The Braille Forum Vol. XXXIV January 1996 No. 6 Published By The American Council of the Blind ***** The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Paul Edwards, President Oral O. Miller, J.D., Executive Director Nolan Crabb, Editor Sharon Lovering, Editorial Assistant National Office: 1155 15th St. N.W. Suite 720 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 467-5081 Fax: (202) 467-5085 Electronic bulletin board: (202) 331-1058 The Braille Forum is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape and MS-DOS computer disk. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to: Nolan Crabb, The Braille Forum, 1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Patricia Beattie, treasurer, at the above address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the council's continuing work, the national office has printed cards available to acknowledge contributions made by loved ones in memory of deceased people. 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" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 6 p.m. to midnight eastern time Monday through Friday. Washington, D.C., residents only call 331-2876. Copyright 1996 American Council of the Blind ***** ** Table of Contents President's Message: New Beginnings and Old Truths, by Paul Edwards News Briefs from the ACB National Office, by Oral O. Miller Texas Court Hands Down Landmark Decision on Voting Rights for the Blind, by W. Burns Taylor The Search Continues for Black Gold, by John A. Horst Investing in Access: When Persistence Pays Off, by Daveed Mandell Legal Access: A New Year and Time for New Attitudes, by Charles D. Goldman There's No Place Like Home on the Water for Him, by Sharon Lovering ACB to Award $45,500 in Scholarships to Outstanding Blind Students, by Jessica L. Beach Medicare Informational Items, by Glenn Plunkett Here and There, by Elizabeth M. Lennon Award Nominations Sought Toward A Clearer, Guiding Vision of the American Council of the Blind, by Jamal Mazrui ACB Membership At Large Applications Graphical User Interfaces and the Visually Impaired, Part I, by Charles Lott High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors Board of Publications ***** ** President's Message: New Beginnings and Old Truths by Paul Edwards The image of Janus, the Roman God with two faces — one looking forward and the other looking backward — depicted New Year's Day on medieval calendars. It is fitting that the ACB be depicted this way as 1996 begins. Last year we adopted a five-year plan and have now begun to implement it. One of the decisions embodied in this plan was the appointment of an executive director who would assume many of the day-to-day responsibilities of running the ACB which were formerly under the aegis of the president. One of the new beginnings we can celebrate at the commencement of 1996 is the appointment of Oral Miller to the position of executive director of ACB. It is easy to make appointments. It is much harder to alter habits that have persisted for two decades. The president, the board of directors and the staff will have to come to terms with this new reality and it will take time for us to develop and implement the new style of governance embodied in the constitutional amendments passed at the last ACB convention. This is also my first year as president and, for me, the adjustment to a position of immense responsibility has not been an easy one. Again my style and approach are very different from those of my predecessor. So, once again, new beginnings call for altered approaches. I think it is now possible to say pretty unequivocally that the principle of shared responsibility is working well. Different officers are working on different tasks and the whole burden of office does not fall just on the president. The first six months or so of my presidency have also afforded me an opportunity to become acquainted with many of the players and the issues at the national level and I have formed some tentative hypotheses about the current state of the game that I would like to share with you. First, I have had ample evidence that it is possible for organizations of and for the blind to cooperate with each other to accomplish change. The work that all blindness organizations did last summer to avert the demise of rehab as we know it was a clear indication that we can take joint positions and act on them to the benefit of all blind people. We are not doing a good job of publicizing the degree to which organizations are cooperating. Not all organizations involved in our efforts appear equally prepared to recognize and publicly acknowledge the degree to which joint effort is necessary and has occurred. This must change! Congress, regulators and state officials must know that, on very many issues, the blind and those who work with them are speaking with a single, clear voice and our ability to do this must be the very core of how we sell our positions! It has also become clear that all organizations interested in forwarding the interests of blind people must rethink how they operate. There will be an increasing number of decisions that will be made at the state and local levels rather than in Washington. How do organizations used to working together at the national level translate that cooperation into an ability to collaborate in the states and on local councils so that the interests of blind people can be protected? 1996 must be devoted to answering this question. This decentralization of decision making is clearly a new beginning and one that requires our immediate attention. What of the old truths? It seems to me they are of two kinds. One kind reaffirms the fact that, though an organization in flux at a time when the rights of disabled people have never been so threatened, the ACB continues to have the resiliency, flexibility and tenacity to survive and adapt as it has since its formation in 1961. The second kind of old truth relates to the cycle through which we are passing now at the national level. There have been times in the past when distortion of the truth has dominated politics and when rhetoric has replaced reason as the prime constituent of decision making in our legislature. These have typically been times that we would now regard as dark. The period immediately before the Civil War is one instance. The McCarthy era is another. I console myself when demagogues decry disability programs and diminish us to mere ciphers with the thought that reconstruction, flawed though it was, may have been the most innovative and truly democratic period in our history. McCarthy was followed by the civil rights movement and the beginning of the idea that all men and women, regardless of race or disability, have the right to equal protection under the law. This is perhaps a little heavy for a message at the beginning of the year but, at bottom, what I am trying to say to all of us is don't despair. To survive we must believe that our actions can and will have consequences. We must determine that we will lead our country past this era of unreason toward a more sensible time. 1996 is a year when we will elect a president and a Congress. Our voice must be heard demanding that politicians stop using disabled people as prime examples of waste in government and criminal graft! So the final old truth is that the only real defense there is against demagoguery is honest and optimistic reasonableness! That we have! And that we will and must use. Happy New Year everyone! * Caption Paul Edwards and Brian Charlson share a congratulatory handshake after the election at the Greensboro convention. ***** ** News Briefs from the ACB National Office by Oral O. Miller, Executive Director * Legislation Update Although any references I may make to recent legislative or regulatory matters should always be read in context with matters reported even more recently via the Washington Connection or specific legislative alert messages, it is very noteworthy that during the last several weeks of 1995, unlike similar periods in most other years, the legislative and regulatory pace hardly slowed down by one beat. As a result ACB, primarily in the person of Director of Governmental Affairs Julie Carroll, has been moving just as fast to promote or defend programs and services for blind people. For example, she recently defended the accessibility rights of blind people as a member of the Communications Subcommittee of the ADAAG Federal Advisory Review Committee, which rejected petitions by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the National Federation of the Blind to delete the requirement concerning truncated domes as detectable warnings. During the same period Ms. Carroll as a member of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities Task Force met with officials of the Justice Department regarding the need for better implementation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act relating to the distribution of information in accessible forms by state and local governments. Governmental issues which ACB dealt with actively in recent weeks included possible changes in the copyright law (which could impact enormously on the production of information in alternative forms) and the effectiveness of implementation of the employment-related provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thanks to efforts led by ACB and with the assistance of several other organizations, Congress set aside proposals which, if enacted, would have removed the priority created by the Randolph-Sheppard Act for vending facilities operating on certain federal government properties. While this matter has become entangled in the controversy between Congress and the White House which has now effectively shut the federal government down twice as of this date, the matter is not likely to be revived at this time. On the other hand, in spite of the heroic efforts of ACB and many other organizations, the House of Representatives has broken the linkage between the SSDI/SGA rules relating to blind people and certain retirees and it is likely that the Senate will do the same in the near future. Finally, the only way to stay up to date concerning very fast-moving legislative and regulatory issues is by calling the Washington Connection at least once a week — phone (800) 424-8666. * Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Legislation and regulatory action is often built on the foundation of history and, therefore, it is very important to learn that history. A recap of the history of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was the purpose of an impressive Capitol Hill reception which I recently attended. A short address in support of reauthorization of the act was delivered for President Bill Clinton, after which many of the "heroes and heroines" in implementation of education of disabled students were recognized. * Affiliate Convention Updates ACB board and staff members residing in the Washington metropolitan area were fortunate in that without leaving the area they were able to attend two outstanding recent affiliate conventions, namely those of the D.C. Association of Workers for the Blind (held in downtown Washington) and the Old Dominion Council of the Blind (held in suburban Arlington). Julie Carroll and Glenn Plunkett were the featured presenters on the D.C. program, on which I participated to a lesser extent, and Julie was also a featured speaker on the Old Dominion program, which I was able to enjoy as an interested attendee. The Old Dominion program also involved substantial participation by ACB Treasurer Patricia Beattie and board member Charles Hodge. Old Dominion conventioners were disappointed that illness prevented ACB board member Pam Shaw from making a scheduled presentation, but were delighted by the substitute presentation by Dr. Bud Keith in recounting his safari experiences during