The Braille Forum Vol. XXIV October 1985 No. 4 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 1010 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20005 1-800-424-8666 * Editorial Office The Braille Forum: Mary T. Ballard 190 Lattimore Road Rochester, NY 14620 (716) 442-3131 Promoting Independence And Effective Participation in Society ** Notice to Subscribers The Braille Forum is available in braille, large-type, and cassette tape (15/16 ips). As a supplement, the braille and cassette editions also include ALL­O-GRAMS, newsletter of the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to: The Braille Forum, 190 Lattimore Road, Rochester, NY 14620. Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to LeRoy Saunders, Treasurer, American Council of the Blind, 1010 Vermont Ave., N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 2005. You may wish to remember a relative or a friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The ACB National Office has available special printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his/her Last Will and Testament may do so by including a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, you may contact the ACB National Office. Copyright 1985 American Council of the Blind ***** ** Contents Notice to Subscribers President’s Message 1986 ACB Convention -- Tradition, Opportunity, Change, by Carla S. Franklin News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller ACB National Representative to Appear on the Larry King Show Meet Lynn Abbott, New ACB Staff Attorney, by Roberta Douglas Funding for Services to Older Blind Persons ... Action Needed Now!, by Scott Marshall Justice for the Disabled -- A Status Report, by Ira Grupper Not Your Ordinary Student, by Laura Oftedahl ACB to Award Over $25,000 to Blind Students in 1986 American Foundation for the Blind Sponsors "Blindiana" Stamp Exhibit The Magic Touch Grove City Legislation Stalled by Abortion Controversy, by Scott Marshall Microwave Ovens Convenient and Now More Accessible, by Pat Price P.E. or Not P.E.?, by Jo R. Cassidy Tactile Graphics Display National Center for Vision and Aging High Tech Swap Shop Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Calendar of Events ACB Officers Contributing Editor ***** ** President's Message Because of an unusually heavy fall work and travel schedule, I have asked Vernon Henley to fill in for me this month as "Guest President." Many of you know Vernon from the past several ACB conventions. Many more of you know him as the producer of ACB Reports, heard on nearly a hundred radio reading service stations throughout the country. Vernon has also served the American Council for the past two years as Chairman of the Board of Publications, a position to which I have recently reappointed him for a second two-year term. Vernon's close involvement in the concerns of blind and handicapped persons gives particular significance to his remarks. -- Grant Mack * President's Message By Vernon Henley, Guest President As I write this message subbing for a very busy Grant Mack, it is finally September. No matter that it is still devilishly hot and humid here in Oklahoma this time of year (today I watched a TV crew struggle with their porta-cam that had sensibly had enough of the heat), and no matter that, due to a scheduling vagary, the opening game for our beloved Sooners is still three weeks away. September is a month that holds such promise: the promise of bearable weather, the promise of a return to greater vigor, the promise that the routines that we all need as a crutch for our lives will resume. And especially for me, since I live in a university town, September marks the promise of returning students. Yes, all the restaurants around here are full of students, slowing down service, unlike. August when you could have any table in the joint. But then, the young waiters and waitresses are back working their way through school, and the service is again friendly and the jokes fresh. That sort of leads my thinking around to the subject of blind students and work -- not just waitressing and bussing tables, but about the work they will ultimately be doing after graduation. During my several years' association with the American Council of the Blind, we have come to show our interest in students in increasingly greater ways (you can translate that to mean we are giving more and bigger scholarships). Among my favorite times at the ACB national conventions are the gatherings of students. The breadth and range of students and their future occupations is truly staggering: future MD's and historians, historians, programmers and horticulturists, English, math and science majors, engineers of every stripe and flavor. I could tell that a few of these young people would not make it in their professed goal. But that is a freedom blind students need the same as everyone else: the opportunity to fail. But in the main, these folks will succeed. And almost without exception, I find I enjoy their company and enthusiasm to the utmost. But something they do not need is an artificial barrier placed in their way. Here I am not referring to the reluctance some school administrators have to educate the special or exceptional student. My own recent problems with our local public schools in trying to arrange a suitable Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for my handicapped son tells me that resistance, and even prejudice, are still around. But those are being overcome slowly as blind and other handicapped children are quietly integrated into their schools and are accepted by their peers. What I am thinking about are the long-standing prejudices held by employers. Think back to when you were seeking your first job. You couldn't get the job because you had no experience because you had no job. Add to that the perception that a blind person is unable to do many things and you understand why unemployment among the blind runs at 70 percent or more. ACB as an organization has done much to fight this unreasoned perception. These things have been amply reported in the pages of The Braille Forum already. What can blind individuals themselves do to help those blind students coming along now and in the future? I won't give you any platitudes or "To the barricades" rallying cries. No, it's a lot simpler and less dramatic than that. Get out, get around, and let people know you are around. Successful and proficient blind people need to make their presence known. Be seen by sighted people participating in everyday events of life. It is often easier on a Saturday afternoon to stay home and listen to the ball game on the radio (and during these early season games, a lot more comfortable). I would suggest get out, go to the game, buy hot dogs, and do what every other fan does-which does not always include losing against the point spread. People around you will see your cane or dog and have a small bit of understanding that you are not that different. Strike up a conversation with people and ask them what they do. Most people love to talk about their work. Gently point out some aspect of that person's business that a blind person could do -- or that some other handicapped person could do, for that matter. Most of all, have meetings. I know it is said that every time two blind and one sighted person get together, they form a new organization of or for the blind. But public meetings where a number of blind people gather together and do such unremarkable things as attend meetings, go to lunch, and have parties probably has as much impact on the sighted public as any other single thing that can be done. Since I occupy the unique position of being the only sighted person in any office in ACB, I will give you my testimony from that unique point of view. The demonstrable competence of blind people in public does more to improve the acceptance of all blind people than a dozen -- no, a dozen dozen -- rallies, marches, demonstrations, and confrontations. It is the personal obligation of all of us who care about the lot of blind people now and in the future to get rid of the unreasoning prejudices that abound among the sighted. I hope the ACB tradition of reasoned rhetoric and open acceptance will guide you as you help make this a better place for all of us. And a special little word to all of my friends who are students: Have a great fall, and I hope your school wins -- except when they're playing mine! ***** ** 1986 ACB Convention — Tradition, Opportunity, Change By Carla S. Franklin ACB Convention Coordinator The 25th Annual ACB Convention -- ACB's Silver Anniversary. A time