The Braille Forum Vol. XXIII November 1984 No. 5 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 Voting Accessibility Bill Signed into Law Flash! ACB Sues Defense Department Regarding McDonald's Contract, by Scott Marshall News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller ACB to Award Over $25,000 to Blind Students in 1985 ACB's Airline Training Program Off the Ground and Climbing Fast, by Laura Oftedahl Blind Workers Frozen Out of Federal Jobs, by Barbara Nelson Board of Publications Announces New Format for Ned Freeman Award for Writing Excellence, by Vernon Henley Grove City Bill Dies in Senate, by Scott Marshall ACB to Play Major Role in World Council Assembly NAC Announces Revised Complaint Procedures Congress Reforms Social Security Continuing Disability Investigations, by Barbara Nelson Fast Food Chain Hires Senior Citizens, Handicapped The ACB a True Rainbow Coalition, by Robert J. Acosta Just Browsing ... Through Celestial Space and Time, by Doris Dean Parnell SSI and Social Security Checks to Increase January 1 1985 National Blind Skiing Championships Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Notice to Subscribers ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack The significant role of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind is sometimes misunderstood by many of our members. Although the ultimate power of ACB is vested in its membership, it is the duty of the Board to implement the policies and desires of that membership. It is the membership which develops policy and official position through resolutions at national conventions. Any of you who have attended these conventions can attest to the fact that open discussion and the democratic process are strictly maintained. It is also the membership which elects the Board of Directors. Any person is free to throw his or her hat into the political arena. These elections frequently result in vigorous, hard-fought contests, but fairness, openness, and democracy always characterize these races. The five officers are elected in the same manner, and they, plus the ten directors, make up the 15-member Board. All too often, boards of directors are rubber-stamp groups that in reality reflect the will of the president or a group of officers of an organization. In many cases, boards are hand-picked in one way or another. This is particularly true in the case of corporate boards, which are set up by appointment of those in control. The basis of these selections varies greatly from group to group. The most important qualification for such boards involves some special expertise or represents people who have a special aura of influence which can be used to benefit the organization. It is quite easy to manipulate a board such as this into becoming whatever kind of body one wants to make it. If the objective is to create a rubber-stamp body, appointments are made with that in mind. On the other hand, if one is looking for an advisory group that is objective and independent, the people making the appointments will keep those goals in mind when candidates are being considered. It is a completely different "ball game" when it comes to boards of directors for organizations such as the American Council of the Blind. Too often, races for these board positions become popularity contests. Strong, independent, and innovative people are not always the ones who are popular, and frequently the individuals who end up functioning in board positions do not represent the best to be had. The strength of ACB's current board was dramatically demonstrated at its most recent meeting held in Chicago during the weekend of September 22-23, 1984. Many difficult decisions were made. Some of these decisions called for a delicate balance of good judgment, high principle, and forthrightness. Your President was forcibly impressed by the strength and sincerity of each member. I can tell you with no equivocation that there are no "drones" or rubber stamps currently serving on this ACB Board. Every member is strong-willed and high-principled, and although there is a variance of opinion on most subjects, there is a cooperative spirit. The ability to compromise always follows open, and sometimes heated discussion. The purpose of this short article is to congratulate the membership of ACB for its good judgment in selecting the current Board. Each of you should pat yourself on the back for having done a good job. I can safely say that no membership organization ever had an elected Board of Directors more effective than the present one of ACB. I would like to list officers and directors here by name, city, and state, and to thank them for their good work and also encourage them to maintain their independence, candidness, and reasonableness as we look to future needs: Dr. Otis Stephens, First Vice President, Knoxville, Tennessee; Durward K. McDaniel, Second Vice President, Austin, Texas; Karen Perzentka, Secretary, Madison, Wisconsin; James Olsen, Treasurer, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Delbert K. Aman, Aberdeen, South Dakota; Robert Campbell, Berkeley, California; Brian Charlson, Salem, Oregon; Adrian De Blaey, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Carla Franklin, Louisville, Kentucky; Charles Hodge, Arlington, Virginia; Patricia Price, Indianapolis, Indiana; LeRoy Saunders, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mary Jane Schmitt, Forest Park, Illinois; Paul Verner, Tampa, Florida. ***** ** Voting Accessibility Bill Signed Into Law By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs After three years of effort, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, H.R. 1250 and S. 1676, was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. The American Council of the Blind, represented by Laura Oftedahl, ACB's Director of Public Affairs, was invited to attend the Oval Office signing ceremony on September 28. Laura, accompanied by her dog guide Casey, was photographed with the President, several members of Congress, and representatives from six other disability organizations. P.L. 98-435 will become effective for Federal elections occurring after December 31, 1985. The purpose of the bill is to improve the access for handicapped and elderly persons to registration facilities and polling places used for Federal elections. The chief elections official for each state is required to ensure that polling places are accessible, in accordance with guidelines established by each such official. The House committee report accompanying the bill evidences Congress's intent that state election officials should consult with organizations representing disabled persons with respect to the establishment of accessibility guidelines. In the case of an emergency, or if the chief elections official determines that a polling place cannot be made accessible even on a temporary basis, the voter must be provided an alternate method of voting, including an absentee ballot, curbside voting, or reassignment of the voter to an accessible polling place. A reasonable number of permanent accessible registration facilities must be provided in each state, unless registration can be accomplished by mail or at the voter's residence. Of particular interest to blind voters, P.L. 98-435 eliminates medical certification and notarization requirements associated with the application for or casting of an absentee ballot unless the voter wishes to automatically receive an absentee ballot on a continuing basis, in which case state law may require these elements. P.L. 98-435 is entirely consistent with Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, which, under most circumstances, permits a blind person or a person unable to read to utilize a personal assistant of his or her own choice as an aide inside the voting booth. State election officials must, in addition, advertise the existence of Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act, as well as the availability of supplemental voting aids (large-print voting instructions and voting information via a telecommunications device for the deaf) in a manner reasonably calculated to reach handicapped and elderly voters. Finally, P.L. 98-435 requires state elections officials to survey polling places to determine their accessibility and to report such information to the Federal Elections Commission, which in turn must biennially report such data to Congress. This information is greatly needed to ascertain just how accessible polling places really are, and to ascertain the number of such sites. This information will serve as the necessary foundation for additional legislation, including