which he petted the head of a giraffe, tickled a rhinoceros, and was "peed on" by a crocodile. ACB national staff members who enjoyed taking part in nearby affiliate conventions recently include Nolan Crabb, who spoke in Harrisburg on the program of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, and Jessica Beach, who spoke in Wilmington at the invitation of the Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired. * New Publication Planned From time to time it is necessary for personnel in the ACB office to inform callers that there is not in existence a single up-to-date publication listing all the services, facilities, and programs that are accessible to blind or visually impaired people in the Washington metropolitan area. A publication something like the one just referred to was published approximately 10 years ago, but has not been kept up to date. In fact, it will probably not be possible to ever produce a publication that will achieve all of these objectives, but I am pleased to report that the ACB national office and the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in Washington plan to take a major step forward by producing such a handbook in the coming year. Since accessible services and features change rapidly, the handbook will probably be produced in such a way that it can be updated fairly easily. * Farewell and Good Wishes I regret to report the resignation of Glenn Plunkett from the ACB national staff. Mr. Plunkett, who is a nationally recognized authority regarding services and programs for elderly people, joined the staff approximately two years ago and during that time has provided exceptional service, especially in connection with the recently completed White House Conference on Aging. We wish Glenn good health and happiness as he retires from this, his third or fourth career, and enjoys spending more time with his ailing wife in their Baltimore home. * Welcome I am pleased to welcome to the ACB national office staff a very young new member named Hobbit — the recently acquired yellow lab guide dog of "Braille Forum" editor Nolan Crabb. Hobbit, a graduate of the training program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., has taken to his new role with enthusiasm and it is my understanding that he and Nolan now make the trek between the metro station and this office at a very spirited pace. The members of the ACB national office staff wish you a happy and successful 1996. ***** ** Texas Court Hands Down Landmark Decision on Voting Rights for the Blind by W. Burns Taylor (Editor's note: Mr. Taylor provided this information via the Internet. A resident of El Paso, Texas and a member of ACB, he is one of the small group of blind and disabled individuals who played a significant part in the way blind Texans will vote in the future.) In September of 1994, a group of persons with disabilities — Margarita Lightbourn, Ann Westbrook, W. Burns Taylor, Olivia Schonberger, Frank Lozano, Grant Downey, and Carri George — filed suit in federal district court against the County of El Paso, both Republican and Democratic parties in the county and against the Secretary of State of Texas for failure to provide accessibility to the polls for persons with disabilities. The plaintiffs charged that the County of El Paso and the State of Texas denied the blind, the visually impaired and others the right to vote a secret ballot. Two of the plaintiffs, Schonberger and Taylor, are officers in the El Paso chapter of ACB. During the pretrial phase of the suit, the local media had a feeding frenzy. Talk show callers vilified people with disabilities for jamming the courts with "just one more frivolous lawsuit." Burns Taylor, who was then serving on the editorial board of the local newspaper, resigned in protest over a particularly mean-spirited editorial written by a member of the editorial staff. His resignation was withdrawn, however, when the El Paso Times allowed him to publish his uncensored rebuttal. On June 12, just minutes before the trial was to begin, the County of El Paso settled with the plaintiffs. County officials immediately agreed to explore the feasibility of implementing some kind of system for voting a secret ballot. That left the Secretary of State as the only adversary in the case. During the trial that lasted for about three days, the witnesses alleged that having someone else fill out their ballots was humiliating and demeaning. Furthermore, they insisted that for a modest sum, the state could provide a modified system by which the blind and visually impaired could vote a secret ballot. Grant Downey, C.E.O. of the El Paso Lighthouse for the Blind, and Burns Taylor, a freelance writer and professor at the local community college, demonstrated that a blind individual could use the present voting machine with slight modifications to the ballot, supported by instructions in braille or on cassette tape. Another gentleman, not a plaintiff in the case, introduced an electronic method of voting, using a computer with synthesized speech and an ordinary touchtone telephone. This case, presided over by Judge David Briones, would have been positively stultifying for anyone not involved except for some redeeming touches of humor. Because the judge's bench is up so high and because he spoke through a microphone, his words sounded a little like the voice of God floating down from the rafters. Somewhat disoriented by this, Grant Downey, totally blind, stopped at one point during his demonstration of a tape-assisted voting system, wishing to address the judge directly, and asked, "Where is the judge?" When Taylor complained that directing someone else how to fill in his ballot at the polls meant having everyone nearby hear his choices, the female lawyer for the defense asked if he couldn't whisper his choices to the person assisting him. "I usually ask a male friend to vote with me," Taylor replied. "My friends are the type of guys ... who wouldn't take kindly to another man whispering in their ears, if you get my drift." Even the judge laughed at these remarks. Lawyers for the defense argued that what the plaintiffs were asking would work a fundamental change in the way all citizens voted and that it would be prohibitively expensive. They urged that sight-impaired individuals should be content to have either election judges or family members vote for them. On November 22, five months after the trial ended in U.S. district court, Judge Briones rendered his decision. At a press conference held in downtown El Paso he announced that he had found in favor of the plaintiffs and was giving the Secretary of State 30 days in which to arrive at an acceptable agreement with them. The judge then set another hearing for December 21 at which he said he would mandate a court-ordered remedy if the state had not settled by then. In his landmark decision that made the plaintiffs jubilant with its eloquence, Judge Briones said: "In this day of low voter turnout and general apathy in the electorate, simplifying access to the polls for a group of people with a history of political activity is in the best interest of both the state and federal government. It is their right as citizens and is required by the ADA ... Although it will not be easy, Texas has an opportunity to lead the nation into a world of equality for the handicapped and the disabled regarding the most cherished right and greatest responsibility in any democracy." James Harrington, the attorney who supervised the handling of the plaintiffs' case, expects the Secretary of State to ignore Judge Briones' ruling and refer the case to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Harrington heads up the Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin. In the wake of the judge's decision, El Paso County officials have agreed to set up a test run of a voting system in April '96, using a cassette tape player and the conventional portable voting machines. Pages of the ballot will be marked and taped instructions will inform voters which hole number to punch to choose each candidate on the page. The voter will then count down the requisite number of holes with the tip of the voting stylus and punch his or her own ballot. The county plans to have at least one special voting station set up at each polling place in El Paso County in time for the November 1996 general elections. All plaintiffs in the case objected that the present system of having someone else cast their ballots was awkward, embarrassing and offered no guarantee that the ballots were cast as they wished. This decision may well set a precedent for the rest of the nation and will certainly help to remove some of the last remaining vestiges of paternalism that say, "Don't worry about it. Here, let us do that for you." It is a triumph for ACB, for ADA and for Advocacy Inc., the agency responsible for the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act in Texas. Anyone desiring updated information about this important case or a copy of the judge's decision ($5 per copy) should leave voice mail for Burns Taylor at (915) 594-3170 ext. 1 or e-mail to burnst@laguna.epcc.edu. ***** ** The Search Continues for Black Gold by John A. Horst, Convention Coordinator When oil was discovered in Tulsa, Okla., June 25, 1901, early prospectors swarmed into the area to search for the precious black gold. As drillers sunk more and more wells, the frenzy increased. A second land rush was taking place. The first had been the homesteaders looking for rich farmland. The second was the oil prospectors seeking the valuable black liquid very much in demand by a growing nation. Tulsa, Okla., not only has great economic resources and industry, it also has the hotels and meeting space and the fascinating tour sites, all that is needed for a great convention. The ACB 1996 convention will take place Saturday, June 29 through Saturday, July 6. The lead hotel is the Doubletree downtown, located at 616 W. 7th St., Tulsa, OK 74127; phone (918) 587-8000. This hotel is connected to the convention center by a covered walkway. The overflow hotel is the Adams-Mark located at 100 E. 2nd St., Tulsa, OK 74103; phone (918) 582-9000. In earlier information in "The Braille Forum" we had indicated that the Howard Johnson Hotel in Tulsa was an overflow hotel. This has now changed. The Doubletree and the Adams-Mark are assisting with the convention center rental and the cost of shuttles. The Howard Johnson is not. As a result, the Howard Johnson will not be used until both the Doubletree and the Adams-Mark are full. Rates at the Doubletree and the Adams-Mark are $47 a night plus tax for single through quad. As usual, when making reservations, a credit card number or direct payment by check or money order must be provided for the first night's lodging. * Mid-year meetings ACB mid-year meetings are scheduled from Friday, February 2 through Monday, February 5, 1996 at the Doubletree downtown. There is another Doubletree on Yale Street in Tulsa. The Doubletree downtown provides free van transportation from and to the airport. There is a bank of hotel phones in the baggage area or you can call the hotel directly for pickup. The vans are radio-controlled. Cabs are also available; approximate cost to downtown is $16. * Tours The overnight tour for the 1996 convention will be to exciting Branson, Mo. The tour will depart early Friday morning, June 28, and return late Saturday afternoon, June 29. The tour will include an afternoon show, an evening show (Barbara Mandrell), a breakfast cruise, time for shopping and an I-max theater movie. This will be a great opportunity for convention attendees to visit Branson at a very reasonable cost. Several persons from the convention committee have been to Branson and can certify that Branson has great shows, reasonable hotel and food prices, and does not have the usual tourist