THE BRAILLE MONITOR
PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

                            CONTENTS

                                                      APRIL, 1991

AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND NAMES DIRECTOR
by Kenneth Jernigan

THE WASHINGTON SEMINAR, 1991
by Barbara Pierce

LESSONS FROM THE REVOLUTION
by Peggy Pinder

HOW DO WE CHANGE THE WORLD
by Kenneth Jernigan

WHY THE NFB IS HELPING ME FILE A SECTION 504 COMPLAINT

A BLIND TEACHER ON THE JOB
by Judy Krecek

WALKING ALONE AND MARCHING TOGETHER: A Book Review
by Euclid J. Herie, LL.D., and Gerald Dirks, Ph.D.

ON BECOMING A WISE CONSUMER OF LOW VISION SERVICES
by Eileen River, M.B.A.

CRUTCHES, ROOMMATES, AND COMMON SENSE
by Manuel Abascal

HANNAH
by Gloria Whelan
Reviewed by Deborah Kent Stein

LOOK OUT TOMORROW, HERE SHE COMES

INTER-COMMUNITY NETWORK COMMITTEE

A STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT

BLIND BOB THE BANK ROBBER

RECIPES

MONITOR MINIATURES



     Copyright, National Federation of the Blind, Inc., 1991[LEAD PHOTO: Front view of the entire Hyatt Regency complex.
CAPTION: It's less than three months and counting until the 1991
convention of the National Federation of the Blind in New
Orleans, Louisiana. The beautiful Hyatt Regency Hotel, pictured
here, awaits you. A short seven-block shuttle ride from the
French Quarter, it stands in easy reach of some of the finest
dining and jazz in the world. In its spacious meeting rooms
between June 30 and July 6, 1991, the blind of the nation will
debate the issues and determine the policies that will affect our
lives for years to come. Friendships will be made and renewed;
information exchanged; and inspiration given. Don't miss our best
convention ever. For full details, consult the March issue of the
Braille Monitor. Make your reservations immediately by calling
the New Orleans Hyatt Regency directly: (504) 561-1234. See you
in New Orleans.]



PHOTO/CAPTION: Portrait of Carl R. Augusto.]
  
        AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND NAMES DIRECTOR
                       by Kenneth Jernigan

     Under date of February 5, 1991, the American Foundation for
the Blind distributed an announcement which said in part:

     Michael M. Maney, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
American Foundation for the blind (AFB), announced today that
Carl R. Augusto has been named President and Executive Director
of AFB.
     Augusto, who has been Executive Director of the Cincinnati
Association for the Blind, a private agency which offers
habilitation, rehabilitation, and employment services for blind
and visually impaired persons, replaces William F. Gallagher who
is retiring from the Foundation after nearly 40 years in the
blindness and low vision field.
     "Mr. Augusto has a solid base of knowledge in the fields of
blindness and low vision as well as proven administrative and
leadership qualities," said Maney, who noted that Augusto has
been an AFB Trustee since 1987.
     "As a blind person who is a leader in the blindness field as
well as an active advocate in the community at large, Mr. Augusto
is extremely qualified to spearhead the efforts of AFB as it
meets the challenges of the 1990s and beyond. I know the Board of
Trustees joins me in looking forward to a long and fruitful
partnership with him at AFB."
     As Executive Director of the Cincinnati Association for the
Blind (CAB) since 1985, Augusto managed an annual budget of over
seven million dollars and a staff of 140 employees....
     From 1978 to 1985, Augusto served in various staff and
management positions with the National Accreditation Council for
Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC) in New
York City. Appointed Associate Executive Director of NAC in 1981,
Augusto coordinated review teams responsible for evaluating
services and management practices of agencies and schools for the
blind nationwide, and assumed a leadership role in the revision
of NAC's management standards.
     Prior to his positions with NAC, Augusto served as a
rehabilitation counselor for blind clients with the New York
State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped and Helen
Keller Services for the Blind, a private multi-service agency in
Brooklyn.
     In addition to his affiliation with the AFB Board of
Trustees, Augusto serves on the boards of the National Industries
for the Blind and the Radio Reading Services of Greater
Cincinnati, Inc. He is also Chairman of the strategic planning
committee of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of
the Blind and Visually Impaired, and was President of the
Cincinnati Host Lions Club from 1988 to 1989....

     This is what the Foundation news release says, and it gives
rise to interesting speculation and reflection. During the past
decade relations between the organized blind movement and the
American Foundation for the Blind have gradually but steadily
improved. Many things have contributed to this positive trend,
but certainly both the attitude and behavior of Bill Gallagher,
retiring Foundation director, have been principal factors. We as
a movement and I as an individual have not always agreed with
Gallagher, but he comes to any issue with good will and a wish to
find solutions. Moreover, he keeps his word and demonstrates
integrity. Above all, he takes a pragmatic approach, assessing
realistically the balances of power in the blindness field and
dealing with them as they are, not just as he wishes they were.
But this is not all of it. Bill reaches out with warmth and
friendship. He may not always like the decisions he has to make,
but he does not sulk or do what he does grudgingly. If from these
comments you conclude that I like Bill Gallagher as a person, you
are right. And does this have anything to do with organizational
relationships? Of course it does--but it is not controlling, not
on either side. Ask Bill Gallagher, and he will tell you.
     There are also others at the Foundation who have contributed
to the growing atmosphere of joint effort and good will. In this
connection Susan Spungin comes to mind--and so does Michael
Maney, the recently appointed chairman of the Foundation's board
of trustees. Mr. Maney visited me at the National Center for the
Blind on January 30 of this year, and we discussed a wide range
of topics. As with anybody else, he will have to be judged by his
actions, not just his words, but there is certainly every
indication that he would like to continue and enlarge the areas
of joint effort. 
     This brings me back to Gallagher's retirement, the
appointment of Augusto, and future relations with the Foundation.
Whether the move toward unity will continue will largely depend
on Augusto--whether he correctly perceives the realities of
today's world in the blindness field, whether he can put the past
behind him, and whether he is truly motivated to work
cooperatively and constructively with the consumer movement. All
of us (both the blind and the agencies) will benefit if the
answers to these questions are affirmative. All of us (and
particularly Augusto and the American Foundation for the Blind)
will pay the price if they are negative.
     It is no secret that Augusto's past contacts with the blind
have been less than positive. If he had done nothing else than
serve as a NAC staff member for several years, that would be
sufficient to raise questions about his motivation and
intentions--but that is not all. His face-to-face contacts with
our leaders and members have frequently been confrontive and
unpleasant.
     Nevertheless, we should not automatically conclude that the
Augusto appointment has to mean hostility and a return to all-out
war. All we need for evidence is to remind ourselves of the
conflict and hostility which existed between the Federation and
Bill Gallagher in the 1970s. It was to the advantage of all
concerned to find ways to resolve differences, and we and the
Foundation did it. There is also the fact that in recent years
Augusto has shown some willingness to work with our state
affiliate in Ohio. This is a positive sign, one which may
foreshadow things to come.
     With power goes responsibility--and if the National
Federation of the Blind is not the strongest force in the affairs
of the blind of this country today (which, incidentally, I think
it is), certainly no one with any credibility would seriously
contend that we are not a major factor. Likewise, the American
Foundation for the Blind is a major factor. These are facts, and
they should be dealt with as such.
     We live in a time of budget crunches--a time of real danger
that programs for the blind will be submerged in the larger
disability mix if the blind and the agencies are not vigilant and
realistic. This is the negative way of stating the reason for
trying to find the means of working together. The positive way to
put the proposition is that if the major agencies in the field
(principal among them the American Foundation for the Blind)
continue to move toward cooperative relations with the National
Federation of the Blind, there is very little which our combined
efforts cannot reasonably achieve.
     This brings me to a final comment about Carl Augusto. It is
no secret that we would have preferred somebody else as
Foundation director, but as I have tried to make clear, we are
pragmatists. We deal with what is, not just with what we would
like. In fact, when we look back from the vantage of future
years, we may come to feel that the Augusto appointment was a
positive step. It will all depend on what Augusto does and
whether he feels that he must (or hopefully wants to) treat the
organized blind with respect and consideration, with the give and
take which the situation demands and reality dictates. We would
prefer not only peace but a positive era of constructive joint
effort--but we are prepared (and, moreover, with a right good
will) to meet whatever exigencies the morrow may bring.



[PHOTO: Crowded room of seated and standing assembled delegates
attending the 1991 Washington Seminar. CAPTION: It was standing
room only at 5:00 p.m., February 3, when President Maurer gaveled
the Sunday night briefing to order in the Columbia Room of the
Holiday Inn Capitol.]

[PHOTO: Visitors to exhibit table in the Mercury Room. CAPTION:
The Mercury Room was the nerve center for the Washington Seminar.
Federationists made reports and gathered the material they needed
for meetings with members of Congress.]

PHOTO: John Halverson and Judy Rasmussen working with portable
computer and organized notes. CAPTION: Judy Rasmussen and Dr.
John Halverson work together to prepare the computer printouts
that report on our progress with Congress.]

                  THE WASHINGTON SEMINAR, 1991
                        by Barbara Pierce

     When you climb into a cab and have the driver announce your
destination before you have time to say it, it is safe to draw
two conclusions: first, we have lots of public education still to
do so that people won't assume that all blind people must
necessarily be traveling to the same place and second, the
Federation must be in town. As usual during the first week of
February in Washington, D.C., the Federation was in town, and
before we left, everybody on Capitol Hill knew about it. 
     But things were in high gear long before we hit the House
and Senate Office Buildings. Saturday, February 2 saw the second
annual student seminar, and it was even better than the first. By
Friday evening, February 1, the lobby of the Holiday Inn Capitol
looked like the scene of a family reunion. The student party
(everyone else was welcome too) was so good that rumor has it
that some people never got to bed. But everybody was ready to go
in plenty of time for the 9:00 a.m. registration. 
     Peggy Pinder, Second Vice President of the National
Federation of the Blind and Chairman of the Scholarship
Committee, delivered the keynote address, which was both funny
and stirring. It is reprinted elsewhere in this issue. Then the
students took over, filling the day with talks and panel
discussions that were moving and thought-provoking. The fourth
generation is well on its way to making itself felt both in the
Federation and beyond. In a short business meeting at the end of
the afternoon, Student Division President Michael Baillif, to
whom much of the credit for the high quality of the seminar
should be given, proposed that the Division change its name to
fit the pattern of other NFB division titles. The group
unanimously voted to become the National Association of Blind
Students (NABS). 
     The Banquet (emceed by Scott LaBarre, First Vice President
of NABS) was exuberant and warm, and the food was tasty. There
was lots of singing, and with so many young attorneys and law
students on hand, lots of lawyer jokes. But the high point of the
evening was the banquet address by Dr. Jernigan, which is printed
elsewhere in this issue. 
     Sunday morning a bus and three vans were on hand at 8:30 to
take interested Federationists to the National Center for the
Blind in Baltimore for tours and a good look at the new Braille
and Technology Center. All the vehicles were packed as full as
possible, and still one van had to return for a second load. More
tours had to be scheduled later in the week to accommodate all
the people who wished to see the Center and could spare the time
to do so. 
     Sunday afternoon the Associates Committee sponsored a
workshop on fund-raising, and attendees struggled valiantly with
the complexities of raising money in today's complicated world. 
     By the time the workshop ended, the Mercury Room on the
second floor of the hotel, which by long tradition is the control
room of the Washington Seminar, was set up and open for business.
Most state affiliates had made appointments with their Senators
and Representatives ahead of time, so those appointment times
were to be turned in on Sunday afternoon for entry in the master
schedule. A member of each state delegation then gathered
folders, literature, and fact sheets for use on the Hill the next
day. A few things were also for sale in Mercury: canes, cane
tips, and our new history of the Federation. From the doorway the
scene in the Mercury Room appeared chaotic, but there was a clear
order to the intense activity. Throughout the week people made
telephone calls from the Hill or came in to deliver reports on
each Member of Congress's views on the four issues we were
discussing. These reports were written in Braille and filed in
the appropriate file drawers. They were also entered into the
computer so that at any time a report could be generated showing
who would sponsor, co-sponsor, or vote for each issue. The smooth
operation of this office is a great tribute to Sandy Halverson
and her team of excellent volunteers. 
     Sunday afternoon everyone was ready for the briefing when it
began at five. For the preceding half hour the area outside the
Columbia Room resembled nothing quite so much as an eastern 
bazaar with people selling everything from stadium cushions to
Easter bunnies. Nearly four hundred people wedged their way into
the room for the meeting; and, as one who stood, I can testify to
both the crowded conditions and the good temper of the group as
we were briefed on recent activities of the Federation and the
issues we were about to discuss with our senators and
representatives. 
     The legislative memorandum at the front of our packet of
materials lays out briefly the four issues that we consider to be
most pressing for the blind this year. Each of the fact sheets
then discusses in detail one of the issues and suggests the
solution we believe would be best. The first fact sheet addresses
the need for an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
ensuring the right of client choice in rehabilitation. The second
warns Congress against the efforts of the National Accreditation
Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped
to introduce internal politics into the discussion of the
reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The third
calls attention to a threat to the blind priority in highway
vending created by the Kennelly amendment to the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 which is likely to emerge
when it comes up for re-authorization this year. And the fourth
requests that, in the wake of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, people with disabilities be added to the list of identified
minorities to whom the Small Business Administration can give
assistance. 
     By Wednesday afternoon, February 6, all the appointments had
been kept and the reports filed. We packed our bags and took our
sore feet and tired bodies home in a glow of satisfaction. One
more time we had taken our message to our nation's legislators:
like everyone else, the blind can bring concerns to Capitol Hill
and discuss them intelligently. The job has only started for
1991. We will be writing and calling for months to come as we
remind some Members of their promises and continue to try to
persuade others of our point of view. Our work has only begun,
but it is well begun. Here are the legislative memorandum and
fact sheets for 1991:

