The Braille Spectator
Summer/Fall 1995
The Newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland

MSDE ORDERED TO ENFORCE BRAILLE LITERACY; 1995
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
by Sharon Maneki
The best way to characterize the 1995 session of the Maryland
General
Assembly is that,
since more than half of the members were new to the Assembly, it
was time to
get
acquainted with the ins and outs of the legislative process. The
National
Federation of
the Blind of Maryland obliged the needs of the new legislators by
introducing
them to
the capabilities of blind persons and to our legislative history.
Our legislative
reception,
held on January 23rd at Lou Zuarez's Cafeteria in the Legislative
Services
Building, was
not only a time for a fruitful exchange of ideas between
legislators and their
blind
constituents but also a demonstration of Lou's gourmet catering
capabilities.
Legislators
saw for themselves what blind persons can do when given the
business
opportunities
provided by the Maryland vending program. 

This year, we were forced to concentrate our efforts on literacy
for blind and
visually
impaired students. Although the Maryland General Assembly passed
the Literacy
Rights and Education Act for Blind and Visually Impaired Students
in 1992,
there are
still many problems because of the Maryland State Department of
Education's
weak
enforcement and implementation of the law. We circulated our
Report Card on
Braille
Literacy and recommended actions that the Maryland State
Department of
Education
should take (see "Annual Annapolis Day Focuses on Braille", page
6, in the
Winter
1994-95 issue of the Braille Spectator). As a result of our
efforts, the Maryland
General
Assembly included language in the budget requiring that the
Maryland State
Department of Education will, by September 1, 1995: "... submit a
report to the
General
Assembly that includes information on the status of the
department's compliance
with
the Blind Students Literacy Rights and Education Act of 1992. The
report shall
include
information on the procedures that MSDE will use to collect
information from
the local
education agencies (LEAs), and a description of how this
information shall be
maintained and distributed to the LEAs as required."

It is interesting to note that the budget committees in the
Maryland General
Assembly
also raised concerns about how the Maryland School for the Blind
spends its
state
appropriation. Language was included in the budget requiring that
The Maryland
School for the Blind must: "... prepare a report that includes
information on steps
that
the school is taking to maximize third party cost recoveries
(Medical Assistance,
private
insurance, supplemental security income, etc.). The Maryland
School for the
Blind
should submit this report by September 1, 1995."

As part of our legislative efforts the National Federation of the
Blind of
Maryland
frequently takes positions on bills that will affect blind
persons even though we
did not
recommend the introduction of these bills. As originally
introduced, H.B. 1209,
exempting Division of Rehabilitation Services client appeals from
being heard
by the
Office of Administrative Hearings was too weak. Although the
bill's sponsors
recognized that the Office of Administrative Hearings was
ill-equipped to handle
client
appeals, they did not include a replacement for the appeals
procedure in their
bill.
Thus, control of the appeals procedure would have reverted back
to the Division
of
Rehabilitation Services. We recommended an amendment to the bill,
calling for
appeals
to be heard by appeals panels formed from client representatives,
DORS
representatives, and neutral parties. Unfortunately, the bill
failed in committee.
We will
continue with our efforts to reform the appeals process for DORS
clients. We
also
argued that S.B. 47, raising the number of points charged to a
driver when
convicted of
failing to yield the right-of-way to blind pedestrians, would not
offer greater
protection
to these pedestrians. (See Ron Metenyi's article elsewhere in
this issue.) This bill
was
passed by the Senate but failed in the House.  

The Maryland General Assembly passed two other pieces of
legislation of
interest to us.
S.B. 489 (Senator Rubin) authorizes the Department of
Transportation to give
grants to
counties to bring their paratransit systems into compliance with
the Americans
with
Disabilities Act. H.B. 1354 aims to improve services for students
with
disabilities who
are making the transition from public school to adult services.
The bill requires
the
Department of Education (Division of Special Education and
Division of
Rehabilitation
Services), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,
Developmental
Disabilities
Administration, Mental Hygiene Administration, and the Department
of
Employment
and Economic Development to develop an interagency state plan of
collaboration
for
transition services. 

We are off to a great start with this new General Assembly and
new Governor.
We look
forward to working with them for the next three years to promote
and protect
equal
rights and equal opportunities for blind persons in Maryland.

GREENBELT ACTIVIST FOR BLIND BACKS METRO ON PLATFORMS
by Chris Miller
(From the Prince George's Sentinel, February 23, 1995)
Federal rules designed to protect blind Metrorail riders have
divided local
activists for
the visually impaired. Some support the measure as a way of
safeguarding riders,
others say the rules send the wrong message. 

"It sends a real message that we can't get by without all sorts
of special
modifications,"
said Kenneth Silberman of Greenbelt, president of the Southern
Maryland
chapter of
the National Federation of the Blind. "The Federation believes
that individuals
should
be responsible for themselves."

But local members of another advocacy group, the American Council
for the
Blind,
argue that the changes are necessary to make platforms safe, and
that failing to
resurface them is a threat to the 1990 Americans with
Disabilities Act, the
landmark
legislation that inspired the federal rules. 

"If Metro can ignore the regulation, this is the first chink out
of the ADA," said
Pat
Sheehan, president of the National Capital Area chapter of the
Council. "We
don't want
to see it taken apart piece by piece."

The federal rules require Metro to replace the 18-inch-wide
smooth granite strips
along
the platform edges with a 24-inch rubber strip with raised bumps.
The bumps are
designed to warn the visually impaired that they are approaching
the edge of the
platform.

But the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which
operates the
Metrorail
system, wants to overturn the requirements, and is seeking
further study on the
effectiveness of the bumpy surfaces. A recent study done for
Metro by an Ohio
research
firm concluded: "With the use of travel aids, persons with visual
impairments
should
generally be able to detect the platform edge, regardless of the
warning surface
used,
with a high degree of reliability."

A public hearing on the study will be held March 3, after which
Metro expects
to ask to
be exempted from the ADA requirement because its platforms are as
safe as
surfaces
that meet ADA standards.

For Will Mincey, a Hyattsville resident and member of the area
chapter of the
American Council for the Blind, the study is merely a part of
Metro's strategy
to avoid
changing the surface.

"Of course it's a delaying tactic," he said. "For the last five
years or so they've
been
delaying." During rush hour, when commuters push and shove and
the blind
must
navigate their way in crowds, "the system is not safe," Mincey
said.
But Silberman argues that Metro already is safe for blind people
who use a
guide dog
or a cane. He encourages all blind people to learn how to use
these guides. "If
you do
[change the platform surface], you're encouraging them not to use
techniques
that are
already out there," he said.

Since the Metrorail system opened in 1976, 124 people have fallen
from the
platforms,
according to Metro statistics. Of these, 13 have died, including
two visually
impaired
people. Metro says the changes may cost as much as $30 million,
but people like
Sheehan say that figure is exaggerated.

But Silberman and Federation President Debbie Brown said the
domes and
coarser
surfaces can catch canes, wheelchairs, and even high heels and
cause some riders
to
trip. 

Silberman says he considers the Americans with Disabilities Act
as a
"double-edged
sword" that provides some valuable benefits for the disabled, but
also leads to
unnecessary regulations. "It annoys me. These guys in the federal
government
don't
represent me," he said.