trap atmosphere. The trip is being planned carefully so that there will be enough time to enjoy it. Watch the next "Braille Forum" for specific details. The Wednesday evening feature away from the hotel will be a short trip to Discoveryland that features an outstanding live performance of "Oklahoma!", hopefully with descriptive narrative. There will be additional tours daily with a wrap-up dinner theater the last Saturday evening. The ACB convention committee, assisted by the Oklahoma Council of the Blind host committee, Dale Lamar, chair, is actively working to plan a fabulous 35th convention. Make plans now to join the ACB rush to Tulsa. In 1836 it was the Native Americans who came to Oklahoma. In the land rush of the 1880s, it was the Sooners and the homesteaders. In 1901 it was the oil prospectors. And in 1996 it will be the American Council of the Blind. Like these early adventurers, you won't be disappointed in what you will find there. * Caption Leroy Johnson and Margarine Beaman catch up with one another for one brief moment during the ACB convention. The two are already busily working on the 1996 convention. ***** ** Investing in Access: When Persistence Pays Off by Daveed Mandell (Editor's note: Daveed Mandell is a member of the California Council of the Blind and is a freelance broadcast journalist based in the bay area.) Apparently, when a blind person speaks, the people at Charles Schwab and Company really listen. I was ready to go on the war path. But it looks like education and discussion are what's called for in my dealings with the nation's largest discount brokerage firm, headquartered in San Francisco. It all began a few months ago, when I had some money to invest, and wanted to work with a company that charges low commissions. Enter Charles Schwab. The customer service agent I spoke with on the phone was courteous and knowledgeable. Then the mail started coming. A veritable deluge of printed matter appeared in my mailbox and on my porch — letters, brochures, pamphlets, booklets of various shapes and sizes. I was drowning in a sea of print. What to do? I phoned Schwab, and told them I was blind. Could I obtain their material in braille, or perhaps on computer floppy diskettes? Silence ... and then a surprising answer. "Well, I've never heard of that before. No one has ever asked me. I'll find out and get back to you." I was hopeful. At least the person didn't hang up in disgust or disbelief. I never heard back from that customer service representative. Of course, I was somewhat impatient, so I called back two days later. This time, I received several responses from various traders, marketing agents, and salespeople in Schwab's local, regional, and corporate offices. I knew that the word had gotten out, and that people were mulling it over. They were listening! My local Oakland branch saleswoman became quite interested in my campaign to obtain accessible material from Schwab, and began calling around to different people in the company. After a few weeks, she discovered that Schwab's corporate counsel office had been working on ADA implementation for quite some time, but had never bothered to inform the customer service and sales departments. My trusty ally, Thelma Alane, sent off angry notes to marketing and other personnel within the company. Finally, I got a call from Scott Hunt of Schwab's corporate counsel office, wanting to talk to me about how to provide accessible material to blind and visually impaired customers. Hunt had already done his homework. He had found a listing for the National Federation of the Blind of California, and had spoken with its president, Jim Willows. Hunt had also contacted the Rose Resnick Lighthouse in San Francisco, which had referred him to MSMT Braille Center in Santa Rosa, Calif. I suggested other resources, such as the American Foundation for the Blind and the California Council of the Blind. I referred Hunt to Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, National Braille Press, National Disabilities Access Corporation, and other braille, large print, and recording producers. I had a pleasant conversation with Hunt. While he claimed it was just a coincidence that my queries reached his desk when they did, and that his office was already working on ADA implementation, there was no need to argue with him. I think my queries forced the company to start taking action. However, no matter the cause, Charles Schwab and Company appears to be moving in the right direction. That's what advocacy is all about. We shall see what happens in the near future. There will doubtless be some stumbling blocks ahead. But I think we blind customers and prospective customers have an ear at Schwab. When working with businesses, we need to be flexible, because there are numerous access possibilities for blind people. For instance, Schwab has just assigned a trader in the company's Denver office to work with any blind person who needs to have a fund prospectus read and explained over the phone, or to deal with any other matter that involves a lot of written material. As time goes on, additional staff will be assigned to work with blind people, depending on the demand for this service. I applaud Schwab's effort in this regard. If you have any suggestions as to how Charles Schwab and Company can make its printed matter accessible to us, please call Scott Hunt at (415) 296-5178. Alternatively, call customer service at (800) 435-4000, press 3, and leave a message with an agent, asking Hunt to call you back. By the way, a few days after I spoke with Hunt, he left me a message saying he had two particular fund prospectuses I wanted to read, and he was going to put them in the mail. And guess what! They are on diskette, in ASCII files! Hunt also sent me two booklets on investing and mutual fund basics, also on diskette. Indeed, the man is learning fast! Hunt has been receptive, and he wants to please Schwab's blind customers. As the song says, "Who could ask for anything more?" * Caption Daveed Mandell takes notes with his slate and stylus at a meeting during the convention. ***** ** Legal Access: A New Year and Time for New Attitudes by Charles D. Goldman (Reprinted with permission from "Horizons," January 1996.) Question: What word will Bill Clinton not use this year? (Answer at the end of the column.) Presidential years are always historic. The president elected this year will lead the United States into the 21st century. But it strikes me that as we lurch inexorably toward the election when we must vote — ostensibly FOR someone — the mood of the country is more and more AGAINST, anti-Washington, anti-spending, anti-everything. Complementing this negative attitude, more good people are leaving politics. And good programs are getting cut or are in the fights of their lives. It looks as though we are about to have a very negative national election campaign (Genifer Flowers, Whitewater, Waco, redux). In short, a look around the Capitol does not bode optimism for progressive causes — unless, as I hope, the anti-everything mood has already peaked. Politically, let's say goodbye to some very good people in 1996 after we ask them to stand up one final time for persons with disabilities. Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.) has been a champion of persons with disabilities for more than 20 years. His own commitment has been reinforced and vigorously carried out for decades thanks to good people on his staff, such as Judy Wagner. Congresswoman Pat Schroeder (D-Colo.) is leaving after 12 terms of talking common sense. Bid farewell too to Sens. Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas and Mark Hatfield of Oregon, whose departures make the term "moderate Republican" an endangered species. These are some of the political people who tried their darnedest to do good things — from both the policy and spending perspectives. These are just some of the people who give public service a good name. As we enter a new year, it's time to realize, contrary to the dittoheads, that Washington is not the evil incarnate unnecessary intruder into our lives. As we enter an election year in which there inevitably will be ranting and raving AGAINST the bureaucracy and Washington, it's time for a new attitude toward government and its role. Government can do good things. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which will come up for renewal in 1996 and will be heavily attacked by the budget cutters, is a classic example. In more than 20 years this law has profoundly changed public education. IDEA (and its predecessor, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, P.L. 94-142) has led to the education of a full generation of children with disabilities who have gone on to higher education and the workplace as qualified individuals. No longer are children with disabilities being unnecessarily shunted aside, their needs unmet. IDEA will be in the fight for its life next year. Let me try and change one other attitude by dispelling a myth of what will be at stake. Contrary to the expectations of some, money cut from IDEA will NOT be allocated to general federal education funding. All federal spending for education, including IDEA, is what will be at risk this year. Government has more good things it needs to do. Government needs to eliminate disincentives to persons with disabilities achieving true equal employment opportunity. This includes the disincentives of health insurance coverage benefits — both under a current employer's policies as well as social security Medicaid — when a person with a disability changes jobs or takes a new job. Limitations in insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, which are allowable under the law, do inhibit employment choices for persons with disabilities. Who is going to take or change a job if the result is that they will wind up paying major bucks for medical expenses in the new situation when the expenses were covered under the health insurance policy of their current job or by Medicaid? It is time to change our attitude toward health insurance and realize the impact of health insurance on equal employment opportunity. True equal employment opportunity for persons with disabilities (and minorities and women) will also come from meaningful enforcement (not hortatory rhetoric) of civil rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, by the government agencies. Five plus years after the ADA it is time to change our views and realize that the era of technical assistance is over. Precious resources at EEOC and the Department of Justice should be redirected to effective enforcement. We also need to remember our commitment to research. Actor, now prospective director Christopher Reeve, is about to enter the cause for spinal cord research, arguing the costs now will lead to results that will save many multiples of dollars in medical expenses in the future. In this anti-money era, it's time to remember and renew our commitment to research. Some of the best and brightest in the federal establishment are at the National Institutes of Health, one of the few agencies which rightfully had a budgetary increase. But the fiscal mood may put even NIH in the frying pan in 1996. Don't get me wrong. I am not an apologist for all the feds. Reinventing government, like the streamlining of corporate America, was long overdue. There are still too many layers of structure and basic duplication, even among agencies serving persons with disabilities. The Clinton administration's Office of Management and Budget memoranda on who is an "essential employee" are cannon fodder for the critics AND, equally importantly, reality checks for those federal employees who think the world could not survive without them. When the government was closed, the situation regarding some programs and people reminded those of us on the outside of