The Braille Forum Vol. XXVIII September-October 1989 No. 2 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 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: American Council of the Blind, 1010 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. Those much-needed and appreciated cash contributions may be sent to Brian Charlson, Treasurer, 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 contact the ACB National Office. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the Washington Connection at (202) 393-3664 eastern time, 24 hours a day; or toll-free, (800) 424-8666, 9:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Copyright 1989 American Council of the Blind ***** ** Contents President's Message, by LeRoy Saunders The Smorgasbord Approach to an ACB Convention, by Deborah Kendrick News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Commendations to ACB from the White House Richmond: A Convention to Remember, by Robert Acosta The Americans with Disabilities Act Passed by the Senate, by Kathy Megivern White Cane Safety Day: 25th Anniversary, by Billie Jean Hill Importance of Eye Contact, by Walt Stromer ACB 28th National Convention Highlights, by Billie Jean Hill Report on Constitution and Bylaw Changes, by Jean Mann Summary, 1989 Resolutions 1989 ACB Election Results Finally, A Talking, Friendly VCR, by Billie Jean Hill President Bush Appoints Justin Dart Chairman of PCEPD Ski for Light International Week Blind Date, by Larry Harper High Tech Swap Shop Here and There, by Elizabeth Lennon ACB Officers ***** ** President's Message By LeRoy Saunders As I write this, my first "President's Message," I have been president of the American Council of the Blind for a little over a month. For the past four years as treasurer of ACB I dealt mainly with the finances of the organization, working closely with Assistant Treasurer James Olsen and with the ACB Thrift Stores. In addition, since I was also chairman of the ACB Enterprises and Services, I worked closely with the management company that operates the thrift stores for ACB. Since my election as president, I have spent much time trying to develop a better understanding of what is going on within the organization and what is being done on a day-to-day basis by the staff. To this end, I have visited all of our offices within the past month. Not only was I greatly pleased by the quality of work being performed in each office, but I am also very much impressed by the volume of work being performed by so few people. All of our staff and support personnel are to be commended for doing an outstanding job. By now I believe everyone knows that Mary Ballard has tendered her resignation as Braille Forum editor. I have told Mary she is too young to retire but this has not changed her mind. I first met Mary when she made a trip to Oklahoma in 1973. At that time, Mary became editor of the Braille Forum as a volunteer following the death of the previous editor, Earl Scharry. In those days, the Oklahoma League for the Blind maintained the entire ACB mailing list and produced and mailed the large print edition of the Braille Forum. In 1977 Mary became a full-time ACB staff member but continued to donate many extra hours to the organization. The Braille Forum has expanded greatly since 1973 when Mary became its editor. For past several years she has had two part-time employees who have assisted her in many ways ? from preparing and proofreading the Braille Forum copy for each issue, to maintaining mailing lists not only for the various editions of the Braille Forum, but also for the annual affiliate membership updating and certification. These ladies, Pat Tindale and Peggy French, have been assisting Mary for over eleven years. Mary has often stated that she could not have maintained an office in her home and met the level of accuracy and responsibility which the work demands without Pat and Peggy. We will certainly miss the loyalty and dedication that these ladies and Mary have given ACB. Have you wondered why you did not see much of Mary during ACB conventions? Well, there is a reason. Mary spent much of her time sitting behind a tape recorder taping each convention. For many years she lugged a heavy reel-to?reel recorder weighing about 50 pounds to and from conventions. It took a long time and much encouragement from me before she would have confidence in a smaller and lighter cassette recorder. Mary, we all thank you for a job well done for all these many years and we wish you well in your retirement. Knowing you, I feel sure you will be involved in many activities within a very short time! Succeeding Otis Stephens as ACB president is a hard act to follow. I have already been asked to attend a number of state affiliate conventions and I look forward to meeting many new people. I consider it an honor to have been given the opportunity to serve as President of this organization. I want to assure all of you that I take the responsibility seriously and I look forward to representing the American Council of the Blind in its many areas of activity and service. ***** ** The Smorgasbord Approach to an ACB Convention By Deborah Kendrick This issue of the Braille Forum is always dedicated to convention wrap-up, and if you read it from cover to cover, you'll find a different aspect of that week-long extravaganza presented by each author. The reason is simple: the 28th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind, like all of our annual conventions, was a phenomenal smorgasbord of education, recreation, legislation, emotional support and more for every member who attended. Piece all of these articles together, and we hope you'll have a composite picture of the rich experiences gathered by all. In trying to describe an ACB convention to sighted friends, I often say: It's like a political convention, a trade show, a plethora of workshops on everything from art to psychology, and a vacation package -- all rolled into one gloriously exhausting week. Of course, it's humanly impossible to participate fully in all of those elements, just as it's impossible to eat everything on any well-laden smorgasbord. Here, then, is a "taste" of some of the finer offerings of our 1989 convention from one more participant's perspective. A Political Convention. The mornings during our national conventions are always devoted to what are called the "plenary" sessions. These are, in other words, the full or absolute core of the convention's purpose. Members are seated according to state or special-interest group, and the passion sometimes expressed in debate or speeches certainly matches that on any political convention floor. During these sessions, speakers on major issues relevant to blind people are heard; resolutions, constitutional amendments, and other organization business is conducted; and elections are held. Because we are a democratic organization, debate is sometimes heated and complex, and whether you are personally interested in the topic at hand or not, your attention is captured by the fervor of those who are! Trade Show. This year in Richmond, some 65 manufacturers providers of products and services to blind and visually impaired people displayed their wares in the massive exhibit hall. In my first two-hour visit to the exhibit area, for instance, I picked up a complimentary deck of braille playing cards from SenseSations, and a complimentary calendar and "roll-free" stylus from the American Printing House for the Blind; saw two of the newest, most popular 4-track cassette recorders demonstrated; bought a handmade sweater from a fundraising project for the Guide Dog Users special-interest group; examined and experimented with the KeyBraille, one of the newest computer products from HumanWare Inc.; looked at print/braille children's calendars from the National Braille Press; bought a braille Uno game and a tactile map of the United States from the American Foundation for the Blind; and saw two new reading machines "strut their stuff" by reading print aloud to me in synthetic speech. The point is that if you spend a few hours a day in the exhibit area, you still won't see all there is to offer. For a blind person, it provides that rare opportunity to "go shopping" for the myriad of items that can enhance our independence ? and to do it in an environment where people expect us to touch the merchandise. That Plethora of Workshops. Afternoons at the 1989 convention were filled with workshops of the many special-interest groups within our ranks, and again, the smorgasbord called for individual (and often tough) choices. If you wanted to learn more about teaching visually impaired students, using adaptive technology, communicating effectively with your legislators, succeeding in your small business, or brushing up your job-seeking skills, there was a seminar for you. In addition to many seminars related to careers, there were also a number of special presentations addressing more personal topics such as techniques for blind parents, coping with "mixed" relationships between partners of varying visual acuity, and a personal approach to counseling, to name only a few. For a slightly broader focus, there were meetings on braille, library use, boosting organization membership, and this list goes on. Vacation Package. As with every aspect of our 28th national convention, if one chose to go on all of the recreational tours available, there would be time for little else. As mentioned elsewhere in this issue, tours ranged from historic sites to amusement parks and dinner cruises, and many ACB members enjoyed one or more of these adventures throughout the week. Defining our 28th convention in terms of these four elements is, of course, a simplistic way of summing up the week. There were, after all, over 2,000 blind and visually impaired people and friends in attendance, and the experience for each was unique. There were receptions, luncheons, and special events held morning, afternoon, and night by many special-interest groups. There were committee meetings, individual state caucuses, and impromptu demonstrations of new technological wonders. The recorded telephone newsline and the daily convention newspaper (distributed in large print and braille) relayed up-to-the-minute information to conventioners daily, amplifying the smorgasbord effect. No one, in short, could "do it all"; yet, one thing we all had in common was the emotional "high" shared by those intent on full and equal participation in all of life's blessings -- with or without the advantage of sight. (Editor's note: Deborah Kendrick is a member of ACB's Board of Publications, and president of the ACB of Ohio. She is editor of Tactic, a braille quarterly on adaptive technology, and writes a regular column on disability for the Cincinnati Enquirer.) ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office By Oral O. Miller National Representative There are no summer doldrums in Washington, DC! Following completion of the ACB National Convention in Richmond, Virginia, the staff "hit the ground running" to keep the Americans with Disabilities Act moving on the "fast track" it had been put on a few weeks earlier. (See the separate article in this issue regarding the progress of this extremely important legislation.) One of the interesting visitors to come by the National Office recently was Ms. Deanne Eggleston, a legally blind Californian who had just completed a bicycle trip across the country in spite of the almost crippling effects of diabetes to underscore the employment and other capabilities of blind people. Ms. Eggleston rode a single mountain bicycle a few feet behind her brightly clothed and highly visible guide on another bicycle while receiving occasional instructions by radio from a following van. Other blind bikers have crossed the country before, but each trip has its own unique features and objectives. During mid-summer we had an opportunity to renew my personal friendship and the friendship of the American Council of the Blind with Sheik Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Immediate Past President of the World Blind Union. Sheik Al-Ghanim, who was honored at various functions while in the city, was in Washington in connection with the opening of an international commerce exposition featuring Saudi Arabian businesses and services. It was my pleasure to represent the American Council of the Blind at the official swearing in of Ms. Nell Carney to her position as Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration as well as the swearing in of Dr. Robert Davila as the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. The impressive ceremonies took place in the Old Executive Office Building of the White House. A few days later I returned to the White House to attend a presidential forum designed to give representatives of the disability community an opportunity to provide input to President Bush and members of his staff concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act. President Bush himself took part in the forum, asking questions and then pledging support for the Act. The American Council of the Blind was the only organization from the blindness field invited to attend the forum. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act has now been passed by the Senate by an overwhelming majority, it must now wind its way through the four committees to which it has been assigned in the House of Representatives. Because of the enormous importance of this bill to all handicapped people it is going to be necessary to work even harder during corning weeks. Accordingly, you are reminded to check the Washington Connection every week regarding possible updates. I would like to conclude this article by extending my thanks and best wishes to our Immediate Past President, Dr. Otis H. Stephens, whose professional commitments at the University of Tennessee prevented him from serving another term as President of the American Council of the Blind. Working with Dr. Stephens was a pleasure and excellent preparation for working with another southern gentleman, Mr. LeRoy F. Saunders. I also want to commend our retiring Braille Forum Editor, Mary T. Ballard, for the wonderful cooperation and assistance she gave the national office during her years in that position. ***** ** Commendations to ACB from the White House The following letter underscores the recognition given to ACB for its part in supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act. THE WHITE HOUSE Washington August 18, 1989 Dear Mr. Miller This is a brief note to thank you for taking the time to meet with the President, myself, and others from the Administration last Friday. I found our discussion of the Americans with Disabilities Act very useful. You and many others in the disability community have worked tirelessly to move this legislation to the point where it is today. We are pleased to see that the consensus we have reached with key Senators is one which you can join us in supporting. The obvious support you gave the President was much appreciated. We are gratified by your support. Both the Nation and the disability community will benefit from the enactment of legislation that has the broadest support possible. I am confident that the understanding formed in our Friday meeting will stand us in good stead as we work together to move the Americans with Disabilities Act through the legislative process and on to the President's desk. Warm regards, Roger B. Porter Assistant to the President for Economic and Domestic Affairs ***** ** Richmond: A Convention to Remember By Robert Acosta ACB Convention Coordinator The dates June 30 to July 8, 1989 were certainly wonderful days to be remembered as the blind of the nation descended upon Richmond, Virginia to attend ACB's 28th national convention. Over two thousand members and friends of the American Council of the Blind participated in the programs of the twenty-one special interest organizations, the national program presented by ACB as well as in a variety of special events offered for the education and entertainment of all participants. Each day found convention attendees on various tours. The week began with a fabulous two-day tour of historic Williamsburg. The officials of this unique community made every effort to provide conventioners with hands-on displays. A second weekend tour was a visit to colonial Fredericksburg during which conventioners visited some of the colonial homes of our nation's forefathers. Sunday found us on a city tour of Richmond. Of particular note was the visit to St. John's Church to listen to a re-enactment of Patrick Henry's great speech: "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death." On Monday, heartier souls went on a day-long fishing trip followed by a fish fry under the sponsorship of the Virginia Beach Lions Club and the Virginia Association of the Blind. Perhaps, the most significant tour and one with considerable relevance to the activities and concerns of ACB was a trip to the nation?s capital: Washington, DC. Among other things, we visited the Vietnam War Memorial. ACB members were treated to a personal tour of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where tour conductor, Patricia Beattie laid a wreath. Other tour highlights included: Busch Gardens; Civil War battlegrounds in Fredericksburg; a paddle-wheel luxury cruise and dinner on the Annabelle Lee which had to be repeated due to its overwhelming popularity; and Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. To wind up these festivities and the convention social agenda for the week, a reception and play were presented by the Theater Four players. Thanks to the fine work of Janiece Petersen, who was in charge of hospitality, we were better able to enjoy the Saturday evening play, "Is There Life After High School" through the use of Descriptive Video techniques and the Phonic Ear. Phonic Ear donated fifty of its units to ACB for this presentation. This equipment allowed us to listen to the action on stage with one ear while hearing the excellent narration provided by Teddy Primack, a dedicated volunteer from Washington, DC, with the other. This play was a sell-out which completely filled the theater with ACB convention attendees. Beginning in 1988, the arrangements and the overall work of holding a national convention have been done by a large committee of dedicated workers. Many of you were amazed to learn that members of this committee were working full?time in Richmond an entire week prior to the start of any official convention event. John Horst and I were on-board by June 26 training staff and meeting with hotel personnel going over final arrangements. Ruth Ann Acosta and Belva Frandsen were tireless in the fine training of hotel staff and in answering those questions which our sighted friends are sometimes hesitant to ask about working with blind and visually impaired persons. Margarine Beaman, our volunteer coordinator, was also on?board early. In addition to her coordination of volunteers, Margarine devotes incredible amounts of time each year to brailling the ACB convention hotels. Margarine diligently scouted through the four separate hotels used this year and brailled all she could find. Numbers on room doors, vending machine labels and prices, lavatory facilities, stairway doors and floor information all came under her labelling hands. She received a standing ovation on the convention floor for her tireless work. Convention workers packed over two thousand tote bags which were distributed to convention attendees. One day, we