BICKFORD TESTIFIES AT METRO PLATFORM HEARING
From The Editor: Tom Bickford presented the following testimony
on detectable
warning strips
at the WMATA public hearing on March 3. It is a clear and concise
statement
of our position on
this issue. Tom's statement was just one of many excellent
testimonies presented
by
Federationists that day. The hearing lasted well into the
evening. 
James Miller, Secretary WMATA
Subject: Detectable Warning Strips on Metro Platforms

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Thomas
Bickford.
My
address is 11123 Woodson Ave., Kensington, MD 20895. My
presentation is on
behalf of
safe travel for blind people. In 1993 I published a book: Care
and Feeding of the
Long
White Cane, Instructions in Cane Travel for Blind People. One of
the subjects
of the
book is Subways, Escalators, and Elevators. I would like to
expand on that
subject and
relate it to detectable warnings.

I've traveled o'er this country, done so time and time again.
Never had special
contraptions, just my brain and this long cane.

Some thirty years ago I was meeting a sighted friend in a New
York City
subway
station. After greeting me he put his hand on my cane hand and
slid the cane
along as
he walked me up to the platform edge so that the cane tip went
just over the
edge. I
don't remember his exact words, but the message was clear.
There's the edge.
Respect
it. The second point in that same lesson was that the edge itself
is its only true
announcement. The report of the Battelle study on detectable
warnings confirmed
and
repeated that point.

Some twenty years ago when Metro was still in its initial
building stage, I was
part of a
group of blind people who met with Cody Pfanstiehl, Metro's head
of public
relations.
One of the suggestions we brought was a slightly raised platform
edge as a
detectable
warning. The answer was "no," and the reason was this: if it is
high enough to
feel with
your feet, it is high enough to trip over. I believe that the
same reason holds true
today.

Metro platforms have a surface of large tiles, red in color for
those to whom it
makes a
difference. Flush with the platform there is an 4eighteen-inch
edge of textured
granite,
gray in color for those to whom it makes a difference. Let me
describe how I
use those
characteristics. In most places I tap my cane as I swing it from
side to side, but
on Metro
platforms I slide it as I walk. I both feel and hear a regular
clicking from the
tiles and I
know immediately when the cane hits the granite or drops over the
edge. The
method
is easy and can be used by any blind person. Get a cane that
reaches two steps
in front
of you and swing it a little wider than your shoulders (or a lot
wider than your
shoulders). Most importantly, pay attention and keep your wits
about you.

I have tried the raised detectable warning strips at the Union
Station Metro
platform,
and are they raised! First, I remembered that statement from
twenty years ago:
if it is
high enough to feel with your feet, it is high enough to trip
over. Next, I found
that the
irregularities in the detectable warning strips tended to grab my
cane and make
it
harder to hold and control.

There are some questions that each of us must consider. Can a
blind person
make a
foolish mistake that is his/her own fault and not the fault of
the rest of the
world? Who
is at fault when the blind traveler steps over the platform edge
and falls into the
gaps
between cars because he did not tap with a cane and assure
himself that there
was an
open door with a solid floor beyond it? Who is at fault when the
user, who is
walking
along the platform, does not swing the cane wide enough to locate
the platform
edge
and avoid it? Who is at fault when the dog guide user is stopped
by the dog and
still
walks forward off the platform edge?

We blind people can and must learn to be responsible for our own
safety. Metro
is a
good system and has plenty of clues now, if we will but learn how
to use them.

(I've traveled o'er this country, done so time and time again.
Never had special
contraptions, just my brain and this long cane. From The Traffic
Signal Song,
lyrics by
Ted Young.) 

Opposing Views Over the Edge:
Two Blind Metro Riders Reflect Split on Platform Warning Strips
by Stephen C. Fehr
From the Editor: Stephen C. Fehr is a Washington Post Staff
Writer. This article
appeared in the
April 10, 1995 issue of the Washington Post. As we go to press
with this issue
of the Spectator,
it is our understanding that federal officials are not requiring
WMATA to install
the truncated
dome tiles at the edges of its subway platforms. 

Standing on the subway platform at Union Station with a guide
dog, Jim
Dickson tried
to demonstrate why he believes Metro officials should install
bumpy warning
edges on
train platforms.

"I don't know if you want to do this," Dickson, who is blind,
told a reporter as
he
fidgeted in his pocket. "But I brought a blindfold."

The reporter tied the blindfold around his eyes and walked down
the crowded
platform, holding onto Dickson's arm, as rush-hour trains
streaked past a few
feet
away. The idea was to give a sighted person a sense of the
anxiety experienced
by a
blind subway rider trying to avoid falling off the platform edge.

"If I had the benefit of knowing, via my feet, that I was close
to the platform
edge, I
would not only experience a significant lowering of anxiety but I
am certain that
my
risk of death or injury would likewise diminish," said Dickson,
49, of the
Brookland
section of Northeast Washington.

Before the end of the month, federal transit officials are to
decide whether
Metro's
18-inch-wide platform edges provide enough warning to blind
riders or whether
the
transit agency should be ordered to put down a 24-inch-wide strip
of raised
domes. 

Metro is refusing to install the bumpy warning strip, saying the
existing white
granite
edges have been effective in preventing falls from the platforms.
Federal officials
at
first directed Metro to put in the bumpy strip, citing the
requirements of the
1991
Americans With Disabilities Act, but they have agreed to review
the matter.
Many
involved predict that the courts ultimately will decide the
dispute. 

The issue has divided the nation's two leading organizations for
the blind, each
of
which is passionately lobbying Metro and federal officials. Blind
riders packed
recent
hearings at Metro offices that lasted nearly nine hours, longer
than many
hearings on
fare increases. About 2,500 Metro riders are visually impaired.

The split--dubbed "dome wars"--between the American Council of
the Blind and
the
National Federation of the Blind is as much about differing
philosophies as it is
about
the bumpy edges themselves.

Council members such as Dickson say the strip of domes ought to
be there as
a backup
warning for blind people who can't detect the platform edge with
their canes or
dogs.

"Some people may not want special accommodations," said Dickson,
one of the
council's 42,000 members. "But we should presume the
accommodation is
needed"
when making public policy.

Federation members, by contrast, say that installing the bumpy
edges would give
the
rest of society the erroneous impression that blind people can't
ride Metro
without
special adaptations.

"If we're going to make our way in the world, we have to do a lot
of things for
ourselves," said Lloyd Rasmussen, 48, of Kensington, one of the
federation's
50,000
members. "The philosophy is that blind people can do much more
than society
or blind
people themselves expect us to be able to do."

For 19 years, Rasmussen has taken Metro buses and trains between
his home
and his
job at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped in
the
Petworth section of Northwest Washington.

He pays full fare, even though his blindness qualifies him for a
discount. He
puts up
with inconveniences such as narrow, crowded platforms and fare
gates that have
red
and green signals, which tell sighted people which gates are open
but which
don't help
blind riders.

Once on the platform, Rasmussen taps back and forth with a white
cane until he
detects
its edge. Any responsible blind traveler, Rasmussen said, would
rely on the cane
or dog
to find the drop-off, not on a bumpy warning strip that they
would find by
shuffling
their feet.

The domes, which would be two-tenths of an inch high, could pose
a tripping
hazard,
Rasmussen said. A cane could give way to the bumps, knocking the
Metro rider
off
balance, he said, and the bumps could be slippery in rain and
snow, affecting
blind as
well as sighted riders.

"We don't want to create a new hazard [with bumpy edges] unless
there's an 
awfully
good reason to do so," Rasmussen said.