                              For more information contact:      
                              James Gashel
                              Director of Governmental Affairs
                              National Federation of the Blind
                              (301) 659-9314

                     LEGISLATIVE AGENDA 1991

From: Members of the National Federation of the Blind

To:   Members of the 102nd Congress

Re:   The Blind: Legislative Priorities for the 102nd Congress,  
First Session

     Public policies and laws affecting blind people have a
profound impact throughout our society. Most people know someone
who is blind. It may be a friend, a family member, or a co-worker
on the job. One-half million people in this country are blind,
and fifty thousand Americans become blind each year. By
themselves these numbers may not seem large, but the social and
economic consequences of blindness directly touch the lives of
millions. Less directly, blindness affects us all. 
     Blind persons as a group share a unique struggle. If a blind
person has proper training and opportunity, the physical loss of
eyesight itself can be reduced to the level of a mere nuisance.
Misconceptions about blindness, coupled with lack of good
training and limited opportunities, are the real problems.
Although most sighted people have had some contact with
blindness, it is still largely misunderstood and continues to be
more a problem of public attitudes and perceptions than physical
disability. 
     Public policies and laws that result from misconceptions
about blindness or lack of information are often more limiting to
the blind than loss of eyesight itself. This is why we have
formed the National Federation of the Blind. The Federation is a
private-sector resource of knowledge, encouragement, and support
for the blind and for anyone (blind or not) who wants to join in
the effort we are making to win understanding and opportunity. 
Blind people are well organized at the community and grass-roots
levels throughout the United States. Our policy positions are
developed and determined by vote of the blind themselves. This is
why the Federation is known by lawmakers and the public as the
"voice of the nation's blind." Our priorities for the first
session of the 102nd Congress express our assessment of current
issues requiring action by Congress on behalf of blind persons of
all ages. 
  (1) Congress should amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to
establish the client's right of choice in selecting agencies to
provide rehabilitation services. Blind persons eligible for
rehabilitation have the right to receive services, but personnel
of designated state agencies are empowered to make most of the
planning decisions and arrangements for service. The client's
views must be considered if expressed, but state personnel make
all of the final decisions. Funds to support rehabilitation can
be and are withheld if the client does not cooperate. Cooperation
means receiving services from programs prescribed by state
personnel.
     The proposed legislation will achieve better matching of
clients with compatible programs by empowering them to take
charge of selecting sources for all services. As persons with
disabilities begin to experience and exercise newly won legal 
rights, there will be a growing demand and need for services
chosen by clients, not by agencies. Students who receive Federal
aid to attend post-secondary institutions choose their own
schools and select their courses of study. Elderly and disabled
recipients of health services paid for by Medicare choose the
doctors they will see, and the bills are paid by Medicare. Not so
in rehabilitation. Congress should change this policy. For more
details and a description of the need for this legislation, see
the fact sheet entitled "EMPOWERMENT IN REHABILITATION:  
EXPANDING CHOICES FOR BLIND ADULTS." 
     (2) Congress should insure that politics in the form of
accreditation does not threaten programs serving the blind.
Federal funds received by all rehabilitation agencies could be
jeopardized by a proposal of the National Accreditation Council
for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped (NAC).
NAC wants to convince Congress to require accreditation as a
condition of eligibility for any agency to receive Federal funds.
According to NAC this plan would promote accountability and
program quality. 
     Here is the real story. NAC is struggling to survive. After
twenty-five years of trying, NAC's standards and procedures have
not been accepted by agencies serving the blind. Less than one
hundred (not even 20 percent) of the blind service agencies have
chosen to become NAC members. The dropout rate among NAC's
affiliates is 21 percent and climbing. NAC's directors have now
concluded that Congress could solve their problems by mandating
accreditation, but the plan lacks widespread support. Strong
opposition is expected from the Bush Administration and from most
groups potentially affected by such a requirement. Federal funds,
used to establish and support NAC in its early years, were
withdrawn in 1975 in the face of low agency acceptance of the NAC
standards and consumer concerns raised about the NAC
accreditation process. These conditions still exist. For more
details and suggested actions by Congress, see the fact sheet
entitled "POLITICS IN THE FORM OF ACCREDITATION: A THREAT TO
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR THE BLIND." 
     (3) Congress should safeguard business opportunities for
blind vendors on Federal highways. In 1982 Congress enacted
legislation to promote economic opportunities for blind persons
in the conduct of sales through vending machines at highway
safety and rest areas. The provision authorizing this program is
commonly known as the "Kennelly Amendment." Congresswoman Barbara
Kennelly sponsored the amendment at the request of the National
Federation of the Blind and worked closely with the Federation in
steering this measure through Congress. 
     The Kennelly amendment could be threatened by proposals to
commercialize services provided at highway rest-stops. Under
current law, services (other than sales through vending machines)
are prohibited at these sites. However, the American Association
of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is seeking
legislation to authorize roadside services to be provided through
agreements with commercial developers. As many as 1,400 sites are
planned for initial development with hundreds more to follow.
Plans include using commercial firms to provide rest area
services, motorist information services, food services, and fuel.
Provision of services by blind persons is not contemplated by
AASHTO's plan, but the popularity of Kennelly Amendment vending
machine sites is acknowledged. For more details and suggested
actions by Congress, see the fact sheet entitled "BUSINESS
PRIORITY FOR BLIND VENDORS: PROTECTION NEEDED IN SURFACE
TRANSPORTATION AMENDMENTS." 
     (4) Congress should amend Section 8(a) of the Small Business
Act to include individuals with disabilities as a defined
minority group for purposes of eligibility in the Minority Small
Business and Capital Ownership Development Program. The Section
8(a) program is designed to foster business ownership by
individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged,
and to promote the competitive viability of such firms. To
achieve these goals, Section 8(a) authorizes the Small Business
Administration (SBA) to enter into all types of contracts with
government departments and agencies for supply, service,
construction, and research and development. Small Business
concerns, owned and controlled by socially and economically
disadvantaged persons, can be eligible to receive subcontracts to
fulfill SBA'S procurement obligations. Technical assistance is
also made available to minority small business concerns. 
    This proposal is simply the recognition of disability as one
condition of defined minority status for participation in SBA'S
targeted efforts to provide economic and technical assistance to
members of minority groups. The social and economic disadvantages
which accompany disabilities are well-known and should be beyond
dispute. Blind persons have traditionally had few opportunities
to become employed and even fewer opportunities to establish and
maintain their own businesses. Yet SBA has not recognized the
blind (or individuals with disabilities in general) as being
socially and economically disadvantaged. The problem for SBA has
been to define disability and the extent of the class of
individuals included. Another problem has been SBA's lack of
legal authority to incorporate such a definition in the absence
of a clear legislative mandate. The Americans with Disabilities
Act (Pub. L. 101-336) now provides the basis for a legislative
mandate as well as an appropriate legal definition. For more
details and an explanation of the need for this legislation, see
the fact sheet entitled "MINORITY STATUS and RIGHTS: A PROPOSAL
FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS." 
     Blind people are asking for your help in securing positive
action by Congress in the areas outlined here. Legislative
proposals will be offered to achieve each of our specific
objectives. Many priorities confront this session of Congress,
but the needs of the nation's blind must not be overlooked. 
     We of the National Federation of the Blind stand ready to
assist our Representatives and Senators to understand our needs
and to take meaningful action to address them. In partnership
with the National Federation of the Blind, each member of
Congress can help build better lives for the blind both today and
in the years ahead.

                                For further information contact: 
                                                     James Gashel
                                 Director of Governmental Affairs
                                 National Federation of the Blind
                                              1800 Johnson Street
                                        Baltimore, Maryland 21230
                                                   (301) 659-9314

                           FACT SHEET
                 EMPOWERMENT IN REHABILITATION: 
               EXPANDING CHOICES For BLIND ADULTS

     BACKGROUND: Federal support for rehabilitation of the
disabled began in 1920, but programs for the blind did not
receive Federal assistance until 1943. At that time, job training
and employment assistance were the goals sought through
rehabilitation. These goals remain significant, but in the
context of a much broader mandate. 
     Unemployment remains a chronic problem for working-age blind
persons. Most must seek rehabilitation services from time to
time. Federal spending for rehabilitation has increased
substantially in contrast to the budget constraints imposed on
other programs, but the unemployment rate among working-age blind
people remains unacceptably high. Laws against discrimination may
help, but relevant, individualized services, designed to prepare
blind persons for work, must also be provided. 
     EXISTING LAW: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Pub. L.
93-112), as amended, authorizes most of the current federally
supported rehabilitation programs. In excess of $1.6 billion in
Federal financial assistance is distributed to the states under
Title I of the Rehabilitation Act. Titles II and XVI of the
Social Security Act also authorize the use of additional funds to
pay for the costs of rehabilitation services for disabled and
blind people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance
(SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. 
     A state cannot receive Federal funds or Social Security
payments for rehabilitation unless there is a specific state
agency designated to conduct the rehabilitation program. States
have the option of designating one agency specifically to serve
the blind and another to serve persons with other disabilities.
All rehabilitation services must be obtained through the
designated state agency. The policies and procedures of the
agency govern the provision of services. 
     Regardless of individual preferences, blind persons seeking
rehabilitation (referred to as "clients") must use the agency
designated for them. A counselor is assigned to represent the
agency and to oversee the provision of services. The basis for
each client's rehabilitation program is supposed to be an
individualized plan jointly developed by the counselor and the
client, but options for the clients to select among sources for
training are not offered by most state agencies. This lack of a
free choice is a major deterrent to effective and responsive
training and employment services, leaving almost 80 percent of
employable blind people largely outside of our nation's work
force. 
     PROPOSED LEGISLATION: Congress should amend the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to establish the client's right of
choice in selecting agencies to provide rehabilitation services.
Blind persons eligible for rehabilitation have the right to
receive services, but personnel of the designated state agencies
are empowered to make most of the planning decisions and
arrangements for service. Joint planning by rehabilitation
clients and counselors is required in section 102 of the
Rehabilitation Act, but all final decisions about anyone's
rehabilitation plan rest with personnel of the designated state
agencies. 
     The "client's right of choice" provision would maintain the
principle of individualized planning with joint participation by
clients and counselors. The difference would be that services
provided under an individualized plan could only be obtained from
sources of the client's choice. Few decisions more fundamentally
affect the outcome of rehabilitation. The client's compatibility
with the philosophy, policies, and personnel of any training
program is highly individualized. Current practices in
rehabilitation largely ignore this fact. The proposed legislation
will achieve better matching of clients with compatible programs
by empowering rehabilitation clients to take charge of selecting
sources for all services they receive. 
     NEED FOR LEGISLATION: Opportunities for persons with
disabilities (including the blind) are expected to expand
dramatically during the decade of the 1990's and beyond. The
recently enacted Americans with Disabilities Act will provide a
major impetus for growth and change, but existing programs (such
as rehabilitation) will face new challenges brought on by newly
emerging demands. Experience shows that the growing opportunities
which become available for the blind will lead to rising
expectations by the blind to enter fields of endeavor previously
closed to them. Effective rehabilitation programs will provide
the kind of support and training necessary for the blind to take
full advantage of expanding opportunities only if they are
flexible enough to respond to individual needs. 
     Policies of most state agencies now mandate that services
can only be obtained from agency-specified programs. Client
preference is of little consequence. Decisions are most often
made to suit bureaucratic convenience or arbitrary state rules.
But as persons with disabilities begin to experience and exercise
their new rights, there will be a growing demand and need for
services chosen by clients, not by agencies. Students who receive
Federal aid to attend post-secondary institutions choose their
own schools and select their courses of study. Elderly and
disabled recipients of health services paid for by Medicare
choose the doctors they will see, and the bills are paid by
Medicare. Yet in rehabilitation client choices are subordinated
to counselor decisions and agency policies. 
     Restrictive approaches in rehabilitation are inconsistent
with the modern policies of rights and empowerment for persons
with disabilities. Empowerment implies choice. This is the next
logical step in the evolution of rehabilitation to support
empowerment and independence. The right of choice is a
cost-effective approach which Congress should now enact.


