A COMPILATION OF ARTICLES FROM THE BRAILLE MONITOR,
PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, ABOUT ITS UPCOMING
ANNUAL CONVENTION, TO BE HELD JULY 4 - 11, 1998 IN DALLAS, TEXAS


An article from the November 1997 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                    Convention Bulletin 1998
                           **********
     The time has come to plan for the 1998 convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. As Federationists know, the
1997 convention in New Orleans was the biggest (and many say the
best) we have ever had--excellent program, good facilities, and
wonderful hospitality. However, Texas in 1998 promises to be even
better.
     We will return to the Dallas-Fort Worth Hyatt Regency, where
our spectacular fiftieth anniversary convention was held in 1990
and where our fifty-third was held in 1993. Who can forget the
1950's atmosphere of Sullivan O'Shaughnessy's Restaurant, the
barbecue at Bear Creek, or the memorable Texas hospitality? NFB
of Texas president Tommy Craig promises that 1990 and 1993 were
merely an opener for the 1998 extravaganza.
     As usual, our hotel rates are the envy of all who know about
them. For the 1998 convention they are singles, $41; doubles and
twins, $43; triples, $45; and quads, $47. In addition to the room
rates there will be a tax, which at present is 12 percent. There
will be no charge for children in the room with parents as long
as no extra bed is requested.
     In recent years we have sometimes taken hotel reservations
through the National Office, but for the 1998 convention you
should write directly to Hyatt-Regency DFW, Post Office Box
619014, International Parkway, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Texas
75261, or call (972) 453-1234. Hyatt has a national toll-free
number, but do not (we emphasize not) use it. Reservations made
through this national number will not be valid. They must be made
directly with the hotel. The hotel will want a deposit of $50 or
a credit card number. If a credit card is used, the deposit will
be charged against your card immediately, just as would be the
case with a $50 check. If a reservation is cancelled prior to
June 15, 1998, $25 of the $50 deposit will be returned. Otherwise
refunds will not be made.
     Federationists who attended the 1990 and 1993 conventions
will remember that the Hyatt Regency DFW is actually located on
the property of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and
the airport people-mover train makes a stop at the hotel. The
facility's 1,300 rooms are divided between two towers connected
by a quarter-mile-long corridor. Many of us found that walking
between the two towers provided welcome exercise, but if walking
is a problem, go to the desk, and you will be taken to the other
tower by van.
     There are four excellent and very different restaurants
within the hotel: Il Nonno's, an Italian trattoria, which
specializes in northern Italian cuisine and has servers who sing
to diners; Sullivan O'Shaughnessy's, which has already been
mentioned; and two other fine restaurants, Papayas and Mr. G's.
In addition the S.O.S. Bar in the West Tower serves sandwiches
and a limited menu.
     The 1998 convention of the National Federation of the Blind
will be a truly memorable event. Make plans now to be a part of
the Federation fun and hard work July 4 to 11. Hotel reservations
should be made early. Remember that seminars for parents of blind
children and for blind job-seekers, as well as several other
workshops and meetings, will be conducted on Saturday, July 4.
Convention registration will begin on Sunday, and both Sunday and
Monday will be filled with meetings of divisions and committees,
including the Monday morning annual meeting of the Board of
Directors of the National Federation of the Blind, which is open
to all. General convention sessions begin on Tuesday and continue
through Friday afternoon. The annual banquet will take place on
Thursday evening, July 9.
     Remember also that we need door prizes from state
affiliates, local chapters, and individuals. Prizes should be
relatively small in size and large in value. Cash, of course, is
always popular. In any case we ask that all prizes have a value
of at least $25. Drawings will be made steadily throughout the
convention sessions. As usual, the grand prize at the banquet
will be spectacular--absolutely worthy of the occasion and the
host affiliate. In New Orleans, for instance, the grand prize was
$1,000 in cash. Don't miss the fun! You may bring door prizes
with you or send them ahead of time to Mr. Al Bunje, 1812 Bever
Boulevard, Arlington, Texas 76013-3807; telephone (817) 275-7663. 
    The displays of new technology; the meetings of special
interest groups, committees, and divisions; the fascinating tours
(more about them in later issues of the Monitor); the hospitality
and renewed friendships; the solid program items; and the general
excitement of being where the action is and where the decisions
are being made--all these join together to call the blind of the
nation back to the Dallas-Fort Worth Hyatt Regency Hotel in 1998.
Come and be part of it. Hotel reservations are now being
accepted.

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An article from the January 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


               A Quick Look at the Lone-Star State
                         by Norma Crosby
                           **********
     From the Editor: Norma Crosby is one of the leaders of the
NFB of Texas. She is also unabashedly proud of her native state.
In the following article she suggests some of the reasons why you
just might want to spend a few extra days in Texas before or
after the 1998 convention. This is what Norma says:
                           **********
     Texans talk about Texas a lot. In fact, I've been told that
folks from other states occasionally become weary of our
ramblings, though I don't know why. It seems perfectly natural to
all of us to tell everyone all about the glories of living in
this big, wonderful, diverse state, which has something special
to offer everyone. Why, I'll bet if you visit Texas for a few
days you'll begin to feel finer than cream gravy. After all, we
have the coldest long necks, the biggest margaritas, the best
barbeque, the hottest jalapenos, the richest oil wells, the
tastiest cattle, the wildest horses, the friendliest people, and
the most beautiful scenery in the world. Oops! There I go again.
Now that I have most of the bragging out of the way, let me give
you a few facts about the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Texas in
general, which will make you want to come early and do a little
sightseeing or stay over and enjoy more of our beautiful state.
     Texas is the second largest state in the Union in land mass.
Its area is approximately 367,000 square miles. So it is not
possible to see all of Texas in a day, a week, or even a month.
Let me explain a little further. Houston is about a four-and-a-
half-hour drive from our convention hotel. Austin is a similar
distance, though not in the same direction. It would take about
six hours to drive to San Antonio and perhaps nine hours to reach
Corpus Christi. If you wanted to visit Brownsville, which is on
our southern border with Mexico, you would need to drive for
about eleven hours. El Paso is our westernmost city, and if you
plan a driving trip from the Hyatt to El Paso, you might have to
stop halfway and buy a new car to complete the 665-mile trip. Of
course, if you fly, most of these destinations can be reached in
one to three hours, depending on whether or not you are able to
get a direct flight. You should definitely consider a visit to at
least one of the cities I have mentioned. They each have much to
offer.
     Austin is the home of our beautiful state capital, Barton
Springs (a natural spring which is used for swimming throughout
the summer months), miles of hike and bike trails, the famous
Sixth Street entertainment district, and much more. Austin is
known as the live music capital of the world, and on any night
you can find some of this country's finest musicians playing
throughout the city.
     San Antonio is probably the most visited city in Texas. It
is home to Fiesta Texas and the world-famous Riverwalk. Of course
the Alamo sits in the middle of downtown San Antonio, and you can
visit historic missions throughout the area. Market Square houses
shops, restaurants, bars, and souvenir vendors. Many of the shops
specialize in merchandise relating to Texas or Mexico. 
     Houston is Texas's boomtown. It is brash, bold, and
beautiful. It is home to NASA, the Galleria, the Houston Rockets,
and oil. Oil and space made Houston what it is today, and high-
tech businesses are making it what it will be in the future.
Houston experienced some minor setbacks in the 1980's, but today
it is back and better than ever. I often refer to it as a big
country town. It is friendly, and although it can't claim to be
as beautiful as Austin or as sophisticated as Dallas, it can lay
claim to variety. There is enough variety throughout its 600
square miles to tantalize and stimulate any interests. Besides
that, it has its own playground. We call it Galveston Island. 
     Galveston boasts thirty-two miles of beaches and was once
the playground of the rich and famous. Today visitors can tour
wonderfully restored historic homes or swim all day. The Strand
Historic District is a shopper's paradise, and if you get tired
of shopping, you can make a trip to the Railroad Museum located
at Strand and 25th Streets. Waterskiing, fishing, boating, and
lounging in the sun are big attractions on Galveston Bay, and
there are plenty of first-class restaurants and clubs to complete
the Galveston experience.
     Corpus Christi is located in the southern part of the state
and is another city by the sea. Just walking along its seawall is
a pleasant and relaxing experience. The entire city seems to be
located on the shoreline, and, although refineries and other
industrial plants are located in Corpus, which has the deepest
port on the Texas coast, they are mostly hidden from view. So the
beauty of the city is not spoiled. Corpus is the home port for
the USS Lexington and the USS Wisconsin, and early in this decade
the city opened the Texas State Aquarium in a six-acre park
across the ship channel from Bayfront Plaza, the city's cultural
center. Then there is Padre Island. Only the northernmost part
and the southern tip of this 113-mile barrier island are
commercially developed. The eighty miles between are part of the
Padre Island National Seashore, which many consider the most
beautiful stretch of natural beach in the country.
     At the southern tip of Texas sits Brownsville. Some say that
it could also be called "Bargainsville" because it presents the
opportunity for a fun and inexpensive vacation. Brownsville has a
population of only about 100,000, but it sits just across the
border from Matamoros, Mexico, which has a population of about
350,000. Many of the locals think of the two cities as one, and
people cross the two bridges that connect the cities freely every
day. Brownsville's downtown shopping district can present a
challenge to those of us who speak only English because Spanish
is the predominant language spoken there. If you want to visit
Mexico during your vacation, Brownsville would be an excellent
base of operations. 
     Another Texas city which leads to Mexico is El Paso, which
is Texas's westernmost city. El Paso is the fourth largest city
in the state, and while most of Texas is on Central Time, this
part of the state is on Mountain Time. Like Brownsville and
Matamoros, El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, are sister cities, and the
cultures blend into one. Travel between the two cities is so free
that there are more than three million crossings at this part of
the border each month. For many years there was a good deal of
friction over which country owned certain lands in this area
because the Rio Grande River was the official border, and it had
a habit of shifting its course and moving land that had once been
on the Mexican side to our side and vice-versa. This problem was
resolved by a treaty in 1968, and things have been much more
peaceful in the years since. You should visit El Paso for its
historic beauty, but remember that it is also a large and modern
city with plenty of good hotels, restaurants, and night life.
     Finally, we should talk a little about the two major cities
nearest our convention headquarters. Dallas is considered by many
to be Texas's most cultured and sophisticated city. Contrary to
the image portrayed on the television show named after the city,
Dallas did not become a large city because of its own oil money.
Rather, Dallas is in the business of business. In the book All
About Texas, Lewis Nordyke said: "Dallas has found a successful
way to let other Texans and the residents of some other states
milk the cows and haul the manure, and Dallas gets the cream."
Dallas's major growth took place after World War II, and it
developed an economy based on high tech, insurance, finance,
fashion, and film. It is the third largest fashion market in the
country and the third largest film industry. It is also a major
convention city, which greets more than two million
conventioneers each year.
     Dallas has diverse neighborhoods ranging from the Park
Cities to Deep Ellum and the Arts District; a variety of museums
and galleries, from the outstanding Dallas Museum of Art to the
emotion-evoking Memorial Center for Holocaust Studies; cuisine of
all kinds, from Southwestern and Continental to traditional Tex-
Mex and barbecue; plus a wide variety of entertainment,
activities, and side trips. 
     While in Dallas you should consider a visit to Science Place
I, which houses large-scale exhibits that change periodically;
Science Place II, a great place for children, with hands-on
exhibits and other exhibits which educate in an entertaining way;
Sixth Floor Kennedy Exhibit, housed in the building where the
shots that killed John Kennedy were fired (but the exhibits
depict life during that time and not the assassination); and the
Telephone Pioneer Museum of Texas, with hands-on exhibits and
activities that children will enjoy, which traces the history and
future of the telephone.
     Visiting Fort Worth is definitely different from making a
trip to Dallas. Fort Worth is called "Cowtown." It began as an
outpost to protect residents of Dallas and other Texans from
Indian raids. Then a city grew up around the fort because Fort
Worth sat along the Chisholm Trail. It was the last stop cowboys
could make before entering the Oklahoma Indian Territory when
driving cattle to Kansas. So it became a major supply outpost for
the trail riders. Today many still consider it a country kind of
town, but you might be surprised at all that Fort Worth has to
offer. Yes, Fort Worth is home to cowboys, the Chisholm Trail,
and the Stockyards, where steaks come bigger than platters. It is
also home to great opera, world-class art museums, excellent
jazz, a zoo, a planetarium, and the largest science and history
museum in the Southwest. Fort Worth is eclectic, and once you
visit it, you'll want to come back.
     As you can see, Texas has something to offer every visitor,
and the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas
hope that we will have the opportunity to offer you some of our
world-famous hospitality this summer. Take a plane, a boat, a
bus, or walk if you have to, but remember that you'll be sorry if
you miss this convention, and so will we.
     Make your hotel reservations as soon as possible. Our hotel
rates are singles, $41; doubles and twins, $43; triples, $45; and
quads, $47. There will be no charge for children rooming with
their parents as long as no additional beds are required. In
addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present
is 12 percent.
     To make your reservation, write directly to Hyatt-Regency
DFW, Post Office Box 619014, International Parkway, Dallas-Fort
Worth Airport, Texas 75261, or call (972) 453-1234. Hyatt has a
national toll-free number, but do not (we emphasize not) use it.
Reservations made through this national number will not be valid.
They must be made directly with the hotel. The hotel will want a
deposit of $50 or a credit card number. If a credit card is used,
the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just
as would be the case with a $50 check. If a reservation is
cancelled prior to June 15, 1998, $25 of the $50 deposit will be
returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.