authorization and appropriation of Federal funds needed to fully address the problem of voting accessibility. Obviously, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, combined with Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, does not provide a complete (or perhaps most ideal) solution to voting accessibility for blind persons. Although transportation or the provision of a braille, large-print, or recorded ballot is not required under these laws, state elections officials can be urged to include these elements in their accessibility guidelines. The few localities which currently provide braille or recorded ballots should, of course, be encouraged to continue to do so and should report such information to the Federal Elections Commission, which in turn will report to Congress. As technology develops, the cost and logistics of providing braille, large­print, or recorded ballots on a widespread basis will undoubtedly become feasible. In the meantime, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act as well as Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 should be considered important progress toward the ultimate goal of providing a totally secret ballot to all blind voters. * Caption: President Ronald Reagan (center, seated at a desk) signs the "Voting Accessibility for Elderly & Handicapped Act" in Oval Office ceremony while Laura Oftedahl, American Council of the Blind (back row right), key Congressional members and representatives of mobility impaired and hearing impaired organizations applaud. ***** ** Flash! ACB Sues Defense Department Regarding McDonald's Contract ... Requests Congressional Oversight of Randolph-Sheppard Program By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs As this issue of The Braille Forum goes to press, the American Council of the Blind has joined with the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America, individual vendors, and several other plaintiffs in the filing of a lawsuit to set aside a multi-million-dollar contract between the United State Navy and McDonald’s Corporation, which was procured in violation of the Randolph-Sheppard Act. As was reported in The Braille Forum last month, the Navy has violated the Randolph-Sheppard Act and regulations by failing to solicit bids from state licensing agencies which represent blind vendors who participate in the program. A press conference announcing the lawsuit is planned to be held on Capitol Hill. Details will be reported as they develop. In a related development, the American Council of the Blind and the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America have requested representative Austin Murphy (D., PA), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Select Education, to hold an oversight hearing on the Randolph-Sheppard program when the 99th Congress convenes in January. Those who attended the 1984 ACB convention in Philadelphia will recall Membership Resolution 84-01, which urged a Congressional oversight hearing to examine such issues as administration, funding, and compliance with the program by Government departments and agencies. An oversight hearing is particularly needed at this time, in light of the Defense Department's violation of the Randolph-Sheppard Act and the House Appropriations Committee's request for additional evidence concerning the funding needs of the program. Finally, as reported on the Washington Connection, the Senate agreed to language contained in the House's Defense Appropriations Committee report regarding the Randolph-Sheppard program. The House Committee report requires the Department of Defense to review its policies regarding contracting out for food service to ensure compliance with the Randolph-Sheppard Act, and further requires the Department to report concerning this matter to Congress by March 1, 1985. The House's report language was subsequently adopted in the conference report which accompanied the so-called "continuing resolution," an omnibus spending bill which was signed into law by the President in October. The American Council of the Blind appreciates Congress’s support of the Randolph-Sheppard program. The struggle to protect the program goes on! ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller National Representative Although the state and regional affiliates of the American Council of the Blind hold annual conventions throughout the year, September always ushers in the busy autumn convention schedule -- as it did this year. For example, Barbara Nelson, the National Staff Attorney, spoke at the state convention of the Old Dominion Council of the Blind in Richmond, Virginia, regarding, among other things, the latest legal developments surrounding the threat to the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Some of the other highlights of the Old Dominion convention were a panel concerning social relations involving blind males and females and a panel discussion of educational services provided to blind children living in Virginia. It was my pleasure to participate in both the legislative workshop and the state convention of the ACB of Indiana, held in Indianapolis. The legislative workshop, which preceded the state convention, featured one session during which attendees discussed important legislative issues, a very practical "how to do it" presentation by a state legislative expert, a candid discussion with the state agency director concerning possible legislative goals in common, and a session dealing with effective methods of communicating with public officials. The legislative workshop underscored the determination by the ACB of Indiana that it intends to increase its effectiveness as an advocate for and spokesman of blind citizens of Indiana. Recently it was my pleasure to be elected vice chairman of the Committee on Handicapped Concerns of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped (PCEH). The Committee on Handicapped Concerns, which is made up of individuals affiliated with consumer organizations, meets periodically to advise the PCEH, to plan and to conduct appropriate educational and action-oriented projects. For example, plans have been made tentatively to conduct a concurrent session during the 1985 PCEH national conference that will give handicapped people an opportunity to "educate the professionals" regarding the rights and employability of disabled people. During the past eight or nine months, several articles have appeared in The Braille Forum concerning open and more subtle attacks being made on the Randolph-Sheppard Act and the vending program established there under. But do you know that some of these same forces are working to undermine the employment program established under the Javits­Wagner-O'Day Act? For that and other reasons, it was especially important and informative for me to attend the meeting of the Legislative Committee of the General Council of Workshops for the Blind, which is made up of approximately 100 workshops employing blind workers throughout the United States. One of the very important matters discussed was the reappointment of a knowledgeable and concerned blind person, Mervin Flander of Nevada, to the Committee on Procurement from the Blind and Severely Handicapped, which regulates the system that allocates government contracts to participating workshops. During September, the ACB National Office was honored by a visit from Donald McKenzie, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind. While the United States may be a bit ahead of New Zealand in a few legislatively-based service areas, we were struck by the number of similar problems encountered by both countries in such areas as education of blind children and employment of blind adults. While it is sometimes difficult to keep differences in proper perspective, such conferences are extremely valuable as means of exchanging information and broadening program horizons. By the time you read this article, the ACB President and I will have participated in the 1984 quinquennial assembly of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind (WCWB), scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A separate article concerning the importance of this assembly and the respective roles which the ACB President and I will play appears elsewhere in this issue of The Braille Forum. ***** ** ACB to Award Over $25,000 to Blind Students in 1985 Seventeen scholarships, totaling over $25,000, will be awarded by the American Council of the Blind to outstanding blind and visually impaired students in 1985. The awards will range from $1,000 to $3,000 each. All legally blind persons admitted to