to reflect on our history, our past, our traditions. A time to consider the hopes, the dreams, and the opportunities that still await us as individuals and as members of the American Council of the Blind. A time to accept the challenges of growth and to expand our horizons while preserving our traditions. The 1986 convention of the American Council of the Blind will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, June 28 to July 5. The 1986 convention, perhaps more than any other to this time, will exemplify the growth and diversity of the organization, while preserving the goals and traditions of the past. There will be new ideas, new programs, new activities. All of the ingredients of the ACB convention you have come to know so well will be there -- seminars, workshops, special­interest meetings, exhibits, ACB meetings of interest to the entire convention, social activities, and, of course, the growing ACB family of friends from throughout the nation. But growth dictates change: it is inevitable; it must happen. A child is born and suddenly one day is an adult. His needs have become different, have changed with his growth, but he is still the same individual that learned to walk and talk so many years before. A school is founded by a handful of concerned citizens of the community. Their ideals and dreams for a better tomorrow shape its existence today. As more and more students are attracted to the school, new programs are initiated, the curriculum is expanded to better meet the needs of the enrollment, and class schedules are modified to serve all concerned. But the goals are still the same. Without such change, growth would be impossible, would cease. New applicants would be turned away; there would be no room for them in the classes they seek. And so it was and is with the American Council of the Blind. In 1961 at the first convention, a small, hard-working, dedicated group of people met to lay the foundation of the new organization. Basic goals and principles were set forth and defined and have withstood the test of ACB's 24-year history. In subsequent years, attendance has grown, and with this growth have come more diverse interests and backgrounds and a desire of people to form groups and hold meetings to address their specific needs. Thus were born the special­interest organizations and affiliates, and new ones appear on the horizon today. The past two years have seen an unprecedented growth in ACB conventions. Overall attendance has doubled; participation in many workshops, seminars, meetings, and social activities has increased from 50 to 200 percent. Most important, the number of special programs and functions increased to over 45 at the 1985 convention. And the trend continues. Already we are aware of many additions to the convention schedule being planned for 1986 by special-interest organizations and the American Council. To give you an opportunity to participate in as many programs as possible, to increase your knowledge and awareness of ACB, its special­interest affiliates, their purposes and goals, and to make ACB's silver anniversary the most informative and enjoyable convention to date, the ACB Board of Directors has made the following changes in the convention schedule for 1986. • The ACB convention will officially begin on Monday morning, June 30. ACB meetings will be held each morning, Monday through Friday, June 30-July 4, and as long as necessary on Saturday, July 5. All ACB meetings and activities will be in the Hyatt Hotel. • Rather than holding all of their activities and meetings at the beginning of the week, special-interest affiliates and organizations will be able to schedule sessions throughout the entire convention. Sunday, June 29, and each afternoon Monday through Friday will be packed with seminars, workshops, and meetings on an endless array of topics. All special-interest meetings are planned for the Hilton Hotel. As convention plans take shape, The Braille Forum will bring you details of the meeting schedule for each group, as well as the usual pre-convention information. Watch each month for the latest update. The 1986 ACB convention will be held at three hotels — the Knoxville Hyatt, the Hilton, and the Holiday Inn World's Fair. All three hotels are ultra-modern facilities, complete with swimming pools, fabulous restaurants, and much more. Room rates for ACB's silver anniversary are $32.00 per day for singles, doubles, triples, quads. Please note the following important hotel information: • DO NOT MAKE ROOM RESERVATIONS DIRECTLY WITH ANY HOTEL. The Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau is handling all reservations. When reserving a room, you may request the hotel you prefer, and your wishes will be honored as long as rooms are available at that hotel. If you do not specify a hotel in making your reservation, rooms will be assigned on an availability basis, with the Hyatt being filled first, then the Hilton, then the Holiday Inn. • To make reservations, contact the Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau, preferably in writing, as follows: Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 15012 Knoxville, TN 37901 (615) 523-7263 If you have comments, suggestions, or questions concerning the upcoming 1986 ACB convention, you may address them to either of the following: Helen Wild, Chairman 1986 ACB Convention Committee P.O. Box 4151 Chattanooga, TN 37405 (615) 267-2287 Carla S. Franklin ACB Convention Coordinator 148 North Vernon Avenue Louisville, KY 40206 (502) 897-1472 ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller, National Representative It would be a gross understatement merely to say that an enormous amount of time and effort was spent during August moving the ACB National Office to its new quarters. Any move of an office which has an extensive record-keeping system is a huge undertaking for the staff (not to mention the movers), and in our case, the situation was complicated by the fact that the carpet layers had not yet replaced most of the carpeting that was scheduled to be replaced. Further, moving and reconnecting the telephone system involved three different companies, and the restoration of complete service in installments took up to three weeks. Oh, the virtues of the AT&T divestiture! Nevertheless, everything is now in place and everyone is functioning up to full speed. The new national staff attorney, Ms. Lynn Abbott, has now joined the staff and is becoming acquainted with many ACB members and friends. Prior to coming to the American Council of the Blind, she was a law student at Catholic University, having graduated in June of this year and having taken the Bar examination in July. In early September, ACB's new administrative assistant, Ms. Stephanie Cooper, also joined the staff. For the past two years, Stephanie has been employed by an educational publication. Starting soon, ACB members in ten cities will be participating in a radio monitoring survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal, in cooperation with ACB, to evaluate the Journal's recently expanded broadcasting schedule. The volunteers who are taking part in this project are helping ACB become even more effective as a resource and advocacy organization. The cities involved are Norfolk, Winston-Salem, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Sacramento. During August it was the pleasure of the National Office staff to meet with the members of the ACB Personnel Committee, made up of three members of the Board of Directors. One of the enjoyable, informal aspects of that visit was the Ethiopian dinner enjoyed by two of the committee members and some of the staff members, all of whom dined in the traditional and authentic Ethiopian manner — without silverware of any type and with the aid of only an extremely thin bread called injera. What a shame the committee members were not in town a few weeks earlier when they could have helped move furniture around, move file cabinets into place, and discard items no longer needed! Just as the end of summer ushered in the beginning of the football season for many colleges and universities, it also ushered in the 1985 state affiliate convention season. Laura Oftedahl kicked off the season for the National Office staff by attending the state convention of the Michigan Association of the Blind, held in East Lansing on the campus of Michigan State University. Although she went as a last-minute substitute for ACB First Vice President Otis Stephens, who was unable to attend due to the death of his father, she was privileged to make a presentation on the convention theme