----------
An article from the February 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                To and From the Convention Hotel
                         by Norma Crosby
                                
     From the Editor: Now that 1998 is actually here, it is time
to begin making serious plans for attending the National
Convention, July 4 to 11. The first step is making your hotel
reservation. For your convenience, here is the information you
will need: room rates are singles, $41; doubles and twins, $43;
triples, $45; and quads, $47, plus a tax of 12 percent. There
will be no charge for children in the room with parents as long
as no extra bed is requested.
     To make room reservations write directly to Hyatt-Regency
DFW, Post Office Box 619014, International Parkway, Dallas-Fort
Worth Airport, Texas 75261, or call (972) 453-1234. Hyatt has a
national toll-free number, but do not (we emphasize not) use it.
Reservations made through this national number will not be valid.
They must be made directly with the hotel. The hotel will want a
deposit of $50 or a credit card number. If a credit card is used,
the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just
as if you wrote a $50 check. If a reservation is cancelled prior
to June 15, 1998, $25 of the $50 deposit will be returned.
Otherwise refunds will not be made. Here is what Norma Crosby has
to say about transportation in the Dallas/Fort Worth area:
                                
     Federationists attending the 1998 convention will find many
things to occupy their time when the convention is not actually
in session. However, in order to experience some of those
pleasures, you will have to leave the airport and the comfort of
the Hyatt Regency DFW, which is located on the airport grounds.
Transportation into Dallas or Fort Worth can be a little
complicated if you don't have access to a car. But knowing
Federationists, I'm sure that groups will form and creative minds
will find a way to get around the fact that both Dallas and Fort
Worth are about twenty miles from the airport property. In an
effort to help everyone make the arrangements that will insure
their fun, here is some information about transportation
companies which can provide visitors with rides to Dallas, Fort
Worth, and most of the small towns surrounding the airport
property. So, if you want to spend some time Texas two-steppin'
in Fort Worth or enjoying a day at the Galleria and a night at
the West End District in Dallas, use the following information
and have lots of fun.
     You can always use a taxi for a day of fun or a short
errand, but if you have only a small distance to go, you will
want to find several other Federationists to share your cab,
since there is a minimum charge for leaving the airport property.
In 1993 the minimum was $10, and it may have risen since then.
That's expensive. However, four people could share a cab and pay
only two or three dollars each. Federationists are always willing
to share with one another, even if they have never met before.
So, if you want to go to one of the area malls, you should
organize a taxi group or contact one of the transportation
services to try to negotiate a better deal than cabs can provide.
     When you are planning to go to Dallas or Fort Worth, the
transportation services are a good option if there are only one
or two going. If three or four people want to make the journey, a
cab might be preferable, but the services do offer group rates,
and a little planning can net you a reasonable price and a
private van. Most of the services listed here will come to the
hotel and provide you with door-to-door service to almost
anywhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Just call ahead and
let them know what you want to do, and you'll soon be having a
great time kicking up your heels in Big D or sipping a cold
longneck in Cowtown.
     Each of these services operates a little differently, so
it's a good idea to check with more than one service to insure
that you get the best rates possible. If you decide to make plans
with friends after arriving at the convention, you should make
note of the numbers listed and contact the services once your
plans are firm. Here is the list:
                                
A.S.T.A.R.               1-800-531-1204
AAA Atlas Limo & Bus     1-800-854-6678
Aircar                   1-214-351-6306
Discount Shuttle         1-800-748-0789
                         1-817-267-5150
Super Shuttle            1-800-BLUE VAN (258-3826)
                         1-817-329-2000.
                                
     Aside from questions about transportation, people have been
asking what shopping and other services are available in the area
immediately surrounding the hotel. So here is a bit of that
information.
     There are malls with food courts, major department stores,
and specialty shops all around the airport. Those who attended
the 1990 and 1993 conventions will remember the Irving Mall.
There is also a mall in Lewisville, and recently Grapevine, the
town just outside the airport property, opened a large, new mall.
Of course, there are also restaurants and other attractions in
the area. The Ball Park, home of the Texas Rangers, is located in
Arlington. So is Six Flags Over Texas. Texas Stadium is in
Irving--that's where the Cowboys play, you know. The small towns
in the airport area are filled with people who will treat
visitors like family, and you should try to experience some of
the cuisine and small shops in them.
     Of course, having the money to eat, drink, and be merry in
Dallas, Fort Worth, or Grapevine is important, and visitors will
be pleased that the airport is home to a number of automatic
teller machines. For your convenience ATM's are located in
Terminal 2E by gates 4, 11, and 22; in Terminal 3E by gates 27
and 38; in Terminal 4E by gates 14 and 21; and in Terminal 2W by
gate 11.  
     You should also note that one of the conveniences of meeting
at the Hyatt Regency DFW is that it may not be necessary to get a
cab to take you to the hotel. The airport runs a subway train
that stops near the long corridor running between the east and
west towers of the hotel. The ride is free, and the trains run
frequently. So, if you have luggage that you can carry or roll,
this is a great option to consider.
     Finally, let me say to those who were not able to attend the
1990 or 1993 conventions, which were also held at this hotel, the
facility is wonderful. The staff is a delight, and there are
restaurants for every taste and pocketbook. Some people may be a
little leery of coming to this hotel because they fear they won't
be able to get to town to have a good time. I can tell you that
those who came to the last two conventions at the Hyatt DFW
managed just fine, and we have heard lots of positive comments
about the facility, the two major host cities, and the
hospitality people experienced. So come and join us. No problems
are ever too big for Federationists to overcome working together.
Transportation to Dallas and Fort Worth during the convention is
small potatoes compared to the important issues we will be
discussing and the decisions we will be making. Come be a part of
the excitement and fun.

