THE BRAILLE MONITOR
Barbara Pierce, Editor
Published in inkprint, in Braille, and on cassette by
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
MARC MAURER, PRESIDENT
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THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES
ISSN 0006-8829
PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Stacking the Deck Against Blind Travel Instructors
by Marc Maurer
Teaching Cane Travel Blind?
by Arlene Hill
A Letter from the Trenches: Straight Talk About Cane Travel
by Georginia Kleege
Helping the Sighted to See
The 1997 Washington Seminar
by Barbara Pierce
Legislative Agenda
Winning the Chance to Earn and Pay Taxes: How the Blind
Person's Earnings Limit in the Social Security Act Must be Changed
Braille Literacy and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Blindness, Rehabilitation, and the Need for Specialized Programs
Telling Our Story
by Michael Baillif
Disability Simulation That Works
by John W. Smith
New Orleans--Something for Everyone
by Jerry Whittle
1997 Convention Attractions
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
Copyright 1997 National Federation of the Blind
[LEAD PHOTOS: #1 The picture is of a large church. In the
foreground can be seen iron gates, part of the cathedral
lawns, a statue of a man on horseback, a large clock high on
the facade of the church, and the bell tower. CAPTION:
Visitors to New Orleans flock by the thousands to the French
Quarter. One of the first sights to be seen is the St. Louis
Cathedral with its distinctive architecture. #2: In this
picture a horse-drawn carriage with driver and passengers is
visible. The horse is wearing tall flowers on a headpiece. A
child is in the foreground. CAPTION: One way to enjoy the
New Orleans French Quarter is to take a carriage ride with a
driver/guide to point out the sights. Federationists will
have a chance to enjoy this picturesque form of transport
during the 1997 convention. Make your reservations now.]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: President Maurer and Tanya Stewart walk
together using white canes.]
Stacking the Deck Against Blind Travel Instructors
by Marc Maurer
Can blind people teach cane travel? The answer to this
question is so thoroughly documented that there can be no
doubt. Blind people can and do teach travel to other blind
people every day. Blindness does not necessarily guarantee
that the teacher will be a good one. However, some of the
most effective cane travel instructors are blind.
In the February, 1996, issue of The AER Report, the
newsletter of the Association for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired (AER), an
item appears entitled "VA Rules on Hiring Blind Mobility
Specialists." The article reports that a decision has been
issued by the Office of the General Counsel of the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the capacity
of blind travel instructors to teach orientation and
mobility, sometimes known as O&M. The General Counsel's
opinion declares that the blind are unfit to do this
teaching.
The decision says that using blind mobility teachers is
dangerous and that refusing to employ them is justified.
Despite the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation
(according to the article), blind people may be excluded
from employment as travel teachers at the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
But not everybody believes it. Federation members and
leaders throughout the United States know the conclusion is
untrue. But we are not alone. Not even everybody within AER
believes it. Dr. Sharon Sacks, who serves as president of
AER, appeared on the platform of the convention of the
National Federation of the Blind of California in November
of 1996. When she was asked about the opinion of the General
Counsel with respect to blind mobility instructors, she
stated without equivocation that the conclusion reached by
the General Counsel was wrong. Her willingness to stand and
be counted in the effort of blind people to receive fair
treatment is refreshing and welcome. It is fair to say that
there are still those who will oppose the opportunity for
blind instructors to teach cane travel--notably officials in
the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, Dr. Sacks is
clearly, unambiguously, and strongly on record. She believes
the prohibition to be wrong, and she believes that it should
be changed.
The report, which appears in the AER publication, says
in part:
"In October 1995, the General Counsel of the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs issued an opinion in response
to the question of whether Federal civil rights laws which
prohibit discrimination against the disabled require the
VA's Blind Rehabilitation Centers to train and/or hire blind
orientation and mobility instructors. The federal civil
rights laws in question are sections 501 and 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. (These provisions impose on
federal entities and recipients of federal financial
assistance the same obligations which the Americans with
Disabilities Act imposes on the private sector.) The opinion
begins with a thorough analysis of the role of the O&M
instructor in the Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) setting.
A team of O&M specialists from three VA BRC's visited a
facility in Louisiana which uses blind instructors to teach
mobility."
I interrupt the AER article to say that the facility
mentioned is the Louisiana Center for the Blind, ably
directed by Joanne Wilson, president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Louisiana and a member of the
Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind.
The quality of training at the Louisiana Center for the
Blind and the innovative programs conducted there are widely
recognized throughout the United States and in a number of
other nations. Leaders from the Louisiana Center and other
National Federation of the Blind training centers have,
during the past two years, conducted extensive programs of
instruction for teachers of the blind in Poland. Joanne
Wilson was invited to make the keynote address at the World
Blind Union's Women's Forum in Toronto, Canada, last August.
In addition, joint travel training instruction classes are
currently being taught by the Louisiana Center for the Blind
and university instructors in Louisiana. Although the AER
document fails to mention any of this, these facts help to
give background to the discussion. Here is further text from
the AER article:
"The focus of the training seemed to be on locating a
destination and returning to a starting point. Falling,
bumping into objects, stumbling, and falling off curbs were
commonplace. Based on their observations at the Louisiana
facility, the review team concluded that the facility's
program of instruction was vastly different from that of the
BRC's (Blind Rehabilitation Centers), as was the end result.
Students were not as skilled in the ability to avoid
unnecessary contact with objects and were more prone to
stumbles and falls to a degree that would be deemed an
unacceptable safety risk for the BRC patient population. In
addition, many advanced students were observed spending too
much time in potentially dangerous situations due to a lack
of training in basic skills, such as efficient recovery
techniques normally taught at the BRC's."
I interrupt once again to say that I disagree with most
of the statements in this article so far, but one
observation seems to me to be entirely true. This is that
the results from training at the Louisiana Center are
different from those achieved at the Department of Veterans
Affairs. My own observations make me believe it. Students
who graduate from training centers operated by the National
Federation of the Blind know how to travel with a cane with
confidence and skill. Quite often the individuals who pass
through the centers operated by the Department of Veterans
Affairs complete their training without the same degree of
proficiency in cane travel. Of course, the language of the
document demonstrates the attitude of the Department of
Veterans Affairs toward the blind. At the VA, trainees are
known as patients, not students. But back to the article.
"The General Counsel's office also did a review of what
little research exists in the area and noted, 'Although
there has been little investigation into whether vision is
needed to teach O&M, the one scientific study to address the
issue suggests that vision plays a significant role with
respect to the ability of the instructor to react quickly
enough to events such as starting, stopping, turning,
negotiating stairs, veering at street crossings, and
colliding with obstacles.' Based on the research review and
the findings of the team which visited Louisiana the General
Counsel's office concluded that '...the use of totally blind
O&M instructors poses a significant safety risk.' [The VA
then] looked at the next question, whether a reasonable
accommodation could be found which would eliminate the risk
or reduce it to 'acceptable levels.' The main accommodation
suggested by the General Counsel's opinion memo was the use
of 'a sighted assistant.'"
One might interrupt to ask why that is the only way
they thought of doing it. Could it be that the people who
asked for the opinion offered the suggestion that a sighted
assistant was the only alternative? Why do the orientation
and mobility teachers who are closely associated with the
Department of Veterans Affairs always think that sighted
assistance is a necessity for teaching travel? Are they
worried that the competition from blind instructors will be
too fierce? But back to the article.
"The memo notes: 'The problem with this approach
[having blind instructors use the technique of employing
sighted assistance] is that the assistant would have to
possess the same knowledge and abilities as the sighted
[sic] instructor. Hence, such an accommodation would
essentially require two instructors (one blind, one sighted)
to do the job of one sighted instructor.' ...Reasonable
accommodation does not require an employer to reallocate
essential functions of a job to an assistant."
"Other accommodations such as using blind instructors
only in indoor environments, were also deemed unacceptable
because they 'would result in a substantial modification of
the VA's program in which the same instructor teaches and
instills confidence in the patient throughout the program of
instruction.' Such a fundamental alteration would result in
an undue hardship and thus not be required by law."
"The memo concludes: 'Because of significant safety
risks, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 does not require the
VA to hire O&M instructors who are totally blind. In
addition, notwithstanding any affiliation agreements, the VA
would not be required under the Act to provide clinical
training to totally blind students enrolled in affiliated
colleges and universities.'"
This is what was reported by AER, and it is a
commentary on the bias and prejudice of those who compiled
the evidence and wrote the document. AER has asked to be
recognized as the official body to determine who will and
who will not receive certification as orientation & mobility
specialists. However, the AER official position has (until
recently) been that blind people are incompetent to teach
cane travel, even though many of us are doing so. It is
ironic that the so-called professionals in education and
rehabilitation could adopt a policy which is so obviously
discriminatory.
However, times are changing. As noted earlier, the
president of AER has publicly rejected this discriminatory
position. I am told that blind people will now be considered
as candidates for certification by AER. But this
certification is different (according to some) from that of
the sighted, I am told. Although the official standard
(according to the president of AER) is that blind candidates
for certification will be treated no differently from the
sighted, blind candidates, according to certain officials in
the rehabilitation field (the letter in the June, 1996,
Braille Monitor article titled, "Who Is Qualified To Be A
Mobility Instructor?" comes to mind), must demonstrate their
ability to teach cane travel using a sighted assistant. No
other mechanism would be plausible, according to some.
With all of this as background, one might suspect that
certain people who are part of AER were afraid that the
current discriminatory policy might not stand up.
Consequently, they set about bolstering a weak case.
Approximately three years ago, instructors in the
Department of Veterans Affairs' program to teach cane travel
to blind veterans requested the opportunity to visit the
National Federation of the Blind Orientation Center in
Ruston, Louisiana. The purpose of the visit (according to
these VA officials) was to study the methods used by blind
cane travel instructors. The Louisiana Center for the Blind
has extensive experience with the use of blind cane travel
teachers.
Arlene Hill, the cane travel instructor, and Joanne
Wilson, the founder and director of the Center, believed
that this would be an opportunity to demonstrate the ability
of blind teachers and to expand communication and
understanding in programs dealing with blindness. They
welcomed the visitors to the Louisiana Center for the Blind.
In the fall of 1995 the real purpose of the visit was
revealed. These officials from the Department of Veterans
Affairs (who, it is reported, are also members of AER)
compiled a report of their visit to the Louisiana Center for
the Blind. The report included excerpts of video tapes of
blind students being taught travel by blind instructors. The
evidence gathered by these officials was submitted to the
office of the General Counsel of the Department of Veterans
Affairs with a request that the General Counsel issue an
opinion stating whether the law requires the Department of
Veterans Affairs to consider blind travel instructors for
employment.
In selecting the evidence to be presented to the office
of the General Counsel, the so-called impartial observers
chose to portray not the reality of the training but a
distortion of the facts. This was accomplished by depicting
travel training as much more dangerous than it is and blind
people as much less competent than we are. For example, when
a student is walking on the street where there is a drain
into which he or she might step, keen attention is called to
the possibility of this mishap even though it never happens.
A blind traveler at the Louisiana Center for the Blind
learns to manage in virtually any circumstances during the
course of travel training. At the Department of Veterans
Affairs, blind travelers are apparently kept out of any
place which contains the slightest potential for injury. The
contrast in teaching technique was apparently emphasized to
the Office of the General Counsel with the implication that
travel training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind is
conducted irresponsibly. The blind, according to this
formulation, should be content to travel only in places
which are entirely safe--safe as defined by the officials
who have selected for themselves the task of caring for the
blind--the officials from the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
With this distorted information in hand, the office of
the General Counsel issued its opinion. It is ironic that a
program designed to serve the blind has reached the
conclusion that the blind are inferior to the sighted and
cannot be trusted to teach travel.
Arlene Hill, travel training teacher at the Louisiana
Center for the Blind, observed the approach of the Veterans
Administration in gathering its evidence. This is her
report:
These are my observations on the July 1993 visit from
the three Veterans Administration employees.
When these visitors arrived, we held a brief meeting in
which they explained that they would be observing travel
students and their instructors and making videos of travel
routes. They explained that they had come to learn how we,
as blind instructors, taught our blind students. I felt that
this would be an opportunity to share our work and show how
our students learn and progress. I was asked very few
questions as a blind instructor about how I teach students.
At the time of the initial meeting, I requested a
microphone for both the instructor they were observing and
the student. We explained that a good bit of our training
depends on communication. They agreed that was a good idea
and said they would work on providing mikes, but they never
appeared.
Only once during their visit was I aware that they were
taping. As far as I remember, they never sat in on the
sessions in which directions were given to the student
before leaving on a route. At no time were they aware of the
communication between me and any student. Because our
training is based on students' both building self-confidence
and learning how to problem solve, we do not rush in to move
students away from stairs, curbs, cars, poles, or other
obstacles. With beginning students, problem-solving begins
with instruction about how to use a cane and lots of
practice to develop a proficient technique. Communication is
necessary between a new student and the instructor, who
explains what to listen for, what to look for with the cane,
and how to handle various situations.
Continuing to develop and build on problem-solving
skills depends on allowing the student to work through
problems faced while traveling on the streets. I try to ask
students leading questions to help them think and learn to
listen and look for the necessary and useful cues while
traveling.
When the memo printed in The AER Report states that the
students of a blind instructor come into contact with
objects too close for safety, the writer can be referring
only to the cane's touching objects. In fact, a blind person
cannot travel safely without having the cane touch the many
objects on the streets.
We watched some of the taping the team did one morning.
They focused the camera on a student's feet. Then the lens
crossed the street to record the presence of a drainage hole
at the curb. The camera returned to the walking feet
crossing the street. When the student located the drain with
her cane and did not fall, the camera immediately left her
feet.
When all is said and done, it is easy to draw any
conclusions you choose as long as you don't bother to look
at the entire picture. The video they made has no voice
track. For all any one can tell, the students never received
a single correction or instruction during all of the taping.
Even so, the videographer recorded blind people traveling
independently in many different situations. It is always
easy to make judgments, but when they are based on half-
truths, they have little validity. During the visit the team
asked very few questions about how blind travel instructors
do their job--again, half a story.
This is what Arlene Hill observed, and her comments are
corroborated by Ruby Ryles, who has recently served as the
Assistant Director of the International Braille Research
Center for the Blind. She has observed and understands the
methods and techniques used by blind instructors. After
reviewing the legal opinion of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, Mrs. Ryles offered her own comments. Here is her
sworn statement.
I, Ruby N. Ryles, being first duly sworn depose and state:
The AER Report is a newsletter published by the
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind
and Visually Impaired. After reading a narrative in the
February, 1996, issue of this newsletter, I felt compelled
to come forward to express my deep concern about the
information in this report and the manner in which it was
compiled. I am also disturbed about the technique used for
selecting the information published. A description of the
methodology used failed to appear in the report.
I am a Research Associate with the International
Braille Research Center. I have a bachelor's degree and a
master's degree. Within the next few months I will complete
a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. My training in
work with the blind was done at the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock. My teaching career spans thirty years with
both sighted and blind children and sighted and blind
prospective teachers at the university level. I have worked
as an administrator at the state level, as a classroom
teacher, as an itinerant teacher, and as a consultant. I
have taught teacher education courses at the University of
Washington and Louisiana Tech University. During the summers
of 1994 and 1995 I held an adjunct faculty position at
Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. During that
time I taught four courses designed to satisfy Louisiana
State Department of Education requirements for certification
of teachers of blind children.
Because the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) is
nationally recognized for its excellence in the field of
rehabilitation and because the center continuously provides
training for both consumers and professionals, the teacher
education courses at Louisiana Tech are taught in
cooperation with the staff at LCB. Most of the classes are
held at the center, and many sessions are taught by or with
the LCB staff members. This unique arrangement provides
prospective teachers with experiences unavailable in a more
passive environment, such as a lecture/test format.
During the summer of 1994, I designed and taught a
course entitled "Orientation and Mobility for Persons Who
Are Visually Impaired," which was designed to provide
teachers of blind children with a basic understanding of
mobility techniques used by skilled blind adults and
children. One half of the course was comprised of lectures,
films, panel discussions, readings, and guest lectures. The
other half of the course consisted of individual instruction
in the skill of traveling under sleepshades using a cane.
All but one of the students was fully sighted.
Each of my students was assigned an experienced cane
travel instructor from LCB who taught him or her the basic
cane travel techniques which should be taught to young blind
children. Although the director of LCB employs both sighted
and blind cane travel instructors, I specifically requested
that only blind instructors be used with my students. After
many years as an educator in this field, I have found that
blind instructors who are themselves skilled cane travelers
impart not only a higher level of problem-solving skills,
but a realistic understanding of problems encountered in
travel without sight. Moreover, the daily positive example
of a competent blind traveler provides a powerful tool to
allay my sighted teachers' all-too-common deep-seated
misconceptions and fears of independent travel without
sight.
Using sleepshades (sometimes called blindfolds) and a
cane, my students received training in safely crossing
streets, orienting themselves to traffic, detecting and
avoiding obstacles, and navigating curbs and stairs. Each
class period I walked or drove the streets of Ruston
observing and measuring the progress of each student. I
often observed the lessons from a distance of six to eight
feet. Because I did not wish to interrupt the lesson, the
student and instructor were unaware of my presence. Never
once did I have occasion to question the safety of my
students while they were under the instruction of their
blind mobility instructors.
An incident occurred with the students I was teaching
in late July and early August of 1994. During several of the
first mobility sessions, I noticed an individual with a home
camcorder video taping parts of one of my students' lessons.
I noticed that the cameraman was selectively taping. I
watched as he sporadically taped very short segments, then
lowered his camera and casually studied other pedestrians
and items in nearby shop windows. He did not record the
entire lesson. As I observed him, the mobility instructor,
and my student, it was obvious that he was recording neither
the important oral nor the hands-on corrections being made
by the blind mobility instructor. The problem-solving
process techniques valued and taught by the blind mobility
instructor were never taped in their entirety.
I wondered if the individual was familiar with
techniques of teaching mobility since he was not taping the
instructor's oral corrections. I was tempted to approach him
to point this out but did not. Inevitably, the partial and
spotty tape recording of sessions made the record of the
classes incomplete and inadequate for forming valid
conclusions. It appeared to me that this was an effort to
capture on film the missteps, the miscues, and the stumbles
of the trainee and to eliminate from the film the episodes
in which corrections were made and counseling was provided.
When I later inquired in more depth why this individual
was taping my student, I was told by the director of the
center that the individual and his two colleagues had been
sent by the Department of Veterans Affairs to learn how
blind mobility instructors teach. However, the three
individuals avoided indicating that they were part of the
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind
and Visually Impaired, which for years has had a policy
either to inhibit or to prevent blind instructors from
teaching mobility to the blind.
These people gained the cooperation of LCB and me by
saying that they wished to learn more about the techniques
used by blind mobility instructors. They had persuaded the
LCB director to allow them to come by telling her that the
VA was considering permitting blind mobility instructors to
do internships with the VA and that the VA was considering
hiring blind mobility instructors. They said that they were
at LCB to learn the techniques of blind mobility instructors
and any adaptations that might be needed. They presented
themselves to the director of the center as objective and
willing to learn. Given this, she informed me that she was
pleased that LCB would be a part of the process.
The cameraman and his colleagues and I were taken to
dinner that evening by the director and other staff at LCB.