                              For further information contact:
                              James Gashel
                              Director of Governmental Affairs
                              National Federation of the Blind
                              1800 Johnson Street
                              Baltimore, Maryland 21230
                              (301) 659-9314

FACT SHEET
POLITICS IN THE FORM OF ACCREDITATION: 
A THREAT TO PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR THE BLIND

     BACKGROUND: Programs of rehabilitation, education, and
employment assistance for blind persons receive substantial
Federal funding through grants made under the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973--Pub. L. 93-112, as amended. State rehabilitation
agencies receive formula grants which are used in part to
purchase services from other public or private nonprofit
agencies. Federal grants are also made directly to public and
private nonprofit agencies and institutions to carry out special
projects, research, and demonstration programs. 
     Accreditation is not a precondition for an agency or school
to receive Federal assistance. The Secretary of Education through
the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS) makes Federal requirements for the distribution of
formula grants and special project funds. State agencies provide
rehabilitation funds only to private agencies which meet their
standards. All agencies that receive direct Federal grants must
comply with Federal funding requirements, and performance is
monitored by OSERS staff. Federal regulations include extensive
reporting requirements, and all recipients are subject to state
and Federal program and financial audits. 
     POLITICS, "ACCREDITATION," AND THE STORY OF NAC: NAC is the
National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and
Visually Handicapped. Although NAC offers to accredit all
agencies and schools serving the blind, most programs that could
receive accreditation have chosen not to become involved in NAC.
In twenty-five years of trying to become accepted, NAC has
accumulated only ninety-eight accredited member agencies, with a
21 percent dropout rate. NAC's membership includes less than 20
percent of the programs eligible to apply for accreditation.
Federal funds, used to establish and support NAC in its early
years, were withdrawn in 1975 in the face of low agency
acceptance of the NAC standards and consumer concerns raised
about the NAC accreditation process. These conditions still
exist. 
     NAC's ultimate survival depends upon steadily increasing the
number of its member agencies and acquiring stable financing, but
the prospects for doing either are poor. Membership growth is
especially unlikely, and financing hangs in the balance. As an
act of desperation, NAC's leaders have launched a legislative
campaign to require accreditation as a precondition for agencies
to receive funds to provide services under the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973. They have concluded that Congress could resolve NAC's
problems by mandating accreditation, but their plan lacks
widespread support. Strong opposition is expected from the Bush
Administration and from most groups potentially affected by such
a requirement. 
     IMPACT ON FEDERAL FUNDS: The legislative campaign to save
NAC is being orchestrated by NAC itself with support from
National Industries for the Blind (NIB). NIB provided 27 percent
of NAC's funding last year. The chairman of NIB's Board of
Directors is also leading the legislative effort. NIB controls
the distribution of Federal contracts worth nearly $200 million
each year. The contracts are supposed to be distributed to
sheltered workshops that employ blind people to make products for
the U.S. government. The NAC/NIB alliance is part of the plan to
save NAC by linking accreditation and Federal funding. 
     The Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely
Handicapped is the Federal agency responsible for overseeing NIB
in its distribution of Federal contracts and use of funds derived
therefrom. The Committee's general mandate is to conduct a
program of production and sales activities through which items
made by blind and other severely handicapped persons can be sold
to the Federal government at fair market prices. This has nothing
to do with accreditation or requirements for its use as a
precondition for Federal funding. 
     NIB distributes contracts to workshops approved by the
Committee, and the workshops pay fees to NIB from government
sales. These nonappropriated funds are to be used for program
purposes as prescribed by the Committee. Lobbying in support of
NAC's legislation is not a program purpose. NIB informed the
Committee that it was making grants to NAC for the purpose of
promoting NAC's accreditation program, but the plan to seek
legislation was announced after NIB's funding was secured. 
     Congress appropriates funds directly to the Committee but
not to NIB. Nonappropriated funds are expended by NIB with
oversight by the Committee. This limited form of accountability
in the use of nonappropriated funds can create the opportunity
for abuse. At the very least, NIB's involvement in NAC's
legislative campaign is a breach of the trust placed in NIB by
the Committee. More seriously,  NIB's tax-exempt status could be
jeopardized if nonappropriated funds are used for lobbying,
directly or indirectly. Leadership by NIB's Board chairman on
behalf of NAC would certainly be a direct form of lobbying. 
     HOW CONGRESS CAN HELP:
     (1) Congress should adopt appropriations language directing
the Committee for Purchase from the Blind and Other Severely
Handicapped to see that nonappropriated funds resulting from
procurement activities in its jurisdiction are spent solely to
provide commodities and services for Federal use. 
     (2) Congress should reject the proposal to make
accreditation a precondition for receipt of Federal funds for
agencies providing rehabilitation, education, and employment
assistance to the blind. 

                              For further information contact:
                              James Gashel
                              Director of Governmental Affairs
                              National Federation of the Blind
                              1800 Johnson Street
                              Baltimore, Maryland 21230
                              (301) 659-9314

FACT SHEET
BUSINESS PRIORITY FOR BLIND VENDORS:
PROTECTION NEEDED IN SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AMENDMENTS

     BACKGROUND: In 1982 Congress enacted legislation to
establish and promote a program of economic opportunities for
blind persons in the conduct of sales through vending machines in
rest, recreation, and safety areas on rights-of-way in the
national system of interstate and national defense highways. The
provision authorizing this program is commonly known as the
"Kennelly Amendment." Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly sponsored
the amendment at the request of the National Federation of the
Blind and worked closely with the Federation in steering this
measure through Congress. 
     The amendment, which became section 111 of the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, requires that state
agencies which license blind vendors to operate vending
facilities on Federal property shall also have priority in
selling products and services through vending machines at
interstate rest area sites. State highway departments are not
required to permit sales of any kind at interstate highway
rest-stops, but when they do, priority must be given to the
state's program for blind vendors. The Kennelly amendment is
similar in concept to the priority accorded to blind vendors
under the Federal Randolph-Sheppard Act and is in fact an
extension of that program. 
     EXISTING LAW: Section 111 of title 23, United States Code,
prohibits the placement of automotive service stations or other
commercial establishments for serving motor vehicle users on
rights-of-way of the interstate highway system. There is one
exception to this rule. Under the agreement between each state
and the Secretary of Transportation, the state highway department
may permit the use of vending machines for the sale of food,
drink, and other articles. The vending machines may only be
operated by the state, and the items to be sold must be approved
by the state highway department. Sales may be through vending
machines only. The costs of installation and maintenance of the
vending machines cannot be charged to Federal highway funds. 
    The law has been designed to curb the introduction of
commercial enterprises in roadside areas. If vending machine
services are provided, priority must be given to the state agency
responsible for licensing blind vendors to operate vending
facilities under the Randolph-Sheppard Act. The Randolph-Sheppard
Act was enacted in 1936 to give blind persons a priority in the
operation of vending facilities of all types on Federal property.
Most states have enacted similar laws applicable to other public
property. 
     CHANGES PROPOSED: The American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has announced a policy goal
to commercialize services at interstate rest-stop and safety
areas. As its name suggests, AASHTO's members are state highway
and transportation department officials representing all states.
By virtue of its membership, AASHTO's positions affect Federal
highway policies and surface transportation legislation. AASHTO's
commercialization plan includes the use of agreements between
state highway departments and private developers to establish and
operate travel service and rest area facilities throughout the
interstate highway system. 
     Information provided by AASHTO suggests that travel service
and rest area developments could occur at as many as 1,400 sites
initially, with hundreds more expected. AASHTO notes that the
vending machine services provided by blind vendors have achieved
popularity and widespread use among motorists. According to
AASHTO, commercial developers should be allowed and encouraged to
enter into joint agreements with state highway departments to
conduct travel service and rest area programs including "rest
area services, motorist information services, food services, and
fuel services to be constructed or located on the rights-of-way
of the interstate system." AASHTO has requested support and
assistance from the Federal Highway Administration in developing
the legislation necessary to implement this commercialization
program. 
     PRIORITY FOR BLIND VENDORS AFFECTED: Anticipating Federal
legislation, AASHTO's member highway departments have largely
suspended any plans to establish vending machine service programs
through agreements with state licensing agencies for the blind.
Through amendments to the Surface Transportation Assistance Act,
expected during 1991, highway officials hope to be granted
authority to undertake the broader commercialization and
development of interstate rest area facilities. Efforts are
already underway to accomplish AASHTO's goal in areas where
commercialization is not prohibited by Federal law. Both existing
and future opportunities for blind vendors are threatened by
these developments. Without the protection of Federal
legislation, opportunities for the blind sought by the Kennelly
Amendment could be overrun by commercial interests. 
     HOW CONGRESS CAN HELP:
     (1) Congress should oppose all efforts to eliminate the
blind vendor priority granted by section 111 of the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. 
     (2) Congress should support legislation to permit the
commercialization of traveler service and rest areas on
rights-of-way of the interstate highway system with priority to
be given to blind persons in the management and conduct of all
services provided. 

                              For further information contact:
                              James Gashel
                              Director of Governmental Affairs
                              National Federation of the Blind
                              1800 Johnson Street
                              Baltimore, Maryland 21230
                              (301) 659-9314

FACT SHEET
MINORITY STATUS AND RIGHTS:
A PROPOSAL FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS

     BACKGROUND: Blind persons and persons with disabilities in
general have traditionally had few opportunities to become
employed and even fewer opportunities to establish and maintain
their own businesses. This does not reflect a general lack of
ability among this population. It does reflect a lack of
opportunity and financial support necessary to achieve success in
the competitive business world. Prejudices and fears of employers
have left nearly 80 percent of the employable blind population
either unemployed or substantially underemployed. 
     Congress has recently sought to address this situation by
enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act. When the employment
provisions of this Act become effective in 1992, employers having
twenty-five or more employees will be prohibited from
discrimination on the basis of disability. Employers having
fifteen or more employees will eventually be covered. Regardless
of enforcement activities, this Act is expected to improve work
force opportunities for persons with disabilities. But complete
equality will require more than employment rights. This fact has
been recognized in our government's efforts to underwrite and
support economic development programs among members of
traditionally disadvantaged minorities. 
     EXISTING LAW: Sections 8(a) and 7(j) of the Small Business
Act establish a Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership
Development Program to be conducted by the Small Business
Administration (SBA). This program is intended in part to foster
business ownership by individuals who are both socially and
economically disadvantaged and to promote the competitive
viability of such firms. To achieve these goals, Section 8(a)
authorizes SBA to enter into all types of contracts with
government departments and agencies for supply, service,
construction, and research and development. Small business
concerns, owned and controlled by socially and economically
disadvantaged persons, can be eligible to receive subcontracts to
fulfill SBA's procurement obligations. Section 7(j) of the Small
Business Act authorizes SBA to provide technical or management
assistance to individuals or minority small business concerns. 
     Participation in the Minority Small Business and Capital
Ownership Development Program is open to anyone who can qualify
as both socially and economically disadvantaged. Participants
eligible by definition include members of racial and ethnic
minorities. Other individuals not included by definition may be
found eligible upon application to SBA. Criteria for determining
social and economic disadvantage are not clearly specified in law
or regulations. As a result program participants are almost
exclusively members of the defined minority groups. 
     PROPOSED LEGISLATION: Congress should amend Section 8(a) of
the Small Business Act to include individuals with disabilities
as a defined minority group for purposes of eligibility in the
Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership Development
Program. The term "disability" is defined in section 3(2) of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and includes any individual who
has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits
one or more major life activities, has a record of such an
impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
Approximately one-half million blind persons are individuals with
disabilities under this definition. 
     This proposal is simply the recognition of disability as a
condition of minority status for participation in SBA's targeted
efforts to provide economic and technical assistance to members
of minority groups. The social and economic disadvantages which
accompany disabilities are well-known and beyond dispute. The
problem for SBA has been to define disability and the extent of
the class of individuals included. Another problem has been SBA's
lack of legal authority to incorporate such a definition in the
absence of a clear legislative mandate. The Americans with
Disabilities Act now provides the basis for a legislative mandate
as well as an appropriate legal definition. 
     NEED FOR LEGISLATION: Defined minority status is an
acknowledged advantage for persons seeking eligibility from SBA.
Proof of both social and economic disadvantage can be both
time-consuming and expensive. For persons who are not members of
defined minority groups, SBA appears to have great discretion. It
is difficult to challenge the decisions made by SBA in this area
because the criteria are not clearly explained, and there is no
established legal standard. 
     Firms needing SBA's assistance cannot afford the time and
expense of application delays and appeals involved in proving
social and economic disadvantage. In the absence of defined
minority status, business failures and bankruptcies can result.
This has been the experience of a blind owner of a Tennessee sand
and gravel business, who is still waiting after six years for
approval of his minority business enterprise application. After
finally agreeing that he was both socially and economically
disadvantaged, SBA has expressed doubt that the application could
be approved because the business is not economically viable. If
that is so, SBA itself has caused the very condition for this
applicant that its program is designed to remedy. Most of the
reasons for delays in this and similar cases result from not
having defined minority status. Congress should resolve this
injustice by amending the Small Business Act to include
individuals with disabilities as a defined minority group.



[PHOTO: Portrait of Peggy Pinder. CAPTION: Peggy Pinder, Second
Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind.]