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An article from the February 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


   Science Museum's Hands-on Exhibits Let Visitors See Dinos,
                       Reach for the Stars
                        by Kelly Melhart
                                
     From the Editor: The following article appeared in the June
22, 1997, edition of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. It gives
families one more idea about things to do in the Dallas/Fort
Worth area before or after the convention this summer. The
article is reprinted by courtesy of the Fort Worth Star Telegram
                                
     At the edge of the Cultural District a dinosaur has taken up
residence at 1501 Montgomery Street, an Acrocanthosaurus to be
exact, a meat-eating dinosaur cousin to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The fourteen-foot-tall, 40-foot-long dinosaur is part of the
DinoDig exhibit at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History,
one of eight permanent exhibits. The outdoor discovery area
allows children and adults to get their hands dirty while they
dig for imitation dinosaur bones.
     Missy Matthews, marketing coordinator for the museum, said
all the exhibits are interactive and aid the learning process.
"Studies have shown that that's the way people learn," she said.
"When they can discover things for themselves, it is a much more
meaningful experience than reading a label."
     Other hands-on exhibits include KIDSPACE; Hands on Science;
History of Medicine; Your Body; IBM Calculators and Computers;
Rocks and Fossils; and People and Their Possessions, which
includes the demonstration and discovery area, Hands on History.
The museum combines the mysteries of the past with the
technologies of the future to create a learning environment for
children and adults, Matthews said.
     "We are science and history," she said. "We are an
educational institution, and so our overall criterion that the
films and exhibits have to meet is to educate. "
     The museum is also home to a 390-seat Omni Theater, the
Museum School, the Noble Planetarium, the Museum Store, and the
Courtyard Cafe.
     The Omni shows educational films in a state-of-the-art
theater that houses an eighty-foot domed screen and a seventy-
two-speaker sound system. The science and nature films are shown
for a limited time, but the short footage that gives a
stomach-dropping helicopter's-eye view of Fort Worth precedes
every show.
     The Museum School on the lower level of the museum offers
instruction for children from preschool through the sixth grade.
Kit Goolsby, the museum's director of education, said the fifty-
six-year-old school has such a reputation that parents stand in
line every fall and spring to register their children in the
unusual program.
     "It is truly unique because it is based on the collections
in the museum," she said. "The hands-on introduction to natural
science, physical science, and history isn't possible anywhere
else where you don't have the collections to support the
curriculum."
     The museum is open seven days a week. Admission to the
exhibits is $5 for adults and $4 for children ages three to
twelve and seniors. An exhibit pass is good throughout the month
in which it is purchased. The exhibit pass does not include
admission to the Omni or the planetarium, but discounts are
offered for admission to all three.
     The Omni Theater is also open seven days a week, and
admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. The
Noble Planetarium offers shows Wednesday through Sunday. Cost is
$3. Museum parking is free and is located in the Cultural
District parking area on the west side of the Will Rogers
Memorial Center.

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An article from the April 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                   1998 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 1998 Convention, July 4
through 11. 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 Sunday, July 5. The
convention agenda will contain listings of all events taking
place after that time.
                           **********
               Blind Industrial Workers of America
                        by Primo Foianini
                           **********
     The Blind Industrial Workers of America will conduct a split
cash drawing at this year's convention. The group will gather on
Monday afternoon, July 6, for its annual meeting.
                           **********
                 Blind Professional Journalists
                      by Elizabeth Campbell
                           **********
     If you are interested in journalism, you don't want to miss
the Blind Professional Journalists meeting planned during our
convention at the Hyatt Regency DFW. We will meet Monday
afternoon, July 6. Please see the convention agenda for the time
and location of our meeting. We had a wonderful turnout in New
Orleans during the 1997 National Federation of the Blind
convention, and I look forward to another good session in Dallas.
     Come meet professionals who are working in the field and
bring your questions. That is what journalism is all about. For
more information contact Elizabeth Campbell, (817) 738-0350
evenings after 6 p.m., CDT. You may also send e-mail to
liz@star-telegram.com
                           **********
[PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Seven horses carrying riders are visible in
this picture. CAPTION: The children visited a dude ranch at the
Dallas Convention in 1993. The youngsters this year will
undoubtedly have just as good a time.]
                     Child Care Information
                       by Carla McQuillan
                           **********
     NFB Camp in the Wild, Wild West: It's more than just child's
play. Throughout our National Convention NFB Camp provides
activities and programs for children under twelve. 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. Both blind and sighted children will enjoy the action-
packed schedule that awaits them in Dallas this summer. Call or
write today to register.
                           **********
     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 eighteen years of
teaching experience in early childhood education, Mrs. McQuillan
received the NFB's Blind Educator of the Year award 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. In
addition, we will recruit private and public school teachers in
the Dallas/Fort Worth area to serve as 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.
     There will be daily performances by blind
musician/singer/songwriter Daniel Lamond. Other featured
activities will include presentations by various blind
professionals to spark the children's interest; stories read in
Braille by blind adults; and a guest appearance by Peggy Elliott,
who will share tales of her blind cat Sheriff. Throughout the
week we will be taking the children on walking tours of the
airport, hotel, and local shops.
     NFB Camp will be open one half hour before the beginning of
sessions and one half hour after sessions adjourn. Children must
be picked up during lunch breaks. The schedule follows:
     Saturday, July 4, during the seminar for Parents of Blind
          Children
     Sunday, July 5, no NFB camp
     Monday, July 6, during afternoon committee meetings (Kids'
          Trip Day)
     Tuesday, July 7, during general sessions
     Wednesday, July 8, during morning general sessions (no camp
          during afternoon tours)
     Thursday, July 9, during general sessions and banquet
     Friday, July 10, during general sessions
     We will serve dinner during the banquet. A late fee of $10
per child will be rigorously enforced if children are not picked
up from camp on time. Please fill out the pre-registration form
below or provide all the requested information in a letter and
mail it today.
                           **********
                 NFB Camp Pre-Registration Form
                           **********
Child(ren) Name(s)
_______________________________________________________Age ______
                           **********
_______________________________________________________Age ______

_______________________________________________________Age ______
                           **********
Parent/Guardian
_________________________________________________________________
                           **********
Home Address
_________________________________________________________________
                           **********
_________________________________________________________________
                           **********
Home Phone ( ___ )_______________ Work Phone ( ____ ) ___________
                           **********
                                             Amount Enclosed     
Rates:
First Child (full week)            $60            ______
                           **********
Additional Siblings (full week)    $30 each       ______ #
                           **********
Daily rate per child          $15 each per day    ______ #
children  ______ # days
Banquet                       $10 per child       ______ #
                           **********
                              Total Enclosed      ______
                           **********
Make checks payable to NOPBC. Send this form with payment to:
Carla McQuillan
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon
5005 Main Street
Springfield, Oregon 97478
(541) 726-6924


               1998 National Convention Activities
                           **********
Kids' Trip to Wagon Wheel Ranch
Ages: five to twelve
Cost: $20 per child (includes lunch)
Check-in: 10:30 a.m. in the NOPBC meeting room
                           **********
     In keeping with our Wild, Wild West theme, we have scheduled
a trip to one of the many dude ranches in the Dallas area. On
Monday, July 6, children between the ages of five and twelve are
invited to visit the Wagon Wheel Ranch for a true Texas-style
adventure.
     We will gather at 10:30 in the NOPBC business meeting room.
The busses will take us to Wagon Wheel, where we will enjoy a
cookout with hot dogs, drinks, chips, and a relish tray. After
lunch we'll spend some time at the petting zoo and finish the day
with a hay ride for the younger children and horseback riding for
the older ones. The children will return at 4:30 and may be
picked up in the NFB Camp rooms.
     As always, there will be a host of blind adults to serve as
role models for the children on the trip. Registration and
payment must be received no later than June 10, 1998. Send the
form below or a letter including all necessary information with
your payment to:
Carla McQuillan
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon
5005 Main Street
Springfield, Oregon 97478