Blind staff members with knowledge of techniques used to
teach mobility were present at dinner, but the three
individuals made no effort to start or take part in
conversations on this subject. The failure to provide
complete information about the background of these
individuals and the fact that they created a videotape
record which emphasized errors and excluded problem-solving
techniques, together with their behavior in both
professional and social situations, leads me to the
reluctant conclusion that they intended deliberately to
mislead the director and other staff members about their
purposes and intentions.
The cameraman did not stay long enough to tape the
final lesson of any of my students. After ten two-hour
lessons, my sighted students, under sleepshades, crossed
four-lane streets and intersections with and without
stoplights and handled a variety of independent travel
obstacles. They learned the safe techniques to accomplish
independent travel under sleepshades because of their blind
mobility instructors. I never once felt concern for the
safety of my students during their lessons.
During the final class period (an evaluation session
with me) students unanimously agreed that the training under
sleepshades provided at LCB was invaluable to their future
teaching. When they were asked how I could improve the
course, the majority responded with requests for additional
training under sleepshades from LCB. The fact that their
instructors were blind was simply never an issue.
Ruby Ryles
[PHOTO: This picture shows Arlene Hill walking down the
street using her cane. CAPTION: Arlene Hill]
Teaching Cane Travel Blind?
by Arlene Hill
From the Editor: Some months ago Arlene Hill wrote the
following article about teaching cane travel as a blind
instructor. Here it is:
When I was invited to write this article, I wondered
what I could possibly say. I was asked to write about any
special problems blind people have teaching orientation and
mobility. In my view this notion is one of the greatest
misunderstandings in the blindness field. The differences,
philosophical and practical, seem to arise from the
different techniques employed by sighted and blind
instructors.
I grew up in Iowa. I attended both the Iowa Braille and
Sight Saving School in Vinton and Knoxville High School, the
local public high school in my hometown. I never had a cane
in my hand while I was growing up. I believed that canes
were for blind people less capable than I. My attitudes were
no better than those of most sighted people. The common
belief is that blind people are really not very capable when
it comes to independent mobility. Though well-trained blind
people overcome this myth, it persists among most sighted
people because they have not undergone extensive sleep-shade
training.
After graduating from high school, I became a student
at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, where I
was introduced to the long white cane--long enough to reach
my chin. I was taught how to use this cane by a sighted
instructor who had undergone extensive sleep-shade training.
It was immediately obvious to me that this cane was not just
a symbol of blindness but a tool that could be used to
achieve true freedom. I have been a user of the long white
cane for more than thirty years; and, as time has passed,
the length of my cane has increased until it is now as tall
as I am. Some may find this fact curious; however, as one
increases in both skill and confidence, one's walking pace
naturally increases. Thus one needs more stopping distance
in which to react to potential obstacles, and the increased
length affords that distance.
My education after attending the Iowa Commission for
the Blind was in the field of special education, with
emphasis on teaching the mentally disabled. I taught blind,
mentally handicapped individuals in a state hospital school
for some years. I then taught for three years at Blind
Industries and Services of Maryland in Baltimore and nine at
the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston, Louisiana,
where I am currently employed.
As I see it, the major differences between blind and
sighted instructors are philosophical. Different techniques
follow naturally from the different philosophies. It seems
to me that the variation in techniques causes some of the
so-called problems we blind instructors face.
Let's begin with what we call ourselves: orientation
and mobility (O&M) specialists versus cane-travel
instructors. As a blind person I teach other blind people
how to use the cane properly. The technique is
straightforward and simple and is one of the easiest tasks
for most students to learn. However, what follows mastery of
this technique is what seems to make the difference between
those taught by blind and those taught by sighted
instructors because this later instruction enables the
student to develop self-confidence and the problem-solving
skills necessary to achieve true independence. O and M
specialists, on the other hand, seem to spend much time with
pre-cane techniques, sighted-guide training, and protective
methods. For example, like me, most blind instructors I know
use route travel in teaching our students. We send them on
assigned routes which have been carefully planned to teach
students how to deal with various types of travel problems,
using problem-solving skills.
As a blind traveler and a blind instructor, I believe
there are two keys to being a good independent cane
traveler. They are the same things that make good drivers:
self-confidence and problem-solving skills. Building self-
confidence is as important in learning to drive as it is for
blind persons learning to travel independently. As children
grow, they cannot wait to drive, but when they sit behind
the wheel for the first time, they find it pretty
frightening. The same is true for a blind traveler: the
first time he or she goes out on the street with a cane is
very frightening, because this, too, is unfamiliar
territory, requiring the use of undeveloped skills. The
sound of traffic and the thought of potential harm may be
overwhelming to many blind travelers, just as being behind
the wheel of a fast-moving vehicle is to many young drivers.
In both cases they return from their first trip and all is
well--or at least it was not quite as bad as they thought it
would be. Each future trip becomes less frightening. As time
passes, the drivers, as well as the blind travelers, build
confidence until they truly believe in themselves.
Most people, blind and sighted alike, tend to do and
become what others expect them to. If their instructor has
high expectations for them and they have high expectations
for themselves, they learn that they can travel everywhere,
mostly unassisted.
A good blind traveler believes in his or her ability to
negotiate obstacles and expects to take on travel challenges
throughout each day. Most sighted persons, unless
extensively trained under sleep shades, do not believe that
a blind person can successfully traverse the many unfamiliar
hazards they might come across daily. Yet since a blind
instructor is used to facing these challenges, he or she
will expect and encourage students to do likewise.
The next key is problem-solving skills, important for
both drivers and blind cane travelers. Can the person learn
to use the entire environment to remain oriented or, when
confused, to reorient? We teach drivers always to keep
watching, their eyes constantly moving. The good driver
looks continuously for landmarks, signs, traffic patterns,
and traffic cues. As a travel teacher I also teach blind
persons to use everything around them for the same purpose:
the sun and breeze as directional tools, traffic cues,
traffic patterns, sense of smell, familiar and unfamiliar
sounds, and landmarks found with the cane. All of these
skills--listening, feeling sun, locating objects with a
cane, and quickly assessing the situation--must be taught.
Who knows these skills better than a person who depends on
them daily for normal, safe, and efficient travel? This is
not to say that every independent blind person can teach
cane travel. It is, however, true that a capable teacher who
has become a good independent cane traveler through daily
practice can impart this skill and knowledge to another
blind person naturally and easily.
It is very important that the blind instructor go on
travel routes with any new student for the first several
trips, then observe the student closely, especially at key
trouble spots. Some would say that having to do so much
walking is a problem for a blind instructor. A sighted
instructor can hop in a car and observe the student from
comfortable heat or air conditioning, while the blind
instructor is out in all types of weather. However, since
the blind instructor is right there, he or she can much more
easily and quickly communicate with the student when
necessary. Initially, constant communication is essential to
remind the student to look for landmarks, listen to traffic,
cross parking lots efficiently, and so forth. Therefore,
what most sighted specialists would consider a problem, I
consider an advantage. Many of these skills must be
reinforced more than once, sometimes more than just orally.
Often a hands-on method works best. The blind instructor is
right there to give immediate help and advice.
The biggest problem blind instructors have, according
to most sighted ones, is that we cannot see the environment
in front of the student in order to protect him or her from
tree limbs, construction, or other barriers. I do not agree.
In my view this is a legitimate difference in professional
philosophy. Sighted orientation and mobility specialists
generally have a protective attitude toward their blind
students, whereas blind instructors use a realistic approach
in their teaching.
Sighted specialists seem to believe that blind people
need protection and are not able to travel with genuine
independence anyway. Blind instructors are independent cane
travelers themselves, so they have no doubt that blind
students can learn to travel as well or better than the
instructor, if they can acquire the self-confidence. The
reality is that occasionally a branch will be in the way,
and the blind traveler may strike it. There is sometimes
construction on a travel route. The student must learn how
to identify these things and how to deal with them. It is an
advantage to travel in real-life situations during training
in order to learn to use problem-solving skills. If a blind
student is protected from real-life experiences, of course,
he or she will not travel much independently when the
training ends. Because the protective sighted instructor
does not teach the student to handle such things, the
student naturally concludes that it is not possible for a
blind person to cope with them. If, on the other hand,
students face these things during training, they will learn
that they can face and master any travel situation that
comes their way.
At first blind students are frightened and need much
encouragement. Seeing other blind people using canes to move
about capably and efficiently can make a big difference to a
frightened student. All of us, blind and sighted alike, look
for role models in new situations. The blind instructor can
be that role model to the new travel student.
Having said all this, I believe that the biggest
problem facing a blind cane-travel instructor is the almost
constant discrimination from his or her sighted peers. Blind
cane-travel instructors are told they cannot do the job, in
spite of the many successful independent cane travelers they
have taught. In my experience, most blind people prefer
being taught by a blind instructor, because they have
confidence in the instructor's ability and because they know
their instructor's skills are tried and true and are used
daily by thousands of other blind people. Being constantly
criticized and told that you are limited in what you can do
because of blindness can become a real problem. However, the
success of the many blind independent travelers taught by
blind instructors provides the most convincing proof.
Compare these results with the travel skills of the more
protected and sheltered blind people taught by sighted O&M
specialists. I am not arguing that the profession of cane-
travel instruction should be limited to blind persons. I am
saying that we, as blind instructors, have valid methods
that should be considered on their own merit. The
alternative methods used by blind instructors are just as
sound as the usual prescribed certified methods of cane-
travel instruction advocated by sighted O&M specialists.
Finally, an ongoing problem for blind instructors is
that they are not fully certifiable by the Association for
Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually
Impaired (AER). Because our methods are different, blind
instructors are barred from the high financial benefits paid
by many of the state and private agencies to sighted O&M
specialists. I look at some of the advertisements for O&M
specialists, and the money looks wonderful. We blind
instructors cannot obtain these jobs simply because we do
not meet the requirements established by sighted O&M
specialists, although we have helped hundreds reach true
independence.
I realize that this article does not talk much about
the problems blind instructors face on the job. This is
because, after searching my mind and heart, I honestly do
not believe that there are many problems that blind
instructors have that they do not share with sighted
instructors. I have been as honest as I know how to be,
after twelve years of teaching in both a metropolitan city
with buses and subways and a small town with cabs and
walking. The most prevalent problem facing blind cane-travel
instructors is caused by the dichotomy between the
philosophy of blind, non-certifiable instructors and that of
most sighted, certified instructors. If this discrepancy
could be eliminated, there would be more candidates to fill
vacancies in cane-travel instruction; therefore, more
opportunities would be available for blind people to learn
independent cane travel.
A Letter from the Trenches:
Straight Talk About Cane Travel
by Georginia Kleege
From the Editor: Listening to erudite discussions among
orientation and mobility instructors about cross-body
technique, shorelines, hand position, and arc-width, its
easy to forget that the fundamental principle of successful
cane travel is to use a long white cane efficiently to find
out as much as possible about the terrain immediately in
front of one. As the writer of the following letter says,
"It isn't rocket science." It is mostly common sense and
enough practice to gain confidence in the tool and the
technique. As the preceding two articles demonstrate, these
ideas are heresy in some circles, but to Georginia Kleege
they just make sense. Here is the letter she wrote to the
National Federation of the Blind:
Columbus, Ohio
July 29, 1996
National Federation of the Blind
Baltimore, Maryland
Dear NFB:
This is a letter of thanks to the NFB in general and to
the staff of the materials center in particular.
I recently ordered a white cane from the materials
center and want to express my appreciation to the employee
who answered the phone (sadly I didn't get her name) for all
the help and advice. I was prompted to call the NFB when my
local rehabilitation agency refused to sell me a cane
because I have not received mobility instruction from their
specialists. I am, to use the experts' phrase, "legally
blind with some usable sight." I have been blind for almost
thirty years but never received mobility instruction because
the experts felt I didn't need it.
I made clear that I was willing to pay for my cane
myself and that I would even pay for mobility instruction if
they insisted, but I was unwilling to have my case reopened
and my needs re-evaluated. By their standards my needs have
not changed because my vision has not changed. It's true
that I can see most obstacles in my path, and I seldom bump
into pedestrians or fire hydrants. But I cannot, for
instance, always see traffic signals. I have learned to
interpret traffic sounds to know when to cross the street.
When I ask strangers for directions, they usually assume I
can see where they're pointing. When I explain that I
cannot, they often become confused, distressed, or so overly
solicitous that it turns my simple request into a major
ordeal. Do I need a white cane to get where I want to go?
Perhaps not, but it seems to me that a white cane will help
me get there with greater safety and less embarrassment for
all concerned.
I am so grateful that the NFB was there to call. The
staff member at the materials center answered my questions
without making me feel foolish, recalcitrant, or self-
pitying. I am also grateful that I have friends, NFB members
and others, who have offered to help me get started. And I
have read Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane, which I
found extremely useful. The instructions are so clear and
down-to-earth, I feel I can learn cane travel from the book
alone. Cane travel is not rocket science. I feel confident
that with practice I can learn it.
I am sure the experts would not like to hear this. If
everyone learned cane travel from a book and their friends,
someone might be out of a job. Fortunately, the NFB gives
blind people an alternative to such experts and their
opinions.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Georginia Kleege
Member, NFB of Ohio
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Melody Lindsey]
Helping the Sighted to See
From the Editor: Week in and week out one of the most
important jobs Federationists are called upon to undertake
is educating the public. Not only do uninformed people need
help recognizing the very real and substantial problems
facing blind people, but often they require instruction to
comprehend what they are actually looking at. When the
instruction is of this latter kind, it requires great tact
not to embarrass ignorant but well-meaning citizens
unnecessarily. This challenge faced members of the National
Federation of the Blind of Alaska on July 14, 1996. On that
day the editorial page of the Anchorage Daily News included
the following letter:
Obstacles Menace the Blind
Recently I was looking out my office window at the
corner of Fourth Avenue and H Street and noticed there were
several blind people walking down the street. My attention
was drawn to one man in particular because he was having an
extremely difficult time maneuvering around the planter area
at the new courthouse, and on two occasions he actually
stumbled over the planter.
I became even more concerned as I continued to watch
this gentleman. He managed to get across H Street without
incident, but when he got back on Fourth Avenue, he became
disoriented when he got to the Pioneer Bar because he got
caught between the wooden Indian's arm and the sidewalk
advertisement. He had a very difficult time getting his
bearings because of all the obstacles that are sitting out
on Fourth Avenue. It broke my heart as I watched him try to
make his way down Fourth Avenue.
I realize that businesses are entitled to advertise,
but shouldn't they be required to do so in such a way that
people won't be injured? These sidewalk advertisements are
certainly harmless enough to sighted people, but they are a
definite menace to the blind.
I hope the businesses on Fourth Avenue and elsewhere
will take note and move their sidewalk signs out of the way
of the blind.
Faye Stevens, Anchorage
That's what Ms. Stevens said, and Melody Lindsey,
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Alaska
responded in a letter published July 21:
Problem for Blind Not on Street
I am responding to Faye Stevens's letter of July 14,
from the perspective of one of the other blind persons who
was with the individual she described. When I first read her
letter, I was perplexed, but I have decided that she has
provided an opportunity to educate the public about
blindness.
Ms. Stevens wrote that she saw "several blind people"
walking down Fourth and H. However, her attention was
focused on one individual who appeared to have trouble
negotiating the sidewalk displays. What about the other
blind people? Did she wonder what the difference was between
the way they traveled and the apparent difficulty the one
individual was having? I submit that the difference lies in
the experience, confidence, and skill that blind people
choose to acquire.
I encountered the same obstacles as the person Ms.
Stevens observed, yet I had the skills and confidence to
conclude that I needed to go around them just as everyone
else does. I may not be able to ascertain information
visually, but by using the cane, I can find objects on the
sidewalk and deduce that they are not going to get up and
move solely for my convenience.
The only way that blind people can obtain good problem-
solving skills is by working through difficulties that arise
and moving on. If someone is always there to correct
problems for them, they will never gain accuracy and
confidence in their own capabilities. The real obstacles to
the blind include misconceptions about blindness, lack of
opportunity, unemployment, lack of quality training, and
lack of high expectations by society in general.
If the physical barriers on Fourth and H were the only
ones we had to deal with, we would be in pretty good shape
economically and socially. To the businesses along these
streets I say: please do not move your displays solely to
help the blind.
I would like to invite Ms. Stevens and anyone else who
would like to learn more about the blind to call the
National Federation of the Blind of Alaska office at 566-
2620. I believe that together we can change what it means to
be blind.
Melody Lindsey, President
National Federation of the Blind of Alaska
In the same spirit and also on July 21, Tracy Kuzara, a
travel teacher who had been with the group Ms. Stevens
observed, added her perspective to the discussion. This is
what she said:
Blind Students Are Learning
I am writing in response to Faye Stevens's letter of
July 14. I was also there that day on Fourth Avenue when she
saw that blind man "having difficulty." She didn't mention
the several other blind people who were having no difficulty
whatsoever. They were getting around with much ease.
I work at the school where these individuals are
learning the alternative techniques for everyday living. On
that particular day there were two instructors with the
students out on Fourth Avenue.
Yes, walking around on the streets and around wooden
Indians happens to be one of the things they learn. Although
mistakes may happen from time to time, I don't feel that the
signs should be moved. The students are learning how to
maneuver around these types of obstacles. While they are out
walking and find an obstacle with the cane such as a wooden
Indian or a planter, they can figure their own way around it
without someone yelling, grabbing, or pulling on them.
Blind people should be treated with the same respect
you would like to receive as a sighted person. I know that
Ms. Stevens was writing out of concern. But please realize
that if the signs were a menace to the blind, we would take
measures to have them moved, but they are not.
The blind should be able to go where they want when
they want just as the sighted do. They don't want special
treatment; treat them as you would any other person. If they
have questions, they will ask you for assistance.
Tracy Kuzara, Anchorage
Have you considered leaving a gift to the National
Federation of the Blind in your will? By preparing a will
now, you can assure that those administering your estate
will avoid unnecessary delays, legal complications, and
substantial tax costs. A will is a common device used to
leave a substantial gift to charity. A gift in your will to
the NFB can be of any size and will be used to help blind
people. Here are some useful hints in preparing your will:
Make a list of everything you want to leave (your
estate).
Decide how and to whom you want to leave these
assets.
Consult an attorney (one you know or one we can help
you find).
Make certain you thoroughly understand your will
before you sign it.
For more information contact the National Federation of
the Blind, Special Gifts, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21230-4998, (410) 659-9314, fax (410) 685-5653.
[PHOTO: This picture is taken from the back of a meeting
room which is filled with people. CAPTION: The Columbia Room
at the Holiday Inn, Capital was filled to capacity well
before the Sunday afternoon briefing began.]
The 1997 Washington Seminar
by Barbara Pierce
By now everyone in the National Federation of the Blind
knows that the first week of February means one thing in our
organizational calendar: the Washington Seminar. Activities
actually began Friday evening, January 31, with the student
division party at the Capitol Holiday Inn.
But the daylong Mid-Winter Conference of the National
Association of Blind Students that took place the following
day was only one of the preliminary programs that weekend.
So many groups had scheduled meetings at the National Center
for the Blind in Baltimore that virtually every one of the
fifty-two beds at the Center was occupied. The Comprehensive
Braille Training Advisory Committee, the NFB Research and
Development Committee, the International Braille Research
Center Board of Trustees, and its Research Fellows were all
working in Baltimore. Meanwhile at the Capitol Holiday Inn
in Washington, the student conference was capped by a
banquet for nearly 200 who enjoyed an address by Dr.