of "Fun and Responsibility.'' The feasibility of holding a convention on a college campus, using college housing, meeting, dining, and other facilities, is a matter which more ACB affiliates may want to consider in planning future conventions and other meetings. Labor Day weekend, the traditional state convention time for the Tennessee Council of the Blind, gave Laura Oftedahl an opportunity to meet the members of the Tennessee Council during their convention in Memphis. One of the outstanding presentations on the program was given by the Memphis Fire Department, which highlighted its Home Fire Safety Handbook, now available in both braille and large-print. Such handbooks, available from a few fire departments throughout the country, are extremely helpful to blind and visually impaired people. Any affiliates interested in learning more about such handbooks in order to encourage local fire departments to prepare such publications, should contact Laura Oftedahl at the ACB National Office. One of the traditional high points of the Tennessee Council convention took place following the banquet, when the organization conducted its annual fund-raising auction. The Tennessee Council is privileged to have not one, but two former professional auctioneers among its membership, and those gentlemen, one of whom is from Memphis, add real personality to the annual auction. The American Council of the Blind will be very well represented at "INSPIRE '85," a forum and festival to be conducted by the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped in Washington in mid-September, focusing on recreational, leisure, and cultural activities for people with all disabilities. As National Representative, I am scheduled to testify at a formal hearing to be conducted by the National Council on the Handicapped during "INSPIRE '85," and various other ACB members will participate in other activities. ***** ** ACB National Representative to Appear on the Larry King Show On Friday night, November 1, ACB National Representative Oral Miller is to be interviewed by Larry King on his extremely popular talk show carried nationwide by the Mutual Broadcasting System. The first half of the program, which will begin at midnight eastern time, will be devoted to the interview, and the second half will be devoted to questions from the listeners. ACB members and friends are urged to listen and participate, and to encourage sighted friends to listen and participate, also. This is an excellent opportunity to educate the public regarding the problems and concerns of blind and visually impaired persons and to spread the word about programs and services of the American Council of the Blind. ***** ** Meet Lynn Abbott, New ACB Staff Attorney By Roberta Douglas Lynn S. Abbott, ACB's new legal assistant, perfectly personifies the old adage that good things come in small packages. A five-foot-two bundle of energy, Lynn, who joined the ACB staff September 3, has already injected the National Office atmosphere with her special kind of enthusiasm, drive, and humor. Lynn's interest has been and is in people and their needs. She graduated cum laude from Providence College, Rhode Island, in 1982, having majored in social work. Realizing the value of hands-on experience, she augmented her classroom education while an undergraduate by working as an intern at Women's and Infants Hospital, the Providence Housing Units, and Senior Citizens Transportation, Inc. These internships gave her experience as an advocate, counselor, lobbyist, and fund-raiser. Upon graduation, she turned to law as a means to continue to promote those values which initially led her into human services work. In the relatively short time one spends in law school, Lynn accumulated considerable experience in public service law. When not attending classes at Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, in Washington, D. C., where she earned a J.D. degree in 1985, Lynn served as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Center for National Policy Review, and the National Center for Law and the Deaf. She also clerked for Nancy L. Cohen, an attorney who specializes in disability law. While these accomplishments and endeavors might sap the energy and time of most people, Lynn has found time to balance her work and work­related hours with some interesting and unusual pastimes. She enjoys gourmet cooking and its counterpart, gourmet eating. She may very well be the only ACB member to have a yellow belt in jiujitsu, one of Japan's martial arts. Though never having traveled west of Missouri into cowboy country, Lynn loves horses and enjoys riding when time allows. I have assured her that within one year, ACB will probably have welcomed and introduced her to communities, both large and small, from New York City to Coos Bay. ***** ** Funding for Services to Older Blind Persons ... Action Needed Now! By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs As of mid-September, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, of the House Committee on Appropriations, has established funding levels for programs under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction for fiscal year 1986. Among these programs is Title VII, Part C, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended, which authorizes independent living services for older blind Americans. This section of the Rehabilitation Act has never before been funded. The American Council of the Blind has testified before Congressional committees on three separate occasions since last January concerning the need for independent living services for older blind Americans. Briefly stated, such independent living services include mobility training, braille instruction, and other services designed to help older blind persons live independently. Unfortunately, although information concerning the Subcommittee's mark-up is embargoed at this time, it seems likely that the Subcommittee has decided not to fund any new programs for F.Y. 1986. This means that funding for Title VII, Part C, will not be contained in the appropriations bill reported to the full Appropriations Committee. Since it is almost a certainty that all of the appropriations bills will not be passed by the end of the fiscal year, programs will undoubtedly be funded through the mechanism of a continuing resolution again this year. The duration and content of this continuing resolution has not yet been determined, but if history repeats itself, it will incorporate funding levels as passed by either the House or the Senate. Accordingly, the American Council of the Blind believes that it would be useful to concentrate efforts at this time on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Senator Lowell Weicker (R., CT). Write to Senator Weicker urging funding for Title VII, Part C, and also communicate with your own Senators. Of course, stay in touch through the Washington Connection for late­breaking developments. ***** ** Justice for the Disabled -- A Status Report By Ira Grupper (Article to be considered for the 1986 Ned E. Freeman Award for Writing Excellence) On July 21, 1985, I marked my tenth-year employment anniversary in a factory owned by one of the fifty largest conglomerates on the Fortune 500 list. Mine was one of the earlier successful complaints filed with the United States Department of Labor under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 -- perhaps the first victory by a disabled person against a major company that adamantly refused to hire the disabled. This article is a report back and a thank-you, for I might not have won were it not for the Kentucky Council of the Blind's Carl Dotson, a Louisville attorney contributing his services pro bono, David Ratterman, Durward McDaniel, then National Representative in the National Office of the American Council of the Blind, and many other individuals and organizations of the disabled. But let's back up. On July 21, 1975, I was ready, willing, and able to work. My employment and background references had obviously checked out, since just a few days earlier the company I applied at gave me a choice of shift and asked me to fill out Blue Cross forms. Then came the physical. ''We can't hire anyone with vision that bad," said the company doctor. I filed my complaint. It took one and one-half years to win -- three months for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to begin its investigation, six months for the DOL to issue a letter, of determination in my favor, and another year before a conciliation agreement was signed and I actually started work. If "justice delayed