Great Things in Atlanta
[PHOTO/CAPTION: The figures of Confederate
leaders carved into Stone Mountain]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: The Plantation House at Stone
Mountain]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: A night view of the Coca-Cola
Museum]
Great Things to See and Do in Atlanta:
1999 Convention Tours
by Al Falligan
From the Editor: The clock is running on
preparations for the 1999 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind Wednesday,
June 30, through Tuesday, July 6. If you have not yet made your hotel reservation, you had
Convention Transit Information
Convention Transit Information:
MARTA to the Marriott Marquis
If you are planning to fly to Atlanta to attend
the 1999 Convention and you have a manageable amount of baggage, the Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) offers convenient door-to-door service between
Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport and the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Enter MARTA'S
Airport Rail Station on its North-South rail line, which is located immediately outside
The Sheila Johnson Case
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Mary Willows]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Sheila Johnson]
The Sheila Johnson Case:
University Prevented from Pulling a Fast One
by Mary Willows
From the President: There are those who tell me
that discrimination against the blind is a thing of the past. The laws are too strong, and
public sentiment is too great to permit such unreasonable behavior, they say. Blindness
may have been the basis for unjust actions in former times, but those who speak of the
Forever Climbing
Ever Lee Hairston
Forever Climbing:
An Extraordinary Federationist Still Rises
by John W. Smith, Ph.D.
From the Editor: John Smith is First Vice
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, and Ever Lee Hairston is First
Vice President of the NFB of New Jersey. John wrote the following profile because he
decided that Ever Lee's story has much to inspire all of us. Here it is:
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
Why Should I Use A Cane?
Why Should I Use a Cane?
by Jeff Altman
From the Editor: Jeff Altman is a member of the
National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska. In his job he teaches cane travel. This is
what he says about the importance of learning to use a cane confidently.
"Why should I use a cane?" is a rather
common question among people new to blindness and, for that matter, to some folks who have
been living with blindness for many years. One is tempted to respond with a matter-of-fact
A Federationist Works Wonders
George Wurtzel
A Federationist Works Wonders
From the Editor: George Wurtzel, brother of NFB
of Michigan President Fred Wurtzel, has always had a genius for working with his hands.
Blindness has determined some of his methods, but his gifts and skill have always been
apparent to him and to those around him. On June 15, 1998, the Lansing State Journal
carried a story by Teri Banas about Mr. Wurtzel and his partners in a new business
The Vitality of Braille
Jerry Whittle reads Braille
The Vitality of Braille
by Jerry Whittle
From the Editor: Jerry Whittle is the Braille
instructor at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, one of the NFB's adult rehabilitation
centers. We are often told that, unless a person learns Braille as a young child, he or
she will never find it a useful tool because impressive speed and accuracy are impossible
to master. Certainly the speed one can achieve as an adult learner depends on many things:
The Value of Greeting Cards
Don Capps
The Value of Greeting Cards
by Donald C. Capps
From President Maurer: In the Federation we do a
good deal of fund-raising. Part of our purpose is to collect the funds to carry out our
programs. Another part is to inform others about the capacity of the blind. Here is an
article by the senior member of the NFB Board of Directors, Donald Capps. It provides
insight about the life and career of one of our leaders and also illustrates the many
Blind Girl Fills Life
Amanda Jones reading Braille
Blind Girl Fills Life with Art, Song, and Books
by Russell Dean Newman
From the Editor: Amanda Jones and her twin April
have attended NFB conventions for half their lives. Their grandmother, Pat Jones, is
active in the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, and the girls have
clearly benefitted from their exposure to NFB philosophy and from their friendships with
many competent blind adults. The following story appeared in the November 22, 1998,
Inhaled Insulin
Inhaled Insulin
by Peter J. Nebergall, Ph.D.
From the Editor: The following article is
reprinted from the Fall, 1998, issue of the Voice of the Diabetic, a publication of the
Diabetes Action Network, a division of the National Federation of the Blind. Everyone
concerned about effective management of diabetes will be interested in what Dr. Nebergall
has to say:
Ever since insulin was first isolated in 1921,
folks have dreamed of a more attractive way to take it than by parenteral injection. Who