Jernigan.
Sunday morning the loaders had to turn people away from
the busses taking Federationists to tour the National
Center. Well over a hundred found seats, and some at least
of the two dozen others were able to make the trip and tour
later in the week.
During the afternoon a number of seminars and meetings
took place at the hotel. These included parents, Associate
recruiters, merchants, lawyers, and those interested in the
American Communications Network business opportunity.
By 5:00 p.m. the Columbia Room on the hotel's lower
level didn't even have standing room left for those
gathering for the briefing. Luckily the public address
system speakers used the day before to allow the
registration team to hear the student seminar were still
available to broadcast the briefing to the large group who
could not get into the room at all. Estimates put the size
of the crowd at over 500. Forty-eight states and Puerto Rico
were represented, and all but three members of the NFB Board
of Directors were on hand. President Maurer and Dr. Jernigan
updated the group on recent activities at the National
Center and on issues of importance to all of us. Then Jim
Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs, briefed the crowd
on what we would be discussing with members of the 105th
Congress during the next several days.
We had three issues this year. The first was to urge
both houses of Congress to introduce legislation that would
reestablish linkage between the stipends paid to blind
Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and those of
working retirees under the age of seventy. Though we didn't
know it at the time, Barbara Kennelly would soon introduce
H.R. 612 in the House of Representatives, and Senator John
McCain would introduce a similar bill as S. 375 in the
Senate. At this writing (in early March) H.R. 612 had sixty-
two cosponsors, and S. 375 had eleven. We still have a good
bit of work to do in the months ahead.
The second issue was the reauthorization of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which has
already been introduced in the House with very strong
Braille literacy provisions. Our message was that these
provisions as they now stand must be part of the final
legislation passed this year.
The third concern we took to the Hill was the need for
continued efforts to strengthen the Rehabilitation Act when
it comes up for reauthorization later this year. We must do
everything we can to insure that the specialized
rehabilitation services that are an integral part of getting
disabled citizens back into the workforce must not be turned
over to one-stop-shopping job centers serving everyone
needing employment services.
As usual Sandy Halverson and her staff of volunteers
did wonderful work in the Mercury Room managing the schedule
of meetings and taking reports on them after they took
place. The job is huge and is carried out entirely in
Braille. The importance of having the records completely
accessible to Braille readers was demonstrated this year
when the computer system went down, leaving the crew to
prepare reports for Mr. Gashel by hand. The team was equal
to the challenge, but it was amazing to see just how far the
Mercury operation has evolved in recent years as the
computer has become more and more central in producing
Braille reports.
By late in the week, the appointments had been kept,
the reports made, and the peanut butter pie in the hotel
dining room eaten; and Federationists headed home to do the
all-important follow-up work with Congressional staff
members. We left knowing that we had made a good start on
this year's legislative agenda, but only a start. Now the
real work begins. There is certainly enough to go around.
Here are the texts of the legislative agenda and the three
fact sheets we took to Congress:
[PHOTO/CAPTION: James Gashel addresses the crowd at the
opening briefing of the 1997 Washington Seminar.]
Legislative Agenda, 1997
FROM: Members of the National Federation of the Blind
TO: Members of the 105th Congress
RE: Legislative Priorities of Blind Americans
Public policies and laws affecting blind people have a
profound impact on our entire society. Most people know
someone who is blind. It may be a friend, a family member,
or a co-worker on the job. The blind population in the U. S.
is estimated to exceed 700,000. Fifty thousand Americans
become blind each year. By themselves these numbers may not
seem large, but the social and economic consequences of
blindness directly touch the lives of millions. In the form
of its social consequences and to some extent its economic
consequences, blindness affects virtually everyone.
Public policies and laws that result from
misconceptions about blindness or lack of information are
often more limiting than the loss of eyesight itself. This
is why we have formed the National Federation of the Blind.
The Federation's leaders and the vast majority of the
members are blind, but membership is open to anyone who
wants to join in the effort we are making to win
understanding and equality in society.
Our priorities for the first session of the 105th
Congress reflect an urgent need for action in three specific
areas of vital importance to the blind this year.
(1) Congress should restore work incentive equity for
blind individuals by re-enacting the identical earnings
exemption threshold for blind and senior citizen
beneficiaries under Title II of the Social Security Act.
This proposal seeks to reduce (or eliminate altogether) the
work disincentive of the Social Security earnings limit as
it now affects blind beneficiaries. In spite of a law passed
in 1977 creating a logical and identical earnings exemption
threshold for blind people and retirees, beneficiaries who
are blind were singled out for exclusion from a series of
seven specified annual increases in the exempt amount
mandated under a new law solely for seniors. This means that
a lower earnings limit for the blind--$12,000 as compared to
$13,500--is now in effect. By 2002, when the exemption for
seniors becomes $30,000, the lower limit created by Congress
for the blind in 1996 will be less than half the amount
allowed for seniors unless the law is changed.
People of working age who are blind must not be
forgotten now that the earnings exemption for retirees has
been raised. Just as with hundreds of thousands of seniors,
their positive response to the higher amounts of earnings
allowed will bring additional revenues into the Social
Security trust funds. The chance to work, earn, and pay
taxes is a constructive and valid goal for senior citizens
and blind Americans alike. This is why the statutory linkage
of the exempt earnings amounts which existed under the law
for almost twenty years should be restored. For more details
and an explanation of the need for this legislation, see the
fact sheet entitled "WINNING THE CHANCE TO EARN AND PAY
TAXES: HOW THE BLIND PERSON'S EARNINGS LIMIT IN THE SOCIAL
SECURITY ACT MUST BE CHANGED."
(2) Congress should amend the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to include provisions for
strengthening programs of Braille literacy instruction. This
can be done by enacting Braille literacy for blind persons
provisions as part of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). Goal Five of the National Education
Goals declares that by the year 2000, "Every adult American
will be literate. . . ." For blind people this means having
the ability to read and write in Braille at a level of
proficiency which makes performance on equal terms possible.
Without legislative change, today's blind children will not
be able to meet this national goal.
As many as 34 percent of the blind students enrolled in
elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. during the last
school year were classified as "non-readers." Fewer than 10
percent read Braille. Current federal and state laws require
that an appropriate educational opportunity must be provided
to children with disabilities. Each such child is to have an
individually planned program of instruction to meet
identified needs, but growing illiteracy for blind children
has been the result. Remedial federal legislation, similar
to laws now enacted in twenty-eight states, can help to
reverse this trend. For more details and an explanation of
the need for this legislation, see the fact sheet entitled
"BRAILLE LITERACY AND THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
EDUCATION ACT."
(3) Congress should enact legislation this year to
reauthorize the existing federal/state program of vocational
rehabilitation. This program, as currently authorized under
Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is now in its
final year before action must be taken to continue grants to
states for serving persons with disabilities, including
people who are blind. During the 104th Congress vocational
rehabilitation was among the programs first included but
later removed from a proposed job training, education, and
employment system consolidation bill. Nonetheless, with the
program's reauthorization due for consideration this year,
the possibility of consolidation with other programs has
been discussed and could be proposed again.
Vocational rehabilitation has been recognized as a
specific responsibility to be shared by the federal
government and the states for seventy-seven years. The
mixture of this program (intended to address essential and
complex disability-related needs) with generic job training,
education, and employment programs for the general
population is a fundamentally flawed concept. For someone
who becomes blind in mid-career, unemployment is only one of
many consequences. By comparison, however, the need for
special help to deal with blindness is by far the most
profound initial problem. This is why vocational
rehabilitation services should continue to receive dedicated
federal funding to support a targeted and identifiable
service delivery system. For more details and an explanation
of the need for reauthorization see the fact sheet entitled
"Blindness, Rehabilitation, and the Need for Specialized
Programs."
People who are blind are asking for your help in
securing positive action by Congress in the areas outlined
here. Legislative proposals will be offered to achieve each
of our specific objectives. Many priorities confront this
session of Congress, and the needs of the nation's blind are
among them. By acting on these priorities in partnership
with the National Federation of the Blind, each member of
Congress can help build better lives for the blind both
today and in the years ahead.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: James Gashel (left) shakes hands with
Senator Pete V. Domenici [R-NM].
__________
Fact Sheet
Winning the Chance to Earn and Pay Taxes:
How the Blind Person's Earnings Limit
in the Social Security Act Must be Changed
BACKGROUND: The Social Security earnings limit, also
known as the "retirement test," was recently changed by
Congress. The new law, which first took effect in 1996,
provides a 1997 earnings exemption threshold of $13,500 and
specifies five more annual increases to reach an earnings
exemption of $30,000 in the year 2002. In making the case
for this change, advocates in Congress explained that senior
citizens in greater numbers would now have the opportunity
to work, earn, and pay taxes.
In spite of a law passed in 1977 creating a logical and
identical earnings exemption threshold for blind people and
retirees under Social Security, beneficiaries who are blind
were singled out for exclusion from the new, mandatory
raises in the earnings exemption. This means that a lower
earnings limit for the blind--$12,000 as compared to
$13,500--is now in effect. By 2002, when the exemption for
seniors becomes $30,000, the lower limit created by Congress
for the blind in 1996 will be less than half the amount
allowed for seniors unless the law is changed. At that point
a blind individual, age sixty-four, with earnings of
approximately $14,400 will lose entitlement to any payment
whatsoever from Social Security. But the same individual,
upon becoming age 65, will be permitted to earn up to
$30,000 before there is any effect upon eligibility for
Social Security. This is clearly a counterproductive federal
policy which speaks of work incentives for the blind but for
seniors provides actual continuation of monthly cash
benefits as a tangible incentive to work.
EXISTING LAW: Section 216(i) of the Social Security Act
specifies what "blindness" means. The definition of
blindness is clearly stated in medical terms. Therefore,
blindness can be determined quite reliably on the basis of
objective medical evidence. This unique feature of the
Social Security Act makes blindness the only defined
disability. All other disabilities are determined on the
basis of an individual's "inability to engage in substantial
gainful activity." This inability is actually hard to
determine reliably in many cases.
Although blindness is precisely defined, monthly
disability insurance benefits are not paid to all persons
who are blind. Under the law benefits are only paid to those
people who are blind and who do not have substantial
earnings. Personal wealth not resulting from current work
activity does not count as earnings and has no effect on
eligibility. Only work is penalized. The amount of earnings
considered to be "substantial" for working people who are
blind is $1,000 per month ($12,000, annually). The procedure
for adjusting this exempt amount for each year remains in
effect under the law passed in 1977 but applies at present
to the blind only, since increases in the exempt amount for
seniors were mandated in 1996.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS: Congress should restore work
incentive equity for blind individuals by re-enacting the
identical earnings exemption threshold for blind and senior
citizen beneficiaries under Title II of the Social Security
Act. Legislation to achieve this objective is being offered
in the 105th Congress by Representative Barbara Kennelly.
Mrs. Kennelly is the ranking minority member on the
Subcommittee on Social Security in the House of
Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means. Amendments to
retain the identical exemption for blind people and seniors
enjoyed broad bipartisan support during the last session of
Congress but were blocked from consideration when the
provision which raised the exemption limit for seniors was
attached to the unamendable debt ceiling bill.
The National Federation of the Blind (along with every
other organization having interests in the blindness field)
strongly supports legislation to restore the identical
exemption threshold for the blind and seniors. By creating
an earnings limit that is lower for blind people than for
seniors, the bill passed last year applies a harsh work
disincentive policy to blind Americans.
NEED TO REMOVE WORK DISINCENTIVES: Mandating the
adjustments in the earnings limit for blind people along
with the adjustments for age sixty-five retirees will assure
that an estimated 104,300 blind beneficiaries will receive a
powerful work incentive. Most blind people could then not
lose financially by working. The mandated earnings limit
changes if made applicable to blind people would be cost-
beneficial, since among those of working age 70 percent are
currently unemployed or underemployed. Most of them are
already beneficiaries. At present their earnings must not
exceed a strict limit of $1,000 per month. When earnings
exceed this exempt amount, the entire sum paid to a primary
beneficiary and dependents is abruptly withdrawn after a
trial work period.
When a blind person finds work, there is absolutely no
assurance that earnings will replace the amount of lost
disability benefits after taxes and work expenses are paid.
Usually they do not. Therefore, few of the 104,300
beneficiaries can actually afford to attempt substantial
work. Those who do will often sacrifice income and will
certainly sacrifice the security they have from the
automatic receipt of a monthly check. This group of
beneficiaries--people of working age who are blind--must not
be forgotten now that the earnings exemption has been raised
for seniors. Just as with hundreds of thousands of seniors,
their positive response to the higher amounts of earnings
allowed will bring additional revenues into the Social
Security trust funds. The chance to work, earn, and pay
taxes is a constructive and valid goal for senior citizens
and blind Americans alike.
__________
Fact Sheet
Braille Literacy
and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
BACKGROUND: The National Literacy Act of 1991 defines
"literacy" as "an individual's ability to read, write, and
speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels
of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in
society to achieve one's goals and develop one's knowledge
and potential." This definition points up the critical
importance of emphasizing high-quality literacy training
programs for all Americans. For blind Americans, especially
school-age youth, the need is no less critical. Yet
surprisingly few students who are blind or visually impaired
receive instruction in Braille as a part of their elementary
and secondary education programs.
Blind students are generally defined as those who see
less than 10 percent of what is seen by someone with normal
eyesight. During the 1995-1996 school year there were
approximately 53,654 such individuals enrolled at the
elementary and secondary levels in the U. S. Only 4,657 of
these students read Braille. The vast majority use print
materials, even in situations in which reading with sight is
an unrewarding, never-ending daily struggle. Educators often
resist teaching Braille until students are unable to see
printed matter with the most intense magnification. As a
result, Braille has become not the method of choice but the
method of last resort.
EXISTING LAW: The Individuals With Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) contains federal standards for special
education and related services to be provided to children
with disabilities throughout the U.S. The most important
standard is that each such child is entitled to a "free,
appropriate public education." Education agencies, both
state and local, receive federal funding to assist in
meeting this mandate. When special education services are
provided to a child, there must be an Individualized
Education Program (IEP) to describe the needs of the child
for special instruction, the services to be provided, and
the goals to be achieved.
The components of an "appropriate education" are not
strictly defined in IDEA. As a result it is easy and
tempting for school personnel to determine a child's needs
largely on the basis of the school's capacity (or lack of
capacity) to provide special instruction or services. This
being the case, blind students who may have even a limited
ability to read print are guided toward receiving
instruction in that form instead of using Braille.
Procedural safeguards, including the right to challenge
decisions through administrative and court appeals, exist
under IDEA, but such proceedings are time-consuming and
costly in financial and educational resources.
PROPOSED LEGISLATION: Congress should amend the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to include
provisions for strengthening programs of Braille literacy
instruction. A proposal to achieve this objective has been
included in H.R. 5, the "I.D.E.A. Improvement Act of 1997."
The provision on Braille literacy, which was also passed by
the House of Representatives during the last session of
Congress, is a straightforward requirement to have Braille
instruction and services included in the IEP of any child
who is blind unless all of the IEP team members agree that
Braille is not necessary for the child.
The proposal for federal legislation on Braille
literacy is necessary to support laws with a similar purpose
which twenty-eight states have now enacted. These laws
require individualized assessment of a blind student's need
for Braille. The federal legislation has been designed to
promote Braille services for blind students in order to have
a consistent state/federal policy in this area.
NEED FOR LEGISLATION: It is the policy of our nation,
as stated in the National Education Goals, that by the year
2000 "Every adult American will be literate and will possess
the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global
economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship." In order for blind adults to achieve this
goal, literacy instruction must be strengthened for
children. The direction of current trends and educational
programming shows that this goal will not be achieved
without deliberate corrective action. According to official
child count figures supplied annually by state and local
education agencies, 34 percent of the blind students at the
elementary and secondary levels are "non-readers," and the
percentage of non-readers increases every year. The number
who read Braille is correspondingly declining.
The experience gathered in many states over several
years shows that a legislative response is needed to reverse
this trend of growing illiteracy among blind school-age
youth. By enacting a strong Braille literacy provision when
programs under IDEA are reauthorized this year, Congress can
provide the leadership to ensure that blind students
graduate from our nation's schools literate and armed with
the necessary skills to be first-class citizens of our
society.
Fact Sheet
Blindness, Rehabilitation, and the Need for Specialized
Programs
BACKGROUND: Under title I of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, federal grants assist every state to provide
comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services to eligible
persons with disabilities, including persons who are blind.
The program's cost for fiscal year 1997 (the final year of
the current authorized funding) is approximately $2.3
billion.
STATEMENT OF POSITION: Congress should enact
legislation this year to reauthorize the existing vocational
rehabilitation program. Vocational rehabilitation has been
recognized as a shared federal and state responsibility for
seventy-seven years. The program has received consistent and
broad bipartisan support in Congress during each major
review, leading to its periodic reauthorization. The last
reauthorization occurred in 1992.
During the 104th Congress vocational rehabilitation was
among the programs first included but later removed from a
proposed job training, education, and employment system
consolidation bill. The most decisive action occurred in the
House of Representatives, where an amendment was passed on
the floor to exclude vocational rehabilitation from the
consolidated service delivery system. Nonetheless, with the
program's reauthorization due for consideration this year,
the possibility of consolidation with other programs has
been discussed and could be proposed again.
RATIONALE FOR IDENTIFIABLE, BLINDNESS-SPECIFIC
SERVICES: The consolidation approach is based on the theory
that the administration and delivery of services to assist
the blind are essentially the same as services to dislocated
workers or unemployed welfare recipients. However, the
mixture of vocational rehabilitation with job training,
education, and employment programs for the general
population is a fundamentally flawed concept. For example,
the following essential rehabilitation services needed by
blind individuals are not available from--and are completely
unrelated to--generic job training and employment programs:
1. Comprehensive adjustment to blindness services.
This training involves a sustained period of
concentrated study to acquire the necessary tools
for dealing with blindness and moving on to lead a
normal life. Success in adjusting to blindness
particularly includes integration of skills
development with an understanding of relevant
personal and social attitudes.
2. Travel training in using the white cane or the
guide dog. This service must include all skills
necessary to assess and move safely through the
environment without seeing one's surroundings.
3. Adaptive methods of reading and writing. This
training includes Braille instruction sufficient
to perform at the level of literacy required for
success in vocational preparation or on the job.
Competent use of Braille requires the tactile
identification of raised dots presented in
prescribed patterns to form letters, numbers, and
approximately 200 shorthand contractions commonly
used. The extent of training needed will vary in
complexity from learning the basic Braille code to
specialized notations for computers, foreign
languages, music, math, and other disciplines.
4. Assistive technology. This service includes
individualized assessment of technology needs,
procurement of appropriate devices, and
personalized often one-on-one training in the use
of the technology. High- or low-technology
adaptations include use of specially adapted
synthetic speech devices for computers, screen
enlargement programs, Braille computer terminals,
closed-circuit television or other magnification
devices, and reading machines or scanners.
For someone who becomes blind in mid-career,
unemployment is only one of many consequences. By
comparison, however, the need for special help to deal with
blindness is by far the most profound initial problem.