even found ACB's new Secretary, Pat Price, and her husband Marvin in the assembly line. As your Convention Coordinator, I can tell you that it was a delight to work with the many dedicated members of the Old Dominion Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired. Roy Ward did a tremendous job serving as "our man in Richmond." As many of you know, Roy has been working to bring an ACB convention to his city for four years, and his great dream came true! His wife Mabel deserves much praise as well for her work at Roy's side. Jim Olsen, Roberta Douglas and LeRoy Saunders ran the convention registration desk with Stephanie Cooper as an ever-present hard-working colleague. Special praise must go to Jim's daughter Sarah, who worked long hours keeping the books for our many activities. By mid-August, all of our special-interest affiliates had received their profit sharing checks from the convention. Jim's wife, Ann, was an excellent "bouncer" as she kept the long registration lines calm and in order. She even caught Yours Truly trying to sneak ahead through the line. I won't try that again! With such a busy set of activities it can be difficult to know what is happening at any given moment. To help ease this problem, ACB conventions feature a daily newspaper and a telephone information hotline. Many thanks go to Joann Slayton for managing this vital function of the convention. Assisting her were Ron and Sue Staley. I can assure you that the press was well-supplied with information kits and Joann was quite visible at the press conference held on the ACB convention floor by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. For ACB parents, a special convention highlight is provided by Marni Alvino. She runs the children's activities section of the convention. Many special events are held for children during the days and evenings to allow their parents to attend professional meetings, speeches and other ACB business activities. Some other special activities and people deserve to be mentioned for their incredible contributions to ACB and this convention. They include: Otis Stephens, for his overall direction and leadership of the convention and ACB; Mary Ballard, whose counsel and editor assistance have been an invaluable help to me; Pat Beattie, Tour Committee Chairperson; Laurinda Steele, convention information desk; Denise Weddle, exhibit coordinator with over 65 separate exhibitors this year; Barbara Parker, my secretary at the CCB office and for all convention coordinator assignments as well; Harry Parker, whose van (under his direction) drove many hundreds of miles during the convention week performing so many essential tasks for ACB; Sheryl Duke and her family for both speaking and volunteering at this convention. Finally, many thanks go to my family whose help and sharing of ACB conventions is more meaningful and valuable to me than I can ever completely express. Family volunteers include my wife Ruth Ann, my parents, my aunt and uncle, sister-in-law and even their friends. Putting on an ACB convention is indeed a family affair! It is with eager anticipation that I accepted President LeRoy Saunders' invitation to serve another year as your convention coordinator. I am pleased to announce that John Horst will assist me once again. His tireless and timely work on ACB conventions throughout the year ensure the success that we have had in the past, and I know we can look forward to Denver with equal excitement. ***** ** The Americans with Disabilities Act Passed by the Senate By Kathy Megivern The United States Senate, by a vote of 76 to 8, passed the Americans with Disabilities Act on Thursday, September 7, 1989. Because the final vote happened so late in the evening, sixteen Senators were absent, most of them co-sponsors of the bill. Thus, the margin of victory would have been even greater if all had been present. The eight "no" votes were as follows: Armstrong (R, CO); Bond (R, MO); Garn (R, UT); Helms (R, NC); Humphrey (R, NH); McClure (R, ID); Symms (R, ID); and Wallop (R, WY). As is always the case with legislation of this magnitude, the last-minute lobbying and behind-the-scenes maneuvering was fierce. Along with disability-rights advocates, opponents such as the President of Greyhound Bus Lines stood outside the doors to the Senate Chamber grabbing Senators as they went to and from the floor. The bus industry has been particularly vehement in its opposition to this bill and reports are that they have already begun flooding the House of Representatives with letters against the bill. An amendment was added during the floor debate to extend by one year the time within which the private transportation industry would have to comply. In addition, the study which was to have been done by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board will now be done by the Office of Technology Assistance with review by the ATBCB. However, these minor changes clearly did not mollify the opposition from the private transportation industry. Another amendment which added to the bill would extend anti-discrimination coverage to the U.S. Congress. As you may know, Congress has always exempted itself from the provisions of civil rights legislation with the argument that such coverage would threaten the "separation of powers" doctrine because you would have administrative or judicial branch agencies passing judgment on the legislative branch. Those who favor extending coverage to Congress do not believe that the constitutional argument is a serious threat, but "just in case" they added a "severability clause." This means that the courts could find this particular amendment to be unconstitutional without overturning the whole bill. Another amendment which was approved during floor debate mandates a study on accessibility issues in wilderness areas (some wags are already referring to this as the "lifts on cliffs" amendment!). There was some debate about a tax credit for small businesses to help them with the expenses involved in making their facilities accessible. However, no tax "cut" (which is what a credit would amount to) can be included in any legislation without an offsetting provision to increase revenues, so this amendment was dropped. In the current climate of national concern about drugs, the protection extended by this bill to alcoholics and drug addicts continues to be a problem for several of the more conservative legislators. As written, the ADA specifically allows an employer to fire any employee who uses drugs or alcohol at the workplace and it only protects "otherwise qualified" people with disabilities. Thus, if someone's drug or alcohol problem clearly interfered with his or her ability to perform the job, there would be no protection. Nonetheless, an amendment was added to ADA which would remove "current" drug users from coverage under the employment sections of the Act. Senator Helms then went one step further and added an amendment to remove current drug users from the coverage of Section 504 as well. "Recovering" drug addicts are still protected (persons who are not currently using drugs and have undergone some sort of treatment). Things got really interesting when Senator Armstrong (R, CO) revealed a lengthy proposed amendment "to exempt from Federal prohibition the bona fide religious and moral decisions of private individuals with respect to drug use, sexual orientation and practice, and impulses that persons cannot or do not control." This broad amendment would have allowed discrimination against anyone "who has, has a record of having, or is regarded as having any impairment" included in his laundry list of "impairments with a moral component." In Mr. Armstrong's world, alcohol abuse, drug addiction and a long list of "sexual deviations" are all the result of weak morals. In his listing of drug addiction and homosexuality or bisexuality he included language which would allow discrimination "whether or not (these conditions) are combined with infection by (or a positive test for) the human immunodeficiency virus." Thus, of course, nearly all persons with AIDS would be eliminated from coverage. Disability rights advocates, especially those from the mental disability community were horrified and the first inclination was to simply ask for a straight "up or down" vote of the Armstrong amendment. However, Mr. Armstrong made it clear that he would proceed by breaking up his amendment into 20 or more smaller amendments thus waging a filibuster which was sure to kill any chances of passage. Thus, advocates reluctantly agreed to a compromise version which removed the moral judgement and any mention of the HIV virus. The final version does, however, specifically exclude the following list from the definition of disability: "homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestism, pedophilia, transsexualism, exhibitionism, voyeurism, compulsive gambling, kleptomania or pyromania, gender identity disorders, current psychoactive substance use disorders, current psychoactive substance-induced organic mental disorders ..., or other sexual behavior disorders." Despite some limiting (and some downright weird) amendments, advocates were jubilant about the Senate passage of this historic legislation. Now it's on to House. But first, a word from our sponsors. Actually, it's a word to our sponsors. "Thank you's" definitely in order for people such as Senator Harkin, Senator Kennedy, Senator Dole and all of the bill's cosponsors, as well as to President Bush and Attorney General Thornburgh. As you may remember, the was referred to seven different subcommittees in the House and it is hoped that all of the hearings will be finished by September with a floor vote possible by October. We currently have 227 cosponsors in the House. But it will be