is justice denied," then surely one and a half years for a person with no savings and no job was a seemingly interminable delay. After the first few months of stalling, the company admitted I had been discriminated against. I was offered no job and only one month's back pay -- the time the company claimed it would have taken it to have "discovered" that at the last job I had listed on my application I had an unsatisfactory job performance. But we were ready for them, having gotten a letter of recommendation from that last employer in question, stating I had in fact been a satisfactory employee. Then it took yet another year or so. Many organizations as well as members of Congress pressured the Department of Labor in my behalf. Finally the company offered me a job as a probationary employee, and nothing else. This I refused, lest they work me for two weeks and discharge me for not being able to do the work; i.e., setting me up to be fired. The agreement the company and I finally signed called for me to have a 30-day trial work period. If the company felt my work was unsatisfactory, a third party, selected by the company and me, would be the final arbiter. If I were to pass the thirty days I'd become a union member and receive partial back pay and full seniority (18 months), plus a promise by the company to reasonably accommodate me in the future and not harass me. Well, it is now eight and one-half on-the-job years later and I am still employed, so I guess I must be at least minimally satisfactory. Unfortunately, the Federal Government's commitment toward justice for the disabled has become so limited as to be approaching negligibility. I do not believe I could win in 1985 what I won a decade earlier. Additionally, a job I currently might like to bid on, which pays considerably more than my present wage, would be impossible for me to handle without reasonable accommodation, which I have no assurance would be provided me. So, although I won one victory, there are many other battles to be fought. Carl Dotson, Chair of the Employment Committee of the Kentucky Council of the Blind, and I have assisted many people in filing handicap discrimination complaints among different type disabilities. Not only is the process slow and cumbersome, but it is grossly inadequate. When reasonable accommodation conflicts with strict seniority in a union shop, the latter almost always wins out. When a disabled person is hired through government intercession, the next disabled applicant may have to fight the same fight all over again. Group remedies are a joke. And, by signing a conciliation agreement, the complainant lets the discriminating company off the hook by permitting the company and the Department of Labor or other agency to claim the company admits no wrong-doing. Given the increased per-investigator case load and the lessened commitment to civil rights enforcement, it is no wonder justice for the disabled has taken a back seat. We must re-double our efforts in batting for our rights. We must join with unionists, minorities, women, older people, and others to compel the Government to enforce the laws protecting people from discrimination. Only then will my small victory have significance beyond just getting me mainstreamed into the workaday world. (In addition to his job, Ira Grupper is an appointed Commissioner of the Louisville and Jefferson County (Kentucky) Human Relations Commission. At the time he filed his discrimination complaint, he was considered an authority on the employment provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.) ***** ** Not Your Ordinary Student By Laura Oftedahl Director of Public Affairs Daniel Barrett IV isn't your average high-school senior. He's not even your average blind high-school senior. Dan Barrett has done more community organizing and advocacy work than most blind or visually impaired people do in a lifetime. Yet he has just graduated from high school and is beginning his freshman year in chemical engineering at Notre Dame University. A glimpse into Dan's life will give a good idea of why the ACB Scholarship Committee selected him from among hundreds of applicants to receive a 1985 ACB scholarship. And the fact that Dan paid his own way to the ACB convention in Las Vegas to accept his award tells you that this young man has the drive and ambition to be good at whatever he does. For starters, Dan has an outstanding high-school record. He served as President of the National Honor Society his senior year and was chosen by his peers and teachers to receive a Good Citizenship Award. After school, he worked as a stage hand for the Drama Club and he recounts how he was often called a "crummy" sweeper because he just didn't see some of the garbage he was to clean up. The backstage lighting left a lot to be desired, too, and sometimes his peers became frustrated with Dan when he moved furniture and props to the wrong spot. But, all in all, Dan has great memories of his drama involvement and his high-school days. One of the last big events occurred when a Chicago TV station filmed a story about Dan at graduation practice. He still shakes his head in astonishment at how he managed to maneuver up the stairs and across the stage without tripping or running into anything — certainly testament to some good O&M skills. What is truly extraordinary about Dan, though, has been his commitment to the blind and visually impaired citizens of his community of Chicago Heights, Illinois. He founded the VIP (Visually Impaired Persons) program of Bloom Township and was instrumental in the formation of the Handicapped Concerns Committee. He served for a time as the Bloom Township Coordinator of Handicapped Services and got involved in practically every issue important to handicapped people: transportation, recreation and leisure, services, benefits, etc. While still a junior in high school, he set up an extensive information and referral program for the township, collecting information on where to buy products, on consumer organizations, on how to find tools and instructions for arts and crafts, on where to get readers, and much more. He helped schedule speakers for monthly meetings and would set up opportunities for the attendees to sit around and informally discuss the hassles and solutions to living with a visual impairment. As Dan was leaving the south suburban Chicago area for school in Indiana this fall, he stopped to reflect on what he had done for and with Bloom Township's handicapped population and hoped that the exercise and woodworking programs just begun would continue and flourish in his absence. Dan Barrett is well into his first semester of college now and is most certainly delving into his course work and extracurricular activities with the zest that he brings to each aspect of his life. I knew Daniel Barrett IV was an extraordinary person from my very first conversation with him, for I have never before met a high-school student who had read The Braille Forum for seven years, as Dan Barrett has. The American Council of the Bind is fortunate to have a fine young man like Dan on its winning rolls, and we wish him the best in his college years at Notre Dame. ***** ** ACB to Award Over $25,000 to Blind Students in 1986 Seventeen scholarships totaling over $25,000 will be awarded by the American Council of the Blind to outstanding blind and visually impaired students in 1986. The awards will range from $1,000 to $3,000. All legally blind persons admitted to vocational, technical, professional, or academic training programs at the postsecondary level for the 1986-87 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 $1,500, will be granted to an outstanding blind student at the undergraduate level. Applications are available from the ACB National Office. Obtain one by calling 1-800-424-8666 toll-free or by writing: ACB Scholarships, 1010 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. All completed applications and supporting documents must be postmarked no later than April 1, 1986. Leading scholarship candidates will be interviewed by telephone in May or early June. The ACB scholars will be notified no later than June 15, 1986. The scholarship recipients will be announced at the 25th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind, to be held June 28-July 5, 1986, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Efforts will be made to enable many of the ACB 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/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 the American Council of the Blind. 