The Braille Forum Vol. XXV May-June 1987 No. 6 Published Monthly by the American Council of the Blind Mary T. Ballard, Editor ***** Promoting Independence and Effective Participation in Society * 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 THE BRAILLE FORUM is available in braille, large-type, and cassette tape (15/16 ips). 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 Avenue, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. You may wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the American Council of the Blind. The ACB National Office has available special printed cards to acknowledge to loved ones contributions made in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the American Council of the Blind in his/her Last Will and Testament may do so by including a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, you may wish to contact the ACB National Office. For the latest legislative and governmental news, call the Washington Connection at (202) 393-3664. Available 24 hours a day. Copyright 1987 American Council of the Blind ***** ** Contents President's Message, by Grant Mack The Administration's "Least Restrictive Environment" Strikes Again, by Kathleen Megivern ACB Announces New Hospital Income Plan Available to All Members News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller 1987! ACB Convention Nuggets -- Pure Gold! Library and Radio Reading Service Users Organization, by Durward K. McDaniel Federal Rehabilitation Program to Be Cut -- While at the Same Time Recruiting New Employees, by Oral O. Miller California Council Triumphs in BART Lawsuit, by Robert Acosta Recording for the Blind -- A Different Kind of Library Adventures in Outdoor Recreation, Summer 1987 107 Bodies on House Floor -- A North Dakota First, by Debby Norling Should Blind People Pay for Services from Private Rehabilitation Agencies?, by Oral O. Miller TSI Introduces VersaBraille II+ Blind Tuners International Parley, by Stanley Oliver Matilda Ziegler Magazine Completes 80 Years High Tech Swap Shop Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon ACB Officers ***** ** President's Message By Grant Mack "May I assist you to the gate?" "A skycap will be along shortly. I don't want to bother you." "It's no bother. I'm going on the same flight. I was behind you in the check-in line and heard the flight number." "Okay, if it won't be an imposition." "No problem. Now, how shall we do this?" "Well, let's make it easy. Just let me touch your left arm. We'll follow alongside you." So the blind man with his dog guide heeling on a loose leash at his left side, and the businessman with his attache case started the short trek to Gate BB where Flight 704 was scheduled to depart. The volunteer guide -- a well-dressed, self-assured, middle-age man -- kept the conversation going as they made their way through Security, up the elevator, and over to B Concourse. "I don't think I could handle being blind. I'm too independent. I don't like to depend on others for anything." A light conversation continued as the two men and the dog guide made their way past the entrance to A Concourse. The leader of the threesome kept talking. "I thought I was going to miss this flight today. The car wouldn't start. Luckily I have a neighbor who is an excellent mechanic. I had to get him out of bed. I don't know anything about mechanics." "Did he have any problem getting it started?" "Oh, no, it only took him a few minutes, and he didn't seem to mind being called on so early in the day. He's a good neighbor, and it's a good thing, because many people in our area call on him when they have problems." By this time they had turned into B Concourse and were nearing Gate 8. "Looks like there are plenty of seats. Do you have a preference?" "Not particularly, but if there is a seat available near the jetway, that would be best. Otherwise, any place is fine." They made their way to two unoccupied seats near the jetway entrance. The blind man sat down, and his dog quickly tucked under the chair so that only his head protruded from beneath the seat. The other man put his attache case in the adjoining seat and said, "Will you keep an eye -- Oh, will you wa -- Mm -- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I need to make a phone call and would like to leave my case here." "That's okay. I'll watch it for you. And I'm not offended by your subtle reference to the fact that I cannot literally watch or see your case. But I will take care of it while you are gone." The man disappeared, returning about ten minutes later. As he settled into his seat, he said, "I had to call my office to get the final figures on a very important bid I am making this afternoon. My head engineer has been working on this bid all night. As expected, he came through again. He is very important to my company." Eventually the plane was loaded and ready to depart. As it rolled down the runway, at least two of the passengers were thinking about the same subject. The businessman, seated comfortably in the First Class section, seemed relaxed and satisfied. As the plane lifted off the ground and pushed him backward into his seat, he thought: "Helping that blind man to the gate was really quite easy. The skycap could probably have done it just as well, but it did make me feel good — much like I used to feel when I did a good turn as a Boy Scout. Come to think of it, there were a lot of good turns performed this morning. Without my mechanically minded neighbor, I might not even be here on this flight, and I certainly wouldn't be feeling as positive about our chances for a successful bid on that contract had not the company engineer gone the extra mile. Actually, all of us depend on others. No one is completely self-sufficient." In the Coach section, the blind man sat with his dog guide at his feet. His thoughts went something like this: "I wonder if I will ever feel completely comfortable when I ask for or accept help from others. And yet everyone — even that successful businessman who helped me to the gate -- needs an assist from someone else from time to time. Isn't it strange how some people delude themselves with the idea that they can be completely independent? No person in the world -- and yes, not even any country in the world -- is completely self-sufficient. How true it is that 'No man is an island.' We all depend on someone else in one way or another." ***** ** The Administration's "Least Restrictive Environment" Strikes Again By Kathleen Megivern We have reported in previous issues of The Braille Forum on efforts by the Reagan Administration and others to redefine the principle of "least restrictive environment" as it appears in the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. Their infamous "Manual 10" was but one example of attempts to make it virtually impossible to place handicapped children in residential facilities. (See "Does 'Least Restrictive Environment' Mean Mandatory Mainstreaming?", The Braille Forum, April 1986). Their dogmatic view that "mainstreaming" should be the only option for every child despite individual needs has led to other efforts as well. The latest is a direct attack on an important source of funding for residential schools, P.L. 89-313. This law is part of Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, and it provides for Federal money to state-operated programs for handicapped children. The Administration's proposal would phase out this program entirely, transferring all funding to Public Law 94-142. Luckily, that proposal seems to have very little support in Washington either among special education advocates or on Capitol Hill. Another effort to at least limit funding for P.L. 89-313 was a proposed amendment from Congressman Steve Bartlett (R., TX). This amendment would have required that a certain percentage of the money intended for state-operated programs would have to be set aside for "transitioning" handicapped children out of residential facilities and into public school settings. The underlying presumption seems to be that children are "locked up" in these residential schools and need help to free themselves. The reality is quite the contrary. In many of the schools for the blind, for instance, a large percentage of their admissions are referrals from public schools where the children have been unable to succeed. To require that some of the money intended to serve these children be set aside to send them back into the very programs which have previously been unable to meet their needs would be counterproductive, to say the least. Neither the Bartlett amendment nor the Administration proposal was adopted by the House Committee on Education and Labor when it recently considered the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. The Committee did adopt some amendments