                           **********
Don't delay--space is limited.


                           **********
                Registration for 1998 Kids' Trip
                           **********
Child(ren) Name(s)
__________________________________________________ Age __________
                           **********
Parent/Guardian _________________________________________________
                           **********
Phone # _______________
                           **********
Address _________________________________________________________
                           **********
Amount Enclosed $__________
                           **********
Is your child blind? [     ] yes [     ] no (If more than one
child is being registered, indicate which child is blind.)
                           **********
                           **********
Does your child have special needs? (List the special needs, and
indicate which child if registering more than one.)
                           **********
     Campers' curriculum and other information regarding
activities for children and youth during Convention will be
available at the information table when you arrive at the Hyatt
Regency DFW in July.
                           **********
                   The Committee on Associates
                         by Tom Stevens
                           **********
     The Committee on Associates will meet as scheduled in the
agenda, most likely Monday evening, July 6.
     We'll talk about final results for 1998 and discuss what can
make this program grow. So saddle up Ole Dobbin and head for
Dallas. Remember to get your ribbons quickly so that you can wear
them during the entire convention. They look a lot better on your
shirt than they do in an envelope.
     The Committee on Associates, with co-chairpersons Karen
Mayry, Frank Lee, and Tom Stevens, stands ready even now to
answer your questions. For first contact, call chairman Tom at
(573) 445-6091.
     We use the Committee meeting to hear inspirational talks, to
recognize every successful Associate recruiter--from one up--and
to share techniques. It is a highly encouraging time; and one
meets people with the same conviction: That this is the most
under-used program in the Federation. For confirmation of that,
just come to our meeting, get to know some of our fine folks, and
help us gear up for the 1999 contest year.
                           **********
[PHOTO CAPTION: Deaf-blind people and volunteers work with the
Tellatouch during an NFB convention.]
                       Deaf-Blind Division
                          by Joe Naulty
                           **********
     The Deaf-Blind Division will conduct three evening seminars
during the 1998 National Convention. The first will take place
Saturday, July 4, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Welcome and opening
remarks will be delivered by Joseph B. Naulty, Deaf-Blind
Division President. The guest speaker will be Harry Anderson,
President of the American Association of Deaf-Blind, from St.
Augustine, Florida. His topic is "The World of Deaf-Blind."
     Monday, July 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. will be annual reports
from committee chairpersons and Board Members. The guest speaker
will be Martha Bagley, the National Representative for Senior
Deaf-Blind of the Helen Keller National Center in Dallas. She
will discuss the topic, "Deaf-Blind Issues Affecting the Senior
Population."
     Wednesday, July 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. will be the Deaf-
Blind Division annual business meeting, which includes membership
reports, business issues, fund-raising reports, goal-setting for
1998-1999, and the bi-annual election of officers and Board
Members. The guest speaker for this seminar is still to be
announced.
                           **********
                     Diabetes Action Network
                          by Ed Bryant
                           **********
     At the 1998 annual convention of the National Federation of
the Blind in Dallas, Texas, our Diabetes Action Network will
conduct two seminars. We are still making arrangements at this
time. The first will be on Sunday, July 5, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
There our speaker will be an exercise physiologist who will
discuss diabetes and exercise. On Monday, July 6, we will have
our second seminar, starting at 6:30 p.m. Our keynote speaker
will be a physician who will discuss kidney transplantation. Both
seminars are free and open to the public.
     The location for the Sunday seminar will be posted in the
pre-convention agenda, available in the hotel lobby. The location
for our Monday seminar and business meeting will be listed in the
regular agenda, available at registration. Come join us! It will
be fun and enlightening.
                           **********
   Announcing the National Association of Blind Entrepreneurs
                        by Connie Leblond
                           **********
     At the 1997 convention in New Orleans interested
Federationists attended an organizing meeting. The Board of
Directors of the National Federation of the Blind has now
officially approved this new division. The officers are Connie
Leblond, President; Ted Young, First Vice President; Sharon Gold,
Second Vice President; Peter Donahue, Secretary; Paul McIntire,
Treasurer; and Board Members Marie Cobb, Lynda West, Jeremiah
Beasley, and Jim Skelton.
     This division will provide information to blind individuals
on starting a business, expanding existing businesses, and
networking between blind entrepreneurs that will open doors to
opportunities. Membership in the division is $5 annually. We are
now accepting membership dues, which will also put you on a
listserv being created by Ted Young. Please send your name,
address, phone number, and e-mail address with membership dues to
Mrs. Connie Leblond, 15 May Street, Portland, Maine 04102. You
may also e-mail her at nabe1@mailexcite.com
Please be certain to include as much information about your
business as you are willing to share.
     Whether you currently operate a business or are doing
research that will result in your operating a business, we want
to hear from you. This new NFB division will assist entrepreneurs
in changing what it means to be blind. See you all in Texas,
where we will hold our first meeting.
                           **********
                     Human Services Division
                         by Doug Elliott
                           **********
     Blind human services professionals from a wide variety of
vocational and academic positions will gather in Dallas in
conjunction with the convention of the National Federation of the
Blind to discuss their work and their lives as blind
professionals. Our meeting will take place on Monday afternoon,
July 6, 1998. Registration will open at 1:00 p.m., and this
year's exciting program will commence at 1:30 p.m. We will also
be discussing our listservs and their potential for serving us in
our professions between conventions. You all come to share
experience, wisdom, and fun at this year's Human Services
Division meeting in Dallas.
                           **********
                  An Introduction to Windows 95
                            A Seminar
                         by Richard Ring
                           **********
     Windows 95 has replaced MS/DOS as the operating system of
choice in the workplace and at home. For the sighted this has
been a welcomed change for the most part--no more complex command
lines to remember. Instead all the sighted user need do is point
and click the mouse, and programs run, files are moved, and the
World Wide Web magically opens. But what about those of us who
are blind? Can a blind person become a productive and efficient
user of Windows 95? The answer is "yes!"
     If you want to understand how to accomplish this, An
Introduction to Windows 95 is a seminar you should attend. It
will take place on Saturday, July 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
at the National Federation of the Blind Convention in Dallas.
     This seminar will be hosted by members of the staff of the
Technology Department at the National Center for the Blind. What
makes this seminar unique is its approach to teaching Windows 95.
Often when sighted people attempt to teach the blind Windows 95,
they find it difficult to get away from a point-and-click
mentality. They seem to be more interested in the physical or
visual layout of the screen than how to access the items and
objects on the screen. We will show you how to navigate in
Windows 95 using the keyboard. We will show you how to create
shortcuts to your favorite programs, how to work with popular
Windows applications, what it is like to surf the Web in Windows,
and more.
     Sometimes it is necessary to use the mouse pointer to access
certain functions within a Windows application. Screen-reading
systems for the blind provide a way for a blind person to
manipulate the mouse pointer from the keyboard. In this way even
programs that are not keyboard-friendly can be used. We'll even
show you how sounds generated by Windows 95 can serve as valuable
cues as well as providing a bit of entertainment.
     Many blind people have expressed grave concerns about how
well they can learn to work in Windows 95. What holds true when
it comes to blindness itself remains true when it comes to
Windows 95: given the proper training and opportunity, a blind
person can not only learn to use Windows but enjoy doing so!
Though we cannot promise you that when you leave this seminar you
will be a Windows expert, we can assure you that you will come
away knowing that Windows need not be an obstacle to success.
Join us and discover, as we already have, that blind people do
Windows!
                           **********
                 Job Opportunities for the Blind
                    1998 National Job Seminar
                        by Lorraine Rovig
                           **********
     Can ordinary blind Americans get hired for ordinary normal
jobs? How? Once hired, how do they perform them? Listeners have
called JOB's annual seminar "riveting" and "exhilarating." Blind
Americans searching for work and other interested persons are
invited to the 1998 National JOB seminar sponsored by the
National Federation of the Blind and the U.S. Department of
Labor. This free national employment seminar will take place
Saturday afternoon, on the 4th of July, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.,
in the Hyatt Regency DFW.
     In this year's lively three hours, Lee Kerr of Arizona will
talk about his customer service job for Sears and about training
other blind people to join the staff. Susan Schaffer (MS-CCC), a
totally blind certified speech language pathologist, will talk
about the techniques she used to get through college and to
succeed in her chosen field. We will hear an update from Rami
Rabby on his job as a United States Foreign Service officer. He
is now posted to our embassy in Lima, Peru.
     Do you have a generic liberal arts degree? Veronica Smith is
working as a paralegal at a state agency. She'll describe what
she does and how she was trained on the job. Do you hate the
thought of working indoors in an office or a factory? Last year
the panel of speakers from Nebraska's state agency for the blind
told us about assisting a blind client to become a trucker. This
year Chad Bell himself will tell his story. (No, sorry, he won't
arrive at the Hyatt in his eighteen-wheeler.) These fascinating
and educational real-life tales, along with many more, will fill
the three-hour job seminar.
     Remember, at the end of the seminar the mike is open for any
employment-related announcements. JOB invites employers in the
crowd to give notice of job openings, blind job seekers to give
an oral mini-resume, and agencies with programs for blind job
seekers to entice students by describing their offerings.
     What employment is possible for a blind American? What would
you like to do? Whether you are looking for work or wish to
change jobs, this seminar is for you. On Independence Day come
listen in person. Ask our speakers directly those questions that
you have always wanted to ask.
     Tapes of JOB seminars from previous years are free from
JOB/NFB, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230,
telephone: (800) 638-7518, 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. EDT). Or ask for
the JOB Sample Pack to receive a copy of The JOB Recorded
Bulletin and the JOB Application Form. All JOB services are free.
                           **********