Failure to provide services which respond to the blind
person's fears, lack of confidence, and skills will almost
certainly result in lifelong dependence. Under existing law
all states are provided with a dedicated block of federal
funding for the sole purpose of assisting people with
disabilities to achieve individualized rehabilitation goals.
Under the consolidation plan, however, both the dedicated
funding and the resulting specialized services would
essentially be sacrificed to meet other perceived needs.
It is a matter of historical fact that state agency
organization and service delivery patterns tend to mirror
the pattern of federal financial assistance. Moreover, the
combination of programs would inevitably favor the largest
and best-understood needs to be met. Unique services for
blind individuals would be sacrificed in the merger since
the needs of a person who is newly blinded are dramatically
different from those of the typical unemployed worker.
ACTION REQUESTED: Each member of Congress is urged to
assist with efforts to assure that programs which provide
blindness-specific rehabilitation services are able to
continue by:
1. Announcing support for reauthorization legislation to
maintain dedicated federal funding and existing
requirements for identifiable programs which specialize
in providing vocational rehabilitation services; and
2. Opposing efforts to combine the funding and service
delivery system of the vocational rehabilitation
program with a consolidated job training, education,
and employment system for the general population.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Michael Baillif]
Telling Our Story
by Michael Baillif
From the Editor: Michael Baillif is President of the
Capital City Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind
of the District of Columbia. He is also a past president of
the National Association of Blind Students (NABS). He was
invited to address NABS's Mid-Winter Conference on Saturday,
February 1, in Washington, D.C. President Maurer made the
following remarks about Michael in connection with that
speech. Here are both President Maurer's comments and
Michael Baillif's recollections of and reflections on the
student division:
Michael Baillif is a member of perhaps the stodgiest
profession in the history of the world. He is a lawyer--you
know about lawyers--but even worse, he is a tax lawyer! He
knows about the Internal Revenue Service and the Internal
Revenue Code, the distribution deduction and the Tax Equity
and Financial Responsibility Act of 1986--he knows all about
it. If you want something dull, read about that. It is as
dull as you can get! If you have trouble sleeping, I can
recommend a book, written by Michael Baillif. He's a tax
lawyer, and he's good at it, very good. He works for one of
the top tax law firms in the United States.
Using this stodgiest of all knowledge, Michael Baillif
helps to represent companies whose worth is in the billions.
In other words, Michael helps to make tax policy in the
courts of the United States of America.
You may think that the tax law is dull, and you are
right unless you have to pay the tax man and with Michael's
help you can find a way out of it. But I'll tell you
something; Michael Baillif is not dull. You have seen that
today. He has committed a very fine mind to what we have
been talking about all day: our belief in ourselves and each
other and our effort to create a mechanism to bring enough
pressure to bear to compel others to recognize and value our
abilities. He has made something impressive of all this, but
all of us have also had a hand in shaping him. Did Michael
do it? Sure he did. Could he have done what he has without
us? No, he could not. Could we have shaped him without his
ability and drive? Not at all. His success is our success;
his enthusiasm is shared with us. For my part, I am proud of
Michael Baillif and glad that he is my colleague in the
movement.
"You are an evil generation; you wait for a sign." "You
are a perverse generation; you wait for an answer." "You are
a lost generation; you seek both reason and purpose." These
are all statements that have been made about earlier
generations. But they are equally applicable to us here
today. We each come seeking something that we have not yet
found: a sign, a reason, an answer, a purpose.
Today we are beginning, just beginning, to build some
bridges and establish an identity. A few weeks ago I stayed
late at a party. Those of us who remained were sitting
around drinking very good Scotch and talking about
philosophy. A friend posed an interesting question. He
asked, "What do you think has been the most important career
in the history of the world?"
I responded flippantly, "An attorney, of course."
He said, "No, the storyteller because people's beliefs
and actions and identities are in large part determined by
where they fit into a story." Whether that story revolves
around a religion or an ethnicity or a family or an
individual dream, it has tremendous power to shape and mold,
to motivate and to energize.
If I told you there is a story of hidden pain and
fearful loneliness, a story of awesome determination and
quiet courage, a story of constant struggle and ultimate
achievement, would you want to hear it? Would you wonder
whom it was about and how it ended? Well, it is my story,
and it's your story, and it's the shared story of all blind
people in this room and outside it. It's a story that's gone
on for a long time, that took on new focus when this
organization was formed more than fifty years ago, and that
will be concluded by those of us with the strength and
courage and passion to write it.
Let me tell you just a small part of this story as it
relates to what brings us here today, the National
Association of Blind Students. For a time I had a chance to
serve as president in this organization that Carlos now
guides so ably and so conscientiously. I can tell you that
it was one of the best experiences of my life. Those of us
who formed the leadership in the National Association of
Blind Students, which in my heart will always be just the
Student Division [applause], did two things: we worked hard
and we had fun. We established this national conference of
blind students some seven years ago. We initiated the Monte
Carlo Night. We regularly published the Student Slate, and
we went out and organized student chapters in New York,
Texas, Oregon, and Minnesota.
We worked hard and achieved much, but we also had fun.
We used to stay so late in bars that they had to throw us
out. We talked of blindness and life and nothing at all.
Today I really don't remember the content of those
conversations, but they were very important at the time. We
put on student division parties that were so good they
rarely lasted for more than two hours before being closed
down by hotel security. And we laughed a great deal, most of
the time with one another, occasionally at each other. For
as Jane Austen says, "For what do we live, but to be made
sport of by our neighbors and to laugh at them in our turn?"
And the people: they mattered more than anything else. There
were Scott LaBarre and Melody Lindsey, Maria Morais and Tom
Ley, Dan Fry and Melissa Williamson, Jennifer Dunham and Pam
Dubel, all of whom are involved today and doing very upright
and respectable things. But I'm sorry to say that we had so
much fun during those days that the very best stories can
never be told.
While I was president, I saw many things. Some things
made me furious: the self-satisfied disability offices that
because of their own pride and power and petty gratification
strove to dominate the lives of blind students and push them
into dependency, the apartment owner who refused to rent a
room on a second floor to a blind student because he didn't
think she could climb the stairs, the mobility instructor
who threatened to break the long white cane of a blind
student if he ever caught her bringing it to school.
I saw some things that made me want to cry, such as the
blind students who themselves bought into the notions of
infirmity and incapacity that the disability offices were
selling, or the students who came to this event or to a
national convention knowing in their hearts that we had what
they needed desperately, but were so overwhelmed and afraid
that they went away and never came back. There were students
who went to get residential training and for the first time
found out what it was like to live, but then went home,
where they were viewed as having little more capacity than a
rocking chair and sat in that rocking chair and are still
sitting there today.
But I also saw many things that made me laugh: Joanne
Wilson all dressed up and ready to go to Mardi Gras in a
tiger costume complete with flaming orange wig and a tail
made from one of Jerry Whittle's old dress socks, or the
time at a National Convention when I got out of bed one
morning and bumped into my roommate, who was standing on his
head doing Yoga meditation. Then there was the Student
Division party that had been going on for only half an hour
when security came to close it down, and Melody Lindsey
refused to let them in until they paid a cover charge.
And I saw many things that made me incredibly proud,
such as looking out over the Student Division meeting
audience at the 1989 convention in Denver and realizing that
the room was full. The speaker was saying something
important, and people were listening, really listening.
There were wonderful moments when I heard that an event we
had sponsored had been important to someone, had meant
something, had helped that person deal with an issue,
surmount a hurdle, or simply feel good, even though none of
us had known it at the time. And there were times like today
when I would meet blind students much further along than I
was at their age--at your age. I can see unlimited
potential, all that they and you can be and do and give.
So what is the Student Division to me now? Well, it is
everything about which I have just spoken. It's the story
that I have just told about days gone by. But it is much,
much more than that. It's new ideas and energy and hope. In
your hands lies the continuation of our story, and not just
at some vague point in the future, but right now. Today you
can go out and organize and fight for that which is good and
right, and you can have an awful lot of fun doing it. You
can become a part of a much larger story, the story that
took on new texture fifty years ago when Dr. tenBroek
established this organization and that has been evolving
through the leadership of Dr. Jernigan and President Maurer.
This is a great and powerful story. Yet it is a story the
final lines of which have yet to be written. It is you who
will write them. You who are seniors in high school and
sophomores in college and you who have not yet been exposed
to all that this organization is and has to offer: you will
tell our story.
Where do you begin? You begin by becoming involved in
whatever way you can and by accepting the involvement of
others on whatever terms they can offer. This is crucial
because, if you don't, if you opt out of our story, you will
be alone and isolated, and not only that, you will deprive
the rest of us of that special something that only you can
contribute to the story.
This organization provides the only way for us to tell
our own story. Unless we are all involved and pull together
in whatever way we can, we will allow someone else to tell
it for us. We have much too much to say and too much to do
and there is too much fun to be had to allow anyone else to
do it for us.
I've been a part of this story for a very short time,
but I intend to be involved in it for a long while to come.
I truly hope that you will share it with me and with
everyone else in this organization here today.
But as Ayn Rand said in The Fountainhead, "Don't work
for my happiness, my sisters and brothers, show me yours.
Show me your achievement. Show me that it is possible, and
the knowledge will give me courage for mine."
[PHOTO: A man is seated in front of filled bookcases.
CAPTION: Dr. John Smith]
Disability Simulation That Works
by John W. Smith
From the Editor: Dr. John Smith teaches communication
studies at the Ohio University in Athens. He is also a
leader in the NFB of Ohio. In the following article he
offers proof that not all disability simulations are
damaging. This is what he says:
For the past three years I've had the pleasure of
teaching a very special class at Ohio University entitled,
"Communicating with the Physically Disabled." To my
knowledge it is the only course of its kind at the
university level. That was one of the reasons I decided to
develop it. Another reason was that the field of
communication has, I believe, been quite reluctant to
discuss communication and interaction between those with
physical disabilities and those without. In addition I
developed the class because I thought it could serve as an
opportunity for me to dispel myths about blindness
specifically and physical disabilities in general.
The class has received a lot of media coverage. There
have been articles in the Columbus Dispatch, Cleveland Plain
Dealer, and Chicago Tribune, as well as an NBC television
story, which was aired in Dallas, Cleveland, Columbus, and
Chicago. In addition to these national and regional stories,
the course has been covered by a number of small newspapers
(The Athens Messenger, The Athens News, and several radio
stations).
I taught the class over a five-week period during the
summer quarter. The first week was devoted to laying out a
theoretical framework. The next three weeks focused on
specific disabilities: week two, blindness and visual
impairments; week three, deafness and hearing impairments;
and week four, mobility impairments. The final week was
devoted to class presentations of student-devised workshops.
As you might expect, I used the blindness and visual
impairment week to unfold the philosophy of the National
Federation of the Blind--blindness can be reduced to the
level of a nuisance, and we are changing what it means to be
blind. One of the reasons the class received so much media
attention was the simulated exercises we used during the
course. The media like the bells and whistles and
melodramatics of people rolling around in wheelchairs and
using sleep shades or ear plugs. I recognized that, when I
implemented these simulated exercises, people would tend to
focus more on them than on the content of our message, but
after much discussion and thought, I decided I could devise
a plan to make these simulated exercises useful for both the
students and the general public.
Like many other thoughtful blind people, I have had
mixed emotions about simulated exercises because they are so
often implemented by temporarily able-bodied individuals
(TABs) and are designed to be dramatic and entertaining and
to convey the wretchedness of a particular disability and
the gratitude TABs should feel because they don't have that
disability. Factor in the pity that inevitably results, and
it's no wonder these exercises leave a bad taste in our
mouths. Even given all this, I figured that, in the
blindness component at least, I could show my students what
an actual blind person's life was like. Through carefully
planned course discussions, rigorous journaling, and an exit
interview at the end of the course, I thought I could create
an atmosphere in which simulation exercises could do some
good.
I asked the students to participate in one simulated
exercise lasting for one twenty-four-hour period. They chose
to be blind for twenty-four hours by wearing sleep shades or
hearing-impaired by wearing ear plugs and remaining mute or
mobility-impaired by using one of our wheelchairs. For the
purpose of our discussion here, I've focused on the visual
impairment. No matter which exercise they chose to simulate,
they had to submit a journal of their experience as well as
participate in an exit interview with me concerning the
contents of that journal.
It's easy to distinguish between falsified or dishonest
journals and the authentic ones. One in particular struck me
as powerful and instructive. I thought it would be
interesting to share with our NFB family. Sarah McConnell
was a very quiet, reserved student in my 1996 course. She
decided to choose blindness as her simulated exercise. I
might add here that, in addition to the individual simulated
exercises, during the appropriate week I implement
collective simulated exercises as well. For example, during
the blindness week I pair a student using a sleep shade and
cane with a sighted guide and teach the use of proper
techniques. Then we go shopping. I send them on errands and
we meet back in the classroom to talk about the experience.
The first day the discussion focuses on the negative: how
tough it was, how much they hated steps, how time-consuming
everything was. I leave it at that the first day. The next
day I bring in one or two blind friends from the NFB
chapter, and we then go buy things and perform the same
errands I had asked the students to perform. The idea is to
demonstrate what a trained blind person can do using
alternative skills.
Back to Sarah: She submitted her journal and I read it.
I was impressed by her honesty and creativity and by her
willingness to take chances. In my follow-up interview with
her I found her genuinely interested in what it would be
like to be blind. In short, I left the interview feeling
that, if Sarah ever lost her sight, she would be all right.
This class gives every indication of continuing to be a
success. We are now franchising it to other universities and
other organizations, and, though I still have some mixed
emotions about simulated exercises, I hope that, when you
read Sarah's journal, like me you will begin to see that in
the proper context and with the proper implementation and
facilitator, these exercises can be useful. Here is Sarah's
journal:
Disability Days: Visual Impairment Journal
by Sarah McConnell
I decided to be visually impaired for my second
disability day. I have always wondered what it would be like
to experience a day without using sight. I think this
disability was more authentic than the hearing impairment.
Once I put the blindfold on, I could not see anything. I
went to bed with the sleepshade on so that I would wake up
not able to see. When I woke up, I realized that I had
somehow taken it off while I was sleeping, so I quickly shut
my eyes before I could really see anything and searched for
the blindfold. When I finally found it, I put it back on and
went back to sleep.
When I finally woke up, I had no idea what time it was.
It seemed as if it was still dark out. I had waked up a
couple of times and then fallen back asleep because I didn't
know the time, and I didn't hear any noises in the living
room. I decided I would get up and see if anyone was in the
living room since I heard the TV. I walked out of my room,
which goes directly into the living room, and paused. I
could hear the TV, but there were no other noises in the
room. I finally asked if anyone was there, and two people
answered me. One was my housemate Chad, and I still have no
idea who the other person was. I asked Chad what time it
was. Not knowing what time it was really bothered me. It
ended up that I hadn't waked up until 2:00 p.m.
I made my way through the living room, which is hard
because it is so narrow that there is very little space
between the couch on one side of the room and the chair on
the other. I bumped into the chair, and it was no big deal,
but I could hear Chad laughing at me. I went into the
bathroom and took my shower. I didn't have any problems to
speak of. My shampoo and conditioner are in a hanging shower
rack in specific places separated by my shower gel, so I
knew which was which. I even shaved my legs without any
major flesh wounds, at least not that I know about. Brushing
my teeth was no problem at all.
I made my way out of the bathroom and back into my
room, where I got dressed. I had laid my clothes out before
I went to bed, but when I was dressing, I decided I wanted
to wear something different, so I searched in my dresser and
found what I was looking for. After I got dressed, I went
back to the kitchen to get something to eat. I made a salami
sandwich, which was quite simple, especially since all of
the stuff I needed was in one drawer of the refrigerator.
Chad was watching Miracle on 34th Street, so I sat down
and watched the end of it while I ate. I had never seen the
movie before, so I didn't really know what it was about.
There were quite a few scenes in this movie that were solely
visual and really confusing to me. I asked Chad what was
going on in one of the confusing parts but just let the
others go by. What was interesting was that a few days later
I saw the movie when I could see and realized that all the
visual cues I noticed changed the meaning of the things the
characters said. I had a totally different picture of what
was meant when I couldn't see the characters.
My roommate and another friend were supposed to spend
the day with me, but one had dance team practice all day,
and the other one's parents came into town. So after Chad
left, I was all alone in the house. I called my friend, and
she was amazed that I could use the phone. That kind of
surprised me, because you can easily feel the separations of
the numbers on the phone, so it was simple. I had planned on
going to Bob Evans's for dinner, but my roommate ended up
having extra practice, so yet again I was left alone. I got
really depressed when I realized that I was going to be
alone until about 9:30 p.m. I was tired of sitting in the
house. I was tired of watching TV. I couldn't read, so I was
very bored.
There was a knock at my door, and the living room is on
the second floor, so I had to work my way down the stairs to
answer the door. It wasn't hard at all, but it was kind of
scary to open the door and not be able to see who was there.was just my neighbor, who needed me to move my car
because it was blocking him in. Needless to say, he had to
do it for me. My driveway is impossible to back out of when
you can see; I didn't think it would be too good an idea
when I couldn't.
When my roommate came home during one of her breaks in
practice, I went down to her room, which is on the first
floor, to talk to her. She had gotten a huge duffel bag, her
pom poms, a warmup jacket, and a couple of new shirts for
dance camp; and she tried to explain all these things to me.
She did an excellent job of describing. She had me feel the
pom poms and bag, and with the jacket and shirts she drew on
me how the designs were on them. For example, there was a
circle with Ohio University on the front, so she drew a
circle on me where it would have been if I had been wearing
the shirt.
When she left, I decided to make something to eat. I
had opened a can of nacho cheese the night before for nachos
and decided that I wanted to finish it. The trick was that I
had to figure out where I had put it in the refrigerator. I
knew it was in a bowl close to the front with aluminum foil
on it. I had to taste it in order to find it. It took me two
tries; the first thing I tasted was refried beans. I was
just glad that I didn't stumble on the three-week-old tuna
fish that I knew was in there somewhere. The hardest part
was using the microwave. Unlike the phone, the microwave's
buttons were not sectioned off. It was just a flat surface,
and I couldn't feel where the numbers were. Moreover, with
our microwave you have to press the time set button, the
amount of time, and then the start button. I could find
everything but the time set button. I ended up getting it to
heat long enough to make it lukewarm, so I ate nachos and
watched TV.
When my roommate finally came home, she brought two of
the girls that were on the dance team with her so that they
could use our shower. I had never met them before, so I had
no idea what they looked like. I only got to know them by
their voices. They wanted me to go to practice the next day
to see if I could tell what they looked like just by having
heard their voices. I didn't go to practice the next day,
but they did come back over, and I got to see what they
looked like. It was an interesting experience to meet people
and judge them by their voices and what they said instead of
by their looks. They did look different than I had pictured,
but it wasn't too much different than I thought.
My other friend had come over; and, when the dance team
girls left, we decided to go uptown. My roommate Sheila was
my sighted guide. We walked uptown from Mill Street. I
really wish I could have seen the reactions we got, but
according to Sheila and Andrea (my other friend), we got a
lot of stares. They decided to take me down Court Street
before we went into any bars. One drunk boy reached out and
touched my blindfold as we passed him on the street. Quite a
few people made dumb comments as they passed us. I realize
just how awful the sidewalks in Athens are; they were pretty
scary in some places.