                   LESSONS FROM THE REVOLUTION
                         by Peggy Pinder

     From the Associate Editor: Peggy Pinder, President of the
NFB of Iowa and Second Vice President of the National Federation
of the Blind, chairs the organization's Scholarship Committee
with great skill and organization. She is also friend and mentor
to many of the blind students who are flocking to our movement.
It is not surprising, then, that the planners of this year's
student seminar (held on February 2, 1991, immediately preceding
the Washington Seminar) invited her to keynote the event. She is
a successful attorney and is active in local and state politics
in Iowa. Here is what she had to say:

     All indications are, as I'm sure you all know, that this
will be the largest student seminar that has ever been held in
conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind's
Washington Seminar and, in fact, the largest Washington Seminar
that we have ever held. I do want to stop for a minute and look
more broadly at what we're doing and why we're here. 
     We could all probably agree that ours is essentially a
people's movement. How does a people's movement function: how
does it come to be, how does it grow, how does it change, how
does it succeed? In order to ascertain the answers to all these
questions, it is easier to look at someone else's movement than
to look at our own because we are so close to what we are doing.
I'd like to step back, not only in emotional space, but in time
as well and examine another people's movement for some lessons
that it has for us. That people's movement is more commonly known
in history as the American Revolution, but for our purposes we
can think of it as a people's movement. It had no legal
authority. It simply evolved out of the people's sense that
something needed to change, and that resulted ultimately in the
establishment of the United States of America. 
     Let's look at two of the people who were active during the
Revolutionary Period: Paul Revere and Thomas Jefferson. Paul
Revere is celebrated for doing something he didn't do and not
remembered for all the mistakes that he did make. Thomas
Jefferson, on the other hand, is remembered for only one of about
ten or twelve phenomenal things that he did do. All of us would
be grateful to have any one of these to our credit. The fact that
people are remembered in narrow perspective may help to
illuminate the kind of people's movement that the Revolutionary
War was. 
     What did Paul Revere do? He warned the entire countryside
that the British were coming, right? Well no, he didn't do that.
As a matter of fact, he almost didn't get across the river. Paul
Revere was apparently not what you would call one of the best
pre-planners that we have bred in this country. When he got to
the river, he had to cross it amongst a whole bunch of British
ships, which were bristling with guns and filled with the ears of
hostile forces. The only way to get across the river in one piece
in that situation was to have fabric of some kind to muffle the
oars. Otherwise, everyone would hear creak, creak, creak, and the
messenger would be doomed. So Paul Revere got to the river with a
couple of guys to row him across. He managed to get that far with
some manual labor in tow, but nobody had anything to muffle the
oars. And there the enterprise almost ended.
     After he finally crossed the river, the first thing that
happened was that he got arrested. He was caught by a British
patrol, and they asked him what he was doing. He of course said
that he was out for a Sunday drive or whatever, and they allowed
as how they would be glad to have his horse if he wouldn't mind.
Since there were a lot of them and one of him, he gave them his
horse and walked back to Boston. Now it so happened that he ran
into and recruited a guy who was out courting a local beauty, so
it was the courting fellow who went to rouse the countryside.
Paul Revere didn't do any of the things that we think of him as
doing. He blew it; he just plain blew it. And this is one of our
heroes in American history, right? 
     Let's set Paul aside for a minute, and we'll get back to
him. I want to mention the other hero and show you again how
history becomes narrow in its perspective. Thomas Jefferson: What
do we remember him for? The wonderful, wonderful words in the
Declaration of Independence that capture not only what he
believed and what we believe but also the glory of those beliefs.
That's what we remember him for. 
     Here's a man who was the first American paleontologist. He
discovered and identified dinosaur bones and shipped them back to
Europe. He also took on and single-handedly changed the
prevailing though primitive natural science of the time. European
scientists, with absolutely no evidence to support their
conjectures, had evolved the belief that all American life forms 
were stunted, that everything--insects, flowers, grains,
vegetables, birds, cows, and people--were made in a smaller size
on the North American continent. I guess this was some sort of
scientific effort to prove superiority or something. Anyway,
Jefferson, unusually tall himself, took on this nonsense
masquerading as science and demolished it. He rounded up current
species, like a very large American bull, and sent their remains
to Europe, convincing the opinion makers that American versions
were actually bigger than the European ones. 
     Due to his service to his state and country, Jefferson was
always in debt in the precarious colonial economy, which had
little actual money and ran substantially on barter.
Nevertheless, he bought the financially useless piece of ground
near his home which contains the beautiful natural rock formation
known as the Natural Bridge. He just liked it, so he bought it to
preserve it, making him America's first conservationist. He was
the first true architect in our country, designing not only his
own home but the building still in use at the University of
Virginia and the Capitol of the State of Virginia. He didn't just
pile bricks and boards on one another; he designed buildings for
beauty as well as use and brought architecture to our country. He
is the man who gave us our country's motto, "E Pluribus Unum." He
designed our decimal money system that makes so much sense
because all you have to do is use your fingers to count. He is
the one who also doubled the size of the country by the Louisiana
Purchase and the man who established world trade on a solid
foundation by eliminating the Barbary pirates. This is the man
who did the first of everything.   
     As John Kennedy said to a group of Nobel laureates dining at
the White House: This is the most illustrious group of people to
dine at the White House since Thomas Jefferson dined here alone.
Thomas Jefferson was an amazingly prolific and wonderful man, and
I have probably left out half of the things that he did. But he
is remembered principally for the Declaration of Independence and
not for these other things. 
     What does all this tell us? First of all it tells us that
history and human memory are quirky. But second, I think it tells
us things about how people's movements evolve. Paul Revere blew
it when he got to the river, but he backed up, and one of the
people in his party demonstrated the characteristic traits of a
people's movement--inventiveness and creativity under pressure.
The guy, discovering that they didn't have any muffles for the
oars, went running back to his girlfriend's house, threw a rock
at the window, got her attention, and said that they needed some
material. She dropped her petticoat out of the window (still
warm, mind you, from use); and he took it back to the river to
muffle the oars; and off they went. 
     So Paul blew it, but he happened to have associates who were
able to engage in the creativity under pressure that brings about
success in a people's movement. Although Paul warned virtually
nobody in the countryside (he just lost his horse and let the
British know he was around), he succeeded in passing the word
along to one other person, who then passed the word. In fairness
I should mention that Revere did manage to warn John Hancock and
Samuel Adams, whom the British were actually after. That's what
they wanted--the principal traitors. He got to the two traitors
and nobody else, so he achieved one of his goals. Paul Revere was
later courtmartialed, by the way, convicted of unmilitary
behavior, and kicked out of the army, which is another thing
people don't know about him. He then got a retrial and convinced
the army that he had not been guilty and continued to serve as an
honorable soldier. 
     Paul Revere's history, both the mistakes and the successes,
tells us a couple of important things about what a people's
movement does. First, why do we remember this man who was
courtmartialed and blew his mission? We do because the people who
knew him respected him. He didn't just row across the river and
wake up two guys. What he did for years and years and years of
his life was to go out at night and gather information, speak
with other people, and encourage those who were disheartened.    
Night after night he went to meetings. When a job needed doing,
he was always there, asking  to be assigned to do it. He showed
up in Philadelphia about every other week carrying messages from
Boston to the Continental Congress. Over and over and over he did
the things he was asked to do. No matter that he almost blew the
mission that one time. He kept on doing things for about ten
years until the revolution was successful. That's what this guy
did. He spent the time, and he gave of his treasure and of his
spirit. He encouraged and taught others, and when a job needed
doing, he did it. When a job wasn't getting done, he assigned it
to himself. For example, this guy was a silversmith, but we
didn't have any cannons at the beginning of the war. So he
figured out how to cast cannons and started making them. Not only
did he do what other people asked him to, he learned what was
needed and did it in a spirit of cooperation and collective
action. 
     I think that Revere's life, with both its errors and its
successes, is instructive for all of us engaged in a people's
movement. The guy made mistakes, big mistakes. But he also kept
going. He wasn't embarrassed or ashamed of something that was
done wrong. He cared enough about the goal and the outcome that
he went back and tried again. Likewise, he took the time. Anybody
who has got a going business doesn't have any extra time. On the
other hand, you've got all the time in the world if you want to
do something. He took the time, he went to the meetings, he
talked to the people who were discouraged, he made the plans, he
revised them, he did the things that were necessary. That is one
example of a person functioning in a successful people's
movement. 
     The other example that I mentioned, Thomas Jefferson, is a
completely different type of contributor to a people's movement.
I know of no evidence that Jefferson and Revere ever met, though
I'm sure each knew who the other was. Yet these two men from
different backgrounds, different perspectives, different parts of
the country, worked hand in glove. They supported each other and
complemented each other to bring about the goal to which each of
them had dedicated his life. This is the second characteristic of
a people's movement as illustrated by the Revolutionary War--
working together for the same goal, whether you know your fellow
workers or not. Jefferson and Revere demonstrate a quality of
commitment, a willingness to find the good in other people and in
other people's actions, a disposition to make common cause with
others one does not even know in order to achieve the broad goals
served in common. This building of an organizational
infrastructure by finding the things people were good at, by
emphasizing the good qualities of one's fellow workers, by
working with and building upon the good done by others was key to
the success of the people's movement that established our
country. And it was also key to the stable administration of the
future once the goal was achieved. While working in the present
to bring about change, Revere and Jefferson recognized that they
must do their work with the basic respect for their fellows that
serves as a solid basis for any human endeavor. 
     The third lesson from the experience of the Revolution is
expressed in Thomas Jefferson's later reflections. He's the man
who wrote those glorious words in the Declaration of Independence
about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet less than
twenty years later a group of citizens were rebelling because
they thought taxes were too heavy and services weren't being
provided: the famous Shay's Rebellion. Most of the people in the
United States government wanted to go out to Western Pennsylvania
and wipe them out. It wasn't right. Now that we had our own
government, everybody should obey it. Everybody should agree with
it. Everybody should simply say "Yes." Jefferson was horrified,
not by the rebellion, but by the reaction of his colleagues, the
former revolutionaries. And in that context Jefferson said, "God
forbid that we should ever be twenty years without such a
rebellion. The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to
time with the blood of patriots and of tyrants." 
     You understand, Jefferson was not a fighter. He wasn't
bloodthirsty; the fact of the matter is that, whenever he got
near a battle, he went the other way. He certainly wasn't
advocating that we actually go out and water the tree of liberty
with the blood of tyrants. He was saying that men and women
forget very quickly and that less than twenty years before he and
his colleagues were saying that their government had to be
changed because it was unjust. He was saying that less than
twenty years before they had embraced the principle that freedom
of speech matters. If you believe something and you're right,
then facing opposition can help you to believe it more firmly. If
you believe something and you're wrong, then you need the
opposition to tell you about it. The Jeffersonian notion that the
tree of liberty must be refreshed is the final lesson that we can
draw from this other people's movement. 
     If we in the National Federation of the Blind today look
back to Paul Revere, it is easier to remember that we should go
to the chapter meeting and that, if we need to muffle the oars in
order to get there, to find transportation of some kind which
will be efficient and effective, then we need to take that time
because each of us, like Paul Revere, embodies the people's
movement that we in the National Federation of the Blind have
established. It isn't enough to believe something. We must do
what is necessary to bring that belief into being. Revere spent
that time, went to those meetings, and expressed in his daily
life the future that he hoped to bring about. We partly remember
Paul Revere, though, because somebody wrote about him. Some of us
in this room will be the chroniclers of our movement, recording
our successes and the reasons for those successes for others to
recall. 
     We also remember Jefferson in part because he was a writer.
But Jefferson's talk about the tree of liberty shows us the final
lesson that we can learn from our revolutionary colleagues of two
hundred years ago--you never stop learning. Jefferson knew that
the only guarantee of political freedom was freedom of speech and
thought, and he was convinced that one must learn and relearn and
relearn again the principles, interpreting and applying them in
new contexts. That, to me, is the most glorious part of the
American Revolution and of the National Federation of the Blind:
you learn something every time you talk to another blind person.
You learn something every time you talk to a Congressman. You
learn something about how the world works and about how you work
and about how change can occur. 
     Thomas Jefferson said, "God forbid that we should be twenty
years without such a rebellion." What he was really saying was
that each of us individually grows in knowledge. All of us as a
movement grow together in knowledge. Never, never think that you
know it all, because there is always someone who can teach you
something. There is always something that our movement can learn.
That is the real beauty of our student division and of this
student seminar. Learning for our future, planning those next
twenty years, must mean that we take the time for re-learning and
re-commitment, and that we remember that the tree of liberty must
constantly be refreshed by individual people and by the movement
as a whole. 
     So God forbid that the National Federation of the Blind
should ever be twenty years without a student seminar. God forbid
that the National Federation of the Blind should ever be twenty
years without new members who raise questions, who challenge
theory, and who put forth new applications of our principles. And
God forbid that the National Federation of the Blind should ever
be twenty years without a willingness to talk, a willingness to
learn, and a willingness to grow. You students will be setting
that agenda for the nineties and for the twenty-first century.
God forbid that you should ever think you know it all or think
that innovation isn't necessary. Most of all, God forbid that you
should think you don't have to go to the meetings or arrange
transportation or do anything to make the future come about,
because the tree of liberty must be watered, not every twenty
years, but continually. Not only did the American patriots do it,
but we in the National Federation of the Blind are doing it
still.




                 ******************************
     If you or a friend would like to remember the National
Federation of the Blind in your will, you can do so by employing
the following language:
     "I give, devise, and bequeath unto National Federation of
the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, a
District of Columbia nonprofit corporation, the sum of $_____ (or
"_____ percent of my net estate" or "The following stocks and
bonds: _____") to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of
blind persons."
                 ******************************

[PHOTO: Kenneth Jernigan standing at podium microphone. CAPTION:
Dr. Kenneth Jernigan was the featured speaker at the annual
banquet of the National Association of Blind Students.]