the response of a wag, who upon learning of the death of President Calvin Coolidge ("Silent Cal," for his very few words) wondered, "How can you tell?" It is ironic that the combined actions of the majority in Congress and the president, both of whom have railed against waste in government, i.e. people getting paid and not working, etc., resulted in people being paid for not working during the shutdown. But it is the simple solutions of which we must be most leery. "No work, no pay" has a kernel of credibility, as does much of the anti-government agenda. But the next time you buy something in the grocery store or your airplane is cleared for takeoff, or your child goes to public school, wonder what would be different if there were no federal food inspector, air traffic controller or education money. We shape our attitudes toward government by determining what is the role of the government and how we view service to people (not service to or for ourselves). It's January and the public race for the White House begins in earnest. Candidates, Republican and Democrat, from Reagan to Clinton, have succeeded by running against Washington. It's time for someone to make public service a high calling and make clear that government can do good things. It's time for all of us, inside the establishment and out, to ask, as John F. Kennedy challenged us in January 1961, what we can do for our country. The one word Bill Clinton won't use this year is "liberal," even though all of his opponents will use it when attacking him. It's also time to change our attitude about labels. "Liberals," "conservatives," "the centrists" or "the disaffected" or other labels are not appointed, not elected to government offices and do not create gridlock. People, who serve in government — in executive agencies, in Congress — do. It's just like guns not killing people. People do. We are entering a year in which we select leadership for the new millennium. This is a major passage in time. The new century must bring us a new government, including the president, which is effective for and responsive to people who use, need and benefit from its services. It's time to rededicate government to the people, not the politicians, not the bureaucrats. It's time for new attitudes — of people toward government and for government to have a new attitude toward the people it serves, to be a truly people-friendly government. ***** ** There's No Place Like Home on the Water for Him by Sharon Lovering There's no place for mediocrity in the world of the winner. For most, such a statement would be a blatant cliche. But for Matthew Chao, a totally blind sailor who's been sailing for 15 years and racing competitively for the past five years, that statement represents a philosophy which has helped him win races and gain a passion for the excitement of competition and the chance to be one with the wind, the water, and the boat. Chao became involved in sailing in 1980 through the Carroll Center for the Blind's outdoors program, later the Sail Blind program. He has sailed in Boston Harbor, South Boston's Pleasure Bay, New Zealand, Australia, Rhode Island, Houston, and Chicago. And, he says he likes all types of sailing, but for different reasons. "Houston was fun because it was away from our home waters," he noted. Boston Harbor has a problem with the current, he adds; tides on lakes or oceans are different. Racing wasn't a big deal for him until 1991, when the Sail Blind program was invited to select a team for the first World Blind Sailing Regatta in New Zealand in 1992. Chao was selected as the helmsman of the B1 team. (A B1 classification means team members are totally blind.) The team did well in New Zealand. But when it competed in Australia in 1994, it didn't do as well because the boats were longer — 14 feet longer. The boats his team usually uses are 22 feet long, but in Australia they used a 36-footer. The other teams had the same problem, he adds. Sailing is a great hobby, he says, adding, "For me it's a passion. I've been a competitor since I was 14." While attending Perkins School for the Blind, he ran track; his best distances were the one- and two-mile races. He doesn't run anymore, but he swims four times a week, bikes when he can, skis, and is a ham radio operator. Chao graduated from the Perkins School for the Blind in 1972 and continued his education at Brandeis University, graduating in 1977. He trained as a rehabilitation counselor. He currently works for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. "I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be working in a prison," he says. He works with inmates who produce braille books for school children. "Working with cons is a real challenge," he explains. "It takes a certain type of person to work in a prison." He is also a computer consultant. In addition, he has his own electronic bulletin board, called Chao's Corner. "I was going to leave off the apostrophe, but I'm not that confused," he quipped. Like many other sports, in sailing "everything hinges on teamwork." There's a lot of communication going on between blind and sighted crew on the boats. "It takes a lot of practice," Chao says, to get to the upper part of the fleet. "For a good racing team, it's kind of intense." He described a scene from the Newport, R.I. race in August 1995, during which he and his team were sailing upwind and could beat a boat by sending the sails way up into the wind, then bringing them down. The team worked smoothly, every maneuver went just right, and Chao's team got into first place. The other team tried to catch them when the wind was behind them, but couldn't. Chao's team won. "That's the kind of sailing I've been doing this year," he said, describing it as intense and exhilarating. "I like passing others. It gives me a real kick." One of the obstacles he faced was getting comfortable with the boat and its moves. Additionally, he had to learn how to read the wind and adjust the sails accordingly. Now, he says, it's almost instinctive. But for a sailor with little or no experience, not knowing what to do or how to do it can make the difference between winning and losing a race. "In racing, if you start going slow, somebody's going to pass you," he says. Chao sailed with a disabled sailor in the North American Challenge Cup in Chicago; he was the only blind sailor there. He was supposed to be the man's crew, but the sailor had no experience and ended up following Chao's directions. The team came in last. On Chao's usual team, everyone works together to get things done. "The key to sailing is good crew dynamics," he says. Communication, commitment, trust, teamwork and good reflexes are important. Racing "allows us to be competitive ... it's exhilarating." He believes it's important for blind people to get out there, get noticed, and show John Q. Public their abilities. Sailing is a pursuit of excellence, he says. When he looks at himself and what's coming up, he wonders how much better he can be by race time. Blind sailors are no different from other sailors in a race, he affirms. "Everybody is excited when they win, and funked out when they lose." Sailing also allows blind and sighted people to have fun together. Sailing is "the great integrator of blind and sighted," he said. Chao said the only adaptive technology he uses is a talking compass. He programs his charted course into it, and the compass lets him know if he veers too far off course. If he goes off to the port, or left, side, the compass begins a series of low-pitched beeps; if he continues farther off course, the beeps become more rapid. Likewise, if he goes off to the starboard, or right, side, the compass begins a series of high-pitched beeps. The compass allows two and a half degrees variation on either side. In addition to the compass, he relies on sighted guides, one at the front of the boat and one at the rear. The Carroll Center provides the guides, and these guides take out the boat and dock it when they come back from sailing. But, Chao said, he knows how to do both with the proper assistance. He also uses a guide dog, Gentry, a mustard-yellow lab that's a "class clown" — one of her tricks is to give him both of her front paws and sit down on her rump like a person. In 1996, he said, the team will probably sail in Newport, R.I. and Boston's Courageous Cup. But he's looking farther ahead. In 1997, there will be an international event in Great Britain, and, he said, "You can bet I'll be tuning up for that in 1996." ***** ** ACB to Award $45,500 in Scholarships to Outstanding Blind Students by Jessica L. Beach, Scholarship Coordinator The American Council of the Blind will award 23 scholarships to outstanding blind students in 1996. All legally blind persons admitted to academic and vocational training programs at the post-secondary level for the 1996-97 school year are encouraged to apply for one of these scholarships. The Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarships will be awarded to the top two applicants in the following categories: entering freshmen in academic programs, undergraduates (sophomores, juniors and seniors) in academic programs, graduate students in academic programs, and vocational school students or students pursuing an associate's degree from a community college. Applicants will be compared with other applicants in their category. Each scholarship award is $2,500. The $3,000 Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship, provided by the Tarver Memorial Fund, will be awarded to an entering freshman. The $1,000 Dr. Mae Davidow Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student. The $2,500 William G. Corey Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a Pennsylvania resident. All qualified Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to apply. The NIB Grant M. Mack Memorial Scholarships, sponsored by National Industries for the Blind, will be awarded to two undergraduate or graduate students majoring in business or management. The amount of each of these scholarships is $2,000. The $2,000 Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student who is studying in a field of service to the disabled (i.e., rehabilitation, education, law, etc.). This scholarship is provided by the Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship Fund. The $1,000 Kellie Cannon Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student studying in the field of computer information systems or data processing. This scholarship is provided by the Visually Impaired Data Processors International, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. The $2,000 Arnold Ostwald Memorial Science Scholarship will be awarded to an entering freshman studying in the field of science. This scholarship is funded by a foundation established by the late Arnold Ostwald, a blind lawyer. The $500 Delbert K. Aman Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student who is either a resident of South Dakota or is planning to attend a South Dakota college or university. This scholarship is funded by the South Dakota Association of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. The Commonwealth Council of the Blind Scholarships will be awarded to two outstanding residents of the commonwealth of Virginia. Preference will be given to Virginia residents attending a Virginia college or university. One $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to an entering freshman and the other $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate. These scholarships are sponsored by the Commonwealth Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. The $1,000 Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship will be awarded to a Massachusetts resident. This scholarship is funded by the Bay State Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. The ACB of Colorado