Dickson has been a Metro rider since 1982 and works in the
District as an
organizer for
the National Association of Child Advocates. He said the claims
about hazards
from
the domes are bogus. The bumpy edges have been tested for 10
years elsewhere,
he
said, and have reduced platform falls in San Francisco and Miami.

Metro officials, in response, say that their system has had fewer
falls than any
other
big-city subway. Metro has counted almost 140 falls from
platforms in its
19-year
history; two of the 13 people killed were visually impaired. But
Dickson and
others
contend that many more falls are unreported because the person
was not
seriously
injured.

Bumpy edges are no substitute for a cane or a dog in detecting
the drop-off of
the
platform, Dickson acknowledged. But they are a backup for people
who make
mistakes
with their canes or dogs and have to rely on their feet to
determine where they
are, he
said.

Metro's white granite edges are smooth in texture, similar to the
red paver tiles,
Dickson said, dragging his foot across both surfaces, and the
24-inch-wide
bumpy
surface would provide a sharper contrast.

"Our position has been: Let's put the bumps down and see what
happens,"
Dickson
said, noting that Metro's own advisory committee of disabled
riders has
recommended
the bumpy surfaces. "If the bumps cause people to fall, we'd be
the first to say,
let's get
a different solution."

TIPPING, THE RIGHT THING TO DO 
by Shawn Jacobson
From the Editor: Shawn Jacobson is an active member of our Sligo
Creek
Chapter and a
member of its board of directors. 

A retreat for the NFB of Maryland was held at the National Center
for the Bind
on
March 31 and April 1. One of the seminar topics was how to act
professionally
despite
the misconceptions about blindness held by sighted people. All of
the old
stereotypes
were revisited. We talked about how some people think that being
blind makes
you
deaf, stupid, etc. Why do people think this type of stuff anyway?
Much of the
meeting
went on in a similar manner.

Towards the end of the meeting a funny thing happened. Fred
Flowers
mentioned that
he was on a bus trip to Atlantic City with a bunch of other blind
people. The
hostess
did a great job for the group, but almost no one tipped her. He
pointed out that
hosts
and hostesses rely on tips for most of their income.

We then went on to discuss why this was so. Don't worry, no one
thought that
blindness caused people to be rude or stingy. We thought that
blind people
might not
tip because it is not something expected of us. When sighted
people want to do
everything for us, we get to where we take service for granted;
we then think
that to be
served is our divine right. We also felt that we don't tip
because many of us are
not out
in public that often and therefore don't know that we are
supposed to tip.

Yes, this is probably true, but what do we do about it? I guess
that we can go
on not
tipping and assume that people will always be kind. However, I
strongly believe
that
this attitude hurts us. Fred said that the hostess would never
want to work for
blind
people again after her experience on the Atlantic City trip.
Given any excuse at
all,
people will think that being blind makes you unreasonable, rude,
and generally
selfish.
Having a whole bunch of blind people who don't appreciate what
you do for
them is
going to be noticed and remembered. Thus, when we as blind people
fail to be
acceptably generous, we as blind people pay the price in
stereotyping and in a
generally negative public image.

Sighted people who don't tip are not well liked by people who
depend on tips.
I once
talked to a man who worked in a hotel. He said that everyone
dreads Mary Kay
conventions because people at these conventions are told not to
tip, and they
don't. If
we believe that blind people are like sighted people, then it
follows that we will
not be
well liked if we don't tip.

How much should we tip? About 15% is good in most situations.
More should
be given
if the service was especially good. Sometimes, if the service was
poor or if the
server
was rude, patronizing, or otherwise unpleasant, no tip should be
given. I once
had a
cab ride from northwest Washington to southwest Washington which
went
through all
four quadrants of the city. The driver than charged me two
dollars more then
what the
fare should have been. Since that was about what I would have
tipped him, I
gave him
no tip and called it even. Sometimes the best tip you can give
such a person is
to learn
their trade; however, this happens rarely. I can only think of
three or four times
when I
have had service that is truly bad that I refused to tip.

Whom do you tip? Anyone who serves you and depends on tips for
their
livelihood.
Waiters, waitresses and bartenders should be tipped. Hosts and
hostesses and
tour
guides should be tipped. Barbers and hairdressers should be
tipped. So should
cab
drivers, provided, of course, that they are honest. Doormen and
ushers should
also be
tipped.

For example, when my wife and I went to Virginia Beach, we tipped
the
waitresses at
sit-down restaurants, but not at fast food restaurants like
McDonald's. When we
went
to a baseball game, we tipped the usher who showed us to our
seats and cleaned
them
before we sat down. We also tipped the beer vendor.

It should also be noted that you do not tip if the restaurant
includes a service
charge in
the bill. Some restaurants do this for all customers. Others,
however, only do it
for large
groups. For instance, a restaurant I go to for lunch in
Washington adds a service
charge
for parties of five or more people. In general, if gratuities are
included in the
bill,
tipping is not necessary.

Lorraine Rovig, who works at the center, said it has been her
experience that in
general
most sighted people tip, but often blind people do not. If we
want to have as
much
respect as sighted people, than we need to tip as well as sighted
people.

At the National Center, guests are expected to clean up their
rooms. This is
required so
that future guests can have a pleasant stay at the center.
Tipping is a lot like this;
if you
tip, the people who do things for you will have a good impression
of you and
hence, of
other blind people. If you don't, you leave the impression that
you, and other
blind
people, are not worth serving.

To sum this up, whether or not you tip is not just important to
you and the
people who
serve you, it's important to other blind people.

METENYI TESTIFIES AGAINST SB 47
From The Editor: Here is Ron Metenyi's testimony on SB 47. See
Sharon
Maneki's lead
article on page 1 for the background. 

April 2, 1995
Dear Chairman Curran:
On March 30, your committee held hearings on SB 47: a bill that
endeavors to
promote
increased safety for blind, deaf and mobility impaired
pedestrians by changing
the
points system applying to motorists involved in pedestrian
accidents. I am
concerned
that, if passed by both Houses, this bill will foster a false
impression that blind
pedestrians cannot travel safely and independently. A much
greater concern,
however,
is that this is a cosmetic measure that will fail to affect real
changes; whereas
certain
alternative approaches will promote increased safety for all
pedestrians,
especially
those who are blind, deaf or mobility impaired. Please consider a
couple
suggestions.

There is a saying in philosophy that to be a difference,
something must make a
difference. Green widgits are different from red widgits, but not
by much. On
the other
hand, producing stronger and more durable widgits does represent
substantial
improvement.

The "White Cane Law" is an excellent piece of legislation. It
recognizes that
blind
persons do travel safety and independently. At the same time, it
acknowledges
the fact
that hearing is less accurate than sight for determining traffic
movement;
therefore, it
requires motorists to exercise an extra measure of caution and
consideration
when
approaching blind pedestrians. Now, I did an informal survey of
motorists by
simply
asking them if they remember answering questions about the
traffic provisions
of the
"White Cane Law" when they took their drivers' tests. Most did
not. Any person
who
receives a license to operate a motor vehicle or who renews such
a license
should be
required to demonstrate knowledge of the traffic provisions of
the "White Cane
Law".
Also, State and local officials, the media, and, yes, we, the
blind, need to work
together
to publicize White Cane Safety Day, thereby reminding everyone of
the
significance of
the white cane and dog-guide. 