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Lorraine Rovig, Director of the JOB Program,
looks on as Federationists exchange ideas at a networking
breakfast.]
                    JOB Networking Breakfasts
                        by Lorraine Rovig
                           **********
     Are you a blind person looking for work or an employed blind
person who wishes to share what you know or a professional in the
blindness field looking for new ideas? Every morning of
convention, in the main restaurant of the Hyatt Regency DFW, JOB
invites you to network about employment. Seating takes place from
6:45 to 7:00 a.m. and breakfast is BYOB (Buy Your Own Breakfast).
Please don't interrupt the conversations by being late. The
conversation facilitators listed for each breakfast are experts
in that topic.
                           **********
SATURDAY, JULY 4
     THE SATURDAY FIRST-TIMERS BREAKFAST
     Never been to a full NFB National Convention before? We'll
     help you learn how to take full advantage of our networking
     and meetings. Wayne and Carmen Davis, Florida; Joseph and
     Judy Ruffalo, New Jersey; Jerry & Madeline Moreno, New
     Jersey.
                           **********
Not a breakfast:
     THE 1998 NATIONAL JOB SEMINAR, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
     Independence Day. Join JOB at our annual seminar designed
     specifically for the blind job seeker. Free!
                           **********
SUNDAY, JULY 5
     THE SUNDAY FIRST-TIMERS BREAKFAST (A second chance for first
     timers) Bob Ray, Iowa; Jerry and Madeline Moreno, New
     Jersey.
                           **********
     SUNDAY'S GENERIC BREAKFAST FOR JOB SEEKERS
     What problems do you have in your job search? Brain-
     storming is our specialty at the daily generic
     breakfast. Loraine and David Stayer, New York.
                           **********
     JOB'S FOURTH NETWORKING BREAKFAST FOR TRAVEL INSTRUCTORS
     Blind teachers share NFB teaching techniques for using long
     canes.
     Louisiana Center for the Blind instructors.
                           **********
     EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS NETWORKING BREAKFAST
     Brad Greenspan, New York.
                           **********
Not a breakfast:
     NEW JOB IN A NEW PLACE (a JOB Walking Workshop)
     Russell Anderson and Ron Burzese, travel instructors, BLIND,
     Inc. (Details TBA at 1998 National JOB Seminar)
                           **********
MONDAY, JULY 6
     MONDAY'S GENERIC BREAKFAST FOR JOB SEEKERS
     Wayne and Carmen Davis, Florida.
                           **********
     THE ANNUAL BREAKFAST FOR BLIND SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS 
     Private breakfast room--Ask John Miller, BS&E
     President, how to make your reservation.
     <miller@isl.stanford.edu
                           **********
     JOB's FIFTH ANNUAL BREAKFAST FOR BLIND PERSONS IN MEDICAL
     FIELDS
     David Stayer (MSW), JOB consultant--Medical Fields.
                           **********
     JOB'S SIXTH ANNUAL BREAKFAST FOR BRAILLE PROOFREADERS AND
     TRANSCRIBERS
     Mary Donahue, Texas.
                           **********
     JOB's NINTH ANNUAL NETWORKING BREAKFAST FOR BLIND LAWYERS
     Povinelli and Kay (D.C. law firm) and the NABL.
                           **********
     I DO WINDOWS--A JOB NETWORKING BREAKFAST
     Steve Shelton, Oklahoma; Michael and Fatos Floyd, Nebraska;
     Richard Fox, DeWitt and Associates, New Jersey.
                           **********
TUESDAY, JULY 7
     TUESDAY'S GENERIC BREAKFAST FOR JOB SEEKERS
     Mrs. tenBroek, California; Bob Ray, Iowa; Susie Stanzel,
     Kansas.
                           **********
     THE SEVENTH ANNUAL BLIND ARTISTS BREAKFAST
     Art for money! Thomas Barretta, Connecticut.
                           **********
     A NETWORKING BREAKFAST FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS
     Colorado Center for the Blind, Service Representative
     Training (SRT) program.
                           **********
     I DO WINDOWS (again)--A JOB NETWORKING BREAKFAST
     Steve Shelton, Oklahoma; Michael and Fatos Floyd, Nebraska;
     Richard Fox, DeWitt and Associates, New Jersey.
                           **********
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8
     WEDNESDAY'S GENERIC BREAKFAST FOR JOB SEEKERS
     Peggy and Curtis Chong, Maryland.
                           **********
     WRITING FOR MONEY: A JOB Networking Breakfast
     Deborah Kent Stein, Illinois; Elizabeth Campbell, Texas;
     Bryan Bashin, California.
                           **********
     THE JOB COORDINATORS' SECOND ANNUAL BRAINSTORMING BREAKFAST
                           **********
     Special for JOB Field Service Network Volunteers--Miss
     Rovig.
                           **********
     "I DON'T WANT A DESK JOB," A JOB NETWORKING BREAKFAST
     (New--for rangers, farmers, gardeners, sports/athletics
     workers, animal caretakers, window washers, etc.)
     Eric Woods, Shop Teacher, Colorado Center for the Blind,
     Colorado; Chad Bell, Nebraska.
                           **********
THURSDAY, JULY 9
     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? Ask before convention ends. Miss Rovig, JOB.
                           **********
     JOB'S NETWORKING BREAKFAST FOR COMPUTER-ACCESS TEACHERS
     Are you teaching computer access to blind children or
     adults? Do you want to? Colorado Center for the Blind and
     Louisiana Center for the Blind teachers.
                           **********
     JOB'S THIRD ANNUAL NETWORKING BREAKFAST FOR ENTREPRENEURS
     Connie Leblond, Maine; Bob Ray, Iowa.
                           **********
FRIDAY, JULY 10
     JOB's BREAKFAST FOR EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS
     By JOB invitation only. A sharing of the best ideas of the
     past year. Lorraine Rovig, Director, JOB.
                           **********
        Louisiana Center for the Blind Players Production
                           **********
     The Sky is Blue and Black is the title of this year's
original play, written by Jerry Whittle and performed by the
Louisiana Center for the Blind Players. Performances will be
Monday evening, July 6.
                           **********
                     The Merchants Division
                        by Charles Allen
                           **********
     Having conducted a daylong workshop during the recent
Washington Seminar, the Merchants Division plans no seminar
during the National Convention, only the usual division meeting.
However, we will sell flowers for the banquet, tickets for a
$1,000 drawing, and snack packs, and we will give away soft
drinks. We will announce the raffle winner at the banquet.
                           **********
                           Mock Trial
                        by Scott LaBarre
                           **********
     For the first time the National Association of Blind Lawyers
will sponsor a mock trial at the 1998 Convention. This trial will
re-enact an old Federation case. Federation lawyers will be
pitted against each other arguing the merits of the two
positions. At present we believe we will revisit the 1986
Jacobson case, which explored the right of blind people to sit in
emergency exit rows. This case was tried to a jury and won by the
Federation. See your favorite Federation lawyers strut their
legal stuff.
     There will be a nominal charge for the trial. All funds will
benefit the National Association of Blind Lawyers. The trial will
take place on Sunday afternoon, July 5, at 4:30 p.m. somewhere in
the convention hotel. Consult the convention agenda for the exact
place.

