BRAILLE MONITOR

The

Braille Monitor

Vol.

37, No. 10November

1994

Barbara Pierce,

Editor

Published in inkprint, in Braille,

on cassette and

the World Wide Web and FTP on the Internet

The National Federation of the Blind

Marc Maurer, President

National Office

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Baltimore, Maryland 21230

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National Federation of the Blind and sent to:

National Federation of the Blind

1800 Johnson Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21230

THE

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF

THE BLIND IS NOT

AN ORGANIZATION

SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT

IS THE BLIND SPEAKING

FOR THEMSELVES

ISSN 0006-8829

Contents

Vol. 37, No. 10November

1994

SUPERINTENDENT

OF ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND FORCED OUT:

NAC TAKES ANOTHER HIT

by Kenneth Jernigan and Barbara Pierce

PERTINENT

RESOLUTIONS FROM ARKANSAS

CONFRONTING

CHALLENGE

by Steve Benson

THE 1995 NATIONAL

FEDERATION OF THE BLIND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

ORIENTATION

AND MOBILITY: The Need for Reason

by George M. Binder and Douglas C. Boone

BLIND CHEMIST

SUES NEW YORK CORPORATION

NATIONAL FEDERATION

OF THE BLIND BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS 1994-95 CONTEST

BY THE BLIND

FOR THE BLINDPROVIDING ORIENTATION TRAINING: A PANEL DISCUSSION

NIGHTS OF

WALKING

by Marc Maurer

BLEEDING

HEARTS

by Lauren L. Eckery

EVERY CHILD

SHOULD HAVE A BLIND PARENT

by Carla McQuillan

RNIB: EVOLUTION

NOT REVOLUTION

by John A. Wall, CBE

EDUCATORS

CONTINUE TO RESIST TEACHING BRAILLE

RECIPES

MONITOR

MINIATURES

Federation of the Blind

SUPERINTENDENT

OF ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND FORCED OUT: NAC TAKES ANOTHER HIT

by Kenneth Jernigan and

Barbara Pierce

At a meeting of the Board

of Trustees of the Arkansas Schools for the Deaf and the Blind on September

23, 1994, Leonard Ogburn, Superintendent of the School for the Blind, was forced

to resign amid charges and counter-charges of sexual misconduct, nepotism, favoritism,

and misuse of school resources. Many of those familiar with the situation at

the Arkansas School for the Blind (ASB) say that Ogburn, school alumnus (although

he now sees well enough to drive a car) and Superintendent since 1985, ran the

place as though it were his personal kingdom. But when, on June 23, 1994, an

ASB teacher requested the Pulaski County Prosecutor to issue a warrant for Ogburn's

arrest, alleging that he had spanked her several times and threatened to do

so again in connection with her annual performance review, the Superintendent's

castle began to crumble. In the weeks following the first allegation, at least

eight other women came forward with claims of Ogburn's inappropriate comments,

pinching, biting, fondling, and spanking. Moreover, accusations of nepotism,

widespread favoritism, and misuse of staff time and ASB equipment also began

to attract serious media and governmental attention. The five-member Board of

Trustees, which governs both the School for the Blind and the School for the

Deaf, suspended Ogburn with pay on June 24, 1994, pending an investigation;

but following their receipt of the police investigator's 328-page report, they

voted four to one in September to allow the Superintendent to submit his resignation

to be effective October 19.

At the same meeting at

which Ogburn was allowed to resign instead of being fired in return for his

promise not to sue the School, the Board voted to include a $6,000 line item

in the School's budget request to the legislature to renew the institution's

accreditation with NAC (the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving

the Blind and Visually Handicapped). In the circumstances the decision was not

surprising since the NAC seal appears to be the shield for corrupt practice

and poor performance more often than the assurance of quality service.

The Arkansas story is

convoluted and ambiguousa tapestry of many threads, knotted and tangled. Human

motives and actions are rarely black and white. They are usually gray in all

of its shadesand the Arkansas story is a prime example. Perhaps the place

to begin is with the dedication of a playground at the School's multiply-handicapped

unit in May of 1993. Most of the money for the playground was raised by Wanda

Nixon, the grandmother of one of the students and a woman, according to Ogburn

and others, with an extended history of psychiatric problems. The playground

was named for Nell O'Neil, the longtime principal of the multiply-handicapped

unit. According to Ogburn, Mrs. Nixon was furious that the playground had not

been dedicated to her, and he says that she warned him that she intended to

see that he lost his job.

In June of 1993 Ogburn

says that he was invited to a meeting in the office of Mark Riable, a lawyer

and member of the Arkansas Legislature. Also in attendance, Ogburn says, were

another state representative, a state senator, a representative from the Attorney

General's office, and a number of citizens who were apparently friends of Wanda

Nixon. Ogburn was asked whether there was nepotism at the School for the Blind.

Although his own daughter was a teacher at the institution at the time, he replied

that there was not. The legislators asked for an opinion from the State Attorney

General as to whether ASB was violating the Arkansas nepotism law. The answer

was yes, and three employees whose jobs were at risk brought suit. The judge

ruled that there was a conflict between the state's nepotism law and a 1927

statute that specifically permits the Superintendent of the School for the Blind

to hire his spouse. The three employees were allowed to continue working under

the terms of a court injunction during the 1993-94 school year. All three have

now either found other jobs or have retired from employment with the school.

As the nepotism furor

was beginning to subside last spring, Helena Ward, Vocational Principal at ASB,

came to Ogburn to ask a favor. A friend, Tina Gill, who was a graduate student

at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, had obtained a grant from the

Rockefeller Foundation to conduct a survey aimed at improving communications

at a state institution in Arkansas. Ward suggested to Ogburn that ASB volunteer

to have Ms. Gill survey its employees, and Ogburn agreed. A forty-two-page report,

described by Ogburn as preliminary and by Gill as virtually complete, was given

to Ward in June, 1994. It stated that Ogburn had demonstrated favoritism to

some employees and that there was a lack of communication between teachers and

administrators at the School. On July 7, 1994, the police investigator, as part

of the Ogburn probe, told Ward to produce a copy of the report for his examination.

She said that it was at home but that she would bring it to school the following

morning. But, according to the police report, she consulted Ogburn and his attorney

overnight, and they advised her not to deliver the report on the ground that

the project was not yet complete.

The investigator asked

Ward if she understood what she was doing. She said that she did but continued

to refuse to hand over the document. The police investigator then prepared an

affidavit to obtain a warrant for Ward's arrest for "obstruction of government

operations." Ward was taken into custody, handcuffed, and hauled off to

the police station on July 8 even though James Hill, Acting Superintendent of

the School, gave the investigator the report as he was leaving the office with

Ward in tow. The investigator made it clear that he wanted to make an example

of Ward in order to persuade other staff members to cooperate with him.

At almost the same time

still another allegation against Ogburn and the school's Maintenance Supervisor,

Ray Stewart, was made public. Ronnie Kimsey, a custodial employee at the School,

who according to Ogburn had wanted for some time to supervise the maintenance

department, stated in a legislative hearing and then in an affidavit that he

had been required to do personal work for both Ogburn and Stewart, using state-purchased

material and equipment. He also said that he had been instructed to charge material

on School accounts in order to avoid paying sales tax. Kimsey's charges were

emphatically denied by Ogburn in a telephone interview with the Braille Monitor,

in which he explained that he had gone to extraordinary lengths to pay sales

tax, even when Kimsey had avoided doing so. Here is the text of Kimsey's affidavit:

Affidavit

I, Ronnie Kimsey, state

on oath and affirm:

1. I was born June 19,

1951, and I am forty-three years old. I live at the Arkansas School for the

Blind in Little Rock, Arkansas. I am visually impaired and have been since I

was seven years old. My wife Cathy lives with me at the Blind School. She is

totally blind and has been since birth.

2. I attended the Arkansas

School for the Blind from 1960 to 1969 and graduated from the Arkansas School

for the Blind with a high school degree.

3. I returned to the Arkansas

School for the Blind as an employee in December of 1985. I was hired as a general

maintenance repairman and am still employed in that position.

4. I have always tried

to be a good employee and do what I was told to do by my bosses.

5. I have been told to

do some things that I don't think are right.

Mr. Leonard Ogburn, who

is the Superintendent, has told me to work on his personal boat, wave runners,

and cars during working hours at the school. I have always done what he has

said, since he is the boss.

Some of the work I have

done includes installing a trailer wiring harness on his car, wiring his boat

trailer, working on his wave runners, wiring his wave runner trailer, fixing

the windshield wiper motor on his car, swapping out batteries on his wave runners,

replacing batteries, and other general maintenance on all those items.

I have also been told

by Mr. Ogburn and Mr. Ray Stewart (Campus Life Coordinator/Maintenance Director)

to buy personal items for them on the school account and then they would pay

for them. This avoids the sales tax that they would otherwise have to pay.

6. Mr. Ogburn's right

hand man is Ray Stewart. They are almost always together. They both have condominiums

in Hot Springs and spend a lot of time together there as well.

Mr. Ogburn used to have

me drive his boat to Hot Springs when he kept it at the Blind School. After

the publicity about nepotism last year, he had me pull the boat to Hot Springs

to get it off campus.

I have worked on Mr. Stewart's

condo in Hot Springs on school time. Among other things I have replaced the

water heater element there. I have also worked on Mr. Stewart's house in Little

Rock on Quachita Street. This was on school time. Some of the work I have done

there is install a new kitchen sink, put a new light in the attic, put in a

new gas line to the water heater, put in a new electric stove top, range, vent

hood, and ceiling fan. I am sure Mr. Ogburn knew about this.

7. I am not the only school

employee that has done work on personal items for Ogburn and Stewart during

school time.

8. I am worried that,

if I tell what has happened, I will be fired or something else will happen in

retaliation.

Signed and notarized,

June 27, 1994

As a result of the Kimsey

affidavit, a copyrighted story by Elizabeth Caldwell (reprinted with permission)

appeared in the July 1, 1994, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Here it is:

Blind School Chief Tapped

Labor Time, Handyman Says

Leonard Ogburn, suspended

last week as superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind after allegations

he physically abused a teacher, was accused Thursday of financial wrongdoing.

Ronnie Kimsey, a maintenance employee at the school, told legislators that Ogburn

used school employees to perform work on his car, boat trailer, and other personal

items, all on school time. Kimsey also said Ogburn and maintenance supervisor

Ray Stewart had him buy them personal items through the school's account to

avoid the sales tax. Kimsey also said he worked on Stewart's homes in Little

Rock and Hot Springs, also on school time.

"It's a lie,"

said Ogburn, contacted later by telephone.

Stewart, who is out of

state on vacation, could not be reached for comment.

The allegations came as

legislators met to discuss consolidating the state schools for the blind and

deaf to save money and improve efficiency.

The consolidation ideabefore

a subcommittee of the joint interim committee on state agencies and governmental

affairs eventually died after Rep. Mark Pryor made a motion to keep the two

schools separate.

In a telephone interview

Ogburn said he has cautioned the staff against doing personal work on school

time and that, if Kimsey performed such work, he was insubordinate.

Ogburn does not deny that

Kimsey hauled his boat to Hot Springs for him a couple of years ago, as Kimsey

alleges. But Ogburn said he saw to it that Kimsey used vacation time to perform

the chore.

In another instance Kimsey

said he bought a dryer part for Ogburn through the school's purchasing account

so Ogburn would not have to pay sales taxes.

Ogburn said he didn't

know Kimsey was going to order the part through the school and, when he saw

Kimsey didn't pay sales tax on it, Ogburn returned to the store and paid the

tax.

Rep. Joe Molinaro of Sherwood,

subcommittee chairman, said Kimsey's allegations were properly before the subcommittee

for discussion since they dealt with finances, but the committee does not have

the authority to investigate.

He said Kimsey's statement

was sent to legislators through a lawyer. Molinaro said Kimsey decided to come

forward now because, "He's had it on his chest for a while and he wanted

to get it off," and wanted to do it in a public forum to safeguard his

job.

Jim Hill, interim superintendent

of the school, said afterward that he was surprised by the allegations.

"I have absolutely

no knowledge of it," Hill said.

He said the report would

be investigated and that Kimsey would not be retaliated against.

This is what the article

said, and it underscores the disorganization and chaos that were engulfing the

School. The charges of nepotism, favoritism, and misuse of staff time and institutional

resources seem to have been leveled at Ogburn with sincerity and genuine passion,

but there are many who dispute those charges with what appears to be equal sincerity

and genuineness of passion. Moreover, we may never know the real truth since

the charges, though they were made public in June, were not included in the

warrant for Ogburn's arrest, which was issued on August 22, 1994, and dealt

entirely with harassment. At the time of this writing (mid-October, 1994) Ogburn's

trial is scheduled to begin on December 1.

With respect to that trial,

the judge and jury will be faced with difficult questions and unusual (one might

almost say bizarre) testimony. The complainant is one of the teachers at the

school, a woman who, according to both parties, has been close friends with

Ogburn for many years. They have exchanged birthday and Christmas gifts, and

did so during the 1993-94 academic year even though trouble was apparently brewing.

Ogburn hired this woman at a time when she had only a two-year vocational degree,

which was adequate for the course that she was expected to teach. Subsequently

she was shifted to teach in an area that required a four-year degree, which

meant that her credentials were now insufficient. Nevertheless, she was given

the job and permitted to do the work. With Ogburn's encouragement, and (according

to him) a remarkable amount of assistance from both him and his wife, she obtained

a four-year degree and now has the credentials she needs to do the academic

teaching she has been doing without proper credentials for years.

Arkansas has a strong

rape shield law, which requires that anything that could reveal the identity

of a woman making charges of sexual misconduct must be expunged from material

being published. Therefore, the information that follows has been carefully

edited to eliminate any allusion that might indicate the identity of any of

the women who have made charges. Although the context and wording may appear

to make it seem that some of the affidavits we are printing in the rest of this

article are from men, they are all from women. For convenience we will refer

to the teacher who brought the charges as Miss A. We will refer to the others

as Miss B, Miss C, etc.

As we try to separate

reality from fiction, certain facts should be kept in mind. In recent months

Miss A has passed two separate polygraph tests, in which she was asked whether

she was telling the truth about her allegations of physical harassment at Ogburn's

hands. She also has a tape recording of a telephone conversation which she says

occurred on June 26, 1994, in which Ogburn admits to the spankings and asks

what she wants from him. Ogburn, on the other hand, failed a polygraph test

about the spankings. Yet, listening to Ogburn's recorded telephone interview

with the Monitor reporter, one can easily be convinced that he is genuinely

perplexed and hurt by Miss A's accusations against him. Miss A is equally convincing

in her display of distress and anger at what she maintains has happened to her.

Yet, both parties cannot be telling the truth.

From the hundreds of pages

of affidavits and reports and from extensive personal interviews, the following

picture emerges. Some years ago Ogburn's first wife died of cancer. Miss A was

already a staff member at the school, and in the months following Mrs. Ogburn's

death Ogburn and Miss A were very close. In fact, they seem to have spent time

alone at Ogburn's condominium, where Miss A says she received one very hard

spanking, and Ogburn says they played games in which they spanked each other's

hands. According to Ogburn, he has never kissed Miss A on the mouth, though

he admits that he may have kissed her on the cheek. They have hugged and held

hands often, however, according to Ogburn.

In the year following

his first wife's death, Ogburn remarried, and the spankings apparently stopped

until 1993. Some say that the second Ogburn marriage has been showing strain

in recent years and that this may provide sufficient explanation for the renewed

spankings and talk of spanking.

Miss A is not the only

one to make charges. Other women have come forward to file affidavits indicating

that they, too, have experienced inappropriate physical and verbal contact initiated

by Ogburn. These women fall into two groups: Arkansas School for the Blind students

from Miss A's general student era and recent and current female School employees.

Reading these affidavits

and listening to Ogburn's talk about his relationships with students and staff,

one is struck by his inability to make distinctions in his treatment of students,

professional colleagues, and personal friends. He is clearly a man who enjoys

what might be called "horsing around" with the people with whom he

associates. He seems not to have much grasp of the dignity required of his position,

the respect he should show to his colleagues, or the distance he should maintain

with students. His behavior is obviously unprofessional, inappropriate, and

boorishbut how far beyond that does it go? To attempt to find answers, let

us turn to the affidavits:

Affidavit of Miss A

I, name withheld, state

on oath and affirm:

1. I was born in 19xx

and I am . . . years old. . . .

2. I attended the Arkansas

School for the Blind from 19xx to 19xx and graduated from the Arkansas School

for the Blind with a high school degree.

While I attended the School

for the Blind, I first met Mr. Leonard Ogburn, who is presently the superintendent

of the school and was then employed as a vocational teacher.

3. . . . and in 19xx was

employed there as a teacher. I have been employed at the Arkansas School for

the Blind as a teacher since. . . .

4. While employed at the

Arkansas School for the Blind I have attempted to give to the school and the

students there my best efforts.

5. On or about August

4, 1993, Mr. Leonard Ogburn, then the superintendent, called me shortly after

9:00 in the morning at my home. He said that he wanted to come over and talk

to me about my evaluation as a teacher at the school and then have lunch. He

said something like "We're going to talk about it, and then I'm going to

give you your spanking." He had done this before, so I knew what he meant

by it. In 19xx, he spanked me very hard. A little after 11:00 a.m. on August

4, 1993, I met him outside the front door of my house hoping to avoid any physical

contact. I said that we could talk over lunch and did not need to go in my house.

He said no, that we should go inside. He said he also wanted to give me a spanking.

I was scared and intimidated, and I went inside with him. He talked about my

employee evaluation and then said, "Now you know what you have to doyou

have to get your spanking." I said, "Leonard, I don't like this; I

don't want to do this." He said, "No, come on." He grabbed me

and pulled me over his knee and spanked me. This was extremely humiliating to

me. I went ahead and went to lunch because I was afraid of what he might do

if I didn't. A friend of mine who is also an employee at the blind school called

me after I got back from lunch. When I talked to her I was crying. I told her,

I was crying because I was upset about my evaluation. I was afraid to tell her

what had really happened. I wish I had told her. I decided that I would not

let this happen again.

6. Since the spanking

and over the 1993-94 school year Mr. Ogburn has expressed displeasure that I

have not attended all of the extra-curricular meetings involving the blind school.

These meetings are not during regular working hours, and I am not required to

attend these meetings. Some of the meetings he was referring to include a literacy

conference, a Bingo party, and an AER conference. Mr. Ogburn, when asking me

whether I was going to attend the AER conference in May of 1994, asked if I

was going to get a spanking this year.

Based on some of Mr. Ogburn's

comments about my failure to attend these extra-curricular meetings and the

fact that I had an additional performance review coming up this summer, I became

concerned that Mr. Ogburn might attempt to repeat the spanking. I decided that

I cannot and will not subject myself to that again.

7. I wish to formally

complain about these activities of Mr. Ogburn. I am afraid and intimidated by

him and fear that he will try to take some sort of action against me either

personally or that will jeopardize my job. Despite my fear and concern over

this, I feel that it is important for the blind school and for myself personally

to stand up to Mr. Ogburn and stand against this sort of activity.

Dated this 22nd day of

June, 1994

Signed and notarized

Affidavit of Miss B

I, name withheld, state

on oath and affirm:

1. I am . . . years old

and was born in 19xx. I was employed at the Arkansas School for the Blind between

. . . and . . . .

While I worked there,

my position of employment was janitor. In my capacity as an employee of the

blind school, I came into contact with Mr. Leonard Ogburn, the Superintendent.

On many occasions I would

be working in the administration building on the blind school campus, where

Mr. Ogburn's office is located, after all the employees had gone home.

I was cleaning the building

as part of my job. On one specific occasion in early 19xx at approximately 5:30

in the afternoon I was running a vacuum cleaner in the administration building

and was bent over to work on the vacuum cleaner. Leonard Ogburn came up from

behind me and hit me very hard in the buttocks and genital area. He just hit

me one time, but it was a very hard striking of that area of my body.