from Representatives Jeffords (R., VT) and Goodling (R., PA) relating to administrative changes in P.L. 89-313, but preserving its integrity as a separately funded program, with no requirement of set-asides. The bill is expected to come to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote before Memorial Day, and in the meantime, action is beginning in the Senate on this same issue. It seems clear that we have not heard the last from the proponents of "mandatory mainstreaming." ***** ** ACB Announces New Hospital Income Plan Available to All Members A new hospital income plan for members of the American Council of the Blind became available on April 1, 1987. For those who are unfamiliar with the plan, this basic outline is offered. More details are available from the ACB National Office. The American Council of the Blind sponsors this hospital income plan because we realize that when you are hospitalized, many costs are not covered by even the best health insurance plans. Cost such as deductible and out-of-pocket maximums, personal hospital charges, and extra expenses at home can result in a devastating financial crisis for you and your family. HOW THE PLAN WORKS -- The ACB Hospital Income Plan pays a daily benefit amount for each day you are hospitalized. The benefit is paid directly to you, regardless of any other coverage you may have, to be used as you choose. You may select from six plans that pay from $40.00 to $150.00 per day. You may also buy the same amount of protection for your spouse and 50 percent of your coverage amount for your children. The daily benefit amount doubles when you need added protection the most. If you are hospitalized because of cancer, or if you need to be in an intensive care unit, the plan will pay twice the daily benefit amount or the maximum of $300.00 per day. You can buy this plan only as a member of the American Council of the Blind. As an example of the low group rates, you can receive a $40.00 daily benefit for as little as $10.20 every three months. (Rates are based on your age. This rate is for an under-30 member.) EASY ENROLLMENT -- Your acceptance is guaranteed. No medical questions are asked. You can enroll yourself and your family quickly and easily. ACB has sponsored a hospital income plan since 1983. During that time, the plan has paid out nearly 70 percent of total premiums received in claims, which shows that the hospital income plan has been helping ACB members meet their hospital expenses. The American Council of the Blind, through the plan's administrator, Marsh & McLennan Group Associates, has negotiated this new plan offering a greater range of benefits. For more specific information call or write the ACB National Office and request materials which are available in either large-print or cassette. For more specific information after reviewing the material, you may call the client service representative of Marsh & McLennan Group Associates toll-free at 1-800-621-0299. Illinois members call 1-800-572-2038. In Alaska, call collect, 1-312-930-6331. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller National Representative Although the regulations to be promulgated by the United States Department of Education to implement the 1986 Rehabilitation Act Amendments are not technically being "negotiated" in the formal sense of the word, a process similar to that is being used by Rehabilitation Services Commissioner Justin Dart, Jr., in order to get as much input as possible from consumer organizations before issuing the regulations in draft form. We want to commend Commissioner Dart for "leaning over backward" to obtain consumer input, because his actions will hopefully eliminate many objections and avoid many problems before opinions are formed about controversial proposed regulations. It has been my pleasure and that of the American Council of the Blind to meet with Commissioner Dart, key members of his staff, and representatives of other disability rights organizations on several occasions in recent months to discuss implementation of some of the new programs established by the Amendments. I know that I have mentioned such opportunities for input in earlier issues of The Braille Forum, and I am doing so again because I am pleased to report that the process is continuing. Legislative and testimonial receptions and similar functions take place often in Washington and therefore generally receive little mention. However, the achievements and record of the guest of honor at a reception sponsored by the Blinded Veterans Association and the American Foundation for the Blind in Washington in late February warrant specific mention. The guest of honor, Russell Williams, virtually set up the blind rehabilitation program of the Veterans Administration following World War II and directed it very effectively until his retirement a few years ago. Last fall he received the prestigious Migel Medal, awarded by the American Foundation for the Blind, for his outstanding work. The large number of people who attended the reception gave testimony to the esteem in which Mr. Williams is held in the Washington, D.C., area and nationally. How often have you as a blind or visually impaired person stumbled up or down an unexpected step in a house, grumbled because there were almost no electrical outlets in a room, or complained because there were no suitable lights where you needed them most in a house? If you have ever had any of these experiences, imagine how frustrating it must be for a wheelchair-bound person or a person with a serious mobility problem when he or she looks for suitable housing, new or old! Don't jump to the conclusion that I am about to announce that all such problems will be resolved in the future. However, I am pleased to report that the National Association of Home Builders is becoming more and more aware of the needs of home-buyers who are handicapped. It was my pleasure to represent the American Council of the Blind at a meeting sponsored by the Association in March and to make a number of recommendations as to how information concerning desirable features in new homes can be communicated in a meaningful way to the home-building industry. No, I am riot talking about rounded or padded corners, banisters or guide-rails leading everywhere, or any of the other well-intended but necessary and inappropriate design features which some misguided builders believe blind people need. I am referring to features which will make housing more attractive to handicapped and able-bodied users alike. It is often tempting to criticize Federal Government agencies and departments (which frequently deserve criticism because of their insensitivity), but sometimes they also deserve commendation for making special efforts to accommodate visually impaired people. I am pleased to tip my hat to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for the action it has taken recently in requesting advice and assistance from the ACB National Office as to ways it can better publicize employment opportunities and administer tests to visually impaired applicants. We have already referred job applicants to the FDIC, and we are waiting for its actions to speak as loudly as its words. Whoever said that vocational counseling and assistance in finding employment is the sole province of state rehabilitation agencies? To the contrary, in recent weeks the ACB National Office staff has had an opportunity to consult with the new director of a job placement center set up by the International Machinists Union. She was the first to admit that she has had very little experience in counseling blind jobseekers. But how fortunate it is that the field is being entered by large labor organizations and other non-governmental entities! A couple of state agency directors with whom I have spoken recently have welcomed such organizations, in the realization that blind job-seekers can use all the assistance available. Any career planning conference nowadays that hopes to benefit blind and visually impaired people or vocational training counselors must walk a fine line between almost complete reliance on high tech devices such as computers and ignoring them as to complex or costly to be of use to blind workers. I believe the 3-Track Career Conference conducted in early April in Southfield, Michigan, by the Greater Detroit Society for the Blind and a number of other sponsors did an excellent job of following that fine line. It wisely did not attempt to urge everyone to become a computer specialist, but it demonstrated and explained countless computer applications, while at the same time providing information concerning a number of excellent high tech training centers. Neither did it ignore many vocations and professions that do not rely so heavily on high technology -- such as physical