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Lauren Ross of California sings at the 1996
Showcase of Talent.]
                           **********
                         Music Division
                        by Linda Mentink
                           **********
     The Music Division will again conduct its Showcase of Talent
at this year's convention. It will take place on Tuesday evening,
July 7. If you would like to participate in the Showcase, here
are the guidelines: 1) Sign up no later than noon, Tuesday. 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.
     The Music Division's annual meeting is expected to include
an update on music Braille from a representative of the National
Library Service. Remember that 1998 is an election year. The
current officers are President, Linda Mentink (Wisconsin); First
Vice President, Mary Brunoli (Connecticut); Second Vice
President, Denise Bravell (California); Secretary, Linda Milliner
(California); and Treasurer, Ben Snow (Connecticut). Division
dues are $5 and may be paid any time before the meeting. Ben
Snow's address is 358 Orange Street, Apartment 409, New Haven,
Connecticut 06511.
                           **********
    National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith
                        by Robert Parrish
                           **********
     The National Association of the Blind in Communities of
Faith (NABICF) is a new division this year even though we have
been meeting at convention for several years. We will conduct a
seminar this summer at the Hyatt Regency DFW, on Monday, July 6.
The theme is "Being Lights in the World of Religion." This
seminar promises to be the best we have yet had and will include
such speakers as Ehab Yamini, who is a leader in the Islamic
tradition, and Leroy Delafosse, who is the executive director of
Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc. Priscilla Ferris, a member of the
NFB Board of Directors, and Agnes Allen, an active Roman Catholic
lay leader,will share with us what they have done in their home
communities as members of this division. As a result of their
exciting work, others will have opportunities to serve as
division leaders in their state affiliates.
     In addition to all of this, I will make a report of what we
have done as a division during the past year. I believe you will
see that as a new division our progress has been steady and sure.
We are truly on the cutting edge in our religious communities and
have great potential for making significant progress.
     What more could one want from this division? All right, how
about a raffle? During the course of the 1998 convention our
division will be selling raffle tickets for $2 apiece to raise
money for its upkeep and endeavors. The lucky person whose ticket
is drawn at the annual banquet will win $300.
     Everyone is invited to participate in our seminar and
raffle-ticket sale. NABICF hopes to help make the 1998 convention
of the National Federation of the Blind the most rewarding and
exciting convention ever.
                           **********
             National Association of Blind Educators
                       by Bonnie Peterson
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Educators (NABE) is the
largest organization of blind educational professionals in the
country. We will hold our annual meeting on Monday, July 6, from
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. as part of the convention of the National
Federation of the Blind.
     Join us as established classroom teachers, college
professors, and educational consultants discuss many exciting
topics. Dr. Floyd Matson, Professor of Communication at the
University of Hawaii and author of Walking Alone and Marching
Together: A History of the Organized Blind Movement in the United
States 1940-1990, will discuss how his life was significantly
influenced by a blind educator, Jacobus tenBroek, the founder and
first President of the National Federation of the Blind, a
college professor, and a prolific writer. We will also hear from
Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, Commissioner of the Rehabilitation
Services Administration and Past President of NABE.
     Everyone in the field of education, students planning to
enter the profession, and anyone interested in improving personal
skills and sharing techniques and ideas related to education are
welcome. We recognize that we are all both students and teachers
of life and the Federation.
                           **********
              National Association of Blind Lawyers
                        by Scott LaBarre
                           **********
     As the hot days of summer draw even closer, activity in the
National Association of Blind Lawyers also begins to heat up.
First, I would like to invite all of you to join us in Dallas to
take part in the largest meeting of blind lawyers and legal
professionals held anywhere in the country. The National
Association of Blind Lawyers will meet Monday, July 6, 1998, from
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency DFW, as part of the
fifty-eighth annual Convention of the National Federation of the
Blind.
     We will discuss many exciting topics on that afternoon.
Speaking from their expertise, lawyers will give an update on the
current status of laws affecting the blind. We will hear reports
on various advocacy matters in which the Federation has been
involved throughout the last year. We expect that officials from
the American Bar Association and Texas Bar Association will
address the group. Experienced practitioners will offer
strategies on how best to conduct various types of cases. We
expect to hear from a blind judge who was recently appointed to
the Federal Bench. This and much more will take place at our
annual meeting in Dallas.
                           **********
                            Reception
                           **********
     As NABL President I am also pleased to announce that we will
be hosting a reception after the NABL meeting for blind lawyers,
law students, and legal professionals. This reception will give
us the opportunity to get to know each other and share ideas.
Blind law students will be able to learn how their predecessors
did it. Practicing professionals will learn new tips from their
colleagues.
     With our regular meeting, the mock trial, and the reception,
the National Association of Blind Lawyers plans to be busy in
Dallas. Make your plans now and join us in big D.
                           **********
   National Association of Blind Secretaries and Transcribers
                          by Lisa Hall
                           **********
     The National Association of Blind Secretaries and
Transcribers will meet on Saturday, July 4, at the Hyatt Regency
DFW. Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting will
begin at 7:00. It should be an interesting meeting with lots of
information for blind secretaries and transcribers who are not
yet on the Internet. I am sure that there will be other topics to
discuss such as customer-service-representative training, Braille
transcription, etc.
     The officers of the National Association of Blind
Secretaries and Transcribers are: Lisa Hall, President; Janet
Triplett, Vice President; Mary Donahue, Secretary; and Carol
Clark, Treasurer.
     Those interested in joining the division may send their
names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and dues of $3
to Lisa Hall, National Association of Blind Secretaries and
Transcribers, 9110 Broadway, Apartment J103, San Antonio,Texas
78217. If you have questions or ideas, call (210) 829-4571 or
send e-mail to lisahall@texas.net
     We are also planning to establish a listserv for e-mail
discussion for this division. Perhaps other ideas will come
forward at our meeting as well. If you are a secretary or
transcriber or are thinking about these professions, plan to join
us.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Melody Lindsey (left), Pam Dubel (right), and
Roland Allen (seated) enjoy Monte Carlo night.]
             National Association of Blind Students
                          by Ana Ugarte
                           **********
     Sunday night, July 5, the National Association of Blind
Students will conduct its annual meeting and seminar. Consult the
convention agenda for the exact time and place. Wednesday
evening, July 8, our annual Monte Carlo night goes western as a
saloon night. Come and join us for a night of western
entertainment, drawings, and games. If you are a student,
thinking about becoming one, or just looking for a good time with
interesting people, join the members of NABS at our activities
during the convention.
                           **********
             National Association of Guide Dog Users
                       by Priscilla Ferris
                           **********
     The National Association of Guide Dog Users will conduct a
seminar for all guide dog users and other interested persons on
Saturday, July 4, at our National Convention in Dallas.
Registration will begin at 12:45 p.m. The registration fee is
$15. If you wish to register ahead of time and avoid the long,
long line, you may send your dues, name and address, and phone
number to our Treasurer, Priscilla Ferris, 140 Wood Street,
Somerset, Massachusetts 02726. Checks should be made payable to
NAGDU. The seminar will begin at 1:30 with welcoming remarks by
our President, Dr. Paul Gabias. We are planning a full agenda.
                           **********
       National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
                 Time to Sing "Ode to the Code"
                        by Betty Niceley
                           **********
     The National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
(NAPUB) has something wonderful in store for you. Since you don't
want to miss it, get busy finalizing those plans to be in Dallas
at the most exciting event to take place this summer--the NFB
National Convention. Of course I am not prejudiced when I tell
you that one of the convention's very finest events will take
place on Monday evening, July 6, when Napubbers gather for a
lively meeting to celebrate Braille and then participate in an
evening filled with surprises you will always remember.
     A number of ideas are being combined this year to make NAPUB
night quite special. Come prepared to share information at the
meeting and join the fun afterwards as we enjoy ourselves Texas-
style. See you there.
                           **********
      National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
          Java, the Graphical User Interface, and More
                         by Curtis Chong
                           **********
     If you want to learn about efforts to make Java accessible,
if you want to know what Java is, or if you are simply interested
in Windows and the graphical user interface (GUI), come to the
1998 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer
Science. All of these issues, and others dealing with computer
technology and its use by the blind, will be discussed at the
meeting.
     Java is a way of distributing intelligent applications over
networks such as the Internet. These applications can run on many
different computers (referred to as platforms in the trade). The
ability to write a single program capable of running on different
computers is called platform independence. It has been a long-
sought-after commodity. The appeal of Java is that, for the first
time, true platform independence may have been achieved. It is
very likely that Java applications will become the standard means
for people both at work and at home to interact with the
computer. Within the next year or so Java probably will be the
next accessibility hurdle for the blind. Fortunately, companies
such as Sun Microsystems and IBM are working on the problem. We
expect to hear from both companies at our meeting. There is talk
of a Java-based screen reader. Some of us have even heard about
WordPerfect written in Java.
     There has been a lot of discussion about Microsoft. Many of
the programs we use come from that company. Because we have some
real concerns about the company's efforts to make its software
truly useful to the blind, we are trying to get someone from
senior management to speak at our meeting. It is too early to
tell if our efforts will succeed, but whatever happens, we will
hear from someone at Microsoft.
     Part of the meeting will be devoted to presentations from
vendors of screen-access technology for the blind. The purpose of
these presentations is to help us understand the problems and
successes encountered by the various companies who make the
software we need in order to know what is happening on the
computer screen. The work of these companies is often more
challenging when major players such as Microsoft make significant
changes to operating system and application software. In an ideal
world these changes should not require us to change our screen-
access software. Alas, the world of software and system upgrades
is far from ideal.
     The meeting itself will take place on Monday, July 6, from
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. somewhere in the Hyatt Regency DFW. Check
your convention agenda for room location information.
     Membership in the NFB in Computer Science costs $5 a year.
For information about the meeting and also to renew your
membership in the organization, contact Curtis Chong, President,
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science, 1800
Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, Phone (410) 659-9314,
e-mail nfb@access.digex.net
                           **********
                    NFB NET Training Seminar
                        by David Andrews
                           **********
     No matter where you turn today, you constantly hear about
the Internet. This is as true for blind people and our
publications as it is for our sighted colleagues, friends, and
relatives. Seeing the importance of this trend, NFB NET, the
official bulletin board service of the National Federation of the
Blind, has made its resources available on the Internet since
October of 1996.
     It has been possible to Telnet to NFB NET since that time,
and we now have over 1,600 users from around the world. This
means that, if you have access to the Internet using a shell
account or a PPP connection, you can reach NFB NET free from
anywhere in the world. If you don't know what any of this means
or if you just want to learn more about NFB NET and the different
ways to access the service, come to the annual NFB NET training
seminar at the 1998 convention of the National Federation of the
Blind in Dallas, Texas.
     The seminar will be a part of the pre-convention activities
and will be held on Saturday, July 4, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
Please check the pre-convention agenda when you arrive in Dallas
to find the location and to double-check the time.
     We will cover the Telnet process, both from Windows 95 and
from DOS. We will demonstrate using a shell account, a DOS client
like Nettamer, and one or more Windows 95-based Telnet clients.
You will learn how to Telnet to NFB NET; log onto the service;
register; read messages and download files, including the Braille
Monitor; and more.
     Please join us on Saturday, July 4, in Dallas for the annual
NFB NET Training Seminar. See you in Dallas.
                           **********
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Joe Cutter and Hailee Linhart of Washington
demonstrate proper use of the white cane for parents and blind
children attending the 1996 cane walk.]
       National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
                       by Barbara Cheadle
                           **********
     The theme of the 1998 annual national seminar for parents of
blind children is: "A Chance to Belong." Registration begins at
8:00 a.m., Saturday, July 4. The registration fee is $5 per
person. The general seminar session will run from 9:00 a.m. to
noon. Among the morning presentations will be a discussion of how
to promote self-advocacy among children, a panel of children
talking about the ten courtesy rules for blind kids, and a
special presentation by Dr. Adrienne Asch honoring her father,
who was instrumental in helping her get "A Chance to Belong." We
are hoping to offer a box lunch at a reasonable price so that
those who would like more time to attend concurrent workshops in
the afternoon may do so. The workshops will run from 1:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m.
     At 4:30 we invite all seminar participants (and others at
the convention) to come back together to enjoy a Cane Parade by
the children in NFB Camp. All kids--sighted and blind--among
other activities that day will decorate canes and conduct a Cane
Parade for parents while their camp counselors give a
presentation about what they did that day to learn about how
blind people do things so that they too have a chance to belong.
     The concurrent workshop topics include the following:
"Giving Blind Kids a Chance to Belong in Sports, Recreation,
Music, and the Arts"; "Keeping Up With the World: Helping Blind
Kids Speed Up and Keep Up"; "Teaching Braille to the Partially
Sighted Student: Rationale and Methodology"; "Technology from a
Kid's Point of View" (a panel of blind children and youth
discussing and demonstrating the technology they use in school);
"Beginning Braille for Parents"; network meetings for parents of
deaf-blind children and for parents of blind, multiply
handicapped children; and a viewing of a new NOPBC video about
the IEP process.
     Instead of a field trip on Saturday, NFB Camp will operate a
special session for children ages four or five through twelve on
the theme, "A Chance to Belong." (Child care will be provided for
younger children and babies.) Children will learn how blind
people can use alternative techniques--such as Braille and cane
travel--so that they can belong just like everyone else. The
children will also have fun and learn through music, crafts,
games, stories, and discussions. The regular NFB Camp fees apply
for this day.
     For teens there will be a special baby-sitting course
conducted by Carla McQuillan emphasizing behavior management
(disciplining children). We also hope to have a segment on sign
language and specific techniques for working with children with
different disabilities. This class will not be a repeat of last
year's, so teens who attended the baby-sitting course last year
are encouraged to attend this one as well. The fee will be $10,
including lunch. Participants must be between the ages of twelve
and eighteen to take the course. Time: registration--10:00 a.m.,
class: 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. the teens
will have a chance to practice their new skills by assisting in
NFB Camp's cane decorating and Cane Parade.
     Saturday evening as usual the NOPBC will offer a Family
Hospitality Night from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Although we don't
have a menu yet, the food and drinks provided last year were such
a hit that we guarantee food and drinks again this year.
     Also Saturday evening will be our annual Teen Convention
Orientation and Scavenger Hunt from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Youth will
be able to meet other teens and learn the layout of the hotel
through a scavenger hunt, which will include fun prizes and food.
Mildred Rivera of Maryland is chairing this activity.
     Sunday, July 5, we will once again sponsor two one-hour
sessions of a Cane Walk. From 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
to 11:30 a.m. kids and parents can get a hands-on cane lesson
from volunteers in the NFB. Most of the volunteers are blind,
experienced cane users, and many work as professional cane travel
instructors. Teachers are invited to come and participate too.
Joe Cutter and Arlene Hill will once again coordinate this
activity.
     Monday, July 6: The big event for kids this day is a field
trip to a dude ranch (see Carla McQuillan's section on child care
for details). While the kids are off playing, parents can enjoy
an afternoon of networking with other parents at the annual
meeting of the NOBPC from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
     Tuesday, July 7: The highly popular IEP Workshop will once
again be conducted from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. This year we encourage
every state affiliate to send a representative to this workshop
to learn about the new IDEA amendments and how they should be
implemented through the IEP process.
     Wednesday, July 8: During the free afternoon parents and
teachers are encouraged to drop into a movement and cane travel
discussion and question-and-answer session conducted between 2:00
and 5:00 p.m. by Joe Cutter. The format is casual, and
participants may drop in any time and leave when they like. Also
on Wednesday afternoon we are putting together a hands-on
workshop on creating tactile materials. More details will be
available later.
                           **********
            National Organization of the Senior Blind
                        by Christine Hall
                           **********
     The annual meeting of the National Organization of the
Senior Blind will be held on Monday, July 6, 1998, from 1:00 to
5:00 p.m. Members and interested parties, please note the time of
the meeting has been changed because we are now a division and no
longer a committee. We are planning an interesting and exciting
meeting, and at the time of this writing in late January, we plan
to have an ophthalmologist from the Dallas area speak to us on
aging and vision loss and changes occurring in the provision of
health care services. Please plan to arrive on time so dues of $5
can be collected and names and addresses can be obtained for the
membership list. We look forward to seeing you in Dallas.
                           **********
                Piano Tuners Division Reorganizes
                         by Don Mitchell
                           **********
     The Piano Tuners Division of the National Federation of the
Blind will re-organize at the National Convention this summer in
Dallas/Fort Worth. Don Mitchell of the Clark County Chapter in
Washington state has been asked to help re-organize this
division. At our meeting we will consider the purpose of this
division, develop bylaws, elect officers, and set goals for the
division.
     Piano tuning is and has been an excellent career choice for
both blind and sighted men and women. I hope this division can
assist blind piano tuners in finding equality and success in
their chosen field and can share this exciting career opportunity
with other blind men and women.
     Look for the time and place in your convention program. Don
Mitchell, the director of instruction and vice president of the
Emil Fries School of Piano Tuning and Technology, previously
known as the Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training Center, hopes
to greet both tuners and other interested blind persons at this
organizational meeting.
                           **********
                     Social Security Seminar
                         by James Gashel
                           **********
     An outreach seminar (Social Security and Supplemental
Security Income: What Applicants, Advocates, and Recipients
Should Know) will take place on Wednesday afternoon, July 8. 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 a representative to
be announced from the Social Security Administration.
                           **********
                        Writers' Division
                         by Tom Stevens
                           **********
     Writing is the surest way to give something a degree of
permanence. The spoken word vanishes in a few seconds, and
usually what remains is an idea or a concept.
     However, when we write, we offer our views, our knowledge to
others. The effectiveness of writing can be seen in the millions
of pages which are published each year. One facet of the Writers'
Division is to make useful information available to people who
would like to write.
     In Dallas we plan a workshop for Saturday, July 4, the day
preceding registration and resolutions. The program is not yet
complete but will begin with registration at 1:15 p.m., and the
workshop will conclude by approximately 4:00 p.m. There will be a
question-and-answer session, and books authored by presenters may
be available. The cost of the workshop will be $10.
     We will also conduct the division's annual meeting. In
addition to several presentations on various topics, this fast-
growing meeting will let you meet some of the division's officers
and some of the best of the writers in the National Federation of
the Blind. So gear up. Head your cayuse for Dallas and bring
along a couple of writing instruments so you can take home some
of our information. Division membership for first-timers is $5
and $10 for renewals. Members receive our quarterly magazine,
Slate and Style, on tape, in large print, or in Braille.
Questions may be directed to Tom Stevens at (573) 445-6091.