The vacuum cleaner was

going, and he said something, but I could not understand what it was that he

said. It was all I could do to contain myself, but I was scared and shocked

and did not know exactly what to do.

After thinking about it

overnight, I confronted him the next day in his office. I told him to never

do that again. At first he denied doing it but later admitted it.

The job that I had at

the Blind School was the worst job I have ever had in my life.

The atmosphere at the

Blind School was one of favoritism, office politics, and intimidation. People

would lie and cover up for each other in ways that I have never seen before.

If you played the favorite game, you were well treated; but, if you attempted

to stand up for anything that was wrong, you were chastised.

Dated this 29th day of

June, 1994

Signed and notarized

Affidavit of Miss C

I, name withheld, state

on oath and affirm:

1. I was born in 19xx

and I am . . . years old. I live in Arkansas.

I am an employee at the

Arkansas School for the Blind. My position there is . . . teacher, and I have

worked there since. . . .

While working at the School

for the Blind, I have had occasion to deal with Mr. Leonard Ogburn.

On one occasion Mr. Ogburn

called me out of class to tell me that I was his pet and that I was very important.

I can't understand why he would call me out of class and away from the students

to tell me this, and I thought that this was unusual.

At times when I have been

in his office at his request, he has put his finger in the pocket of my pants

and said that he liked the way my britches looked on me.

On one occasion he called

me away from my class on the intercom and told me he was looking at my picture

in the school annual. He told me that he loved the way my picture looked in

the school annual. I expressed to him my surprise that he would call me away

from class and away from the students for a reason like this.[Ogburn made a

demeaning comment.]

At a recent . . . meeting,

where some of the tough issues involving the school were being debated,. . .

. This was in front of a number of people, and I felt that he did this to put

me down and as an expression of support for the other view being expressed.

After the meeting I went

to his office and told him in no uncertain terms how inappropriate I felt his

actions were. After we discussed the matter for a while, he said come here,

you can't leave yet; we have to make up, and to make up you have to give me

a kiss. I told him then we would never make up because I was not going to kiss

him. He forcefully replied, you just remember you owe me something, and we don't

make up until you give me a kiss. I immediately told another teacher of this

occurrence.

On another occasion he

pinched me very hard on the cheek after a COE meeting. I told him not to ever

do this to me again, and it did hurt. He has also patted me on the cheek and

then acted surprised when I expressed displeasure at that. He would say, "Oh

you don't like that?"

In bringing this information

forward, I am concerned that Mr. Ogburn may take some sort of retaliatory action

against me. . . . I request that the Governor's Office and the Board act to

protect . . . me . . . in conjunction with my sharing this information for the

benefit of the School and the students there.

Dated this 29th day of

June, 1994

Signed and notarized

Affidavit of Miss D

My name is (name withheld).

I was born in 19xx, in Arkansas. I currently live in Arkansas. I am employed

as. . . . [not at ASB] I have worked there for the past fifteen years. Before

that I received a bachelor of science degree in elementary/special education

from the University of. . . in. . . . My fields of study were. . . .

Earlier this year I was

contacted by . . . , a teacher at the Arkansas School for the Blind. . . . [Miss

A] and I had been in school there together in the 'x0's. She had gotten my name

from a woman, . . . who had been a library aide my senior year at the school.

I had not heard from . . . [the aide] for about . . . years, but we had had

a close relationship at that time because I spent a lot of time in the library

on my own in addition to the two-hour study period each night. . . . remembered

what I had told her and contacted an employee she knew who still worked there.

This employee put her in touch with . . . [Miss A], and . . . called me to ask

about Mr. Ogburn's behavior with me. I was stunned to hear about all of this

after . . . years and was reluctant to get involved at first. I am telling these

details now to support . . . [Miss A] and to improve the situation at the school.

I was a student at ASB

from kindergarten through graduation in June, 19xx. When I was seventeen and

a senior, I began cleaning house for Mr. Ogburn, the school vocational director,

and his wife, an elementary teacher there. The year before another student had

done this job and had quit abruptly, causing me to wonder why, as it seemed

like a good way to earn extra spending money. Later on I wondered if she had

had a similar experience to mine. Mr. Ogburn would take me to his house after

school on Thursday afternoons where I would vacuum and dust, etc. I remember

it was Thursday because that was the night "The Waltons" was on TV,

and he wanted me to be through in the den by 7:00 so he could watch and hear

the show. Mrs. Ogburn and LeAnn, their daughter, were not home during these

times. I do not remember if she had a class, hair appointment, or what; but

it was regularly on Thursday as she and LeAnn were not there when I cleaned.

It was not unusual for

students to work for staff members outside school hours. Some would babysit

and others would do yard work or car washes for extra pay. I had worked at the

vending stand at school for Mr. Ogburn. He was well liked and respected by the

students. He was always visiting with them and often made bets with them over

trivial things, usually with the loser buying the winner a Coke. I would bet

with him too. He used any excuse to make a bet. At first, if I lost the bet,

I had to buy him a Coke; and, if he lost, he bought me a Coke. Eventually he

wanted his winning of the bet to be that he'd get to give me a spanking. Thursdays

after school, when we got to his house, he'd insist that he would have to give

me a spanking for some bet that I had lost during the week. He sat on the couch

and insisted I lie across his lap so he could spank me. I had to comply no matter

how much I tried to talk him out of it; for he wouldn't drop the issue until

he was able to give me a spanking.

At his house he also insisted

that he wanted to show me some wrestling holds the boys in school were learning.

I would tell him that I wasn't interested in wrestling and I didn't want to

do that, but he would insist. He then made me get on the floor with him while

he would grab me in different holds, keeping after me when I tried to get away

from him. I was forced to try to get away or else he wouldn't let me up.

One evening he told me

it was time for my spanking, but he wanted to spank me on my bare bottom. I

tried to get out of it, but he insisted I had to pull my pants down in the back,

lie across his lap, where he then spanked me on my bare bottom. This happened

two times. One time he even asked me to spank him. I was very ignorant of sexual

matters back then, but I had very bad feelings about all of this, especially

as it continued, and I didn't know how to get out of it.

Sometimes on Thursday,

if he hadn't spanked me before Mrs. Ogburn and LeAnn got home, he would tell

me about it on the way back to school. He then said we needed to go by the waterworks

so I could get my spanking. I did not know exactly where or what the waterworks

was, but it was always dark there, and we never got out of the car. It seemed

fairly close to school. He would then drive me back to school, and I remember

he recorded his mileage in a notebook he kept.

After the second time

he spanked me on my bare bottom, I finally mentioned all this to . . . , the

library aide, because I trusted her judgment and didn't know what else to do

about the situation. . . . then met with the superintendent, Mr. Max Woolly.

She has since told me that the home life director Mr. Bob Brasher, met with

them and that they said they would look into it. As far as she knows, nothing

was ever done about it. When she didn't return to school the next year, I was

afraid she might have lost her job because of me, but she said she wasn't coming

back anyway. I also seem to remember that I was asked to take a test from the

psychologist about that time, and I often wondered if the two were connected.

The test was about personality, and I remember consciously answering all the

questions with similar answers. For example, one question was about a hat and

whether or not I would mend it, sell it, or give it away. I remember answering

"sell it," which was not like me as I hated to even sell candy for

class fund-raisers. At the end of the test the psychologist commented that my

personality profile fell into the "persuasive" category. I wondered

why I was being given this kind of test this close to graduation and if it had

anything to do with my telling . . . and her telling Mr. Brasher and Mr. Woolly

about what I had reported about Mr. Ogburn. I never checked to see if the results

of the test were placed in my student file.

I am reporting this information

after . . . years because other people have reported their experiences with

Mr. Ogburn, experiences I thought had only happened to me. I want to support

them in their statements, and I want the improprieties to stop.

Signed and notarized,

July 25, 1994

Affidavit of Miss E

My name is (name withheld).

I was born in 19xx, in Arkansas. I now reside in . . . [another state].I attended

the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock, Arkansas, from the fourth

through the twelfth grades, 19xx-xx. At that time, I probably had 20/200 vision

(I now have only light perception).

From the spring of 19xx

through the spring of 19xx [one year], I sometimes babysat for LeAnn Ogburn,

the daughter of Leonard and Joyce Ogburn, and was paid. Mr. Ogburn was an administrator

at the school, and Mrs. Ogburn was a teacher. LeAnn must have been approximately

seven years old.

At times the Ogburns attended

functions together, and at other times they went to separate places. On some

of those occasions, when Mr. Ogburn got home first and LeAnn was asleep, the

following events took place.

Mr. Ogburn said, "Let

me show you a new wrestling hold I showed Robert today." Robert was the

boy I was dating. Because of my limited vision and also because I was a cheerleader

for the team, I wanted to know what the wrestling procedures were. At first

he only demonstrated the wrestling moves, but later he progressed to rubbing

against me with his lower body. I would try to jump up and pull away. He would

grab me; I would fall to my knees; he would get on my back and rock back and

forth. I would try to get up from my knees as I was very fearful of him.

One time Mr. Ogburn said

he just wanted to show me some wrestling holds. He held me in the pin position

and rubbed his abdominal areas against me. I told him I did not ever want to

see any more wrestling holds. I did not babysit for them for a long period of

time.

Mr. Ogburn constantly

joked with students about birthday spankings, which in public only amounted

to pops with a paper or something as he passed through the snack bar. I just

passed these off. During this time we began betting Cokes on ball games. If

Texas won, he bought me a Coke; if the Razorbacks won, I bought him a Coke.

At first it was Coke for Coke, but once, when I lost a bet, he said he wanted

to collect a spanking instead of a Coke and made me pay up by laying me across

his lap and spanking me. Several more spanking episodes occurred.

The next time I babysat,

he said, "I'm going to give you a birthday spanking." He turned me

across his lap, held and spanked me, and pushed his male organ up against me

with his lap. Then he said, "I'll bet you can't hurt me," and told

me to spank him. I did because I wanted to hurt him. I refused to babysit anymore.

I graduated and left the

school. I thought this behavior had stopped, but now I have become apprised

of similar instances and realize that it never stopped at all and Mr. Ogburn

has done this to some others. My reason for coming forward is because of a history

of this activity. I knew at the time of one, possibly two, other females who

were at the school in the mid-x0's who had been similarly abused.

Signed and notarized,

June 1, 1994

There we have the affidavit

of Miss A, as well as those of several others. Miss A says that there are still

more women who have had similar experiences but who cannot bring themselves

to tell what they know. Whether Miss A's testimony will stand up when she reaches

court and has to be identified remains to be seen. And what a jury will make

of the whole messy business is anybody's guess. When asked why she is pressing

charges against Ogburn despite their long friendship, Miss A says that she simply

came to the point where she could never again allow herself to be intimidated

and frightened by Ogburn. She says that she is determined that today's and tomorrow's

students at the Arkansas School for the Blind will not suffer the abuse to which

their predecessors have been exposed.

The scene that took place

on September 23, 1994, when the School's Board of Trustees forced Ogburn to

resign in response to the police report and the pressure from the Governor's

office and the State Department of Education rapidly reached a pitch of hysteria.

During the public portion of the meeting Ogburn's supporters (and there were

a lot of them) said that the School would be destroyed if Ogburn was forced

to resign. When the Board's decision to put Ogburn out was announced, the sobbing

and shouting crowd of well over a hundred surged outdoors, where reporters and

television cameras were waiting. While one employee was weeping and making a

statement to a reporter with a video camera, her husband struck the tape recorder

from the hands of the Braille Monitor reporter. He then repeatedly ground it

under his foot, completely destroying the equipment. The action was indicative

of both the mood and the rationality of the crowd. It should be said here that,

though the tape recorder was destroyed, the tape was not. The record remains,

giving irrefutable evidence of the lawless and frenzied behavior of the crowdor

perhaps one should say mob.

But, of course, the real

issue is not the excited behavior of Ogburn's supporters, or even the specific

charges and countercharges. The prime concern must be the well-being of the

children at the School, those who are there now and those who are yet to come.

Almost as important are the atmosphere and working conditions for both teachers

and administrative staff. A battleground characterized by warring groups and

kinky behavior is no suitable environment for education. If worse comes to worst,

the adults can bail out. The children cannot.

So what does all of this

scandalous business mean, and what of the future? To begin with, the very existence

of the Arkansas School for the Blind is now in jeopardy. There are about 130

staff members at ASB and about 108 students. Everybody accepts the notion that

a school for the blind requires intensive instruction and specialized professional

activity, but it is hard to justify more than one staff member for each student.

Despite the fact that the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind are

administered by the same board on adjoining campuses, that we have heard of

no proposed cuts to the budget of the School for the Deaf, and that the School

for the Deaf is a more modern and attractive facility than the School for the

Blind, the Arkansas legislature is considering cuts to the ASB budget. There

is talk of merging at least some of the administrative components of the two

schools, possibly a total merger. Regardless of the monetary case which can

be made for such action, the quality of instruction for blind students would

be threatened by it.

In the circumstances it

would seem to be nothing short of madness for the School to continue its accreditation

with NAC, not only because of the expense but also (and even more important)

because of NAC's shady reputation and false promise of assurance of quality

services. When the seal of approval from an accrediting agency is displayed

by a school, the members of the legislature and the general public have the

right to expect that reasonable standards are being met. With NAC it often seems

that the exact opposite is the case. When the abuse and misconduct at the NAC-accredited

Florida and Alabama Schools for the Deaf and the Blind were exposed (see the

March, 1989, and the February, 1990, issues of the Braille Monitor), NAC's supporters

made an outcry. They said that each of these two instances was simply an individual

horror story, not representative. Now we have Arkansas, and soon we will be

covering the emerging scandal surrounding the firing last summer of Richard

Umsted, superintendent of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired. Umsted

was dismissed for, among other things, insisting that dangerous and even criminal

actions be covered up in order to protect what he perceived to be the School's

good reputation. These are, indeed, horror stories, but they are not isolated

cases. They are a pattern. The true horror is that NAC continues to accredit

institutions in which such actions take place and that there is no evidence

that the situation is being investigated. There has been no withdrawal of the

accreditation of any of the four schools, nor is there any indication that such

withdrawal is being consideredor, for that matter, that any sanction or disciplinary

matter is being contemplated. Under these conditions why would any reputable

school permit its name to be associated with NAC, let alone seek accreditation

from it? It is no wonder that only twenty-eight percent of the seventy-one schools

for the blind in this country still allow themselves to be identified with NAC

or to maintain accreditation from it.

As to Arkansas, Ogburn

is gone, but his legacy remains. The Board of Trustees will be well advised

to conduct an open and thorough nationwide search to find a successor competent

to meet the challenges that lie ahead. The new administrator's job will not

be easy. The ASB staff is divided, distrustful, and demoralized. The legislature

is determined to clean up the situation and make the School accountable to the

legislature, the Governor, the parents, and the public. In the rethinking of

priorities, hopefully the legislature will refuse to allocate funds to renew

NAC accreditation, which can assure nobody of anything except that the School

has an additional six thousand dollars to throw away. Ultimately the School

must stand or fall on its own merit. The blind of the nation and the professionals

in the field will be watching in the weeks ahead, for all of us have a stake

in the outcome.

PERTINENT

RESOLUTIONS FROM ARKANSAS

In view of the

preceding article the following resolutions passed at the 1994 National Federation

of the Blind of Arkansas Convention would seem to be noteworthy:

Resolution 94-01

WHEREAS, the National

Federation of the Blind of Arkansas has repeatedly expressed, through letters

and resolutions, its opposition to the National Accreditation Council for Agencies

Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) and has encouraged agencies

in Arkansas to affiliate no longer with this organization; and

WHEREAS, the Federation

has charged that NAC serves no beneficial role in insuring that our agencies

maintain high standards of conduct and performance; and

WHEREAS, a scandal involving

the Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind has come to the attention

of every literate citizen in the state of Arkansas, and yet NAC has done nothing

to reprimand the School or to review its accreditation: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the

National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas, in Convention assembled this twenty-third

day of October, 1994, in the City of Fort Smith, that we call on officials charged

with the operation and conduct of the Arkansas School for the Blind to sever

their affiliation with this counterfeit accrediting body and to rely instead,

for direction in the delivery of quality services, on the sound judgment of

the citizens of Arkansas.

Resolution 94-02

WHEREAS, the Board of

Trustees of the Arkansas Schools for the Blind and Deaf demanded and accepted

Leonard Ogburn's resignation as Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the

Blind, September 23, 1994, because of his alleged sexual harassment of an employee;

and

WHEREAS, such alleged

conduct on the part of any service provider toward the blind is a violation

of the respectability and equality of the blind, a core belief of the National

Federation of the Blind of Arkansas; and

WHEREAS, a separate school

for the blind provides an effective and appropriate individualized education

in academics and the skills of blindness: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the

National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas in Convention assembled this twenty-third

day of October, 1994, in the City of Fort Smith, that we commend the Board of

Trustees for acting in the best interests of the blind of Arkansas by forcing

and accepting the Superintendent's resignation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED

that the NFB of Arkansas call upon the public to differentiate between the conduct

of an individual and that of an institution, recognizing that the School for

the Blind can and should play a vital role in meeting the educational needs

of an important segment of Arkansas's blind students and resisting the move,

already contemplated, to consolidate the School for the Blind with others serving

the handicapped; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED

that we urge the Board of Trustees to continue to act in the best interests

of the blind by conducting an unbiased national search to fill the Superintendent's

position.

CONFRONTING

CHALLENGE

by Steve Benson

From the Editor: Steve

Benson is the President of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

and a member of the NFB Board of Directors. Since his affiliate will host the

1995 convention of the National Federation of the Blind, you will be hearing

a good bit from him in the months ahead. The following article, however, is

in a different vein. Here it is:

Confronting challenge

is a way of life for Chicago Chapter member Tony Burda, who lost his sight while

a student at the Illinois College of Pharmacy. Rather than retreat and wither

away in a shell, Burda continued to pursue a career in pharmacology. Graduation

came and went without a hitch. Then he began to grapple with the challenge of

obtaining a pharmacist's license. The State of Illinois refused to allow Burda

to take the licensing examination, let alone award him a certificate. "The

state was concerned about the possibility that a blind person would try to fill

prescriptions, thereby endangering the safety of the public. But I never had

any desire to be a pill pusher," commented Burda.

With Federation support

and encouragement, Burda waged a three-year battle for his right to take the

licensing exam. When he was finally permitted to do so, he passed with a score

in the top ten percent of his class. Securing competitive employment was not

nearly as difficult. Since 1982 Burda has been a poison information specialist

at Rush-Presbyterian Medical Center in Chicago. His excellent performance on

the job has garnered several awards for him. "It is a demanding, interesting,

and satisfying job that requires not only knowledge of the effects of a great

variety of substances upon the human body, but also constant study of new drugs

and their effects and side effects. At times I am also challenged to calm down

hysterical parents whose child has ingested who knows what substance,"

Burda muses.

Eight or nine years ago

Burda became chairman of our Chicago Chapter's fund-raising committee. His ongoing

search for ideas that would capture the imaginations of members and non-members

and generate dollars for the Federation led him to the conclusion that he could

couple his dedication to physical fitness and his commitment to the Federation,

raise funds and, at the same time, educate the public about blindness and the

organization. He began to participate in bicycling events, riding a tandem with

pharmacist colleagues, and asking friends, relatives, and Federationists to

make contributions for the miles he rode. Dollars trickled in at first, but

through the years Burda has achieved pretty respectable results.

In 1990 Burda was the

first blind person to compete in the Chicago Sun-Times Triathlon. He and his

partner, John Lager, completed the grueling swimming, running, and cycling event

in less than three hours. Burda's effort generated more than $8,500 for the

Federation.

In 1992 Burda and John

Boland rode their tandem, along with several thousand other cyclists, in the

500-mile Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI).

In 1993 Burda and John

Lager rode their tandem in a twelve- hour challenge race. They completed 175

miles in ninety-five-degree heat and high humidity.