therapy, automobile transmission rebuilding, the practice of law, journalism, social work, and many more. While attending the conference -- I thought many times of the blind rehabilitation counselor who from the floor of a recent ACB national convention lamented his lack of knowledge about the relatively high tech equipment that is becoming more and more a necessity in many jobs being performed by blind workers. Welcome back to the ACB National Office, Stephanie Cooper! I am very pleased to announce that early in March, Stephanie Cooper returned to employment with ACB after having been gone for approximately six months. Over the last couple of years, countless members have become acquainted with her friendliness, her efficiency, and her willingness to help with whatever needed to be done. Her new duties with ACB will be somewhat expanded from her former duties, and one of her first functions will be that of the principal staff contact with the ACB Scholarship Committee and scholarship applicants. ***** ** 1987 ACB Convention Nuggets — Pure Gold! The Gold Rush is about to commence. Pre-registration forms are pouring in, and convention planning is nearly complete. Now all that remains is your arrival in Los Angeles as you become a part of history -- the 1987 convention of the American Council of the Blind -- the largest meeting of blind and visually impaired persons ever held in the United States. In this article, you will find many "nuggets" -- bits of information that will make your stay in California one to remember. Read carefully -- Be in the know! * Tours As you probably know by now from the pre-registration form, a tour to San Diego has been added on Friday, July 10. This day-long excursion will include stops at Old Town and the world-famous San Diego Zoo and will conclude with a dinner cruise. A tour to witness a taping of "People's Court" is available on Wednesday, July 15. Sign up on the pre-registration form. Additional TV tapings may be available during convention week. Listen to the convention information line and to announcements in ACB general sessions for these add­ons. Three tours are available for kids and teens. Kids of all ages will enjoy the LA Children's Museum on Thursday, July 16, where everything is "workable" — no glass barriers and roped-off areas here. The LA Zoo on Wednesday, July 15, lets kids talk to the animals. And teens will love their visit to world-famous Hard Rock Cafe on Friday, July 17, for a casual dinner (and loud music, of course). The Gershwin Gala on Saturday, after a hectic week and to gather enough strength to get to the airport the next day. Visit Hollywood Bowl for a picnic dinner on the patio, followed by an outstanding concert of Gershwin favorites. * Other Entertainment Get Convention Week off to a rousing start at the "Bourbon Street Bash" on Saturday evening, July 11. Meet old and new friends while listening to live Dixieland music. On Sunday evening, July 12, after the Woody Herman concert, dust off those memories from the '50's at "'50s Night" -- top 40 platters will help you remember how great! Want a change of pace? Get your vocal cords in tune and come to the old-fashioned Gospel Sing on Monday evening at 7:00 P.M. And on Thursday in the Hospitality Room, a jam session is planned -- bring a musical instrument and sing along, or just come and join in the fun. Finally, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, you can stop by the Hospitality Room piano bar for relaxation after a busy day. On Tuesday, July 14, a new convention tradition gets under way. A Mexican Night will be co-sponsored by the International Friendly Circle of the Blind and the National Alliance of Blind Students. Skip dinner and enjoy a delicious taco buffet (plenty of volunteer help available). Enjoy the exciting music of mariachis, a great program of comedy and fun, and dancing until 1:30 in the morning -- a stellar event -- and, we hope, the beginning of an annual international happening. * Seminars, Workshops and Meeting Plans The following meeting and seminar announcements were not available in time for the March-April issue of The Braille Forum, but do appear on the pre-registration form. Don't overlook them. ACB Federal Employees will meet on Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15. The Council of Rehabilitation Specialists breakfast is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, and CRS meetings run Tuesday through Thursday, July 14-16. Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers (IVIE) will meet Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16. In addition to a luncheon on Thursday and the traditional mixer on Wednesday evening, IVIE will host two outstanding workshops: "Tax Reform and You" on Wednesday afternoon, and "Penny Stock Investing" on Thursday afternoon. These should have broad appeal among ACBers. ACB Parents is sponsoring a seminar on parenting on Wednesday, July 15. Do you feel left out when it comes to technology? Are you lost when your friends start talking about baud rates and databases? Are you stopped cold by stop bits? The National Association of Blind Teachers (NABT) has a seminar just for you. Finally you have the chance (on Friday, July 17) to ask any question on computers you want — and feel okay doing it. "Computers Can Be Friendly" will help you out of your state of confusion. Questions on both hardware and software will be discussed. This seminar is what you make it, since the program revolves 100% around your questions. "Choosing a Career," sponsored by the National Alliance of Blind Students, is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, July 14. But don't think you have to be a student to enjoy this outstanding program. Anyone looking for a new career or thinking about changing jobs is encouraged to be on hand. * Exhibits and Advertising There are many new exhibitors this year, so be sure to allow plenty of time for browsing. Exhibits will open on Saturday, July 11. Hours are 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. daily except Monday (12:00 Noon to 8:00 P.M.) and Thursday (9:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon). Exhibits close at noon on Thursday. The full text of all program advertising will be included in all editions of the convention program. This is a "first," and we would appreciate your comments. * Registration When you arrive at the hotel, your first step after checking in should be the registration area. If you have pre­registered, pick up your packet in the lobby on the first floor of the hotel. If you need to buy additional tickets, if you have a problem with your registration, or if you have not pre-registered, you should go to the registration area on the second floor. As stated on the pre-registration form and in the convention program, THE REGISTRATION DESK WILL NOT RE-PURCHASE TICKETS FOR ANY EVENT. The desk will assist you in attempting to re-sell unwanted tickets, but only if those tickets are currently off sale (the event is sold out). If you pre-register for the convention and must cancel your trip for any reason, you may receive a full refund, BUT ONLY IF YOU NOTIFY THE REGISTRATION CHAIRMAN IN WRITING AND IF YOUR REQUEST IS RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE MONDAY, JULY 6. Refunds will not be made if you attend any part of the convention. * Staying in the Know Your convention program is your key to a great week. Read it as soon as you get it! ACB is hosting two First-Timer Seminars — Saturday, July 11, 5:00 P.M.; Sunday, July 12, 5:00 P.M. But you don't have to be a first-timer to come. If you find out about convention activities after they happen, if you feel lost among the hustle and bustle, come to one of these seminars. We'll do our best to help you. A convention information hotline will give up-to-the-minute changes in convention programming. The message will be changed around midnight and noon each day. There will be multiple phone lines, so you shouldn't get too many busy signals. Check the convention program for the phone number and call often: it's a 24-hour service for you. An outstanding team of Host Committee volunteers will operate a convention information desk. It will be located in the lobby, just outside the ACB general sessions, in the morning, and on the second floor, in the heart of special-interest activities, in the afternoon. * Getting Help If you have special needs (medical, child care, etc.), indicate them on the pre-registration form so we can plan ahead to assist you. Be sure to fill in the spaces on the form for flight information. We will make every effort to have a volunteer meet your plane and help you through the maze at LA International. During the convention, an "At Your Service" desk will be staffed to serve as liaison between you and the volunteers. To