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 leader for and with blind people. She is primarily remembered for her work with the Voicespondence Club. ***** ** American Foundation for the Blind Sponsors "Blindiana" Stamp Exhibit (The following article is based upon an article, "'Blindiana' Stamp Exhibit at AFB," edited by Henry B. Stern, which appeared in the July 1985 issue of AFB News.) The American Foundation for the Blind is holding an exhibit of postage stamps, covers and other philatelic items on the theme of blindness at its headquarters in New York City. "Blindiana" comprises approximately 250 stamps which include noteworthy blind persons, especially Helen Keller; the human eye; eye diseases — their causes and prevention; the Braille communication system; Louis Braille; and the use of guide dogs. The first Blindiana stamp, issued in 1916 by what is now Yugoslavia, was a semi-postal stamp depicting a blind soldier. The semi-postal stamp is one sold at a surcharge over postal value for charitable purposes. The exhibit will be in New York, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through November. It will travel to the Foundation's regional offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Following are some of the stamps and their descriptions as they appear in the exhibit: * International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) A number of countries around the world issued postage stamps dealing with blind persons and blindness: Kenya: Blind people climbing Mount Kenya in 1975. Swaziland: A child being taught Braille. Barbados: A group of blind persons using the long cane as they walk down a street. * Famous Blind Persons Panama: Louis Braille is shown on an IYDP commemorative. Luxembourg: A 1977 commemorative depicted Louis Braille, a Frenchman who created the raised dot system of reading and writing which bears his name. West Germany: This commemorative was issued in 1961 portraying a "famous blind person", the composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. Israel: In a "Heroes of Israel" set of stamps, a commemorative showing Samson was issued in 1961. "Famous blind persons" on stamps is one of the largest categories of Blindiana-on-Stamps. * ... At Work Botswana: A blind man caning is shown on this 1981 IYDP issue. It also depicts the clumsy ... perhaps self-taught, use of a cane for mobility by a blind person on the left side of the stamp. Grenada: For its IYDP commemoratives, this Caribbean nation prepared a stamp whose inscription mentions a "Blind schoolteacher teaching braille." Singapore: A blind telephone operator is shown at work in this commemorative stamp issued in connection with IYDP. * Braille Souvenir sheets are, in most cases, specially prepared sheets of postage stamps, consisting of one stamp. They commemorate or honor some special event or personality; the stamp is usually of the same design of a similar regular stamp issued in a sheet of multiple copies. Ghana: For a 1981 commemorative souvenir sheet on the International Year of Disabled Persons, simulated ink-printed Braille is used for the name of the country, Ghana, and for IYDP. Brazil: This souvenir sheet shows the "cells" used in Braille (the units of six small circles) and is also embossed in Braille itself. This 1984 issue commemorates the 150th anniversary of publication in Braille. * Dog Guides United States: Morristown, NJ, site of The Seeing Eye dog guide school, was the venue for official "First Day" ceremonies introducing the 1979 "Seeing for Me" U.S. commemorative stamp. A philatelic oddity, of sorts, was created by placing and cancelling a Brazilian commemorative stamp honoring Benjamin Constant and 100 years of education for blind persons in that country. Togo: In 1981, this African nation issued a "dog guide" commemorative. The portfolio carried by the blind person on the stamp suggests he may be characterized as a student. ***** ** The Magic Touch Toledo, Ohio (AP): Jim Hoff once feared advancing blindness because it would cost him his livelihood, so he kept driving his truck until he could barely see. Now, the 58-year-old who refused to acknowledge blindness has ordered license plates with the letters "KANT-C." And he's found new meaning for the phrase, "Now you see it, now you don't." Hoff plans to saw his guide dog in half -- sort of -- part of his act as one of what he believes are only three blind magicians in the United States. "I started losing my sight when I was 49, and I was blind by the time I was 51, in 1977," Hoff said. "Prior to that I was a truck driver, and prior to that I was a construction worker. Before that I was a sailor -- but I've always been a ham." The native of Rogers, Arkansas, went to several hospitals before doctors determined that his eye disease was irreversible. He never understood the disease, but the news left him depressed and believing he couldn't do anything. After some five years of training, he had learned braille and how to handle a guide dog and care for himself. Then a friend thought he might be able to tie balloon animals. Hoff picked up the skill and took delight in squeezing balloons into likenesses of snails, swords, airplanes, and dogs. About two and a half years ago, Hoff was in Ted Carrothers' Magic Studio to buy balloons when he found a new hobby. "He was fascinated with the idea that I am a blind man and I did balloons," Hoff said. "He thought I had pretty good hands, and asked me if I would like to do magic. I thought he was kidding." Carrothers taught Hoff a few simple parlor tricks, and now he handles the likes of "Zombie balls," which appear to float through the air; "Chinese Rings" that mysteriously lock and unlock; and even appears to thrust a sword through the throat of anyone he can talk into being a volunteer. "I've been very fortunate in that very often people are skeptical that I can do illusions, but after I do my performance they forget I'm blind," Hoff said. The real trick for him is learning tricks without seeing them performed by Carrothers, his instructor. "When he teaches a sighted person ... they watch him, each move he makes. I have to feel with my hands everything he's doing," he said. It took Hoff seven weeks of practice to learn to handle the Chinese rings, and two months to make billiard balls appear and disappear in his hands. "Each illusion is a new challenge," Hoff said. "They are just illusions, you know." When it's show time, Hoff adds a tuxedo and an air of hype to his portly frame and transforms himself into "The Amazing Jimmie Lee" for the stage. Shows for children last about a half hour; adults get one and a half hours of magic and mischief, a show that blends conjuring and comedy. "I play as much in my show for laughs as for amazement," he said. "I think laughter does an awful lot for everyone." Hoff especially tries to play off the occasional snafu that results from his lack of sight. One time he started doing his tricks with his back to the audience. Another time he began his act unaware that his main prop, a table, had been left backstage by mistake. "Instead of creating a panic, I just played for laughs," he recalls. Most of such confusions are prevented by his assistant, Shirley Sargeant, who took over for Hoff's wife, Geraldine, as the second half of the comic duo. Eventually, Hoff hopes 7-year-old Chad -- one of a dozen grandchildren -- may join him on stage. The youngster already is twisting balloons into images of biplanes and poodles and shows no sign of wonder at the trick guillotine that sits beside a coffee table in Hoff's home. The magician takes delight in every reaction to props such as the guillotine, and says the illusions have made it easier to accept being blind. "I've had people I've known many years shy away from me because I am blind now," he said. "I guess they just don't know what to say or how to act around me ... But I have met so many nice people doing this." ***** ** Grove City Legislation Stalled by Abortion Controversy By Scott Marshall Director of Governmental Affairs The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1985 (H.R. 700 and S. 431), which was supported by ACB Membership Resolution 85-07 at the Las Vegas convention, continues to face significant opposition on Capitol Hill. The bill, introduced in response to last year's United States Supreme Court decision in Grove City College vs. Bell, prohibits recipients of Federal financial assistance from discriminating against handicapped persons and certain other minorities. The U.S. Supreme Court held that a Federal law banning sex discrimination by educational institutions receiving Federal funds was limited to the