Then, in 1994, Burda and

Boland once again straddled their tandem on behalf of the Federation. This time

they peddled a grueling 422-mile course from Trinidad, Colorado, to Golden,

Colorado, in the Denver Post's Ride the Rockies. They completed the rugged,

beautiful course (ranging from 9,000 to 12,000 feet) in six days.

Many of us have already

recruited contributions in tribute to Tony Burda's effort. Burda himself has

raised over $3,000 in donations. If you wish to make a contribution in tribute

to Burda's effort, send your check or money order, made payable to National

Federation of the Blind, to our National Office, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,

Maryland 21230.

Our hats are off to Tony

Burda and John Boland. Congratulations and thanks.

THE

1995 NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

This year's scholarship

program will be the twelfth since the organization determined to expand the

number, variety, and value of the scholarships we would present each year at

our annual convention in July. Assisting the nation's most talented post-secondary

students to fulfill their academic and professional dreams is one of the most

effective ways for us to demonstrate our conviction that blind people deserve

the chance to enter whatever field they demonstrate themselves equipped to succeed

in.

Scholarships will be presented

this year to twenty-six college, vocational-school, and graduate students. The

awards will range in value from $2,000 to $10,000, and we will bring the winners

as our guests to the 1995 convention of the National Federation of the Blind

to experience firsthand the excitement and stimulation of a gathering of the

largest and most dynamic organization of blind people in the country today.

At the meeting of the

NFB Board of Directors last summer in Detroit, the decision was made to award

at least three of this year's scholarships to students who won an NFB scholarship

in a previous year. The purpose of this effort is to nurture in today's students

an ongoing commitment to the philosophy and objectives of the Federation. The

students so designated will be recognized and honored as the 1995 tenBroek Fellows.

All current students who were scholarship winners in previous years should take

particular note of this new program and consider applying for the 1995 National

Federation of the Blind scholarships.

Every state affiliate

and local chapter can help in spreading the word of this extraordinary opportunity

for America's blind students. Scholarship applications have been or soon will

be mailed to financial aid offices in educational institutions around the country,

but many of these will be filed for reference when students come to ask about

financial assistance. It is very helpful to have local representatives deliver

or mail forms to the actual college administrator who works with blind students.

Being identified with such a valuable national scholarship program gives the

local chapter and state affiliate prestige and respect, and the local touch

insures that more blind students will actually have an opportunity to apply

for these scholarships.

Anyone can order scholarship

forms from the Materials Center, National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson

Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. State Presidents and members of the 1995

Scholarship Committee will also be sent scholarship forms. These may be copied

as long as both sides of the form are reproduced.

Here is the text of the

1995 National Federation of the Blind scholarship application form:

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF

THE BLIND 1995 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Each year at its National

Convention in July, the National Federation of the Blind gives a broad array

of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. All applicants for

these scholarships must be (1) legally blind and (2) pursuing or planning to

pursue a full-time post-secondary course of study. In addition to these restrictions,

some scholarships have been further restricted by the donor. Scholarships to

be given at the National Convention in 1995 are listed here with any special

restrictions noted: 1 SCHOLARSHIP FOR $10,000

American Action Fund Scholarship

n Given by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, a nonprofit

organization which works to assist blind persons. No additional restrictions.

3 SCHOLARSHIPS, EACH FOR

$4,000

Anne Pekar Memorial Scholarship

n Given in loving memory of Anne Pekar by her parents, who say: nThe purpose

of the scholarship is to help others as Anne had tried to do in her various

volunteer endeavors. ...It is our hope that this small gesture in her name will

remind us of the wonderful things about Anne and, in particular, her concern

about other people and her desire to help.n Winner must be a woman between the

ages of 17 and 25. Two National Federation of the Blind Scholarships; no additional

restrictions.

2 SCHOLARSHIPS, EACH FOR

$3,000

Melva T. Owen Memorial

Scholarship n Given in memory of Melva T. Owen, who was widely known and loved

among the blind. She and her husband Charles Owen became acquainted with increasing

numbers of blind people through their work in the nVoicepondencen Club. Charles

Owen says: nThere shall be no limitation as to field of study, except that it

shall be directed towards attaining financial independence and shall exclude

religion and those seeking only to further general or cultural education.n Mozelle

and Willard Gold Memorial Scholarship n Endowed by the energetic and effective

president of the National Federation of the Blind of California, Sharon Gold,

in loving memory of her mother and father, both of whom were dedicated to creating

opportunity for their daughter and for all blind persons through Braille literacy

and dedication to service. No additional restrictions.

8 SCHOLARSHIPS, EACH FOR

$2,500

Howard Brown Rickard Scholarship

n Winner must be studying or planning to study in the fields of law, medicine,

engineering, architecture, or the natural sciences. Frank Walton Horn Memorial

Scholarship n Given by Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Barnum, the mother and stepfather

of Catherine Horn Randall. No additional restrictions, but preference will be

given to those studying architecture or engineering. National Federation of

the Blind Humanities Scholarship n Winner must be studying in the traditional

humanities such as art, English, foreign languages, history, philosophy, or

religion. National Federation of the Blind Educator of Tomorrow Award n Winner

must be planning a career in elementary, secondary, or post-secondary teaching.

Four National Federation of the Blind Scholarships; no additional restrictions.

12 SCHOLARSHIPS, EACH FOR

$2,000

Hermione Grant Calhoun

Scholarship n Dr. Isabelle Grant endowed this scholarship in memory of her daughter.

Winner must be a woman. Kuchler-Killian Memorial Scholarship n Given in loving

memory of her parents, Charles Albert Kuchler and Alice Helen Kuchler, by Junerose

Killian, dedicated member of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut.

No additional restrictions. Kurzweil Scholarship n Endowed by Xerox Imaging

Systems, in honor of Ray Kurzweil, inventor of the Kurzweil Reading Machine.

No additional restrictions. Ellen Setterfield Memorial Scholarship n Given in

memory of Ellen Setterfield by Roy Landstrom, who says, nDuring the course of

her life, she gave of herself to defend the dignity and self-respect of those

around her.n Winner must be studying social sciences at the graduate level.

Eight National Federation of the Blind Scholarships; no additional restrictions.

CRITERIA: All scholarships

are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, service to the community, and

financial need.
MEMBERSHIP: The National Federation of the Blind is an organization

dedicated to creating opportunity for all blind persons. Recipients of Federation

scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind.
MAKING

APPLICATION: To apply for National Federation of the Blind scholarships, complete

and return the application on the reverse side of this sheet, attaching to the

application all the additional documents there requested. Multiple applications

are unnecessary. Each applicant will be considered for all scholarships for

which he or she qualifies. Send completed applications to: Mrs. Peggy Elliott,

Chairman, National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Committee, 814 - 4th

Avenue, Suite 200, Grinnell, Iowa 50112; (515) 236-3366. Form must be received

by March 31, 1995.
REAPPLICATION: Those who have previously applied are encouraged

to apply again. If previous winners present credible applications, it is our

policy to award not fewer than three scholarships to those who have received

them in the past.
WINNERS: The Scholarship Committee reviews all applications

and selects the scholarship winners. These winners, the same number as there

are scholarships to award, will be notified of their selection by June 1 and

will be brought to the National Federation of the Blind convention in July at

Federation expense. This is in addition to the scholarship grant. The National

Federation of the Blind convention is the largest gathering of blind persons

(more than 2,000) to occur anywhere in the nation each year. You will be able

to meet other blind students and exchange information and ideas. You will also

be able to meet and talk with blind people who are successfully functioning

in your chosen profession or occupation. Federal officials, members of Congress,

and the makers and distributors of new technology attend Federation conventions.

Above all, a broad cross section of the most active segment of the blind population

of the United States will be present to discuss common problems and plan for

concerted action. It is an interesting and exciting week. AWARDS: The day before

the convention banquet the Scholarship Committee will meet to determine which

winners will receive which scholarships. The scholarship awards will be made

during the banquet.

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF

THE BLIND SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Read reverse side of form

for instructions and explanation. Form may be photocopied but only if reverse

side is also included. To apply for a scholarship, complete this application

form and mail completed application and attachments to: Mrs. Peggy Elliott,

Chairman, National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Committee, 814 - 4th

Avenue, Suite 200, Grinnell, Iowa 50112; (515)236-3366. Form must be received

by March 31, 1995.

Name (please include any

maiden or other names by which you have been known): Date of birth: School address:

School phone number: Home address: Home phone number: Institution being attended

in spring semester, 1995, with class standing (freshman, senior, etc.): Cumulative

grade point at this institution: Institution to be attended in fall of 1995,

with class standing. Send by separate letter if admitted to school after submitting

completed application: List all post-secondary institutions attended with highest

class standing attained and cumulative grade point average: High school attended

and cumulative grade point: Vocational goal: State your major: Awards and honors

(attach list if necessary): Community service (attach list if necessary):

Attach the following documents

to completed application:

1. Send us a letter: What

schools have you attended? What school do you plan to attend during the coming

year? What honors have you achieved? What have you done to deal with situations

involving your blindness? What are you like as a person? What are your goals

and aspirations? How will the scholarship help you?

2. Send two letters of

recommendation.

3. Provide current transcript

from institution now attending and transcripts from all other post-secondary

institutions attended. If you have not yet attended such an institution or have

not completed one year of study, send high school transcript.

4. Send a letter from

a state officer of the National Federation of the Blind evidencing the fact

that you have discussed your scholarship application with that officer. We prefer

that you discuss your application with the Federation state president, but a

letter from any Federation state officer will suffice. President's address provided

upon request.

ORIENTATION

AND MOBILITY

The Need for Reason

by George M. Binder and

Douglas C. Boone

From the Editor:

In the January, 1992, issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness

(JVIB), published by the American Foundation for the Blind, Dr. William Wiener

and several other researchers presented a summary of the research they had done

on the question of whether or not blind orientation and mobility instructors

can safely do their jobs. Division IX of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation

of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) has steadily maintained that they cannot

and that, therefore, AER certification for these instructors must be withheld.

One of the first blind university-trained O&M instructors to feel the

impact of this bar was Dr. Fred Schroeder, now Commissioner of the Rehabilitation

Services Administration. In casual conversation at the time Dr. Schroeder characterized

the Wiener findings as proving unequivocally that blind people cannot see as

well as sighted peoplea result that none of us would be inclined to question.

Whether, as a result of this new corroboration of an undisputed truth, blind

O&M instructors who have been trained to use efficient alternative methods

for teaching the skills of effective cane use and student safety should continue

to be denied the opportunity to acquire AER certification is a far different

issue.

Two experienced,

sighted O&M instructors whose views and experience run counter to those

of the Wiener group prepared a response to the JVIB article and submitted it

to that journal in May of 1992. The editor requested that it be significantly

shortened, a suggestion to which the authors were unwilling to agree. They believed

it was high time the underlying distrust of blindness skills demonstrated by

the AER position be openly discussed, and they recognized that their article

could not do the job if it were substantially cut.

In recent months

the AER has again opened the question of whether it should certify blind O&M instructors. (See Dr. Schroeder's article, "Preparing for Emerging Challenges

and Partnerships," in the August/September, 1994, issue of the Braille

Monitor.) AER's preliminary answer seems to be that, if the blind teacher is

prepared to use a sighted assistant to provide the visual information that sighted

instructors depend upon, something might be worked out. Clearly, the O&M gurus continue to miss the point. Therefore, we herewith print the article

which Messrs. Binder and Boone prepared in 1992. Its argument is no less relevant

today, and the many students who have been taught by blind travel teachers to

use the long white cane confidently and safely during the intervening two and

a half years serve to strengthen their case.

George Binder

received his master's degree in orientation and mobility from Florida State

University at Tallahassee in August of 1989. He is currently employed as a certified

orientation and mobility instructor with the Albuquerque Public Schools and

serves as a private contractor to schools in many surrounding districts. Prior

to receiving his master's degree, Mr. Binder worked for eight years as a rehabilitation

teacher in an agency serving the blind.

Doug Boone holds

a B.A. in Education and is President of D. Boone Consultants, a private consulting

firm, providing blindness- related rehabilitation consulting services. He has

been employed by rehabilitation agencies for the blind since 1976 in a variety

of roles, including cane travel instructor, wood shop instructor, rehabilitation

teacher, vocational rehabilitation counselor, and director of human resource

development for the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. This is what Messrs.

Binder and Boone have to say:

The frequently debated

issue regarding visual requirements for certified orientation and mobility teachers

has prompted us to write in order to express our views on the matter. Additionally,

we would like to take this opportunity to respond to the Wiener, Bliven, Bush,

Ligammari, and Newton (1992) article entitled "The Need for Vision in Teaching

Orientation and Mobility," which appeared in the January, 1992, issue of

the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. This is an issue about which

we feel strongly, and our views are a reflection of the changes which are occurring

within the field of O&M. Ours is not a static profession but one which

is constantly evolving. Changes in attitudes and expectations, brought about

by consumers and professionals alike, have made it possible for us to look at

certification requirements in a whole new light.

We would like to begin

by sharing with you our background in teaching orientation and mobility. Both

of us have received intensive instruction at an orientation center for blind

adults as part of our preparation for entry into the field of blindness. The

opportunity for training at a rehabilitation/orientation center for the blind

occurred when we were hired as rehabilitation teachers for the blind. As part

of the training program for new staff at the Nebraska Services for the Visually

Impaired, we were required to spend three months as students at the orientation

center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

This was an intensive

training program which necessitated our wearing sleepshades (blindfolds) for

approximately seven hours a day, five days a week for three months. [When Doug

became an O&M instructor for the Orientation Center, he spent an additional

six weeks under sleepshades in preparation for this new responsibility]. Center

instruction included classes in cane travel, cooking, shop/wood-working, Braille,

abacus, and typing. In addition, seminars or discussion periods were held twice

weekly.

While learning the various

nonvisual, alternative techniques which a blind person must possess in order

to be independent, we gradually began to understand what it meant to function

without vision. As the students around us shared their feelings and views about

blindness, the philosophical basis for our attitudes toward blindness began

to develop. We were exposed to a great many independent, competent, blind individuals

with a diverse range of abilities. Many of our old, stereotyped ideas started

to break down. Even though we were sighted people simulating blindness, we began

to realize that blindness had to be dealt with on an emotional level while at

the same time addressing the immediate need to master skills. All the instruction,

technology, and alternatives in the world cannot by themselves provide the answer.

When blind people internalize the notion that blindness is a totally and tragically

disabling condition, they start to lose the motivation and ability to become

confident, competent people.

We also came to realize

that nonvisual, alternative techniques work and, perhaps more important, that

they are not inferior to those which require vision. For visual learners it

is often difficult to realize that there is no way to determine accurately what

a blind person can or cannot do without first understanding how effectively

the nonvisual alternatives work. That is to say, given our sighted frame of

reference, we can only understand intuitively how a thing can be accomplished

through the use of vision. Without intensive training we cannot recognize how

efficient and effective the alternate techniques of blindness can be.

In our view this lack

of understanding makes itself felt whenever the question of certifying blind

orientation and mobility instructors arises. Since the concern is basically

one of safety, it is important to understand how a blind person can effectively

employ nonvisual methods in teaching cane travel.

By listening to the cane

arcing, it is possible to determine whether a student is maintaining a safe,

even arc. If the width of an arc is too narrow, the auditory feedback will be

muffled by the student's body. To determine if the arc is too wide, the instructor

can use sound comparisons, judging the tap of the cane relative to the footsteps.

Additionally, the height of an arc can be determined by sound. Both blind and

sighted instructors teach students to cross intersections safely by using changes

in the movement of automobiles to ascertain the various types of intersections

and their layouts. By monitoring the street sounds carefully himself, the blind

teacher can be sure that the student is lined up with traffic, judging appropriately

when and where it is safe to cross, and reliably using traffic flow to maintain

orientation and direction. When introducing street crossings at busy intersections,

blind instructors usually remain close to the student (one or two steps behind)

and position themselves between parallel traffic and the student. This arrangement

allows rapid intervention if necessary. As sighted instructors we frequently

employ this same approach with beginning students. Another fail-safe way to

prevent a student from misjudging the traffic pattern and crossing before the

light is green is to have the student verbally indicate when he or she is prepared

to cross. The notion that it takes vision to cross an intersection safely is

as false as it is to assume that it takes vision to cook!

For the blind cane travel

instructor many unexpected situations such as construction and delivery trucks

can be detected through auditory means. This too can be turned into a learning

experience for students by brainstorming or by using guided problem-solving

techniques. All teachers agree that safety is critically important. The question

we must ask is how to ensure the student's safety. We believe that it will be

most effectively guaranteed through proper training and monitoring and not by

the instructor's visual acuity.

Another commonly expressed

concern is that the blind instructor might lose track of a student. Once again,

vision is not the only protection against this danger. Listening for the tap

of the student's cane and using one's knowledge of the student's travel patterns

or idiosyncratic behavior to trace his or her wayward path are simple methods

of keeping tabs on the student. Even more important, let us remember that at

a certain point in the instructional process the student is able to solve problems

and can meet a teacher at a predetermined location. The teacher's approach to

training can make it unnecessary to observe the student visually from a distance

or to warn students of impending collisions.

Once the student has mastered

the basic skills that ensure safety and the teacher is absolutely certain that

he or she appreciates their importance and applies them consistently, the conscientious

instructor can fade more and more into the background. The goal now is to instill

self-confidence by initiating solo routes and encouraging self-exploration routes.

It certainly does not require vision to accomplish this task either. Warning

students of impending collisions with large or small objects is not always necessary.

If the student has received proper instruction, the cane will detect obstacles

and warn him or her of danger. Students who become careless quickly discover

that life is full of consequences. Please understand, we are not saying that

we would intentionally allow a student to get hurt, but we seldom warn students

in advance of objects they should be locating with the cane. A student who encounters

an object because of a poor arc has learned a painful but effective lessonone

that is better learned when an instructor is available to help analyze the cause

of the problem. To avoid such lessons is to deprive students of valuable opportunities

which contribute to the growth of both skills and self-confidence.

Students who are taught

using a creative, problem-solving approach to O&M will learn to ask relevant

questions about the environment rather than depending on being told in detail

what is going on around them. This is a model similar to the cognitive process

described in E. Hill and P. Ponder's "Orientation and Mobility Techniques."

This results in a structured discovery learning model, which allows blind travelers

to interact with the environment and to interpret and process information effectively.

Until a student gains a certain degree of confidence and feels somewhat at ease

in traveling, it is difficult for him or her to perceive the vast number of

environmental cues available. Too often feeling out of control or fearful blocks

the development of practical, common-sense decision-making skills. The role

of any cane travel instructor (blind or sighted) is to empower the student through

a guided, problem-solving approach, thereby instilling a sense of confidence.

In his book Mobility Training

for Visually Handicapped People, A Person-Centered Approach, Allan Dodds, describing

different teaching styles, states:

The authoritarian rehabilitation

worker . . . will feel superior to all clients and will find it rewarding to

be in control of them. . . . He will leave the fully trained client with the

nagging feeling that he will never really be independent once training is over

and that he still needs further lessons. The egalitarian instructor . . .will

have respect for the individual based upon a healthy respect for himself, will

regard him as a fellow adult, and

will get pleasure out of seeing him reacquire his independence

and dignity. . . . At all times she [the egalitarian

instructor] is guiding his problem-solving and

helping him to interpret what he is doing and what the

consequences are. . . . In this way she is getting him

to solve his own orientation problems and increasing his

confidence to keep track of where he is as he travels.

. . . So the authoritarian instructor tries to fill

the client with facts, rather than letting him discover

through his own activities what the environment is

like. The second style, practiced by the egalitarian instructor,

assumes that learning consists in discovering things

for oneself and that the role of the instructor is to

guide this process of discovery.

It is possible to undermine

a student's confidence unintentionally by offering too much information. For

example, the sighted travel teacher who warns a student about the presence of

stairs prior to the student's reaching them with the cane certainly does not

instill self-reliance but instead reinforces the notion that vision and safety

are somehow connected. It is critical that students learn to trust the cane

and their own abilities and not to rely on visual information.