vocational, technical, professional, or academic training programs at the post-secondary level for the 1985-86 school year are encouraged to apply for one of these scholarships. The Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships, totaling $24,000, will be awarded to top students in each of the following categories: entering freshmen in academic programs, undergraduates (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) in academic programs, graduate students in academic or professional programs, and trade/technical school students. Each applicant will be compared with other applicants in his/her category. This means that entering freshmen in academic programs will be competing for funds with other first-year students. The Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship, provided by the Tarver Foundation in the amount of $1500, will be granted to an outstanding blind student at the undergraduate level. Applications are available from the ACB National Office. Obtain one by calling 800-424-8666, toll-free, or by writing: ACB Scholarships, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506, Washington, DC 20036. All completed applications and supporting documents must be postmarked no later than April 1, 1985. Leading scholarship candidates will be interviewed by telephone in May or early June. The Floyd Qualls scholars and the Melva T. Owen scholar will be notified no later than June 15, 1985. The scholarship recipients will be announced at the national convention of the American Council of the Blind, to be held July 6-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Efforts will be made to enable many of the winning scholars to be present at the ceremonies. Among the criteria to be considered in selecting the scholars will be demonstrated academic record, involvement in extracurricular/civic activities, and academic objectives. Degree of the applicant's visual impairment and his or her study methods will also be taken into account in the selection process. The Floyd Qualls scholarship program was established in 1982 in memory of one of the great personalities and dedicated leaders of ACB. The Floyd Qualls Endowment Fund was also created to provide for the continuation and advancement of this worthwhile program for blind and visually impaired students. The Melva T. Owen scholarship, made available by the Tarver Foundation of Richmond, Virginia, is in memory of Mrs. Owen, who was a dedicated worker for and with blind people. She is primarily remembered for her work with the Voicespondence Club. ***** ** ACB's Airline Training Program off the Ground and Climbing Fast By Laura Oftedahl Director of Public Affairs ACB's airline training program has really "taken off" since the membership passed Resolution 84-04 at its most recent national convention in Philadelphia. Pursuant to the resolution, air-carriers have been commended for the generally good and effective service they provide blind travelers, and the American Council of the Blind has offered the assistance of its staff and members to conduct awareness training sessions and to furnish useful instructional materials. The nation's twenty leading airlines have heartily accepted the Council's constructive proposition: Not a single air-carrier has turned down our offer to help them improve the services they provide to the growing number of blind and visually impaired travelers. A four-hour session incorporating actual demonstrations on how to assist (or not to assist) blind passengers was successfully conducted by ACB staff members at the home offices of New York Air at La Guardia Airport in New York City. We are very pleased to report that New York Air has changed its policy regarding the seating of blind passengers using dog guides so that these people are no longer required to sit in the bulkhead row. Similar in-person training sessions with the other airlines are now being scheduled. Upon completion by ACB's Public Affairs Director, a comprehensive training handbook for airline passenger service personnel will be distributed to all New York Air training classes as well as to all other airlines participating in ACB's airline training program. The book contains step-by-step information on serving and visually impaired travelers. Everything from curbside check-in to stowing canes during takeoff and landing to deplaning with other passengers or with airline assistance is included. The book stresses that the airline employees should ask -- not assume -- what the passenger's needs are, and should understand that some passengers will need more assistance than others. Efforts are being made with the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults to include information on serving deaf-blind passengers as well. During the training session at New York Air, the entire ACB handbook was dealt with and acted out from cover to cover. The information proved very beneficial to the "students," and we are assured that our suggestions and experiences will be included in future flight attendant, reservationist, and ground service personnel training curricula. The American Council of the Blind has a highly respected 23-year of working together with organizations and using other appropriate means to change attitudes and to generally improve the quality of life for blind and visually impaired persons. So, after passage of Membership Resolution 84-04, calling for commendations to the travel industry where appropriate, and for the development of awareness training programs where needed, plans moved forward for the ACB airline training program. Based on past experience, we expected the usual response of, "Yes, we would be happy to sit down with you and talk." Instead, we received overwhelming applause and welcoming letters of acceptance for assistance from the air-carriers -- all of this because of our rational approach, expert timing, and an orchestrated media campaign by the National Federation of the Blind. Just around the time ACB was approaching the nation’s leading airlines to offer our consulting services, the NFB came out blasting the airlines -- American Airlines, in particular -- for what the Federation tagged as "blatant disregard for the rights of the blind." The NFB threatened to "go to an airport on a given day and close the airlines down for a day; to go out on the runway and to block the planes." No date for the threatened shutdown was given, and as of the date of this writing nearly two months later, still no protest in front of the planes. However, the American Council of the Blind moved forward with its valuable training program. A press statement dated August 20 was issued to hundreds of media outlets, including the corporate communications departments of leading airlines. It was eagerly received by airline officials and callers to ACB's Washington Connection. The press statement in a shortened form follows: Picketing on airport runways won't do a bit of good in changing airlines' policies and practices for handling of blind passengers, but constructive training and how­to-do-it materials, presented by rational blind people, will, insists the American Council of the Blind (ACB). The Council, the largest national organization of the blind, deplores the plans announced last Tuesday to United Press International by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) to "go out on the runways and block the planes." "Simply causing a big disruption will make matters worse and do an enormous disservice to all blind travelers," states ACB Executive Director Oral O. Miller. "The majority of blind people find the Federation's actions disgraceful. They create an extremely inaccurate, misleading, and negative image of blind people. The NFB doesn't speak for the majority, or even a large percentage, of blind people in the U.S., and it's time we set the record straight," states ACB President Grant Mack. The ACB leadership believes that in most cases decisions which appear to be discriminatory against blind people are actually made haphazardly by relatively inexperienced personnel: "Many embarrassing policies are made by well-meaning, but uneducated airline personnel," Miller continued. "In our training materials, we plan to make it clear that such practices as asking blind passengers to wear large ID buttons, asking blind passengers to ride in a wheelchair from the gate to the baggage area, and asking other passengers to look after blind passengers are unnecessary and humiliating," Miller added. Miller contends that every blind person who has ever traveled has a horror story to tell. "However, we are concentrating on the future, and not on what happened five