----------
An article from the April 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                      1998 Convention Tours
                         by Tommy Craig
                           **********
     From the Editor: We are now under three months and counting
until the 1998 convention of the National Federation of the Blind
at the Hyatt Regency DFW. The dates are July 4 to 11. If you have
not yet made your room reservations, you should do so
immediately. National convention room rates will never be better.
This year they are singles, $41; doubles and twins, $43; triples,
$45; and quads, $47. Call the Hyatt Regency DFW directly to make
your reservation. The number is (972) 453-1234. Do not call the
Hyatt national toll-free number to make your reservation because
it will not be honored. Consult the Convention Bulletin in the
December, 1997, Braille Monitor for all the details. Here is news
about convention tours for 1998 as arranged by NFB of Texas
President Tommy Craig:
                           **********
     Texas is a big place, so there's a lot to do in the Lone
Star state. The NFB of Texas wants you to get a small taste, at
least, of the many fun and interesting things that we have to
offer. During the Convention of the National Federation of the
Blind we have scheduled a number of tours for your enjoyment. A
list of these and their prices follows. Be sure to make your
choices quickly and send your complete order and check for the
full amount to the address listed before June 19. Here is the
list of tours:
                           **********
Wednesday, July 8
                           **********
Six Flags Over Texas, $38 per person (children under three free)
                           **********
     This tour consists of round-trip transportation from the
hotel to the Six Flags Over Texas Amusement Park, which is one of
the finest in the entire country. You can ride exciting roller-
coasters or enjoy live entertainment at dozens of shows. The tour
will leave the hotel at 1:00 p.m. and return at 10:00 p.m.
                           **********
Kennedy/Dallas West End Tour $30 per person
                           **********
     This consists of a brief tour of downtown Dallas, a tour of
the Kennedy Memorial and the Sixth-Floor Museum, and an evening
in the historic Dallas West-End Warehouse District. It contains
many striking architectural features including brick-paved
streets. It is full of wonderful restaurants and a number of
music and comedy clubs. This tour will leave the hotel at 2:30
p.m. and return at 10:00 p.m.
                           **********
The Studio at Las Colinas, $20 per person
                           **********
     This tour consists of round-trip transportation to the Las
Colinas Studio, a real working television and movie sound stage.
You will see the sound stages where movies such as JFK, Silkwood,
and Robocop were made. This tour will also include a trip to the
National Communications Museum with thousands of memorabilia
items from radio and television. The Communications Museum has
numerous hands-on exhibits. This tour will leave the hotel at
1:30 p.m. and return about 5:00 p.m.
                           **********
Billy Bob's Texas, $25 per person
                           **********
     This visit to the biggest honky-tonk in the world, located
in Fort Worth's Stockyard District, departs the hotel at 6:30
p.m. and returns at midnight. Billy Bob's has been refurbished
since our last visit to Texas, and it still boasts more bars than
you can count in an evening. Chances are that this will be the
most popular convention tour again this year.
                           **********
Friday Evening, July 10
                           **********
Trail Dust Steak House and Mesquite Rodeo, $40 per person
                           **********
     This tour is the perfect way to wind down after a busy
convention. It includes round-trip transportation to the Trail
Dust Steak House, where you can enjoy Texas cooking at its
finest. After dinner you will be transported to the Mesquite
rodeo, where you can enjoy some real cowboy action. This tour
will leave the hotel at 5:15 p.m. and return at 11:30 p.m.
                           **********
Saturday morning, July 11
                           **********
Breakfast and Riding at the Circle R Ranch, $40
                           **********
     The Circle R Ranch is near the airport, so plan an afternoon
departure for home and you can enjoy breakfast and horseback
riding before you leave. The bus will depart from the hotel at
8:00 a.m. and return by noon. You won't ride long enough or far
enough to get saddle-sore, but you will take home a real taste of
Texas.
                           **********
     If you would like to take part in any of these tours, you
should contact Ms. Jackie Gottlieb, Eagle Tours, 1634 Irving
Boulevard, Irving, Texas 75060, Phone (972) 721-0545.
     The deadline for reserving tours is June 19, 1998. Tour
orders must include clear indication of which tour tickets are
being purchased, the number of tickets needed, and full payment
for all tickets. Checks should be made payable to Eagle Tours.
     We look forward to seeing you all in Dallas. Come early and 
stay late so you can enjoy lots of great Texas fun and
hospitality.

----------
An article from the April 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                 Dialysis at National Convention
                          by Ed Bryant
                           **********
     From the Editor: Ed Bryant is President of the Diabetes
Action Network, a division of the National Federation of the
Blind. This is what he says about dialysis during the national
convention:
                           **********
     Dialysis will be available during this year's annual
convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Dallas,
Texas, Saturday, July 4, through Friday, July 10. Those requiring
dialysis must have a transient patient packet and physician's
statement filled out prior to treatment. Conventioneers should
have their unit contact the desired location in the Dallas area
for instructions.
     Individuals will be responsible for, and must pay out of
pocket prior to each treatment, the approximately $30 not covered
by Medicare, plus any additional physicians' fees and any charges
for Erythropoietin (EPO) or Calcijex.
     Dialysis centers should set up transient dialysis locations
at least three months in advance. This helps assure a location
for anyone wanting to dialyze. There are only a few centers close
to the Hyatt Regency DFW on the grounds of the Dallas-Fort Worth
Airport, so an early reservation is essential.
     Here are some dialysis locations:
                           **********
Irving Dialysis Center, 720 Plymouth Park, Irving, Texas 75061,
telephone: (972) 258-0880. Note: This Center moved to this
location February 1. This address is correct; the new phone
listing was unavailable at press time. Calls will be transferred
for several weeks; but you may need to call information. This is
the closest facility to the airport--about ten minutes by taxi
from the convention hotel.
                           **********
Hurst-Euless Bedford (HEB) Dialysis, 1401 Brown Trail Road, Suite
A, Bedford, Texas 76022, telephone: (817) 282-8870. Depending on
traffic, fifteen to thirty minutes from the convention hotel.
                           **********
Ameri-Tech Kidney Center, 1600 Central Drive, Bedford, Texas
76022, telephone: (817) 540-6084. Approximately the same distance
as HEB.
                           **********
South Arlington Dialysis Center (BMA), 3295 South Cooper, Suite
137 (Cooper and Mayfield), Arlington, Texas 76015, telephone:
(817) 465-8586. Furthest from the convention hotel, this center
is perhaps thirty minutes away.
                           **********
     Please remember to schedule dialysis treatments early. If
scheduling assistance is needed, contact Diabetes Action Network
President Ed Bryant at (573) 875-8911. See you in Dallas.

----------
An article from the May 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                        Raising the Bar:
                First Time at National Convention
                          by Dan Burke
                           **********
     From the Editor: People who have attended National
Conventions know what an astonishing impact that first experience
can have on a life, but it's hard to convey to those who have
never taken their courage in both their hands and decided to go
what a difference that week of inspiration, information, and
friendship can make in their lives. They can easily conceive of
all sorts of problems, real and imagined, that might befall them:
lost luggage, masses of strangers, inability to find meetings or
restaurants--you know the list. It doesn't matter how many times
experienced Federationists explain that luggage gets found, that
there are no strangers at an NFB convention, and that anyone who
isn't lost will stop and help those who are. One simply has to go
and experience it all firsthand.