After we went for a stroll, we went into Tony's. It was
a little difficult because there are three steps to go up,
but I did fine. According to my friends, we got lots of
strange looks at Tony's. We stayed for a little while and
decided to go to the bakery for some pizza. When we rounded
the corner from Tony's back to Court Street, this very
strange boy came right up to me and started talking to me
and asking me questions about what I was doing. He got way
too close to me; his face was less than an inch from my
face. I even think his nose touched me. I did not like that.
It seemed like a few people got closer to me than they would
have if I could have seen them. When we got to the bakery,
the OU cheerleaders were there. Sheila is friends with all
of them, and I know a couple of them. They had a great time
with the fact that I couldn't see them. There was some sort
of picture of me taken, and from what I've heard, I don't
think I want to see what they were doing around me.
I got my pizza, and we got a table and ate. Sheila and
Andrea were amazed at how well I had adapted to not being
able to see, but really it wasn't that bad. The only things
that really bothered me were things that could be adapted if
I really couldn't see: like getting a talking clock, making
the microwave so I could feel the numbers, and getting used
to walking around by myself. I think driving would be the
hardest thing not to be able to do.
After we ate we decided to take one more trip down
Court Street and then go home. Sheila had been my sighted
guide the whole time, so they switched, and Andrea did it
for a while. Andrea was a good guide too, but after we
switched, I could feel Sheila on my other side guiding me
too. She was so protective of me it was funny.
I swear, we knew everyone that was uptown that night. I
didn't feel self-conscious about the blindfold, which
surprised me. Quite a few people stopped and asked what I
was doing and why. They wanted to know if I really couldn't
see anything, so waving their hands in front of my face was
common practice for most of them. One thing I found very
humorous was that at least five people asked me if my
hearing was better because I couldn't see. I thought about
saying, "Why, yes of course, now I hear like Superman." But
I guess that would have been inappropriate.
On our way back down Mill Street, there was an odd boy
in front of us. He didn't see my blindfold at first and just
thought that I was really drunk and couldn't walk, but then
he realized that I couldn't see. He walked us home and
followed behind me with his arms out in case I fell. It was
strange that so many people I didn't know came up to me and
were extremely protective of me. I guess they thought I
would break.
The truth is that I suffered no injuries and no falls
when I was blind, and I get hurt at least three times a day
when I can see where I'm going. The thing I noticed the most
was that I had to pay more attention to my other senses, and
I had to pay more attention to where I put things. You can
figure out where people are in the room by listening just as
well as looking, but you don't give your hearing the chance
because seeing is quicker. It surprised me that people were
so shocked that I could make phone calls, use the microwave,
go down the stairs, eat without seeing my food, and walk
quickly. All these things were easy, and I won't ever think
of a blind person as helpless. This ended up being a good
experience, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to do it.
[PHOTO: A number of blind people are seated at tables under
a canopy at a sidewalk cafe. CAPTION: Louisiana Center
students enjoy coffee and beignets at the Cafe du Monde in
the New Orleans French Quarter.]
New Orleans--Something for Everyone
by Jerry Whittle
From the Editor: In about two months the largest
gathering of blind people to take place in 1997 will be
about to begin. You still have time to arrange to be a part
of the fifty-seventh convention of the National Federation
of the Blind, but you had better hurry. Call Mr. Cobb at the
National Center for the Blind today to make your room
reservation. The telephone number is (410) 659-9314.
Meantime, to whet your appetite for what you will find in
New Orleans, here is Jerry Whittle's latest evocation of the
Crescent City:
As most Federationists already know, New Orleans is one
of the most popular convention cities in the world. Noted
for its myriad of so-called adult attractions, New Orleans
also affords ample wholesome entertainment for the entire
family.
This year's National Convention also offers one of the
most spacious and elegant hotels in the Crescent City as our
headquarters--the Hyatt Regency--just a few blocks from the
French Quarter. Connected to the Superdome and a massive
shopping complex, the Hyatt-Regency usually serves as the
main hotel for major sports events, such as the Super Bowl.
Here is a brief description of the Hyatt Regency--just one
more reason why this year's Convention of the National
Federation of the Blind, June 29 through July 5, is the
place to be.
Hyatt Regency New Orleans:
Discover a city known the world over for its soulful
jazz and its Creole cuisine. Located in the heart of
downtown just minutes from the historic French Quarter and
the scenic riverfront, Hyatt Regency New Orleans captures
the flavor of the Crescent City with rich mahogany,
beautifully appointed guest rooms, and wrought iron
grillwork crafted by talented artisans.
Savor famous New Orleans cuisine in its three
restaurants and lounges, serving such regional dishes as
muffalettas, Crawfish Etoufee, and other tantalizing Cajun
creations. Relax in the whirlpool spa, take a dip in the
heated pool, or work out in the fully equipped health club.
Experience the magic of the Big Easy as only the people
of Hyatt can deliver.
Thirty-two-story atrium hotel, including 1,084 guest
rooms, 100 suites, and exclusive Regency Club
accommodations
Twenty minutes from New Orleans International Airport
Complimentary Hyatt Express shuttle to the French
Quarter, Mississippi Riverfront
Heated rooftop pool, whirlpool and fully equipped
health club
Business center on site
Connected to the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans
Centre Shopping Mall, featuring Macy's, Lord & Taylor,
and more
The Courtyard Restaurant: located on the third floor,
is open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch, and
dinner.
Top of the Dome Steakhouse: Enjoy a fantastic view from
New Orleans's only revolving rooftop restaurant,
located on the thirty-second floor. Menu suggestions
include filet mignon, New York Strip, and T-Bone,
Smokehouse Ribs and much more. Chocoholic bar and
cocktail specials are featured nightly.
Hyttops: Located on the third floor, Hyttops Sports Bar
offers casual fare and friendly competition with
tables, video games, pool, and more.
Fitness Room/Swimming Pool: The fitness room,
accessible from the fifth floor of the main tower or
seventh floor of the Lanai tower, is adjacent to the
pool and jacuzzi.
A magnificent hotel is only the beginning. New Orleans
is dotted with hundreds of interesting shops of every
description, and men, women, and children should have few
problems finding that special shop of their dreams. In
addition to a variety of quaint shops, New Orleans also
offers plenty of family entertainment. Enumerated below is a
partial list of the places that help to make the Crescent
City one of the most popular convention sites in the world.
Southern Fossil & Mineral Exchanges
A Natural History Gallery, 2045 Magazine Street
The South's first gallery to showcase artifacts of
nature. In addition to spectacular displays of fossils
and minerals, insects, butterflies, meteorites, shells,
and skulls are featured.
Children's Hour Book Emporium
3308 Magazine Street
"One of the best new bookstores of '94," according to
the Times-Picayune. New and classic titles, audio and
video cassettes, software, compact discs, and artwork
by young artists.
All That Jazz
829 Decatur Street
An impressive selection of CD's, records, and tapes.
Art to Wear
910 Decatur Street
Hand-painted and appliqued women's and children's wear
and accessories are sold at this family-run shop.
Lazybug
600 Royal Street and Riverwalk at Poydras
Women's contemporary clothing and the store's signature
line of wearable art.
Payless Souvenirs
New Orleans Centre
Shopping for Super Bowl souvenirs? Payless is one place
not to be missed.
Jackson Brewery
600-621 Decatur Street
It's jewelry and fashions. It's spicy shrimp and Creole
cuisine. It's fireworks and festivals--a unique
collection of shops, restaurants, stores, and
boutiques.
Louisiana Music Factory
210 Decatur Street
Offers both new and used music products, giving
shoppers a larger selection of rare tunes on both
vinyls and CD's.
Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine Street
See more than 1,800 endangered or rare animals,
including the exotic white alligators.
City Park:
City Park Ave.
City Park has something for the whole family. It
features a world class botanical garden, storyland (a
children's wonderland of rides), the Carousel Gardens,
paddle-boat rentals for two, horseback riding, and the
New Orleans Museum of Art.
Louisiana Children's Museum:
420 Julia Street
Features two floors of colorful, educational, and
imaginative hands-on exhibits.
Louisiana State Museum:
701 Chartres Street
Five important historic properties make up this
expansive complex in New Orleans: The Cabildo,
Presbytere, Arsenal, and 1850 House on Jackson Square
plus the old U.S. Mint on Esplanade Avenue.
Louisiana Superdome:
Connected to the Hyatt Regency
Tour one of America's largest and finest domed
stadiums.
Nottoway Plantation:
White Castle, Louisiana (a one-hour drive from New
Orleans)
Experience and savor the aristocratic splendor that was
the Old South. Nottoway is the ultimate in Southern
grandeur, Southern hospitality at its finest.
Aquarium of the Americas:
1 Canal Street
Explore underwater worlds teeming with exotic marine
life.
Entergy Imax Theatre Film Special Effects:
1 Canal Street
A behind-the-scenes-look at Hollywood magic. Come
experience the magic of illusion on a screen ten times
bigger than a traditional movie screen.
Riverwalk:
On the Mississippi River at Poydras Street
This unique center features 140 stores and restaurants
stretching a half mile along the Mississippi
riverfront.
The Big Easy truly aims to please everyone, but the
real entertainment will be the opportunity to attend the
largest gathering of blind people in the world. Despite all
the distractions of the Crescent City, the major focus will
still be the wonderful general sessions, the informative
speakers, the division meetings, and the banquet. New
Orleans truly teems with life, but above all this is our
chance to work together for a brighter future for all blind
people. Take advantage of this opportunity to make new
friendships and renew old acquaintances in a wonderful
spirit of camaraderie. Laissez le bon temps roulet!
[PHOTO: Two little girls sit holding a toy together.
CAPTION: Macy and Madison McLean from Ohio. PHOTO: A small
blind boy is sitting on the floor fitting a shape into a
shape-sorter toy. CAPTION: Bryan Hergert of Washington state
plays in NFB camp.
PHOTO: A woman standing with a guide dog talks to her
interpreter by signing into her hand. A man looks on.
CAPTION: Kathleen Spear (right) talks through her
interpreter (center) to Bob Eschbach (left).]
1997 Convention Attractions
From the Editor: Every year's National Convention is an
absolutely unique event. The agenda items, the exhibits, the
new friends and business acquaintances: all these give each
convention its own character and significance. Some
activities lend a luster to the convention in part because
they do take place every year and provide helpful fixed
points in the whirl of events. In this category are the
meetings of the Resolutions Committee and the Board of
Directors, the annual banquet, and the many seminars and
workshops of the various divisions and committees. Here is a
partial list of activities being planned by a number of
Federation groups during the 1997 Convention, June 29
through July 5. Presidents of divisions, committee
chairpeople, and event presenters have provided the
information. The pre-convention agenda will list the
locations of all events taking place before convention
registration on Monday, June 30. The convention agenda will
contain listings of all events taking place after that time.
Blind Industrial Workers of America
BIWA President Primo Foianini announces that the
division will conduct a split cash drawing at this year's
convention. The group will gather on Tuesday afternoon, July
1, for its annual meeting.
Blind Professional Journalists Group
If you are studying journalism, are working in this
exciting field, or are interested in doing either, the NFB
Blind Professional Journalists meeting is the place for you
to be Sunday, June 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please see the
pre-convention agenda for the meeting location. The Blind
Professional Journalists group, which organized last summer
during the convention in Anaheim, is here to help everyone
exchange ideas and answer questions about working for
newspapers and magazines and in broadcasting.
If you have questions about BPJ, contact Elizabeth
Campbell evenings at (817) 738-0350 or e-mail, [email protected]
or Bryan Bashin at (916)441-4096 or e-mail,
[email protected]
Child Care Information
Throughout our National Convention NFB Camp provides
activities and programs for children under twelve years of
age. Although it is generally referred to as "child care,"
the participants in NFB Camp will tell you otherwise. It is
a tremendous opportunity to instill Federation philosophy in
the camp counselors, the parents, and the children (blind
and sighted alike). Advanced registration is required to
ensure that the number of camp counselors is sufficient for
the safety and happiness of the children. Blind and sighted
children will enjoy the action-packed schedule awaiting them
in New Orleans this summer. Call or write to register today.
NFB Camp is under the direction of Carla McQuillan, the
owner and operator of Children's Choice Montessori School
and Child Care Center in Springfield, Oregon. With seventeen
years of teaching experience in early childhood education,
Mrs. McQuillan received the Blind Educator of the Year Award
presented by the National Federation of the Blind at our
1996 convention in Anaheim. Carla is also the mother of two
children and the President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Oregon.
The team supervisor and activities director are
employees of Children's Choice Montessori School. Both have
extensive experience planning and expediting programs for
children. Once again we are recruiting Head Start teachers
from the local area to serve as our camp counselors. All of
these individuals have CPR and First Aid certification,
criminal record checks, and the education and experience to
handle large groups of children with ease. In addition to
the contracted staff, the Federation youth who participate
in our CPR/First Aid baby-sitting class on Sunday, June 29,
will be paired up with NFB camp counselors throughout the
week for hands-on child care experience.
This year's convention setting offers a wide range of
opportunities to explore areas outside the hotel. The
children will be practicing their independence skills as
they take various walking tours of the city, engage in
scavenger hunts in the mall beneath the Hyatt, and challenge
each other to water-pistol fights. There will be guest
appearances by storytellers, musicians, magicians, and
artists. We will be conducting philosophy discussions to
complement the skills training that will be taking place
daily. Each day, during general sessions, children will be
encouraged to participate in a variety of activities both
inside the hotel and out in the community. A schedule of NFB
Camp activities will be available at the information table
at convention.
NFB Camp will be open one half hour before the
beginning of sessions and one half hour after sessions
recess. Children must be picked up during lunch breaks. The
schedule follows:
Sunday, June 29, during the seminar for Parents of
Blind Children
Tuesday, July 1, during the Board meeting and afternoon
committee meetings
Wednesday, July 2, during both general sessions
Thursday, July 3, during the morning general session,
not tours
Friday, July 4, during both general sessions and the
banquet
Saturday, July 5, during both general sessions
We will not serve dinner during the banquet. A late fee
of $10 per child will be strongly enforced if children are
not picked up from camp on time.
Registration fee schedule: full time (all hours of
operation except banquet) first child in the family, $60,
each additional child, $40; banquet, $10 per child; daily
rates, $15 per child.
Registration for NFB Camp will be handled through the
state office of the National Federation of the Blind of
Oregon. If you are registering by telephone and you would
like to speak to a live human instead of an answering
machine, call between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Pacific Daylight Time. If you mail your registration or
leave a message on the answering machine, please be sure to
include the following registration information: child's
name; age; special needs, if any, such as blind or in
wheelchair; parent's name, home address, and phone. Please
list the days you will need child care and whether you need
services during the banquet. Please call or mail the
information to NFB of Oregon, Attention NFB Camp, P.O. Box
320, Thurston, Oregon 97482, (541) 726-2654. Complete
information packets and medical releases will be mailed
approximately two to three weeks after Mrs. McQuillan
receives initial registration information.
Field Trips and Special Activities for Children and Youth
New Orleans Children's Museum, ages four to twelve;
cost, $10 per child (includes lunch); check-in, 8:30-9:00
a.m.
This June 29 trip begins with a brief orientation to
the hotel and adjacent mall, featuring a stop in the food
court for lunch. Children will divide into small groups for
this activity. They will be paired with capable travelers
selected from the membership and from National Federation of
the Blind training centers. The children will have the
experience of selecting and purchasing their own lunches.
After lunch we will board a bus to the Children's Museum,
which invites children and their adult friends to discover
and learn in a hands-on environment. All exhibits are
designed to encourage children to touch, explore, and get
involved while having fun together. Children may be picked
up at 3 p.m. when they return from the museum or stay in the
NFB Camp room until the parents seminar adjourns.
Red Cross Baby-sitting Course, ages twelve and up,
cost, $20 including lunch. Check-in, 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.
This is an opportunity for our youth to acquire
valuable skills that will lead to year-round employment.
Upon completion of the June 29 course, participants will
receive Red Cross First Aid and Infant/Child CPR
certification. The course will also include important tips
and guidelines for the young baby-sitter, including songs,
games, crafts, and other fun activities for children of
various ages. Course graduates will be encouraged to
participate in our Mentoring Program, where they will
develop child care skills under the guidance of NFB Camp
Counselors. Certification of child care course completion
and internship will be awarded, and the list of graduates
will be made available to convention attendees as a resource
list for evening baby-sitters. Don't miss this unique
opportunity! Space will be limited, so be sure to register
early. The course will last approximately seven hours.
You may call or mail in registration for either
activity. Please include the following information: child's
name, age, home address, home phone, and special needs.
Please designate whether each registrant will be attending
the children's museum ($10) or the baby-sitting course
($20). Please send registration and payment no later than
June 1, 1997, to reserve your spot. Mail to National
Federation of the Blind of Oregon, P.O. Box 320, Thurston,
Oregon 97482, or call (541) 726-6924, between 8:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time), Monday through Friday.
We are planning a number of additional activities to
take place throughout the week, such as a dance instruction
session, a pre-banquet pizza party, tours of the hotel
kitchen and the Superdome, tournament games, and an ice
cream party. A schedule of activities for the week will be
available at the information table at convention.
Committee on Associates
The Committee on Associates will meet in New Orleans on
Tuesday evening. In addition, final standings will be
announced at the National Board Meeting that morning. We
look forward to a brisk final segment of the 1997 enrollment
year and to some surprises in the top finishers. At the
meeting we will discuss several items and plan to have the
national treasurer as our guest. We will also hand out
contest results and standings by state and enjoy other
activities.
The enrolling of Associate members is a highly
productive activity. It educates people to the positive
aspects of blindness and should help them come to understand
blindness as a characteristic. This program is severely
under-used, and we need to think of ways to help our members
understand how much of an impact they can have on family,
friends, and community with Associates. As chairman of the
Committee on Associates I extend my sincere appreciation to
all Associate recruiters. You can contact me, Tom Stevens,
at (573) 445-6091.
Deaf-Blind Division
The Deaf-Blind Division will host three seminars at the
National Convention in New Orleans, each to begin at 7:00
p.m. Sunday, June 29, location to be announced. We will try
to have guest speakers from deaf-blind agencies in
Louisiana.
Tuesday, July 1: Speakers from Louisiana's Helen Keller
Regional Office and NFB representatives. Also Dean Blazie
from Blazie Engineering will update us on its various
portable note taker/data managers.
Thursday, July 3, Board Meeting: Members of the Deaf-
Blind Division Board will give reports. We will have
literature available from various groups and organizations
who work within the deaf-blind community.
By the time you read this, Joe and Arlene Naulty will
have moved fifty miles north. Their new address is 11943
Suellen Circle, Wellington, Florida 33414, (561) 753-4700.
Please remember that we are now a division. Dues are $5 per
person for the 1997 year and should be remitted to Treasurer
Arlene Naulty at her new address. The Deaf-Blind Division
Board officers are Joseph B. Naulty, President; Richard J.
Edlund, (913) 296-7648, First Vice President, Topeka,
Kansas; Burnell E. Brown, (202) 396-7370, Second Vice
President, Washington, D.C.; John J. Salka, (914) 496-7186,
Secretary, Monroe, New York; Arlene Naulty, Treasurer; and
Board members Robert S. Jaquiss, (503) 626-7174, Beaverton,
Oregon, and Dawn Salka, (914) 496-7186, Monroe, New York.