an extremely tough battle. The small business community as well as the private transportation industry are really geared up and their opposition will be formidable, so please do not assume that the fight is over. We urge you to write a letter to your own representative as well as to certain key leaders in the House such as Speaker of the House Tom Foley (D, WA), Judiciary Committee Chairman Jack Brooks (D, TX), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D, MI) Small Business Committee Chairman John LaFalce (D, NY), House Minority Leader Robert Michel (R, IL), Minority Whip Newt Gingrich (R, GA), and Rep. William Goodling (R, PA). All Representatives can be reached at: U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Please help us in this most important battle ? WRITE TODAY! ***** ** White Cane Safety Day: 25th Anniversary By Billie Jean Hill Every year by Presidential Proclamation, October 15th is "White Cane Safety Day." This year marks the 25th anniversary of White Cane Safety Day and every opportunity should be taken to promote awareness of the significance of the white cane. State affiliates and special interest groups might offer to present a program to a civic organization, or to a school assembly. People in general are very curious about a white cane and how it is used, but are often hesitant to ask. Then one can get "off-the-wall" questions such as, "Does it beep when you're going to hit something?" or "How does your cane know where you are?". Cane users know that a white cane is not a divining rod, but the public seems to suspect that it possesses some power which protects the cane user. Veterans blinded in WWII were the inspiration for the development of lightweight canes and travel techniques still used today. It is hoped that most Americans know that the white cane is a guiding tool for its visually impaired user and a signal to alert the general public and observe common courtesies. Part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's original proclamation states: "... Americans admire courage and respect independence. Every day some of our neighbors renew our appreciation of these qualities. They are the Americans who set forth about their daily business bearing the white cane. The white cane is the badge of courage carried by those blind and visually impaired citizens who believe freedom and independence are meant for all Americans. The white cane tells the world that its bearer expects not pity, but fairness and consideration -- on the street, on the job and everywhere Americans' paths cross. ..." Most states have enacted white cane laws to safeguard the rights of blind people to travel safely and unhindered. But many states may have outdated laws which do not afford adequate protection. In Virginia for instance, some white cane laws still in force date from the 1920s, long before many blind people used canes. For example, the cane user is supposed to hold his cane straight out in front of him above his body. Try that during rush hour and it could be your last hour! Blind consumers in Virginia are working to update some portions of Virginia's White Cane Law. Blind consumers should look at their state's white cane laws. ***** ** Importance of Eye Contact By Walt Stromer An article with that title in a journal aimed mostly at blind persons? Somebody must be kidding. This sounds like a page out of a basic public speaking text ? be sure you make good eye contact with your audience. No, don't blame the editor, blame me, the author, but first let me try to explain what I mean. A group of about 50 or so listened recently to a retired math professor, a Scotsman, play the bagpipes for us. After he finished, he explained the pipes, and answered questions. I asked if they still used the pipes in the military? "Oh yes," he said, "To stir up the fighting spirit of the men." I remembered a quip I had read about the pipes, and not being Scottish nor a great lover of the pipes, I said, "I've heard that they were used to make such a racket that it frightened the men into battle." Silence. He did not think it was funny. A friend told me, "If you could have seen the look on his face ..." And that is one of the confounded nuisances about blindness. You miss that important element of feedback which may warn you when you're beginning to step over the line, or at least it may tell you when you've crossed it and you need to apologize or make a quick exit. This may not be much of a problem for others. Maybe I was just born tactless, though I don't recall that being in my horoscope which I memorized from an almanac when I was about 12. So that I won't feel like such a lonely criminal or social deviant, let me give some other examples which may make my point about eye contact. Blind people sometimes complain that a waiter or waitress will not speak to them, but to the sighted person with them. I think that is mostly due to the fact that the waiter or waitress cannot make eye contact with the person and so resorts to talking to the person with whom they can make eye contact. Yes, the skilled person will come round to your side of the table, if possible, tape you on the shoulder lightly and say, "and you, ma'am, what will you have?" I have been at a convention or two of mostly blind persons where I felt the audience was being somewhat rude in not listening very closely to the speaker. It may be that they could not hear the speaker, or it may be that the speaker was so bad as to deserve competition. I think part of it may be that the speaker could not catch the eye of a listener who was being a bit rude, or that the non-listener could not see the stares of those who were annoyed at a competing conversation. Not long ago, I listened to a tape of a convention where I thought the guest speaker who was being questioned was treated rudely by the chairperson, but this rudeness was reinforced by applause from the audience. When I'm in audiences of sighted persons I seldom observe this sort of thing happening. Again, I wonder if part of it may be that those inclined to be boisterous are oblivious to eye signals they might get from others who would like them to be quiet. A friend, who is blind, told me of being at a convention where 50 or more blind persons were waiting to get on a bus. There was a good bit of pushing and shoving and fairly loud comments such as, "What's going on up there?" It's a natural reaction. When you can't see what's happening, you ask. You have a choice between asking quietly of the person nearest you, or of doing it in what one writer called the "broadcast voice" where you speak loudly with the hope that someone will respond. It would be neat to think that careful listening can compensate fully for lack of 20/20 vision, but I doubt it. Such things as brief stares, narrowing of the eyes, faint smiles, tightening of the jaw -- these do not give off audible cues. I think the blind person, especially impetuous outspoken ones like me, needs to give a little extra attention to choosing their comments carefully. It may also be of help to have a sighted friend who is willing to be honest and, if not able to warn you, at least able to report later, that your comment got a silent reaction you ought to be aware of. If these comments have offended anyone, at least I won't be aware of it until you write, or call, or show up on my doorstep with a baseball bat -- with built-in beeper. ***** ** ACB 28th National Convention Highlights By Billie Jean Hill If you were not able to attend the ACB 28th National Convention in Richmond, Virginia, this article is for you. If you did attend, this article is also for you. It is almost impossible to know where to begin and what to attend at an ACB convention. Approximately twenty special interest groups offer separate programs to insure a busy schedule. And all this before one even looks at tours and social events! The first week of July, 1989 in Virginia, offered all the elements of a good convention: good weather, good accommodations, wonderful volunteers, southern hospitality and people sharing a common purpose. That purpose is stated on the first page of every issue of the Braille Forum: "Promoting Independence and Effective Participation in Society." By the time the "First Timers" seminar began on Saturday evening, many dedicated ACB members had already attended two days of board meetings and committee meetings. The pre-convention tours to colonial Williamsburg and Fredericksburg were solidly booked and in full swing. If not serving as a board member or committee member for one of twenty or so special interest groups, Saturday is the day most people arrive at an ACB convention. Sunday, July 2, in Richmond offered a feast of events. There was a tour of the City of Richmond, a seminar on coping with loss of vision, a religious service, a computer workshop, planned children's activities and many, many meetings and social events. On Monday morning, July 3, the general session of the 28th National ACB Convention was called to order by ACB President, Dr. Otis Stephens of Knoxville, Tennessee. Following the official state welcome from Nelson Malbone, president of the Old Dominion Council the Blind and Visually Impaired, came the roll call of affiliates conducted by ACB National Secretary, Elizabeth Lennon. The keynote address, titled "Advocacy by the Blind Throughout the World," was presented by Duncan Watson, Esq., President of the World Blind Union and Chairman of the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Other highlights of the first general session included an address by Nell Carney, Acting Commissioner, Virginia Department for the Visually Handicapped and Commissioner Designate of Rehabilitation Services Administration in Washington, DC. Highlights of the July 4th general session included