Scholarships will be awarded to two residents of Colorado. The amount of each of these scholarships is $1,500. These scholarships are sponsored by the American Council of the Blind of Colorado, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. Scholarship applications are available from the American Council of the Blind, Attn: Jessica L. Beach, Scholarship Administrator, 1155 15th Street N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 467-5081 or (800) 424-8666. All completed applications and supporting documents must be postmarked no later than March 1, 1996. In an effort to provide information in accessible media, the scholarship application will be available in braille, cassette and as an ASCII file on an MS-DOS 3.5-inch diskette for those students who request it. However, these versions of the scholarship application are for information use only. Scholarship applications and supporting documentation must be submitted in print only. Applications submitted in any format other than print WILL NOT be considered. To request an informational copy of the scholarship application in braille, cassette or computer disk, contact Jessica Beach at the address and telephone number listed above. Leading scholarship candidates will be interviewed by telephone in April. The ACB scholarship winners will be notified no later than May 15, 1996. The scholarships will be presented at the 35th annual national convention of the American Council of the Blind to be held June 29-July 6, 1996, in Tulsa, Okla. Scholarship winners are required to be present at the convention; ACB will cover all reasonable costs connected with convention attendance. Among the criteria to be considered in the selection of scholarship winners will be demonstrated academic record, involvement in extracurricular/civic activities and academic objectives. The severity of the applicant's visual impairment and his/her study methods will also be taken into account in the selection process. * John Hebner Memorial Scholarship Available The American Council of the Blind is pleased to offer the John Hebner Memorial Scholarship to a blind or visually impaired applicant who is gainfully employed full-time. This is a need-based scholarship enabling an individual to enroll in school while remaining employed full-time. The amount of the scholarship will be $500. The winning student will receive the scholarship during the 1996-97 school year. Qualified applicants should submit the documentation specified below to the Hebner Memorial Scholarship, American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th Street N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005 no later than March 1, 1996. Faxed application materials WILL NOT be accepted. All materials in the application packet MUST be neatly typed. Handwritten applications WILL NOT be accepted. Applicants must submit the following in order to be considered: 1. A personal statement explaining how the scholarship will be beneficial to you. Describe the class/classes to be taken and the benefits to be gained by being enrolled in the program. Applicants should describe their financial need and provide the scholarship committee with any relevant personal background information. 2. A resume including information about current and previous work experience, educational achievements, community service, etc. 3. A letter from the applicant's current employer confirming his/her employment status. 4. A statement from a medical doctor, rehabilitation specialist, or other qualified individual certifying that the applicant is legally blind. The definition of legal blindness is as follows: visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better corrected eye or a visual field of 20 degrees or less in the better corrected eye. To be eligible applicants must be legally blind in BOTH eyes. ***** ** Medicare Informational Items by Glenn Plunkett 1. Do you have access to a computer? Are you interested in Medicare and Medicaid programs? If so, the Health Care Administration (HCFA) is now on the information superhighway and any Internet user can access various kinds of information related to the programs. Internet users simply point your web browser to http://www.ssa.gov/hcfa/hcfahp2.html. You will be able to access HCFA's mission and vision statements, general and statistical information about the Medicare and Medicaid programs, regulations/law manuals, and HCFA Phone Directory for staff in HCFA's Baltimore and Washington, D.C. offices. Users can also scroll through the 1995 Medicare Handbook, the 1995 Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare, Medicare Q & A's — 85 Commonly Asked Questions, press releases, announcements and speeches. Pamphlets that address specific issues, such as disability, are also available. 2. HCFA has an initiative underway to educate staff and external partners about the needs of beneficiaries with disabilities. All HCFA publications produced are now reviewed to ensure that they are readable both for colorblindness and visual acuity impairment. A special effort is also being made to ensure that the language in the publications is simple and easily understandable. In the coming year HCFA will make all general publications available in large print, braille, a WordPerfect diskette, and audio cassettes. In addition, all video cassettes will be captioned for the hearing impaired. If you have any comments or suggestions about HCFA's disability initiative, you may contact Paul D. Mendelsohn at (410) 786-3213 (voice), (410) 786-7581 (TTY), or (410) 786-3194 (fax). Paul's e-mail address is pmendelsohn@hcfa.gov. 3. The following information is based on December 1995 information as published by HCFA. It is possible some changes may occur. In 1996 scheduled Medicare payments and premiums are: Part A Hospital Charges $736 for the first day; $184 a day for the 61-90th day: $368 a day for each reserve day Part A Skilled Nursing Facility Charges $92 a day for the 21-100th day Part B Premium $42.50 per month Part B deductible $100 per year. * Caption Jessica Beach and Glenn Plunkett enjoy a moment's rest from convention activities. ***** ** Here & There by Elizabeth M. Lennon The announcement of new products and services in this column should not be considered an endorsement of those products and services by the American Council of the Blind, its staff or elected officials. Products and services are listed free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be responsible for the reliability of products or services mentioned. * Accessibility Grant Microsoft Corp. has committed $300,000 to the Information Access Partnership, a collaboration between the World Institute on Disability and the Trace Research and Development Center. The partnership's goal is to increase the ability of people with disabilities to access and use new information technologies as they are being developed and introduced into schools, work places, homes and communities. * Special Media "America's Telability Media" is a directory identifying the nation's mass media that serve people with disabilities. It identifies media in all 50 states. Each entry has detailed information about the periodical or program, lists alternative media for the blind and visually impaired, as well as on-line availability. It's available in print and on 3.5-inch disk (WordPerfect 5.1 format) for $25 a copy, which includes postage and handling. For orders of five or more, the cost is $20 a copy. Send your check or money order to Telability Media, P.O. Box 1488, Columbia, MO 65205-1488. * Hotkey Systems HotKey Systems is a new company specializing in the sale and support of integrated computer systems for visually impaired and print-handicapped people. The company will provide on-site product demonstrations within commuting distance of New York City, and technical support for those who purchase its products. It sells products from Henter-Joyce, Arkenstone, TeleSensory Corp. and Robotron, as well as a range of braille translation software products and embossers. It also offers a braille translation service. For more information, contact Dave and Ann Durber at HotKey Systems, 63-25B Bourton St. #1B, Rego Park, N.Y. 11374; phone (718) 335-1788. * Book Locator The National Library Service recently published a new guide called "Another Source for Books: Electronic Text." It is available in print and braille. For copies, contact the reference section of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at (202) 707-9275, or write to NLS at Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20542. * Future Electronics "Project Elvyn: An Experiment in Electronic Journal Delivery" by professor Jack Meadows of Loughborough University, U.K., is the first book to provide factual data for academic library planners involved in formulating information technology strategies, according to a press release from R.R. Bowker. It was developed in conjunction with the Institute of Physics Publishing Division, and is the study of supplying an electronic journal to academic librarians direct from the publisher to the libraries. Also available is "Electronic Publishing and Libraries: Planning for the Impact and Growth to 2003," which was initiated by the British library to indicate the future size of the electronic publishing industry. It includes a wide-ranging discussion of international trends in the output of research information, predictions of the future cost of electronic products to research, academic and national libraries, and in-depth analysis of the likely speed of migration from printed products. It offers guidelines for understanding the future scale and proportion of electronic publishing. Each book costs $45 plus tax. For more information, write to Customer Service, Bowker-Saur, Reed Reference Publishing, P.O. Box 31, New Providence, N.J. 07974, or phone (800) 521-8110 from anywhere in the United States or Canada. * New Stuff from APH American Printing House for the Blind has several new products available. One is a new edition of the English Braille American Edition 1994, complete in one book. Its order number is 7-35931-00, and costs $22.95. A braille edition is also available at the same price; its order number is 5-35931-00. APH has a new saddle-shaped stylus and a peg slate. The plastic stylus is designed for your index finger to fit into a slight curve at the top. The stylus costs $2.50; its number is 1-00120-00. The peg slate uses small pegs to form braille characters, and has 10 rows of braille cells across. Pegs are pushed down from right to left to form braille units on the back. This item costs $17.65. Also available is a new video called "Discovering the Magic of Reading: Elizabeth's Story." This video follows one child's early literacy experiences from infancy to preschool. The price is to be announced. To order this or any other product listed here, contact the American Printing House for the Blind, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206; phone (800) 223-1839. ADA Software The American Bar Association's Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law now has available IBM-compatible software titled "autoBOOK ADA: Disability Law Software" to help lawyers and others understand and utilize the Americans with Disabilities Act. Three times each year subscribers will receive a new set of disks integrating the regulatory and case law information from the previous version with updates and new materials in an easy-to-use hypertext format. The software works on most IBM-compatible computers in a DOS program with a Windows-style user interface. Text appears on the screen and may be read or processed in a number of ways. For more information and a free demonstration disk, contact the ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law, 1800 M St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036; phone (202) 