We'll be needing volunteers and interpreters, so, if any of
you can help out, please contact Joe Naulty or any other
Board member.
I'm looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans.
Please come; we need your support. We're going to have a
great convention.
The Diabetes Action Network
The Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation
of the Blind has been busy making plans for several months
for the 1997 annual convention in New Orleans. Each year
thousands of diabetics lose vision or become blind from
complications of the disease. The Diabetes Action Network
has the knowledge and experience to guide diabetics with
vision loss back to a state of independent self-management
of the disease.
The Diabetes Action Network will first host an open
forum on diabetes and the associated complications of the
disease. A panel of experts will assemble to answer
questions on all aspects of diabetes and techniques for
managing the disease after vision loss or other
complications. In addition, a discussion of the new
generation of fast-acting humalog insulins will be held. The
forum will occur on Monday afternoon, June 30, from 2:00 to
4:00, room to be announced. Get your questions ready because
this forum is not to be missed.
Then, on Tuesday evening, July 1, from 6:30 until 9:00,
the Diabetes Action Network will host the annual diabetes
seminar and division business meeting, room to be announced.
The subject for the keynote address will be the new system
of counting carbohydrates and doing meal planning. For those
unfamiliar with this new system, it introduces many
simplifying techniques for planning meals. Come join the
membership of the division and help plan the events of the
upcoming year; review the accomplishments of the past year;
discuss diabetes with experts; and enjoy the lively,
spirited crowd. Remember, brush up on all of those diabetes
facts to see how much money you can make the president pay.
See you in New Orleans!
Entrepreneurial Interest Group
Tuesday evening, July 1, 1997, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., we
will conduct a meeting for blind individuals interested in
being part of a division whose focus will be
entrepeneurialism. Assuming sufficient interest, we plan to
adopt a constitution, elect officers, and establish
widespread communication of ideas. If you are a business
owner or if you wish to know more about owning your own
business, this group could be a vital link. From the
development of a business plan to the networking
achievements of others, this formation meeting has plans for
tomorrow, and it will be enhanced by your participation.
If you plan to be in Louisiana for the 1997 convention
and intend to join us, please call Connie Leblond at (207)
772-7305. We know there is tremendous interest in this
meeting, and we would like to get an approximate count of
attendees. See you in New Orleans.
Bringing NEWSLINE to Your Community:
How Foundations and Corporate Giving Programs Can Help
Sunday June 29, 1997, 1:00 to 4:30 P.M.
Securing funding from foundations and corporate giving
programs is challenging, but certainly all of us can learn
how to write clear, targeted proposals and master the
research techniques that can find the right grantor for our
projects. Many local chapters and state affiliates are eager
to pursue local foundations and corporate-giving programs to
establish and continue funding to bring NEWSLINE� to their
communities permanently. Although only 12 percent of the
charitable contributions made in this country come from
foundations and corporations, many of us can be successful
funding NEWSLINE� and other projects once we learn the
basics.
Dr. Betsy Zaborowski, NFB Director of Special Programs,
and several NFB members who themselves have been successful
at raising funds will share their strategies for identifying
appropriate foundations and corporate giving programs,
writing proposals, and selling a project once an interview
has been arranged. Workshop participants will learn the ten
basic steps for good proposal writing, print and on-line
resources for researching funding sources, and communication
techniques to use once you get to promote your project in
person. Participants will be given some helpful materials
and time to discuss problems they have had in the fund-
raising arena. All are welcome; however, this workshop is
recommended for those who will be actively working on
funding projects such as NEWSLINE�.
Human Services Division
The keynote speaker this year at the meeting of the
Human Services Division of the National Federation of the
Blind will be NFB Treasurer and Michigan affiliate President
Allen Harris, who will kick off a dynamic program by talking
about skills needed to complete your education, get a job,
and keep it. The Division will meet from 1:15 to 5:00 p.m.
on the afternoon of the NFB Board meeting (Tuesday, July 1,
1997) at the NFB National Convention in New Orleans. Ask
yourself: did or will your rehab program give you the skills
needed by blind people? This question will be answered by a
panel of our experts. Here are some other questions: How do
I get a job? How do I keep it? Who else is working in my
professional field? How can I network with these people on
the Internet? All these questions and more will be answered
at this year's divisional meeting. Don't miss it. Come early
and stay late to network with fellow professionals. We'll
see you in New Orleans. And laissez les bon temps rouler at
the Human Services Division this year.
An Introduction to the Internet
Are you tired of hearing about the Internet without
knowing how to take advantage of its many features? What do
they mean when they say "surf the Web"? What is "Real
Audio"? What is e-mail?
The Internet is one of the most exciting and
informative ways to use the power of your computer. With a
knowledge of the Internet you can send and receive messages
from people throughout the world and have access to
libraries and online books from colleges and universities as
well as newspapers from cities all over the U.S. You can
even listen to radio broadcasts, music, and sporting events.
Want to know how? Make plans to attend "An Introduction
to the Internet" on Sunday, June 29, at the NFB convention.
We'll give you the information you need to get started on a
journey that never has to end.
Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB)
Someone out there knows the answers to your questions
about employment. Your best chance to find that person will
be among the thousands of people attending the largest
convention of blind Americans to take place in 1997. JOB
helps people locate each other at convention. Ask us.
The 1997 National JOB Seminar
June 29, (Sunday) 1 to 4 p.m.
For three hours competent blind Americans tell you
about their jobs and answer your questions. They got the
jobs they wanted; why not grab their good ideas for
yourself? This annual, lively, fact-filled, practical
national job seminar has the most interesting mix of
speakers! Here are just three of the agenda items for 1997:
"How to Find, Train, and Fire Readers and Drivers"; "How to
Start Hearing Windows"; and a panel presentation with a
blind teacher sharing recommended blind techniques; Dr.
Ralph Bartley, Superintendent of the Kentucky School for the
Blind, who will tell us what he looks for when hiring
teachers and other staff members; and William Gibson,
Director of the Utah Division of Services for the Visually
Impaired.
Have you refused to consider jobs outside your home
territory because you wondered how to find a new apartment,
make travel arrangements, and such? In addition to a seminar
presentation titled "New Job in a New Place: Self-taught
Orientation, Part 1," a sign-up sheet will be available at
the JOB seminar for "New Job in a New Place, Part 2: A JOB
Walking Workshop." The day after the seminar (Monday),
Russell Anderson and Ron Bergese, professional cane travel
instructors at BLIND, Inc., will lead a walking tour which
supposes that you live in Minneapolis and have been hired by
the Hotel Hyatt Regency in New Orleans. They will literally
walk participants through some excellent methods for
figuring out a new workplace and a new community. This JOB
workshop is limited to the first twenty people to sign up at
the Seminar, and you must be independently mobile in your
home community.
JOB Networking Breakfasts
All week long you are invited to attend the daily (7:00
a.m.- 8:00 a.m.) JOB Networking Breakfasts, either those
with a particular job topic or the generic breakfasts that
cover whatever the individuals at the table have found of
concern. BYOB (Buy Your Own Breakfast) is the rule. People
are seated family style with a coordinator who is an expert
in the topic.
So far twenty-one breakfasts are planned. The full list
of breakfast topics will be posted during convention on the
NFB Information Table in both Braille and print. You will
notice that some of the breakfasts have a specific topic and
some are generic. These latter are an open forum and
networking opportunity for solving any problem related to
employment and blindness. For the breakfasts with a
specified topic, both those currently in the field and those
who would like to be are invited to network. Please help
spread the word to everyone you know with a special interest
in one of these topics.
We are attracting such numbers to the JOB Networking
Breakfasts that this year we have to begin something new--
excluding folks. If you are not personally involved in the
topic for the specific breakfast, please eat at some other
table with some other friends. These are working breakfasts.
Yes, you may decide at the last minute to show up. JOB
Net-working Breakfasts start promptly at seven each morning.
We will be seating attendees between 6:45 and 7:00 a.m.;
after that we'll be networking too. Reservations are helpful
but not required. Here is the 1997 list of topics along with
the table coordinators:
SUNDAY, JUNE 29: (convention set-up day)
1 The Sunday first-timers breakfast
Never been to a full NFB National Convention before?
We'll help you get the most out of this full week of
activities--the seminars, introductions to specific
people, and the one-of-a-kind events that will help you
reach your employment goals. Wayne and Carmen Davis,
Florida
MONDAY, JUNE 30: (registration day)
2 The Monday First-timers Breakfast
(A second chance for first-timers) Marianne and Buck
Saunders, West Virginia; Connie and Seth Leblond,
Maine; and David and Mariann De Notaris, New Jersey
3 Monday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
What problem are you running into in your job
search? Brain-storming is our specialty at each
generic breakfast. Loraine and David Stayer, New
York
4 JOB's Third Networking Breakfast for Travel Instructors
Blind teachers share NFB-teaching techniques for long
canes. Louisiana Center for the Blind instructors
5 Emergency Dispatchers Networking Breakfast
New! Brad Greenspan, New York
TUESDAY, JULY 1 (Board meeting day)
6 Tuesday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
Greg Trapp, JOB's ADA consultant, and Tonia Balletta,
New Mexico
7 The Annual Breakfast for Blind Scientists and Engineers
Ask John Miller, California, President of this NFB
division for details. Home phone, (619) 587-3975, e-
mail, <[email protected]>
8 JOB's Fourth Annual Breakfast for Blind People in
Medical Fields
David Stayer, New York (MSW), JOB consultant in medical
fields
9 JOB's Fifth Annual Breakfast for Braille Proofreaders
and Transcribers
Mary Donahue, Texas
10 JOB's Eighth Annual Networking Breakfast for Blind
Lawyers
Coordinated by Povinelli and Kay (DC law firm), and the
NABL
11 I Do Windows: The Second Annual JOB Networking
Breakfast
Steve Shelton, Oklahoma; Michael and Fatos Floyd,
Nebraska; (3 Windows users) and Jim Watson of Henter-
Joyce, Inc.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2: (first general session)
12 Wednesday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
William Ritchhart, Indiana
13 The Sixth Annual Blind Artists Breakfast
Money-making ideas and resources, Janet Caron, Florida
(artist and JOB consultant on art)
14 A Networking Breakfast for Customer Service
Representatives
Chris Flory, Colorado Center for the Blind CTR Program;
Mary Donahue, US Long Distance employee
THURSDAY, JULY 3 (tour afternoon and evening)
15 Thursday's Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
Peggy and Curtis Chong, Minnesota
16 Writing for Money, a New Job Networking Breakfast
Loraine Stayer, New York; Sharon Maneki, Maryland
17 The Job Coordinators Brainstorming Breakfast
New! for JOB Field Service Network Volunteers, Diane
Domingue, California
18 The Green Thumb Careers Breakfast, Pete Donahue, Texas
FRIDAY, JULY 4: (banquet day)
19 JOB's Last-Chance Generic Breakfast for Job Seekers
Whom do you need to find? What do you need to know to
help you get a job? Bring the problem up at this
breakfast before convention ends this year and you go
home leaving its rich resources behind you. Lorraine
Rovig, JOB Director
20 JOB'S Networking Breakfast for Computer-Access Teachers
Are you teaching the use of computers adapted for blind
students or adults; would you like to? Come on over and
have a byte with us. Colorado Center for the Blind
teachers
SATURDAY, JULY 5: (closing general session of convention)
21 JOB's Breakfast for Employment Professionals by
Invitation Only
Sharing the best ideas of the past year. Lorraine
Rovig, Director, JOB
What is holding you back? Is it lack of opportunity
where you live or lack of training in competitive-level
blind techniques or in a job skill? At the NFB annual
convention you can do research in all these areas with
people who speak from experience.
It's not in any store; it's priceless; and it's free--
but you have to go that extra mile to make it happen. You
have to be ready to speak up, ready to seize the
opportunity. Helping people locate good contacts at
convention is one of my jobs. If you'd like some
introductions to get you started, call me, Lorraine Rovig,
now or talk to me at convention.
Job Opportunities for the Blind is a free, nationwide
program, sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind
in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor. Call (800)
638-7518 (12:30 to 5:00 p.m. EST), or write JOB/NFB, 1800
Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
The Merchants Division
The NFB Merchants Division will offer a variety of
items of interest to Federationists. Do you need to get up
and get out? Don Bell, long a familiar face at our
conventions, will present a seminar entitled "A Positive
View for a Positive You" at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 29, at
the Hyatt Regency. When Don, President of Management
Management, Des Moines, Iowa, spoke at a past convention,
there was standing room only. Tickets are $20 and will go on
sale at 8:30 a.m. Let's get energized and have some fun.
The Merchants Division will again sell snack packs for
$5. If you want to win $1,000 for an investment of only $1,
buy one of our raffle tickets. The drawing will take place
at the convention banquet. We plan to sell corsages (new and
improved) for the banquet and give away free soft drinks.
See you at our booth.
Music Division
The Music Division will meet Monday, June 30, 1997.
Registration for membership and for the Showcase of Talent
will begin at 6:30 p.m. outside our meeting room. The
meeting itself begins at 7:00 p.m.
If you have agenda requests, please contact Linda
Mentink, 1737 Tamarack Lane, Janesville, Wisconsin 53545,
(608) 752-8749. Division membership dues are $5. If you'd
like to join or renew your membership before the convention,
please send a check, payable to the Music Division, to Ben
Snow, 358 Orange Street, Apt. 4091, New Haven, Connecticut
06511.
Again this year the Showcase of Talent will not be a
contest with prizes, so there will be no fee for
participants. However, since it is our only fund raiser, we
will pass the hat so that those who wish to can make a free-
will offering. We will need accompanists for performers who
do not have tapes. If you are willing and available to
accompany, please contact Linda Mentink.
If you would like to participate in the Showcase, here
are the guidelines: 1) Sign up no later than noon,
Wednesday, July 2. 2) Perform only one number, taking no
more than four minutes to perform. 3) If you are using a
taped accompaniment, be sure that the tape is cued up
properly. Do not sing along with a vocal artist; you will be
stopped immediately. 4) If you need live accompaniment, make
your arrangements before the Showcase begins.
Children who plan to participate will be invited to
perform first. The Showcase will be limited to two hours,
about twenty-four performers. Come help us enjoy music.
We are also planning to have a lunch for musicians,
open to anyone who would like more information about the
Music Division or would just like to talk about music.
Listen for the announcement of time and place during the
general session.
National Association of Blind Educators
From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, the National
Association of Blind Educators will hold its annual meeting
as a part of the National Federation of the Blind
Convention. Attending this meeting gives prospective job
seekers valuable information about the variety of job
opportunities and the knowledge to procure jobs by listening
to and talking with working blind educators. Those who are
already employed learn new and refined teaching techniques
unique to blind educators. In these shaky economic times, we
discuss how to use our talents to the best of our abilities,
how to remain sane in an unstable environment, and generally
how to enter and retire from the profession the way we had
planned.
We commence our meeting with group discussions. These
groups are chaired by successful blind educators. Some of
the topics are preschool, elementary, secondary, and
university teaching; student teaching; teacher's aides;
special education; and school administration. We will then
have speakers on learning the necessary skills of blindness
at NFB training centers, finding and keeping jobs, and
getting along with principals and others with whom we must
work.
We will conclude the seminar with our annual business
meeting. While this annual gathering is our chance to meet
in person, we have a mentoring program through which blind
educators are matched with other blind educators. We are the
experts, so we know best what our needs and problems are.
Our work is never- ending, and the National Association of
Blind Educators has been very successful, judging by the
number of happy, successful blind educators we have, so come
and join us in New Orleans for the entire Convention.
For further information about the Division or details
about the meeting or the field of education, please call Pat
Munson at (510) 526-1668. If you would like to join the
Division or continue membership, send a check for $20 for
employed educators or $10 for others to the Treasurer, Patti
Harmon, 1315 Desert Eye Drive, Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310.
Make the check payable to the National Association of Blind
Educators. Come join us in New Orleans. It's great to be a
part of the Educators Division and the Federation and to be
employed.
National Association of Blind Lawyers
Come and join the largest organization of blind lawyers
in the country. The National Association of Blind Lawyers
(NABL) will meet on Tuesday, July 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. as part of the fifty-seventh annual convention of the
National Federation of the Blind.
We will be discussing many exciting topics on that
afternoon. Speaking from their areas of expertise, lawyers
will give us updates on the current status of laws affecting
the blind. We will hear about various advocacy matters in
which the Federation has been involved in the last year.
Officials of the American Bar Association and the Louisiana
Bar Association will address the group. Experienced
practitioners will offer strategies on how best to conduct
various types of cases. Hear about the publication of our
law journal.
This and much more will all take place at the NABL
meeting. Everyone in the legal profession, law students, and
others interested in the law are welcome. Remember that you
may be able to receive up to four continuing legal-education
credits for this meeting. Come and help us continue to build
the Federation through the Lawyers' Division.
National Association of Blind Secretaries and Transcribers
The National Association of Blind Secretaries and
Transcribers is proud to announce its annual meeting to be
held on Sunday, June 29, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Who will want to attend this meeting? Secretaries and
transcribers at all levels, including medical and paralegal,
office workers, customer-service personnel, and many other
fields. Those providing training programs to prepare blind
people for this kind of office work are also welcome.
Registration for the Division meeting will begin at
6:30 p.m. The meeting will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. Dues
are $3 per year.
Plenty of topics will be discussed and maybe a few
surprises. Anyone who wishes to become a member of this
Division can send name, address, telephone number, e-mail
address if any, and preferred newsletter format (print,
Braille, audio tape, 3.5 or 5.25 computer diskette).
Those wishing to pay dues in advance should make checks
payable to N.A.B.S.T. and send them to Lisa Hall, President,
National Association of Blind Secretaries and Transcribers,
9110 Broadway, Apartment J103, San Antonio, Texas 78217; e-
mail: [email protected], phone, (210) 829-4571.
NABST officers are Lisa Hall, President, San Antonio,
Texas; Janet Triplett, Vice President, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mary
Donahue, Secretary, San Antonio, Texas; and Carol Clark,
Treasurer, Kansas City, Kansas. See you in New Orleans.
National Association of Blind Students
This year's student seminar promises to be the best
ever. The Student Division will celebrate its thirtieth
anniversary. We will conduct our traditional student seminar
on Monday, June 30, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Several national
leaders will talk to us about blindness issues important to
college students. On Thursday night we will again sponsor
our Monte Carlo Night with games, refreshments, and fun.
National Association of Guide Dog Users
The annual meeting of the National Association of Guide
Dog Users will be held on Sunday, June 29, from 1:00 to 5:00
p.m. Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m., and the meeting
will start at 1:45 p.m. The seminar, "A Guide Dog in Your
Life," will be held on Monday, June 30, from 7:00 to 10:00
p.m.
The Division meeting will open with a panel
presentation entitled, "Why I am a Federationist Who Uses a
Guide Dog." Given factors such as maintenance costs in time
and money associated with feeding, relieving, veterinary
care, grooming, and flea and tick control; eventual
retirement, the need for retraining, access and travel
restrictions abroad, and the necessity of relief
accommodations when large numbers of guide dog users gather
in large downtown hotels, this is a topic which needs
discussion. The panel presenters will be the board members
of the National Association of Guide Dog Users. These are
Paul Gabias, President; Rick Fox, Vice President; Mark
Noble, Secretary; and Priscilla Ferris, Treasurer. There
will be plenty of time for comments from the audience.