an "Update the Continuing Importance of Library Services," presented by Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. "Technology and You, an Overview of Technology for the Layman" was presented by Doug Wakefield, President of Talking Computers in Arlington, Virginia. Jim Doherty, founder and Director of Newspapers for the Blind, Inc., and Cheryl Duke, of Opening Door Foundation, were speakers. Jim Dickson of Project Vote, completed the program with a talk titled, "Sailing in the Fog, Debating William Buckley and More." Wednesday morning's session included an address by Lt. Governor Doug Wilder of the Commonwealth of Virginia. A panel discussion followed titled, "Pros and Cons about Categorical and Generic Services for the Blind." This was followed by the presentation "Virginians with Disabilities Act and the Role of the Department for the Rights of the Disabled," and an update on "Free Matter for the Blind Mailing Privilege." Thursday, July 6 highlights included the presentation of the ACB 1989 Scholarships, the report of ACB President, Dr. Otis Stephens, selection of the 1991 ACB Convention location (Tampa, FL was selected), and the reading of proposed amendments to the ACB constitution and bylaws and of ACB resolutions. General sessions at the ACB Convention are held in the mornings and special interest affiliates "mini" conferences are scheduled for afternoons. Social events are scheduled generally in the evening. Convention members and their families also enjoyed a feast of choices of tours. Besides the Colonial Williamsburg and Fredericksburg pre-convention tours, there were trips to go deep sea fishing, see Busch Gardens, visit Civil War battlegrounds, enjoy a dinner cruise, see Jamestown, tour Washington, DC (including Arlington Cemetery and the Kennedy gravesite) and Monticello. Friday and Saturday, July 7-8, the business meeting of the ACB Convention was held. There was a report from ACB National Representative, Oral Miller and a report from ACB Treasurer, LeRoy Saunders. Consideration of proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws was conducted by Jean Mann, Chairperson of the ACB Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Resolutions Committee Chairperson Allen Jenkins presided at the reading and consideration of resolutions. (Constitutional amendments and resolutions are detailed elsewhere in this issue.) On Saturday, elections were concluded. There is not enough space to permit specific comment on each presentation for the 1989 ACB Convention. We thank every participant who gave their time so that we might convene and fulfill the purpose stated in Article II of our ACB constitution which begins: "The purpose of the American Council of the Blind is to strive for the betterment of our total community. ..." And so we do ... and so we will. (Billie Jean Hill is a member of the ACB Board of Publications. She is Director of Public Relations for the Blinded Veterans Association and Editor of the Association's newsletter, The BVA Bulletin.) ***** ** Report on Constitution and Bylaw Changes By Jean Mann Every year at our National Convention at least part of two sessions is spent considering possible amendments to the ACB Constitution and Bylaws. This past summer in Richmond, Virginia, was no exception. Friday was the day when the final reading and vote of "yea" or "nay" by the membership was taken on significant issues relating to the business affairs of ACB. Those amendments that passed through the reading, debating and voting process are presented after the text of this article. It is my pleasure to announce that the Board of Publications will be making constitutions available to ACB members in print and braille. Copies of the 1989 amended Constitution and Bylaws will become available in mid-October, 1989. You may request them from the national office. Many thanks are due to my committee members who were as follows: Gayle Krause; Janet Clary; Ken Morlock; and Julian Siewierski. Thanks also to those of you who submitted amendments and to all of you who participated in those lively debates on the convention floor. You have made chairing this committee both an enjoyable and a learning experience. Finally, if you're unhappy with the amendments that passed the convention this year, or there is something you would like to see changed, present it in writing to next year's Constitution and Bylaws Committee. We'll be waiting for you. * Bylaw 3: Dues B. Affiliate dues shall be paid on a per capita basis at the rate of three dollars ($3.00) per voting member, provided that no affiliate shall pay more than one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars ($1,875.00) per year. (This represents a $1.00 per year increase per member up to the designated ceiling.) * Bylaw 6: Standing Committees F. Each year, not less than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the convening of the annual convention, the president shall appoint a chairperson and at least two additional members to an A wards Committee. The Committee shall have the responsibilities of receiving written nominations, screening and evaluating such nominations, and selecting, under criteria established by the board of directors, the recipients of all this organization's awards except those awarded for which responsibility has been delegated by the board of directors to other entities such as the Board of Publications. The determinations of the committee concerning recipients of awards under its jurisdiction shall be final. * Article V: Powers and Duties of the Convention, the Officers, the Board of Directors, and Committees D. The Nominating Committee shall consist of one (1) person from each affiliate, the method of selection to be determined by the affiliate, provided, however, that any one individual shall not be appointed to the Committee on behalf of more than one (1) affiliate, and provided that the individual selected is not currently an officer of the American Council of the Blind, except in such cases where that officer is the only representative of an affiliate present at the convention. No person actively seeking election shall serve on the Nominating Committee. ***** ** Summary, 1989 Resolutions The Resolutions Committee (Allen Jenkins, California Council of the Blind, Chairman) presented 24 resolutions for consideration by the 28th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind, held in Richmond, Virginia. These resolutions are summarized below. For further information or the complete text of specific resolutions, contact the ACB national office. 89-01. States that ACB opposes H.R. 1627 which would authorize the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) to purchase, with Federal Quota Funds, educational materials and equipment not produced by APH, thus setting the stage for fragmenting the quota system that has been in place for approximately 100 years as a means for providing such materials and equipment to blind children throughout the country. 89-02. Endorses passage of H.R. 2235 into law by Congress which, if enacted, would expressly grant to Section 503 claimants a private cause of action in the Federal Courts. 89-03. Respectfully requests all ACB state affiliates, special interest affiliates, and local chapters to sponsor at least one special fund-raising project each year, the proceeds from which would be donated to the national organization for its programs and services, or alternatively, that each member organization agree to earmark a percentage of its overall fund-raising income for donation to the national organization. 89-04. Requests the ACB president to appoint a committee charged with the responsibility for developing guidelines and other suitable material and procedures for use by state and local affiliates, as well as individuals and school districts, in the development of meaningful and appropriate instructional units which would help in developing positive attitudes toward blindness in elementary and secondary school students. 89-05. Directs the ACB President and staff to communicate to the appropriate Congressional committees now considering reauthorization of the Education of the Handicapped Act as follows: 1. that the EHA should be reauthorized this year as scheduled without resort to the automatic extension currently contained in the law; and, 2. that ACB strongly urges the House Subcommittee on Select Education and the Senate Subcommittee on the Handicapped to include in their committee reports language to the effect that handicapped children should be educated in the most enabling, as well as the least restrictive, environment possible which will provide the intensity and frequency of services necessary to meet the handicapped child's unique academic and social needs; and, 3. that ACB reaffirms its support for report language on this issue previously submitted to Congress by letter dated April 23, 1989, which was endorsed by 15 national organizations in the blindness and deafness communities. 89-06. States that ACB supports the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1989 and instructs its officers and staff to undertake all appropriate actions in support of this bill which, if adopted, would represent an additional giant stride in overcoming discrimination against the disabled, including the blind, by covering all employers engaged in commerce who have 15 or more employees; public accommodations; transportation companies; and state and local governments. This resolution also urges all ACB affiliates to support the ADA by, among other things, communicating with each state's congressional delegation. 89-07. Respectfully requests and urges the State of Hawaii to modify its quarantine policy so that adequately vaccinated and tested dog guides may enter Hawaii without the requirement of quarantine. 