years ago," he continued. "The issue of whether or not a blind person can stow his long white cane near him during the flight was settled favorably three years ago when FAA regulations were changed to permit such stowage." Thousands of Council members travel regularly, and they are working intelligently with the airlines to improve treatment of blind persons. Miller says that the Council advises its members to talk to the flight attendant or agent right then and there when they are treated in a humiliating manner. "We are convinced that this reasonable method for changing attitudes, coupled with prompt followup with the offending airline, has a far greater chance of succeeding than threatening to shut down an airline," he said. He continued by stating that attempting to picket on airport runways will set back much of the progress already made and will cast blind travelers in an unfair light. During a recent annual convention in Atlanta, the Council made arrangements with Eastern Airlines to give hands-on demonstrations of emergency flight equipment. Hundreds of blind convention-goers eagerly took part in the demonstrations. This experience provided the type of information a blind traveler could use in the event of an emergency. "We hope other airlines will agree to take a page from Eastern's book, and we are encouraging our affiliates across the country to arrange such demonstrations," Council President Grant Mack states. Eastern personnel commented after these demonstrations that they learned as much about the capabilities of blind people as the blind people learned about emergency procedures. ***** ** Blind Workers Frozen Out of Federal Jobs By Barbara Nelson, Staff Attorney The Federal Government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a new policy on hiring readers for blind Federal employees that will cool the Government's generally lukewarm efforts to increase the number of disabled people working in the federal sector. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has placed a limit on the number of employees which each agency may hire. This policy, it turns out, has chilled the hiring of blind workers who may need reading assistance, since Federal agencies do not want to hire even part-time readers and use up one of these scarce slots. This disincentive to hiring blind people operates even when an agency is well below its hiring limit, because mid-level managers often do not want to go to their superiors to ask permission to hire more people in their departments. To relieve this problem, the Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees, the American Council of the Blind, and others requested OMB and OPM to change their policy so that Federal agencies would not have to count readers hired to assist blind persons against their hiring ceiling. This request was denied in a new section of the Federal Personnel Manual, which may set back Federal policy nearly six years. The new policy not only states that readers must be counted against an agency's ceiling, but goes on to state: "It has been agreed that OMB will give specific requests for ceiling relief for employment of readers ... sympathetic consideration ... on a case-by-case basis, although preference remains for the use of unpaid assistants, since they are not subject to ceiling restrictions." It is not now the policy of the Federal Government to prefer volunteer readers. In fact, quite the opposite is true. In 1978, Congress made it legal to hire employees as readers for blind persons. It concluded that volunteer assistance was not adequate to meet the needs of blind workers. Because the Federal Government is supposed to be a model employer of handicapped workers, Congress decided that, in appropriate circumstances, readers should be hired for blind Federal employees. Although the law allowing readers to be hired for blind Federal employees is still in effect, the new policy is likely to cause a great deal of confusion, as agencies will assume that even when they are not near their hiring ceiling, they should require blind employees to use volunteers. Also, since OMB prefers volunteer assistants, it is not likely to grant an exception so that a reader can be hired when an agency is at its personnel ceiling. The American Council of the Blind is working with Congress and with Federal agencies to have this policy rescinded. ***** ** Board of Publications Announces New Format for Ned Freeman Award for Writing Excellence By Vernon Henley ACB Board of Publications The American Council of the Blind Board of Publications is pleased to announce a new format for the Ned E. Freeman Award for Writing Excellence in The Braille Forum. Ned Freeman was the first president of the American Council of the Blind, and from 1966 until his death in 1970, he was editor of The Braille Forum. Above all, he valued concise, descriptive, and interesting writing. The Ned Freeman Award was established by the Board of Publications in 1970 to honor his memory and to encourage the tradition of writing excellence. For the past several years, the writing competition was conducted in the form of an essay contest. While the essay contest yielded memorable entries, the Board of Publications felt that interest in this format had waned, and after considerable thought and discussion, the Board is pleased to offer a revised contest format. Any original article submitted to The Braille Forum for publication is potentially eligible for consideration for the Ned E. Freeman Award for Writing Excellence. Approximately every other month, an article specifically designated as a Ned Freeman writing competition entry will be published. Six articles so designated will be considered in the final judging for the award. Ned Freeman articles are to be selected by the Editor, although in submitting material, authors may specifically request that articles be considered for this writing competition. Six Ned Freeman articles will be published during each judging period, and from these six the winner of the Ned Freeman Award will be selected by the Board of Publications. The winner will receive a certificate and check for $100 to be presented at the Awards and Charter Gala at the 1985 ACB National convention in Las Vegas. Preliminary winners will also be recognized. Among criteria to be used in evaluating and judging will be clarity of expression and appropriateness of subject matter to The Braille Forum. Articles may be submitted in print, in braille, or on tape. Those submitted in print should follow standard manuscript form. All articles will be judged in their unedited form. All published articles become the property of The Braille Forum. Decisions of the Editor and of the Board of Publications are final. No member of the Board of Publications or no staff member of the American Council of the Blind is eligible to enter this writing competition. Articles should be addressed to The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. The Board of Publications encourages readers of The Braille Forum to submit entries as soon as possible for consideration for this award. ***** ** Grove City Bill Dies in Senate By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs High emotions, late sessions, and a procedural quagmire were evident in late September and early October as S. 2568, the Civil Rights Act of 1984, died in the Senate when one of the principal sponsors of the bill, Senator Bob Packwood (R., OR) reluctantly moved to "table" further consideration of his own bill. This followed almost a week-long stalemate between civil rights activists and conservative opponents of the bill, which delayed passage of vital legislation needed to fund most Government activities for the current fiscal year. S. 2568 (also known as the "Grove City Response Bill") was introduced earlier this year to clarify language in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other civil rights laws, to ensure that the prohibition against discrimination contained in Section 504 would apply to all of the programs and activities of a recipient of Federal financial assistance, rather than simply limiting coverage to the specific program or activity to which the Federal funds were targeted. Thus, a college or university which receives Federal funds could not prevent a blind student from taking a laboratory course if any program or activity of the university (such as the financial aid office) received Federal funds. The Grove City bill was introduced for the purpose of reversing the U.S. Supreme Court holding in Grove City College vs. Bell, a case which itself dealt with sex discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, but