind Fall Conference - Richmond, Virginia September 28-29 -- ACB of Indiana State Convention - Indianapolis September 28-29 -- Mountain State Council of the Blind State Convention - Clarksburg, West Virginia September 28-30 -- Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired State Convention - Hays October 5-6 -- Kentucky Council of the Blind State Convention - Louisville October 5-7 -- Michigan Association of the Blind State Convention - Benton Harbor October 5-7 -- Illinois Council of the Blind State Convention - Chicago October 5-7 -- South Dakota Association for the Blind State Convention - Mitchell October 6-7 -- Washington Council of the Blind State Convention - Seattle October 19-21 -- ACB of Ohio State Convention - Columbus October 19-21 -- Oregon Council of the Blind State Convention - Medford October 19-21 -- Missouri Federation of the Blind State Convention - St. Louis November 2-4 -- ACB of New York State Convention - Syracuse November 10-11 -- National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped Annual Membership and Board Meetings - Boston, Massachusetts ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From The Ohio Connection (ACB of Ohio): In cooperation with the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission and other organizations, the ACB of Ohio co-sponsored an assertiveness training workshop for disabled Ohioans, April 6-8. The event was such a tremendous success that it is going to be repeated in the five major state regions this fall. * * * The American Foundation for the Blind and the ACB of Ohio will host a consumer-oriented computer seminar in Cincinnati in November. Participants will be given hands-on experience and instruction with braille, large-print, and speech-synthesized computer devices. From Council Currents (Old Dominion Council of the Blind): "Blind" dates -- Would you believe! ... A dating service is available to network disabled and non-disabled adults who believe that physical disability is no barrier to romance and an active social life. Contact HI (Handicapped Introductions) for a questionnaire: HI, P.O. Box 48, Coopersburg, PA 18036; (215) 282-1577. From Sparkles (ACB of Indiana): Justin Dart, Jr., a highly successful businessman in Texas, Mexico and Japan, and a dedicated advocate for the disabled as well as an extremely qualified promoter and organizer, has been named National Representative for the League of Disabled Voters (LDV). He is uniquely qualified to direct the League's activities and to involve many, many people in the process. His office is located at 2012 Lear Lane, Austin, TX 78745. From Let's Be Human: While Ronald Reagan's runaway military spending makes the budget deficit zoom, Donald E. Wilkinson, Governor of the Farm Credit Administration, reminds us that the Government is in debt to the tune of $1.4 trillion. How can we put even a billion in perspective? Here's Wilkinson's try: A billion seconds ago, Harry Truman was U.S. President. A billion minutes ago was just after the time of Christ. A billion hours ago, man had not yet walked on the face of the earth. And a billion dollars ago was late yesterday at the U.S. Treasury. The average earnings of vendors operating facilities under the Randolph-Sheppard program in 1983 were $17,308, a $1,301 increase (8.1%) over the 1982 average of $16,007. The number of vending facilities operated under the Randolph-Sheppard program was 3,261, a decrease of 51 from the previous year, when 3,312 facilities were in operation. Of the facilities in operation in 1983, 974 were on Federal locations and 2,287 were on non-Federal locations. The 1984-85 catalog of the National Society to Prevent Blindness is now available. Included are listings of pamphlets, periodicals, films, and visual aids related to various aspects of vision care. Among new items listed is the "Home Eye Test for Adults." This is a do-it-yourself test to enable people to determine whether they are seeing as well as they should -- and, if they are not, to get a professional checkup. The kit contains tests for distance and near vision, an Ansler grid test for macular degeneration, and a list of additional eye problems that call for an examination. Write National Society to Prevent Blindness, 79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. The 1984 Annual Board and Membership Meetings of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped will be held November 10-11 at the Colonade Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts. For further information, contact 1984 NAC Conference Coordinator, Director's Office, Perkins School for the Blind, 175 N. Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02172. From Disabled USA: An American tour company, Whole Person Tours, serving disabled travelers exclusively, is conducting tours to Britain and Ireland this summer. Highlights of the 11-day "Irish Rambler" tour, commencing August 16, include Dublin, Killarney, Blarney Castle, and the magnificent scenery of the Ring of Kerry. The 16-day "Best of Britain" tour, commencing August 25, includes visits to London, Stonehenge, Stratford-on­Avon, Wales, Scotland, and the Northumbrian countryside. For full details, contact Whole Person Tours, P.O. Box 1084, Bayonne, NJ 07002. Dr. James Johnson, Executive Director of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America since June of 1983, passed away on May 23 in Washington, D.C., after a brief illness. Dr. Johnson received his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma and served for four years in the U.S. Air Force. His professional career included 21 years as Research Director, and later Director, of the Oklahoma State Legislative Council. He also served as staff specialist for the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives. A new device from The Netherlands that looks exactly like the standard slate and stylus allows the user to write from left to right rather than from right to left, as with the traditional slate and stylus, according to Sensory Aids Technology Update. Instead of the pointed stylus poking through the frame to make an impression on the paper, the new device uses a stylus with a hollow, concave point which is pressed over a matching raised dot on the frame. The Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind sees the device as a breakthrough in low-cost braille writing equipment, particularly in developing countries where mechanical braille writers are often too expensive. Cost of the device is said to be about the same as that of a standard slate and stylus. For more information, write Lions Netherlands, Middenlaan 10, 3941 CC Doorn, The Netherlands. Advice on how to use volunteer experience to move toward a paid job can be found in "Volunteer Path to Employment." This 13-page booklet provides an easy-to-follow strategy to counter the odds against employment of severely disabled adults. In addition, it offers positive techniques to bring a whole range of people with physical impairments into the mainstream of community life. The booklet is available from President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, Washington, DC 20210. *** "How to Lobby Your State Legislature: a Citizen's Guide" is a 29-page booklet containing helpful information on how legislatures operate and how to develop a strategy for action. Write: Government Research Service, 701 Jackson, Room 304, Topeka, KS 66603. Price: $2.75. The ACB of South Carolina Newsletter reports in its May 1984 issue the death of Marvin S. Lowe of Anderson on July 1, 1983, following a short illness. For many years, he operated a very successful mattress factory in Anderson. Whenever he and his wife Lizzy heard of a blind person they had not met before, they went to visit to see if there was any way they could be of help. Marvin Lowe was one of the founders of the ACB of South Carolina and attended every convention since its beginning, serving as Treasurer, Vice President, and President. From CCB National Newsletter (Canadian Council of the Blind): The fourth annual Wayne Gretzky Celebrity Tennis Tournament was held June 29-30 in Brantford, Ontario. A host of celebrities joined Gretzky in this fund-raising program for the benefit of blind and visually impaired Canadians. This year, funds raised will go toward purchase of talking book machines to be distributed across Canada. Boston Information and Technology Corp. (B.I.T.), known across the country for the BIT Talkman cassette recorder, announces that it has begun to offer direct service to consumers. The catalog (available in print, braille or cassette) lists B.I.T.'s own products as well as other products chosen for their high quality and usefulness. New products include the Weight Talker scale, the Satoki talking watch, Panasonic talking clock radio, and low-vision blood pressure monitor and low-vision personal thermometer. Call the national toll-free number: 1-800-BIT-TALK, or write B.I.T., P.O. Box 70, M.I.T. Branch, Cambridge, MA 02139. Master Card, Visa, and American Express cards will be accepted. Position Available: Executive Director, Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America (ALL). Duties include coordinating and carrying out of a wide range of legislative activities; editing and producing a bimonthly newsletter; representing ALL in other coalitions and ad hoc working groups; membership development, fund-raising, fiscal management and budget preparation, and related duties and responsibilities as assigned to carry out operations of ALL's national office in Washington, D.C. Background in law, legislative analysis, programs for the handicapped, and fund-raising is desired. Salary based upon qualifications of applicant. For a job announcement, contact the ALL office at 1200 15th Street, N.W., Suite 205, Washington, DC 20005 (202-775-8261). The National Braille Association, Inc., announces a change of address effective June 22, 1984. All correspondence for the Braille Materials Production Committee, the Braille Book Bank, and the national office should be addressed to NBA at 1290 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607; (716) 473-0900. The Francis Joseph Campbell Award is given each year by the Association of Special and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), which is a part of the American Library Association. At its annual meeting the last week in June, the award was given to Mrs. Maxine Dorf, who recently retired from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. ***** ** 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 bi-monthly supplement, the recorded and braille editions also 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. ###