request help, call the phone number shown in the program. * Convention Basics Dates for the convention are July 10-18, 1987. The convention hotel is the LA Airport Hilton. Rates are $38.00 singles, $40 doubles, triples, quads. To make hotel reservations, call toll-free, 1-800-445-8667, or the hotel directly at (213) 410-4000. If you have questions relating to convention registration, write or call Don Franklin, Registration Chairman, P.O. Box 306, Louisville, KY 40201; (502) 897-6672, after 6:00 P.M. and on weekends, eastern daylight time. If you have questions relating to other aspects of the convention, write or call the 1987 Convention Committee, P.O. Box 2714, Northridge, CA 91323-2714; 1-818-349-2636. ***** ** Library and Radio Reading Service Users Organization By Durward K. McDaniel At the 1986 convention of the American Council of the Blind in Knoxville, interested persons convened to form a new special-interest organization, Library Users of America. We agreed to include radio reading service listeners in the field of membership because of the common interest in many sources of information. Such readers and listeners have an obvious interest in the preservation, improvement, and expansion of these sources of information. A provisional Board of Directors was elected, and necessary actions were authorized to perfect the organization. This new representative organization will hold a formal meeting commencing at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, July 17, during ACB's convention week in Los Angeles. We plan to have affiliated state chapters of Library Users of America. National dues are $7.00 annually. As chapters are formed, $2.00 of the national dues will be remitted to the chapter where the member lives. Also, LUA will pay per capita dues to ACB when its affiliation is completed in July. The provisional officers and directors serving for one year are: Durward McDaniel, President; Carl McCoy, Vice President; Joann Slayton, Secretary; Patricia Price, Treasurer; Allen Jenkins, Linda Ottke, and Harriet Fielding. This organization will provide the structure and mechanism for blind and visually impaired persons and others who cannot effectively read print to present their opinions and interests at all levels, local, state and national. We invite your membership and participation in the building and functioning of this long-overdue organization. Come meet with us in Los Angeles. You can send your Library Users of America dues of $7.00 to Patricia Price, Tower 2, Apt. 2102, 600 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. ***** ** Federal Rehabilitation Program to Be Cut -- While at the Same Time Recruiting New Employees By Oral O. Miller National Representative Doing away with jobs isn't the only way to wreck — or at least seriously damage — a government agency that is supposed to be responsible for services for handicapped people nationwide. The current Federal administration knows another way to do it: by cutting drastically the pay of a large percentage of the employees of the agency. Observers who are knowledgeable about the Washington scene are familiar with the practice exercised by various administrations over the years of reorganizing departments, agencies, or subdivisions thereof, in order to implement political philosophies, oust political opponents, employ political favorites — or even, upon occasion, improve efficiency. However, it is rare to see a Government agency go through the downgrading process while at the same time recruiting new employees. A few weeks ago, the American Council of the Blind National Office became aware of a personnel audit report within the Department of Education that would downgrade approximately one-third of the employees in the central office of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). At about the same time, we learned of the plans of RSA to employ approximately the same number of new people in its various offices. But that isn't all! The same audit would downgrade seven of the twelve employees making up the Division for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The American Council of the Blind has vigorously protested the proposed downgrading in a strong letter directed to Assistant Secretary of Education Madeleine Will, reading in part as follows: ... Specifically, we protest the downgrading of 25 of the 76 central office staff of RSA. That agency, already decimated by personnel ceilings and non-filling of vacancies, has difficulty performing the administration of the programs assigned to it by law even now. The 1986 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act reflected the concern of the Congress with the staff levels of RSA. The law (new Section 3(c) of the Act) requires the Secretary (of Education) to take such action as is necessary to ensure that "1. the staffing of the Rehabilitation Services Administration shall be in sufficient numbers to meet program needs, and at levels which will attract and maintain the most qualified personnel, and 2. such staff includes individuals who have training and experience in the provision of rehabilitation services, and that staff competencies meet professional standards. The action of the Personnel Office of the Department in reducing grades of RSA employees in wholesale numbers is directly contrary to legislative intent, in our view. Downgrading of positions invariably has a number of effects. One of these is to force retirements. Another is to force transfers to other agencies so that employees may retain their current grade level. A third result is the plummeting of morale in the agency, making administration of programs less effective. ... We are appalled by the massive downgrading which, in our view as persons with extensive experience with RSA, with personnel processes and with rehabilitation, is largely unjustifiable. ... We urge you most strongly to take the action necessary to preserve RSA as a functioning agency." In a separate letter to the appropriate members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, who also received a copy of the above letter, Robert Humphreys, former Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration and currently National Administrator and General Counsel, Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America, strongly conveyed our position as follows: … The blindness community is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the Rehabilitation Services Administration's capacity to administer programs effectively. In the Division for Blind and Visually Impaired, for example, seven of the twelve persons employed are to be downgraded, notwithstanding that the Randolph­Sheppard Act Amendments of 1974 ... provide for super-grade status for the director of the Office of the Blind and Visually Handicapped (now a division). As former Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and as chief draftsman of the 1974 Randolph-Sheppard Amendments and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, I can assure you that the proposed downgrades are contrary to the spirit of the law and Congressional intent, and that RSA, which has over the past several years diminished in staff capacity by some 40 percent, is in serious danger of being unable to function. The next logical step, at least in the Blind Division, is its abolishment. Your committee has the responsibility of oversight for the programs of the Rehabilitation Services Administration. I urge you to exercise your responsibility and to press for reversal of the damaging classification audit of the agency. Obviously, the American Council of the Blind plans to monitor this situation very carefully and to take appropriate action. Braille Forum readers are urged to stay up-to-date on this and other issues by calling the Washington Connection, available 24 hours a day at (202) 393-3664. ***** ** California Council Triumphs in BART Lawsuit By Robert Acosta, President California Council of the Blind In early January 1987, the California Council of the Blind and the Bay Area Rapid Transit district (BART) jointly announced settlement in the amount of $47,000 of a pending lawsuit initiated by the California Council against BART. BART is a 72-mile-long light-rail system crisscrossing the San Francisco Bay area. When it was completed, Bay Area residents took great pride in this ultramodern subway system. For some years, BART has sponsored an Advisory Committee composed of disabled persons, in order to receive input regarding suitable access for blind and physically handicapped passengers. In the past, this Advisory Committee was instrumental in working with BART to resolve specific problems which occurred in the transporting of disabled passengers. In one instance, for example, BART removed most of the agents from its 32 