To use fear tactics such

as saying "Differences of seconds may seem small, but the stakes are high,"

or "It only takes a second for an individual to overstep a stair or to

move into a dangerous situation," is unfair. It conveys the conviction

that a blind traveler is never completely safe. At some point every O&M teacher (sighted or blind) has to step back and allow the student to accomplish

solo routes. Besides, why should we assume that a blind instructor would be

unaware of a student's approaching a dangerous situation--As stated earlier,

blind or visually impaired instructors usually position themselves close to

the student while crossing a busy intersection during the beginning stages of

training (as would a sighted teacher) in order to ensure quick intervention

in an emergency.

Still another positive

aspect of certifying blind O&M teachers is that of providing a positive

role model. The value of this point can hardly be overstated. It is important

for blind children and adults alike to be exposed to good blind role models.

This exposure will assist them in making a positive adjustment to blindness

and acceptance of the cane while providing proof that it is indeed possible

for blind people to be independent.

To insist that blind cane

travel instructors teach in the traditional style of some sighted instructors

is to ignore the validity of comparable non-visual alternatives. We find ourselves

agreeing with Allan Dodds (1985, p. 137) when he states: "The degree to

which one accepts or rejects blind people working as mobility instructors .

. . is conditioned only by one's own prejudices about blindness." The alternatives

to vision which we have offered in this article are only a sample of possible

solutions, and they vary from person to person. In any case, we are certainly

not aware of all of the non-visual techniques in use. We are aware, however,

of the success with which the techniques can be employed. It's time that those

of us who say we expect independence and safety from our students realize that

these things really are possible and begin trusting the message we say we teach.

We do not believe that

every good blind traveler would make a good orientation and mobility instructor.

Many of us have had math instructors who were brilliant mathematicians but who

were unable to convey their knowledge in a way that could be easily understood

by the majority of the class. We do propose, however, that the O&M field

give blind people who possess the skills and the desire to teach the chance

to prove themselves.

Simulations and experiments

are not necessary. Blind cane travel instructors have been successfully teaching

for years without the use of sighted assistants. These instructors have done

more to instill confidence, foster positive attitudes, and effectively teach

cane travel than many of us who are sighted cane travel teachers. To quote Allan

Dodds again (1985, "New Beacon"):

As a psychologist I was

interested from a number of points of view in being on the receiving end of

blind instruction; and, having undergone mobility instruction with a sighted

instructor, I was interested in making comparisons. For example, not knowing

anything about how a blind instructor operated, I was concerned about how in

touch she could be with her client in terms of monitoring his motor skills.

. . . After only a few steps, she called out that my cane was not going far

enough over to the left and asked me to correct it. Slightly surprised, I consciously

swung it further over to the left, and she told me that was better. [And again

later in the same article] So confident was he (a student of the blind instructor)

that I stopped checking up on his decisions to cross at busy junctions, simply

putting my trust in his decisions and maintaining a conversation with him. That

was the moment when I realized that my residual prejudices about blind travel

had finally been put to rest. In spite of myself, I would never really have

trusted a blind person to make a safety decision

on my behalf without checking it out visually. Now

I realized that good blind travel had to be judged on blind

criteria, not sighted ones, and the fact that blind travelers

don't get run down by cars is not due to the consideration

of the motorist but rather to the sound judgment

of the traveler. And yet I had trained blind people

to do this myself, without fully believing that it was

safe. . . . For my

own part, I was thoroughly convinced that

blind instructors could do most of what sighted instructors

could, and what they couldn't do was not vital

to the teaching of safe and independent travel.

Below is a sample of only

a few state and private agencies which reveals how widespread is the practice

of employing blind persons whose sole job description is that of orientation

and mobility instructor. We did not sample these same service providers with

regard to the number of clients trained in O&M by blind rehabilitation

teachers whose primary duties are not O&M but who teach it as the need

arises.

ABLE (Alternatives for

the Blind in Living and Employment), Source: Former employee. [approximate student

count] . . . . . 60

BISM (Blind Industries

and Services of Maryland), Source: Former employee [approximate student count,

1983-1987] . . . . 85

BLIND Inc., Source: Program

Director [approximate student count, 1988 until April, 1992] . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .125

Colorado Center for the

Blind, Source: Program Director [approximate student count, 1988 until April,

1992]. . . . . . 75

Louisiana Center for the

Blind, Source: Program Director [exact count, 1986 until April, 1992]. . . .

. . . . . . . . .180

Nebraska Rehabilitation

Services f/t Visually Impaired, Source: Agency Director [approximate count,

1975 until April, 1992]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. .450

New Mexico Commission

f/t Blind, Source: Program Director, [exact count, 1986 until April, 1992].

. . . . . . . . . . . . 87

The numbers presented

here were compiled in April of 1992. Total number of blind persons trained in

O & M by blind instructors in the above, limited sample . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . 1,062

In the face of the significant

number of safe, competent blind travelers trained to use the long white cane

by blind orientation and mobility instructors, we ask one question of Mr. Wiener

and other advocates of the present certification requirement: if the numbers

provided here are not proof of the capacity of blind O&M instructors to

train other blind people safely and effectively, at what point will studies

and research give way to practice and fact?

References:

Hill, E., and Ponder, P.,

Orientation and Mobility Techniques, New York, American Foundation for the Blind,

Inc., 1976, p. 4.

Dodds, A.G. (1985) "Mobility:

Blind Instructors" New Beacon, 69, 137-139.

Dodds, A.G., Mobility Training

for Visually Handicapped People: A Person-Centered Approach, London, England,

Croom Helm Ltd, 1988, pp. 73-77.

BLIND CHEMIST SUES NEW YORK CORPORATION

From the Editor:

Until August of 1993 Rudolf Behrens was a senior chemist with the Ciba Corporation,

the American subsidiary of a large Swiss pharmaceutical company. But, years

before, he had begun to lose his sight, and by 1992 he was legally blind. Because

of his decreasing visual acuity he was interested in negotiating a change in

job responsibilities, but apparently his employer only wanted him gone. So his

supervisors simply piled on the work until he could no longer get it done and

they thought it was safe to fire him.

Behrens was furious.

He had been a valuable employee close to retirement; he knew he should not have

been fired, but what could he do about it- He decided to get a lawyer and see

about a lawsuit. At about this time he received a call from the National Federation

of the Blind of Connecticut's Community Outreach Office telling him about the

work of the Federation and inviting him to support the program with a contribution.

He began telling the caller about his troubles, and very quickly he was put

in touch with Rick Fox, President of the NFB of Connecticut. Mr. Behrens' attorney

was soon in contact with the NFB's National Office, gathering information about

the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how to use it most effectively.

Rudolf Behrens

is now attending NFB meetings in his area and is making progress with his lawsuit

against Ciba Corporation. The following article first appeared in the July 18,

1994, issue of the White Plains, New York, Reporter Dispatch. Here it is:

Ex-employee Suing Ciba

for $1.8 Million

by Richard Liebson

Ciba Corporation in Ardsley

has been hit with a $1.8 million federal lawsuit by a senior chemist who says

he was dismissed because of an eye condition that left him legally blind.

The lawsuit, filed earlier

this month in U.S. District Court in White Plains, charges Ciba with violating

the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ten-page lawsuit,

brought by Rudolf Behrens, sixty-five, of Fairfield, Connecticut, says that

Ciba "engaged in numerous discriminatory practices in violation of the

ADA, culminating in Mr. Behrens' unlawful termination," in August, 1993.

An age-related degenerative eye condition left Behrens legally blind in 1992.

The company has not been

served with the lawsuit, Ciba spokesman Eric Jackson said yesterday. "Nevertheless,

we feel it is inappropriate to publicly discuss any human-resources matters

concerning our employees," he said.

Behrens' lawyer, Irwin

Dresdner of White Plains, said yesterday that instead of providing Behrens with

"the equitable treatment and reasonable assistance to which he was entitled

under the ADA, Ciba demoted him, placed him on probation, increased his workload

to a level exceeding that of any fully sighted Ciba employee, and fired him."

"I couldn't believe

what they were doing to me," Behrens said yesterday. "During my ten

years at Ciba I've made important contributions in many areas of chemical research

and development, but as soon as they found out about my blindness, all they

cared about was getting rid of me."

Ciba, formerly called

Ciba-Geigy Corporation, is the U.S. subsidiary of the Swiss-based health care,

agricultural, and industrial manufacturing corporation.

Ciba is "committed

to comply fully with the letter and spirit of all equal employment opportunity

laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act," said Jackson.

"We take these responsibilities

very seriously," he said.

Behrens has requested

a jury trial and is seeking $1.8 million in lost pay, damages, and legal costs.

NATIONAL

FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 1994-95

Twelfth Annual Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest

Sponsored by: National

Organization of Parents of Blind Children National Association to Promote the

Use of Braille

PURPOSE OF CONTEST

The purpose of the annual

Braille Readers Are Leaders contest is to encourage blind school children to

read more Braille. It is just as important for blind children to be literate

as it is for other children. Good readers can have confidence in themselves

and in their abilities to learn and to adapt to new situations throughout their

lifetimes. Braille is a viable alternative to print, yet many blind children

are graduating from our schools with poor Braille skills and low expectations

for themselves as Braille readers. They do not know that Braille readers can

be competitive with print readers. This contest helps blind children realize

that reading Braille is fun and rewarding.

WHO CAN ENTER THE CONTEST

Blind school-age children

from kindergarten through the twelfth grade are eligible to enter. The student

competes in one of five categories. The first category is the print-to-Braille

beginning reader. This category is for former or current print readers who began

to learn and use Braille within the past two years. This includes:

(1) formerly sighted children

who became blind after they mastered print and

(2) partially-sighted

print readers who are learning Braille. Kindergartners and first-graders are

not eligible for the print-to-Braille category.

The other categories are

grades K-1; 2-4; 5-8; and 9-12. Students in ungraded programs should select

the category which most closely matches the grade level of their peers.

PRIZES FOR THE CONTEST

First-, second-, and third-place

winners are selected from each of the five categories. All winners receive a

cash prize, a special certificate, and a distinctive NFB Braille Readers Are

leaders T-shirt. In each category first-place winners receive $75.00, second-place

winners $50.00, and third-place winners $25.00. All contestants receive a Braille

certificate and a special token for participating in the contest. Special recognition

will be given to the five contestants, regardless of category, who demonstrate

the most improvement over their performance in the previous year's contest.

To be considered for the Most Improved Braille Reader award the contestant must

enter the contest for two consecutive years and cannot be a winner in the current,

or any previous, Braille Readers Are Leaders contest. Winners of the Most Improved

Braille Reader award receive fifteen dollars ($15.00) and a T-shirt. Schools

are encouraged to schedule public presentations of the certificates. Alternatively,

presentations may be made in the classroom, at the local National Federation

of the Blind Chapter meeting, or in some other appropriate setting. Members

of the National Federation of the Blind will award the certificates and other

prizes whenever possible.

SCHOOLS FOR THE BLIND

In addition to the individual

prizes a special $200.00 cash prize and a trophy will be awarded to the school

for the blind with the largest number of enrolled students participating in

the contest. All of the schools for the blind with students participating in

the contest will receive recognition in Future Reflections, the National Federation

of the Blind magazine for parents and educators of blind children.

RULES FOR THE CONTEST

Winners will be chosen

based on the number of Braille pages read. The one who reads the largest number

of Braille pages will be the first-place winner; the second largest the second-place

winner; and the third largest the third-place winner. The completed contest

entry form must be received by the judges no later than February 15, 1995. Contestants

must submit with the entry forms a print list of the materials read (see the

last page of the entry form). Entry forms without this list will be returned

to the sender.

CERTIFYING AUTHORITY

The certifying authority

is responsible for (1) verifying that the student read the Braille material

listed and that the material was read between November 1, 1994, and February

1, 1995; (2) filling out and sending in the contest entry form in an accurate,

complete, and timely fashion; and (3) assisting the student in finding Braille

materials to read for the contest. Teachers, librarians, and parents may serve

as certifying authorities. The certifying authority must also be prepared to

cooperate if the contest judges have any questions or need additional information

about an entry. All decisions of the judges are final.

For more information contact

Mrs. Sandy Halverson, 403 West 62nd Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri 64113; evenings

(816) 361-7813; or Mrs. Barbara Cheadle, National Federation of the Blind, 1800

Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (410) 659-9314 or (410) 747-3472.

COMMON QUESTIONS

1. What if I didn't know

about the contest until after it began. Can I still enter? Yes.

2. If I enter late, can

I still count the Braille pages I have read since November 1? Yes, if your certifying

authority will verify that you read those pages.

3. Can I count my Braille

textbooks? No.

4. Can I count textbooks

if they are not the textbooks I am now using for my regular class work? Yes.

5. What if I don't finish

reading a book? Can I count the pages that I did read? Yes.

6. Can supplemental reading

books to beginning reading series be counted for the contest? Yes.

7. What constitutes a

Braille page? Each side of an embossed piece of paper is considered one page.

If you read both sides, then you have read two pages. This is true even if there

are only two Braille lines on one side.

8. Can I count title pages,

tables of contents, Brailled descriptions of illustrations, etc.? Yes.

9. I have to transcribe

books for my beginning reader. Most of these books have only a few words on

a page. If the print book has more pages than my Braille transcription, how

do I count pages for the contest? For the purposes of this contest, the number

of Braille pages counted per book should never be less than the number of print

pages in that book. This is so even if the teacher has transcribed the entire

book onto one Braille page. To avoid confusion we suggest that the books be

transcribed page-for-page, one Braille page for each print page, whenever possible.

10. I have trouble finding

enough Braille material for my 6th grade and up students. Do you have any suggestions?

Yes. The National Federation of the Blind has free Braille materialsstories,

articles, etc.suitable for blind youth. To request the NFB Selected Literature

for Blind Youth order form, call or write National Federation of the Blind,

Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (410) 659-9314.

CONTEST ENTRY FORM NATIONAL

FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS CONTEST
November 1, 1994

to February 1, 1995

Mail entry form to Mrs.

Sandy Halverson, 403 West 62nd Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri 64113

Student's Name__________________________________________________
Age ________ Grade________
Address__________________________________________________
City__________________ State________ Zip________

Parent's Name __________________
Phone (Home)

__________________ (Work) __________________
Certifying Authority: ____________________________________
Name Position: Parent, Teacher, Librarian
Address__________________________________________________
City__________________ State________ Zip________
Phone (Home) __________________ (Work) __________________

School Name _____________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________
City__________________ State________ Zip________
Phone__________________

YES NO Did you enter last

year's contest (1993-94)?
YES NO Have you been a winner in a previous Braille

Readers are Leaders Contest?

Entries must be received

no later than February 15, 1995.

Category: (Check one) Beginning

Print to Braille (This category is for former or current print readers, grades

2-12, who began to learn and use Braille within the past two years.) Kindergarten

and First Grade Second through Fourth Grades Fifth through Eighth Grades Ninth

through Twelfth Grades

One of the prizes for the

contest is a special T-shirt. If you should be a winner, what size would you

require? (Check one) Children's: S (6-8); M (10-12); L (14-16) Adult: S (34-36);

M (38-40); L (42-44); XL

     [Back

page of form]

Name Total # of Braille

Pages

Pages Book/Magazine (mag.

pub. date) Author/Title of Article

[Lines 1-20]

To the best of my knowledge,

this student did read these Braille pages between the dates of November 1, 1994,

and February 1, 1995.

__________________________

Certifying Authority

THE BLIND FOR THE BLINDPROVIDING ORIENTATION TRAINING: A PANEL DISCUSSION

From the Editor:

At the Wednesday morning general session of the 1994 Convention of the National

Federation of the Blind, the directors of the four NFB adult rehabilitation

centers for the blind addressed the convention. To those who have been following

the evolution and strengthening of these facilities, these reports were both

interesting and gratifying. It is reassuring to receive confirmation that these

programs continue to change lives and enable their graduates to become successful.

But for those who are new to the organized blind movement and who knew only

about traditional rehabilitation programs, listening to these presentations

and talking with the students currently attending these centers provided revolutionary

insights about what blind people can achieve. Those taking part in this panel

discussion were Diane McGeorge, Executive Director of the Colorado Center for

the Blind; Joanne Wilson, Executive Director of the Louisiana Center for the

Blind; Joyce Scanlan, Executive Director of Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions,

Inc., in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Sharon Gold, Executive Director of the

Lawrence Marcelino Center for the Blind in Sacramento, California. Here is what

they had to say:

Diane McGeorge

I want to begin today

by reading you a letter which I received from the parents of one of our graduates:

Dear Mrs. McGeorge,

We recently visited our

son, who graduated from the full-time program at the Colorado Center for the

Blind. We had a chance to spend three days with him in Denver. During that time

we had the opportunity to meet some of your staff, and I cannot tell you how

impressed we were with their understanding and the real caring they showed for

him. When he came to your program, he was depressed and

saw nothing for himself in his future. What a joy it was

for us to see him working at his job. He is sharing an

apartment with another one of the graduates of your program,

and we got to meet his girlfriend. She is a lovely

girl, and they both are so happy. The Colorado Center

has truly been an answer to our prayers. We thank you

very much and wish you great success for years to come.

Sincerely,
And it was

signed.

This letter is a clear

demonstration of the accomplishments of our NFB Centers. These achievements

are not accidents; they occur because of our philosophy and the dedication of

our staff. Traditional rehabilitation centers try to teach skills, but they

do not talk to students about their blindness. And if you do not talk about

blindness, you will not help your students to develop fully or, for that matter,

even become competent in the use of their skills. We have all heard about the

importance of proper cane technique, the value of teaching the use of the most

advanced technology on the market, and (that awful term) activities of daily

livingalso known as ADL. It is useful to compare the traditional- rehabilitation-center

approach with our non-traditional approach.

First of all, what is

meant by non-traditional? Dr. Jernigan pioneered the use of challenge recreation

activities at the Iowa Commission for the Blind. We all recall the famous water-skiing

scene from our video, "We Know Who We Are." The Colorado Center has

adapted this concept to our unique Colorado setting. We live less than thirty

miles from an internationally known rock-climbing area, Eldorado Canyon. Each

of the NFB Centers has found activities that challenge its students. Sometimes

it is said that our challenge activities are what make our programs different.

However, the challenge activities are but one way in which we engage our students

in thinking about their blindness.

Recently, an incident

occurred at the Colorado Center which illustrates very clearly the difference

between a traditional program and our NFB approach. High school students from

another program came to visit. Our high school students had prepared a day of

activities for our visitors. One of the things that our students wanted to do

was to prepare lunch for their guests. The visiting staff had, however, planned

to take their students to McDonald's. Our students saw lunch as an opportunity

to demonstrate their independence; the visiting staff saw lunch as an opportunity

to treat their students.

Every activity that we

do is used for teaching. We are concerned that our students learn to function

independently. The students from the visiting program travelled by holding onto

each other, thus forming a chain. They were not expected to travel independently.

Our students are encouraged to become free, self-managing individuals.[Applause]

Other programs are more concerned with taking care of their students. We are

concerned with our students' learning to take care of themselves.

The visit demonstrated

many attitudes toward blindness. We believe that our students can become independent,

productive people only when they really understand the attitudes toward blindness

which are held by society in general and by themselves. We ask them to examine

those attitudes and discuss why staff persons would want to have students travel

together in a chain. Clearly they were afraid that, if the students travelled

independently, it would be difficult. Students might get lost or get hurt. The

staff simply did not believe that blind people could function independently

and competently. Over and over again our students encounter these attitudes.

They must learn to acknowledge the existence of these negative attitudes. They

must develop the personal strength necessary to reject them and to replace them

with their belief in their own competence and the competence of other blind

persons.

Jason was a student in

our summer youth program. He came into our program fearful about participating

in many of our activities. Our staff challenged Jason to develop competence

and confidence. I received this evaluation of his experience in the program.

He writes:

I enjoyed my summer at

the Colorado Center. I liked living in the apartments and doing my own laundry.