whose legal reasoning can also be applied to Section 504 and other civil rights laws (see "Action on Section 504 and Other Civil Rights Laws," The Braille Forum, April 1984). Participants in the 1984 legislative seminar of the American Council of the Blind were informed about the Grove City bill and discussed the bill with Congressional members and staff during their visit to Capitol Hill. At the seminar debriefing session, participants reported widespread support for this legislation, and, indeed, such was the case. H.R. 5490, the House version of the Grove City bill, passed overwhelmingly, 375 to 32, in June. The Senate bill garnered 63 co­sponsors and approximately 70 yea votes. Yet, despite this support, the bill died. Why? Congressional scholars will be discussing and writing about the Grove City matter for some time to come. The answer lies in the way the Senate itself operates. Senate business, unlike the more highly structured House rules and procedure, is conducted by "consensus." This means that one Senator can bring things to a screeching halt by merely objecting formally to a matter under consideration. Assuming that a Senator is willing to bear the political consequences of such conduct, he or she can literally tie the Senate in knots. Senator Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) as chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Relations, was vehemently opposed to the Grove City bill. He saw the effect of the Grove City bill as going well beyond a mere reversal of the Grove City decision and a restatement of Congress's intent as to the extent of coverage of civil rights law. He argued that the definition of "recipient" contained in the bill could be construed to cover the proprietor of a "mom and pop" grocery store which redeems food stamps, or the farmer who receives a crop subsidy. Proponents of the bill countered that the Grove City decision did not enlarge the scope of civil rights coverage, but rather, simply reversed the Grove City decision. After three months of negotiation, it was apparent that Senator Hatch's committee would not report the bill and that Majority Leader Howard Baker (R., TN) would be asked to bring the House-passed bill directly to the Senate floor. Baker promised that he would do so in early September, but then reversed his decision, stating that he would not bring the bill to the floor without Administration support. As time began to run out for the 98th Congress, the only remaining alternative was to attach the Grove City measure to a funding bill -- the so-called "continuing resolution" legislation which had to be passed prior to adjournment. Over a period of several days (including a rare Saturday session), the Senate voted to attach the Grove City bill to the continuing resolution; voted "cloture," thereby limiting debate; and finally, when faced with several other controversial amendments to the continuing resolution -- bussing, gun control, school prayer -- and Hatch's threat of literally hundreds of additional amendments, Senator Packwood moved to table further consideration. This, in effect, stripped the Grove City bill from the continuing resolution. The Grove City bill will, of course, be reintroduced in the next Congress. In the meantime, we need to learn of more instances in which the Grove City decision is applied to Section 504. If you have filed a Section 504 complaint which has been denied as a result of the Grove City case, or if you feel that you have a Section 504 claim which would be barred because of the program-specific requirements of Grove City, please let us know. ***** ** ACB to Play Major Role in World Council Assembly The World Council for the Welfare of the Blind (WCWB) was organized shortly after the conclusion of World War II to serve as a forum for the international exchange of information of importance to blind people and to serve as a catalytic force in promoting the well-being of blind people throughout the world. Since then it has met quinquennially (every five years) and, through its various volunteer committees, has developed excellent rapport with many international organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization. The WCWB 1984 assembly, which will be attended by representatives from perhaps as many as sixty countries, will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the period October 20 through November 2. The Program Committee has planned an outstanding program, dealing with such important subjects as the prevention of blindness, employment, the right to information, education, and integration of blind people into the mainstream of society. During the WCWB assembly, ACB President Grant Mack will cast the vote of the American Council of the Blind as well as the votes of several American member organizations of WCWB which will not have representatives present -- the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Blinded Veterans Association, and the American Foundation for the Blind. ACB National Representative Oral O. Miller is scheduled to serve as chairman of the Resolutions Committee and to make a major program presentation on the right to information in accessible form. In the event anyone should conclude that the conference will be little more than a holiday filled with "fun and games," it should be pointed out that the various meetings will take place over a period of approximately two weeks, with meetings held almost every day; that all presentations must be translated into at least four different languages; that international resolutions sometimes exceed ten pages in length; and that the assembly attendees may not be able to move about as freely as they might wish, due to significant differences in laws and customs. In addition to the substantive issues mentioned above, the principal organizational issue confronting the assembly will be possible merger of WCWB with the International Federation of the Blind (IFB), which was organized in the 1950s for the stated purpose of giving greater representation to blind people considered to be affiliated with consumer organizations. Please do not conclude, however, that the WCWB is made up of service providers and the IFB of service consumers. In many countries throughout the world, the distinctions between organizations of the blind and organizations for the blind are vague, at best. In many countries an organization that is considered to be "of the blind" is actually "for the blind," when examined in light of standards with which most Americans are familiar. Both the WCWB and the IFB are meeting concurrently in Riyadh, and all participants are looking forward to the important decisions that are to be made. ***** ** NAC Announces Revised Complaint Procedures The Commission on Accreditation of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) has revised its complaint procedures. The newly revised procedures, which are patterned after the civil rights complaint procedures of the U.S. Department of Justice, are designed to ensure the prompt and equitable resolution of allegations that an accredited agency or school has departed substantially from NAC's standards. The new procedures seek to provide adequate due process both to complainants and to accredited agencies and schools, and they provide the Commission on Accreditation with a written record of all of the facts pertinent to the complaint. The Commission makes its decision on the basis of the written record. Any person who believes that an accredited agency or school has departed substantially from NAC's standards may file a complaint. The complaint must be in writing, must be signed, and must specify with as much particularity as possible the NAC standard or standards in question. NAC's executive director (or the executive director's designee) is authorized to assist complainants in identifying the applicable standards and may assist in the preparation of a complaint. The name of the complainant is kept in confidence unless disclosure is authorized by the complainant or unless a full review of the complaint requires disclosure of the identity of the complainant, in which case permission of the complainant is sought before the complaint is accepted. Complaints must be filed within six months from the date on which substantial departure from NAC standards is alleged. Complaints which allege departure from NAC's personnel standards will not be accepted unless the complainant alleges that he/she has previously exhausted the internal grievance procedures of the agency or school, as well as all governmental administrative remedies. Similarly, the answer to