331-2240, TDD (202) 331-3884. * Mathews Is Head Art Mathews Jr. is the new director of governmental relations at the Blinded Veterans Association. He takes over for Thomas Miller, who has moved on to the executive directorship of that organization. For the past nine and a half years, he has worked as a field service representative in BVA's Chicago office. Mathews was blinded as a result of injuries he received while in Vietnam. He currently lives in Silver Spring, Md. * Braille Blocks Tack-Tiles Braille System uses blocks with a braille character on the top, its corresponding print character on one end, and a rounded corner on the upper left that shows correct orientation, to teach braille. The blocks can be attached to specially designed slates that contain rows of six-dot configurations to spell out words and sentences. Sets include five Tack-Tiles in each of 64 dot patterns, four palm-sized slates and four worksheet-sized slates, all in a carrying case. A set costs $250 plus $11.75 for shipping and handling. For a brochure and ordering information, write Los Olvidados Ltd., P.O. Box 475, Plaistow, N.H. 03865; phone (603) 382-1904. * Edible Braille Chocolates Unlimited has braille chocolate greeting cards that say "happy birthday," "thank you," and more. Chocolate bars cost $2.50 each; with nuts, the cost is $3.25 each. Call (718) 359-4466 for more information, or write to Chocolates Unlimited, 169-02 Crocheron Ave., Flushing, N.Y. 11358. * New from TeleSensory TeleSensory Corp. has several new items available. The PowerBraille 65 and the PowerBraille 80 use the same braille display and slim-line design of the PowerBraille 40. The PowerBraille 65 was designed especially for Windows, and maximizes the value of the braille display, providing a compromise between display size and price. ScreenPower software is provided with each unit, and supports split displays. Both products include two speaker-in ports and one speaker-out port. The Vantage 2000 Professional Reader is designed for working professionals with a vision loss whose activities include reading memos, computer printouts and balancing ledgers. Those who work with columns of numbers will appreciate the "shadow mask" feature that allows easier reading conditions by highlighting a portion of the text while dimming surrounding text. It is also designed for students to read textbooks, class handouts and observe science projects. It is priced at $2,095 and comes with a two-year warranty. A $199 extended warranty is also offered. For more information on the Vantage 2000, call TeleSensory at (800) 804-8004. For more information on PowerBraille, call (800) 286-8484. * Space Camp 1996 The West Virginia School for the Blind has added a new camp to its space camp programs: parent/child camp for the blind. It allows both the child and parent to go through space camp together. The 1996 schedule is: Adult Space Camp for the Blind, May 10-12; Parent/Child Camp for the Blind, May 10-12; and Space Camp for Children with Visual Disabilities, Sept. 21-28. For more information, contact Dan Oates at the West Virginia School for the Blind, 301 E. Main St., Romney, W.V. 26757; phone (304) 822-4883. The registration deadline for the parent/child and the adult program is March 15, 1996. If enough registrations are not confirmed by that date, the program will be canceled. * Braille Too Braille Too is a new braille program designed specifically for middle- and high-school students who are learning braille. It teaches grade two braille reading and writing, starting with the alphabet and numbers. The basic package includes a teacher edition (choice of print copy or braille copy on disk), a student edition in braille on disk, and student large print writing exercises. The hard copy of the teacher's edition and student text combined is available for an extra charge for those without access to IBM-compatible computers and braille embossers. All sections can be purchased individually. The basic package is currently $125. For more information and an order form, contact: Marketing Department, Grant Wood Area Education Agency, 4401 Sixth St. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404; phone (319) 399-6714. News from AFB Erik Weihenmayer will be the first recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Medal of Courage. This award, to be presented annually to a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome challenges, will be presented at an induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., May 10-11. Weihenmayer was a varsity wrestler for Connecticut's Weston High School; he wrestled four years, and represented the state at the 1987 National Freestyle Wrestling Championships. He is currently a fifth-grade math and English teacher at Phoenix (Ariz.) Country Day School. Weihenmayer was featured in a recent public service announcement produced by the American Foundation for the Blind. * Windows Concepts "Windows Concepts: An Introductory Guide for Visually Disabled Users" by Sarah Morley is available free of charge from the Graphical User Interfaces for the Blind Project; write to GUIB Project, Sensory Disabilities Research Unit, Psychology Division, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, UK. A set of embossed diagrams to accompany the guide is available for a price, as is a set of interactive tactile diagrams made from a special type of felt and braille. * Seeking Stories "Earning Power in the Home" is a newsletter for disabled individuals who have started and operate(d) a home business. It is a quarterly publication that costs $10 annually. Patricia Galbreaith, its editor, is seeking contributions from such individuals. Submissions must have the name, address, telephone number, business name and brief description, disability problems and solutions, use of adaptive equipment or other aids, special training or experience needed, and a photo of the author if possible. Send stories or subscription requests to Earning Power in the Home, P.O. Box 368, Dept. 112, Weatherford, TX 76086. * Used Notebooks Charlene Groves has sturdy, durable notebooks suitable for 8 1/2- by 11-inch three-hole braille paper. The notebook ring sizes are: half-inch, inch, two-inch and four-inch. These notebooks have printing on them. Contact Charlene Groves at 1899 Washington Valley Rd., Martinsville, N.J. 08836, or phone (908) 469-9235. * Catalogs International Disabled Marketing Associates has the following catalogs available. The Ann Morris Enterprises Catalog of Innovative Products Dedicated to People with Vision Loss is available in large print, cassette and IBM disk for no charge; braille costs $10. The Electronics Catalog for Home and Business is available on tape for $1. There are other catalogs available. IDMA also has part-time or full-time business opportunities available. To request a free introductory cassette, phone (412) 265-4821, or write to IDMA, RD 1 Box 29A, Cheswick, PA 15024. Make checks payable to Jack H. Morgan. * Poetry Potpourri "A Potpourri of Poetry" is now available in braille. Poems express humor and wisdom in the world in simple, everyday words. To order, send a check or money order for $8 to Anne B. Currier, 1820 Capitol Ave. #407, Sacramento, CA 95814. * New Man, New Poster The Jewish Guild for the Blind in New York has a new director of network development. He is Barry T. Berberich, and he formerly worked for the New York State Department of Social Services' Division of Health and Long Term Care as its assistant commissioner. Berberich is the author of "The Future of Long Term Care." The Jewish Guild for the Blind is offering a free poster and brochure describing vision disorders that often accompany the AIDS virus. The four-color poster, which measures 24 inches by 36 inches, graphically illustrates the human eye in cross-section. Each of the nine potential vision disorders is located with respect to the part of the eye it affects. To obtain a copy, write to: Public Relations Department, Jewish Guild for the Blind, 15 W. 65th St., New York, N.Y. 10023, or phone (212) 769-6237. ***** ** Award Nominations Sought The board of publications of the American Council of the Blind is pleased to announce the criteria for the 1996 Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award and the Vernon Henley Media Award. Each year, the Freeman Award is administered and granted by the board of publications to an outstanding writer who has made a specific contribution of particular merit in the area of writing by and for blind people. The award is given in memory of Ned E. Freeman, ACB's first president, who at the time of his death was serving as editor of "The Braille Forum." The board of publications will accept submissions for the Freeman Award from any writer on a topic that would be of interest to readers of "The Braille Forum." Submissions may be published in the magazine if space allows. Articles published in the magazine between April 1995 and March 1996 are automatically eligible. Materials which have been published by an ACB affiliate will also be considered if submitted. When submitting previously published material, send a print or braille copy of the original manuscript along with the published article. The Vernon Henley Media Award will be presented to a person, either sighted or blind, who has created a radio, television or print media product conveying positive and useful information concerning blind people in general or the American Council of the Blind in particular. Programs and/or articles written and produced specifically for a visually impaired audience, as well as those intended for the general public, are eligible. Multiple articles or programs submitted by one author or organization will be judged as separate entries. The Henley Award is intended to be a vehicle for publicizing ACB throughout the general media, and to encourage excellence and accuracy in electronic and print coverage of items relating to blindness. Submissions for both awards must be postmarked no later than April 30, 1996. All submissions should be accompanied by a cover letter providing details about the submission, its origin, and any other pertinent information. Please include your return address in the cover letter. If you want your manuscript returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to ACB Board of Publications Awards, 1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. The annual presentation of awards recognizing outstanding dedication, distinguished service, and achievement by and/or for blind and visually impaired people has become a widely anticipated event at recent American Council of the Blind national conventions. The Awards Committee seeks nominations for the 1996 awards and asks that all nominations be sent directly to the ACB National Office, 1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. For your information, criteria for the several ACB awards for which nominations are sought are: The Robert S. Bray Award, established in 1975 in memory of the late chief of what is now the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, is presented periodically in recognition of outstanding work in extending library services or access to published materials, or improving communications devices or techniques. The Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award recipient is selected each year from among blind candidates who, through their lives, associations, and activities, have demonstrated their integration into and their interaction with the life of the community. It is not necessary that the candidate be a member of or active in any organizations of the blind, or be engaged in work for the blind. The George Card Award is presented periodically to an outstanding blind person who has contributed significantly to the betterment of blind people in general. This award is not limited by locality