actual program or activity to which the Federal funds were targeted. Prior to the Grove City decision, the law required that all programs or activities of a recipient of Federal funds must not discriminate if any part of the institution received Federal funds. The Grove City holding applies to four civil rights statutes: the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Age Discrimination Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Education Amendments of 1972. The Civil Rights Restoration Act was re-introduced in the 99th Congress after opponents managed to effectively kill the bill on the Senate floor late in the last session of Congress. In March 1985, the U.S. Catholic Conference, which originally had supported the objectives of the bill, announced its opposition to certain provisions of the legislation, which the Conference of Bishops believed might be interpreted to require university health facilities to provide abortion services. Efforts at compromise between civil rights advocates and anti-abortion proponents thus far have been unsuccessful. The House Education and Labor Committee has reported a bill with anti­abortion language, while the House Judiciary Committee's version of the bill does not contain such a provision. To complicate matters further, one of the original sponsors of the bill plans to attempt to block House floor consideration if anti-abortion language remains attached to the bill. To date, the bishops have refused to meet further to discuss a compromise. Senators Orrin Hatch (R., UT) and Robert Dole (R., KS) have introduced their own bill in the Senate (S., 272), which reverses the Grove City court decision only as it relates to educational institutions. What does all of this mean for disability rights advocates? The legal precedent of the Grove City case must be reversed through legislation so that the anti-discrimination protection of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act will apply to all programs or activities of a recipient of Federal financial assistance, as was originally contemplated prior to the Grove City decision. Passage of S. 431 and H.R. 700 without weakening amendments is therefore vitally necessary. Letters to both House and Senate members supporting H.R. 700 and S. 431 are needed now. ***** ** Microwave Ovens Convenient and Now More Accessible By Pat Price (Reprinted from Focus, published by the American Council of the Blind of Indiana, May-June 1985) Microwave cooking seems just "made for blind and visually impaired." Not only does it preserve food's nutritional values and valuable users' time by its exceedingly quick operation, but it also eliminates many hazards of fire and burns associated with traditional baking and cooking methods. Manufacturers have apparently observed this, for now some microwave manufacturers make available free of charge an overlay with braille markings for touch control panels. The overlay is a plexiglass cover with "windows," which adheres to the touch control panel. The user reads the braille legend beneath each window, then reaches into the window openings to touch the appropriate oven controls. Because the printed information on the panel shows through the clear overlay, the oven can be operated by both blind and sighted family members. I have learned of the following modifications: General Electric offers a braille pad kit with see-through adhesive which can be applied to most G.E. or Hot Point microwave ovens. For braille operating instructions specify model and serial number. Call the G.E. Answer Center: 1-800-626-2000. Sharp gives a braille conversion kit including touch control overlay, braille program and application instructions, free of charge with purchase of Sharp Carousel Model R-9450, R-9440, R-4850, R-4840, R-1400, and R-1400A. Send requests to: Microwave Oven Department, Sharp Electronics Corporation, 10 Sharp Plaza, Paramus, NJ 07652. Owners of Whirlpool microwave ovens should write: Appliance Information Service, Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI 49022, for free panel overlay, braille cookbook, and Use and Care Guide. While control overlays provide needed operating assistance, they are not the only product modifications required for blind consumers. Any first-time user of a microwave oven requires good operating instructions and a cookbook. A single copy of the booklet, Designs for Independent Living and Aids to Independent Living is free upon request from: Appliance Information Service, Whirlpool Corporation, Administrative Center, Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Two braille microwaving cookbooks are available on loan from the National Library Service: Microwave Cooking, Baking, and Desserts, from Litton, and Betty Crocker's Microwave Cookbook. On cassette are: The General Electric Microwave Guide and Cookbook; Madame Benoit's Microwave Cookbook; Microwave Cookbook, by the editor of Sunset Books; and The Microwave Oven Cookbook, by Loyta Wooding. Formerly, Amana offered voice­indexed audio tapes of their cookbook for its blind and visually impaired customers. These are currently not available, as they are being updated. There are two sources of braille cookbooks available for purchase: 1. National Braille Association, Braille Book Bank, 1290 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607. It sells: Amana's Introduction to Cooking for the Radarange Microwave Oven, 14 volumes; Let's Cook Microwave, by Barbara Harris, 5 volumes; Sharp Carousel Microwave Cookbook, 5 volumes; Carousel Cookbook for Sharp R-7650, 8 volumes; Panasonic Microwave Oven Cookbook, 9 volumes; Toshiba's Everyday Microwave Cookbook for Everyday Cooks, 6 volumes; Multi-Power Microwave Miracles, from Sears, 6 volumes. 2. The American Printing House for the Blind, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206. It offers one title: Betty Crocker's Microwave Cookbook, 3 volumes, for $39.39. (Editor's Note: Since this article was published, Tappan Appliances has announced that in an effort to contribute to a barrier-free cooking environment in the home, the company is working with the Vision Center of Central Ohio. Braille templates for microwave ovens are being made, and the Tappan Microwave Cooking Guide and Owner's Manual are being produced on cassette. Cassettes and braille controls for Tappan Models 56-4274, 56-4474, and 56-4884 are available free of charge to Tappan's visually impaired customers by writing to: T.E. Nixon, PR Department, Tappan Appliance Division, 222 Chambers Road, Mansfield, OH 44906.) ***** ** P.E. or Not P.E.? (Note: Mrs. Jo R. Cassidy, one of a sizeable number of overseas readers of The Braille Forum, is a teacher of adults at the Royal School for the Blind in Surrey, England. In submitting the following article, she writes: "I read Billie Jean Hill's delightful story of her experience as a Playboy bunny and noted the request for amusing 'happenings' about low­vision. I enclose an account of a memorable moment in our family. We still laugh about it. Perhaps your readers will, too.") Our visually handicapped daughter Caroline spent her junior-high years in a public school which mainstreamed its blind students, but had no adaptive physical education program. Caroline's fall P.E. consisted of putting on her gym suit and sitting on the sidelines while the class played field hockey. Once she got to hold a hockey stick. I bombarded the instructor with pleas for calisthenics, folk dancing, tumbling ... Her winter P.E. was putting on a gym suit and sitting on the sidelines while the class played basketball. Once she got to bounce the ball. I besieged the office, begging for modern dance, some track and field activities -- anything in which she could safely be involved. Her skill at putting on a gym suit had been honed to a fine point. She needed physical activity. Spring meant softball. I knew her visual handicap prevented participation in that, so I was unprepared for her happy announcement after the first day of the spring term that she was no longer just sitting on the sidelines. "That's great!" I said, feeling smugly satisfied that my blitzkrieg on the P.E. Department had produced results. "I guess the class isn't playing softball?" "Oh, yes, we are," she said, "and I'm one of the umpires!" ***** ** Tactile Graphics Display The American Foundation for the Blind is presently producing evaluation prototypes of a tactile graphics display (TGD). The TGD is a symmetrical arrangement of pins capable of producing multi-line braille, alpha­numerics, and tactile graphics in any combination. The first prototype unit consists of 64 