Braille Monitor November 1986
** New Baby:
Carol and Gene Coulter have been members of the NFB for ten years and are presently members of the Columbia, Missouri, Chapter. We recently received from them the following card:
Happy, proud and glad--that's us!
And here's the reason for the fuss:
Her name is Elisabeth Jean Coulter; she arrived on July 17, 1986, at 1:35 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 11-3/4 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Proud parents: Carol and Gene Coulter; Proud Brother: Larry Coulter.
** Alumni:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"We are trying to update and expand the membership list of the Alumni Association of the West Virginia School for the Blind. If your address has changed in the past couple of years and you have not received an invitation to the annual Alumni meeting, or if you attended the West Virginia School for the Blind and have not attended an Alumni meeting and would like to know about the 1987 meeting, please send your name and address to: Debbie Koester, 125 Regent Drive, Bel Air, Maryland 21014."
**Married:
Bonnie O'Day, Secretary of the Tidewater Chapter of the NFB of Virginia, sends us the following announcement: "The NFB of Virginia, Tidewater Chapter, is pleased to announce the marriage of Deborah Butler and Stewart Prost on July 13, 1986, at the Obicey House in Chesapeake, Virginia. Deborah and Stewart met at the annual convention in 1982 and have been keeping the airlines and telephone company happy with long distance calls and visits between Stewart's home in Minneapolis and Debbie's home in Portsmouth ever since. Stewart has located employment at the Portsmouth Psychiatric Institute. We wish them well."
**For Sale:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"I have for sale: 2 soft-pack carrying cases for the Optacon, 1 with shoulder strap, 1 with hand strap, $35 each; 14line metal slate, 27 cells, $5, $5.75 with stylus; 1 slate for marking Braille playing cards, $5, $5.75 with stylus; 1 slate for making cassette labels, $5, $5.75 with stylus; 1 interpoint slate (which means you can write on both sides of the paper), 18 cells, 8 lines, $10, $10.75 with stylus; 1 stylus and eraser set shaped like a pencil, $5; 1 French math slate that has 100 cubes marked in Braille (marked in such a way that it will give the numbers from 0-9, as we used this a great deal for calculations before the talking calculator came in); 4 plastic Braille bingo cards with pegs to cover the numbers, $5."
For further information contact Sam Sitt, 1751 S.E. Jackson Street, Stuart, Florida 33497; 305-286-0005.
**Elected:
Albert Sanchez writes:
"In August, 1986, the National Federation of the Blind of Washington, Spokane County Chapter, held elections for the upcoming year. Those elected were: Albert Sanchez, President; Paul Whipple, Vice President; John Croy, Secretary; Lissa Nash, Treasurer. Don Edwards and Gloria Whipple were elected to the Board of Directors."
**NAPUB:
Sharon Duffy writes:
"At the NFB convention in July of 1986 NAPUB (the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille) met and elected officers. They are: President, Betty Niceley; First Vice President, Dr. Emerson Foulke; Second Vice President, Nadine Jacobson; Secretary, Sharon Duffy; and Treasurer, Victor Hemphill. "If you wish to join NAPUB or to renew your membership, please send one dollar along with your name, address, and phone number to Betty Niceley, 3618 Dayton Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40207. This will entitle you to a year's subscription to our newsletter in Braille (unless you request print).
"If you wish to submit articles for the newsletter, please write to: Sharon Duffy, 3435 W. Berteau, Chicago, Illinois 60618."
** Aprons:
Dottie Neely, Fundraising Chairperson of the Jefferson City, Missouri, Chapter writes:
"The Jefferson City Chapter has for sale 'Fundraising Aprons' made of white canvas with the NFB logo and the words Natioanl Federation of the Blind written in dark blue. These aprons have two pockets in them and tie about the waist. They sell for $4.00 each. Chapters or state affiliates wishing to purchase quantities would be offered a substantial price break. To order write to Dottie Neely, Fundraising Chairperson, Jefferson City Chapter, 201 A Dix Road, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101 or call (314) 635-3032or (314) 634-3865. These aprons even hold NFB literature during information picketing."
**Bark Once For Red:
This summer an Associated Press story was widely carried throughout the nation. It varied in detail but had the same theme. For whatever it may be worth, here it is:
Every Dog Has His Drive
Louisville, Ky.--William Bowen insisted that he couldn't be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol because he wasn't driving his car--his dog was.