stations. This placed a particular hardship on the visually impaired passengers who required good verbal instruction to enable them to get around the massive transportation complex. The California Council was one of the leading organizations of the disabled to spearhead the drive which ultimately led to the restoring of these invaluable agents to serve in the stations. Very shortly after that problem was solved, it came to our attention that some 48 people, 13 of whom were blind persons, had fallen onto the tracks at various stations within the system. Many of these accidents occurred during the rush hour when great crowds were surging onto the platforms. We learned from our members that there were no textured edges on the platforms which could be discernable to blind persons and thus warn them and prevent them from falling onto the tracks. Each BART station is architecturally different. When a train stops at a station, a blind person cannot know upon disembarking if he or she were on a platform between two sets of tracks. We also learned that many elderly persons were sustaining injuries by falling onto the tracks. Two blind women, and later the California Council of the Blind, petitioned and received a preliminary injunction from the Alameda County Superior Court ordering BART to place textured edging on station platforms. BART appealed the preliminary injunction, claiming they wished to engage in further studies to see if textured edges were truly needed. BART also received unsolicited assistance from the National Federation of the Blind. The Federation in siding with BART in the appeal, chose to ignore the fact that numerous injuries had occurred to disabled and non-disabled passengers alike, due to the failure of BART to install protective tiles. The Federation contended that if one used a cane properly, there would be no problem. Never mind that those blind persons who were injured were, on the whole, adept travelers and users of white canes or dog guides. The Federation went on to allege that the installation of protective safety tiles would set the blind apart from the rest of the public and serve as an embarrassment. (While in court, a judge wondered aloud how an organization of the blind could side with BART on the grounds mentioned by the NFB.) While the appeal continued, the California Council urged BART to move forward in the securing of the best possible protective tiles for its station platforms. It has always been CCB's contention that such warning tiles would be of assistance not only to blind and elderly persons, but also to the public at large. We wish to commend the work of Leslie Levy, the legal counsel for the California Council of the Blind. We also wish to thank the legal staff of the American Council of the Blind for its invaluable help. Step by step, Ms. Levy convinced the court and BART of the correctness of our position. As the months rolled by, BART placed protective tiles in certain stations in order to receive reaction of the blind and the rest of the public. Finally BART agreed to install Pathfinder Tiles in each of its 32 stations. The two blind ladies who had initiated the lawsuit, the California Council of the Blind, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit drafted an amicable agreement without having to resort further to the courts. In this settlement, BART paid the plaintiffs $47,000. BART did not admit any fault, but agreed to proceed with the installation of protective tiles. In the settlement, BART has agreed to drop its pending action in the Appellate Court. Alas, however, as of this writing, the National Federation of the Blind continues its appeal of the preliminary injunction. This successful settlement is a great victory for the American Council of the Blind. The managers of the numerous light-rail systems throughout the nation were watching and waiting for the solution of the BART issue. We believe it is less than a coincidence that the light-rail system in Sacramento, after observing CCB's settlement with BART, is now working with us constructively to make their system accessible to blind and disabled passengers. Together the blind of the nation, speaking through the American Council of the Blind, sent a message to the transportation leaders of America that we will do all that is legal and reasonable to assure total accessibility to transit systems by disabled citizens. This victory will again answer the question: Why the American Council of the Blind? ***** ** Recording for the Blind -- A Different Kind of Library Traditionally, for any library, the picture that comes to mind is stacks and rows of printed, bound books. Recording for the Blind has a different kind of library. Its 70,000 volumes are not printed on paper, but are recorded on tape -- the largest library of recorded educational books in the world. RFB circulates approximately 125,000 taped books annually to 20,000 blind and print handicapped students and professionals in all 50 states and about 40 foreign countries. "People don't always think of Recording for the Blind as a library -- but we are," said John Kelly, RFB's Manager of Library Services. "Each book in our collection is cataloged and processed for information retrieval just as if it were a bound volume in a college or university library." Kelly oversees a staff of five professional librarians and support staff. In addition to developing the collection and cataloging the books, RFB's librarians use a computerized Subject Reference System to compile bibliographies of books on tape available not only from RFB's library, but from the Library of Congress as well. Registering for RFB's library services is a simple procedure, requiring the completion of an application form that includes certification of a visual, physical, or perceptual disability that prevents the reading of standard printed material. Although people can't "browse" in RFB's library of recorded books, visitors are welcome at the facility in Princeton, New Jersey, if arrangements are made in advance. "Our library is something to see, because it is not the usual kind," said Kelly. The 70,000 master tapes in thin white boxes, bearing not the title and author but a shelf number, are arranged on floor-to-ceiling automated carousel shelving. When a book is requested, the master reel-to-reel tape is duplicated on cassette tapes and shipped. To obtain more information about the master tape library or to arrange a visit, call or write Recording for the Blind, 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. ***** ** Adventures in Outdoor Recreation -- Summer 1987 * Rock Climbing for the Visually Impaired: Beginners Camp -- August 1-4. Intermediate Camp -- July 30-August 4. Climbing is a total experience just waiting for those who enjoy feeling life with all their senses. From cooking meals and camping in the evening to searching for that needed hand-hold or foothold in the rock during the day, this will be an adventure filled with discovery. Learning the use of ropes and how to climb will be combined with as much doing as the four-or six-day camp will allow. Prerequisites: Must be willing to try and ready to have a good time. Cost: $235.00 — includes food and lodging. Some partial scholarships are available. For more detailed information, contact Mike Donahue, Colorado Mountain School, Box 2062, Estes Park, CO 80517; (303) 586-5758. At the heart of the North Country Regional Sports for Health, you will find opportunities to explore new environments with people of like interests through outdoor recreation and adventure-based programming. Co-sponsored by the Outdoor Program Center, Bemidji State University, and Ski for Light, Inc., this program will bring together visually impaired, blind, and sighted people from throughout the United States. Emphasis is placed on doing activities with rather than for people. Interaction is designed with one-to-one, sighted-to-blind pairing, making it possible to progress at your own pace. The courses vary in physical demands and self-sufficiency. Some courses require participants to carry gear, cook, and make camp under the evening sky, while others are designed with meals and housing provided in one location. It is important that you be in good health and physical condition. Age need not be a barrier. Approximate costs are listed after each course. Unless otherwise noted, the cost covers equipment, food, transportation from Bemidji to trail­head, instruction, and guidance. Scholarships may be available. * Sports for Health Week -- July 5-12. Spend an entire week recreating in the Northwoods environment at Bemidji State University — sailing and waterskiing on Lake Bemidji; canoeing and meandering on remote reaches of the upper Mississippi River; tandem cycling through the forests of Itasca State Park, and