or by nature of the contribution. Nominations should be postmarked no later than June 1, 1996. ***** ** Toward a Clearer, Guiding Vision of the American Council of the Blind by Jamal Mazrui As a contemplative fellow, I have engaged in much reflection and discussion during my 15 years of experience in the organized blind movement. Some conclusions I have reached motivate me to contribute to the strengthening of ACB in important ways. I am convinced that we can become a more purposeful and powerful vehicle in our quest for equal citizenship of blind Americans. Values clarification is part of the ACB long-range planning process, which was advanced by our board this past year and is now being completed by affiliate leaders and members. Appreciating values also aids the resolutions prioritization process, initiated recently to improve our allocation of organizational resources as we implement multiple resolutions. This statement of values is a work in progress, influenced by many, that seeks to clarify a guiding vision of ACB. It recommends principles in several related areas: balancing means and ends, renewing organizational mission, affirming political strategy, addressing distinctive constituencies, stating philosophy of disability, defining problems and solutions, prioritizing employment, and recognizing the role of service providers. The perspective taken reflects my loyalties as an ACB member, blind person, and consumer of disability services. * Balancing Means and Ends ACB deserves credit for conscientiously resisting the temptation of allowing desirable ends to justify undemocratic means. We sometimes make the mistake, however, of allowing comfortable means to produce blurred ends. While preserving our fundamentally democratic character, we should cherish pride of accomplishment as much as sense of fair play, outward results as much as inward methods, product as much as process. To be effective in the long run, we need a more mission-driven perspective and unifying national spirit, inspiring our consciousness more as a visionary movement than convenient association. * Renewing Organizational Mission The American Council of the Blind is the democratic voice of blind and visually impaired people in America. Our mission, as I interpret it, is to promote the economic, social, and political integration of blind people into society based on the values of mutual respect, equal opportunity, rewarded merit, and humanitarian regard. This mission can only be realized through the organized efforts of blind people. * Affirming Political Strategy ACB pursues the strategy of coalescing with other groups to achieve common objectives, provided that safeguards protect our legitimate separate interests. We seek to build and leverage cooperative relationships with relevant parties. We are willing, however, to resort to nonviolent confrontation — including media, legal, and direct action — in order to press just aims. As tools of organizing and social change, ACB exploits computer technologies, information resources, and communication networks. * Addressing Distinctive Constituencies I consider three constituencies of ACB distinctive enough to highlight here: visually impaired persons, cultural minorities, and older citizens. Visually impaired, as opposed to blind persons, are a significant component of people who are blind by the legal definition. This constituency may be characterized as members who have enough sight to make maximizing its use a wise adaptive strategy (combined with other nonvisual techniques). Minorities with disabilities experience the multiplicative effects of less training, fewer opportunities, and lower expectations. Women with disabilities also have such experiences. Solving these problems of ours requires conscious efforts by both consumer organizations and service providers. As a majority of people who are legally blind, older citizens are under-represented in the organized blind movement. Those of us who lose sight near retirement age are inadequately served by vocationally focused rehabilitation, when life chiefly demands independent living skills and social confidence. Demographic differences in the population with a visual disability should be considered as we define and prioritize issues to address. Our root problems, however, are more in common than apart. Fueling our movement is a shared dream combined with teamwork, peer support, and fellowship as brothers and sisters in spirit. The diversity of our backgrounds, talents, and tastes enriches our community and enhances our resources. * Stating Philosophy of Disability A disability is not a blessing, bringing supernatural gifts; neither is it a curse, exhibiting spiritual punishment. It is one of many human traits and life circumstances that help or hamper personal welfare. Disability is a natural part of the human experience. Ordinarily, a person with a disability can independently manage the accommodations required by his or her disability. People with severe disabilities, including blindness, are able to enjoy happy, productive lives, and transmit these qualities to children. We are generally not in a state of ill health, awaiting a medical cure to live fully. We should be allowed both the opportunity for success and the risk of failure. As we gain equal rights, we should exercise equal responsibilities. It is respectable to have a disability and to use alternative techniques of accomplishment. Alternative techniques, viewed positively and properly, are liberating by their use rather than imprisoning by their need. They are generally as effective, though sometimes less efficient. Inefficiencies resulting from a disability, however, can normally be counterbalanced by self development in other areas. When considering whether a person with a disability can perform a given function, the presumption should be Yes. Answering No bears a reasonable burden of proof. Lack of performance, moreover, cannot generally be attributed to the disability, since others with the same disability may perform without difficulty. * Defining Problems and Solutions Accessible public education and transportation are basic civil rights of concern to Americans with disabilities. Our biggest problems are not inherent in disability, but attitudinal and environmental in nature. We are continually challenged by a pattern of serious misconceptions about disability, misguided benevolence, and insensitivity to the small changes that make big differences to a wide range of people. The most limiting aspect of blindness is the inability to readily read the printed word. Access to print information is thus the primary, reasonable accommodation needed by blind people. With appropriate training, the three most important skills for us to learn are reliable literacy (usually with hard copy braille), independent travel (with a white cane or guide dog), and computer proficiency (with synthetic speech, large print, or electronic braille). To actualize our human potential, we also need a positive self-concept that complements good adaptive skills. Sound public policy on disability attains an optimal balance of the following guidelines. If a disability affects the performance of a task and possible solutions are comparably effective and efficient, it is better to be enabled independently through a combination of universal design and assistive technology than through personal intervention by others. Similarly, when the solutions are otherwise equivalent, it is better for someone with a disability to be empowered to navigate a type of environment than to restructure a specific environment to accommodate the disability. Provided again that other factors weigh equally, it is better for an individual with a disability to participate in an integrated rather than a separate setting. Nonetheless, a period of training from personnel who specialize in a particular disability is generally needed in order to acquire the skills and confidence for effective participation in integrated settings. * Prioritizing Employment Major unemployment is the worst condition experienced by Americans with disabilities. It degrades our living standard, self-esteem, and civic status. Combatting unemployment should thus be the highest priority of general consumer organizations like ACB. As long as widespread job discrimination exists against people with disabilities, reserved or subsidized employment — such as sheltered workshop, vending facility, and special appointment programs — are valid forms of job creation or affirmative action. Such programs, however, should try to prepare participants for competitive employment, independent business management, or supported mainstream work. People whose primary disability is blindness can succeed in most occupations except those involving immediate responses to principally visual information. We are innately capable of competitive employment, and hence deserve the minimum wage as much as others. The popularity of the graphical user interface — a highly visually oriented way of operating equipment — is currently the toughest threat to the employment of blind people. Our problem is essentially not one of technical feasibility, but lack of economic and political power. Technical solutions would predictably arise if industries valued principles of universal design. As people with disabilities, we should consider the following two vocational guidance principles to be equally important and mutually supportive. Philosophically progressive consumers are needed as influential staff in all areas of the disability field. Competent workers with disabilities are needed as competitive examples in a broad variety of mainstream occupations. * Recognizing the Role of Service Providers In the disability field, consumer and provider interests are typically the same, but sometimes different. A group, therefore, that identifies as a consumer organization — such as ACB — should have constitutional measures and cultural norms that serve the best interests of consumers. For a provider to regard someone as representing multiple consumers, he or she should be not just an interested individual with a disability, but a recognized leader of a consumer constituency. Market mechanisms benefit the disability field, where consumers make choices among competing disability services and products. Choices are more likely to satisfy the individual and encourage overall quality when they are informed by independent standards of evaluation. Such standards should emphasize performance outcomes over operating procedures. An important procedural standard, however, should address the level of expectations providers exhibit concerning the abilities, rights, and responsibilities of people with disabilities. Expressed another way, a strong, positive philosophy of disability is necessary for the effective delivery of rehabilitation services. Providers should generally treat people with disabilities as customers rather than beneficiaries, as students rather than patients, and as partners rather than subjects. Like anyone, however, a professional can make an honest mistake and should receive the benefit of the doubt. I believe that, through democratic concerted action, we can solve most of the problems that face us as blind and visually impaired people. The American Council of the Blind is the best vehicle for traveling this journey. As ACB members, let us complete the long-range planning process by clarifying our mission, principles, and priorities. With this approach, we will have both the infrastructure and the vision to hasten the day when blind Americans hold equal citizenship in our great country. ***** ** ACB Membership at Large Applications The American Council of the Blind Constitution and Bylaws provide that any person who has reached the age of 18 and who is not a voting member of an ACB state/regional affiliate