a complaint must be in writing and must specifically admit or deny the allegations contained in the complaint. The agency or school, as well as the complainant, is afforded the opportunity to submit additional relevant documentation in support of the complaint or the answer. If the agency or school fails to file a timely answer to the complaint, the Commission may place the offender on warning to show cause why accredited status should be withdrawn. Both the complainant and the agency or school are furnished copies of the complaint, the answer, and supporting documentation. Upon the filing of a complaint and an answer which are proper as to form and content, the chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation, after consultation with at least one Commission member, issues a Memorandum of Informal Disposition of Complaint, a copy of which is forwarded to each of the parties. If either party disagrees with the informal disposition of the complaint, a full Commission review may be requested. The Commission may affirm the chairperson's informal disposition of the complaint, decide upon an alternative course of action to ensure compliance with NAC standards, or postpone action on the complaint, pending additional fact-finding. Additional fact-finding may include an evidentiary hearing before the Commission. The final decision of the Commission may be appealed to the NAC Board of Directors, in accordance with the Commission's policies (copies of which are available from the NAC office). This article is not intended as a full and complete statement of the complaint procedures. Copies of the complaint procedures (in either print or recorded form), as well as assistance in filing complaints, are available from the NAC office, 79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016; (212) 683-8581. Copies of the NAC standards are available from Recording for the Blind, 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, as well as from the NLS regional libraries. These procedures are designed to serve complaints as well as accredited agencies and schools. A fair and equitable complaint procedure is an important tool to help ensure that accredited agencies and schools will continue to comply with NAC standards. ***** ** Congress Reforms Social Security Continuing Disability Investigations By Barbara Nelson, Staff Attorney After a long series of negotiations, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate finally have agreed on a measure to eliminate some of the problems caused by the Social Security Administration's reviews of the continuing eligibility of Social Security disability beneficiaries. Since early in 1981, Social Security had been trying to purge the disability rolls of people who were no longer eligible for benefits, with sometimes harsh results. The manner in which the reviews were conducted sometimes caused people who were unable to work to be taken off the Social Security disability rolls. A majority of the cases that were appealed by people whose benefits were cut have been overturned. The new law will bring more reliability to the process by prohibiting the termination of Social Security disability benefits in most cases unless the beneficiary's condition has actually medically improved. The new rule applies to most pending cases. The new law also provides that in determining whether a person has a severe disability, the combined effect of all of a person's impairments must be considered. Many of those persons whose benefits have been terminated did not have one disability that was severe, but had a number of medical problems that, considered together, made it impossible to work. In addition, during the time that the Social Security Administration is revamping its rules for determining whether mental impairments are disabling, no more reviews of the continuing eligibility of such persons will be conducted. The new law also requires that Social Security must obtain and evaluate medical records from a beneficiary's treating physician before a decision to cut benefits can be made. Blind persons have not suffered as much as other disabled people from the continuing disability investigation process. This is because standards for legal blindness which Social Security categorizes as a severe impairment are relatively clear. Also, the continuing disability investigations were aimed primarily at people whose disabilities were not considered to be permanent. However, this new legislation is important to blind people because it will improve the process for making decisions about entitlement to benefits. ***** ** Fast-Food Chain Hires Senior Citizens, Handicapped (Reprinted from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Sunday, Jan. 15, 1984, and from Bluegrass Council Newsletter) Campbell, California — On a counter at Naugles, a fast-food restaurant, bright orange fliers offer jobs to "homemakers, senior citizens, retirees, and the handicapped ... No experience necessary. Working full- or part-time." Naugles, with 201 outlets in thirteen states, is out to change the fast­food industry's image: that of a business conducted by adolescents. "The industry runs on teenage kids," said Bill Cech, Naugles District Supervisor for the San Francisco Bay area. "It's something we're trying to get away from. What we try to do is have two handicapped persons and two senior citizens in each restaurant." Naugles features a two-part menu of American and Mexican food. Patrons may dine on hamburgers and french fries or on tacos, burritos, or nachos. The firm hires its share of young people but ... prefers them as part of a broad mix of personnel. Its recruitment of older and handicapped employees, while serving a social purpose, is not essentially altruistic. The company has found it good business. "Older people have more responsibility, more care for what they do," said Cech . . . When a work force consists only of young people, Cech said, "all you have is a lot of wild teenagers. But if you put teenagers to work alongside adults, they have a high level of maturity. In a sense, grandmother, mother, and daughter are all working together. Adults respond better to our customers, and customers like adults. We try to have somebody behind the counter that everyone can identify with -- a mix of ethnic origins and ages, both male and female," Cech said. McDonald's, while it does not recruit older people and the handicapped as aggressively as Naugles, has the same attitude. There is a fundamental difference between Naugles and McDonald's, however. Naugles outlets, with few exceptions, are company-owned, so hiring policies are uniform throughout the chain. McDonald's restaurants, in contrast, are generally franchise operations in which individual owners control hiring ... Burger King's district office confirmed that "the bulk of our work force is 16 to 22 years of age." But ... there is no age qualification ... One of the first people hired when the Naugles outlet opened in Campbell in 1982 was a woman, age 56, who came in response to a newspaper ad. She and a friend lingered outside, afraid to come in, and were spotted by a supervisor who signaled them in and hired both of them. She first worked in "prep," shredding lettuce and cheese, slicing tomatoes and onions, and preparing meat sauce. Recently, she was promoted to "customer attendant," circulating through the dining room at rush hours to pour coffee and otherwise accommodate the clientele. Other jobs open to oldsters, the handicapped, and the retarded range from cook to cashier. In Ogden, Utah, Naugles has a blind man pouring soda drinks. Naugles' pay scales, like those for the rest of the non-unionized fast-food industry, are not extravagant. They run from $3.50 to $5.00 an hour. But the firm offers advantages for the housewife, senior citizen, or disabled person. As far as possible, it tailors its shifts to the convenience of applicants rather than vice versa. Some employees work one or two days a week, some work full-time. Some work full shifts, some split shifts. Laura Foskett-Ely, Employee Relations Supervisor at Naugles headquarters in Fullerton, California, said, "If a handicapped person can be on his feet for only two hours, we'll get him two hours worth of work." ... ***** ** AT&T Forms Consumer Advisory Group AT&T has formed a consumer advisory group to help satisfy the communications needs of people with disabilities. The group, whose eight members represent leaders among disabled consumers nationwide, acts as a consumer sounding board for AT&T's National Special Needs Center, which is a central source for telecommunications equipment for people