Bowen, 34, is legally blind.
He was arrested April 26 after officers saw his car weaving.
Bowen said he had an argument in a tavern with his girlfriend, who left him, and was stuck with the car and no way to get home for him or his guide dog, Sir Anheuser Busch 2d, also known as Bud.
Bowen took the wheel and put Bud in the passenger seat. Bud barked to tell him the colors of each traffic light he approached. When reminded that dogs are color blind, Bowen said Bud had been trained to distinguish changing lights, barking twice for green and once for red.
Bowen finally pleaded guilty.
**Consumer Express:
We have been asked to announce that those who wish to enter a business selling home products including foods, health foods, health care products, and other consumer items should contact Donna Hemp, 307 Fifth Avenue S.E., Rugby, North Dakota 58368. Consumer Express is a company building a nationwide network of sales outlets through personal sales representatives. Sales are made from the home, and many who have worked in this business are said to have made substantial commissions.
**Comments on VersaPoints:
Dr. T. V. Cranmer, Chairman of the Research and Development Committee of the National Federation of the Blind, writes as follows:
"Telesensory Systems, Inc. asks that we announce the availability of their new Braille embosser called 'VersaPoints.' Members of our technical committees examined the embosser while it was on display in the exhibit room of our 1986 convention. Impressions of the printer are generally favorable given the circumstances for observing the machine in operation. It was not possible to judge accurately the noise level of the machine against the background sounds of the exhibit area. It would also be impossible to judge its reliability without more extensive tests. Our committees will pursue opportunities for further evaluation of this machine and other competitive products."
**Crime
Prevention for the Blind:
Do the blind need adequate food? Yes. Does that mean that there should be a special program, special rules, or a special type of nutrition for the blind? Certainly the answer is no. The fact that one is blind and that one eats does not mean that the process is different from that which is followed by others. How about wearing shoes, shaking hands, or saying a prayer? Then how about crime prevention? Nobody would be so foolish? Consider the following letter:
Wellington, New Zealand
August 1,1986
Dear Sir:
I am the National Co-ordinator for Community Liaison for the New Zealand Police.
The police have been approached by the New Zealand Association of the Blind and Partially Blind who have expressed concern about the growing harassment of blind people in urban streets in this country. Some blind people have been assaulted, and some have been theft and robbery victims.
I can find no literature on crime prevention for the blind which would assist me in offering advice on this matter.
I would be grateful if you could advise me on any source of crime prevention advice for blind people.
Yours faithfully,
TomNunan, Chief Inspector
**Elected:
The Douglas County Chapter of the NFB of Kansas recently elected the following slate of officers and board members: President, Cindy Hallenbeck; Vice President, Tom Anderson; Secretary-Treasurer, Robert Tabor; and Board Members Barbara Lumley and Sharon Luka.
**South Carolina Convention:
Frank Coppel writes: The 30th annual state convention of the NFB of South Carolina was held on August 8, 9, and 10 at the Holiday Inn in Columbia. Over 200 Federationists, representing twenty-six chapters and three statewide divisions, registered for the convention. Also in attendance was the newly elected President of the NFB, Marc Maurer, who was attending a state convention as National President for the first time. Two of the more interesting presentations made this year were a panel discussion presented by the newly organized Parents of Blind Children Division, which dealt with the purpose and need to have such a division in this state; and a report on the Children's Camp that was sponsored by the NFB of South Carolina during the month of June. One of the high points of the convention was the luncheon held on Saturday afternoon, at which Carroll Campbell, Congressman from South Carolina and Republican Nominee for Governor, spoke. At the Saturday evening banquet Mr. Maurer's moving address was heard by over 170 Federationists. On Sunday morning the following people were elected to office: President, Donald C. Capps; First Vice President, Robert R. Bell; Second Vice President, Jimmie Smith; Secretary, Mary Middleton; and Treasurer, Frank Coppel.