The Division will also feature another panel
presentation entitled, "What the Federation Has to Offer the
Guide Dog Schools." The panel presenters will be Rick Fox,
Priscilla Ferris, and Paul Gabias. There will also be time
for comments from the audience. Following this presentation
we will discuss the formation of a committee of volunteers
to speak to graduating classes at the guide dog schools
about the benefits of joining the National Federation of the
Blind and the National Association of Guide Dog Users. Fund
raising for the Division will also be discussed, as well as
state division concerns.
At the seminar, "A Guide Dog in Your Life," the guide
dog schools will be invited to tell us how they believe they
can profit from a working relationship with the National
Federation of the Blind and the National Association of
Guide Dog Users. Mark Noble will discuss flea and tick
prevention and control. Rick Fox will discuss the role of
the white cane in a guide dog user's life. There will be an
update on efforts to abolish the Hawaii quarantine. Paul
Gabias will discuss the importance of global commands such
as "inside," "outside," "upstairs," "downstairs," and
"elevator," in the context of Peggy Elliott's comments about
the importance of orientation and mobility at the 1996
Division meeting of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users.
The National Office and the NFB of Louisiana are
working hard to provide the best possible relief
accommodations for guide dogs at the convention. Of course,
the relief facilities will have to be kept clean. Instead of
relying on hotel personnel to maintain the facilities, we
will hire outside workers to do the job. This should result
in more pleasant surroundings for owners and dogs alike.
In 1993 the Division voted to ask each guide dog
handler to pay $25 for use of the relief facilities
throughout the week. We encourage all guide dog handlers to
help cover the maintenance costs of relief areas, if at all
possible. Contributions should be made at Division
activities early in the week. Owners who miss these
opportunities for any reason and who wish to help can pay
Priscilla Ferris, Division Treasurer and President of the
NFB of Massachusetts, later in the week. She can be found at
convention sessions in the Massachusetts delegation.
Questions about the relief arrangements or other guide
dog matters can be directed to Paul Gabias at 475 Fleming
Road, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, VIX 3Z4, (800) 714-
4774.
National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
Time to Sing "Ode to the Code"
Celebrating victories and planning for the future are
elements which add excitement to any meeting of the National
Association to Promote the Use of Braille. New Orleans will
certainly be no exception to the rule. But something new is
being added to the New Orleans get-together, and you do not
want to miss any of it. Attendees at this year's NAPUB
meeting will benefit from some serious moments and will be
delighted with some fun and surprises. Take a look at this:
It's off to the Pub we go--"NA-PUB," that is. Have the
time of your life, and at the same time give your support to
the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
(NAPUB). Take a look at the extraordinary drink list at the
"NA-PUB" in New Orleans. Lift your spirits with such drinks
as a "tenBroek Tonic" or a "Maurer's Marc." We trust that's
just enough information to pique your interest. More details
will be forthcoming. Meet me, Betty Niceley, at this special
pub and share a "Rusty Stylus."
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
Come and talk about computers and computer-related
technology at the 1997 annual meeting of the National
Federation of the Blind in Computer Science. The meeting
will take place on Tuesday, July 1, at the National
Federation of the Blind convention in New Orleans,
Louisiana. Registration for the meeting will begin at 12:30
p.m. Membership in the NFB in Computer Science costs $5 a
year. For specific meeting room information, refer to your
convention agenda. At this early stage of planning for our
annual meeting, we can say these things:
We will hear from Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden of the Trace
Research Center. Dr. Vanderheiden has done much pioneering
work to make public electronic information kiosks accessible
to the blind. A direct result of Dr. Vanderheiden's work can
be seen in the accessible information kiosk at the Mall of
America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
As in the past we will devote a number of program items
to the graphical user interface. We will hear from Microsoft
about the work it is doing to increase our ability to use
its graphical applications and operating systems. We hope to
hear from IBM about its most recent efforts to increase the
ability of the blind to use its graphical
applications.Finally, we will try to put together a panel of
experienced blind computer professionals and users who can
talk knowledgeably and understandably about the tricks and
techniques they have used to survive in the GUI world. If we
get lucky, we may be able to discuss the Windows/NT access
problem. Many people are asking me if there is any screen
reader for Windows/NT. All I can say in response is that
there is one program we know about and that program costs
approximately $2,500, a price tag that is about three times
higher than that of a conventional screen reading package.
Come to the 1997 meeting of the NFB in Computer Science
and discuss computer access issues with other blind people.
Learn how others are adjusting to the rapid pace of
technology, and maybe share a few of your own experiences.
For further information about the meeting and other
computer-related matters, contact Curtis Chong, President,
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science, 20
Northeast 2nd Street, Apartment 908, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55413-2265, evening phone: (612) 379-3493, Internet:
[email protected]
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
On Sunday, June 29, the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) will sponsor its annual
seminar for parents and educators of blind children titled,
"An Education for a Full Life." Registration will take place
from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Registration is $5.
The morning session begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at
noon and includes the following agenda items:
Blindness, Childhood Experiences, and My Life Today
presented by a panel of blind adults
Around the Block, to the Mall, and Beyond presented by
a panel of blind children & youth
Music Education--Beyond the Stereotypes
Life Is like a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich,
presented by representatives from NFB programs for
blind children and youth
Instructional Assistants (Classroom Aides): Are They a
Help or a Hindrance?
Creative Solutions to Impossible Educational
Situations, presented by a panel of parents
Access to Technology: When Computer Games Become
Serious Business
After lunch concurrent workshops begin at 2:00 p.m. and
end at 5:00.
2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Beginning Braille for Parents
2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Resources and Strategies for
Blind/Multiply Handicapped Children, featuring displays
and demonstrations of equipment and materials developed
by Dr. Lilli Nielsen (inventor of the "Little Room")
and marketed by Lilliput L.L.C. Special door prize: a
"Little Room" donated by Lilliput L.L.C. (worth over
$700!)
2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Social Skills and Blindisms
2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Access to Technology
3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Music Education for Blind Children
3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Social Skills and Blindisms
4:00 to 5:00 p.m., How to Organize a Braille Storybook Hour
4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Resources and Strategies for Deaf-Blind
Children
4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Education of the Partially Sighted
From 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., NOPBC will sponsor Family
Hospitality Night, an informal time to relax and get to know
one another. Everyone welcome, kids too.
Also from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Youth Only are invited to
"Get to Know Your NFB Hotel Home," convention orientation
for youth. This activity for blind and sighted teens gives
them a chance to become familiar with the hotel, meet other
teens, and learn more about the NFB and the NFB Convention
experience.
On Monday, June 30, two one-hour Cane Walks for Blind
Children and youth will take place from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
and 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., location to be announced at the
Parents Seminar on Sunday. This activity is an introduction
to the use of the cane for blind children and youth
(toddlers to teens) who have never used a cane or are just
beginning to use one. Instructors Joe Cutter and Arlene Hill
(and other volunteer Federation instructors under their
supervision) will give hands-on demonstration of basic cane
techniques and then take the group on a Cane Walk through
the hotel. Canes and sleepshades will be provided. There is
no fee, but participants are urged to preregister for the
Cane Walk. You may do so on Sunday, June 29, at Parents
Seminar registration, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., or at the noon
recess. Please remember that this is not for experienced
cane travelers, and it is only for blind children, youth,
and their parents.
From 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., youth can drop in and get to
know who's here. adults will be on hand throughout the
afternoon to orient newly arrived youth to the hotel, the
NFB, and the NFB Convention. Supervision will also be
provided for youth who want to meet other youth and hang-out
together.
From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children will conduct its
annual meeting.
On Wednesday, July 2 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Ruby
Ryles and Ron Gardner will conduct an IEP Workshop.
Thursday,July 3, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. will be "Kids
and Canes," a drop-in-anytime discussion group and
slide/video presentation, conducted by Joe Cutter.
The National Organization of the Senior Blind
The National Organization of the Senior Blind, a
division of the National Federation of the Blind, was formed
at the National Convention in Anaheim, California, last
summer.
The elected officers are Christine Hall, President; Ray
McGeorge, First Vice President; Kathy Randall, Second Vice
President; Paul Dressell, Secretary; and Don Pruitt,
Treasurer. If you have ideas, suggestions, or comments
regarding the division meeting to be held in New Orleans
this summer or on networking throughout the nation, please
send them to Christine Hall, 3404 C. Indian School Road,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106, or call (505) 268-3895.
NFB NET Training Seminar
No matter where you turn today, you are likely to hear
references to the information superhighway. With all this
interest many blind people feel the need to get and use a
modem so that they aren't left out.
In the National Federation of the Blind we have had our
own information superhighway since June 1, 1991, in the form
of NFB NET, our computer bulletin board service (BBS). That
was the date when NFB NET officially went online. In
addition, we connected our information superhighway to the
other one this year when we made the resources of NFB NET
available through the Internet.
Once again this year we will conduct a training session
for NFB NET users. The session, which will be held on
Sunday, June 29, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, is designed for
new modem users, for people who haven't accessed NFB NET
before, for people who want to learn how to connect to NFB
NET through the Internet, and for people who want to learn
more about the capabilities of our BBS.
Topics will include telecommunications basics, using
your modem and communications software, connecting using
Telnet and the Internet, registering for NFB NET, navigating
around, reading and entering messages, downloading the
Braille Monitor and other files, finding files, setting up
off-line reading facilities, and more. David Andrews,
Systems Operator (SysOp) of NFB NET, will also answer your
questions.
If you don't know what that paragraph means and you
would like to, perhaps you had better attend the annual NFB
NET training session on Sunday, June 29, starting at 9:00
a.m. Check the pre-convention agenda once you are in New
Orleans for the location. See you online.
Public Employees Division
The Public Employees Division of the National
Federation of the Blind will meet during this year's
National Convention. We plan to meet at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday,
July 1. The division will have a briefing from the Office of
Personnel Management on changes in federal hiring and
retention practices as well as the new electronic means of
finding federal job opportunities. We will also discuss the
increasing use of alternative dispute resolution techniques
to solve disputes. Finally, several blind public employees
will discuss their jobs.
Times of change are times in which those who are
prepared can take advantage of changes and improve
themselves. What skills will be in demand in the next few
years in federal, state, or local government? As down-sizing
takes place, inevitably scarce job categories begin to
appear. How can we learn of these and take advantage of the
knowledge? As usual, we will have three people discuss their
public sector jobs.
If you have questions or suggestions for additional
speakers, please contact John Halverson, President, National
Federation of the Blind, Public Employees Division, 403 West
62nd Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri 64113, telephone (816)
426-7278 work, (816) 361-7813 home, e-mail [email protected]
or [email protected]
Social Security Seminar
An outreach seminar (Social Security and Supplemental
Security Income: What Applicants, Advocates, and Recipients
Should Know) will take place on Thursday afternoon, July 3.
The purpose of this seminar, which will be conducted jointly
by the National Federation of the Blind and the Social
Security Administration, is to provide information on Social
Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for the
blind. Seminar presenters will be Jim Gashel, Director of
Governmental Affairs for the National Federation of the
Blind, and Tom Gloss, Special Assistant to the Associate
Commissioner for Disability, Office of Disability, Social
Security Administration.
Writers' Division
The Writers' Division of the NFB will hold its division
meeting and program on Tuesday afternoon at the National
Convention in New Orleans. We plan a highly interesting and
productive program and have several copies of our exciting
new book, Summit, available for purchase in large print,
tape, or Braille. We have a great record of outstanding
presentations, and the 1997 meeting should be no exception;
we will cover poetry, short story fiction, and other areas
of interest. Expect some time to be set aside for poetry
reading--contact Tom Stevens to get your bid in for time on
the agenda. Winners of the 1997 Poetry and Short Story
Fiction Contests will also be announced.
The Division will also conduct a workshop on the Sunday
morning following the convention. Topics scheduled for
presentation include short story fiction, poetry, and
blindness-related issues in the media. Attendance at this
workshop will cost $5, while Division dues are $5 for new
members and $10 for renewals. Benefits include the quarterly
magazine, Slate and Style, plus notification of poetry and
fiction contests. Contact Tom Stevens, (573) 445-6091.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Roland Allen
PHOTO/CAPTION: Joanne Wilson
PHOTO/CAPTION: Pam Dubel
PHOTO/CAPTION: Neita Ghrigsby
PHOTO/CAPTION: Patti McGahan]
Recipes
This month we are again departing from the alphabetical
tour of the United States to take a culinary look at
Louisiana in preparation for the convention this summer.
Members of the NFB of Louisiana have contributed some of
their favorite recipes to inspire you to come enjoy the
world-renowned cuisine of Louisiana. You will note that
several of the following recipes include Creole seasoning.
The Louisiana affiliate will be selling this irreplaceable
combination of spices at its table in the exhibit hall
during the convention this summer.
Creole Pork Chops
by Roland Allen
Whenever a potluck dinner is planned, everyone at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind requests Roland Allen's
Creole Pork Chop casserole. Roland, who is from New Orleans,
teaches cane travel at the Center; is President of the North
Central Chapter of the NFB of Louisiana; and, when he can
find time, enjoys preparing this dish for friends and co-
workers.
Ingredients:
8 pork chops
2 large onions
1 bell pepper
3 potatoes
3-4 carrots
1 can tomato soup
2 cans Rotel tomatoes with chilies
Creole seasoning
Method: Season pork chops with creole seasoning and
brown lightly in a heavy skillet. Chop onions and bell
peppers; quarter potatoes and carrots. Place pork chops in a
9-by-13-inch pan and layer vegetables on top of meat. In a
large bowl mix soup and tomatoes together. Pour this mixture
over the meat and vegetables. Cover with foil and bake for
1-1/2 hours at 350 degrees.
Jambalaya
by Terrence Jeffery
There are many ways to prepare Jambalaya, but Terrence
Jeffery, who is from New Orleans and currently a student at
the Louisiana Center for the Blind, has developed his own
recipe. It is a favorite at the Center. It serves ten to
twelve.
Ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 stick butter or margarine
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless, raw chicken breast, chopped
4 cups uncooked rice
8 cups water
Creole seasoning
Cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet for coloring
Method: In a five-quart pot, melt the butter and saut‚
onions, bell pepper, and celery until tender and slightly
browned. Add bite-size pieces of chicken breast and saute
for approximately five minutes in covered pot. Then add
sliced smoked sausage and saute another five minutes with
pan covered. Remove lid and add four cups rice and eight
cups water. Season with creole seasoning and Cayenne pepper
to taste. Add three tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet and stir
gently. Let mixture come to a vigorous boil with lid off
(approximately fifteen to twenty minutes). Lower heat and
simmer covered for ten minutes or until rice nears desired
tenderness. (Do not stir during cooking.) Turn heat off.
Leave lid on and allow mixture to simmer about five more
minutes in residual heat. Eat and enjoy!
Bread Pudding
by Joanne Wilson
Joanne Wilson is the President of the National
Federation of the Blind of Louisiana and Executive Director
of the Louisiana Center for the Blind. She is also the queen
of desserts in the state affiliate. This is one of her
favorites.
Ingredients:
1 loaf day-old French bread (1 1/2 feet long)
1 quart milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins
3 tablespoons butter
Method: In a large bowl break bread into bite-sized
pieces. Cover with milk and soak one hour. Mix well. Add
eggs and sugar. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins. Melt
butter and gently stir in. Bake one hour at 350 degrees in a
lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Sauce
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bourbon
Method: In the top of a double boiler melt butter and
stir in sugar. Gradually whisk in egg. Cool slightly. Gently
stir in bourbon. If serving right away, pour warm sauce over
pudding. If not, warm slightly before serving.
Shrimp Etouffee
by Pam Dubel
Pam Dubel works with blind infants and toddlers and
their parents and also supervises the training of classroom
aides to teach Braille throughout Louisiana.
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 1/2 cup small or medium peeled raw shrimp
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup thinly sliced green shallot tops
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 cup cold water
2 cups hot water (approximately)
Method: In a heavy five- to six-quart pot, melt butter
over low heat. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly.
Cook over low heat until mixture forms a roux, medium brown
in color (about fifteen to twenty minutes). Quickly add the
onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, and cook until
vegetables are tender (about twenty minutes). Add shrimp,
salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, shallot tops, and
parsley, and mix well. Add one cup cold water and bring to a
boil, then lower heat and simmer about twelve minutes, or
until shrimp are tender, stirring frequently. Shortly before
serving, heat the etouffee slowly over a low flame and
gradually add one to two cups hot water to provide the
gravy. Serve over boiled rice made as follows:
Boiled Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Method: Combine all ingredients in a heavy three-quart
saucepan with a tight-fitting cover and bring to a boil over
high heat. Stir once with a fork, then cover tightly and
reduce the heat to very low. Cook covered for exactly
fifteen minutes. Do not lift the cover during cooking.
Remove the pan from heat, uncover, and fluff the rice gently
with a fork.
Shrimp Fettuccine
by Neita Ghrigsby
Neita Ghrigsby has been the Office Manager at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind ever since its opening in
1986. This dish is much less complicated than Shrimp
Etouffee; however, your guests will be equally impressed
with the results. It serves four to six.
Ingredients:
5 green onions, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound peeled, raw shrimp
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fettuccine, uncooked
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Method: In a large skillet saute onions, mushrooms, and
garlic in 1/2 stick butter and oil. Add shrimp and saute
until pink. Pour off excess liquid. Season with salt, cover,
and keep warm.
Cook fettuccine in salted boiling water according to
package instructions. Drain. In saucepan melt remaining �
stick butter. Add noodles, cheese, and cream. Mix well and
combine with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with parsley, toss,
and serve immediately.
Louisiana Pecan Pralines
by Patti McGahan
Patti McGahan is the Program Supervisor at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. She has been with the LCB
for six and a half years.
Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar, not packed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/16 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups pecan halves
Method: In a saucepan, using a wooden spoon, mix
sugars, milk, butter, syrup, and salt. Cook to soft ball
stage, about ten minutes. Test by dropping a small amount of
mixture into cold water. Tiny ball of candy should be soft
when picked up with fingers. Remove from heat; add vanilla
and nuts. Beat until mixture begins to thicken, about one
minute. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto buttered waxed paper.
Makes two dozen.
Monitor Miniatures
Getting in Touch With Literacy:
David Andrews of Minnesota writes to pass along the
following announcement:
Mark your calendar for the Third Biennial Conference of
Getting in Touch with Literacy, a national conference
focusing on the needs of individuals who are blind or
visually impaired. It will be held at the Radisson Plaza
Hotel, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 25, 26, and 27,
1997. It is organized by Minnesota Teachers of the Blind &
Visually Impaired; Minnesota State Services for the Blind;
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota; Minnesota
Department of Children, Families, and Learning; Minnesota
Deaf/Blind Technical Assistance Project; Minnesota State
Academy for the Blind and Visually Impaired; AER of
Minnesota; and the Wisconsin Bureau of Exceptional Children.
Help us make The third Biennial Conference
exceptionally exciting, a conference of innovative as well
as practical applications to literacy in all stages of life.