89-08. Requests guide dog schools in the United States and Canada to assist guide dog users who are faced with extreme medical and/or other personal emergencies by offering to kennel and provide ongoing work reinforcement to the guide dogs, provided that such services be furnished only after presentation of appropriate documentation from a qualified medical person or social worker and that this care be terminated as soon as the dog user can resume responsibility for the dog. 89-09. Directs the ACB President to appoint a convention coordinator to assist in seeking out and developing sites for the national convention, developing contract proposals from hotels and other convention facilities, convention bureaus, and other relevant entities, on a single or multi-year basis; and, resolves that all such proposals be submitted to the president, who with the concurrence of the board of directors, shall make final decisions concerning them, paying due regard to varying geographic locations of conventions in selecting sites and to the wishes and interests of any state affiliate affected in hosting a national convention; and, authorizes the president, with the concurrence of the board of directors, to contract for convention sites and facilities from 1992 to 1996; and resolved that the authority granted in this resolution shall terminate at the end of the 1994 national convention unless extended by convention action. 89-10. Directs ACB to convey to the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives, in particular, and generally to all House members, its support for the enactment of The Act for Better Child Care Services of 1989 which contains an amendment which would increase the amount of exempt income permitted for Social Security retirees and SSDI beneficiaries from $740 per month to $880 per month, effective January 1, 1990. 89-11. Expresses ACB's appreciation to the American Foundation for the Blind and National Industries for the Blind for their substantial efforts by agreeing to provide joint funding which will assist the continuance and expansion of accredited services to agencies serving blind and visually impaired citizens of North America by the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped. 89-12. Supports the use of tactile edging surfaces on transit boarding platforms, and requests that ACB be consulted during the preparation of any regulations pertaining to tactile surface warning systems when and if they are developed and prior to their release for public comment. 89-13. Directs that ACB actively participate with ANSI, ATBCB and other entities in the development of appropriate standards for tactile surface warning indicators, with the goal that ANSI should incorporate such specifications in its 1991 revised standards; and, that the ACB President appoint an Environmental Access Committee composed of experienced and knowledgeable ACB members by August 1, 1989 to facilitate the (continued) implementation of this project and to facilitate future projects or initiatives to assure an environment which is usable by all persons who are blind or visually impaired; and, that updated reports of this project be made to the ACB Board of Directors at its regular meetings, commencing with its fall, 1989 meeting and that a report be made to the general membership at the time of the 1990 annual convention. 89-14. Urges the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to utilize today's computers and telecommunication technology to make its complete database independently searchable by blind and physically handicapped persons either through touch-tone telephone access or through an inexpensive and simple to use system accessible by a personal computer and modem; and further directs that a copy of this resolution be sent to Frank Kurt Cylke, Director, NLS and finally, that this topic be included on the agenda of the next regular meeting between NLS and ACB. 89-15. Urges the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to maintain separate categorical funding for long term training projects in blindness and further urges increased Federal funding for blindness training programs funded by the RSA. 89-16. Directs the ACB president and staff to: 1; communicate with the Assistant Secretary of OSERS to urge the Department of Education to take immediate steps toward making public laws, regulations, and proposed regulations of interest to blind and visually impaired persons available in braille, large print, or other accessible formats without delay; and, 2; communicate with appropriate members of the U.S. Senate and the Director of the Senate Services Department to commend their initial efforts toward making printed material accessible to braille and large print readers; and, 3; take any necessary steps (including the filing of civil rights complaints under Section 504) which may become necessary against Departments or agencies which do not make a good faith effort to produce relevant laws, regulations, and proposed regulations in braille, large print or other accessible form for use by their employees and members of the public. 89-17. Requests all operating telephone companies to provide, in addition to numbers, addresses and information from the classified pages of telephone directories; and directs that copies of this resolution be transmitted to Federal District Judge Harold Greene, General Telephone, AT&T and the regional telephone operating companies. 89-18. Regarding the Congressional allocation of five million dollars to assist states to develop proposals for a statewide, consumer-responsive system for technology-related assistance to individuals with disabilities, this resolution voices concern that many states are developing plans that focus more on needs assessment than on actually developing appropriate modes of access and other direct services to individuals who are disabled (despite the fact that ACB is convinced that sufficient knowledge concerning access is already available). The resolution goes on to urge Federal officials, providing technical assistance to this project, to encourage states to develop plans aimed at assuring that each state's council will develop strategies aimed at actually arriving at meaningful plans to promote access to technology for disabled persons; and, that ACB also urges states to try to assure that the activities funded under this program will promote the creation of models leading directly to the implementation of approaches that will lead to the provision of technology to persons who are disabled. 89-19. Urges the NLS to make the following changes in braille specifications: 1. that, tables of contents for all volumes be provided at the beginning of the first volume of a multi-volume book and that each subsequent volume, of each such book, contain the table of contents for that volume; and, 2. that print numbers (where applicable) be included on the braille label on the outside of the front cover of each braille volume of such multi-volume books. 89-20. Defeated. 89-21. Urges that the minimum compliance indicators for standards governing Independent Living programs receiving funds under Title VII, Part B, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, be appropriately modified so as to retain, not disqualify, Independent Living Centers which serve blind and visually impaired people primarily and, that any attempt to pursue adoption of the compliance indicators be deferred until the population affected has had ample opportunity to read such proposed compliance indicators in a medium to which it has direct access. 89-22. Affirms the benefits of libraries conducting semiannual forums to which all NLS patrons are invited so that the patrons may regularly communicate their interests and needs to the local libraries (regional/subregional) within the NLS system. 89-23. Clarifying language which may have been ambiguous in Resolutions 86-04 and 87-13, this resolution reaffirms its support for payment of at least the statutory minimum wage for all blind and visually impaired workshop workers who have no additional documentable disability; and, resolves that only those blind and visually impaired workshop workers for whom documentation demonstrates a disability, in addition to visual impairment that can be shown to substantially affect productivity, will receive less than the statutory minimum wage, and, that ACB continues to urge all organizations working with workshop employment to seek legislation and regulations that will assure that, for those individuals who cannot meet the criteria for receiving the statutory minimum wage, a floor of no less than 75 percent of that wage shall be set. 89-24. Expresses deep appreciation to the hotels, volunteers, ACB Convention Committee, Host Affiliate and staff for a most successful convention. ***** ** 1989 ACB Election Results During the ACB national convention, LeRoy F. Saunders of Oklahoma City, OK, was elected President following the retirement from office of Dr. Otis H. Stephens, whose teaching and other professional responsibilities at the University of Tennessee prevented him from seeking another term of office. Paul Edwards of N. Miami, FL, was re-elected First Vice President. Charles S.P. Hodge, of Arlington, VA, was re-elected Second Vice President. Patricia Price of Indianapolis, IN, was elected Secretary following the retirement from office of Elizabeth Lennon. Brian Charlson of Watertown, MA, was elected Treasurer following the election of the former Treasurer, LeRoy F. Saunders, to the Presidency. Ninetta Garner of Romney, W.Va., was elected to fill a three-year unexpired term on the Board of Directors and Grant M. Mack, of Salt Lake City, UT, was elected to fill a one-year unexpired term on the Board of Directors. In the