with hearing, speech, motion, and visual impairments. John C. De Witt, National Consultant on Communications Technology for the American Foundation for the Blind, is a member. "Disabled consumers have long sought the opportunity to express their specific needs for specialized telecommunications equipment," says De Witt. "This group will gather the suggestions and concerns of consumers nationwide and share them with AT&T decision-makers who can turn ideas into innovative telecommunications products." The AT&T National Special Needs Center began serving customers with disabilities nationwide on January 1, 1984. Customers can reach the Center through two toll-free telephone numbers. For voice communication, the number is 1-800-233-1222. For customers who use teletypewriter devices, the number is 1-800-833-3232. The Center is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. in all time zones. Product brochures in both print and audio versions are available upon request. ***** ** The American Council of the Blind A True Rainbow Coalition By Robert J. Acosta It was my great privilege to lead a delegation from the California Council of the Blind to our first national ACB convention, and what a wonderful time we all had in Philadelphia. On July 3, 1984, the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind graciously voted to accept the California Council of the Blind as the newest state affiliate of the ACB. In the title of this article, I used the phrase "rainbow coalition," and this can only be said of the American Council of the Blind. Not only does the Council invite people of all races and creeds to its membership, but equally as significant, I believe, the Council respects the right of the individual to believe as he or she wishes and to freely express opinions on the many subjects concerning the blind. The American Council of the Blind is truly a veritable rock of democracy. We were all very impressed with the effort of the leadership of ACB to bend over backward to make sure that all opinions, popular or otherwise, could be expressed at the convention. The California Council of the Blind, the state's largest and oldest blind consumer organization, is proud to work under the banner of the American Council of the Blind. We look forward to the 1985 national convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Blind Californians are delighted and ready to return to the national scene. ***** ** Just Browsing ... Through Celestial Space and Time By Doris Dean Parnell (Reprinted from Focus, August 1984, published by the American Council of the Blind of Indiana) In browsing through studies of ancient civilizations and celestial spheres, there are stories and records that arouse my fantasy and curiosity. Such stories seemingly relate modern achievements found throughout ancient periods. One such record, dating to 2500 B.C., comes from H.J. Janson's book, The History of Art. These writings tell about a group of marble statues that have enormous eyes and color-inlaid pupils. The color-inlaid pupils of the two tallest, 30-inch figures are very large, but those of the smaller statues have pupils that are very tiny. I cannot imagine why any artist would carve such enormous eyes. Could it be that the artist was attempting to portray glasses worn by people of his time? Had they found a way in 2500 B.C. to make glasses and to keep them on without frames being obvious? Or could there be a stranger explanation? Were these little statues portraying an actual visit of aliens from outer space, just as people of our own time who have portrayed seeing short people with enormous eyes who took them aboard a spaceship? What strange and marvelous circumstances prompted this artist to design marble statues with such enormous eyes that have small or large pupils that are color-inlaid? These are all unanswered questions. But the statues themselves do exist, even after 4500 years; and perhaps can be seen at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, located at E. 58th Street and S. University Avenue. Tours can be arranged, if desired, by calling (312) 753-2474. The Institute is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. There is no admission charge. ***** ** SSI and Social Security Checks to Increase January 1 In a round of election year political gamesmanship, President Reagan announced on July 24 his intention to raise the amount of Social Security and supplemental security income (SSI) benefits on January 1, 1985, even if the rate of inflation is too low to trigger the automatic cost-of-living adjustment contained in the law. He promised to introduce legislation in late October, when the Consumer Price Index is announced, which determines whether benefits will be paid. Not to be outdone, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed legislation immediately to allow a one-time increase in Social Security benefits based on the rate the Consumer Price Index rises, even if the increase is under 3 percent, the amount currently required to trigger a cost-of-living adjustment. The amount of the raise on January 1, 1985, will not be known until late October, because it depends on the Consumer Price Index for the third quarter of 1984. The amount of money that blind people who are receiving Social Security disability can earn and still retain their disability benefits will be raised by the same percent that benefits are raised. ***** ** 1985 National Blind Skiing Championships The 1985 Winter Sports National Championships, sponsored by the U.S. Association for Blind Athletes (USABA), are scheduled to take place at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota, during the period February 24-28. Downhill, or Alpine, skiing competition will be conducted in the giant slalom and downhill events, and cross-country, or Nordic, competition will be conducted in 5k and 10k races. All competitors will be placed into appropriate visual classes and categories according to sex. The USABA is the official and internationally recognized sanctioning body for competitive skiing for the blind in the United States. During the championships in Duluth, iceskating will be demonstrated for the first time as a feasible competitive activity for blind athletes. A decision has not yet been made as to whether future competition will be conducted in figure skating or speed skating. Accordingly, any blind person who has experience in either sport or any sighted person who has experience with blind participants in either sport is urged to attend and participate. For the first time, blind athletes from Canada are invited to compete in the U.S. National Championships. An official American team will also be selected, following the U.S. National Championships, to compete in the Canadian National Championships, scheduled to take place in the Canadian Rockies in April 1985. According to Dick Kapp, Chairman of the USABA Winter Sports Technical Committee, "We are exceptionally fortunate to be able to compete with the Canadians because their competitive program for blind athletes is very similar to ours, and the blind athletes of both countries will benefit tremendously from such competition during non-Olympic years. Also, such an exchange program will enable us for the first time to look more closely at developing athletes who have not yet reached their performance peaks and therefore can benefit from the type of coaching we are now able to give them." The USABA also plans to conduct separate training and coaching camps for blind Alpine and Nordic skiers during early 1985. Performances during the 1985 National Championships in Duluth will be considered in selecting the members of the official team that will represent the United States in 1986 in the World Winter Sports Championships for the Disabled. Any blind skier who would like to take part in the 1985 USABA Winter Sports National Championships may obtain a USABA membership application, entry form, and further information about the championships and the training camps by writing to Mr. Dick Kapp, USABA Winter Sports Chairman, 423 W. Grand Avenue, Port Washington, WI 53074. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From Focus (ACB of Indiana): On August 9, while deep-sea fishing in the Atlantic Ocean about 40 miles from the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, John Richardson, using an 80-pound test line and a squid for bait, hooked and landed a 9-foot, 593-pound Mako shark. It was registered as the third largest shark caught in the area this year. After a struggle of about four hours -- one hour and ten minutes to get the fish close to the boat and three hours to haul it inside the boat -- John admitted his hands were blistered and he was exhausted when he returned to shore. The experience is one he will never forget. Friends won't either, for they will have an opportunity to view the beautiful fish, with its jagged, razor-sharp teeth and powerful jaws, as it hangs over the fireplace in his home. John Richardson is the President of ACB of Indiana, President of its Circle City Chapter, and ACBI 1984 convention chairman. "A Curriculum for Teaching Optacon Music Reading" has been developed by Sandra Levinson and Kenneth Bruscia. It is available at a cost of $30 plus $3 for postage and handling from Tembrook Press, 23 Copper Beech Drive, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444. The material is described as "an easy-to-teach, easy-to-learn curriculum designed to enable the blind to read commercially prepared music through the use of the Optacon." The Summer 1984 issue of Aids and Appliances Review, published by the Carroll Center for the Blind, 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02158, is entitled, "Aids for Elderly Persons with Impaired Vision." The issue includes articles on aging and vision as well as a resource section covering such topics as health and medication, safety and comfort, telephoning, food preparation, telling time, writing, and sewing. Vendor addresses and a bibliography are also included. Some legally blind persons are driving cars safely, and more would if state laws were liberalized, says Dr. William Padula of the American Optometric Association in an article in the Newsletter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Although laws vary, some states allow visually impaired persons to drive when they have a 140-degree field of vision (which is also required of normally sighted drivers) and a visual of acuity of 20/40, through the use of bioptic telescopes. Currently, thirteen states permit the use of bioptic telescopes for driving: Arkansas, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. Oral O. Miller, ACB National Representative, has been appointed as an official adviser to the National Council on the Handicapped for a one-year term beginning September 1, 1984. The letter of appointment reads in part: "You will be one of a small group of distinguished Americans who have been chosen to guide the Council because their colleagues in the disability rights movement have recommended them as being among this nation's most respected, effective, and responsible advocates for disabled people. You will be asked to advise the Council on all phases of its responsibilities." Dial-A-Shuttle is a "900" telephone service which makes it possible for people worldwide to have the opportunity to listen to space shuttle missions. It is produced live, around the clock, from the newsroom at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, ensuring up-to-the-minute coverage. When the astronauts are not talking, and when there is television coverage of mission activities, skilled announcers describe what they are seeing. During the four shuttle flights in 1983, more than three million calls were received. Callers in the United States can reach Dial-A-Shuttle by dialing 1-900-410-6272. IMPORTANT: U.S. callers are charged $.50 for the first minute and $.35 for each minute thereafter. Camp Wapanacki for the Blind has extended its program to include a winter ski program for the visually handicapped, their families, and friends. Both cross-country and downhill skiing are available. All ages are invited to try; no experience is necessary. Events are scheduled around holidays and long weekends, beginning with a cross-country event scheduled for December 27, 1984, to January 1, 1985. For further information, contact Kris and Joe Ingram, Camp Wapanacki, Hardwick, VT 05843; (802) 472-6612. From Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness: Doctors say a 15-year-old Racine, Wisconsin girl, Kare Rowland, will not recover vision she lost after watching a recent solar eclipse for 90 minutes. Seventy-five percent of the vision in her left eye and 50 percent of the vision in her right eye was lost after she reclined out-of-doors on May 30 to watch the sun as it was partially eclipsed by the moon. An ophthalmologist who examined her determined that she had burned the macula in each eye, and that resulting blisters were preventing light impulses from being properly received by her brain. *** The American Academy of Ophthalmology has issued a health alert stating that blacks are eight times more likely than whites to develop glaucoma, and that the disease has become the leading cause of blindness among blacks. Among the high risk, 45 to 64 age group, the rate was 14 to 17 times higher than that among whites. An estimated 62,000 Americans are blind from glaucoma, and nearly two million citizens have the eye disease. From Dialogue: Big Eye Large Print Publications is a new mail order company specializing in large-print books. Their catalog includes crossword puzzle books, romances, westerns, mysteries, humor, biography, and essays. For a free book list, contact Big Eye Large Print Publications, 1431 Ocean, No. 918, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Apple Talk is a quarterly magazine for Apple computer users with speech synthesizers. The magazine will be on computer disk and will be published in February, May, August, and November 1985. Included will be articles about programming, ads for computer products and software, games, utility programs, etc. A one­year subscription to Apple Talk costs $10. Mailers and disks must be returned in order to receive the next issue. Make checks payable to Jeff Weiss, 3015 S. Tyler Street, Little Rock, AR 72204. Expectations, the annual braille anthology of current children's literature, published by Braille Institute, is now available free of charge to any English-speaking blind child in Grades 3-6. The cover of this 36th edition is a fantasy of nature, animals, and children. The four embossed picture pages on the inside illustrate four of the stories. Write Jody Avery, Braille Institute, 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. Syndicated Columnists Weekly, published by the National Braille Press, Inc., of Boston, Massachusetts, has become the first braille publication to be sold on a newsstand in the United States. It is being sold at Sheldon Cohen's Out-of-Town Kiosk at Harvard Square in Cambridge, alongside some 2500 other publications. The "In Touch" Network of New York City recently became the first radio information service for the print handicapped to broadcast via satellite allows "In Touch" to be heard by blind persons everywhere, even in the most remote areas of the country where conventional radio reading service broadcasts are not available. Some hospitals are making the programs available to patients, according to Levy, and the service is also available to other radio reading services that wish to distribute some of the "In Touch" programming. Three bills were recently signed into law by Governor James J. Blanchard of Michigan prohibiting discrimination where dogs are assisting physically impaired persons. The new laws limit the use of a blaze orange leash or harness to dogs assisting physically limited persons; exempt such service dogs from license fees; and establish misdemeanor penalties for persons denying access to public accommodations or public housing to persons assisted by a service dog wearing an orange harness or leash. Four additional ACB affiliates have enrolled as sponsoring or supporting members of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. ACB's National Association of Blind Teachers is the newest sponsoring member. The American Council of the Blind of California, the Bay State Council of the Blind (Massachusetts), and the Tennessee Council of the Blind are the new supporting members. With the addition of these organizations, 23 ACB affiliates have joined NAC. The Greater Detroit Society for the Blind has announced establishment of 4-Sights Network to help facilitate the application of present-day technology to the needs of the blind and visually impaired. The network is designed to provide a nationwide computer-based information system for workers with the blind as well as for blind persons themselves. It will be on-line early in 1985. Individual users will be able to access the network using personal computers or terminals of various types. For more information, contact 4-Sights Network, Greater Detroit Society for the Blind, 16625 Grand River, Detroit, MI 48227. ** 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. ###