                   HOW DO WE CHANGE THE WORLD
                       by Kenneth Jernigan

     Many of the problems we face today--problems such as
discrimination against the blind in air travel, seventy percent
unemployment among the blind, unresponsiveness on the part of
governmental and private agencies, and massive public
misunderstanding about blindness--seem so big and all-
encompassing as to be beyond our scope as individuals to do
anything about. We tend to think that surely such major issues
can only be handled at the national level by national leaders.
But wait! A national problem is simply a lot of individual people
having the same wrong attitude or misunderstanding. When you look
at it that way, it takes on a different appearance.
     If our problems are caused by individuals, they can best be
solved by individuals. Each of us can do something to help,
working on a one-to-one basis. Here is where the National
Federation of the Blind is unique and particularly strong. We are
not just national, state, or local leaders. We are individuals,
working together and helping each other in a common cause with a
shared philosophy.
     Our understanding about blindness and public attitudes, our
self-confidence, and our sense of united purpose did not come
overnight. We have been at the task for the better part of a
century, and there is still a way to go. But there are now tens
of thousands of us throughout the country, consciously working on
a daily basis to change what it means to be blind. This is the
only way it can be done, individuals acting individually to
change society's attitudes and improve the climate of public
opinion. More often than not, the progress is not dramatic. This
is the way people's movements are--and no one can say which
particular incident on which particular day was the critical
occurrence, the crucial happening, or the pivotal event. In fact,
in a true people's movement, it may be that there is no such
thing as a critical occurrence or crucial happening or pivotal
event--just an accelerating accumulation of isolated acts which,
taken together, change lives and weld a minority together with
unbreakable bonds, determined to be free and never to go back.
     I have worked in our movement for more than forty years, and
this is the way I think the National Federation of the Blind has
been built, individual added to individual and incident added to
incident. This is why we are the strongest force in the affairs
of the blind today. This is why we are unstoppable and
unbeatable, moving with a mighty sweep toward equal treatment and
first-class status. To the question how do we change the world, I
answer: by individual actions collectively focused. Leaders can
help with the focusing, but rank-and-file members (thousands and
tens of thousands of us) must take the actions. Leaders cannot
plan these actions. They cannot, that is, if the actions are to
be effective. Too much is involved. Everything would bottleneck
at the top. The system would break--or never grow to the
proportion of a people's movement. The only way to achieve our
objective is by individual actions collectively focused--walking
alone and marching together.
     The following letters perfectly illustrate what I am saying.
A radio program was heard by a Federationist in Arizona in July
of 1990. The Federationist took action and talked to others in
his local chapter. The chapter secretary wrote a letter and
followed it up with a second letter. Now (several months later)
the chapter has called the matter to the attention of the Braille
Monitor, and we are passing it on to our readers throughout the
country so that others may think about it and do likewise.
     Of course, this series of occurrences might never have been
reported to the Monitor at all. Many such incidents are not--and
even if they were, most of them could not be printed. There are
too many. We are a people's movement.
     As the correspondence will indicate, this matter has not
been finally resolved. Perhaps it never will be. It makes no
difference. The effect is the same. We are changing the world. We
are doing it by individual actions collectively focused, by
walking alone and marching together. Consider the following
letters, and you will see what I mean. They are low key,
undramatic, and unspectacular. Yet, in their cumulative effect
they are earthshaking.
     Then, there is what happened in Wisconsin. A sighted fourth
grader receives a lesson about blindness from her teacher, and
she comes home and tells her mother, who happens to be blind and
who also happens to be the president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Wisconsin. The mother writes to the teacher, and
as in the Arizona case, the matter (at least, so far as we know)
still remains unresolved.
     Also, as in the Arizona case, we are dealing with the
undramatic and the unspectacular--or, viewed more broadly, with
the earthshaking and the stuff of historic change. Every incident
has a cumulative effect. In the present instance the action was
taken by a state president, but it could just as easily have been
somebody else, a member holding no office at all. The operative
factor is that it was a Federationist. We act individually, but
our actions are collectively focused to achieve equal rights and
first-class status.
     Arizona and Wisconsin. Then, there is what happened in Los
Angeles on October 18, 1990. Two blind Federationists go to a
meeting of the county board of supervisors to receive an official
document, one which proclaims White Cane Safety Day in the county
and pays tribute to the Federation--but in the very act of
presenting the proclamation the supervisors treat the
Federationists in a discriminatory fashion. And they do it
without even knowing they are doing it. The Federationists, who
are conscious of the long-term nature of the battle for first-
class citizenship which they are waging, do not make an on-the-
spot protest but respond graciously. Then they go home and write
a letter--quiet, undramatic, and (taken in conjunction with what
is happening in Arizona, Wisconsin, and elsewhere) ultimately
earthshaking. The Federation is on the move--changing the world
by individual actions collectively focused, by walking alone and
marching together. 
     Here is the Arizona correspondence, followed by the letters
from Wisconsin and California. Observe the pattern. Consider the
long-term implications.

                                              Scottsdale, Arizona
                                                 October 18, 1990

Dear Dr. Jernigan:
     I have been told that copies of the following correspondence
might be of some interest to you and the Braille Monitor. The
issue described herewith, though still unresolved, is seemingly
one of relatively low intensity. The correspondence relating to
this matter has been sent to President Maurer, and any future
correspondence will be forwarded to you as well.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                           Tom Johnson, Secretary
                      National Federation of the Blind of Phoenix
                      ____________________
                                              Scottsdale, Arizona
                                                    July 25, 1990

Curtiss Johnson
Program Director, KUPD
Tempe, Arizona

Dear Mr. Johnson:
     On Saturday, July 14, 1990, it came to the attention of some
of the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona
that comedian Sam Kinneson made use of certain negative phrases
and images pertaining to blind persons during one of his
promotions for a then upcoming show. We feel that the stereotypes
used by Mr. Kinneson do nothing to enhance a positive public
image of blind people in this state.
     Since your station is a vehicle for entertainment and
information, we feel that a public service would be rendered if
literature and other educational materials on blindness from our
organization could be disseminated to counteract these much-too-
prevalent stereotypes. We would be happy if you would be willing
to receive such information. It would be further helpful if you
or someone at your station could give us the name of Mr.
Kinneson's promoter so that educational materials could be
provided to him.
     We would very much appreciate a response.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                           Tom Johnson, Secretary
                      National Federation of the Blind of Phoenix
                      ____________________
                                                   Tempe, Arizona
                                                   August 2, 1990

Dear Mr. Johnson:
     I am Sue Cook, Public Affairs Director of 98 KUPD. Curtiss
Johnson gave me your letter concerning the stereotyping of blind
people. In response, I am offering your organization the
opportunity to be guests on Valley Voice, our public affairs
program. This show is tape recorded in advance, so we can
schedule your representatives at our mutual convenience.
     As far as public awareness of blind people, we do run your
national public service announcements on blindness, but if your
organization would like to submit more information about
Arizona's chapter, feel free to do so. Just mail anything you
have to our business address.
     And finally, Sam Kinneson's recording company is Warner
Brothers. Their mailing address is: Warner Brothers Records, 3300
Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California 90909.
     Thank you for the time you spent writing us, and let's hope 
good things will come to pass.

                                                    Respectfully,
                                                         Sue Cook
                                                          98 KUPD
                      ____________________
                                              Scottsdale, Arizona
                                                 October 16, 1990

Warner Brothers Records
Burbank, California

Dear Sir:
     I am writing on behalf of the Phoenix chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Arizona, an affiliate of the
National Federation of the Blind (NFB). We are not an
organization speaking for blind people. We are the blind speaking
for ourselves--and as such, we have something to say.
     On Saturday, July 14, 1990, a member of the Tucson chapter
of the NFB happened to be listening to radio station KUPD (the
offices of which are located in Tempe, Arizona) when a promotion
for a then upcoming show by comedian Sam Kinneson was broadcast.
In this promo, Mr. Kinneson made use of certain negative
stereotypes pertaining to blindness and blind people. For
example, Mr. Kinneson said that not only could he not ascertain
the time of day, but that he could not differentiate between the
sexes when trying to "score" for the evening in a bar--that is to
say, that blindness would make of him a fool.
     We fully understand the use of promos in attempting to
attract attention and attendance of crowds to upcoming
performances. However, in this instance, we feel that such a
caricature of blindness as that presented by Mr. Kinneson is a
distortion and does nothing to enhance a positive public image of
blind people. Indeed, such a presentation helps to slow the clock
which measures the time taken and the time needed by the blind of
this nation to complete the journey to social equality.
     A letter concerning this matter was sent to KUPD and a
response received. You will find copies thereof accompanying this
letter.
     As a suggestion, it might be a good idea for Mr. Kinneson 
actually to meet with some of the people who seemingly provide
such amusement free of charge. Mr. Kinneson has an open
invitation when he is in Arizona to attend any of our chapter
meetings (second Friday of each month), or to attend the annual
convention of the Arizona state affiliate of the National
Federation of the Blind (held this year October 26-28).
     For further information, please write: Ruth Swenson,
President, National Federation of the Blind of Arizona, 311 West
McNair Street, Chandler, Arizona 85224; (602) 892-4387. Or you
can contact: Marc Maurer, President, National Federation of the
Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (301) 659-
9314.
     Since you are promoting Mr. Kinneson, we thought we would
make our views known.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                           Tom Johnson, Secretary
                      National Federation of the Blind of Phoenix
                      ____________________
                                             Milwaukee, Wisconsin
                                                 October 10, 1990

Ms. Vicki Laude
Woodlands School
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Dear Ms. Laude:
     This correspondence is in response to the class you are
currently teaching about blindness to the students of the fourth
grade at Woodlands School. To teach our children about other
cultures and groups is of course a very important and worthwhile
endeavor. Since the blind are a recognized group, and because
blind persons have contributed so richly to our society, it is
fitting that blindness and the blind should have been chosen by
you to be included in my daughter's curriculum.
     However, I have been hearing about attitudes displayed about
blindness that I find extremely distressing and false. It is my
understanding that you turned off the lights in the classroom,
blindfolded the students, and asked them to write the color of
their clothing, the blackboard, and other items. After the
students had completed this assignment and walked about the
classroom bumping into each other, you announced that now they
should have a better idea of what it is like to be a blind person
and how difficult it is for blind people to remember colors, walk
around, and find their television sets in their homes.
     I believe this assignment left the students with many false
impressions about blindness. Of course, they would have
difficulty walking about. They have not been trained in the use
of a long white cane as a blind child would have been. Of course
they would have difficulty writing blindfolded with a pencil. A
blind child would have written quite legibly with a slate and
stylus in Braille or would have used a typewriter. Because your
students could not remember colors does not mean that a blind
person could not.
     I also understand that you asked your students to write all
of the things that they thought a blind person could not do, and
then estimate how the blind could get those things done, thereby
encouraging your students to investigate a perceived lack of
competence on the part of the blind. Did you ever think about
asking the students to list all of the many things blind people
can do? Do you also plan to ask your class to list things they
believe sighted, black, American Indian, Jewish, or bald people
can't do? I expect not--and frankly I hope not, for such a
stereotypic question would have the same prejudicial and
discriminatory results.
     The blind are sending their children to school, paying
bills, mowing their lawns, going back and forth to their jobs,
shopping for groceries, going to school, playing cards with their
friends, washing dishes, cooking their meals, and painting their
homes... even as you read this letter. In other words, the blind
do the same things and have the same feelings as you. We do not
live lives of drastic losses of memory, fear, or confusion any
more than you do.
     A most disturbing comment came from Candice, herself, when
she came home from school today. She said, "Mom, you know,
they're always telling us at school to respect all kinds of
people (black people, the handicapped, and the blind), but they
don't really mean it." That is what my daughter learned at
Woodlands School today.
     You must remember, Ms. Laude, that because of our family's
association with the National Federation of the Blind, Candice
has met hundreds of blind people throughout the country. She
knows that blind people don't have the difficulties of mobility
and intellect that seem to have been portrayed in your class.
Because I myself am blind, Candice sees Braille and a white cane
being used by me every day, and she views these objects as
symbols of independence.
     I know that you have the best interests of your students at
heart. But if you really want to know about the blind, I suggest
that you consult with a blind person. I am quite troubled about
this recent learning experience relating to blindness. I am being
as understanding as I know how to be. I would be willing to
demonstrate to the class the alternative techniques (Braille,
white cane) of blindness and answer any questions about blindness
that the class may have.
     Let me assure you that the real problem of blindness is not
the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding
and lack of information which exist. When a blind person has
proper training and opportunity, blindness is nothing more than a
physical nuisance. Knowledge about blindness is just not your
strong suit. However, I do thank you very much for the excellent
guidance you have given Candice in her other subjects.

                                                 Sincerely yours,
                                       Bonnie Peterson, President
                    National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin
                      ____________________
                                      San Fernando Valley Chapter
                   National Federation of the Blind of California
                                                 October 18, 1990

Edmund Edelman
Los Angeles County Supervisor

Dear Supervisor Edelman:
     Thank you for your motion on October 9th, 1990, for the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors to declare October 15 as
White Cane Safety Day. Thanks also to the rest of the Board for
approving your motion and thereby acknowledging the equality of
blind persons and promoting opportunity and security for the
blind.
     Although I am pleased with the Board's proclamation, I must
say in all candor that I was quite disappointed and offended at
the manner in which the proclamation was delivered to my
associate, Mr. Jerry Drake, and me. The previous speakers were
invited onto the platform for their presentations and comments
regarding the Board's actions. Mr. Drake and I were stopped at
the edge of the platform and prevented from stepping onto it. As
we stood on the floor in front of the platform, a hand-held
microphone was presented to us for our comments following the
reading of the proclamation.
     Mr. Drake and I are blind. We are also capable of coming to
the podium. For that matter, so would any other blind person be
able to step up to your podium. The apparent assumption that we
could not was not only wrong but also in contradiction of the
Board's proclamation. How can we be equal if we are denied the
opportunity to stand at the podium like every other person who is
not physically prevented from doing so?
     Because of respect for the Board, I chose not to raise this
issue at the board meeting. But I must raise it now. I ask you,
your staff, and the other Board members to examine your own
actions in light of your proclamation that blind people in Los
Angeles County are to be considered equal to the sighted. Equal
means exactly that--equal opportunity, and (correspondingly)
equal obligations. I assure you that Mr. Drake and I take our
obligations seriously.
     We will look forward to reappearing before the Board next
October and on any other occasions when it becomes necessary. In
the future we will expect to be treated as capable people and
given the opportunity to take our rightful place alongside you on
the platform.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                   Donovan Cooper, Vice President
                                      San Fernando Valley Chapter
                   National Federation of the Blind of California

cc: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Marc Maurer
Jerry Drake
Sharon Gold
Kenneth Jernigan
                      ____________________
     These are representative letters, and they outline the
blueprint for changing the world. They are as undramatic and
unspectacular as everyday life--which, of course, is exactly what
they are. Step by step, minute by minute we who are blind are
marching to equality. Our actions are taken individually, but
they are collectively focused. We walk alone, but we march
together.