**Article Published:
The Summer, 1986, Journal of Experiential Education carries an article by Colorado Federationists Kennan Cole and Dr. Homer Page. Entitled "Growing Up Blind," the article talks about the effect on the lives of blind people of our annual March on Washington and on the impact which adult role models have on blind youth. The last paragraph of the article reads:
"Blind adults and blind youth are bound together in spite of efforts of parents, teachers, or even blind youths themselves to deny this reality. Programs which bring blind youth and adults together are of major importance to the future opportunities of these youth to live fulfilling, successful, and truly productive lives."
**Resource for Blind Diabetics:
Ed Bryant, one of the leaders of the Diabetic Division of the NFB, has asked that we carry the following announcement: "If you are a blind diabetic, you may receive Diabetes in the News (DITN) on cassette tape at no charge. This is a bimonthly publication which deals with all phases of sugar diabetes. You should contact you state library for the blind and physically handicapped to receive this tape. If they do not provide this service, then you can contact the following for your complimentary tapes: Mr. Brian Lopez, South Dakota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 800 North Illinois, Pierre, South Dakota 57501; (605) 773-3514."
**Elected:
On September 6, 1986, elections were held for the Berks County Chapter, NFB of Pennsylvania, with John W. Smith reelected as President, Tom Kehr as Vice President, Millie Jennings as Secretary, Jack Jennings as Treasurer, and John Nemec as Board Member.
**Reviewers Wanted:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education, is expanding its register of technical experts and professionals to evaluate proposals and grant applications for the National Institute of Handicapped Research (NIHR), Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). For further information, interested individuals should contact OSERS by calling (202) 732-1723 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST or by writing: Field Reader System, OSERS, Mail Stop 2304, Switzer Building, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202."
**Kurzweil for Sale:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"For Sale: Kurzweil Reading Machine, model 3, in good condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. Contact J. Klauber, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, 627 North Sunrise Service Road, Bellport, New York 11713; (516) 286-1600."
**BriteMusic Enterprises:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"Janiece Betker is now a distributor for Brite Music Enterprises, creators of lively entertaining and educational music for children. Music can be bought on cassette or LP records. Sing-along books, which are also coloring books, can be purchased separately. We also have activity books, wood puzzles, and boutique items. Inkprint information will be sent on request. For a cassette listing of titles and prices send either $1.00 or a C-60 or longer. For a demo tape of the music itself please send $2.00 or a good quality C-90. If you send $2.00 it will be refunded upon return of the tape or will be deducted from your first purchase upon return of the demo tape. Write to Janiece Betker, 1886 - 29th Avenue N.W., New Brighton, Minnesota 55112; 612-639-1435."
**Catalog Available from Howe Press: We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"Howe Press is pleased to announce that a new supply of catalogs has been received. The catalog includes Braillers, drawing and mathematical supplies, Braille paper, and slates. To receive the free catalog write to the address below and specify print or Braille. By signing up to receive the catalog you will be assured of receiving Howe Press mailings on a regular basis: Howe Press, Perkins School for the Blind, 175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 021721; 617-924-3490."
**National Scholarship Research Service:
Jim Mitchell, President of the Student Division of the National Federation of the Blind, asks that we carry the following announcement:
"The National Scholarship Research Service (NSRS) provides information on financial assistance for college students through a computerized search of organizational and foundation sources. NSRS provides information for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs. Additionally, funding for international studies and for non-U.S. citizen students is also offered. This is the most effective and efficient way to identify sources of funds from the private sector. For students who are sponsored by a state rehabilitation agency, this provides an excellent opportunity to fulfill "similar benefits" requirements and supplement current levels of support. For the rehabilitation professional, this provides the simplest and least expensive route to insure that students are fully supported. The cost of a basic search is $45, with renewals processed for $10. For information and applications contact: Jim E. Mitchell, 2752 Middleton Avenue #29-H, Durham, North Carolina 27705; 919-383-2125. Inquire about volume discounts and special offers for groups."
**Two Signatures:
President Maurer writes as follows: "This morning, September 15, 1986, I received a telephone call from Vivian Cox of Beckley, West Virginia, who asked if it was legal for her bank to require two signatures on her check. She said that some months ago officials of the Beckley National Bank informed her that because she was blind she must have a sighted person countersign her checks. The bank didn't care who signed--a friend, a passing stranger, a Greyhound bus driver passing through--anybody. But it did insist that some sighted person must sign. Vivian said that this was inconvenient, and she stopped doing it. Now the bank has called to say that she hasn't been 'following instructions.' Vivian asked me what she should do. I suggested that she tell bank officials that they did not make the law. Requiring Vivian to have a sighted person sign her checks is a violation of the West Virginia White Cane Law, and it is probably a violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act. I advised her to file a complaint with the West Virginia Human Rights Commission. Vivian told me that she would file the complaint and that she would refuse to be treated like a child or like a person who was retarded or deranged. If she needed more help, Vivian told me she would call. This is one more bank and one more case of discrimination. It is one more reason for the existence of the National Federation of the Blind."