more. Enjoy evenings attending the Paul Bunyan Playhouse Theater or traditional Ojibwa Indian festivities, or relaxing with a pontoon cruise on Lake Bemidji. Lodging will be in Oak Hall; meals will be served in the University cafeteria. Cost: $220.00 double occupancy, $214.00 single occupancy. * Boundary Waters Canoe Area/Quetico Canoeing Adventure -- July 18-26. You can expect to paddle six to ten miles a day, with as many as six portages on any given day, with plenty of time for relaxation, leisurely canoeing, fishing, swimming, and learning additional paddling skills and techniques. Cost: $160.00 * St. Croix River/Mississippi River Valley Tandem Bike Tour -- August 1-9. Begin just east of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Explore logging communities along the St. Croix River Valley and the rugged terrain of the mighty Mississippi River waterway. Step into the past with a visit to historic Fort Snelling … Bike a challenging 30 to 40 miles per day. Expect to cook out and camp under the evening skies. Trip will be van-supported; tandem bikes will be provided. Cost: $200.00. For further information and/ or registration form, contact: Mary Schutz or Robert Norbie, North Country Regional Sports for Health, Outdoor Program Center, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601, 218-755-3760. ***** ** 107 Bodies on House Floor -- A North Dakota First By Debby Norling According to the State Constitution, the North Dakota House of Representatives has 106 members -- two representatives from each of the 53 legislative districts. But when the gavel sounded convening the 50th legislative session on January 6, 1987, an additional body was present. The 107th body was that of Ace, the 5-year-old golden retriever dog guide of newly elected Representative Kevin Kolbo. Kolbo, from Mohall, North Dakota, a member-at-large of the American Council of the Blind, has become the first blind person ever elected to the North Dakota State Legislature. It was Kevin's second attempt to win a seat in the state house. Two years ago Kolbo was defeated by seven votes in a recount election. But after staging an aggressive and thorough campaign, he won by a substantial margin in the 1986 general election. Kolbo is a former teacher and college women's varsity basketball coach. He lost his vision seven years ago due to complications of diabetes and underwent a successful kidney transplant in 1981. Kevin became actively involved in politics in 1983 and was nominated at the Democratic District Convention to run for the first time in 1984. "I had the natural apprehensions that anyone would have running for office. I tried to make the blind issue a non-issue, but because no blind person had ever done this in the state, it was hard to avoid this issue during the campaign. I think people saw during last year's campaign that I was capable and serious about my commitment to public office and that I was not running just to prove a point," stated Kolbo. Kolbo presents a striking figure as he makes his way through the Capitol halls with dog guide Ace. In honor of his constant companion, Representative Kolbo instituted the Amazing Ace Award. The award is given to individuals for amazing accomplishments and achievements. "Ace is an amazing dog, and the winners would even amaze him. I wanted to do something to relieve the stress and tension of the legislative sessions. I thought this was a good way to do it, and I hope it provides some lighthearted moments during the session," added Kolbo. Kevin serves as a member of the House Judiciary and House Human Services committees. He is a co-sponsor of the controversial living will and mandatory seatbelt bills. In addition, he has sponsored legislation to strengthen requirements for handicapped parking, to strengthen provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act in North Dakota. Representative Kolbo is also a sought-after banquet and luncheon speaker, in addition to promoting handicap awareness in his state. Kevin Kolbo may be contacted at the North Dakota House of Representatives, State Capitol, Bismarck, North Dakota. ***** ** Should Blind People Pay for Services from Private Rehabilitation Agencies? By Oral O. Miller National Representative Assume that you as a blind person have just moved to a new city to begin work on a high-paying job, and you would like the assistance of a good orientation and mobility specialist for a few hours to give you some quick pointers on the local subway system and to help you locate the most convenient facilities in a nearby shopping center. Would you expect those services to be provided free of charge by the nonprofit agency employing the mobility specialist, or would you expect to pay a reasonable fee for his/her services? Now let's assume you are a newly blind person with a limited income and you need the assistance of a daily-living specialist to help you learn to use your complicated kitchen range, identify and prepare a wide variety of foods, use a complicated new sewing machine, and do countless other important tasks connected with dignified, independent living. Who should pay for those services? Don't try to take the easy way out by answering that the state vocational rehabilitation agency would pay for such services, because in many instances such agencies could not or would not do so. The important subject of private payment for services is beginning to be discussed by many professionals and consumers alike, for many different reasons -- e.g., unavailability of government or other third-party funding, desire to demand greater accountability in the delivery of services, etc. No, this article will not attempt to answer the questions propounded in the examples given above. Rather, my purpose is to ask you to begin thinking about this subject, because you are surely going to be hearing more about it in the near future. It was my pleasure to attend a recent meeting devoted to this subject, attended by representatives of several of the largest private agencies for the blind in the United States. Obviously, this subject must be discussed in much greater detail -- and with representatives of public agencies, also -- before anything like specific recommendations can be made. Let me hasten to add, incidentally, that by no means did all the private agency representatives accept even philosophically the notion of private payment for services. They resolutely kept their minds open for further discussion and consideration. It was interesting to note, also, that the American Council of the Blind was the only consumer organization to be represented, although another major consumer organization had been invited to attend. ***** ** Telesensory Systems Introduces Versabraille II+ Telesensory Systems, Inc.'s VersaBraille (TM) Systems have been leaders in the braille computer field since introduction of the classic VersaBraille in 1979. Now TSI offers the latest in computer technology with the VersaBraille II+, a major advance over previous VersaBraille Systems. Recent technological advances make it possible to include a microdisk drive in the VB II + package without increasing its size. With the self-contained disk drive, there is truly portable access to all your information on diskettes. A small box of 3.5-inch diskettes can store 6,400,000 braille characters, or 6,400 pages of braille. When writing or editing a file, you are not limited to the amount of available RAM, because the entire memory capacity of the disk is available. While in portable, battery mode, files can be translated between Grade 2 braille and ASCII with the Duxbury Translator; programs such as the calculator, Fastkey, Spell Checker, and the CCP program can be run; files can be received from other sources such as CompuServe or mainframes, or can be sent to other devices such as printers, braille embossers, or modems; blocks of text can be moved from one file to another. The VersaBraille II+ features state-of-the-art technology. Heart of the system is the 6MHz, 80C85, CMOS microprocessor. New, fast, low-power memory chips expand the power of the VersaBraille II+ and extend battery life. ROM memory has been increased to 136K. A handle has been added which serves the dual purpose of carrying and propping the unit up at a convenient slant. The soft pack has been modified so that the internal disk drive is accessible while the unit is inside the pack. VersaBraille II+ connectors have been changed to enable less expensive, more readily available cables to be used. The following features originally introduced with the VersaBraille II have been retained: "rubberbrane" keyboard which allows almost silent brailling, and which includes a user-programmable function keypad and a "cursor-cross" for navigation; battery system with user-replaceable NICAD rechargeable batteries