For further information contact Jean Martin, Minnesota
Resource Center for the Blind/Visually Impaired, Box 308,
Faribault, Minnesota 55021-0308 (507)332-5510, e-mail
[email protected]
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Carol Castellano and her daughter Serena
PHOTO/CAPTION: Joe Ruffalo]
Changing What it Means to be Blind--One School Assembly at a
Time:
We recently received the following little piece from
Carol Castellano. It is a useful reminder to us all of the
importance of taking the time to talk with school children.
It also nicely summarizes the goals of such programs. This
is what she says:
Last week three members of the National Federation of
the Blind of New Jersey--Joe Ruffalo, affiliate President;
Ed Lewinson, President of the Northern Chapter of the NFB of
New Jersey; and I, President of New Jersey Parents of Blind
Children--visited an elementary school to make a
presentation about blindness. We were to speak at two
assemblies, one for the older students and one for the
younger.
The school principal introduced us to each group. In
her first introduction she said, "Boys and girls, as you
know, today is the kickoff of Helping Hands Week at
Washington School, and this assembly is the first of many
activities. Our guests today are members of the National
Federation of the Blind, and for Helping Hands Week they are
going to tell us how we can help the blind." We then went on
to give our presentation.
After the second group of students took their places in
the school's auditorium, the principal once again introduced
us. But this time, after having heard what we had to say in
the first assembly, she said with great enthusiasm, "Boys
and girls, we are lucky to have with us today members of the
National Federation of the Blind. They are going to tell us
all about how blind people do just what everyone else does,
simply by using different tools and methods!"
Incidentally, here are the objectives we kept in mind
as we spoke to the students:
For students to understand that blind people live
full, normal, productive lives, complete with
jobs, families, friends, and fun
For students to understand that blind people learn
and use simple, effective methods for doing tasks
that sighted people do with eyesight
For students to gain familiarity with the basic
skills of blindness
For students to understand how a blind child gets
an education
For students to conclude that blind people are not
helpless and do not need to be watched over.
Hoping to Buy:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
I would like to buy a used Kurzweil Reading Edge in
good condition and English and Spanish recognition cards,
which would allow the Kurzweil to read in either language.
Contact Gerardo Corripio in Braille or print at 9226
Wellsworth Drive, Houston, Texas 77083, or call (281) 530-
5640 weekdays after 2:30 p.m. or all day on weekends.
New Reading Service Available:
Ben Bazo, President of the Northwest Florida Radio
Reading Service, Inc., has asked us to carry the following
announcement:
"The Voice of Print" of the Northwest Florida Radio
Reading Service, Inc., announces that we now have a toll-
free phone number at your service. It is available twenty-
four hours a day, seven days a week. An answering machine
will take your call. Tell us your reading request, leave
your name and number, and your call will be returned as soon
as possible. We will record any personal material on tape:
manuals, religious books, recipes, address books, etc. This
is a free service for the blind and physically handicapped.
We also have hurricane preparedness tapes available. Call
941-2888 (local) or (888) 941-2888 (toll free).
Recipe Tapes Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
Recipe collections on 90-minute cassettes, including
diabetic, microwave meals, one-dish meals, crock pot
recipes, low-fat/low-cholesterol, vegetarian, and cookies.
Tapes are $12 each. Send check, money order, or cash to
Janet Murphy, 24A Coddington St., Newport, Rhode Island
02840. All tapes will be sent out the day your order is
received.
Technical Brailling Service Planned:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
If you are a blind engineer, mathematician, or
scientist, you may be interested in the Technical Braille
Center being established by a nonprofit organization. This
center will produce highly technical material in Braille or
in a special file format. Mathematics will be done in the
Nemeth Code. Tactile graphics will be included where
practical. Books will be available to anyone at prices that
will depend on the cost of production. To secure funding to
get the service started, information is needed on how many
people might use it and the kinds of technical materials
that are most needed. Please contact John J. Boyer at
Computers to Help People, Inc., 825 East Johnson Street,
Madison, Wisconsin 53703, (608) 257-5917, e-mail
[email protected]
Elected:
Norma Gonzales Baker, Secretary of the Austin Chapter
of the NFB of Texas, reports the chapter's recent election
of officers. They are Wanda Hamm, President; Mary Ward,
First Vice President; Zena Pearcy, Second Vice President;
Norma Gonzales Baker, Secretary; Margaret "Cokie" Craig,
Treasurer; and Jim Shaffer and Mike Waddles, Board Members.
Braille Atlas of the Middle East Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
This collection of tactile maps of the Middle East
covers seventeen countries from Egypt in the west to Iran in
the east, from Turkey in the north to Yemen in the south,
and all countries, large and small, in between. The
countries are arranged alphabetically; each country is
introduced by a page of facts in Braille, followed by key
information and a full-page map showing major cities,
physical features, and points of interest. In a few cases
two maps are needed to show this information. The scale of
the maps varies from twelve miles per inch for Lebanon, one
of the smallest countries, to 120 miles per inch for Saudi
Arabia. Both the maps and the factual information are
adapted from The World Today Series: The Middle East and
South Asia, 1996, by Malcolm B. Russell, Stryker-Post
Publications, West Virginia.
Five introductory maps provide an overall view of the
Middle East. These maps show the location of the Middle East
in the Eastern Hemisphere, the boundaries of the seventeen
countries, the elevation, the climate, and the location of
the oil fields.
Some experience with tactile graphics is recommended.
The complete Atlas consists of sixty-nine Brailon pages,
including twenty-five pages of maps, bound with cardboard
covers and a multi-ring binder. Cost, $20 including
shipping. Allow four to six weeks for delivery. Order from
Princeton Braillists, 28-B Portsmouth Street, Whiting, New
Jersey 08759 or call (908) 350-3708.
Technical Summer Internships Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
AAAS and IBM announce a program to provide outstanding
summer opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students
with disabilities who are pursuing technical fields. The
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
is committed to strengthening the role of disabled
professionals in the advancement of technology for all
industries. In that spirit we are participating in a
precedent-setting partnership with IBM. Continually seeking
the brightest minds anywhere, we hope to place qualified
students with disabilities in internships throughout the
country. We want to offer opportunities to work with people
who are transforming the world using technologies that won't
reach the classroom for years.
Take Matt King, for example. When he's not working hard
designing database software for a mobile workstation, using
computer screen-reading equipment and a Braille printer, he
is training for paralympic gold. Backed by IBM, there's
little that stands in Matt's way.
Think about it. An internship at IBM can get you where
you really want to be--up close with the hottest industry-
advancing projects on the planet. You'll be amazed at how
quickly we'll start applying your skills. In one summer you
can get more real-world experience than most students get in
four years.
The 1997 summer program lasts from ten to twelve weeks.
There may be opportunities for successive summer internships
and potential placement upon graduation. To be eligible you
must be majoring in a technical field, e.g., computer
science, engineering, mathematics, or physical science.
Provide a copy of your resume, current GPA, and contact
information.
IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and
proud to be an equal opportunity employer. This program is
open to U.S. citizens or nationals; permanent residents,
refugees, asylees, or those authorized to work under the
amnesty provision of U.S. immigration law. Contact Laureen
Summers, AAAS, (202) 326-6649 (phone/TDD) (202) 371-9849 or
e-mail, [email protected]
PHOTO/CAPTION: Joe and Patricia Miller and new daughter
Alexandra Juliet]
New Baby:
Many Federationists know Joe and Patricia Miller. Mr.
Miller is largely responsible for seeing that the National
Office computer network behaves properly and does what it's
requested to do. Mrs. Miller served as President Maurer's
Secretary for a number of years before she took over
direction of the Records Center. On Wednesday, March 12, at
1:00 a.m., the Millers' daughter Alexandra Juliet made her
first appearance in the world. She measured 18 1/2 inches in
length and weighed 6 pounds, eleven ounces. All three
members of the Miller family are doing well, and the proud
parents report that Alexandra is extraordinarily beautiful.
Congratulations to the Millers.
Extended Technical Support Hours at Blazie Engineering:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
Blazie Engineering has increased its weekly hours of
available telephone technical support by 33 percent.
Effective immediately, customers with questions about Blazie
products can call Blazie any time between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00
p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, at (410) 893-
9333.
This extra telephone availability arrives in
conjunction with the recent release of the Braille 'n Speak
2000 personal data assistant. New, feature-laden Braille 'n
Speak 2000 is a stand-alone word processor with voice
output, a fully adjustable speech synthesizer, a Braille-to-
print translator, and much more. The 2000-Series upgrade
also comes standard on Type 'n Speak and Braille Lite 18
personal data assistants from Blazie.
Blazie Engineering's customers with Internet access can
also find help there. Visit blazie.com on the World Wide Web
to download files, link to other blindness-related sites,
catalog-browse, or access product demos and manuals. Also
available are e-mail discussion groups known as list-
servers. These are forums of dialogue between users of
Blazie products and Blazie Engineering tech support
personnel.
For more information on Blazie Engineering's extended
telephone support hours, Braille 'n Speak 2000, or Blazie's
e-mail discussion groups, contact Blazie Engineering, 105
East Jarrettsville Road, Forest Hill, Maryland 21050, or
call (410) 893-9333. On the World Wide Web visit
http://www.blazie.com
Laminating Service Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
I will laminate address cards for mailing cassettes.
The lamination process provides much longer use without the
cards' being worn out or ruined by weather. The size of the
lamination can range from a business card up to a 4-by-6-
inch card. The cost of this service varies. Business cards
and wallet-sized pictures cost fifty cents each. Anything
bigger than this costs $1 each. If the customer would like
me to type out all of the information on the card, the cost
is $1.25 per card. I must receive all of the information,
including correct spellings, for the address cards in
Braille or on cassette. I will only accept money orders and
cashier's checks as payment. If there are any questions
about this service, please contact Claudia Del Real, 2346
Birch Ave., Whiting, Indiana 46393-2135, (219) 688-0716.
Guitar-by-Ear Course Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
A new guitar course just for the visually impaired has
been released. The all-cassette course (nothing to see or
read) was created by Bill Brown, who has been teaching
guitar for over twenty-five years. The cost of the course is
$34.95, which includes shipping and access to a tuning hot-
line in case the student needs help tuning the guitar. After
completing the course, the student will know the basic
chords in first position, the most commonly used rhythm
patterns for these chords, several songs using these cords
and patterns, the names of the notes on the strings, and
several songs using these notes. The student will also be
able to access the entire Guitar-by-Ear library of guitar
songs. To order the course, send a check for $34.95 to Bill
Brown, 704 Habersham Road, Valdosta, Georgia 31602. If you
have further questions, you may call Bill Brown at (912)
249-0628.
Braille Magazines Wanted:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
I would appreciate receiving pass-along copies of the
following Braille magazines: Reader's Digest; National
Geographic; Fortune; the Isaac Asimov Science Fiction
magazine; the New York Times, Braille edition; or any other
Braille magazines with fiction features. I am deaf and
blind. Any letters must be in Braille. Contact Gordon Janz,
101-2425 Brunswick St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V5T
3ML.
Omni 1000 Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
The vision of Ray Kurzweil is helping to enhance the
lives of blind and visually impaired people by allowing them
greater independence and improved productivity. His new PC-
based reading system, Omni 1000, converts the printed word
into speech. This leading edge technology offers the most
accurate optical character recognition (OCR) and the
clearest synthetic speech available. Omni 1000 features a
40,000-word dictionary and the ability to operate the system
using your voice, among its useful features.
Omni 1000 is available for as low as $995 for software
only or for just under $4000 as a complete system (pentium
PC, scanner, and software). Upgrade your Arkenstone, Oscar,
Xerox, etc., reading machine and receive an Omni 1000 plus
for just $595. For more information, please contact Kurzweil
Educational Systems, Inc., 411 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham,
Massachusetts 02154, (800) 894-5374, e-mail:
[email protected] or visit our website at
www.kurzweiledu.com
Elected:
At its January, 1997, meeting the North Central Chapter
of the NFB of Louisiana elected the following new officers:
Josh Boudreaux, President; Brenda Walburn, First Vice
President; Constance Connolly, Second Vice President; Pam
Dubel, Secretary; Harold Wilson, Treasurer; and Arlene Hill
and Eddie Culp, Board members.
Hoping to Buy:
I am looking for a Sharp Talking Time One talking alarm
clock. If you have one for sale or if you know where I can
purchase one, please call Tony Lewis at (510) 865-3171 or
write 1211 Paru, Apt. E, Alameda, California 94501.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Jim and Olivia Ostergaard]
Letter from a Very Young Federationist:
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is James Randall
Ostergaard, son of Jim and Olivia Ostergaard of the Fresno,
California, Chapter. I arrived on January 15, 1997, at 12:33
a.m. I weighed seven pounds, four ounces and was nineteen
and three-fourths inches long.
I am looking forward to attending NFB meetings. I am
especially interested in the Parents of Blind Children
Division. Maybe they can help my mommy and daddy learn how
to take care of me. Maybe I'll have my mommy tell you about
some of the things we've been experiencing that first-time
blind parents need to know.
I am excited about life and look forward to being a
Federationist. I know the California affiliate has been
waiting a long time for me to get here. So tell Willows and
the gang that I'm rarin' to go after I grow up a little.
Thanks for reading my letter. Here's to a better
Federation!
Sincerely,
James Randall Ostergaard
Position Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
Research Director. Full-time, professional position.
Qualifications: earned doctorate in rehabilitation
counseling or a closely related field from an accredited
college or university. CRC preferred. Five years experience
in conducting applied rehabilitation research and/or in
grants management activities with a minimum of two years
experience in applied rehabilitation research. Demonstrated
success in securing research grants. Expertise in
computerized statistical packages, spreadsheet packages, and
other research techniques required. Applicants must be able
to coordinate and direct research activities of the
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and
Low Vision at Mississippi State University. Salary:
negotiable, depending upon training and experience.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Send letter of application, resume, three letters of
reference, and transcripts to John Maxson, Chair, Screening
Committee, RRTC on Blindness and Low Vision, P.O. Drawer
6189, Mississippi State University, Mississippi 39762.
Questions regarding the position can also be sent to
[email protected] or call (601) 325-2001. MSU is an
Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Dr. C. Edwin Vaughan]
NAC Takes a Hit in the Journal of Rehabilitation:
The January/February/March, 1997, issue of the Journal
of Rehabilitation, perhaps the most prestigious publication
in the general rehabilitation field, published an article
titled, "Why Accreditation Failed Agencies Serving the Blind
and Visually Impaired." The author was C. Edwin Vaughan,
Professor of Sociology at the University of Missouri at
Columbia. The article's abstract tells the sorry NAC tale.
The handful of agencies still clinging to NAC accreditation
would do well to read this history and consider their
actions in the light of the field's decision to move on,
leaving NAC behind. This is what the abstract says:
Four major organizations provide national accrediting
services for rehabilitation agencies. National accreditation
becomes increasingly important when both consumers of
services and those who provide economic support for these
agencies expect increased accountability. The most
specialized of these national agencies is the National
Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and
Visually Handicapped (NAC). NAC grew out of a two-year
planning process which culminated in the establishment of
the new accrediting organization in 1967. Its founders
envisioned accrediting more than five hundred agencies that
provided education and rehabilitation services to people who
are blind. Throughout its history NAC has been opposed by
well- organized consumers of services and has not attracted
the support of most agencies. It has never reached its
envisioned goals and is now declining. This article reviews
the history of this accrediting organization and discusses
the reasons for continuous and intense consumer and
professional resistance. It analyzes why different
occupational groups within this field failed to unite in
support of NAC and provides data documenting its rapid
decline during the past decade. The article concludes by
exploring available alternatives for agencies in the
blindness field when accreditation fails.
PHOTO/CAPTION: David Stayer]
Elected to Serve:
On December 11, 1996, David Stayer, one of the leaders
of the National Federation of the Blind of New York, was
elected to chair the Rehabilitation Advisory Council of the
New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually
Handicapped. Congratulations to David Stayer and to the
Commission's Advisory Council.
Scholarships for Part-time Students Available:
The George Washington University is pleased to invite
applicants for the Barbara Jackman Zuckert Scholarship for
Blind Part-time Students. The scholarship fund was
established by Barbara Jackman Zuckert in 1985 to assist
visually impaired or blind students seeking higher education
at The George Washington University. It is the goal of this
scholarship to encourage enrollment of visually impaired or
blind students by extending financial assistance when other
sources of support are not available.
The purpose of the Barbara Jackman Zuckert Scholarship
for Blind Part-Time Students is now amended to include
learning- disabled students who have a significant deficit
in the area of reading. These may be students, primarily
those with dyslexia, who qualify for and use books on tape,
such as those designed primarily for sight-impaired persons.
Applicants for the Barbara Jackman Zuckert Scholarship
must submit a complete application (including a financial
aid statement), a letter of application, certification of
disability, and a high school or college transcript to the
selection committee. Applications must be postmarked no
later than May 30, 1997. Applications can be obtained from
the George Washington University, Disability Support
Services, Marvin Center 436, 800 21st Street, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20052. Please feel free to call Christy
Willis, Director, Disability Support Services, (202) 994-
8250, if you have any further questions.
[PHOTO: The picture is of two horse-drawn wagons with iron-
rimmed wheels. The wagons are filled with bulging canvas
mail sacks, and the two drivers are about to give their
horses the command to go. CAPTION: Horse-drawn wagons
outside the Ziegler Magazine's plant on Manhattan's West
53rd Street prepare to haul the Braille publication to the
post office. The photo was taken in 1907.]
Ninetieth Anniversary Celebration:
We recently received this picture and press release:
With its March issue, the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for
the Blind completed ninety years of uninterrupted
publication--a record most print publications cannot match.
The Ziegler came into existence in 1907 following the
serendipitous meeting of Mrs. William Ziegler, who had a
blind son, and a Tennessee newspaper man, Walter G. Holmes,
who had a blind brother. He knew how difficult and expensive
it was for blind people to find materials they could read
with their fingers. For example, the then-popular book, Ben
Hur, which cost one dollar in print, cost $10.50 in an
embossed form.
After meeting Mr. Holmes in 1905, Mrs. Ziegler agreed
to pay all the costs of an embossed magazine if he would
edit it. To this arrangement he readily agreed, and the
first issue was mailed to subscribers in March, 1907. It
required two horse-drawn wagons to haul the dozens of mail
bags stuffed with the bulky raised-dot publication from the
magazine's Manhattan plant to the post office.
At that time Braille was not the most widely-used
embossed reading system. The first run of the Ziegler
Magazine, therefore, had only 2,000 copies in Braille, but
had 5,000 in the popular New York Point.
The Ziegler was a pioneering publication in other ways.
It was the first publication to solve the problem of
embossing both sides of a sheet of paper without crushing
the dots on the first side. What is now called "Free Matter
for the Blind or Handicapped" was also pioneered by the
magazine. As early as 1904 books lent out by libraries for
the blind could be mailed free of postage. In 1910 editor
Walter G. Holmes instigated legislation that would allow
magazines for the blind also to be mailed postage-free. This
legislation was designed specifically to spare the Ziegler
from second-class postage but has since benefited every
comparable periodical for the blind and physically
handicapped.
A free subscription may be had by anyone who can read
Braille or has a four-track, half-speed cassette player. For
details contact Ziegler Magazine, 80 8th Ave., Room 1304,
New York, New York 10011, (212) 242-0263. Fax (212) 633-
1601, e-mail: [email protected] Home page:
www.zieglermag.org
A history of the magazine, The Ziegler Magazine Story,
is available free of charge in Braille, standard speed
cassette, or large print from the above address.