The law regulating right turns on red is virtually never obeyed
as written. The
law
requires each motorist to come to a complete stop before
executing the
maneuver. It
also requires every motorist to yield right-of-way to pedestrians
in the
cross-walk.
Those failing to do these things may be fined. Question: where in
the real world
does
any motorist strictly observe this law, and has anyone who failed
to do so ever
received
a ticket? The answer is, I suspect: in California. Right turn on
red was an
innovation in
that state in 1937. During the first year it was in force
pedestrian accidents
increased
substantially. The next year, California authorities did not
rescind the provision,
but
they have since let motorists know that, in general, pedestrians
have the
right-of-way,
and that right will be enforced. No such public awareness exists
in Maryland. I
have
only half-jokingly referred to people who walk a lot in Baltimore
City as
members of an
endangered species.

Recently I waited out a couple traffic cycles at Franklin and
Cathedral; cars were
turning without noticeably slowing, so it was almost impossible
to cross with the
light.
I decided to walk a block south to make a more advantageous
crossing of
Cathedral
when a fellow pedestrian offered to cross with me. We moved
briskly, and just
did
make it.

The Schaefer Administration and the General Assembly worked
together to crack
down
on drunk and drug-impaired drivers; yet there are still people
who drink and
drive
and even boast and joke about it. I know a lady who brags about
driving 100
miles an
hour while drinking beer. When I said that she was an accident
looking for a
place to
happen, she said that she had been in a couple accidents but it
had always been
the
other people's fault. That's not representative, of course, but
public disrespect
for traffic
law is troubling.

I walk a lot, and in my 50 years on earth I have twice been
struck by cars. The
first time
I was merely dinged; the second time I sustained damage. On both
occasions I
was
executing perfectly proper crossings when the accidents occurred.
After the first
accident, a fellow college student went to the hospital with me
to keep up my
spirits
and make sure I was all right. I was. About a year later that
same young man
was run
down and killed by a drunk. What a waste!!! As it happens, he had
normal
eyesight.

I do not wish to be melodramatic. At the same time, the
importance of dealing
effectively with impaired motorists can not be overemphasized. 

Those pushing SB 47 have honorable intentions; I respect them and
their
motives.
Nevertheless, I ask that you vote no on SB 47 and explore ways of
strengthening
existing laws and increasing public awareness of and respect for
these laws.
Green
widgits may or may not look better than red ones, but stronger
and more durable
widgits are what's needed.

BALTIMORE COUNTY FACILITY SAVED FOR THE VENDING
PROGRAM
From The Editor: Here is the letter that Don Morris wrote to
Baltimore County
Executive Ruppersberger explaining the problem with the vending
facility
formerly
operated by Lou Hanes. We understand that the facility remains in
the vending
program and that Mrs. Lou Hanes has decided not to accept
employment by the
facility's new blind proprietor. 
April 13, 1995
Dear Mr. Ruppersberger:
The untimely death of Lou Hanes has brought problems to your
doorstep which
do not
belong there. The problems properly rest with the Maryland
Vending Program
for the
Blind (MVPB) and with Betty Hanes. If not properly addressed,
these problems
will
negatively impact many others. The many others who will be
affected are blind
men
and women who are now in the Maryland Vending Program for the
Blind and
who are
waiting to come into the Maryland Vending Program for the Blind.

For nearly three decades, Baltimore County and the MVPB have had
an
agreement
regarding the operation of the Courthouse Cafeteria. Within the
past five or six
years
this relationship was renewed when renovations were undertaken at
the cafeteria.
The
renewal was demonstrated by the financial commitment made by
Baltimore
County
and the MVPB. The MVPB portion of the renovation ran
approximately
$100,000. That
$100,000 investment was committed on behalf of blind people now
licensed to
operate
businesses within the MVPB. It was also made on behalf of blind
Marylanders
who
have not yet entered the work force but who will need an
opportunity when they
do.

As a person participating in the MVPB, I pay a percentage of my
net income
(and so do
other blind vendors) to help support program costs, including
renovations and
facility
development. This support of the vending program is in addition
to all the taxes
paid
by me and other taxpayers and small businesses.

The Maryland Vending Program for the Blind is the State licensing
authority for
the
Federal Randolph Sheppard Vending Act (20 USC 107-34 CFR 395).
This
program has
existed in Maryland since 1936. It has offered employment
opportunity to many
hundreds of blind men and women. Thanks to this program we have
been able
to work
and earn and provide for our families and contribute to society.
As noted above, there is a contractual agreement between
Baltimore County and
the
MVPB. There was a contractual agreement between Maryland Vending
Program
for the
Blind and Lou Hanes, as a blind vendor. There is no contractual
agreement
between
Betty Hanes and Baltimore County. There is no contractual
agreement between
Betty
Hanes and MVPB, other than those arrangements Lou agreed to on
his behalf
and on
the behalf of his heirs. Yet, Betty brings a problem to Baltimore
County that the
county
does not "own" nor can it fix. That is, the County can't fix
Betty's problem
without being
a bad guy to somebody. If Baltimore County elects to solve a
problem between
Betty
Hanes and the MVPB, they will surely find themselves in a no win
situation.

If the County decides to sever its longstanding relationship with
the MVPB, then
the
County will be the bad guys for denying opportunity to the blind.
If the County
terminates its agreement with the MVPB, then a number of things
will happen,
all of
which appear to be negative: 1) blind people will no longer have
the opportunity
to
serve Baltimore County employees and to earn their livelihood,
based on that
service;
2) the equipment investment made by blind people and the MVPB
will be lost
in the
largest part because the equipment will have to be removed from
the County
Cafeteria
and reinstalled at other MVPB sites where the equipment is also
needed.
However, the
best use for the equipment is in place at the County Courthouse
Cafeteria; 3) the
cost to
re-equip the kitchen at the County Courthouse Cafeteria will run
approximately
$100,00; 4) if Baltimore County determines that the taxpayers
should not pay to
re-equip the kitchen, Betty Hanes will very likely not be able to
do so; 5)
County/Public
policy will likely require that bids be submitted to operate the
cafeteria. It is
unlikely
that Betty Hanes would be the successful bidder as opposed to
multi-million
dollar
food corporations; 6) both Betty Hanes and blind people will be
in the cold, with
neither one having the opportunity to manage this business.
Finally, there is the
cost to
Baltimore County of negotiating new agreements, soliciting bids,
determining the
successful bidder and the inconvenience of down time during the
transition while
the
MVPB is removing the equipment it owns. The final cost, of
course, is the
extremely
bad image the County will unjustly face by trying to be nice
guys. 

On the other hand, if Baltimore County simply acknowledges to the
press and
the
public that there is a contractual agreement between themselves
and the
Maryland
Vending Program for the Blind on behalf of blind Marylanders, and
if the
County
acknowledges that the solution to the problem rests between Betty
Hanes and the
Maryland Vending Program for the Blind, then Baltimore County
would be
viewed as
innocent of any wrong doing

A meeting was held between Betty Hanes, an attorney from the
County
Attorney's
Office, and representatives form the Maryland Vending program for
the Blind.
It was
acknowledged that all parties have concern for Betty's well-being
and future
prospects.
It was also acknowledged by all parties that the Maryland Vending
Program for
the
Blind is an opportunity program for the blind. Betty Hanes is not
blind. Betty
Hanes
acknowledged the benefit her husband received from this program.
Lou Hanes
was
blind. 