rows, with 64 pins across each row. It contains an RS232C port to accept data. The TGD is presently being evaluated by the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center, Veterans Administration, in Palo Alto, California. Under contract to the V.A., AFB will produce three evaluation units in various size configurations. The V.A. Center will develop software to drive the display and will report on its findings. The Foundation will modify the design of the display according to the results achieved at the V.A. Center. Under a separate contract, AFB will produce two prototypes for the University of Maryland to evaluate and generate software to use the TGD for tactile cartographic purposes. AFB is presently negotiating with various manufacturers to produce commercial units. Commercial units will probably be available next year. If you are interested in utilizing the device with a personal computer to create software, please contact the AFB National Technology Center, Attention: Elliott M. Schreier, at AFB's New York headquarters. ***** ** National Center for Vision and Aging The New York Lighthouse has recently announced the formation of the National Center for Vision and Aging as part of its national leadership efforts in providing resources for visually impaired people. The Lighthouse may be the first private voluntary agency to establish a permanent center combining vision care and gerontology. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, low vision is the third leading cause of functional limitations among people over 65, following heart disease and arthritis (low vision exists when ordinary glasses or contact lenses cannot bring a person's sight up to normal acuity). Dr. Barbara Silverstone, a recognized authority in gerontology and co-author of the popular You and Your Aging Parent, became Lighthouse Executive Director one year ago. The National Center for Vision and Aging represents a significant new direction for the 79-year-old agency under her leadership. Dr. Silverstone in announcing the new Center stated that visual loss is too often accepted as a normal part of the aging process by both professionals and older people themselves. "As a result," said Dr. Silverstone, "many people do not avail themselves of rehabilitative services when vision fails." The Lighthouse piloted a special project on vision and aging, funded by the Administration on Aging, in five locations across the country last year. Entitled "A Better View of You," the project provided a consumer education program which encouraged older people to be their own advocates for vision care. It was built on a unique partnership between eye and vision care clinicians and human services professionals. A community guide has been developed and soon will be available nationally to communities, organizations, and professional or volunteer groups who wish to replicate the project. Arlene Gordon, Associate Executive Director of the Lighthouse, who directed the "Better View of You" program last year, has been appointed Director of the new National Center for Vision and Aging. She had been director of Lighthouse program services for many years and more recently has been in charge of evaluation, research, and training activities. The primary mission of the National Center for Vision and Aging would be promoting the interests and rehabilitation of visually impaired people like the older worker, the retiree, and the frail elderly person. To do this, the Lighthouse will coordinate projects in service designs, research and training; will become a national clearinghouse for information on vision care for the aging, and will disseminate its findings through community education and professional training. One area of concentration for the National Center for Vision and Aging will be the corporate sector. The Center staff will work with human resources, medical, pre-retirement, and employee assistance personnel to provide education, training, and referrals to such resources as low vision clinical services and programs to help people retain their jobs. The Lighthouse has a long history of providing rehabilitative services to older adults. The Lighthouse Low­Vision Service in its 30-year history has served nearly 55,000 people, two­thirds over age 65. Last year alone, 2,625 individuals sought help from the Low-Vision Service. The Lighthouse Low-Vision Service is also a major supplier of optical aids to low vision professionals around the world and has trained close to 1,200 clini­cians across the country through its accredited continuing education and professional training program. * Vision Problems And Older People The major changes affecting vision begin after age 50. The onset is gradual. Approximately half of all legally blind people are over age 65. Approximately five million older people, or 20 percent of those over 65, report some difficulty seeing. The four leading causes of blindness among the elderly are: macular degeneration, senile cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. An estimated 50 percent of all geriatric blindness is preventable with proper care and regular medical eye examinations. An estimated 75 percent of all people will develop cataracts at some time. However, only 15 percent will be impaired by them. Macular degeneration, the deterioration of the central area of the retina, will affect approximately 2 percent of those 52 to 64; 11 percent of those 65 to 74; and 28 percent of those 75 to 84. (Prepared by Lighthouse staff. Sources available.) ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For Sale: VersaBraille P2C with service agreement. $4,600.00. Contact Kim Lingo, 3603 Tennyson Street, San Diego, CA 92106; (619) 222-8994. * For Sale: P2C VersaBraille. Never been used. Price: $4,300.00. Contact Marianne Fisher, 90 East 6790 South, Midvale, UT 84047; (801) 561-1111. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness: Hank Dekker, the legally blind sailor who won fame some time ago for single-handedly sailing his boat from San Francisco to Hawaii, has taken up driving. According to an account by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, Dekker recently drove a red Cadillac four miles with his friend and sailing partner, Deming Smith, calling out obstacles and directions in nautical terms. Describing his first attempt at driving since he began losing his vision ten years ago, as "fun" and "easy," Dekker told Caen, "Now I'd like to do a Cad commercial." He got his wish. A week later, Dekker and Smith were filmed declaring the praises and driving around in a brand new red Cadillac convertible in a commercial for Lew Doty Cadillac, a local dealership. The dealer, who had read Caen's account of Dekker's driving, paid Dekker's "actor's fee" -- a $1,000 donation to the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco. Florence Hyde, a member of the Blue Water League of the Blind, chapter of ACB affiliate, the Michigan Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, was recently honored at the Michigan State Fair by being named "Senior Citizen of the Year for Service" for the second time in the past three years. The award is co-sponsored by the Fair and the State Office of Services to the Aging. Blind for more than 50 years, the 80-year­old Miss Hyde is an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene. She holds weekly Bible study sessions and prayer meetings and visits shut-ins in the community. Her dog guide Alice was on hand for the ceremony, too. The Mid-State Association for the Blind, in cooperation with the Tennessee Division of Services for the Blind, is offering a program of rehabilitation one day a week at the Association's headquarters in Nashville. Persons interested in receiving instruction in braille, typing, handwriting, homemaking skills, and an introduction to the computer gather at the Center to learn and share ideas. The program is attracting considerable interest. Dr. Abraham Nemeth, creator of the Nemeth Braille Code of Mathematical and Scientific Notation, recently retired after a 30-year tenure as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Detroit. Dr. Nemeth is blind. The Vermont Association for the Blind announces establishment of a new program to provide educational services to visually impaired children aged 3-21. Pursuant to funding approved by the Vermont General Assembly, the Association now has three itinerant positions open for certified teachers of the visually handicapped and one position for a certified mobility instructor. Address inquiries or resumes to: Susan Wells, Vermont Association for the Blind, 37 