**For Sale:
Jerry Hathaway, a member of the Salt Lake City Chapter, asks that we carry the following announcement:
I have an old closed circuit Apollo brand reading machine. I am not able to use it with efficiency any more because of my visual condition, and I would like to sell it. I am willing to negotiate price and terms. Contact: Jerry Hathaway, 326 East 100 South, Apt. 201, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111, phone 801-359 7034.
**Adroitly Combined:
Disabled USA is a magazine published four times a year by the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. In a recent issue the testimony of the National Federation of the Blind given in March before the Senate Committee on Small Business Affairs on S 2147 by Director of Governmental Affairs James Gashel was reprinted with preliminary editorial comment. The Disabled USA editors said in part: "Testifying before the Senate Committee, the National Federation of the Blind registered objections to what the bill intends to do regarding sheltered workshops. Reprinting the testimony in Disabled USA should not be taken as an endorsement either for or against the bill. Instead, it is reprinted because it adroitly reviews an important area of controversy regarding employment and persons with disabilities (20 percent of employed working-age blind persons labor in sheltered workshops), and because it is a good model of how facts and opinions can be combined for effective testimony."
**1986-87 Catalog Available:
The 1986-87 Option Central catalog is available in all formats: large print is free, Braille costs $1.00, and cassette costs $1.00, or it is free if a blank C60 cassette is supplied. Catalog includes expanded housewares, writing products, and personal product categories. Contact: Option Central, Fred Sanderson, Proprietor, 1604 Carroll Avenue, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54304; telephone (414) 498-9699.
**Amway:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"Introducing International Disabled Marketing Associates Amway Products Catalog Collection. This exciting six cassette/literature catalog collection consists of more than 5,000 Amway and Amway distributed products and services. The cassette and literature portions can be purchased separately or together. Please note that the cassette portion is updated annually free of charge for both customers and distributors. Six cassettes with album only cost $6.00. Literature with album only costs $6.00. Six cassettes with literature together cost $10.00. Make your check or money order payable to Mr. Jack E. Morgan and send it to International Disabled Marketing Associates, 438 Cypress Street, Lehighton, Pennsylvania 18235, or telephone 215-377-4650. Please feel free to call collect."
**Commemorative Plates:
Jan Ray writes: "For sale: Commemorative Plates of Dr. Jacobus tenBroek and Dr. Kenneth Jernigan. $15.00 per plate (includes shipping). Please contact: National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, 4035 Holcomb, Des Moines, Iowa 50310; phone 515-274-1341."
**Blind Missourian:
Tom Stevens writes: "We in Missouri regard the Blind Missourian as a fine publication. We would like to share with other Federationists who may be interested. It is the bi-monthly publication of the state affiliate, presently averaging twenty pages per issue on 8-1/2 by 11 paper. It is available on tape or in print at $5.00 per year, returnable tape for subscription. Send check and address to: Gary Wunder, 503-K Columbia Drive, Columbia, Missouri 65201."
**The West Point Rule Applies:
As everyone knows, West Point is the training academy for United States Army officers. It has developed a rigid code of honor and a system of ethics considered essential for an officer and a gentleman--and, presumably, in these days also a lady. If a West Point cadet is asked a question and fails in the answer to volunteer relevant information, it is regarded as "quibbling" and is treated as a serious offense. In the Third Quarter 1986 edition of Awareness (the newsletter published by the American Foundation for the Blind's parents' group) there is an article discussing the "Fair Insurance Coverage Act" for the blind bill now before Congress. The bill is treated positively, and readers are urged to support it; but there is not even a hint that the whole thing has been set in motion and promoted by the National Federation of the Blind. By withholding relevant information the newsletter engages in attempted deception. The West Point rule applies.