     WHY THE NFB IS HELPING ME FILE A SECTION 504 COMPLAINT

     (From the Associate Editor: In February, the National
Federation of the Blind of Sacramento held a Seminar, "Blindness:
Focusing on the Future." Blind people and their families traveled
to this seminar from all over central California. This very
informative seminar addressed many issues of importance to blind
persons. One of the presenters was Jillian Brooks of Redding, a
licensed radiological technologist who had recently been fired
from her job. As happens so often, she turned to the Federation
for help, and since then Sharon Gold, President of the National
Federation of the Blind of California, has been working closely
with her. Together they filed a Section 504 complaint with the
Department of Health and Human Services in July of 1990, and
early in 1991 they filed a complaint in federal court.
     Jillian became so committed to what the NFB stands for that
she began working intensively to organize a chapter, and in April
of 1990 the Shasta County Chapter of the National Federation of
the Blind of California was born with Jillian as its energetic
president. The Summer, 1990 edition of The Blind Citizen, the
publication of the NFB of California, included the text of
Jillian's speech to the Sacramento seminar. This is what she
said:

     This is my first NFB conference, and actually my first
experience in person with the NFB. Last week I was typing a
letter to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and my
roommate said to me, "Life is like a refrigerator. You get out of
it what you put into it." Sometimes it seems like we have to put
in an awful lot to get out a small amount, and often when we open
the refrigerator door, we're confronted by lots of bad-smelling,
moldy things. 
     I lost my vision when I was in high school. I became legally
blind at the age of sixteen. I didn't really pay too much
attention to it at the time because the same thing had happened
to my sisters, too, and we have all led fairly normal lives in
spite of it.
     When Diane Starin mentioned a little while ago that as blind
people we are supposed to do some things and we are not supposed
to do others, I had to laugh. My sister reminded me of the truth
of this. When I first lost my eyesight, I was told in high school
that I couldn't take a crafts class or home economics because I
might be injured. I came home and told my dad, who said, "Well,
that's stupid. You go back and tell them that you want to take
the crafts class and that you want it to be before the home
economics class. That way, if you saw your finger off in the
crafts class, you can sew it back on in home economics." Dad
taught me two important things with his comment: that I could do
it, and that, if I made a mistake, I could fix it.
     I went on to college and studied various subjects. I really
had an interest in science and in the health field. I decided in
junior college that I wanted to get involved in radiological
technology. It really encompassed things I liked, so I applied
for the program. Luck was with me. The woman running this program
did not discriminate against me. (I find a lot of discrimination
in the refrigerator.) But she said, "Hey, look. If you think you
can make it through the program, that's fine. I'm not going to
guarantee you a job, but I'll let you into the program." I made
it through the radiological technician major and graduated summa
cum laude.
     Before I did so, I was offered a job at the hospital in
which I had trained, so I didn't even have to go out job hunting.
Actually, I was offered two jobs. I worked as an x-ray technician
in that hospital for five years. Then I changed jobs for various
reasons. During the last thirteen  years I've worked in about
four or five different x-ray facilities, and I've never had a
problem. I would go in and say, "I've got a vision problem, but I
use a Visualtek. I can do this, and I can do that, and I'm
California and nationally certified. I also have extra training
as a phlebotomist, so I'm qualified. In fact, I'm probably more
qualified than my colleagues, simply because I'm blind and I've
got to be better. I have all the certificates, and I have to
prove myself to get my job, but I don't mind doing that. I just
want to work." 
     I recently moved to Redding because there were a lot of
really good x-ray jobs up there. I could afford to put a down
payment on a house and get my life going nicely. So I moved to
Redding, I bought a house, and I got a job with a clinic there. I
wasn't really getting enough hours, so I found another job with
Redding Radiological Associates. They were thrilled to have me.
We negotiated the contract over a couple of weeks. I wanted more
money than they were offering, and I got it. I went to work with
Redding Radiological Associates on January 3, 1990.
     On January 9, for the first time in my life, I was fired. It
was a very humiliating experience. I was called into my
supervisor's office, and she said, "I'm sorry but your eyesight's
a problem, and we're going to have to terminate you." I kept my
composure though I was shaking then just about as much as I am
now, giving my first speech to the National Federation of the
Blind.
     I asked if I had made a mistake, and she said that I had
not. I asked if I had caused any problems, and she said, "No, but
you know, some day you might. You will prove to be a safety
hazard on the job. You might stick somebody with a needle." 
     I responded, "Well, I've never stuck anybody I didn't intend
to stick." 
     She said, "In an emergency, if somebody has anaphylactic
shock, you might not be able to read the expiration dates on the
medicine you have to hand to the doctor." I said, "You know I can
read them. I use my magnifying glass." (I did not have my
Visualtek at this job but simply used a magnifier because there
was very little reading to do.)
     The supervisor said, "We don't want you to use a magnifying
glass. If patients see you doing your job with a magnifying
glass, they will lose faith in your abilities as a technologist."
I explained to her what a Visualtek was, that I had my own, and
that I would be more than happy to bring it to work. I also
explained that I had worked in emergency situations many, many
times. I then realized that she wasn't going to be persuaded. 
     In commenting about the Visualtek, she said, "I'm sorry, but
our doctors would not be accommodating to the idea of having this
piece of equipment on the job site." I was then handed my
paycheck and my letter of termination.
     Was I in trouble! I went home to my mortgage and everything
else. I was so depressed. The next morning, just by chance, my
sister Jean called from New York City. She's also blind and is a
bank Vice President. She asked me what was going on. I told her
that I had been fired and that I didn't think it was fair. She
said that she didn't think it was legal. I asked her what I
should do. She suggested that I get an attorney. Then she said,
"You know, I've heard of an organization of blind people. They
might help you. It's the National Federation of the Blind."
     I called Information and got Sharon Gold. Whoa! Boy! Talk
about having the big guns. I've been working closely with her
since then, and she has helped me step by step through this. I'm
still unemployed, but I'm at least fighting. I'm feeling good
about myself and have a very positive self-image.
     Redding Radiology has a personnel manager, who serves as an
arbitrator. Sharon and I met with her here in Sacramento. We had
a pleasant meeting. You see, they couldn't find anything wrong
with me other than the fact that I had to read with a magnifying
glass and squint. I had made no mistakes. I had done nothing
wrong. It was clearly--I've learned the term--a 504 offense.
     The arbitrator suggested that Redding Radiology give me a
job. We received a letter from them a few days later offering me
a job as a darkroom clerk for exactly half my previous wages.
This was almost as bad as being terminated. We've refused that
offer.
     Now I'm filing a complaint with the State Department of Fair
Employment and Housing. We're also filing a 504 complaint with
the United States Department of Health and Human Services because
Redding Radiology receives funds from the federal government for
Medicare and MediCal patients.
     What I really want to say is that we've talked a little here
today about support and what this organization means. The
National Federation of the Blind offers an opportunity, not only
for us to receive support, but to give it. I think the two are
pretty equal in their importance. I'm probably the newest member,
but I'm already a very loyal and devoted one. I promise that I'm
going to do everything I can to try to get this organization a
really good foothold up in the Redding area.






                   A BLIND TEACHER ON THE JOB
                         by Judy Krecek

     From the Associate Editor: Sometimes we forget how much
encouragement we can give one another just by sharing our
reflections on our own jobs. It can also happen that talking with
others about our work provides us with new insights and
perspectives on our lives. In June, 1990, Judy Krecek, a member
of the Kankakee-Heartland Chapter of the National Federation of
the Blind of Illinois, spoke to her chapter about her job as a
teacher. Her remarks were reprinted in the Summer, 1990, issue of
The Blind Educator, the publication of the National Association
of Blind Educators. Here is what she had to say:

     Perhaps today is not the best time for me to talk to you
about teaching because yesterday was the last day of school. I am
suffering from burnout. I think I'm happier than the kids that we
all made it through to another June. This has been a stressful
year, but each one is very rewarding. 
     I was examining my conscience and asking why I am a teacher.
My answer was "June, July, and August." But really, this is a
rewarding job, for many times I can touch children's lives and
make a difference. Even if I help only one child in twenty years,
I feel my work has been successful.
     Of course, when I was young, I played school; however, my
goal was to be a waitress. But then I wondered who would ever
hire me. Then I thought I would be an organist, but we did not
have an organ, so that was the end of that. It was actually a
junior high teacher who suggested that I become a teacher, but
she thought I should teach the blind.
     I think maybe I went into teaching because of my family.
Neither of my parents had a happy childhood. My father grew up in
an orphanage. For that reason he made sure that our family was
very close. My mother was unloved and was encouraged not to
further her own education, so education and affection were very
important to her.
     I spent my early years in a class for blind children, but
they did not teach Braille, which was a big mistake. In fact, I
did not learn Braille until I was in college. I did not enjoy my
experience in school, for I was pulled out of regular class and
sent to the special education class. I was encouraged not to play
with the regular kids, and I was basically segregated from the
mainstream.
     In the sixth grade this program deteriorated because the
teacher said that I should be able to read large print books as
fast as the regular kids. Never mind that I had several eye
problems. I ran home to my mother and told her that the teacher
said my IQ was okay, but I failed every test I had taken because
I could not read very fast and sometimes not at all. The truth
was that no one knew Braille, so I was not taught, and as a
result I was set up to fail. I simply could not see.
     Finally, my parents decided to pull me out of that school
and put me into a Catholic school. My family asked why the school
was reluctant to take me and were told that there was a special
class for me right down the street. In the end they said that I
could enter the school but that I would have to repeat a grade
because I was two years behind in math and three in English. Of
course, no one recognized that I was behind because I could not
see to do the work. I went back to the public school and told
them I wanted to transfer. They told me that I could pass to the
seventh grade even though I was behind. They were getting state
and federal money to educate me, and they did not want to lose
it.
     My parents left the decision to me. I had always wanted to
be in a regular class, so I repeated a year at the Catholic
school. My mother tutored me in the subjects I was lacking, and
everything was better. Again I must remind everyone that the
problem was my blindness, but no one really understood that.
     In those days, when a blind student went to private school,
there were no materials, so my mother bought a tape recorder she
could not afford and read all my books for me. She continued
doing all my reading through college and even typed my Latin in
large print. If I had not had a mom like that, I would not have
made it through the system. Mom had three other kids, so she was
very busy. She was invaluable to me. In high school I would sleep
only three or four hours per night because it took me so long to
complete my assignments; I simply could not see. This is why
Braille is so important. I could not keep up using print. When I
was sixteen, my mother asked if I wanted to quit because it was
such a strain. Of course I did not.
     When I was ten I did get a Talking Book Machine, but we had
to fight for it. They said they did not have children's books and
that if I had the machine I might not push myself to read. Again,
I did not read because I could not see, but no one realized this.
     When it came time to decide about college, I had my mother's
support, but my father thought it unnecessary. Of course, now he
brags about how I have two degrees. At that time I think my
father was afraid of what would happen in a new situation.
     When it was time for student teaching, I was told I could
not do it. The woman in charge said that she had wanted to be a
doctor but that we do not always get what we want. She said she
would not want her child in my class for safety reasons. I did
not know how to answer, but I said that if they did not let me
student teach, I would sue. They made me teach on campus, but I
did do it. They gave me a rough time, but I still got the
credentials.
     I have had several parents who wanted to pull their children
out of my class because it was too hard, but not because of
blindness. I have always talked these parents out of moving their
children. It is good for everyone to have challenging classes.
What I am trying to tell you is that when you meet the people in
your life who tell you that you cannot do something, you have to
prove them wrong. All the way through school people would say
that they admired my enthusiasm, but.... When people say "but,"
it is time for combat.
     I had many interviews when I was looking for my first job.
On my credential one line stated that I was blind. When the
interviewers read that, there were all kinds of excuses about why
they did not need me. I had a lot of rejections before I got my
first job. The only reason I got the job I did was that Latin was
my minor and the district was desperate for a Latin teacher. The
superintendent offered me the job on the spot. It was August, and
he needed a teacher that day. He asked if I had any questions,
and I said that I did not but that he had not asked about my
blindness. He simply asked if I thought I could teach, and of
course I said I could. He said that was all that he wanted to
know. I was thrilled because I was going to earn real money,
$5,300 a year. I taught there for two years, but church was
twenty-five miles away, and it was eight miles to a bus stop. The
town had no theaters and maybe one restaurant.
     After two years there, I saved up my money and went to
Europe. I resigned before going on vacation. I realized later
that it was foolish to have quit, but Kankakee did hire me. I was
sure they would not choose me for the job because it was a rough
class, but I interviewed because I could get to the job from
Chicago by train.
     I was offered the job but was not really happy there for
about four years. It took me all that time to feel a part of the
community. After eleven years I bought a house.
     I do love my job. The first day of class I always tell my
students in what ways I proceed differently. I have a closed-
circuit television, which I use to enlarge material. I work from
recorded tests. I have the students listen to prerecorded
stories, which they love. When a student needs help with
pronunciation, I instruct that student to spell the word rather
than point. Even though the students know I am blind, they ask
what kind of car I drive because everyone in their world drives.
I have to remind them that blind people do not drive.
     Of course, my students pull pranks, but they are all out of
love. One day they turned my desk around so that, when I sat
down, I banged my knees. They just wanted to know how I would
react. We talked about people's feelings and how we must respect
one another. I give them assigned seats and tell them why, and I
hire a reader to do some of my grading. Also I teach computers
and use one myself. I got roped into teaching the class because I
had the skill.
     I have two classes of three hours each--language arts,
social studies, etc. Using the computers has really helped my
students' writing skills. Every year I have them participate in
the young authors contest, which is quite a challenge. I also use
my talking clock calculator, which has other features as well.
     A lot of people think that I am smart, but I, like many,
have to work hard at my job. I insist on the best from my
students. I know that the results are worth the struggle. One
problem I see these days is that they want to give up too easily.
I do my best to encourage them to keep on trying. Blindness does
make for more challenges, but we all know that. All people face
challenges; being blind simply makes them obvious. I have worked
now for twenty-four years, and I have been happy to have a job
that is very, very rewarding.