The two things I liked best were the camping trip and the rock climbing. I liked

the story about the bear that Dan told. I really liked chopping the wood for

the fire. I chopped wood until Laurie told me I had to quit and go to bed. That

was about midnight. She said I was going to keep everybody awake. Rock climbing

was really hard. I was scared and I didn't want to go clear to the top. I cried,

and I told Allison to let me come down. She said she knew I could get to the

top, and she wasn't going to let me come down. I had a really good feeling when

I did get to the top of the rock. I was really proud of myself. Everybody

cheered!

Jason is a multiply-handicapped

young man. No one thought he could make progress. I remember that day very well.

The day he was climbing, passers-by stopped to watch. They must have thought

we were abusing him; yet this was a turning point for him. After this experience

he was anxious to try more things. He learned to travel from his apartment to

the Center by himself. His crowning achievement was preparing lunch for all

the staff and then telling us it would cost us $1.50 apiece to enjoy his spaghetti.

Traditional programs sell

short the abilities of blind persons. The expectations for someone like Jason

are so low that, if he had been in a traditional program, he would not have

achieved anything. Jason cannot be with us today because his brain tumor has

re-occurred, but he is proof that independence can be achieved by those who

in the past have simply been written off.

This year we have begun

a summer program for college students. They are learning to enhance their academic

performance through the use of Braille, technology, study skills, and good cane

travel. They are learning to manage their own academic program and deal more

effectively with disabled student services. But these are really not the most

important things that they will learn. They are learning to take responsibility

for their own lives and to develop the confidence that they need to make their

way in the world as competent blind adults. They are learning that they are

more effective when they work collectively and that to be fully an adult means

to care for others.

Blind persons have had

things done for them. They have received benefits. They have not been asked

to give. However, all of our students are asked to investigate thoroughly what

it means to act collectively and to care inclusively.

Traditional rehabilitation

centers encourage blind people to be passive. They are encouraged to accept

help whether they need it or not. After all, we don't want the public to think

that blind people have a chip on their shoulder. NFB Centers stress the importance

of assuming the role of the active participant in life, not the passive recipient

of good works. Our students know how to be assertive when dealing with offered

help that is not needed.

Many of our students come

to NFB Centers from protected environments. Their families, their teachers,

and their friends have often, with the best of intentions, prevented them from

becoming assertive adults. Recently one of our students was enrolled in college.

As her vision declined, she found that she was more and more dependent on her

friends. She expressed it to me very clearly. "I am tired of pretending

I am somebody I am not. None of my friends really knows how little I can see.

I have played all the games." She was unable to function independently,

so she accepted a passive role to get others to do for her. But she is an intelligent

woman and made the decision to change her life. She knew that she had to acquire

new skills, but she also knew that she had to rethink her blindness and gain

confidence through genuine accomplishments.

Just recently she told

me that she had gone shopping by herself and that she had brought her groceries

home in a grocery cart. She feels that this was a major accomplishment. She

is learning to live independently. Her confidence is growing. Her skills are

improving; she is learning to accept her blindness. She has ceased to depend

on others and is changing from a passive to an active person. She plans to be

a teacher of blind children. Her future is bright. She wants to dedicate her

life to caring for others. Mary is a great example of what we mean when we say,

"We Are Changing What it Means to be Blind." Once she was passive

and dependent on others, and now she is learning to direct her own life.

Students come to our NFB

Centers from all types of backgrounds. You have heard about only a few. Their

stories tell very clearly the differences between traditional rehabilitation

centers and our NFB Centers. They come with little hope for a future; they come

knowing that they must stop playing games about being blind; they come believing

they cannot overcome the limitations placed upon them by their peers. But they

leave with jobs and with confidence, having climbed to the top of the rock.

The men and women who are our students are showing the world what we mean when

we say, "Together we are changing what it means to be blind." [Applause]

Joanne Wilson

Until I was nineteen years

old, I had never met another blind person. I did not believe in myself, and

I did not have the skills of blindness. I couldn't even light a simple match.

That all changed when I became a student at the Iowa Commission for the Blind,

run by Dr. Jernigan. I did meet other blind people. I did begin to believe in

myself. I did get new skills, and I did learn to light a match.

Nine months ago Vanessa

came into our program. Vanessa did not believe in herself. She did not have

skills; and, believe it or not, Vanessa did not know how to light a match either.

Vanessa has now graduated from our program. She now believes in herself. She

has skills; and, after being pushed and shoved, Vanessa has lit a match. She

is now employed in our teenage program, working with young blind teenagers.

Two weeks ago I was at a birthday party for one of these young students. It

was time to light the candles. Someone said, "Let's get a sighted person

to light the candles."

Then Vanessa said, "Come

here Jennie. Let me show you how to light a match." [Applause]

People ask me, "What

do you do at the Louisiana Center for the Blind?" What we do is pass the

torch. We pass the torch that was kindled in 1940 when Dr. tenBroek first organized

the National Federation of the Blind. He took that torch and made it burn brighter

and passed it on to Dr. Jernigan, who took it and passed it on to the third

generation of blind people, President Maurer and people like me. Now it is our

turn to take it and to pass it on to the fourth generation. We take that torch

and we pass it on to all of our students.

We passed it on to Donald

Ray when we gave him his first cane lesson. He came back from that cane lesson

and said, "Miss Joanne, this cane is saving me from a life o'licks!"

We pass it on when our students walk five miles to a neighboring town and come

back elated that they have done it. We passed it on when Kyle took an hour and

a half to walk to the Center with our new student Jim the first day, and by

the end of the week they were doing it in fifteen minutes. We passed the torch

to Jerry, who had never cooked in his life. We gave him a glop of hamburger

and said, "Jerry, make your own hamburger patty." He squished it around,

and it took forever, but he got that patty made, and he put it on the grill,

and he grilled his burger. He sat down to eat it and said, "This is the

best burger I've ever eaten." [Applause]

We passed the torch when

Chris got his GED. We passed the torch when Patrick came in with the first agenda

he had produced in Braille. We passed the torch when Joe came in and got his

first job working at Wendy's. I said, "Joe, I'm really proud of you."

He puffed out his chest, and he smiled and said, "I have a family I have

to support." We passed the torch when Quintina sat in her first Braille

class and cried for two days. She said, "I quit. I'm never going to learn

Braille." Quintina now has her own business. You know what it is? She's

a Braille transcriptionist. [Applause]

We passed the torch when

David came in and said, "I know Braille. I read Braille at 169 words a

minute. I said, "David, that's not good enough. Start using two hands to

read Braille." He fought us, but he did it. When he left, he was reading

at 302 words a minute. We pass the torch to the students who come in excited

saying, "Oh my gosh, I've never seen this word before, but now that I'm

reading Braille, I see what it looks like."

We pass the torch in some

of our group discussions. The other day we were having a discussion with our

children's program, our teenage program, and our adult program. The adults were

hotly debating the issue of rights and responsibilities: Should we take free

show passes? Should we be pushed up to the front of the line? Eleven-year-old

Ryan said, "Wait a minute; wait a minute. If we take free show passes and

go to the front of the line ahead of everybody else and then we go and ask for

a job, that simply doesn't make any sense." We can't have it both ways.

We pass the torch when

Kim bought her first pair of tennis shoes. She had never shopped by herself

before. We passed the torch the other night when we had our Louisiana Center

for the Blind play. We educated the public about what blind people do: that

they can act. We educated the public with the play's message about blindness.

But, most important, we taught our students that they can be a part of changing

what it means to be blind.

We pass the torch when

we go rock climbing. I remember when Vanessa, crying and screaming, was going

up that rock. She came back down and said, "My God, you guys believe in

me more than I believe in myself." We passed the torch just weeks ago when

we took a whole group (sixty of usour children, teenage, and adult programs)

down to the Louisiana Legislature. A bill had been introduced that would have

seriously hurt the Randolph-Sheppard Program in the State. When we were leaving

that lobbying effort, little twelve-year-old Paul, who is developmentally delayed,

said, "You know, I don't know if I ever want to be a vendor, but someday

one of my friends might want to be a vendor, so we need to kill this bill."

We passed the torch when

one of our students got hurt, and our students took turns sitting up all night

with that student and caring for him like you would in a family. When I see

the work at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, it's like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

The work we do at our center is just a small piece of that puzzle. The rest

is the work that all of you are doing out there in the Federation and that we've

done for the last fifty-four years. We're there doing our part. If our Center

is going to survive and our students are going to get something, we need the

whole big picture, the whole puzzle put together.

Before we came to this

convention, I wanted to pull together some statistics for you. Even I was surprised

at the numbers. We have twenty-three students now enrolled in our adult program.

We've had sixty-seven children and teenagers. Individual children and teenagers

go through our summer programs. I am not going to count these people in our

statistics. I'm looking only at the students who have actually graduated from

the program or come very close. There have been 179 of those, 121 of whom, approximately

two thirds, are still involved with the Federation.

Let's look a little more

closely at these statistics. Out of those 121 still involved in the Federation,

sixty-nine of these people are elected leaders in the Federation: state presidents,

state officers, national division presidents, national division officers, local

chapter presidents, or local officerssixty-nine of these people.

When I got these statistics

together, I started looking at the names, and something else became apparent

to me. I started counting those who are successful, people who are living on

their own, going to school successfully, or working at a job successfully. All

of our students have moved along this spectrum by having benefitted from our

training. But my definition of success is even tougher: I would consider sixty-seven

percent of our students to be in the success category.

I then looked a little

further at these statistics. Of those who are no longer involved in the Federation,

16.6 percent are in the success category. Of those who are involved in the Federation,

90.9 percent are in the success category.

What message do these

numbers give us? They tell us that the reason our Federation centers work is

that we don't just bring students in and give them a few skills. We don't just

give them some attitudes and then leave them to make it on their own. The Louisiana

Center program is successful because we had you out there. The Federation is

there to give students the shot in the arm for the rest of their lives that

they need to continue to be successful. More important, it gives our students

an opportunity to give back, which truly makes students successful.

We're selling bricks at

the Louisiana Center for the Blind. We're getting ready to have an expansion.

Part of our fund raiser was selling bricks for a hundred dollars apiece on which

people can have anything they want inscribed. I recently got a call from two

of my former students, Maria Morais and Michael Baillif. They said, "We

thought long and hard about what we'd like to have inscribed on our brick to

be put in the new building." Michael said, "This is what we came up

with, for this is what we feel we've gotten from the Federation and from our

centers. It's a quote from Sir Isaac Newton, which says, `If I have seen further,

it is because I've stood on the shoulders of giants.'" That's why we have

the success rate. That's how we're doing it. They're standing on your shoulders

and the shoulders of Federationists for the past fifty-four years.

Mr. Maurer asked me to

talk about some of the changes that have occurred since we started the Center

nine years ago and what I see as some of the progress that will be made. When

we started our Center in 1985, almost nine years ago, the agency hated us. Enemies

were just waiting for us to make a mistake. The professional organizations thought

we were crazy. I'm pleased to announce these things that have happened just

in the last month. Suzanne Mitchell, one of our Federationists, just started

work this week as the head of blind services in the State of Louisiana.[Applause]

When we come back from this convention, the University of Mississippi is going

to start sending us interns to work in our programs. Remember agencies and organizations

were skeptical about us just nine years ago.

At the end of July the

VA hospitals are going to be sending some of their top administrators to learn

how to teach blind people mobility. They want to see how blind people teach

blind people mobility. [Applause] Just recently Jerry Whittle, one of our staff

members at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, was elected AER President in

our state.[Applause] Things are changing. Professionals are seeing that we're

doing something.

Five states now send us

students: Texas, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Arkansas, and now Oklahomasix

states. Before they thought we were crazy. We couldn't even get anybody from

Louisiana. Agencies are recognizing what we are doing. We've gotten a grant

to start a vocational program. Zena Pearcy is working on a vocational Braille

transcription and technology development program to train people in adaptive

technology. We recently got a grant from the Louisiana Department of Education.

We Federationists are teaching teachers and paraprofessionals in the school

systems Braille so our blind kids will have an education.

When we get back from

convention, our first classes will be taught at Louisiana Tech University by

our own Federationist, Ruby Ryles, who will be teaching college classes to people

who want to become VI specialists, and we know what kind of philosophy they're

going to come out with. [Applause] We recently got another grant in which we

are going to be working with an infant and toddler program. And one of our Federationists,

Jeff Pearcy, will be the first person on the scene working with blind babies

in our state.

We now have funding from

the Department of Education to fund our children's program and from Louisiana

Rehabilitation Services to fund our teenage program. So our word will be going

down, not just working with adults, but we can reach out and get to other people.

We're getting ready to

start a new program, one where we'll be doing some outreach programs, teaching

mobility to blind people. When we get back, we're also getting ready to break

ground for a new building. When it is finished, we will have three and a half

times our current space. This new construction is demonstrating what people

are beginning to recognize about usthat what we're doing really is working.

I want to conclude with

what I call my IWRP for the Louisiana Center for the Blind. We got started in

1985, and some months after that Dr. Jernigan gave a banquet speechhis last

as President of the National Federation of the Blind. That banquet speech gave

me a message, a message that I often think about when I need direction and need

to be reminded of our goals, in short, when I need to be re-inspired about the

work of our centers. He's talking about the third generation, but I believe

it's equally true of the Federation today and the work of our adult training

centers with the fourth generation. The message reads: "We have also kept

faith with our children in the third generation. We have transmitted to them

a powerful movement. We have trained them in the ways of freedom. We have shared

with them a belief and an understanding. We have wanted for them better than

we have had ourselves, and above all we have loved them. We do not need to make

them like us, for even in our strongest imagining, we cannot go to the house

of their ultimate future. We seek only to go with them as far as we can along

the way." Thank you. [Applause]

Joyce Scanlan

Many Federationists in

the room will remember 1979 as a watershed year because it was then, fifteen

years ago, that the Minnesota Supreme Court gave a hard rap to the knuckles

of a NAC- accredited agency with the decision that the Minneapolis Society for

the Blind had violated the law and discriminated against the blind by rejecting

their applications for membership in the organization. The court ordered the

Society to hold a nationwide proxy election. Then for the first time blind people

elected eight blind representatives to speak for them on the MSB Board. The

whole effort proved to us that we could in fact challenge an entrenched agency

for the blind and win. That event marked the beginning of the end for MSB. Today

it hides behind its new name, Vision Loss Resources. It's recognized widely

in the community as a backward, repressive, ineffective agency struggling for

identity and indeed its very survival.

On the other hand, the

National Federation of the Blind has risen to a position of prominence in the

state. Our orientation center, BLIND, Inc., is regarded as progressive, having

a positive philosophy of blindness and yielding the kind of results that really

change people's lives for the better. [Applause] We are also recognized as being

a part of the National Federation of the Blind. Let me say directly that I believe

firmly that the reason BLIND, Inc., is what it is is the National Federation

of the Blind. BLIND, Inc., exists and thrives because of the National Federation

of the Blind. It was inspired by the Federation. It was created by the Federation.

It is monitored and evaluated by the National Federation of the Blind. It is

responsive to the needs and wishes of the NFB. It will survive because of the

NFB.

The blind of the nation

constantly measure the success of BLIND, Inc., and the quality of its training

by the outcomes reflected in the lives of its graduates. Thus, BLIND, Inc.,

and the NFB are partners, sharing a common philosophy, goals, expertise, and

resources. As one of four Federation centers in the country, BLIND, Inc., belongs

to a network of centers that live out a belief in blind people and work toward

the common goal of improving our lives so we can all reap first-class status

in society.

We share many traditions

such as ringing the freedom bell. Ringing the bell is taken very seriously by

everyone. It is a high honor and a great privilege. Worthy accomplishments for

ringing the bell might be completing Grade II Braille, blowing your first cane

tip, successfully serving the small and buffet meals in home management, returning

exhausted from the mid-term and final drop- offs and the five-mile graduation

walk, covering enough mileage in travel class to be admitted to the one-hundred-mile

club or the two-hundred-mile club, or finishing the reading of the first Braille

novel. Then there are the more personal accomplishments which merit the ringing

of the bell: when Maureen's checking account balanced for the first time because

she used Braille, when John turned down an offer of help for the very first

time, or when Nicky lit her first match.

When BLIND, Inc. students

graduate, they receive a bell with an eagle on top, symbolizing freedom and

independence. They frequently call back to the Center to tell us of their successes

and how they've achieved personal goals so we can again ring the bell, as we

did when Larry passed his GED; when Louis and Holly became engaged; when Doug

won his fight to stay on the fifth floor of his college dorm instead of moving

to the first floor, where students with disabilities had to stay; or when Julie

got the job she wanted.

The Federation gives BLIND,

Inc., students much-needed opportunity to be involved in activities beyond those

of their own self-interest. For example, we rang the bell when the state legislature

passed the Braille Literacy Bill. We also rang the bell when we learned that

Fred Schroeder had been appointed Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services

Administration.

BLIND, Inc., is a regional

center offering orientation training to blind people in seventeen states in

the Midwest and New England. Yes, we teach the alternative techniques of blindness:

Braille, the long cane taught by blind instructors, computers with speech, and

other non-visual techniques; but thanks to the Federation we do much more than

that. We tear down those negative blindness-related attitudes which face blind

people and cause them to settle for less than they are capable of. We challenge

them to dream of the full life that will become their reality when blindness

is removed as a barrier. We show them success after success in areas they never

thought possiblerock climbing, sailing, water-skiing, lighting a charcoal

grill, water or snow tubing, or canoeing.

Success breeds more success,

which breeds confidence. And confidence brings about the change in attitude.

"I never thought I could do these things," is a statement frequently

heard. And suddenly students are taking charge of their lives, making their

own decisions, saying a definite "yes" or "no." They've

become empowered by their beliefs and their experiences to deal with their blindness

and their lives in a completely different way. They become downright feisty,

as some people would say. But when I go home and complain to Tom about how sassy

or pushy or demanding the students are, he straightens me out fast. He says,

"Well you can't teach them to be assertive and then expect them to be assertive

with everyone except you."[Applause]

Actually we have terrific

students. I urge you to find an opportunity to meet some of them. Talk with

Kate, Bryan, Bob, Mike, Brent, or Stacy in the Minnesota delegation, or talk

with our graduates, many of whom are here. Doug, Tom, Jenny, Carl, Jonathan,

Mike, Larry, Jim, Beth, Richard: they can best tell you their feelings about

the training they either are receiving or have received. Their experience at

this convention is more valuable because of the contacts they make with Federationists.

They are here to learn from your experiences, your careers, or your interests.

Some of you may be wondering

about a guy who has been at Federation conventions for many years but is absent

this year. Where is Johnny Ott? This is his hometown. Why isn't he here? Well

the answer is very simple. Johnny Ott isn't here because he has a new job. [Applause]

He is working as a ham radio instructor in Minneapolis, a perfect job for Johnny.

He came to BLIND, Inc., from Michigan in November of 1992, where he had already

been through several rehab programs, a common story for blind people; and nothing

ever seemed to work out. Along with the rehab counselors, Johnny himself became

convinced that he wasn't capable of working. He came to BLIND, Inc., as what

he regarded as a last chance.

At BLIND, Inc., Johnny

was treated as a normal person. Soon after he came to the Center, I heard him

telling someone, "You know, this place is really different. Yesterday we

went out and cut down a Christmas tree for the Center. Then the students had

to decorate it. That's the first time I've gotten near a Christmas tree."

It was a long and difficult struggle for Johnny to begin to see himself as a

normal person, capable of holding down a real job, but within a month of finishing

his training Johnny, at the age of forty-six, began his very first job. We're

very proud of him.

He loves his work. He

was quite upset about not being able to come to the Detroit convention, however.

To give him some consolation and some hope for next year, I told him about Jim.

I said, "You know John, in 1993, Jim couldn't go to the NFB convention

because he had also just started his first job. He didn't have vacation time

or money to go. He had to stay home and work. This year Jim is going to the

convention in Detroit. He can take vacation time, and he has earned the money

to go. Next year you can do that." Johnny has vowed to do just that. So

we can all expect to see him again next year in Chicago. [Applause]

To show you some of the

results students experience after their training, I could give you numerous

profiles, success stories of battles won and goals met. Graduates of BLIND,

Inc., are doing exactly what other people of their age, interests, education,

skills, and personal ambition are doing. Many are in vocational school or college.