While Betty Hanes' plight is a sad one, it should not override
the sad plight of
the many
blind men and women who do not have the opportunities available
to Betty. The
unemployment rate among able-bodied, working-age blind men and
women is
more
than 70%; so say statistics provided by the U.S. Department of
Labor. The
Randolph
Sheppard Vending Program for the Blind and the MVPB represent one
of the
few truly
great opportunities for blind people. This includes not only the
opportunity to
work
and earn, but to prove that the negative stereotypes about
blindness are false.

It is unfortunate that the Hanes family did not prepare better
financially for the
terrible
tragedy they now face. However, such problems cannot be solved at
the expense
of
blind people or the MVPB. As bleak as Betty might think her
future now is, she
has
opportunities available to her which are not available to most
blind people.

Baltimore County must not let its well-meant good intentions for
Betty Hanes
to
jeopardize its good image; the Maryland Vending Program for the
Blind; to
jeopardize
opportunity for blind men and women; and still not be able to
provide for Betty
Hanes.
Representatives from the MVPB have assured Betty Hanes that while
they
cannot
guarantee her future, they will assist her to the extent possible
in securing
employment
either with the incoming blind vendor at the County Courthouse,
or with another
blind
vendor in the Program. Ultimately, Betty's employability in the
Program will be
determined by her qualifications and by the hiring determination
made by the
blind
entrepreneur.

I do not envy Baltimore County administrators in making their
decision. I
believe that
though this seems a complicated problem, it is fairly simple. Any
help available
to
Betty or any problem she may have essentially rests with her and
the MVPB.
Try as it
might, Baltimore County has limited ability to solve the problem,
real or
imagined. I
urge you to leave the problem and its solution with the MVPB and
Betty Hanes.

Please do not deny opportunity to the blind by discarding a
relationship which
has
worked for more than thirty years.
Best regards, 

THE CRYPTOLOGIC ORIGIN OF BRAILLE
by David Kahn
From The Editor: David Kahn is our nation's foremost historian on
Cryptography--the
art and science of "secret" writing. In a real sense, Braille is
a cryptographic
system for
communicating written messages. The "secret key" of the Braille
cryptographic
system
is the table which identifies each letter of the alphabet with a
particular pattern
of dots.
Teachers of Braille may want to emphasize this secret aspect of
braille to
motivate their
blind and sighted students. The following article is reprinted
from Cryptologia
a
scholarly journal devoted to the study of Cryptographic systems. 

Louis Braille, inventor of raised-dot writing for the blind, got
his idea from a
secret
communications system devised for military purposes by a French
army officer,
Nicholas-Marie-Charles Barbier de La Serre.

Barbier was born 18 May 1767 at Valenciennes, in the north of
France. At 15,
he was
admitted to a military school under a provision allowing
impoverished young
noblemen to attend. The school was perhaps that at Brienne, where
he would
have
been for a year a fellow student of Napoleon Bonaparte. He
graduated as an
artillery
officer (as did Napoleon). When the French Revolution broke out,
he emigrated
to the
United States, working as a surveyor and living with Indians
until his return to
France
under Napoleon's empire. 

He became interested in fast, secret writing and, in 1808,
published a brochure
entitled
Tableau d'expediographie ("Table of speedwriting") and in 1809,
his Principles
d'expeditive
francaise pour ecrire aussi vite que la parole ("Principles of
French Speediness
for Writing as
Fast as Speech"). The latter described a process that he called
"impressed writing
to
replace the pen or pencil and to execute several copies at a time
without tracing
characters." Barbier was describing a writing that could be felt,
perhaps recalling
times
when such a capability would have been useful for officers in the
field to draft
outgoing messages in the dark and perhaps to "read" incoming ones
with their
fingers.

Barbier refined his idea when he proposed setting out the 25
letters of the
French
alphabet in a 5x5 Polybius square and later what he considered as
the 36 sounds
of
French (e.g., a,i,ch,e,ieu) in a 6x6 square. Each letter or sound
could thus be
replaced by
a pair of numbers. He recognized that by changing the pattern of
letters or
sounds in
the square, he would have a system of secret writing useful for
soldiers or
diplomats.
As a mere monoalphabetic substitution, it was not very secure;
perhaps he
recognized
this, for he did not insist on it further. Instead, he combined
his ideas of
cryptography
and impressed writing in a machine that indented the numbers onto
paper.

In 1819, he displayed this device at an exposition in a Museum of
Products of
Industry
temporarily installed in the court of the Louvre. A report by
three scientists to
the
Academy of Sciences the following year discussed two systems used
apparently
by two
models of the machine to die-stamp the numbers representing the
lines and
columns of
the square. In one of them, three raised dots formed right or
obtuse angles. In
the other,
raised dots were ranged on an axis to facilitate determining
them. All of this was
for
the military; none was for the blind. But, at the same
exhibition, students of the
Royal
Institution for Blind Children showed how they could read from
books - huge
bound
volumes -printed with ordinary letters in high relief by running
their fingers over
the
words. By 1821, an article in the Mercure technologique that
discussed the
military and
diplomatic advantages of Barbier's system also mentioned that the
Royal
Institution for
Blind Children had adopted it for instruction, and in 1822 an
entire article dealt
with
the use of the system for the blind.

This system utilized two parallel columns of six raised points
each. The number
of
points in the left-hand column indicated the line of the square
table of sounds,
the
number in the right-hand column the position within that line of
the designated
sound.
Methods were given to punch the points into the paper.

Braille, a compatriot of Barbier's but 42 years younger, modified
this system
into an
alphabet utilizing an array of 2x3 locations, in one or more of
which dots are
raised to
indicate letters. Thus to represent a, the dot in the left column
at the top is
punched out,
the other seven positions being left unpunched, or level; for o,
the first and third
dots in
the left column and the second dot in the right column are
raised. The 26 letters
are
supplemented by a sign for capital letters and a sign for
numerals, which are
then
represented by the letters from a to j. 

Braille, himself blind, was thus both honest and generous when he
said of
Barbier in
1829 that "it is to his method that we owe the first idea of our
own."

EHRLICH SUPPORTS SSDI WORK INCENTIVES FOR BLIND
From The Editor: During the Washington seminar earlier this year,
we told
Congress of
the importance of maintaining identical earnings limitations for
blind persons on
Social
Security Disability Insurance and for senior citizens receiving
social security
retirement
benefits. This "linkage" of earnings limitations has been in
effect for almost
twenty
years and has served as a work incentive for blind persons. As
part of its
contract with
America, Republicans pledged to raise the earnings limitation for
senior citizens.
Unfortunately, earnings limitations for blind persons were not
included in this
legislation. Three of Maryland's representatives (Morella,
Gilchrist and Ehrlich)
supported our position. Congressman Ehrlich, in particular,
worked diligently to
remind Speaker Gingrich of the need to continue this linkage. At
the time of this
writing, the issue is not settled. We should get in touch with
our congressmen
and our
senators to protect our work incentives.  Here is Congressman
Ehrlich's letter
to
Speaker Gingrich. 

27 March 1995
The Honorable Newt Gingrich
Office of the Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker,
We are writing in regard to Section 501(b) of the "Contract with
America's"
Senior
Citizens Equity Act, soon to be considered by the House. This
section, if
included in the
final bill, will have lasting adverse effects upon working-age
blind people
throughout
the United States. We very much appreciate the understanding you
have stated
regarding this matter, and we share your expressed wish to have
the exclusionary
provision affecting the blind removed from the bill.