[PHOTO: Euclid Herie standing at podium microphone. CAPTION: Dr.
Euclid Herie coordinates the programs serving the blind in Canada
and serves as Treasurer of the World Blind Union.]

               WALKING ALONE AND MARCHING TOGETHER
                         A Book Review 
       by Euclid J. Herie, LL.D., and Gerald Dirks, Ph.D.

     From the Editor: Dr. Euclid J. Herie is the President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian National Institute for
the Blind. Dr. Gerald Dirks is an Associate Professor at Brock
University, St. Catharines, Ontario. Walking Alone and Marching
Together: A History of the Organized Blind Movement in the United
States, 1940-1990 by Dr. Floyd Matson, c1990, 1116 pages, ISBN 0-
9624122-1-X, may be purchased from the National Federation of the
Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland  21230, in print
(photos, hardcover) or on cassette (4-track, 15/16 ips) for
$30.00 plus a $3.00 shipping and handling charge per copy. Use
VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card, check, money order, or
institutional purchase order. Here is the book review:

     This massive volume constitutes the official history of the
National Federation of the Blind. This is the largest
organization of blind people in the United States and likely in
the world. Using extensive quotations drawn from the speeches and
published writings of the National Federation of the Blind's two
most prominent leaders over its fifty-year history, Drs. Jacobus
tenBroek and Kenneth Jernigan, the author comprehensively
chronicles the birth, evolution, and growth of this fifty
thousand-member organization of blind Americans. 
     The book is substantively researched and based, to a large
extent, on archival holdings, including back issues of the
Braille Monitor, the monthly publication of the National
Federation of the Blind, presidential addresses before the
organization's annual conventions, and correspondence between the
Federation's executives and a host of individuals representing
diverse points of view from within and beyond the National
Federation of the Blind. This living history breaks
new ground by exhaustive thoroughness in the sense that rather
than describing what has been done by agencies and associations
for the blind, the focus instead is on what this segment of
American society, labouring collectively for themselves within
one dynamic organization, has striven to accomplish over the past
half century.
     Dr. Matson has chosen to concentrate upon many of the
chronic and discriminating issues with which blind Americans have
had to cope. He has described the connection between these 
varied issues and the development of a type of class
consciousness or awareness within the blind community and has
identified the dynamism provided by a few powerful leaders who
transformed class awareness into committed collective action. 
     Through his writing style and approach, the author has
successfully enabled the reader of this narrative to enter the
world of the National Federation of the Blind's early and
contemporary leaders and acquire a real appreciation for their
trials, tribulations, and ultimate victories. 
     The National Federation of the Blind emerged as a result of
the need to address a broad range of economic and social issues
and has continued throughout its existence aggressively and
innovatively to resolve both bread and butter, as well as
attitudinal barriers that have together combined to impede the
development of independence within America's blind population. 
     As Matson explains, discriminatory features associated with
both the content and implementation of the newly established
federal Social Security and welfare system, together with the
appalling lack of meaningful employment opportunities, had much
to do with the origins of the National Federation of the Blind in
1940. How this embryonic, but later mature, organization of the
blind, set out to alleviate these economic and social conditions
is a fascinating theme that runs throughout the book. Some of the
monetary and attitudinal issues confronted by the National
Federation of the Blind leaders and general membership as
described in the volume include employment within the public
service, the right to organize, access to a broad range of
educational programs,and the perennial matter of custodial care
for the blind.
     If the number of pages in this book devoted to an issue in
any way reflects the importance and depth of feeling about 
particular matters, two or three subjects over the years have
truly dominated the agenda of the National Federation of the
Blind's movement.  Entire chapters are given over to a 
detailed reprinting of the devastating assault by the National
Federation of the Blind leadership on agency operated sheltered
workshops and everything they stand for, the National
Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind, and the
American airline industry. Triumph over these entrenched
discriminating institutions is portrayed as essential toward the
achievement of independence and first-class status by the blind
of America. Any reader who possesses stamina and who is at all
perceptive will end his journey through this book with the
inescapable conclusion that seldom have emotionally laden attacks
been as vitriolic, nor philosophic differences been so
pronounced, by the participants on both sides of these troubling
issues. However, the reader is left in absolutely no doubt as to
who constituted the forces of darkness and who emerged as the
saviours and liberators. 
     The volume in certain segments drops its harsh rhetoric and
contains more upbeat and affirmative chapters. In these chapters, 
Matson discusses the debate over the teaching and use of Braille,
praises the operation of the library system for America's blind,
and describes the role the Braille Monitor has played and
continues to play in popularizing and carrying out the programs
of the National Federation of the Blind. The final chapter
preceding the epilogue presents comparatively brief profiles and
testimonials of a dozen or so active "Federationists" who over
the years have both intellectually contributed to, and
attitudinally benefitted from, this major organization of the
blind.
     Above all, this book is a record of the philosophy,
attitude, and style adopted when dealing with governments,
agencies for the blind, and a growing national organization of
the blind by two distinguished and respected American leaders of
the blind. The late Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, a university academic
by profession and a committed activist where blindness issues
were concerned, is generally credited with being the individual
chiefly responsible for the founding of the National Federation
of the Blind in 1940. He served as the Federation's President for
almost all of its first quarter century. As portrayed by Matson,
tenBroek's dynamic vision, charismatic leadership, and intellect
set him far above the next level of the National Federation of
the Blind leaders. His speeches before annual conventions of the
National Federation of the Blind's delegates, as quoted in full,
were crafted to inspire confidence in what a movement of
America's blind people could do and arouse those present to
action. According to the author, tenBroek's limitless energy
enabled him to travel extensively organizing local affiliates, to
embark upon lobbying efforts and to administer a growing staff,
all while remaining a fully employed university faculty member.
     His successor, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, building on the
tradition, has led the National Federation of the Blind for its
second quarter century.  Not unlike Dr. tenBroek, Jernigan
emerges as a powerful leader with his own unique style of
leadership qualities. His speeches and correspondence differ only
slightly in style, but not in substance, from those of the
Founder. They remain true to the founding objectives and the
Federation's goals. Dr. Jernigan's captivating leadership,
whether as the National Federation of the Blind's President,
Executive Director, or Braille Monitor Editor, has given him
enormous influence over the policies and direction of the
organization. Throughout page after page, Dr. Jernigan's stature
is recognized and extolled. Examples of his activism bordering on
militancy include his willingness to lead at demonstrations
opposing unfair labour practices affecting the blind or
unprofessional accreditation procedures for agencies and
individuals ostensibly serving the blind.
     The closing years of the half century are presided over by
Marc Maurer, elected as the third president of the National
Federation of the Blind. The published texts of several speeches
provide an introduction to the early years of the Federation's
most recent leader.
     A happy coincidence with the International Year on Literacy
is two-fold.  First, the records and documents of the National
Federation of the Blind are in enviably good order as evidenced
by the clinical precision of the narrative, and secondly there is
loyalty to the principle of access to information with the option
of reading the book in print and professionally produced on audio
cassette and in Braille.
     Viewed as an historical document, but read to acquire
knowledge and insight on blindness, those who care and take
seriously the movement and its issues will add this book to their
"must read" list.


Dr. Euclid Herie, LL.D
President and
Chief Executive Officer
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind                     
Toronto, Ontario           
CANADA

Dr. Gerald Dirks, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Brock University
St. Catharines, Ontario
CANADA  
                                    
February 1991


[PHOTO/CAPTION: Portrait of Eileen Rivera.]

       ON BECOMING A WISE CONSUMER OF LOW VISION SERVICES
                    by Eileen Rivera, M.B.A.

     From the Associate Editor: Eileen Rivera is the
administrative director of the Wilmer Vision Research and
Rehabilitation Center at Johns Hopkins University. On July 1,
1990, she made a presentation to the Parents of Blind Children
Division on the sensible selection and use of low vision aids. As
frequently happens, Ms. Rivera found that she had more to say
than time permitted her would allow. This article is an expanded
version of the remarks she made to parents of blind children.
They will be useful for anyone contemplating the purchase of such
equipment, for Eileen brings both professional expertise and
personal experience to her subject. This is what she has to say: 

     I want to share with you some practical information about
low vision. My experience is both personal and professional. I
will begin by explaining the nature of low vision programs. Then
I will give you some pointers on how to get the best low vision
services for your child. But first, let me share with you two
conversations I have had with low vision specialists.
     Recently one of my favorite low vision specialists at Wilmer
related to me a most disturbing experience. After evaluating a
middle-aged woman with low vision, she had recommended that the
woman learn to travel independently using a white cane. When she
relayed this to the referring ophthalmologist, he was irate and
retorted, "This is the last time I will refer patients to you! I
sent this woman so that you would help her see, not for you to
make her blind!" You can see that even the best low vision
specialists regularly encounter resistance when advocating
nonvisual techniques.
     This misguided physician thinks that a low vision technique
which uses vision is by definition superior to an alternative no-
vision technique, even when it is safer and more effective.
     I have met low vision specialists who spend hours dreaming
up reasons why blind people with residual vision reject
traditional low vision solutions. One of the most outrageous
explanations went something like this, "I get so angry when my
patients insist on calling themselves blind! I tell them, `As
long as you can see something, you are not blind!'" But it gets
worse. This specialist is convinced that we insist on thinking of
ourselves as blind because we enjoy some vague mystical secondary
gains of blindness--gains like extra doses of paternalism and
custodialism, I suppose. Luckily, this so-called expert does not
work at Wilmer. 
     These conversations underscore the false assumption that our
alternative techniques must be either completely visual or
completely nonvisual. In reality, many effective systems are not
either/or. Each of us, blind or sighted, regularly uses a
combination of senses in everyday tasks. Well-informed blind
persons with residual vision regularly use this vision when it is
convenient and comfortable, which is a fine thing. Nevertheless,
far too many legally blind individuals are encouraged to rely
solely on vision even when such reliance is uncomfortable and
inefficient. Once our low vision blind kids understand their
options fully, they will be able to make sound decisions about
when and when not to use vision. 
     Unfortunately many low vision blind people never have the
opportunity to learn to make the most of their other senses.
Hence they cling to their vision to the detriment of their
overall efficiency.    
     One program at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute is
different. When we started it, we began by challenging the
notions of the standard delivery of low vision services and are
now developing more sensible delivery systems. While the primary
goal of other low vision clinical programs is to maximize the use
of vision, our goal is to integrate both visual and nonvisual
solutions to maximize true effectiveness and independence. 
   We also began with the realization that, while some of the
currently available low vision technology is very good, an awful
lot of it is only narrowly useful--too expensive, restrictive and
difficult to use. Therefore much of our energy is devoted to
designing the technology of the future. 
     What is low vision? The professionals ordinarily define low
vision as best corrected visual acuity below 20/70. The legally
blind are only a subset of the entire low vision population. So
it follows that not all low vision solutions will be appropriate
for our blind kids.
     Low vision specialists are trained to evaluate functional
vision beyond visual acuity. In fact, visual acuity is only one
measure of vision, and an imperfect one at that. While both my
sister Mildred and I are highly myopic, with the same visual
acuity, we have very different functional vision due to different
secondary eye conditions. We respond quite differently to light,
glare, colors, contrast, and motion. We do share a high risk for
retinal detachments and further vision loss. 
     Visual field defects or blind spots have profound effects on
vision. For example, a blind spot obscuring the central field can
make reading impossible, even for a child with an overall visual
acuity of 20/70. 
     Who uses low vision services? Well, the average low vision
patient at Wilmer is a sixty-seven-year-old woman with age-
related macular degeneration. She has a blind spot obscuring her
central vision, and her visual acuity is at 20/120. Her reported
prognosis is "better than legal blindness." Her goals are to find
a way to write checks and read her phone bill, grocery price
tags, and daily paper.
     As you approach the low vision system, understand that the
majority of patients in any low vision service are senior
citizens encountering visual impairment for the first time.
Accustomed to functioning visually, they are seeking a quick fix,
a way to get by in their later years. These seniors are not
seeking to compete effectively with sighted peers at school or
work. And even though they might very well benefit from mastering
the alternative techniques of blindness, their fears interfere
with any prospects of successful rehabilitation. 
     I have found all sorts of misguided, damaging, and
paternalistic attitudes in professional low vision literature of
the 1980s. As parents you will want to be aware of the varied
thinking in the field. Always ask, "Is this approach best for my
child?"
     In Irving R. Dickman's book, Making Life More Livable, with
all that this title implies, I find extensive material about
survival as an older visually impaired person. I read chapters
about the need to modify the environment for the visually
impaired. Twelve pages are sufficient to address the issues of
employment and recreation for the blind. (Rami Rabby, how did you
manage to write a 336-page print book on jobs?) In Dickman's book
a mere two pages were devoted to the possibility of venturing
outside the home as a blind or visually impaired person. 
     Making Life More Livable offers the following interpretation
of life with low vision:

     For the two thirds of older people whose vision has become
noticeably weaker, the comforts of home may dwindle: television
becomes radio, sewing and hobbies become guessing games, and the
joys of cooking become fond memories. [p. 2]
     Sharp edges can be lethal, and low coffee tables almost
guarantee barked shins or worse.... Strategically placed
furniture can help the visually impaired in crossing [the]
seemingly vast spaces of an open living room. [p. 11] 
     For those with the most severe vision problems, home may no
longer be the safe haven it used to be. Steps become icy slides,
a hallway is a perilous passage... [p. 3]
     Getting through the day can be fatiguing and deeply
worrisome, because of the greater amount of energy needed to
assimilate visual information. [p. 16] 

     If the prospects of low vision are so bleak, one has to
wonder if it wouldn't be simpler to be totally blind. 
     As you might expect, Braille and cane travel are barely
discussed. Let's examine the alternative techniques which are
offered--some of these truly are inferior:

     Use a lighted magnifier to set your stove dial. (Very safe,
unless you have hair.)
     Use a magnifier to check the roast for doneness. (The
authors obviously never tried this--the lens would instantly
steam up!)
     Vary the contrast of your dinner plate with that of your
food. (What color plate might one use to serve both steak and
potatoes? Should one avoid meals out, or should one just bring
along some extra china?)