Many are working as ham radio instructors, production engineers, computer programmers,

clerks, vending stand managers, investment executives, summer youth counselors,

customer service representatives for international sales catalog companies,

tele-marketers, and communication assistants in the telephone relay service

for the deaf, to mention only a fewa general range of employment in today's

job market, just what each one wanted to do. Blindness is not a barrier.

Just a few more points

before I finish. I hope that blind people are benefitting from the orientation

training at BLIND, Inc., but I know that our state agency is also benefitting.

As you may know, in 1992, Minnesota Services for the Blind hired Mr. Davis as

director of our agency for the blind. He is a sighted guy who received his education

in blindness and rehabilitation from Dr. Jernigan at the Iowa Commission for

the Blind. He also worked with Fred Schroeder at the New Mexico Commission for

five years. He is an active member of the National Federation of the Blind.

For the fiscal year 1993 Minnesota Services for the Blind was able to report

that vocational rehab case closures for blind clients had increased thirty-one

percent over the preceding year. This made everyone happy.

I want to invite all of

you to come to our center on October 14 when we will celebrate the grand opening

of our new building. The NFB of Minnesota and BLIND, Inc., own and operate the

building jointly. We can both function efficiently, and we can have adequate

space for additional components to our orientation training: physical fitness

equipment and a woodworking shop. We already have a new home management instructional

area. The bell played a role in our struggle over the new building too. We felt

compelled to ring the bell when the City Council and the neighborhood board

approved our zoning and conditional use permits for the building. If you can

believe it, the crux of the controversy was parking. The Federation taught us

not to settle for less than full equality, so we fought hard and won.

We moved into the building

on March 28 and wanted to ring the bell to celebrate the occasion. However,

we had to wait a few days because we couldn't find the bell. We're proud of

the building, but only for what it allows us to do. It is the Federation which

allows BLIND, Inc., to empower students to live full and meaningful lives. It's

the Federation that gives our graduates their lifelong support network. It is

the Federation which gives our students the focus for their lives, a way to

measure their success and give back to their brothers and sisters in the movement

some of what they have been able to take.

Here is a little limerick

written by an eleven-year-old child in our Buddy Program this summer. It sums

up very well what BLIND, Inc., is:

There once was a place

called BLIND, Inc.,

Where alternative techniques

are the link

To a good education,

A bit of frustration,

And plenty of time to

think.

Thank you.

Sharon Gold

In 1975 I attended my

first convention of the National Federation of the Blind. The fall of the gavel

and the resounding outcry of the convention delegates was something that I shall

never forget. Over the years I have come to understand that for each of us the

first time that we hear the fall of the gavel is the most impressive. That opening

session of our first convention is important because it represents what the

Federation is all aboutthe caring for one another, the sharing of our thoughts,

our dreams, our troubles, and our successes.

The other impression that

my first NFB Convention left with me was the way that some blind people exhibited

self-confidence and could skillfully, gracefully, and independently travel about

the convention hall, the hotel, and the City of Chicago. I learned that most

of these people were graduates of the Orientation and Adjustment Center at the

Iowa Commission for the Blind. They had been students of Dr. Jernigan, the Director

of the Commission, or had been students of graduates of that rehabilitation

program. I learned that during the 1950's Dr. Jernigan taught at the California

Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB), the agency that Dr. tenBroek influenced

when he was President of the National Federation of the Blind. I also learned

that while Dr. Jernigan was a member of the staff at OCB, he was instrumental

in spreading NFB philosophy at the Center and that OCB began to deteriorate

and regress in its philosophy and training after Dr. Jernigan left the staff

to go to the Iowa Commission for the Blind and Dr. tenBroek died. At the Iowa

Commission, Dr. Jernigan expanded on the training offered at OCB. He believed

in the ability of blind people to succeed and instilled in his students the

belief that they could achieve whatever they set out to do. Dr. Jernigan also

developed the travel techniques that we know today, and he brought into being

the long white cane, which at that time was known as the "Iowa Cane."

This white cane was the forerunner of the cane we know today as the "NFB

Cane."

In 1976 I had an opportunity

to spend a few days at the Iowa Commission. While at the Commission, I visited

in the Orientation and Adjustment Center and met the students and the staff.

Again I was surprised at the agility with which the students and staff used

their long white travel canes. In the warm environment of the Iowa Commission

for the Blind I was really able to observe the self-respect that these people

exhibited and the cane techniques that they used. These techniques brought respect

to being blind and to the use of the long white travel cane. I had never observed

such use of a cane by blind Californians, and I knew it was a technique that

I wanted to acquire.

As I grew in the Federation,

I began serving as an advocate for other blind people. I found people who desperately

wanted to get and keep a job, but they did not have the skills of blindness,

nor had they had the opportunity to learn them. The California Department of

Rehabilitation was not meeting the needs of blind persons. Despite the advocacy

provided by the National Federation of the Blind, the Department continued to

contribute to, rather than reduce, the more than seventy percent unemployment

rate among the blind.

In 1985 the National Federation

of the Blind of Louisiana established the Louisiana Center for the Blind. Two

years later the NFB of Colorado established the Colorado Center for the Blind,

and the NFB of Minnesota opened BLIND, Inc. Individual blind persons in California

tried to gain funding from the Department of Rehabilitation to go out of state

for training at an NFB Center. But the Department of Rehabilitation balked at

sending blind Californians out of state for services. Several Californians who

seriously wanted training at an NFB Center sought alternative funding and went

to the Louisiana Center for the Blind.

In the Spring of 1990

I had the opportunity to visit the Louisiana Center, where I spent three days

living amongst the students and learning from Center Director Joanne Wilson,

a graduate of the Orientation Center at the Iowa Commission for the Blind during

the tenure of Dr. Jernigan. Again I saw an attitude amongst the students and

staff that I knew had to be spread further in the country. I knew that, once

blind people learned of the opportunities arising for graduates of NFB training

centers, the floodgates would open and blind persons across the country would

seek entrance for training.

By last year's National

Convention the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of

California had taken affirmative steps toward the establishment of the Marcelino

Center for the Blind. The Center is named after Lawrence Marcelino, who was

a long-time leader in the National Federation of the Blind. Known as "Muzzy,"

he referred to himself as a soldier in the movement. Muzzy sought out people

of all ages and brought them to chapter meetings, where they could learn about

the National Federation of the Blind and learn that it is respectable to be

blind.

On the first Monday of

January, 1994, the NFB of California Marcelino Center started classes with its

first residential student. Today the Center has eight full-time students, and

several more are scheduled to enter later this summer. It takes time to process

applications and get students into a residential program. While we were waiting

for the residential class to grow, we provided four special two-week travel

training classes for senior citizens who had never before had any travel training.

The curriculum of the

travel class included an introduction to the use of a white cane and training

with sleepshades in a shopping center, in a residential area, in a light industrial

area, along a country road, and on public transportation. We ate lunch in different

kinds of restaurants and learned to carry a tray and dispose of the trash after

eating. We also toured NEWSLINE for the Blind, the NFB of California dial-up

newspaper service, and held discussions about blindness. Of course the instruction

time was very limited, so none of the skills were taught in depth as they are

when students are enrolled in our full-time, residential program. Nevertheless,

the twenty folks participating in these two-week programs are now able to do

things independently they were not previously able to do, and they are looking

at blindness in a different way and with newfound respect.

The training program at

the Marcelino Center for the Blind is patterned after the NFB Centers in Louisiana,

Colorado, and Minnesota and the training center at the New Mexico Commission

for the Blind. I would like to take this opportunity to thank publicly Joanne

Wilson, Diane McGeorge, Joyce Scanlan and Fred Schroeder, Executive Director

of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, for their generous help and the

sharing of their knowledge and expertise over this last year, when our program

was in its formative stages.

Fundamental to the training

programs in all of the NFB Centers is the philosophy of the National Federation

of the Blind, which was introduced by Dr. tenBroek and developed and refined

by Dr. Jernigan. At the Iowa Commission for the Blind Dr. Jernigan put into

practice a rehabilitation program that became a model for the country and demonstrated

that blind people could compete in the workplace and become equal partners in

society. The Iowa program forever changed the meaning of rehabilitation for

the blind in this country and set the tone for the NFB Centers of today. Dr.

Jernigan, we salute you and we thank you for your courage and leadership.

Finally, I would like

to comment about the National Federation of the Blind Kernel Books, which include

first-person experiences about many Federationists. A special commendation goes

to those of you who have written the articles which Dr. Jernigan has pulled

together in these books. In the Marcelino Center the Kernel Books are an important

part in the teaching of Braille and the philosophy of the National Federation

of the Blind. Our first residential student knew no Braille when she entered

the Marcelino Center last January. Now, at the end of six months' training,

Diane has read two of the Kernel Books. Upon the completion of the second book

on the Wednesday just before we came, she took her slate and stylus and wrote

the following:

I find that the stories

(in the Kernel Books) really reflect my own experiences in life. They are very

helpful to read. It is good to see that even the leaders have had to

start at the very basics. It is easy to think that great

people were always that way. I need to see that they,

too, started at the beginning. It takes time to develop

into a good leader. I found that these stories are

a great encouragement for me. I am very grateful to have

read them, and I have received a lot of support from the

many different authors. Reading is a good way to learn

about yourself and a way to see yourself in others. It

is a way to talk and experience many people around the country.

******************************

If you or a friend would

like to remember the National Federation of the Blind in your will, you can

do so by employing the following language:

"I give, devise,

and bequeath unto National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,

Maryland 21230, a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation, the sum of $_____

(or "_____ percent of my net estate" or "The following stocks

and bonds: _____") to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind

persons."

******************************

NIGHTS

OF WALKING

by Marc Maurer

From the Editor:

The following story by President Maurer first appeared in Standing on One

Foot, one of this year's new books in our Kernel series of paperbacks.

It begins with Dr. Jernigan's introduction.

As readers of the Kernel

Books know, Marc Maurer is President of the National Federation of the Blind.

He is also the father of two active, lovable children. His recollections of

the birth of his son emphasize again the innate normality of the blindnthe concern

with the everyday activities of employment, marriage, home life, and childrennthe

lack of the feeling that blindness is the center of every activity and the cause

of doom.

Since I am a lawyer, I

do a lot of traveling. I was away in Idaho working on a case when our first

child, David, was born. My wife Patricia and I live in Maryland, more than 2,000

miles from Idaho. I had a hearing on Monday morning, and I needed to interview

witnesses and prepare argument for the case. My wife had been pregnant for several

months, but the baby wasn't supposed to arrive for quite a while. When I left

on Friday morning, everything was fine. When I spoke with Patricia on Friday

night, she was feeling better than she had for weeks. I went to bed more than

2,000 miles from home ready to buckle down to do the work for the court appearance

scheduled for Monday.

Early Saturday morning

I commenced interviews with witnesses. The trial would focus on the constitutional

rights of private citizens to free speech and freedom of assembly. I was preparing

testimony for the court and marshalling arguments for the summation. The court

appearance would be briefnnot more than half a day. A number of the facts to

be presented were quite unusual, and the time before the judge would be severely

limited. Preparation and planning were absolutely vital.

A number of the witnesses

and I were in the living room of the home of one of the parties when I was summoned

to the phone. The voice of one of my best friends (Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, who

was then serving as President of the National Federation of the Blind) came

on the line. He said, "Don't worry. You are a papa. Everybody's fine!"

Immediately, the focus

of my attention shifted. The court hearing had to be completed, and the planning

and preparation were no less important, but I felt a tremendous urge to head

back to Baltimore. All through Saturday and Sunday as I worked on the case,

I thought about my new baby boy and his mom. The hearing occurred on schedule

Monday morning, and as soon as it was over, I boarded a plane headed east.

It is a long way from

Boise to Baltimore. The plane touched down about 11:30 that night, and a friend

picked me up and drove me to the hospital. My wife was tired but glad to see

me. She told me that there were those at the hospital who had been wondering

whether I really existed. Baby Maurer had not yet been named. We decided to

call him David Patrick.

Because our new boy was

premature (he weighed less than four pounds), he had been assigned to live in

a little plastic box called an isolette, which had wires and dials. The isolette

had its own heating and air conditioning system, which was set to keep the boy

warmer than ordinary room temperature. Some time around 12:30 a.m. I went in

to visit him. I was instructed by the hospital staff to wear a gown and to make

sure my hands were clean. David Patrick was little and scrawny. He wore a teeny

little cap to keep him warm, along with his blankets and diaper. I sat there

with him in a rocking chair for some time, but he didn't have very much to say.

I asked him where he wanted to go to college, but I guess he hadn't made up

his mind. Because he was so small (his leg bones from his knees to his ankles

felt sort of like match sticks to me), the hospital had tiny little preemie

diapers for him. They looked like toys you might get for the baby doll that

you give as a Christmas present.

David Patrick got himself

all wet, and the nurse asked me if I wanted to change him. The door to the isolette

opened out to make a little shelf. The idea was that David Patrick's blankets

should be spread on the shelf and he should be placed upon them to be changed.

I put him on the shelf and took off his diaper. Then I crouched down to get

at the cabinet underneath to get him a new one. The nurse said to me, nWatch

it! He might roll off!n The nurse's voice was not loud, but it carried considerable

force. Accidents can happen, and a fall of three feet for a baby of that size

could cause severe damage. Those few words from the nurse were stern and to

the point. My job was to keep track of that boy. So I reached up over the shelf

and took hold of the little guy.

With the diaper changed,

the blankets back in place, and the hat back on (it had fallen off during the

changing process), we sat peacefully a while longer. I told David Patrick about

the cases I was involved in. We discussed politics, crops, the economic situation

in the country, and the weather. At about 2 o'clock I told him I'd have to go

because there was another busy day ahead. But I told him I'd be back, and he

seemed to know that I would.

At the time David Patrick

was born, I was building a law practice. Each day I would go to the office,

deal with clients, draft motions and petitions, make court appearances, accomplish

necessary travel either within the state of Maryland or throughout the country,

deal with other lawyers, and conduct my everyday business. Each night (when

I wasn't on the road) I would visit the hospital to see how David Patrick was

doingnhe stayed for a month after he was born. Patricia and I were working full-time

each daynshe as an administrator of programs for the blind and I as a lawyer.

David Patrick stayed with the baby sitter during the day. When we brought him

home in the evening, he was often hungry and sometimes sleepy.

During the night he slept

just like a babynthat is, he woke up and cried every two hours. Sometimes he

wanted to eat; sometimes he needed clean clothes; often he needed both food

and clothes. Many nights he just wanted company. Occasionally, he would let

me rock him in the rocking chairnwhere I could doze. However, there were times

that he wanted to be walked. I never could find a way to sleep while walking

the babynup and down, up and down. I did learn to sleep almost everywhere else.

My colleagues came to know that, if we were riding in an elevator in a 20-story

building, I would sometimes take a brief nap on the way up.

The doctors were afraid

that David might be subject to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This is a condition

which causes the heart and lungs to stop functioning long enough that the baby

dies. Consequently, David Patrick was required to wear a heart and respiratory

monitor. The heart monitor had two major parts. There was a belt that wrapped

around the baby's chest. On the belt were three small electrodes. Wires attached

to these electrodes plugged into a box that had switches and displays on it.

If David's pulse stopped or his breathing was interrupted, the monitor would

beep. Patricia and I took a course to tell us what to do in case of an emergency.

The first step was to take David Patrick and give him a good shake. The heart

monitor would also sound if one of the electric leads to the monitoring belt

came loose.

During the first month

that our son was home, the device sounded several times, but these were all

false alarms. It wasn't always a false alarm, however. One night the monitor

woke us from a deep sleep. I jumped up and found that David Patrick was not

breathing. I wondered if I could remember all the steps we had learned in the

course to revive an infant. The first step was to shake the baby. I was ever

so grateful that step number one worked. David Patrick received a thorough shaking.

He complained about it, but he had to breathe to do it.

David Patrick was the

first child, and Dianna Marie came three years later. Today they are both in

school and doing fine. You would never know that both of them were premature.

The children and I still talk about crops and politics and the weather, but

there are other topics of conversationnhomework, Boy and Girl Scout activities,

trumpet lessons, making fudge, and visits to Grandma. Even though both Patricia

and I are blind, our children are not. Sometimes the subject of blindness is

part of the conversation.

When I was six, I was

enrolled at a boarding school for the blind which was many miles from our home.

My parents took me there and left me to stay in the dormitory. I was homesick,

but my father had told me that he would be back to bring me home the next weekend.

When Friday came, he was there. During the next four years my father came every

other Friday to pick me up and take me home. I knew I could count on him. I

looked forward to his coming, and I planned for the long trip home. He might

not be able to be with me as much as he would have liked, but he'd be there

on Fridays.

Both of my parents were

like that. Once my mother told me that no doctor could work on me unless we

had talked about it and she had given her permission. At the school for the

blind I got tonsillitis and was sent to the hospital. Officials at the school

told me that an operation would be necessary. I knew that my mother had promised

me that no one could work on me unless we'd talked about it and she had given

her consent. I was told by the hospital officials on a Tuesday night that the

operation would occur the next morning. Early on Wednesday my mother came to

my bedside. She and my father had driven much of the night in order to come

to the hospital. They told me that the operation was really necessary and that

I would be all right. I felt much relievednespecially because my mother had

done what she had told me she would.

The quality of being reliable

is fundamental. I have tried to emulate my father and mother in this respect.

When I have promised my children that a thing will happen, I have tried to make

it come true. And when they have needed my support, I have tried to give it.

There is an oft-repeated

saying, which is that nothing comes free. The folksy expression is, nThere ain't

no such thing as a free lunch.n Each individual must pay for what he or she

gets.

However, children demand

much from their parents and others. They need to be nurtured, fed, clothed,

walked through the wee hours of the night, bathed, entertained, directed, and

taught. They take inordinate amounts of time, energy, concentration, and money.

And they have nothing tangible with which to pay. However, there is one commodity

which they possess in abundancenlove. Despite all the troubles and trials, children

give at least as good as they get. They provide something which can be had in

no other way. They add an irreplaceable element to the warmth and the caring

of the home.

I take family life for

granted today, but it wasn't always that way. Before I came to be a part of

the National Federation of the Blind, I wondered very often whether there would

be a future for me. Today I know that there is, and I work within the organization

to help other blind people come to the same realization. We in the National

Federation of the Blind are in many ways a family of our own. We have warmth

and caring for each other, and we work to bring opportunities to blind people

who have been afraid they might not have a future. One of the characteristics

which is most notable about our organization is that, if a blind person is willing

to work and needs our help, we do what we can to give it. The National Federation

of the Blind is always willing to be supportive to blind people who are working

hard to gain independence and a positive future.

BLEEDING

HEARTS

by Lauren L. Eckery

From the Editor:

Lauren Eckery is a frequent contributor to these pages. With her daughter Lynden

she lives in Omaha, Nebraska. She is learning, as we all must, to reach beyond

the irritation and embarrassment of others' tactless comments about us in order

to learn to savor the richness of human experience. This is what she writes:

I was the only blind person

attending a birthday party at a friend's house. Though I had been in the company

of this friend, along with others, countless times in the past two years, I

had not been to her house before, and I appreciated being given a tour. My favorite

placethe area which attracted all of uswas the deck. This friend has a wonderful,

spacious deck upon which we found beautiful, comfortable outdoor furniture.

At one end I observed a wooden stairway going down into the yard. As I approached

the stairs, this friend panicked, admonishing me to "Watch out!" Before

I could utter a word, Barbara, another friend, spoke. She had also seen me approach

the stairs, but she has spent much time with me and is very aware of the fearful

behavior of those who do not or will not understand that it is all right for

me to move around on my own.

Accurately observing the

situation from her more enlightened perspective, she said, "Don't worry

about it, that's what her cane is for." I assumed that was the end of the

incident.

During the course of the

meal and the frivolity, Barbara and several others remarked on how beautiful

the bleeding heart flowers were. She said, "You and I can go down and look

at them before we leave." I agreed that this would be a pleasant experience,

and I looked forward to it.