Elmwood Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401. Dr. Samuel Genensky, first president and current board member of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision, recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Optometric Association's Low Vision Section. The award recognizes contributions to the improvement of low-vision care and distinguished dedication to the visual welfare of the general public. Dr. Genensky is Executive Director and President of the Center for Partially Sighted in Santa Monica, California. *** Mildred Frank, a member of the Florida Chapter of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision, has designed a unique handbook and collection of materials for training a low­vision person to gain independence and self-assurance. Professionals interested in this course, "Seeing with the Brain," may contact Ms. Frank at 2828 N. Atlantic Avenue, Apt. 1602, Daytona Beach, FL 32018. Safety on Site is seeking blind individuals from the New York City area willing to participate in a survey concerning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and/or first-aid instruction. If interested, please write or phone for a questionnaire: Safety on Site, Suite 205, 217 E. 85th Street, New York, NY 10028; (718) 204-8038. Please indicate print or braille. From Hoosier Starlight (Indiana): About 400/o of the 50,000 acupuncturists working in Japan today are visually impaired, says Sabura Sasada, himself a blind acupuncturist. The majority operate their own small clinics. There are some 80 acupuncture training courses in Japan, divided into two categories — those for legally visually impaired students and those for sighted students. The typical training course for visually impaired students takes three years. Academic background for most students is graduation from high school. Qualifications for visually impaired students are the same as for sighted students. Bumpy landings are common to novice pilots, and Karen Prendergast's first one was true to form. But she has much better reason than most — she has been blind for more than nine years. "Hopefully, I can change some of the antiquated feelings of some people that handicapped people can't do anything," she said after the flight in Marshfield, Mass. "It's a wonderful feeling. The only thing I did miss was seeing the actual scenery." The instructor, sitting in the co-pilot's seat, with access to the dual control yoke and rudder pedals, led her through various maneuvers to familiarize her with the sensation of banking, diving, and climbing. Prendergast, 36, had control of the Cessna 172 about 80% of the time, doing "everything from takeoff to landing" under his direction. "I can't wait until I go again," she said. "It's like an addiction." A unique and tastefully done Christmas card, appealing to blind and sighted alike, is available from Clovernook Printing House for the Blind. The front of the card is both visually and tactually attractive, and the inside message is in both braille and conventional print. Cost for 20 cards with envelopes is $7.00, plus $1.50 for shipping. Order from Clovernook Associates, Clovernook Printing House for the Blind, 700 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45231. The LS&S Group, Inc., P.O. Box 673, Northbrook, IL 60065, markets a number of products of interest to blind and visually impaired persons. These include: The Weight Talker talking scale; Beep 'N Keep, a tiny electronic unit which attaches to your key ring and responds to signals such as hand clapping or snapping the fingers; the Satoki Talking Watch; and Dialess I, a telephone that lets users call anyone by merely speaking a name. For further information, including single unit or quantity prices, contact LS&S Group at the above address or by calling 1-800- 468-4789. The year 1986 marks the 100th anniversary of the Washington State School for the Blind. Planners for the occasion are trying to locate as many alumni, staff, and students as they can find to share in the celebrations and festivities being organized in commemoration. If you have attended or worked at the Washington State School for the Blind or know of someone who has, please contact Tina Corey at Washington State School for the Blind, 2214 E. 13 Street, Vancouver, WA 98661. Pshon Barrett, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Secretary of the American Blind Lawyers Association, was chosen by the Mississippi and Louisiana Region of International Pilot Club as Handicapped Professional Woman of the Year for 1985. The Pilot Club, a professional women's service club, selected Ms. Barrett at its regional convention held in Jackson, Miss., on April 13. From The White Cane Bulletin (Florida): Last month's meeting of the Apathy Club was a huge success. No one showed up. Would a quick turn-around electronic transcription service benefit you? When you think of the prospect of having print documents or disk materials rapidly transcribed into braille or audio format, do you immediately envision all the reading tasks that would become more feasible? Sensory Aids Foundation and the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind are eager to learn your answers to these questions. Complete our Media Transcription Survey (available in braille, print, cassette, or by phone) and let us know how the service could assist you in education, employment, avocations, and household pursuits. To request a survey, send your name, address, and telephone number to the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind, C-TEC Surveys, 1155 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; (415) 431-1481. Douglas R. Maure, Director of the National Technology Center at the American Foundation for the Blind, died August 11 after a long bout with cancer. He was 61. Among Maure's accomplishments were leading roles in the development of the Talking Paper Money Identifier, Thermo Voice, talking measuring devices for lab technicians, the Optical Scanner, the Electronic Tellatouch, and, most recently, the Tactile Graphics Display, his own invention. He also helped to establish AFB's National Technology Center, which he envisioned as both a clearing house for information and an agency for evaluating the mushrooming computer technology for blind and visually impaired people. From CCB National Newsletter (Canadian Council of the Blind): A new $1 coin may soon be a reality in Canada. On April 30, the Canadian Council of the Blind and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind appeared before a committee of the House of Commons to support the idea of the dollar coin. The committee recommended that the Government of Canada immediately introduce a circulating $1 coin and over the next three years withdraw $1 bank notes from circulation. It is now up to the Government to decide whether or not this recommendation will be implemented. The new $1 coin, if implemented, is to have 11 sides, weigh 7 grams, and be yellow gold in color. *** Edmonton has opened a new facility for disabled individuals who want to stay in shape. The Research and Training Centre for the Physically Disabled is located at the University of Alberta. Special equipment for the physically disabled helps the Centre in developing individualized fitness programs for disabled men and women. Originally established as a training facility for disabled athletes, the Centre has recently expanded its programs to include all disabled adults of any age or disability group. ***** ** Calendar of Events This Calendar of Events is prepared by the ACB Public Affairs Director in the National Office of the American Council of the Blind to assist ACB affiliates as well as national organizations of and for the blind in publicizing their events. We need your conference dates to maintain this popular service. Please contact Laura Oftedahl at 1-800-424-8666 as soon as your meetings are set. October 25-26 - ACB of Minnesota State Convention - Minneapolis October 25-26 - ACB of New Jersey State Convention - Somerset November 8-10 - ACB of California/California Council of the Blind Reunification Convention - Inglewood November 9 - Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired State Convention - Wilmington December 13-15 - National Accreditation Council of Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped - Annual Board and Membership Meetings - Little Rock, AR ***** ** 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: LeRoy Saunders Box 24020 Oklahoma City, OK 73124 * Contributing Editor Elizabeth Lennon 1315 Greenwood Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007 ###