It is our view that the mandated changes in the earnings limit
may occur in a
manner
which excludes one (and in fact by far the smallest) of the two
groups currently
affected
by the earnings exemption threshold. We are heartened by the
unequivocal
support
that you have given to this view. Unfortunately, we are faced
with the situation
that the
bill as reported still includes the provision in question.

A policy of removing earnings restrictions is as sound for blind
people as it is
for
seniors. This is why we would like to join you in an effort to
find a solution
which
reduces the work disincentives for both groups. The principles of
the "Contract
With
America" -- personal responsibility, economic opportunity, and
individual liberty
--
must apply to blind people as well as to seniors.

While a number of us may differ over substantive policy concerns
arising in
H.R. 8, the
Senior Citizens Equity Act, we can wholeheartedly agree on this
point.
Therefore, we
are looking forward to working with you to achieve a resolution
of this matter
which is
workable and fair for those affected.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Ehrlich
Barbara B. Kennelly
and 99 other Members of Congress
May 11, 1995

PG COUNTY SUBREGIONAL LIBRARY REMAINS OPEN
From The Editor: Recently, doubtlessly as an economy measure,
Prince Georges
County
officials announced their plan to close the subregional library
for the blind and
physically handicapped. Thanks to the quick action of our
Southern Maryland
and
Sligo Creek Chapters, county officials have back-tracked, and
said that the
library will
remain open at least for the time-being. Here is the statement that Ken Silberman
submitted.  

To: Members of The Prince George's County Memorial Libraries
Board of
Trustees
From: Kenneth Silberman, President, Southern Maryland Chapter
Re:  Testimony in Support of Keeping the Talking Book Center
I have been asked by members of the Southern Maryland Chapter to
express our
fervent hope that you keep the Talking Book Center open for
several reasons.
First,
walk-in service for Prince George's County residents can only be
provided
locally.
Second, timely replacement of the recorded books, the special
record players,
and the
special tape players used by the blind can only be provided
locally. Third, P.G.
County
residents working in Washington D.C. would have to make a
long-distance call
every
time they wanted to contact the state library. And last, the
blind population in
Prince
George's County is expected to dramatically increase in the
future. 

Walk-in service for Prince George's County residents can only be
provided
locally.
Sighted residents of Prince George's County are able to freely
walk in to any
branch of
the library system and peruse the collection. If they find a book
or books that
they like,
sighted citizens can then take out the book or books of their
choice. This type
of service
is not considered a luxury for the sighted. Why should it be
considered a luxury
for the
blind? If the Talking Book Center is closed, library services
will shift
exclusively to the
state Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) in
Baltimore,
and blind
Prince George's County citizens will be denied the walk-in
service that all
county
residents, sighted and blind alike, have come to expect. Sighted
people are not
expected
to travel to Baltimore for books; blind citizens should not be
expected to either.


Timely replacement of the recorded books, the special record
players, and the
special
tape players used by the blind can only be provided locally.
These special
players can
currently be picked up from the Talking Book Center, delivered to
a local library
branch via interlibrary mail for easy pick up, or mailed "free
matter for the
blind." Free
matter mailing is slower than first-class mail and would take
several days from
LBPH
in Baltimore. Pick-up service from Baltimore would be virtually
impossible.
Timely
service is critical to those blind people who draw on the
collection on the job or
in
school.

P.G. residents working in Washington, D.C. would have to make a
long-distance
call
every time they wanted to contact the state library. LBPH has a
toll-free, 800
telephone
line, but it covers Maryland; it does not cover Washington D.C.
Currently, all
working
blind P.G. residents can order books from our own Talking Book
center with a
local
call. If the Talking Book Center is closed, blind P.G. residents
working in
Washington
will be penalized by having to order books with a long-distance
call to LBPH
in
Baltimore.

The blind population in Prince George's County is expected to
dramatically
increase in
the future. A significant percentage of blind people become blind
as senior
citizens. The
Office of Planning, Maryland Office on Aging predicts that the
number of
citizens over
sixty in Prince George's County will be as follows: 83,325 in
1995; 96,061 in
2000; and
203,265 in 2020. If we assume that the percentage of blind
seniors stays the
same as it is
now, 2.4 times as many blind people over sixty will need talking
book services
in 2020
as do today.

These statistics clearly show a trend toward a greater demand for
service, not a
lesser
demand for service. We should not close the Talking Book Center
when the
demand for
its service will increase so dramatically.

It is for these reasons that we, the members of the Southern
Maryland Chapter
of the
National Federation of the Blind, strongly urge you to keep the
Talking Book
Center
open. Thank you for your time and attention.
Kenneth Silberman 

MY TWENTIETH NATIONAL CONVENTION
by Al Maneki
I attended my first national convention of the NFB in
1975--Chicago. For
reasons I can
no longer remember, I skipped the 1976 convention in Los Angeles.
I have
attended
every national convention since 1977, making the 1995 convention
in Chicago
my
twentieth one. Having had my first living experience away from
home as a
graduate
student at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago in the
mid '60's, I
always look
forward to any opportunity--especially NFB conventions--to return
to Chicago. 

NFB conventions have changed dramatically in twenty years. The
most obvious
change
is that convention attendance has grown, especially in the number
of young
persons.
Our scholarships are much more generous now, and there are more
activities for
children and youth. There are more parents who bring their
children, and
convention
attendance is now more a family affair. Twenty years ago, we were
just
beginning to
talk about electronic reading machines. Today, there are so many
technology
exhibits at
NFB conventions that I don't have time to visit all of them.
Training sessions
for the
Braille 'n Speak, and the NFB's bulletin board are now a regular
feature at
conventions.
For the first time this year there were training sessions for the
Myna computer,
demonstrations of the Newsline talking newspaper network, and
demonstrations
from
the Trace Research and Development center on Internet access and
next
generation
information systems. A More subtle change is, I think, to be
found in the tone
of the
speakers--particularly those in the blindness field. They are
more likely to
acknowledge, grudgingly if not openly, that we are a force to be
taken seriously,
and
that it is far better for all concerned if they were to cultivate
our friendship
rather than
incur our criticism. 

Despite these remarkable changes, the nature of NFB conventions
remains
unchanged.
There are still the same reasons for attending NFB
conventions--to visit with old
friends, to make new ones, to see what's going on in the blind
community, and
generally to have a good time. Conventions continue to attract a
diverse cross
section of
the blind population, convincingly demonstrating that we are a
people's
movement and
not an elitist organization. Yet, throughout all convention
activities we find the
pervasive theme that, despite the lousy training and lack of
opportunity, blind
persons
are succeeding and can be fully productive members of society.
Imagine just
how much
more successful we would be if only we had better training and
more chances
to prove
ourselves! 

There is so much to do that we all gain something slightly
different from
attending an
NFB convention. For me, the high point of this year's convention
was a couple
of long
chats that I had with Dr. Floyd Matson, long time professor of
American Studies
at the
University of Hawaii, a student and colleague of Dr. ten Broek,
and the author
of the
NFB's fiftieth anniversary history: "Walking Alone and Marching
Together."
Although I
met Dr. Matson some years ago, we have never found the moments
for an
extended
conversation. The good professor had so many great stories to
tell in such a
short time--of growing up in Hawaii in the '30's and '40's; of
his tour in Japan
with the occupation
forces at the end of World War II; of his collaborations with Dr.
ten
Broek--whom he
affectionately refers to as "Chic" ten Broek--first as a student
and later as a
faculty
colleague; of his early encounters with Dr. Jernigan and
President Maurer; and
also,
stories of many of the professors I had at the University of
Hawaii. We can only
marvel
at how persuasive and compelling an individual Jacobus ten Broek
must have
been, for
of all persons, Floyd Matson is one person who has no reason for
maintaining
his very
active NFB membership or for his continued attendance at our
national
conventions.
While we are on the subject of convention high points, we should
not fail to
mention
the president's annual report and his banquet address. To this
list I would also
add the
fabulous presentations by Steve Shelton, Debbie Kent Stein, and
Noel
Nightengale of
their experiences and successes as blind persons. If you missed
them, you should
read
their speeches in future issues of the Braille Monitor. 