I have often been the

only blind person in a group of sighted people and have desired to marvel as

much as they do at our natural surroundings. I have always known I could do

so, albeit at times in a different way. However, quite often, due to fear and

apparent lack of information, many of those attending such gatherings seem reluctant

to allow me the opportunity to "see for myself." Through the years

I have come to realize that, if I want to look at something in my own way, I

would do well simply to do it, regardless of the possible consternation around

me. I am not usually one to upset the apple cart, but when the apples would

benefit from a good stirring up, I'm likely to do it. I do this because of my

belief that the world is as much mine as anyone else's, and the beauty and grandeur

of nature beckon me no less. I am a part of nature, and nature is a part of

me. I also believe that, though we learn from other humans, our learning is

not limited to this source. Nature teaches us as well. In fact, this broader

teaching and bonding of hearts is exactly what occurred during this birthday

party in May.

After the party had ended

and most of the guests had departed, I remembered the bleeding hearts. Since

Barbara was busy inside the house and since she and I both knew I was perfectly

capable of looking at the flowers without waiting for her, I approached the

stairs and began to descend. The owner of the house and another woman Ruth were

observing me. The owner scolded Ruth: "Watch her; Don't let her go down

there; it's weird out in the yard." Ruth ignored the admonition, commenting

that she'd like to see the flowers too. She quietly followed me down the stairs.

I attempted to reassure anyone listening that I was okay. As I finished my descent,

what I found at the bottom of the stairs was some uneven terrain, certainly

nothing particularly dangerous or weird. Ruth walked over to the flowers, and

I met her there. We knelt down to examine themtheir dainty little hearts with

strands of bloom dangling from them. How delicate and vulnerable they seemed.

Yet they showed no sign of worry or fear as I touched their beauty, and their

beauty touched me.

At that moment I felt

such an awareness of the bleeding heartsthe human one above me on the deck,

bleeding worry and fear, and the blossoms bleeding only beauty. I am deeply

grateful for the power in me to take steps beyond such worry and fear and to

perceive nature's beauty. I am also grateful for the two women, Barbara and

Ruth, whose loving and respectful responses to the situation enhanced that beauty

for us all. I am also grateful for the woman who invited me to the party at

which this event occurredand just think of the opportunity she had to learn

something new about blind people and to participate also in nature's beauty.

Could it be, after all,

that these were not bleeding hearts, but bonding hearts?

EVERY

CHILD SHOULD HAVE A BLIND PARENT

by Carla McQuillan

From the Editor:

Carla McQuillan is the President of the National Federation of the Blind of

Oregon. The following article first appeared in the Winter, 1994, edition of

The Oregon Outlook. Here it is:

When our family moved

from Illinois to Oregon, our daughter was seven years old and prepared to enter

the second grade. Alison had attended a Montessori preschool and a very progressive

self-paced kindergarten program that permitted her to advance rapidly through

the curriculum. Her first-grade teacher recognized her learning potential and

provided opportunities for Alison to assist other children in their work, as

well as to pursue projects on her own. Alison flourished in this educational

environment, and learning seemed easy and delightful.

When Alison entered the

second grade here in Oregon, it was apparent that the other children were three

or even four semesters behind her skill level. She was sent to a third-grade

class for reading, where she was in the top reading group. She was given math

assignments from a third grade mathematics text and worked on them as independent

study within her classroom. At that time I was running a day care program out

of my home and incorporated some challenging science and cultural activities

for our after-school children to provide some extra stimuli for Alison.

When I met with Alison's

second-grade teacher for our first conference, she reviewed all of Alison's

academic and social skills, and then she approached her real concerns about

Alison. "Don't you think it's difficult for Alison to have a mother who

is blind?" No one had ever asked me a question like that, and I had to

reflect for a moment before responding.

"Well," I began,

"Alison learned to identify the route and direction of the buses in Illinois

when she was three years old so that she could tell me the correct bus to wave

down when we were traveling together. We practiced her reading or sang and talked

on the bus when she was four so as not to waste valuable time together. At the

time I was a full-time student and working thirty hours per week; bus rides

were some of our best times together. At five she was reading directions on

boxes of cake mixes and other food items, and we taught her how to compare prices

at the grocery store about that time, too, I'd guess. Alison is well adjusted,

both socially and academically, and she has a positive attitude about blindness.

The possibility exists that my children have inherited my blindness, slim though

the chance may be. But I believe that I have served as a good role model for

her if she does lose her vision. Do I think that it has been difficult for her?

Now that you mention it, I think that perhaps, if all children had blind parents,

we'd be raising a more independent and self-sufficient generation of children."

Alison's teacher didn't respond in any intelligible manner that I can recall,

and we never discussed the issue again. Alison skipped the third grade and was

soon one of the top students in her fourth-grade class. She is now in the sixth

grade, taking eighth-grade level math and English classes. This fall she requested

to take the Braille transcribers course through the National Library Service,

figuring that it might present a bit of a challenge, not to mention providing

the potential for income in her high school and college years. After some discussion

with the good people at NLS, it was agreed that they would make an exception

in her case and allow a ten-year-old to begin the course.

Every day for six weeks

Alison checked the mailbox for her materials. Finally she received them. Our

Brailler was acting up, so she had to write the first series of exercises with

a slate and stylus. I told her it was good experience: "It'll build character,"

I told her. In three days she had completed her first set of exercises and mailed

in her first assignment. She wants to be the youngest person ever to pass the

transcriber's exam, and I know that she will do it. It's too bad that Alison

has had to overcome the agony of being raised by a blind parent. Maybe someday

she'll be able to make something of herself.

RNIB: EVOLUTION NOT REVOLUTION

by John A. Wall, CBE

John Wall has been Chairman

of RNIB since 1990 and Secretary General of the European Blind Union since 1992.

What is now the Royal

National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) was founded in 1868. From small beginnings

it has grown to be the largest provider of services for visually impaired people

in the United Kingdom, with over 2,000 paid staff, forty establishments, and

sixty separate services.

At its headquarters in

Central London, RNIB is governed by an Executive Council and managed by a Director-General

and five divisional directors. The past twenty years have seen major changes

in both the governance and management of the agency. These have been achieved

without any disruption to the standard of the services provided.

Governance

RNIB is incorporated by

Royal Charter. This means that its Constitution is laid down by the Privy Council,

a body of "the great and good" presided over by the Queen. In practice

the Privy Council has laid down the objectives of the RNIB and how its Executive

Council is constituted.

The Executive Council

Under the terms of the

Royal Charter the Executive Council has supreme control of RNIB. Its membership

is divided into groups. At present the groups are as follows:

(A) Regional and national

bodies (ten people);
(B) Local government bodies (eight people);
(C) Agencies

for the blind and bodies working closely with the blind (twenty-eight people);
(D) Organizations of blind people (forty-four people);
(E) National members

(twenty-one people);
(F) Honorary officers and standing committee chairmen (six

people).

The above constitute a

total of 117 members. There are eight unallocated places, making a total of

125. It will be seen that organizations of blind people appoint forty-four members.

Furthermore, the twenty-one national members in Group E are elected by the whole

Executive Council. Accordingly, organizations of blind people have a substantial

say in who shall be a national member.

Twenty years ago things

were entirely different. Then Group D had only twelve members, Group E twenty-five,

and the Group E members were appointed by the members of Group Ea self- perpetuating

oligarchy.

Committee Structure

Each service provided

by RNIB is supervised by a subcommittee. Subcommittees consist of both Executive

Council and co-opted members. Each sub-committee is responsible and reports

to a standing committee. The three standing committees are:

(a) Technical Consumer

Services, covering Braille production, Talking

Books, equipment and games, research and development, and

similar services;

(b) Education, Training,

and Employment, whose responsibility is

apparent from its name;

which covers residential accommodation,

hotels, prevention of blindness, health services,

and similar activities.

Committees meet in three

cycles each year. Sub-committees meet in January and February, standing committees

in March, and the Executive Council in April. The next cycle begins with subcommittees

in May, and so on.

In addition to the standing

committees, which supervise the various services provided by RNIB, there is

a Policy and Resources Committee, in effect the inner cabinet of RNIB. This

committee meets after the three standing committees, but before the Executive

Council. International affairs are handled by an international committee.

"Of" or "for"

There is, of course, a

well-known distinction between organizations for the blind which provide services,

and organizations of the blind which are advocacy groups. There is a view that

an advocacy group cannot, at the same time, be a service provider. This is not

a view which we at RNIB accept. We believe that we can both provide services

and campaign on behalf of blind people. Indeed, we have a Public Policy Office,

the purpose of which is to further political campaigns on behalf of blind people.

It works closely with organizations of the blind.

Our Royal Charter was

recently amended so as to achieve the membership distribution between groups

set out above. Until the recent amendment the details of the groups were set

out in the By- laws appended to the Charter and could only be changed with the

consent of the Privy Council. When the amendments went through, we were able

to persuade the Privy Council to allow us to change the membership without reference

to them. We have to obtain a three- quarters majority of members present at

the Executive Council meeting carrying through the change, but we do not now

have to go to the Privy Council before the change can be implemented.

Although Group D does

not have a majority of members on the Executive Council, there are many blind

members in other groups. Indeed, of the 117 people who are at present members

of the Executive Council, seventy-three are blind. Moreover, two out of three

Standing Committees have blind chairmen. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the

Executive Council are blind. We are taking steps to ensure that elderly, newly-blind

people are properly represented on the Executive Council. We shall not be happy

until we have true democracy, but we have made very substantial progress in

the past twenty years.

Management

Successful provision of

services depends on effective management. In 1985 we drew up a corporate strategy

which has been implemented. In 1988 we commissioned a survey of the needs of

our service users. This was the first survey of its kind undertaken in the United

Kingdom. The results were published in 1991. They form the basis on which we

have constructed our new corporate strategy.

Corporate Strategy

We have identified a number

of priorities from now until the end of the century:

I. Challenging blindness,

raising awareness, and tackling discrimination.

We intend to ensure that

policy makers and the wider public have a better understanding of the disabling

effects of sight loss and of the numbers (almost a million people) who are blind

or partially sighted; encourage positive action to combat discrimination (Many

problems, for example access to buildings or to written information, are so

far-reaching that we must view them as long-term targets. But our current work

has shown that change is possible); carry out further research into the needs

of specific groups of people with seriously impaired sight, both to inform our

own planning and to provide information for others; define visually impaired

people's rights, as well as their

needs, and attempt to safeguard themblind and partially

sighted people want justice; raise

awareness of our own crucial role in meeting the needs

of blind and partially sighted people.

II. Extending our services

to more blind and partially sighted people.

We intend to reach out

to people who are not aware of RNIB services which might help them; develop

new services to meet newly-defined needs. Our emphasis will be on setting up

services which can help large numbers of people though we will continue to serve

minority groups who need a great deal of support; expand

and improve our information services. Information is

the key to empowering people with disabilities; investigate

the scope for a membership scheme of visually impaired

people and others who support them, such as their

families and professional service providers; measure

and increase the impact of RNIB's indirect services

such as training. We need to ensure this important

work is effective in raising standards.

III. Increasing the priority

we give to older blind and partially sighted people. We intend to extend our

work on the prevention of blindnesssteady progress is being made on the

early detection and treatment of eye conditions affecting older people. We have

a role to play in supporting research and running campaigns; increase the use

of RNIB services by older people by promoting our services more effectively;

introduce new services for older people, especially those services able to reach

a large number of people; campaign for improvements to public services for older

people, such as community services, housing, and benefits; reduce some of the

barriers they face. Many of these, such as small-print bills or poorly-labelled

buildings, shops and services, affect everyone with poor sight. But older people

are less likely to have sighted helpers at home than people in younger age groups.

IV. Improving the quality

of services to users and supporters. We

intend to make our

services even more customer-friendly; introduce

customer charters stating what standards of service

people can expect; introduce

easier ways for customers to make suggestions and

complaints if necessary.

Europe

Increasingly, directives

and other legislation from the European Union headquarters in Brussels are impinging

on the daily life of the British people. RNIB is taking a lead in ensuring that

blind people get their fair share of the action. Each of the three service divisions

takes into account the European dimension of the work it is undertaking. We

have appointed a European Campaigns Officer and a European Development Officer.

We are heavily involved in a number of programs.

A personal view

I joined the RNIB Executive

Council as a young man in 1962. I have seen great changes during the period

of my membership. When I first became a member, the Executive Council was dominated

by sighted people. Their intentions were no doubt admirable, but they did not

know blindness from the inside. Today the situation is very different. Blind

people dominate the decision-making. Executive Council and management work together

to implement decisions taken by blind people, to campaign, and to act as an

advocacy group. We can fairly say that RNIB is dynamic, forward-looking, democratically

run, and efficiently managed.

EDUCATORS CONTINUE TO RESIST TEACHING BRAILLE

From the Editor:

For a number of years now members of the National Federation of the Blind have

waged battles in state legislatures across the country to have strong Braille

legislation voted into law. We have been successful in twenty-five states so

far, and several others are close to enacting similar laws. Fundamentally these

laws protect the right of blind youngsters to be taught Braille by teachers

who have demonstrated their competence to read and write it accurately. It doesn't

seem like much to ask in a country that aims at universal literacy for its citizenry.

In fact, the sheer common sense of these laws undoubtedly explains why we have

already achieved success in half the states, despite fierce opposition from

many (but by no means all) special educators charged with carrying out this

increased and improved Braille instruction.

We are discovering,

however, that getting a Braille bill passed is only the first round in our battle

to make Braille available to children who need it. Sometimes the educators band

together in an attempt to water down the regulations that implement the new

law. (See "The Struggle to Evade Duty: Wisconsin Teachers of the Blind

Fight Against Braille" in the March, 1994, issue of the Braille Monitor.)

Sometimes the strategy adopted is to pretend that the law will make no difference,

that every child who could benefit from being taught Braille is already receiving

instruction. In short, passage of a state's Braille bill is no signal for relaxation.

The following

article, written by Donald Adderton, first appeared in the May 11, 1994, edition

of the Savannah Evening Press. It includes a statement by a school

system official suggesting that the new Georgia Braille law will make no difference

to the county's blind students. Here is the story:

Blind Kids Are

Focus of New Law

A new state law is aimed

at ensuring that blind and visually impaired students attending Georgia's public

and private schools will have an equal opportunity to learn.

When the Blind Persons'

Literacy and Education Act becomes law July 1, the statute will mandate blind

and visually impaired students be tested for Braille competence.

"A blind child was

not being taught what a blind child needs to learn," said state Representative

Anne Mueller, R-Savannah, who co-sponsored the measure with state Senator Roy

L. Allen, R-Savannah.

Mueller appeared at a

news conference earlier today at the Savannah Association for the Blind to highlight

key aspects of the new state law.

"It is just as important

for a blind child to learn Braille as for the sighted child to learn to read

and write," Mueller said.

With the bill's passage

Georgia became one of twenty-two states with a comprehensive law calling for

safeguards for blind and visually impaired students.

"This bill will allow

the visually impaired to reach their full potential," she said.

Over the past three years

Mueller, Allen, and officials of the Chatham County chapter of the National

Federation of the Blind worked vigorously for the bill's passage in the face

of strong opposition from the state Education Department.

State education officials

have said they opposed the bill because programs were already being used in

classrooms to address the problems of the blind and visually impaired, Mueller

said.

"When you have a

bureaucracy, they want to run everything," Mueller said. "But the

blind are very bright and intelligent people."

Meanwhile, locally, Savannah-Chatham

County Schools officials said the act will have little impact on how the district

instructs blind and visually impaired students.

"The law would not

change anything for us," said Betty Ellington, administrative coordinator

for special education. "We make arrangements for the visually impaired

and provide them with whatever services they need."

Around the state more

than 700 students are classified as being visually impaired. About thirty-four

students in the Savannah-Chatham County Schools are classified as being visually

impaired.

The Savannah-Chatham County

Schools district currently has four teachers who are certified to instruct the

visually impaired, Ellington said.

Nevertheless, advocates

for the handicapped have maintained that public and private schools do not provide

the same educational tools for the blind and visually impaired as for the sighted.

The blind persons act

was needed to level the learning field, said McArthur Jarrett, legislative advocate

for the Chatham County Federation.

"What the new law

means is that the blind student in Georgia has the option of being taught Braille,"

Jarrett said. "You would be surprised how many visually impaired children

in Georgia cannot read and write."

The Chatham County Federation

represents about 120 blind and visually impaired people in the Savannah area.

"We felt it was very

necessary to have this law on the books," Jarrett said. "It has been

a struggle, but change is going to come."

That was the newspaper

story, and members of the Chatham County Chapter of the NFB of Georgia were

understandably pleased at the positive coverage. They were not pleased at all,

however, with the tenor of Ms. Ellington's remarks about the Act's having no

impact on the education of blind children in Chatham County. Implicit in her

statement was the message that educators had determined what was best for the

blind children, and increased Braille instruction wasn't part of the plan. Here

is the letter to the editor that McArthur Jarrett, one of the leaders of the

National Federation of the Blind of Georgia, wrote following publication of

Donald Adderton's story:

Savannah, Georgia

June 2, 1994

Dear Editor:

First of all, we the officers

and members of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia, would like to

take this opportunity to express our sincerest thanks and appreciation to staff

reporter Mr. Donald D. Adderton for his excellent article which appeared in

the May 11, 1994, edition of the Savannah Evening Press, regarding House Bill

492 (Blind Persons' Literacy Rights and Education Act). However, we are shocked

and dismayed at the derisive statement made by Ms. Betty Ellington, administrative

coordinator for special education for the Chatham County Public School system,

when she said that the Act will have little impact on how the district instructs

blind and visually impaired students. The law, Ms. Ellington says, "will

not change anything for us."

The primary purpose of

getting House Bill 492 enacted into state law is to enable all blind and visually

impaired students enrolled in the Chatham County Public School system to get

the opportunity to learn to read and write Braille with slate and stylus as

well as with the Braille writer so that they are able to compete on equal terms

with their sighted peers. If the Chatham County School system fails to comply

with the new law, which will go into effect on Friday, July 1, 1994, we the

officers and members of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia will

vigorously and immediately see to it that a monitoring mechanism is set in place

to implement House Bill 492 fully by the next school term.

Respectfully,

McArthur Jarrett

NFB of Georgia

"Vigilance is the

price of freedom," and we must all be prepared to follow the example of

McArthur Jarrett and the Chatham County Chapter of the NFB of Georgia in stepping

forward whenever our hard-won victories are threatened.

RECIPES

The recipes this month

come from members of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska.

FORTUNE COOKIES

by Nancy Coffman

Nancy Coffman is the Vice

President of the Lincoln Chapter.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sifted cake flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

dash salt

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

Method: Sift together

flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add oil and egg white. Stir until smooth.

Add water and mix well. Make one cookie at a time by pouring one tablespoon

of batter on a lightly greased skillet or griddle. Spread in a 3-1/2 circle.

Cook over low heat about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn with a wide

spatula. Cook about 1 minute more. Working quickly, place cookie on a pot holder.

Put paper strip printed with a fortune into the center and fold the cookie in

half. Fold the cookie in half again over the edge of a bowl. Place the cookie

in a muffin tin to cool. This recipe makes 8 cookies. Preparation tip: write

fortunes predicting good health, prosperity, or happiness on small strips of

paper to fold into middle of cookies as instructed above.

SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES

by Nancy Coffman

These are sturdy cookies

for picnics, bake sales, and other times that you don't want to worry about

breakage. They also taste wonderful. If you make them, plan on an empty cookie

jar.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup shortening or high calorie margarine

1/4 cup molasses

1 unbeaten egg

2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, I never add it)

Method: Cream sugar and

shortening. Add molasses and egg. Mix well again. Add soda, spices, flour, and

salt. Mix well. Form the dough into small balls and roll them in sugar (colored

looks nice at Christmas time). Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. The cookies

will flatten out as they bake.