is eligible to become and ACB member-at-large with the right to an individual vote at the ACB national convention. Annual membership at large dues are $5. Application forms for new members-at-large are available from the ACB National Office. The ACB Constitution and Bylaws further provide that all dues are to be received no later than March 15. All membership at large dues must be clearly identified as such and should be sent so as to be received no later than March 15, 1996, to American Council of the Blind, Pat Beattie, Treasurer, 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20005. ***** ** Graphical User Interfaces and the Visually Impaired, Part One by Charles Lott (Editor's note: The following information represents the opinions of the reviewer. Under no circumstances should the information below be construed as an endorsement of any product by the American Council of the Blind, its elected leaders or staff. Mr. Lott was provided copies of the computer operating systems mentioned below for his review. We realize that some of the information below may be somewhat technical and may apply in some ways more to visually impaired computer users than to totally blind PC users. However, in times like these when the accessibility of a computer's operating system is crucial, we felt this review would be both timely and appropriate.) When personal computers first came into widespread use, things were relatively simple. Nearly all applications ran under DOS, and most of them ran in text mode. This was straightforward, so screen readers and speech synthesizers could readily make computers communicate audibly to blind and visually impaired users. The first of these were crude and difficult to understand. Yet it did not take long for companies such as Artic Productions and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) to produce some very good speech synthesis. Then along came Windows and other graphics-based systems, and the business of making the computer accessible to the blind and visually impaired was set back to square one. So manufacturers developed new screen readers that could read graphical formats, and with existing speech synthesizers. However, time progresses, and so does the development of more sophisticated graphical software. The latest additions are OS/2 Warp version 3.0 and Windows 95. Also developers have shown a greater awareness of the needs of physically challenged people, including the blind and visually impaired. Therefore, developers have added "accessibility" features to Windows 95 and OS/2 Warp. For instance, both systems provide large mouse pointers, scalable fonts and keyboard shortcuts to facilitate such things as icon titles and dialogue boxes. Each system, of course, has its own way of approaching the matter. Following is a brief overview of these features, along with other pertinent considerations regarding the two systems. * Large mouse pointers In OS/2 Warp you can load a set of "big" pointers in white or black by choosing "mouse" from the system setup screen. This will open a settings notebook, from which you choose "pointers," and then follow the instructions on the screen. Unfortunately, this feature and all the other accessibility options are unavailable in the WIN/OS2 environment, since this is an emulation of Windows 3.1. Windows 95 provides complete sets of mouse cursors in small, medium and large sizes. You can install these from the control panel. From there you select "mouse," then "pointers," and follow the on-screen instructions. However, to access these cursor systems, you must do a custom installation. Otherwise, you must extract the cursors from cabinet files located in the WIN95 directory on the installation CD. If you have either the full package or the upgrade on diskettes, you do not have these pointers. You must download them from the Microsoft bulletin board. Microsoft can also provide them to you for a shipping and handling charge. * Scalable fonts OS/2 Warp provides access to scalable screen fonts via the font palette, which you access from the system setup screen. There you choose a font and size and, according to instructions, drag it to wherever you want it. If you want it to take global effect, you use the alt key with the right mouse button. Your choices, however, are limited to eight at any given time. You can use any available fonts you want. However, you must replace one or more displayed fonts on the palette with other fonts of your choice. Windows 95, on the other hand, allows immediate access to all installed fonts. You choose screen fonts from the display screen, accessed from the control panel. The selection of fonts is done here as part of creating complete display schemes. There is, however, one serious drawback when using large print schemes with Windows 95. If, for instance, you have many programs in your applications folder, you will find that some of your applications are off the screen, and therefore inaccessible from the start menu. This is because Windows 95 does not provide for scrolling when the folder is too full for display on a single screen. You might solve this problem by changing your resolution. However, this makes your total picture smaller, and may be unacceptable. * Display schemes Both products provide ready-made and custom schemes. In OS/2 you choose or create schemes in the scheme palette, accessed from the system setup screen. With the scheme palette you can change background and text colors for one or all of the accessible objects of OS/2. As with fonts or any changeable attribute, you make global changes with the alt key and the right mouse button. However, you cannot alter fonts in the scheme palette. For that you must go to the font palette as described above. Incidentally, you can also change colors of specific objects by using the color palette, also accessed from the system setup screen. On the other hand Windows 95 allows you to change all attributes of a scheme from the display screen, accessed from the control panel. There you select colors for all backgrounds and texts, and you also select fonts and font sizes for all of the objects that you can alter. In addition Windows 95 provides some ready-made schemes with large or even extra-large fonts for icon titles, dialogue boxes, and other text. Some of these schemes also provide high-contrast color selections for easy viewing. Color schemes are, of course, a matter of personal preference. The possibilities are nearly infinite, since you can choose colors for even such things as scroll bars, highlight bars, menu bars, etc. I personally prefer black backgrounds with light-colored texts, e.g. aqua text on a black application window background. I find it much less tiring to the eyes than, say, a black text on a white background. * Keyboard shortcuts If you have problems using a mouse, even with large pointers, or if you simply prefer the keyboard, both OS/2 and Windows 95 provide several keystroke combinations to perform tasks usually done with the mouse. In OS/2, icons, for instance, can be selected using the arrow keys. You then select the highlighted icon with the enter key. Similarly, you can activate the Start menu in Windows 95 with the alt and "s" keys. Then you make selections with the arrow keys and activate your choice with enter. You can access context-sensitive help with the F1 key in either system. Many other keyboard shortcuts are documented in both systems. * Command prompts Some users may find it easier to use command-line prompts than to use the graphical interface. If this is your preference, you will find both Windows 95 and OS/2 Warp quite accommodating. In Windows 95 you activate an MS-DOS prompt window from the start menu. You can use this prompt window to start any Windows-based program on your computer. However, some applications (e.g. WordPerfect 6.0a) may require a specific choice of start-up command. If you try to start WordPerfect with the command WPWIN60, it might not find its shared files. However, if you enter WPWIN, it will find these files and start. Windows 95 also provides DOS-mode operation, which you can activate by selecting shut down from the start menu, and then selecting "restart the computer in MS-DOS mode." This activates a full-screen DOS prompt window from which you can run only DOS-based programs. However, in Windows 95 the computer cannot be shut down from a command prompt screen or window. OS/2 Warp features three different command prompts in windowed or full-screen format. These include DOS, OS/2 and WIN/OS2. Each provides a command-line interface for the mode it represents. As in Windows 95, you can use these OS/2 command prompts to start any appropriate programs on your computer. You can also use them to carry out other commands in the mode being used. Unlike Windows 95, OS/2 Warp provides "shutdown" as a command from the OS/2 command prompt window or screen. This command takes you to the desktop, where you must confirm. You can confirm either with the mouse or the enter key. * Access for totally blind users If you are totally blind, you can still use OS/2 Warp. However, you will need the IBM Screen Reader/2 for OS/2 and a speech synthesis system such as Artic Vision or DECTalk. The IBM screen reader will communicate all text (icon titles, dialogue boxes, help screens, command prompts, etc.) to your speech synthesizer, which will provide an audible readout. At press time, no reliable screen reader is available for Windows 95. However, various access technology companies are hoping to release programs to adapt Windows 95 for use by blind and low-vision computer users in 1996. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For Sale: Hohner harmonicas, $15 apiece or $275 for the entire collection. Also chromatic harmonicas, one for $65, one for $50, and one for $35. Also miscellaneous other items for sale. Call Neil Vosburgh at (206) 383-7512, or write to him at 4209 S. 30th St., Apt. A2, Tacoma, WA 98409. * For Sale: Arkenstone HP Scanjet Plus scanner. Best offer. Call Bud at (905) 723-4012. * For Sale: Used Optacon with braille user's guide, print training manual, camera guide, battery pack and carrying case. Excellent condition. Asking $500 or best offer. Contact Kevin at (605) 348-5064. * For Sale: Type 'n Speak in excellent condition. Comes with leather carrying case, headphones, AC/DC adapter and instructions. Asking $850 or best offer. Call Charles at (541) 752-2373 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Pacific time. * For Sale: Type 'n Speak. Asking $900. Send all inquiries in braille or on tape to Carol Meeks, 729 N. Main St., Apt. 1, Jacksonville, IL 62650. * For Sale: New 486 computers. 850-megabyte hard drive, 4 megabytes RAM, DOS/Windows 3.1. Special holiday prices starting at $785. Call (301) 953-1806. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Paul Edwards 20330 NE 20th Ct. Miami, FL 33179 * First Vice President Brian Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02172 * Second Vice President Stephen Speicher 825 M St., Suite 216 Lincoln, NE 68508 * Secretary Cynthia Towers 556 N. 80th St. Seattle, WA 98103 * Treasurer Patricia Beattie Crystal Towers #206 North 1600 S. Eads St. Arlington, VA 22202 * Immediate Past President LeRoy Saunders Oklahoma City, OK ** ACB Board of Directors Sue Ammeter, Seattle, WA Ardis Bazyn, Cedar Rapids, IA Christopher Gray, San Jose, CA Charles Hodge,Arlington, VA John Horst, Wilkes-Barre, PA Jean Mann, Guilderland, NY Kristal Platt, Omaha, NE M.J. Schmitt, Forest Park, IL Pamela Shaw, Philadelphia, PA Richard Villa, Bedford, TX ** Board of Publications Carol McCarl, Chairperson, Salem, OR Kim Charlson, Watertown, MA Thomas Mitchell, North Salt Lake City, UT Mitch Pomerantz, Los Angeles, CA Jay Doudna, Lancaster, PA Ex Officio: Laura Oftedahl, Watertown, MA * Contributing Editor Elizabeth M. Lennon, Kalamazoo, MI ###