which allow up to 6 1/2 hours' operation from a full charge (or optional four D size alkaline batteries), together with memory backup lithium batteries. The VersaBraille operating system is generally the same as the VB II, and data disks are compatible between the two systems. However, under the "files" menu, there is a choice of three disk drives (0, 1, and 2 -- one internal, two optional external), with disk 0 being the internal drive. The built-in firmware includes a professional word processor. The following software is included with the purchase price: four-function calculator and keypad remapping software to customize the numeric/function keypad. Optional software includes BraT (Braille Access Terminal) for accessing IBM PC's or compatibles, and Braille-Forth, which allows the user to write new programs to operate directly on VersaBraille II+. The Duxbury Two-Way Grade 2 Braille Translator is optional with the VB II+, but is included when the unit is purchased with one or two external disk drives (VB II+ 1 or VB II+ 2); For more information, contact TSI or your Regional Representative toll-free: outside California, 1-800-227- 8418; inside California, 1-800-TSI-9009. ***** ** Blind Tuners International Parley By Stanley Oliver, Chairman Blind Tuners Committee Piano Technicians Guild The Piano Technicians Guild will hold its annual convention at the Constellation Hotel, Toronto, Canada, during the week of July 20-24. Many successful blind tuners/technicians from across Canada and the United States are expected to attend. The convention will feature some 40 technical workshops, four of which will deal with blind tuner concerns. From halfway around the world, Bryan McGowan of Australia will address the special-interest gathering of blind tuners. William Vaise, who is a consultant to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, will speak on the future of blind tuners. Emil Fries, founder of the Vancouver, Washington, Piano Hospital and Training Center, will discuss his recent conference with faculty and students of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, London. The Blind Tuners Committee of the PTG conducts a vigorous program of services, including a cassette edition of the monthly PTG Journal and special technical gatherings at the national level. Arrangements are now under way for a French cassette edition of the English PTG Journal. An independent association of mostly blind tuners exists in Quebec, Canada, with some forty members. As the group is almost entirely limited to the French language, attendance at the Toronto convention is expected to be minimal. A sharp cutback of prospective blind students entering the field of piano service has occurred with the advent of the mainstreaming concept in special education throughout the United States, which has eliminated introductory tuning at the secondary­school level. Says Mr. Fries, whose school has for over 40 years graduated successful blind tuners, "We are facing imminent disaster with the closing down of primary tuner training at the state school level, and there are very few young candidates now in the field." The well-trained blind tuner can earn a substantial living, as evidenced by the fact that a number of leading colleges employ blind tuner/technicians to cope with a wide variety of service problems. Some of these tuners will be on hand to share their experiences and expertise with fellow craftsmen. The Blind Tuners Committee of the PTG appeals to organizations of the blind for vigorous political action to restore and maintain tuner training courses in state secondary schools enrolling blind students. A viable employment field is being wiped out, and it is time to fight back. For further information on the conference or on the Blind Tuners Committee, contact Piano Technicians Guild, 9140 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64114; (816) 444-3500. ***** ** Matilda Ziegler Magazine Completes 80 Years With its March issue, The Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind completed 80 years as a free general-interest magazine for blind and visually impaired persons. The Ziegler, as it is affectionately known to readers, was founded in 1907 by Electa Matilda Ziegler, wealthy widow of William Ziegler, founder of the Royal Baking Powder Company. The Ziegler has no print edition -- its ten issues per year are in braille and on recorded flexible disc. Since one of the main difficulties faced by blind people is lack of easy access to the thousands of magazines and books published every year, the Ziegler gives its readers an informative, stimulating, and entertaining selection from these print materials. It reprints articles from newspapers and magazines and includes short stories, poetry, and humor. While the Ziegler is not about blindness, it does devote space to news and information of special interest to people with vision problems. It was a highly improbable sequence of events that led to the founding of the Ziegler. In 1906, Walter Holmes, a Tennessee newspaper man, was on a business trip to New York City when he came across a newspaper description of a large bequest to charity. Irritated by the fact that no money was left to benefit blind people, he dashed off a note to the paper pointing out how desperately blind people needed books that they could read with their fingers. Few books, he noted, were transcribed into a form that could be read by touch, and those few were far too expensive. Walter Holmes' letter was published, and he received a response from one E.M. Ziegler, who asked to meet him. E.M. Ziegler turned out to be a woman, Electa Matilda Ziegler, and at their meeting she agreed to pay for a magazine for the blind if Holmes would run it. To this serendipitous meeting Ziegler Magazine traces its origins. Why was Mrs. Ziegler so interested in blind people? What was Mr. Holmes' interest? She had a blind son, and he had a blind brother. True to her word, Mrs. Ziegler paid the expenses (some $20,000 per year) from her own pocket until 1928 when she set up an endowment. It is this carefully invested fund that has underwritten the magazine ever since. The Ziegler’s first issue, in March 1907, was greeted with enormous enthusiasm by blind and sighted people alike. Blind and deaf Helen Keller, then 26 years old, wrote to Mrs. Ziegler: "I must send you my glad thanks for the pleasure and the facilities which you have placed within our reach. I have waited many years for such a magazine." Mark Twain wrote: "I think this is one of the noblest benefactions that has been conferred upon a worthy object by any purse during the long stretch of my 71 years." Eighty years later, readers are still full of praise and gratitude for the magazine. Any blind or visually impaired person who would like a free lifetime subscription should contact Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, 20 W. 17th Street, New York, NY 10011; (212) 242-0263. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * FOR SALE: Apollo Portareader Model MV 824. An electronic (closed-circuit television) visual aid for improved magnification. Excellent condition. Original cost, $1,900. Sale price, $1,400. Contact Robert M. Sanwald, O.D., 3535 Lake Eastbrook Blvd., S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49508. * FOR SALE: VersaBraille P2C. Excellent condition. Complete with I/O cable, overlay tapes, and braille and print manuals. Under service agreement until June 23, 1987. Price, $2,750, including shipping, or best offer. Call Azim Assaf, (415) 322-7123. * FOR SALE: VersaBraille P2C. $4,000.00 or best offer. Excellent condition -- like new. Please contact Beth Terranova, 868 Loraine Drive, Newport News, VA 23602. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth M. Lennon From The Blind Californian (California Council of the Blind): A new and innovative service, the Braille Yellow Pages, is in operation in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties in California. The service provides not only the addresses and telephone numbers, but also business hours, services, and major cross-streets of agencies and organizations which assist the blind and visually impaired, as well as consumer-oriented businesses which subscribe to the service. The service is provided free of charge to the caller through the use of a toll-free number, and is maintained through the sale of business listings. In addition to Directory Assistance, Braille Yellow Pages also distributes a directory in braille at no charge. For further information, call (818) 998-7833. *** Ann Campbell, wife of Robert Campbell, a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind and First Vice President of the California Council of the Blind, passed away recently after a long illness. The couple had been married for more than fifty years. Will painful insulin injections soon be a thing of the past? The answer to this question may be "Yes." According to the January-February 1987 issue of American Health, scientists at the Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, have developed a plastic­coated insulin pill which may soon replace injections. Prior attempts to develop an orally administered form of insulin have failed because the hormone was rendered ineffective during the process of digestion. However, the micro-thin plastic which coats this new insulin pill allows it to remain intact until it reaches the colon. Once in the colon, bacteria dissolve the plastic and the insulin is absorbed into the blood. Though promising, additional studies will be conducted before the insulin pill is available to the public. A new video tape, "See for Yourself," is now available from Telesensory Systems, Inc., 455 North Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043. Dr. Samuel Genensky, first president of the Council of Citizens with Low Vision, and Director, Center for the Partially Sighted, Santa Monica, California, discusses various causes of low vision, and partially sighted people tell how a closed-circuit television aids them in living normal and productive lives. Anyone interested in previewing this video tape may request a short-term loan copy from TSI. Purchase price is $25.00. Also available from TSI is a new large-print newsletter, Vantage Point, for professionals and consumers in the low-vision field. Contact the Low Vision Product Manager at TSI. IBM has developed an experimental "mouse" which, together with a special PC adapter card and tablet, allows blind people to read the IBM PC screen. As the mouse is moved across the desktop tablet, tiny "pistons" beneath the fingertip are raised to form in braille the characters or symbols on the screen. The user can also ask the "mouse" where the cursor is by using a fingertip switch. The "mouse" then gives the row and column numbers in braille. IBM says no special software or training is required to use the device, provided the user can read braille. IBM plans to build a limited number of the device to be given to blind computer users for evaluation. Voice-Indexed Cassettes, a catalog compiled by James G. Chandler, is available from Voice Indexing for the Blind, 9116 St. Andrews Place, College Park, MD 20740. Some titles are for sale, and others are available on loan basis. An electronic low-vision aid that enables sight-impaired people to read music while leaving both hands free for playing an instrument has been developed by Richard Martin Friedmar, a doctoral student at Toledo University, Toledo, Ohio. His Magni-Viewer enlarges, illuminates, and projects the printed music on to a 12-by18-inch screen atop a piano (or wherever a music stand would ordinarily be placed), he explains. The black-and-white images are transferred electronically to the screen from 35mm. slides arranged in order on a 120-slide carousel, with each slide containing a full measure. The Magni-Viewer can enlarge music symbols up to 96 times. Automatic or manual operation via a foot switch is provided. Mr. Friedmar hopes to make the device available to sight­impaired music students through metropolitan or university libraries as well as agencies and schools for the blind. He expects to sell the Magni­Viewer for between $375 and $425. Harriet Fielding, a member of the California Council of the Blind and past Chairman of the ACB Board of Publications, was the recipient of the first annual award given by the San Francisco Paratransit Coordinating Council in memory of Lawrence Marcellino, who had been an active member of CCB since its inception in 1978. The paratransit program is a part of the San Francisco Municipal Rail System and provides transportation to disabled persons. Mrs. Fielding, a member of the Paratransit Executive Council, was given a plaque in recognition of her advocacy for increases in the paratransit budget to provide adequate transportation in San Francisco for disabled and elderly persons. AP: Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, blind pianist Valerie Capers, and four others have been honored by Essence magazine as black women who have made contributions to their profession and their community. Ms. Capers has written classical and jazz compositions, has conducted at Carnegie Hall, and is a music professor at Bronx Community College. An "Art Resource Directory for the Blind and Visually Impaired" is he first phase of Access to Art, a comprehensive project co-sponsored by the Museum of American Folk Art and the American Foundation for the Blind. Anyone with information concerning (1) organizations, classes, workshops, newsletters, and competitions for visually impaired artists, art students, and art history students; (2) art materials on tape, in braille, or in large print; (3) material for teaching art to blind and visually impaired; and (4) museums and galleries with special facilities for the visually impaired, is requested to send that information to Irma J. Shore, Director, Art Resource Directory for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Museum of American Folk Art, 444 Park Avenue, S., New York, NY 10016. From Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness: The first Central American braille printing press has been established in Managua, Nicaragua. The press printed a draft of the Nicaraguan Constitution to ensure full participation of visually impaired people in public meetings. The Ministry of Education will use the press to publish study materials and books by national writers. The press and materials were financed by the Dutch non-governmental organization, Rehabilitation in the Third World. In keeping with the celebration in 1987 of the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, the National Braille Press, Inc., 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115, has produced in braille 1,000 copies of the Constitution which are available upon request. This project was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Lifeprints, the career/sports/leisure magazine for visually impaired teens and young adults, will begin its fifth year of publication September­October 1987 issue. Lifeprints is available in large-print, braille, and cassette for an annual subscription of $15.00 for five issues. To subscribe, send check to Blindskills, Inc., Box 5181, Salem, OR 97304. Be sure to specify your choice of format. Lifeprints editor Carol McCarl plans to attend the upcoming Los Angeles convention and is interested to contact persons willing to provide a recorded career or leisure-time interview. She is interested particularly in the areas of computers, management and small business; also interviews describing hobbies and sports activities. Position Available: Major Philadelphia private service agency is seeking an Executive Director with a minimum of five years' administrative experience. The desired candidate will have a proven track record in fund­raising, financial management, personnel management, and the provision of social services (preferably to the blind and visually impaired), and excellent writing and communications skills. Salary starting at $45,000 plus benefits, commensurate with experience. Equal opportunity employer. Interested applicants should send cover letter and resume to: P.O. Box 26, Philadelphia, PA 19105. A raincoat for guide dogs is among the products now being manufactured by Utah Industries for the Blind. The raincoat is made of a heavy rubberized material, with sewn-on Reflexite striping to make the dog visible at night or during early morning hours. The coat fits under the harness and has adjustable Velcro straps to provide a comfortable fit for any guide dog. For further information, contact Utah Industries for the Blind, 1595 W. 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104; (801) 533-5191. The American Foundation for the Blind has announced publication of A Student Teaching Guide for Blind and Visually Impaired University Students: Adapted Methods and Procedures. This book provides blind and visually impaired university students with the special information they need to prepare for student teaching, including tips on learning skills one must demonstrate in the classroom. The book is available in print, in braille, and on cassette from AFB at $5.00 per copy plus $2.50 for shipping and handling. Write Publications and Information Services, American Foundation for the Blind, 15 W. 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. ***** ** 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 Editors: Elizabeth Lennon 1315 Greenwood Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Kathleen Megivern 7113 Fort Hunt Road Alexandria, VA 22307 ###