MICROWAVE BROWNIES

by Nancy Coffman

Your family will think

you spent all day making these when the recipe actually takes just a few minutes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

6 tablespoons cocoa 1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Method: Place butter and

cocoa in an 8-inch square microwave- safe dish. Microwave on high 1 to 1½

minutes until butter is melted. Stir in sugar thoroughly. (Adding the sugar

first keeps the cocoa mixture smooth and workable.) Add remaining ingredients

in the order given and mix well. Shield the top corners of the dish with foil

triangles to keep corners from overcooking. During microwaving, brownies puff

up and puddles appear on top. Microwave on high 5½ to 6 minutes. Turn

brownies after 2, 4, and 5 minutes. Cook until top is no longer wet.

FIVE-FLAVORED CAKE

by Denise Roesler

Denise Roesler is a member

of the Lincoln Chapter.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

5 eggs, very well beaten

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

1 teaspoon rum flavoring

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method: Cream butter,

shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs which have been beaten

until they are lemon- colored. Then combine flour and baking powder and add

to creamed mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in flavorings. Spoon mixture

into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Add glaze and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from pan.

Five-Flavored Glaze

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon each coconut, butter, lemon, rum, almond, and vanilla flavorings

Method: Combine in heavy

sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour on half of

the glaze while the cake is in the pan and the other half after it is removed.

COWBOY COOKIES

by Della Johnston

Della Johnston is the

President of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup margarine

3 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup water or milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 cups oatmeal

12 ounces chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts

Method: Blend together

peanut butter, margarine, eggs, sugars, vanilla, and water or milk. Sift together

flour, salt, and baking powder. Add oatmeal, chips, and peanuts. Mix together.

Drop onto greased cookie sheet using a tablespoon. Bake at 375 degrees for 15

minutes.

MONITOR

MINIATURES

** Introducing Audio-Forum:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

Audio-Forum, a division

of Jeffrey Norton Publishers, is a twenty-two-year-old publisher of audio-cassette-based

self- instructional language courses in ninety-one languages. In addition to

French, Spanish, German, and Italian, there are hard-to-find programs, like

Ukrainian, Navajo, and Amharic.

The language courses,

all voiced by native speakers, emphasize learning by listening and repeating

material presented on the cassettes. In the language courses there are frequent

references to an accompanying printed text for which you will need a reader.

There are many other Audio-Forum educational programs, however, that do not

have printed texts, and some make wonderful listening, such as:

From Audio-Forum's About

Music Catalog:
"A History of Music of the Western World" is a twelve-cassette,

easy-to-listen to, diverse program with commentaries by respected musical ,authorities,

followed immediately by performances of the actual pieces. From Gregorian chant

and medieval love songs to symphonies and rock. The price is $89.50 for twelve

hours of listening

and enjoyment.

From Audio-Forum's Literature

Catalog:
Hear Robert Frost's captivating and humorous talk interspersed with

readings from his poetry, given at Berkeley, California in 1956. Listen to hours

of good literature with BBC programs recorded by famous performers and authors:

E.M. Forster's A Passage to India; Herman Melville's Moby Dick; Henry James's

Daisy Miller; and Jane

Austen's Emma.

From Audio-Forum's Personal

Development Catalog:
"Say It Right!" is a practical course which gets

you started right away on making corrections to everyday grammar and usage mistakes

you might not even be aware of, though others are. It's designed to give you

the confidence you need for effective speaking. Other catalog subject areas

include American history, science and technology, and special programs for children.

To obtain copies of Audio-Forum

catalogs, please call toll-free (800) 243-1234; or send your request to Audio-Forum,

96 Broad Street, Guilford, Connecticut 06437. When placing your order, please

state that you are a Braille Monitor subscriber, that you are blind or visually

handicapped, and that you qualify for Audio-Forum's special twenty-five percent

discount.

Editor's addendum: Audio-Forum

provided us with several samples of the courses and instructional tapes available,

and I am pleased to report that the quality of those I reviewed was excellentclear,

concise, and lively.

** Braille Music Piano

Course Available:

Sunny Shain Emerson, one

of the leaders of the Parents Division of the National Federation of the Blind

of Michigan, called the following announcement to our attention. It first appeared

in the Summer, 1994, edition of the Michigan Transcribers' Trails, a publication

of the Michigan Association of Transcribers for the Visually Impaired, Inc.

Here it is:

It has been found that

print music, composed for the sighted and transcribed into Braille, is impractical

for beginning blind students because the learning approach is quite different.

The two-volume Braille Music Piano Course Book I was designed to teach Braille

music symbols (which are a different code from literary Braille) in a progressive

pattern with direct application to piano performancethat is, in the same manner

that sighted students learn to read print music as they learn to play. The print

music, which appears opposite each Braille page, makes the material easier for

the sighted teacher or parent to use with the blind student. It is hoped that

this book will provide a useful and helpful start in the enjoyment of music

for the Braille-reading younger child or adult who has had no musical background.

For more information about the Braille Music Piano Course book and how to order

it, write to CaraLynn Pender, HCR 4 Box 2746, Lewiston, Michigan 49756.

** In Memoriam:

Barbara Baak, President

of the Southern Alameda County Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind

of California, has written to announce the death of member Jeannine Rouiller,

who was struck by a pickup truck in a crosswalk and dragged twenty-two feet,

on Friday, September 23, her daughter's birthday. The truck's driver told authorities

that he did not see Jeannine as he turned left out of a parking lot. Jeannine

was crossing a busy street with the green light shortly before noon when she

was killed.

A former computer operator

for Hayward Cable Television, Jeannine was an active member of the NFB and a

well-trained and experienced traveler. Even without the provisions of the California

White Cane Law, she would have had the right-of-way. Tragic as her death was,

it was, of course, no more heart-breaking than that of a sighted person would

have been, but neither was it less. Increasingly in California and other states

there seems to be a growing feeling that blind people don't belong on the streets.

In this instance the policeman on the scene made a statement to the press that

he felt extremely sorry for the driver, who had not meant to hit the woman.

Jeannine Rouiller's death

is a tragic loss for all those who knew and loved her. The chapter has established

the Jeannine Rouiller Memorial Fund with proceeds going to train future generations

of blind Californians at the Lawrence Marcelino Center for the Blind, the NFB

of California's new adult rehabilitation center. Proceeds from the memorial

fund will be contributed toward the purchase of the training center's new building.

Donations should be sent to the Jeannine Rouiller Memorial Fund, 15934 Hesperian

Blvd., Box 101, San Lorenzo, California 94580. Donations in any amount will

be gratefully received.

As we mourn Jeannine,

we realize that there is nothing we can do to bring her back. Our chapter is

working to increase public awareness about white cane laws and to try to save

the lives of other pedestrians. The bottom line is that the driver will eat

Christmas dinner with his family, and Jeannine Rouiller will not.

** Utah's Students on the

Move:

The National Federation

of the Blind of Utah is delighted to announce the reorganization of its students

division, the Utah Association of Blind Students (UABS). A large group of people

attended a back-to-school party sponsored by UABS on September 24, 1994. Members

met Ollie Cantos, President of the National Association of Blind Students, and

enjoyed goal ball, swimming, food, and dancing. The students also elected new

officers and established goals for the upcoming year. Congratulations to the

new officers of UABS: Nick Schmitroth, President; Anitra Webber, Vice President;

Marne West, Secretary; Anna Wilkinson, Treasurer; and Dan Cameron and Sylvia

Schultz, Board Members.

** For Sale:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

For sale, an Arkenstone

Open Book special edition with 200 MG hard drive and Open Book Version 2.0 for

$3,595. If interested respond by print, telephone, cassette, Braille, or 3.5"

computer disk to Joe Renzi, Reading Technology, 9269 Mission Gorge Road, Suite

108, Santee, California 92071; or call (619) 685-7323, or (800) 320-7323.

** Braille Trading Cards:

The following brief article

appeared in the Christian Science Monitor on September 6, 1994.

Braille Trading Cards

Score With School Children

Sports trading cards are

a very visual medium. So why are sight-impaired children so crazy about cards

manufactured by Action Packed, a small company in Itasca, Illinois?

It's because Action Packed's

specialty is embossing, which means that even their regular sports cards offer

a tactile experience to collectors. Special Braille cards go further by allowing

blind people to read the backs of the cards as well.

"You can feel the

player on the front," says Laurie Goldberg, Action Packed's director of

public relations. "There's the football. The quarterback's throwing it.

Kids think it's cool."

Braille cards are mixed

in among the regular football and auto-racing sets Action Packed sells, but

40,000 to 50,000 Braille cards are also set aside each year for free distribution

to 400 schools teaching the blind in the United States and Canada. "This

is our way to give a little back," Goldberg says. "We send automatically

to anyone who has blind family members or friends, no questions asked."

The Braille cards are

not sold as a distinct product in their own packs, she adds, "because collectors

might just snap them up."

Since the cards were introduced

four years ago, Action Packed has learned that blind children want more information

on the backs. The company is providing it this year by using Grade II, instead

of Grade I, Braille. The embossing is done right over the regular card backs.

Some people have expressed

disappointment that the company offers no Braille baseball cards, but licensing

agreements prevent their manufacture. Goldberg says there is some possibility

that Major League Baseball will give Action Packed a license just for Braille

cards, but she says that the company couldn't afford to print just these specialty

giveaway cards.

Action Packed began with

a very limited number of Braille football cards. Demand has led to offering

many more players and adding race car drivers.

Some sports figures have

made appearances at schools for the blind. None was a bigger hit, Goldberg says,

than stock car driver Richard Petty, who showed up last year at the Governor

Morehead School in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his race car. "Every inch

of that car had fingerprints on it by the time he left," she recalls.

** For Sale:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

For sale, a black and

white 19-inch magnifying TV with both negative and positive images and camera

separate from monitor. A typewriter can be added. The system is in excellent

working condition, and the price is only $650. If interested, contact Amir Rahimi

425 South Oak Street, #208, Arlington, Texas 76010; or call (817) 460-5005.

** Braille Math, Engineering,

and Science Texts Needed:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

John J. Boyer would like

to receive donations of college-level Braille books which are no longer needed

on mathematics, engineering, and science. Please send only Braille or computer

disks. Mr. Boyer may read some of these books, and he will eventually distribute

them overseas. He is attempting to start a technical Braille service. Send Braille

book donations to 825 East Johnson Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703; or call

(608) 257-5917.

** For Sale:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

For sale, Braille 'n Speak

640, including manual in Braille and tape, adaptor and cable. Asking $1,200.

Also for sale is a Perkins Brailler which needs cleaning, asking $275. If interested

call Kyle E. McHugh at (617) 437-9238.

** New Statistics Support

Separate Agencies for the Blind:

The following report is

reprinted from the Summer, 1994, issue of the White Cane Update, the publication

of the Iowa Department for the Blind.

Recently issued rehabilitation

statistics tend to give some ammunition to those who favor separate agencies

[for the blind]. The statistics for federal fiscal year 1993

came from Mark Shoob, Associate Commissioner of the Rehabilitation

Services Administration (RSA), when he spoke

to the May meeting of the National Council of State Agencies

for the Blind. In

two of the six areas covered by Shoob the combined

agencies would appear to have the edge. The combined

agencies rehabilitated 76.4 percent of the clients

they served, compared with 72 percent by the separate

agencies; also the rehabilitation costs per case averaged

$3,157 among combined agencies, about $900 less than

in the separate agencies.

But there is a mitigating

factor which applies to both

sets of statistics. That factor is the tendency of most

combined agencies to have a higher proportion of visually

impaired persons among their clientele, i.e., persons

whose visual acuity is greater than legal blindness.

(In its rehabilitation statistics the RSA places

blind and visually impaired persons in the same category.)

The presence of more visually

impaired persons on the agency caseloads would raise the overall rehabilitation

rates among combined agencies sinceeverything else being equaljob

placement rates are higher among visually impaired persons than among blind

persons. (And, unfortunately, that will continue until the general public stops

equating capabilities with visual acuity.) As far as rehabilitation costs per

case are concerned, the averages would tend to be lower when there is a larger

proportion of visually impaired persons among the agency's clientele. There

is usually a lesser need for rehabilitation technology and other adaptive equipment,

adjustment training, reader services, etc., in this segment of the client population.

But statistical comparisons in the remaining four areas tend to favor the separate

agencies. They show that the proportion of blind persons rehabilitated into

competitive employment is higher among clients of separate agencies than among

those served by combined agencies. This is also true of the proportions that

go into full-time

employment, as opposed to part-time work. In

addition, the statistics indicate that clients served

by separate agencies are more apt to go into paid employment

and less likely to become homemakers when compared

with clients of combined agencies. Finally, the average

increase in earnings resulting from rehabilitation

services is greater among clients of separate

agencies than the average increases among clients

of combined agencies.

** New Book Available:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

Eyes Front is a dramatic

novel about a blind youth, which contains an inspirational theme of courage,

loyalty, and love of fellow man. The major character is a talented pianist,

proficient student, and able debater. However, his long-time goal is to be a

self-sufficient competitor on the high school track team.

Eyes Front is a gripping

novel which the entire family can enjoy. The author is Jack Wilkinson, who has

come to know members of the National Federation of the Blind of Maine. The book

normally retails for $9.95, but for all NFB members the price is $7.95, including

postage and handling. Make checks or money orders payable to Maine Heritage

Books, and send to Maine Heritage Books, P.O. Box 1462, Scarborough, Maine 04074.

For every book order received from NFB members as a result of this notice, $1

and the name of the person ordering will be sent to the National Federation

of the Blind.
** Appointed:

The following brief memo

was sent on August 11, 1994.

TO: All Michigan Commission

for the Blind Staff

FROM: Philip E. Peterson,

Executive Director, Michigan Commission for the Blind

RE: New Business Enterprise

Program (BEP) Manager:

I am pleased to announce

the selection and promotion of Mr. Fred Wurtzel to the position of BEP program

manager. Mr. Wurtzel formerly served as assistant program manager under Mr.

James Obranovic. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Wurtzel to his new position.

Thank you.

Members of the National

Federation of the Blind join in congratulating long-time NFB of Michigan leader

Fred Wurtzel on this appointment.

** Specialized Tape-Lending

Service Available:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

The Wilson Tape Lending

Library Service has music and monthly ministry tapes on thirty-day free loan.

Please contact Bishop G.L. Wilson, Jr., 4928 White Boulevard, Mableton, Georgia

30059. Please request this service by audio tape or large print; no Braille

please.

** An Open Book, Premium

Edition, Available at Special Price:

We recently received the

following press release:

Arkenstone, Inc., the

nonprofit provider of reading systems to people with disabilities, today announced

the availability of An Open Book, Premium Edition, a complete reading machine

based on Intel's Pentium microprocessor. This state-of-the-art reading machine

is available due to Intel's donation of Pentium chips valued at more than $1

million.

The Pentium chips are

being incorporated into two new systems: An Open Book, Premium Edition, a complete

reading machine; and the ArkenClone, Pentium Model, a personal computer that,

when combined with Arkenstone's Open Book Unbound software, a scanner, speech

synthesizer, and screen access program, becomes a fully-functioning talking

PC.

An Open Book, Premium

Edition, the complete reading machine, will be priced at $5,495. The ArkenClone,

Pentium Model, is priced at $1,695. These prices represent a twenty percent

savings to customers. The products began being shipped at the end of September.

Due to the nature of the donation and Arkenstone's non- profit charter, these

systems are available only to individuals with disabilities or institutions

directly serving them.

Arkenstone, Inc., is located

at 1390 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, California 94089; Phone: (800) 444-4443, (408)

752-2200; Fax: (408) 745-6739; TDD (800) 833-2753.

** 1994 World Series Baseball

Update is here:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

The 1994 Update (Version

9) of the award-winning World Series Baseball Game and Information System will

be mailed starting in November. Our beta testers tell us that the game again

has been significantly improved and all the other programs have been updated.

To get the update, send $5 to Harry Hollingsworth. If you have an IBM-compatible

computer and do not have the game, join blind baseball fans in forty-seven states

and four foreign countries by sending $15 to Harry Hollingsworth, 692 S. Sheraton

Drive, Akron, Ohio 44319; or call (216) 644-2421.
** Family Finds Way to

Support Federation:

At the time of Paul Fite's

death in March of 1994, his family requested that memorial gifts be made to

the National Federation of the Blind. By September 1, Mary Ellen Halverson (Mr.

Fite's daughter) reported that more than $1,100 had been contributed to the

Federation in her father's memory. The Fites have been loyal supporters of the

NFB since the 1960's when Mary Ellen was in college and her always poor vision

worsened. Mr. Fite was especially grateful to Dr. Jernigan for the training

Mary Ellen received at the Orientation and Adjustment Center in Iowa. Monitor

readers will recall that for twenty years Dr. Jernigan directed the best training

center in the nation for blind adults. It became the prototype for our Federation

centers today. While in college, Mary Ellen joined the Student Division of the

NFB, and her parents have been longtime members-at-large in our Associates program.

** Touching Words, a Design

Concept:

We have been asked to

carry the following announcement:

Rhonda Kraft is a designer

who has created cards and notes incorporating both print and Braille in the

designs of her products. DesignKraft offers all types of announcements, invitations,

and meaningful greeting cards to sighted and blind readers. We also accept custom

orders including holiday cards and corporate thank-you notes. We have begun

filling orders for holiday and Christmas cards, adding two new verses for 1994.

Stocked inventory includes our First Edition, eight all-occasion verses which

focus on thought-provoking messages. Our Second Edition is a series of note

cards which offers a printed and Brailled message on the outside. The blank

interior allows you to add your own thoughts either handwritten or Brailled.

Ten cards sell in a set for $15.00. Custom orders are quoted on an individual

basis.

DesignKraft uses only

recycled papers for our cards and envelopes. We are happy to donate a portion

of the proceeds from the sale of these cards to Visual Aid Volunteers in Garland,

Texas, a non-profit organization specializing in the transcription of textbooks

for visually impaired school children.

DesignKraft is located

at 4822 Chilton Drive, Dallas, Texas 75227-2918; phone (214) 2494201.

** Something to Think About:

We recently received the

following letter from a Monitor reader. She is an ordinary person with what

some may say is an extraordinary point of view. Be that as it may, those who

would downplay the usefulness of Braille and the ability of blind adults to

learn it might benefit from reflecting on the words of this Monitor reader.

August 26, 1994

Dear Monitor Editor:

I have been following

the nationwide discussion on Braille, and the more I read about it, the more

puzzling it becomes. Is it possible that American blind people do not want to

read and write?

I was not born in the

United States and did not even speak English when I came here. Shortly after

entering the country, I became blind. In order to learn the language, it was

necessary to learn English Braille, and so I did and did not think much about

it. Should I consider myself something extraordinary because of this achievement?

Hardly. Later I wanted to speak German, so I learned German Braille; I wanted

to refresh my knowledge of Russian, so I learned Russian Braille; I wanted to

communicate with friends in my native country, so I learned Czech Braille and

thought nothing of that either. Should I be admired for my efforts? Not likely.

My knowledge of German and Russian is still meager, but I do know the Braille.

I am an ordinary person

who will never accomplish anything great, who is not very ambitious, who knows

a thing or two about word processing and computer operations, and not much more.

But ordinary does not mean ignorant or illiterate. Not being able to read and

write is simply unthinkable. I admire people who can handle Braille easily and

quickly because my own Braille is fluent, but rather slow. Nevertheless, I cannot

imagine living without this skill. At the same time I do look down on people

who think literacy is not worth bothering with, who believe that the art of

letters is no longer needed in this wonderful age of electronics, who think

that what does not come from television is not worth knowing, and who believe

that the only acceptable means of communication is the telephone. Why any already

handicapped person would want to limit himself further is beyond me. Throughout

history people have fought, suffered, and died for the right to read and write.

Now many of the highly civilized, sophisticated, and superior American blind

throw it away. What a shame!

Thank you for reading

my outburst. It will not make anybody grab a book and learn Braille, but it

makes me feel a little better, which is always welcomed. I also apologize for

my quite inadequate English.

Sincerely

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