     These are logistical matters that can at least be discussed.
What such people cannot begin to understand is the impact they
will feel from the challenge and inspiration they find at a
convention. It changes lives and brings hope and determination
where they were absent. We stand a little straighter, try a
little harder, set our goals a little higher.

     Dan Burke is one of the leaders of our Montana affiliate. He
attended his first National Convention in 1997. He wrote about
the experience in the spring issue of The Observer, the
organization's newsletter. This is what he said:
                           **********
     In New Orleans last summer the National Federation of the
Blind broke its own convention attendance record: well over 3,000
blind people from across the United States, from Canada, and from
around the world came to New Orleans. That was an organizational
best, setting the bar a bit higher for future conventions to
better. But I embraced a personal challenge--raising the bar of
what I expect of myself as a blind person.

     As I left high school and moved through college more than
two decades ago, the wisdom spoken around me was to take the safe
route, forget about childhood dreams, ignore the heart. Both my
parents and my counselor for the blind in Colorado truly wanted
the best for me, but my discussions with them left me with the
distinct impression that the rules were different for me because
I was blind, or rather because I would become blind. At the time
I didn't know any better. It would be a long time before I began
to realize that what needed to be different was what I thought
about being blind, not about what I wanted for myself.

     I struggled through college in four years, passing as a
sighted person, but always afraid of being discovered and feeling
the embarrassment of inadequacy at my inability to function as a
sighted student. After college I put my sheepskin in a drawer and
set off aimlessly on what turned out to be a downward-spiraling
series of unsatisfying jobs. I skipped my ten-year high school
reunion. Though I was bound for graduate school the next fall, I
felt my life was at an all-time low and just beginning on its
upward turn. The facts were, as I saw it that summer, that I had
accomplished nothing, was on Social Security, had just become a
father, and was more broke than I had ever been in my life.

     I was finally heading into a rehabilitation career, but by
default. Frankly I didn't have the confidence to attempt anything
else, and like so many who feel little personal power to help
their own circumstances, I decided the thing I needed to do was
to help others.

     The attitude that I must accept less than I wanted began to
change, though. And by the time I landed in New Orleans last
summer, I was hungry for confirmation that blindness need not
mean giving up on dreams, giving up on achieving beyond the
expectations of family, friends, neighbors, and rehabilitation
professionals. And I found what I was looking for.

     I was impressed with many things--the many divisions, such
as Braille, merchants, lawyers, scientists and techno-geeks,
writers, and journalists. The many professions introduced in
general sessions or smaller division meetings made the greatest
impression on me. The scholarship winners especially intrigued
and excited me because among their many academic disciplines were
several I had ruled out when I was younger as closed to a blind
person. We heard from a surgeon (who once lived in Missoula!) who
found his way back into employment after becoming blind, working
as a consultant. I talked to a woman working on her master of
fine arts in creative writing and teaching courses as well. One
of the scholarship candidates was completing study as a dinosaur
paleontologist. The vocational rehabilitation program in Nebraska
helped a blind man fulfill his dream of becoming a trucker--not
to drive, but to begin a successful trucking company.

     Admittedly there was a time in my life when hearing about
such successful blind people would have terrified me. It would
have made me confront my own feelings about my blindness and the
insecurity I felt. It would have raised the bar, the level of
expectations for achievement, that didn't fit with my lack of
confidence in myself. Now, however, I am tickled pink to carry my
white cane. The news carrier can hear my Perkins Brailler
thunking away at 5:30 in the morning as I compose poems in
Braille.

     In the end the talk I had with a man from Iowa, a
scholarship finalist who was working on his doctorate in clinical
psychology, summed it up best for me. His chief area of interest,
he told me, was in examining how the way we feel affects the way
we think. Of course, I thought to myself, if I feel depressed or
embarrassed or useless because I can't see, then I will think
there is little open to me because I can't see. But when I can
begin to feel that blindness isn't the problem, I can begin to
think in terms of possibilities, begin to expect more and work
harder for what I want. I can raise the bar higher and higher for
myself.

     So since the convention last July that's what I have done.

----------
An article from the May 1998 issue of the Braille Monitor,


                        Convention Extras
                      by Elizabeth Campbell
                           **********
     From the Editor: The following article is the last pre-
convention offering from the Texas affiliate. In just a few weeks
we will be gathering for the 1998 convention of the National
Federation of the Blind, and you don't want to miss it. President
Maurer is hard at work on the convention agenda, and you already
know from recent Monitor articles just how much activity is
planned around official agenda items. So if you haven't yet made
your hotel reservation, do it today. Call the Hyatt Regency DFW
at (972) 453-1234; do not call the Hyatt's national toll-free
number because reservations made through it will not be honored.
Convention room rates are singles, $41; doubles and twins, $43;
triples, $45; and quads, $47. As far as we now know, the tax will
be 12 percent. The first full day of pre-convention activities is
Saturday, July 4, and the closing gavel falls at 5 p.m. Friday,
July 10.

     Liz Campbell is the President of the Fort Worth Chapter of
the NFB of Texas and a reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
As you will read, she knows a good bit about the greater
Dallas/Fort Worth area. This is what she says:

                           **********
     Howdy y'all! This is how native Texans and transplants alike
welcome our friends to a state which many say is like visiting a
whole other country.

     Indeed, the state has everything from beaches along the Gulf
Coast to mountains in west Texas. You won't have time to travel
to other parts of Texas, though, because your visit to the
bustling Dallas/Fort Worth area will give you so many choices
that it will be difficult to decide which local attractions you,
your family, and friends should choose during your free hours. So
we'd better get started on our journey.

     The Dallas/Fort Worth Hyatt Regency Hotel sits in the midst
of the busiest airport in the world. From our convention
headquarters hotel fascinating museums, restaurants, amusement
parks, and other attractions are not far away.

     Most of the sprawling airport is in Grapevine, a city
founded during the 1850's. Now much of Main Street is listed in
the National Registry of Historic Places. Main Street boasts a
collection of unique shops including a German bread store and a
doll maker's shop. Behind Main Street artisans demonstrate the
almost-forgotten skills of glass blowing and blacksmithing.
Walking tours of the Main Street area are also available. Main
Street is also the home of the Cotton Belt Depot, where a
nineteenth-century train called the "Tarantula Steam Train" takes
passengers from Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards. We'll
talk about the Stockyards later in this article. The "Tarantula"
train gets its name from the maze of railroad tracks that
crisscross Fort Worth. The railroad map looks like a tarantula.
The depot is also the home of a free museum that features the
history of the city.

     Grapevine got its name from the wild mustang grapes that
grew there, and the city hosts the popular festival celebrating
Texas wines called Grape Fest. Several Texas wineries have
tasting rooms in Grapevine. For more details on things to do in
Grapevine, call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (817)
481-0454.

     You won't want to pass up a chance to visit Grapevine Mills
Outlet Mall, a new attraction that promises shopping bargains and
good food. Two particularly interesting places at the mall are
Dick Clark's Restaurant, complete with rock-n-roll memorabilia,
and the Rain Forest Cafe. As this name implies, this eatery will
transport you to the tropics for food and adventure. NFB shuttle
busses from the hotel to Grapevine will run at various times each
day from Friday, July 3, through Friday, July 10. For more
details about the mall and its restaurants call (972) 724-4910.

     Irving, another city close to our hotel, features upscale
shopping in Las Colinas. This exclusive community is also home to
the movie studios featured in our convention tours. (See the
April, 1998, Braille Monitor for tour details.)

     While in Las Colinas, don't pass up a chance to see the
sculptures of wild mustangs near the Four Seasons Hotel. The
horses are standing in a reflecting pool. Irving is also home to
the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Stadium. For more details about
Irving call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (972) 252-7476

     Now, let's head west to Fort Worth, the best spot in Texas.
Okay, I might be just a little prejudiced. Will Rogers coined the
saying: "Fort Worth is where the West begins, and Dallas is where
the East peters out."

     Fort Worth, founded after the Mexican-American War, grew up
around railroads, the Stockyards, and cowboys; it was an
important stop along the Chisholm Trail before cowboys headed
north to Kansas City and Chicago. You can still find these
aspects of the West today, but now the Stockyards, in north Fort
Worth, is a historic tour attraction complete with Billy Bob's
Texas, the largest honky-tonk in the world, and the Tarantula
Steam Train. The train departs from Stockyards Station, which is
also the home of many shops and restaurants, including the Ernest
Tubb Record Shop.

     Fort Worth has its cultural side, too. It is often referred
to as the "museum capital of the southwest." Four museums are
located in an area known as the Cultural District, just west of
downtown. The Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, the Kimbel Art
Museum, the Museum of Science and History, and the Modern Art
Museum attract many visitors.

     Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth is another fun place
to visit with a coffee bar, restaurants, movie theaters, and
shops. It is also adjacent to the Outlet Square shopping mall.
For more information about Fort Worth attractions, call the
Convention and Visitors Bureau at (817) 336-8791.

     Now let's head east! If you're looking for baseball and
amusement parks, Arlington, which is between Fort Worth and
Dallas, is the perfect place.

     The ball park at Arlington, which offers tours daily, is the
home of the Texas Rangers baseball team. The ball park also
features a baseball museum. Six Flags Over Texas, with rides of
every description and shows for children and adults, is a must
for amusement park enthusiasts. For more details contact the
Convention and Visitors Bureau at (817) 265-7721.

     Last but not least is Dallas, about thirty miles from Fort
Worth. Don't worry; it's closer than that to our hotel. The city
is famous for many attractions, including art museums and the
Neiman Marcus Department Store. It is also the site of the tragic
assassination of John F. Kennedy. The sixth floor of the Dallas
County Administration building is a popular tourism spot.

     Dallas is also known for its eclectic selection of
restaurants and clubs. A well-known area for dining is Greenville
Avenue, which features everything from Thai to southwestern
cuisine. The West End, located in downtown Dallas, is another
popular night spot. Find out more about Dallas by calling the
Convention and Visitors Bureau at (214) 571-2000.

     Now that we've whetted your appetite for a visit to Texas,
there is no excuse for missing a great convention where you will
see old friends and meet new folks.

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