next issue of The Braille Forum a complete list of ACB officers and directors with addresses will be published. ***** ** Finally, A Talking, Friendly VCR By Billie Jean Hill A while ago, I gave up trying to operate a VCR because of the frustration of not seeing well enough to read the settings. There was no way to know, for sure, if one had selected the correct program, the correct channel, the correct time. I wanted to record "Gone With the Wind." I recorded a tractor pull and mud wrestling. But it may be worth another try, if the information about the new talking VCR is as good as they (manufacturer) say. The world's first voice synthesized remote control VCR provides step-by-step voice coaching to aid programming. The products were not developed for blind people, but may be very useful for visually impaired consumers who wish to operate a VCR independently. There are three models of talking VCR systems, all manufactured by Sharp Electronics. The "voice escort system remote control" provides audible instructions and prompts the programmer through each step of video recording and other functions such as setting an alarm clock to wake a person or to remind one when a favorite program starts. The talking VCR models are: Optonica VC-G96OU, VC-G98OU and VC-G99OU. Prices range from $450 to $1,000. For more information, write: Sharp Electronics Corporation, Optonica Product Dept., P.O. Box 650, Mahwah, NJ 07430. Phone (201) 529-0322. ***** ** President Bush Appoints Justin Dart Chairman of PCEPD On July 27, 1989, President George Bush appointed Justin W. Dart, Jr. as Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. You may remember that Justin Dart served as Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration in 1986-1987 at the request of President Ronald Reagan. Other qualifications for this new position include one congressional and four presidential appointments in the area of disability policy. Dart was instrumental in the drafting of "Toward Independence" while Vice-Chair of the National Council on Disability in 1985. In fact, it was "Toward Independence" that led to the introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), recently passed by the Senate and under consideration in the House of Representatives at the time of this writing. Justin Dart is the fourth Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and replaces Harold Russell, who chaired the 42-year-old Executive Agency for 25 years. As a result of his advocacy efforts for the civil rights of persons with disabilities for more than thirty years, Dart was selected as the Disabled American of the Year in 1988 by the President's Committee. Most recently, Dart has been serving as Chairman of the Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, a task force established by Congress in 1988 to investigate the quality of life for America's 37 million persons with disabilities. Many ACB members have assisted the Task Force by providing useful information. ***** ** Ski for Light International Week Don't hibernate this winter! Celebrate the 15th annual Ski for Light International Week with us at Cragun's Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota! From February 24 to March 4, 1990 you will have the opportunity to learn to cross?country ski with experienced instructor/guides from across the USA and Norway. In addition to making new friendships and creating a healthier lifestyle, you will learn about the people and culture of northern Minnesota from our variety of evening programs. Contact Alan Shlank, 4019 N. River St., Arlington, Virginia 22207, (703) 538-4713. Some stipends are available. ***** ** Blind Date By Larry Harper Adult dating, that is the search for someone with whom to bond, is often full of unknowns. These usually include feelings of curiosity, enthusiasm, and apprehension. As a man who has a vision disability, I find a unique and sometimes awkward element is added to this equation. Growing up I learned that it's very important to initiate friendliness. Discovering women for prospective dates makes this approach imperative. Unfortunately, my vision loss makes this sort of approach very difficult in social gatherings. In other words, if you can't observe who is present it's next to impossible to pick out a promising female with whom to "start up" a conversation. Also, in the course of my professional and personal business activities, whenever I meet a woman who "looks" interesting she is inevitably married, engaged, living with someone or seriously involved. Experts who have done studies on finding your "significant other" state that your best bet is to increase the number of opportunities you have to meet likely dates. Taking this advice to "heart," some time ago I contracted with a company appropriately named Great Expectations. This business, which has centers throughout the country, provides me with a very positive environment for meeting that "special woman." For the benefit of many people who have had no experience with a dating service I wanted to tell about my membership. In addition, for those who have had a negative experience, they may want to consider the options offered by this company. Great Expectations has an excellent method for meeting potential dates, and I have personalized this process to fit my special circumstances. So, here is my story. When using this service, as with most things in life, you get the best results by inciting action. This means actively using the membership library to make selections for prospective dates. For vision impaired members a staff person acts as a reader for reviewing the personal profiles. The video interviews provide further member details. I find listening to the audio portion of the videocassette very informative. When you have selected an individual and want to extend an invitation to them to meet you, a postcard is sent to them on your behalf. Normally the person selected would then go to the Great Expectations office to review your file and decide whether or not to accept your invitation. If yes, the service then gives both parties the other's name and telephone number for direct contact. Based on my personal experiences and with expert staff advice I have made the following adjustments and additions to this procedure. These "customizations" have proven beneficial to me as a person who has a vision disability. 1) In both my written profile and the video interview I have made a brief, honest statement regarding my physical impairment, namely vision loss. 2) When my initial invitation is mailed to another member, I have Great Expectations enclose an audiocassette "voice letter" from me and a recent color photograph. The tape is short, friendly, and tells the person why I selected them. 3) Finally, I leave the following note with the office staff. It is given to the other party after they have reviewed my file. The note's text reads as follows: "While it's true most of us have handicaps of one sort or another, many people have no personal experience with others who have a physical limitation. If at this point you are trying to decide whether or not to meet me and your decision hinges on my vision loss, I may be able to help you. Please call me and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have concerning my vision disability." One final point of special importance is my use of a portable tape recorder, a familiar "tool" for most vision impaired individuals. I use this equipment to make an audio copy of both printed profiles and video interviews. Later playback has proven very helpful in recalling personal details of the members I have reviewed. Happily I have found that my various adaptations to the system used by Great Expectations have given me an opportunity to demonstrate one aspect of personal creativity, as well as stimulate female interest in a somewhat unique way. Hopefully this detailed description of my use of a dating service will be of value to other vision impaired consumers. These suggestions are offered consistent with the spirit that we live to have awareness broadened. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * FOR SALE: New Audiovox Cellular Telephone. Retail $700.00. Will sell for $350. Call Mary Heller in West Lafayette, IN; (317) 447-3484. * FOR SALE: Optacon, purchased in 1978 but in excellent condition -- instruction materials included. $700 or best offer. Contact in any medium at any time. Ms. Pat Smolak, 77 Linwel Rd., Unit 65, St. Catharines, Ontario, CANADA L2N 6R1 (416) 646-3996. * FOR SALE: Perkins Brailler L9717. New -- has never been out of box. $350.00. Contact Lois F. Wachtman, Rt. 6, 11577 Fruit Ridge Drive, Defiance, OH 43512. * FOR SALE: Braille N' Speak Pocket Computer; 1 Yr. Old with print, braille and cassette manuals. $500 or best offer. Machine is still under warranty. Call: Richard Hutcheson: Day: (315) 267-2587; Eve: (315) 265-5757. * FOR SALE: Quick Reference to Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-III. Braille, 4 volumes, excellent condition. $20. Write first to confirm availability. Janell Peterson, 303 Harvard Ave., East, Apt. 302, Seattle, WA 98102-5487; (206) 328-4778. * FOR SALE: Eureka A4 Advanced User Option: very good cond. $1,895.00. Price includes UPS shipping anywhere in US or Canada. Purchased in October 1988. Price also includes manuals on cassette and disk, plus over 200 games and utilities programs. Contact in braille, cassette, or phone. Keith Bucher, P.O. Box 130, Reader, WV 26167 (304) 386-4332. * MUST SELL: Viewscan Text System (VTS); Dual Disk Drive (sold by HumanWare/Sensory Aids Corp.). $800 or best offer. Laura Oftedahl (703) 548-3548. ***** ** Here and There By Elizabeth Lennon The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has produced a cassette tape which discusses DOE's