Conventions today are large and busy, and it is quite easy for
the first-timer to
be over-whelmed and get lost in the crowd. But with just a little
effort, the
first-timer who does
not know anyone can easily become a part of a convention, for
Federationists
from
anywhere are friendly and always eager to help. Anyone from the
Maryland
delegation
can be counted on to befriend the new-comer and make her or him
feel at home.
If you
have yet to attend your first national convention, think
seriously about joining
us in
Anaheim in 1996. 

What is most remarkable is that there are so many of us who,
after twenty years,
continue to attend conventions of the National Federation of the
Blind.  

SPECKS

Scholarships: 
Friends of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped
is
offering two scholarships of $750 each for the 1995-1996 academic
year to those
who are
pursuing the study of braille to work toward obtaining a Literary
Braille
Competency
Certificate or a Transcribers Certificate, or pursuing braille
course work for
Vision
Certification. One scholarship may be awarded to an employee of
LBPH in
Maryland.
The other scholarship is open to anyone who is currently working
in the field
of
blindness or who plans to be utilizing braille to assist blind
children or adults.
Applicants must plan to work in some capacity utilizing braille
within Maryland
for at
least one year. Application deadline is August 15, 1995. For
applications, please
contact
Rosemary Lerdahl, Scholarship Committee Chair, 1035 South
Beechfield
Avenue,
Baltimore, MD 21229 (evenings: 410-247-6776). 

Repairs: 
Save money and bring your Brailler back to life. The Selective
Doctor
specializes in the
repair of Perkins Braillers and all IBM Typewriters. Repairs made
at reasonable
rates.
Top quality service at yesterday's prices. Free pick-up and
delivery in greater
Baltimore
area only. 30 day guarantee on repairs. Call (410) 668-1143 for
further details. 

Braille Readers are Leaders:
Congratulations to the following Maryland students who
participated in the
1994-95
Braille Readers are Leaders contest: Beth Smaligo, Spring Garden
Elementary
in
Hampstead; Emine Watson, Pocomoke Middle School in Pocomoke City;
Lydia
Richardson, Pocomoke Middle School in Pocomoke City; Nicki White,
Lakeshore
Elementary School in Pasadena. 

Congratulations to the following Maryland School for the Blind
students who
also
participated in the contest: James King, Germaine Gardner, Lisa
Johnson,
Jennifer
Baker, Shakir Amjad, William Ransom, David Wells, Cheryl Higgs,
Jeremy
Lincicome,
Brian Blevinn, Laura-Sun Ceferratti, and Frank Millner. 

The Maryland School for the Blind was one of two schools for the
blind who
received
national recognition for encouraging their students to
participate in the Braille
Readers
are Leaders contest. Barbara Cheadle, President of the National
Organization of
Parents
of Blind Children, presented Louis Tutt, Superintendent of the
Maryland School
for the
Blind, with a check and special plaque at the annual NFB of MD
Braille Readers
are
Leaders party on June 6th. We are proud of these students and
their interest in
Braille
reading.

Congratulations: 
Charles Cheadle was appointed to the Maryland Youth Service
Action
Committee by
the Governor's Commission on Service. Tiffany Green, a student at
Severn River
Junior
High School in Pasadena, was inducted into the National Honor
Society for
Junior
High Students. Fred Jones received a Master's degree in Guidance
and
counseling from
Bowie State University. Loretta White received a Bachelor's
degree in Special
Education
from Coppin State College. J. R. Holmstetter, a recent graduate
of the BISM
rehabilitation program is now working for the Maryland collection
unit as a
collection
accounts trainee. We salute your achievements. 

Volunteer Program: 
The Maryland Society for Sight offers a volunteer program called
"Volunteers
for the
Visually Impaired." Volunteers help people over 18 years of age
with reading,
shopping, and running neighborhood errands. There is no charge
for this service.
For
more information, call Marlene at (410) 243-2020. 

Employment Book:
The world of work as we have known it in the past is, indeed,
rapidly changing.
The
number of people displaced by technology is becoming legion.
Automation has
been
shrinking manufacturing payrolls for years, but now it is
spreading rapidly into
the
much-larger service sector. Today, in order to do well, or just
survive, people
must
revise their ideas about careers, and jobs. You need to "rethink"
the way you
view your
career, recognize when old premises are no longer appropriate,
and replace them
with
new assumptions that reflect today's workplace.


In her book, What Do I Do Now? Making Sense of Today's Changing
Workplace, Shena
Crane, founder and president of Mentor Career Services in Irvine,
California,
outlines
the dramatic changes occurring in today's workplace, and spells
out new
strategies to
turn these changes to your advantage.
What Do I Do Now? sells for $14.95 in braille (same price as
print book) from
National
Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115, (617)
266-6160.
Mastercard or
Visa accepted.

Glad Tidings:
There are three proud new parents on the staff at the National
Center For The
Blind.
Sarah Catherine Mooney was born on May 15. Logan Frederick Gage
was born
on July
8. Cassandra Marie De McCuttac was born on April 19. Infants,
moms, and dads
are
doing well. Congratulations.

Shawn & Cheryl Jacobson, of Wheaton, have recently returned from
China,
where they
adopted a one-year-old baby girl. Congratulations, Shawn &
Cheryl.

Crab Feast:
Two hundred and forty-five persons attended the NFB of Maryland's
crab feast
on July
21 at Martin's North Point in Baltimore. The proceeds from this
fund-raiser will
be used
for the John T. McCraw Scholarship Fund. So many tickets were
sold at the
door that
there was grave concern of running out of food--a great problem
to have at a
fund-raiser. But Martin's was more than equal to the challenge.
We thank the
planning
committee for a job well done. A good time was had by all. 
Story Hour:
On each Saturday in August, our parents division of the LBPH
Friends
sponsored a
story hour for blind and visually impaired children. Blind adults took turns reading stories from 
Braille books. Each child attending had a "Braille buddy" who
helped him or her
follow
the reading (also in Braille) and to create a craft related to
the story. A good
time was
had by all. 

Birthday Girl:
Members from the Sligo Creek, Southern Maryland, and Central
Chapters
gathered at
Anna Cable's home in Columbia on Sunday, June 25th to celebrate
her 102nd
birthday
four days early. She is as spry as ever. We all wish her many
more happy
birthdays.

CALENDAR
September 23, 1995:
7:00pm to 11:00pm; John T. McCraw Scholarship Fund Raising Dinner
at the
Calvert
House Inn, entertainment by Ron Coleman, admission $20.00, for
tickets contact
Ron
Coleman at (301) 429-2123.

Sunday, October 16, 1995:
National White Cane Safety 

Day Monday, October 23,1995:
Newsline Night, fundraiser for talking newspaper $100.00/plate
Gourmet Dinner
For
further information contact Betsy Zaborwski, (410) 659-9314.