financial aid programs and state and private sources of financial aid for handicapped students. The guide is in the form of a dialogue between a visually impaired student and an information specialist at DOE's Federal Student Aid Information Center. "There is no reason that a person who is blind cannot be a chiropractor," emphatically states Allan Zoeller, D.C., 38, in an article in Tech News. His low vision was the only reason given by the Texas State Board for not permitting him to become a chiropractor. He was not even allowed to take the test, despite having passed required courses at Pasadena City College in California and at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City. He was permitted to take the test only after the Texas Commission for the Blind joined him in his appeal to the State Attorney General. "I took it and passed," Dr. Zoeller said, "and since then four others have taken the test and passed." From San Antonio Light: Following eight years of concerted effort by persons with various disabilities -- members of the Alamo Council of the Blind, representatives from the San Antonio Center for Independent Living, wheelchair users, hearing impaired persons, and non-handicapped friends and advocates -- trustees of the San Antonio (TX) VIA Metropolitan Transit System voted unanimously to extend VIA?Trans service to the legally blind. Previously VIA-Trans service was available only to handicapped persons unable to use regular bus service, and the service was offered to blind persons only on a temporary basis while undergoing a "mobility training course" to learn how to use the regular bus system. The group is now pushing for a policy change requiring that all newly purchased buses be wheelchair accessible. Light and Easy is a pamphlet containing twelve recipes which include microwave instructions. It is available in standard print, large print, and braille. For a free copy, write Rice Council, P.O. Box 740121, Houston, TX 77274. *** Two cookbooks, Mouth-Watering Microwave Favorites and Classic Casserole Favorites, are available in braille and large print from the San Francisco Valley Council of the Blind (SFVCB). These books have been produced by members and friends of SFVCB. The large-print edition costs $10.00 and the braille edition $15.00, plus $.75 per book for handling. Allow two weeks for delivery. Make checks payable to SFVCB and mail orders to Obbie Schoeman, 4501 La Granada Way, La Canada, CA 91091. *** The Visually Impaired Secretarial/Transcribers Association has produced Vista Vittles, a cookbook in large print or braille. Cost is $10.00. Send orders to Milly Stokes, 818 Woodlawn Avenue, H-4, Wilmington, DE 19805. The University of Kansas Audio?Reader Network, a statewide system of radio reading services has for sale a cookbook containing a wide variety of recipes submitted by the Audio-Reader staff, volunteers, and listeners. The braille version (in two soft-cover volumes) costs $12.00; the professionally recorded tone? and voice-indexed cassette version costs $10.00; print and computer disk versions (either Apple or MS-DOS text files) cost $5.25. Make checks payable to Audio-Reader Network, and address orders to P.O. Box 847, Lawrence, KS 66044. *** Package directions for the complete new line of Lipton Side?Dish Products are now available in braille and large print. For a 60-page spiral-bound braille copy (three-hole punch available upon request) or a magazine-formatted large-print copy, send $6.00 to: TFB Publications, 238 75th Street, North Bergen, NJ 07047; (201) 662-0956. TFB also brailles appliance operating manuals as well as other materials, and has many other publications in braille. A six-volume large-print encyclopedia set in 18-point type on glare?free paper is available for $274.00 from Columbia University Press, 166 S. Broadway, Irvington, NY 10533. According to the American Optometric Association, new eyeglasses have been developed for people with macular degeneration and other potentially blinding eye diseases. Although the new glasses do not improve vision, they do improve the appearance of those people who wear them. Currently, glasses that help people with macular degeneration see better have telescopes mounted on the outside of the lenses. In many cases wearers have to make a psychological adjustment to the use of these glasses, in addition to adjusting to their loss of central vision. However, Larry D. Spitzberg, O.D., has developed miniaturized telescopes that fit inside rather than outside the lenses. The telescopes are currently being tested at the University of Houston/Lighthouse Rehabilitation Clinic, with funding provided by the National Eye Institute. Recently the Board of Trustees of American Foundation for the Blind unanimously approved additional financial support for the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC), reflecting confidence in the organization's work. "The American Foundation for the Blind has maintained a historic commitment to developing and maintaining standards of service which improve the quality of life for blind and visually impaired people," said John S. Crowley, Chairman of AFB's Board of Trustees. "Through this financial commitment, we hope to support NAC's mission in applying those standards for accreditation in the areas of management and delivery of services for blind and visually impaired Americans." From Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness: Moon Writer is a portable embosser that enables the user to write the Moon system, an alternative to braille which consists of embossed lettering based on the Roman alphabet. Moon Writer was developed by Possum Controls Ltd., in association with the Royal National Institute for the Blind. For information write Possum Controls Ltd., Middle Green Road, Langley, Slough, Berkshire SL3 6DF, England. *** Country Gospel singer, Terri Gibbs, is donating 1% of the royalties from her album, "Turnaround," to the Augusta, GA, Subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Ms. Gibbs, who has been blind since birth, is an avid talking-book reader who delights in reading while on tour. Her donation will go toward the purchase of additional large-print books and shelving, as well as to expanding the library. "Money Talks" is a series of audio cassettes for women at crisis points in their lives, produced by FINTAPES, Inc., a Washington, DC corporation of women professionals formed in 1984. Tapes are written by financial planners, attorneys, and other experts in the fields of financial, estate and retirement planning, economics, divorce litigation, and taxes. They are narrated by professional readers. The five tapes currently available are: "What Every Wife Should Know: Financial Guide for Widowhood"; "Suddenly Single: Financial Guide for Women Facing Divorce"; "Put Your Money to Work: What You Should Know Before You Invest"; "Single, Living Together, and Savvy: Money Guide for Unmarried Couples"; and "Protect What is Precious: A Sensible Guide to Insurance." The tapes are available for $12.95 each plus $2.00 for handling and shipping from Fintapes, Inc., Dept. G, Washington Square, P.O. Box 66536, Washington, DC 20035-6536. Swimming: An Introduction to Swimming, Diving and SCUBA Diving for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals is the third in a series of leisure-pursuit bibliographic books being published by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. The book includes articles about blind and handicapped swimmers as well as a list of books on cassette, on disc, and in braille. Swimming is available on request from Reference Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542. It is currently available in large-print and will soon be available on flexible disc and in braille. The 41st edition of Expectations, Braille Institute's anthology of children's literature, will soon be available in braille, free of charge to English-speaking blind children in grades 3-6. This year's science fiction and fantasy theme offers exciting stories, poetry, "scratch and sniff" microfragrance labels, and four embossed, colored illustrations. To receive a copy, write Douglas Menville, Braille Institute, 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. *** Braille Institute also indicates that it can now accommodate additional subscriptions for The Braille Mirror, a free braille magazine published ten times a year. The magazine contains humor, recipes, poetry, and informative articles about world events, science, economics, culture, medicine, travel, and many other subjects. Many articles are reprints from popular publications. Anyone interested in subscribing is asked to contact Mr. Menville at the above address. Vision Foundation, Inc., a self-help organization for people coping with sight loss, announces publication of the 12th edition of its popular Vision Resource List. The list contains 145 brochures, catalogs, and other materials in print, large-print, disc, and cassette, many of them free of charge, gathered nationwide. Many of the items have been recorded on two-track cassette for people who can no longer read print and who do not read braille. To receive a free copy, contact Vision, 818 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02172; (617) 925-4232. ***** ** ACB Officers * President: LeRoy Saunders Box 24020 Oklahoma City, OK 73124 * First Vice President: Paul Edwards 170 N.E. 123 Street North Miami, FL 33161 * Second Vice President: Charles Hodge 1131 S. Forest Drive Arlington, VA 22204 * Secretary: Patricia Price Riley Tower 2, Apt. 2102 600 N. Alabama St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 * Treasurer: Brian Charlson 57 Grandview Avenue Watertown, MA 02172 * Immediate Past President: Otis H. Stephens 2021 Kemper Lane, S.W. Knoxville, TN 37920 ###