November 3-November 5, 1995:
State Convention, Carousel Hotel in Ocean City

Wednesday, November 1: 
Braille Readers are Leaders Contest Begins (contest ends February
1, 1996) For
more
information call Barbara Cheadle at (410) 659-9314.
          NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF MARYLAND
                                
                      TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL
                           CONVENTION
                                
                    CAROUSEL HOTEL & RESORT
             11700 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD
                                
         Friday, November 3 - Sunday, November 5, 1995

SPACIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS
Each room has a kitchen.

ON THE BEACH
Enjoy fine dining at the Seasons restaurant, or try the indoor
ice-skating rink and exercise
room.  Relax in the indoor heated pool, saunas, whirlpool spa, or
renew friendships in the
Seasons lounge. 

ATTRACTIVE ROOM RATES per night, tax included.
$60.00 for singles and doubles
$72.00 for triples
$84.00 for quads
Children 17 and under free when accompanied by a parent, cribs
are complimentary.

ARRIVE EARLY
Special room rate is available from Thursday, Nov. 2 to Sunday,
Nov. 5.

                                
                     RESERVE YOUR ROOM NOW
Send your completed reservation form and full payment for your
room to Shirley Morris
by October 6, 1995. DO NOT call the hotel for room reservations.
                                
                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
 Call Sharon Maneki, President, NFB of Maryland (410) 992-9608.                       CONVENTION PREVIEW
                                
                    National Representative
Barbara Pierce; Editor, Braille Monitor, Monthly Publication of
the National Federation
of the Blind; President, National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio.
                                

Friday Afternoon Seminar
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Friday; topic to be announced

NFB of Maryland Board of Directors Meeting

NFB of Maryland Resolutions Committee Meeting

Moonlight Madness Party
Live entertainment by Ron Coleman, dancing, snacks, cash bar.
9:00 pm until midnight.  Kids party at 8:00 pm.

Saturday Evening Banquet
Awards, scholarships, banquet address, auction.

General Sessions on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon,
and Sunday morning.

Door prizes given throughout the General Sessions and the
Banquet.

Special events for blind vendors, blind students, blind youth
and parents of blind children.

Adjourn at Noon, Sunday.

                      NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF
MARYLAND
                                            
                            1995 CONVENTION AND DONATION FORM

Please complete and return this form by October 6, 1995, even if
you do not plan to attend the
1995
Convention or if someone else is reserving a room for you. 
Donations are appreciated.  This is
the only
opportunity that we have to ask for donations from most of you.

Mail completed forms and checks to Shirley Morris, 16547 Old
Emmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg,
MD
21727. Do not contact the Carousel Hotel & Resort for
reservations.  No reservation will be
confirmed
without the total payment of your room.  
                       

     
Name:__________________________________________________________

     
Address:_______________________________________________________

     
City/State/Zip:________________________________________________

      Telephone:
____________________________________________________




___________  I would like to receive the Braille Spectator
(quarterly publication of the National
             Federation of the Blind of Maryland).  (I am not
receiving it now.)

                   _____  Print _____  Cassette

___________  I would like to receive the Braille Monitor (monthly
publication of the National
             Federation of the Blind).  (I am not receiving it
now.)

              _____  Braille   _____ Cassette    _____  Print




I wish to make a donation of $___________ to the National
Federation of the Blind of Maryland. 
My
check is enclosed.  (Make check payable to NFB of Maryland.)



_______      I will     _______   I will not 

      attend the 1995 Convention to be held at the Carousel Hotel
& Resort, Friday, November
3, 1993
      through Sunday, November 5, 1995.

                       
                                Continued on Reverse SideTRANSPORTATION AND ROOM RESERVATION 

Transportation from the National Center for the Blind to the
Carousel Hotel & Resort will be
available
on Friday, November 3 and return on Sunday, November 5, departure
times to be announced. 
Please
check below if you or any members of your group need
transportation.  Cost for transportation
is $20.00
per person.


__________   I wish to reserve a room in my name at the Carousel
Hotel & Resort.  Special
room rate
             starts Thursday night: $60.00 per night singles and
doubles, $72.00 per night triples
and
             $84.00 per night quads. 

             Arrival date: _____________   
             Departure date: _____________
             Number of persons in room: _________________


$____________      Payment in full for room reservation for
_______ nights (due by October
6).


List names of all people, including yourself and any children,
who will occupy the room with
you:
                                              Check if      Needs 
      
Name                                          under 17     
Transportation? 
__________________________________________    _____        ______ 
     
__________________________________________    _____        ______ 
     
__________________________________________    _____        ______ 
     
__________________________________________    _____        ______ 
     


__________   I am requesting child care service for _____
child(ren) during the Saturday
sessions and
             the banquet.

Amount enclosed:

   Donation           ________________
   Room payment       ________________
   Transportation     ________________
   Total              ________________
         Make check payable to the NFB of Maryland.


I understand that in order to qualify for the special hotel rates
I must register at the convention
and pay
the convention fee of $10.00. 

_________________________________________
Signature

THE BRAILLE SPECTATOR

Al Maneki, Editor
Summer/Fall 1995

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, an affiliate of
the National Federation of the
Blind,
is a non-profit organization of blind people whose purpose is to
promote equal opportunities for
the
blind.  We provide advocacy services for the blind, special
training programs for parents of blind
children, job referrals and placements for the blind, public 
education programs, scholarships to
blind
students, and help the newly blinded to acquire special
techniques for maintaining productive
lives.
   The Braille Spectator is published quarterly for members of
the National Federation of the
Blind of
Maryland and others who share an interest in the work of this
organization.  The recorded
edition,
available on cassette, can be obtained upon request. Cassettes
may be returned to the National
Center
for the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230.
   Send all inquiries, donations, news items, articles, letters
to the editor, address changes and
additions
to the circulation list to the NFB of Maryland, 9736 Basket Ring
Road, Columbia, MD 21045.

   Officers of the NFB of Maryland: Sharon Maneki, President;
Eileen Rivera, First Vice
President,
Barry Hond, Second Vice President; Debbie Brown, Secretary; Judy
Rasmussen, Treasurer.
   Members of the Board of Directors: Ken Canterbery, Ronald
Coleman, Jean Faulkner, Fred
Flowers,
Blanche Payne, Brenda Williams.       

CHAPTERS AND DIVISIONS OF THE
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF MARYLAND
Baltimore County Chapter, Hilda Cullison, president (410)284-2575
   Monthly meetings second Thursday
Greater Baltimore Chapter, Eileen Rivera, president (410)433-5176
   Monthly meetings third Saturday
Central Maryland Chapter, Dick McCloud, president (410)997-1862
   Monthly meetings first Tuesday
Greater Cumberland Chapter, Gary Klatt, president (301)777-0131
   Monthly meetings first Tuesday
Frederick County Chapter, Gerald Schultz, president (301)662-6803
   Monthly meetings fourth Tuesday
Sligo Creek Chapter, Debbie Brown, president (301)881-1892
   Monthly meetings second Saturday
Mountain City Chapter, Jean Faulkner, president (301)729-8942
   Monthly meetings third Thursday
Southern Maryland Chapter, Ken Silberman, president (301)552-2839
   Monthly meetings fourth Saturday
Parents of Blind Children Division, Barbara Cheadle, president
(410)747-3472
Business Division, Barry Hond, president (410)484-7041
Diabetics Support Network, Donna Goodman, chairman (410)730-9430
   Monthly meetings fourth Tuesday