     When evaluating a low vision technique, you must think, how
would a totally blind person do this? Most of my blind friends
have no problem locating and consuming all kinds of food.
     The piece of advice at the top of Dickman's list was for
those who bump into doors because they are looking at their feet
as they walk: "Have someone remove the door." Remembering to
close the door made the bottom of the list.
     The book provides all manner of low vision advice on
carrying water from the sink to the stove without spilling it,
finding and turning on the bedroom light, locating small objects
on a bedside table, seeing how much water is in the tub (float a
brightly-colored toy in the bath water, perhaps an orange rubber
ducky), not scalding oneself, and finding the bath towel, soap,
toilet seat, and toilet tissue (color-contrasting of course).
     From these examples, one might conclude that common sense is
as fleeting as vision and youth. But enough of such nonsense.
There are truly good applications of low vision technology, and
there are places in the country where low vision specialists are
being trained to maximize function rather than vision.
     What are the typical low vision devices? They include such
optical systems as high-powered reading glasses, magnifiers,
telescopes, binoculars, and Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) as
well as non-optical devices like bold line paper, felt tip pens,
and large print materials, playing cards, games, and checks. At
Wilmer we also consider nonvisual items such as long white canes,
Braille watches, needle threaders, and talking clocks as low
vision devices too. But such an inclusive approach is uncommon in
the field.
     Who provides low vision services? A number of professionals
hold themselves out as low vision specialists. At Wilmer our
standard is a doctor of optometry with additional training in low
vision. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in
the health of the eye, prescribe medications, and do surgery.
Optometrists, on the other hand, are optical experts. They study
four years to learn the ins and outs of lenses and visual
function. In my opinion the low vision optometrist is better
suited to prescribing optimal lenses and devices for a visually
impaired child than is the ophthalmologist. In fact, most
ophthalmologists are not interested in providing comprehensive
low vision services and prefer to refer their patients to a low
vision specialist for that part of their care. 
     If your child is obviously using vision, seek out a good low
vision specialist and begin to develop a working relationship
with him or her. It is perfectly natural and acceptable for your
child to use residual vision, as long as it is comfortable and
effective. Blind children with usable residual vision should have
a low vision evaluation every few years. Through such an
assessment one can begin to learn about existing optical systems
that make using vision more comfortable. Since a low vision
evaluation requires extensive participation on the part of the
child, he or she must be old enough to articulate personal
preferences and needs. A typical work-up can take hours, but the
better specialists will customize the evaluation to match a
child's attention span. 
     Parents should prepare for the low vision exam. Plan to be
involved in all stages of the evaluation. Begin observing your
child's visual function. What can he see? How and when does she
use vision? Does he squint? Note reading endurance and typical
working distance. Such information will complement the
clinician's visual assessment. Remember to assure your child that
the exam will not hurt.
     In an evaluation, the specialist will usually assess
reading, writing, distance viewing, mobility, and lighting. By
defining concrete tasks or goals to be performed visually,
parents can help the practitioner tailor the evaluation to the
child. Some examples of goals include checking a price tag in the
store, studying a road map, analyzing a graph, reading the
ingredients on a cereal box, sorting mail, finding a phone
number, and viewing a landscape or chalkboard. 
     Usually the specialist will explore the optical alternatives
first. Be wise consumers. Feel free to ask candid questions about
the practicality of any suggested techniques. For example, some
practical advice for lighting at home might be offered, but ask
for a plan of action for times when lighting is not ideal or
controllable. 
     Children with progressive diseases may find low vision
services frustrating since prescribed devices may become
ineffective in short order. In such cases parents should evaluate
whether time and resources might be better spent in refining
nonvisual skills such as typing, Braille, and cane travel. These
solutions will last a lifetime.
     Feel free to ask questions along the way. Ask for an
explanation of how vision will change as your child matures. Ask
about the significance of presbyopia on low vision blind kids.
This is important since most low vision children depend so
heavily on their ability to focus up close. 
     Give the clinician permission to be frank. Very often, low
vision specialists feel pressured into encouraging purely visual
techniques in order to avoid resistance from the child, parent,
teacher, or referring ophthalmologist. 
     Dr. Gary Rubin, one of my  colleagues at Wilmer, studies the
performance of low vision readers. His research indicates that a
person must see a minimum of four characters at a time in order
to read at all fluently.
     A trained low vision specialist will systematically evaluate
reading by measuring reading speed and accuracy at different
print sizes and documenting the print size of the last good
reading. Having determined the optimal print size, the specialist
will select a magnification system which converts actual print
size to the optimal size. (Incidentally, at Wilmer, we are
currently developing a computerized testing system which will
facilitate and significantly speed up this reading evaluation.)
     Low vision reading devices are rather task-specific. One may
need a number of different devices to read assorted print sizes.
In prescribing a reading device, the practitioner must balance
the tradeoffs among print size, field-of-view, and working
distance. The stronger magnifiers require the eye to be less than
one inch from the lens, a less than comfortable position for
sustained reading. Powerful magnifiers also tend to have a small
field-of-view and so can enlarge only a few characters at a time.
These constraints reduce reading speed. 
     Beware of the quick fix. A vision teacher might insist upon
a low vision exam in hopes of finding some reading device that
might save her from having to teach Braille. If your child is
significantly visually impaired or is legally blind, insist on
Braille now. There is no effective substitute. Even if Braille is
the secondary medium now, it will likely serve as an excellent
resource in later years, as print size diminishes and reading
requirements increase. 
     Think carefully about the long term visual functioning of
your child. Endurance is perhaps the most important factor in
determining an optimal reading system. The progressive nature of
the disease must also be considered. Will a low vision optical
system meet all future career needs? 
     Rarely will a low vision device enable one to curl up
comfortably with a book and read for hours. If the only way your
child can read is by holding a book up to her nose, chances are
that the reading system will become more cumbersome and
inadequate as she matures. This is true even when the visual
condition is reported as stable. Start now to identify nonvisual
alternatives. It's a tragedy to find so many low vision blind
students dropping out of high school and foregoing college. I
have observed that partially sighted kids lacking Braille skills
are more likely to quit school than are their totally blind
Braille-reading classmates. 
     Low vision consultations usually result in a series of
recommendations based upon the pre-determined goals. The better
low vision optometrists will provide you a shopping list of
choices, usually ranging in price and effectiveness. The very
best clinicians will be ready to explain the pros and cons of
specific systems and will introduce nonvisual options as well. If
the information is not offered, ask questions.
     Don't expect the average optometrist to be well informed
about nonvisual techniques. Such professionals did not study
optics for four years to spend their time talking about non-
optical systems. Still, ethically, they should be realistic about
the ease of use, practicality, and comfort level of a prescribed
device. 
     Consider the ergonomics (the working conditions) of a
device. Ask about headaches, back pain, and eye strain.
Understand the field-of-view limitations and required lighting
conditions. Think about portability. (Currently available CCTVs
are barely luggable.) Ask them how much practice one needs to use
a system effectively. Is the investment warranted? Ask about the
usefulness of the device as vision declines. 
     Finally, one must consider the economics. How much are you
willing to spend? Can the school system or vocational
rehabilitation agency purchase the recommended device? They can
usually be persuaded to cover expenses for items used in class. 
     You might say that I am a classic high partial. I have had a
visual acuity of about 20/200 since birth. As a low vision blind
child, I was never introduced to essential nonvisual skills. My
mobility lessons (if you can call them that) consisted of vision
training, tricks to distinguish between the sidewalk and the
grass. I was encouraged to watch my feet as I walked. Equipped
with these fine travel skills, I never ventured far from home.
Braille was never discussed. Hence I am playing catch-up as an
adult.
     Today I use a number of practical low vision devices on the
job. I also have a drawer-full of useless gadgets prescribed for
me in my youth. Perhaps my best low vision device is a pair of
soft contact lenses. A long white cane enables me confidently to
come and go as I please. My computer with large print display and
capacity to produce large print text is a valuable tool. And a
pair of sun filters help eliminate bothersome glare--all good
things. Perhaps my favorite low tech low vision aid is a tinted
piece of plastic which reduces glare when placed over a printed
page. All of these are fine tools. 
     Would you like to hear what is in my reject drawer? Several
pairs of reading glasses, prescription sunglasses, and a
spectacle-mounted telescope. I never found much use for
magnifiers because of the restrictive field-of-view and their
annoying optical distortions.  
     The fact that these items don't work for me doesn't mean
they are not helpful for others. The selection and use of low
vision devices are highly individual. The best way to identify
useful devices is to have a comprehensive low vision evaluation.
A good service will allow one to borrow a device to test at home.
Of course, this may not be possible with custom-made items.
Remember that visual goals change as does technology, so plan to
return every few years to see what's new. 
     Telescopic lenses are big ticket low vision devices.
Telescopes definitely work. Many people with low vision keep a
telescope handy for occasional spotting tasks, but I know very
few who enjoy using them for extended viewing. My visual acuity
improves significantly through a telescope of perhaps 20/80.
However, this is only through a twelve-degree field-of-view, so
there are tradeoffs. 
     Some commonly recommended applications of telescopes are
reading a street sign or checking a traffic signal. I find it
quicker to ask a stranger the street name rather than to search
for the sign through the telescope. If the sun is too bright or
too dim, I have difficulty reading the sign even after I have
located it. I sometimes feel awkward and vulnerable standing at
an intersection using both hands to focus my telescope. My fear
is that someone might snatch my pocketbook while I am off guard.
Listening for oncoming traffic before crossing is definitely more
reliable than depending on the color of a traffic signal. 
     Telescopes are also recommended for viewing the blackboard
or watching a play. I have tried to use a spectacle-mounted
telescope in the classroom. For the first time ever, I could see
the writing on the chalkboard! But, as I worked with the
telescope, I became so absorbed with scanning, focusing, and
copying the board material that I was missing the professor's
entire lecture. After a two-month trial, I decided that using the
telescope in this way was too fatiguing and actually interfered
with my learning, so I returned to other alternative techniques.
     Low vision enthusiasts recommend telescopes for extended TV
viewing and watching sports events. I also find this draining. I
do enjoy using the telescope to examine the costumes of a cast in
a play, but then I usually forget about the telescope and enjoy
the show. 
     Some professionals will blame this lack of enthusiasm for
telescopes on insufficient vision training. But the way I see it
is that the fact that vision enhancement is technically feasible
doesn't automatically make it a good idea. Encourage your kids to
keep their low vision tools in perspective; make sure they have
other alternative skills from which to draw. This way they can
have the best of both worlds.
     When seeking low vision services, remember that some low
vision specialists will encourage your kids to use vision at all
cost. Remember that visual and nonvisual techniques need not
compete. They should complement one another. By understanding the
bias of the professionals, you can make the best, most informed
decisions for your low vision blind child now and for the future.
Above all else, trust your instincts!
     Finally, let me comment on working effectively with your eye
doctors. Many of them confess that they feel comfortable only
when dealing with eye disorders and the health of the visual
system. To them, blindness is a personal failure. After all,
their careers are devoted to preventing and arresting blindness.
This is their bias and expertise. The majority of physicians lack
any specific training in advising blind patients. They feel
unprepared to discuss vision loss with their patients.
Furthermore, since ophthalmologists spend most of their energies
on newly diagnosed visually impaired persons who lack any
training and self-confidence, they understandably form erroneous
conclusions about the helplessness and hopelessness of the blind.
They know almost nothing about the alternative techniques and
strategies used successfully by the blind. 
     While ideally we would like all physicians and optometrists
to be fully informed about blindness and to think beyond purely
visual solutions to truly effective and efficient ones, we must
be prepared to make the most of their current knowledge base--
knowledge about vision and the physical workings of the eye.
However, we must reach further. We must devote more energy to
befriending and educating these important eye care professionals.
By introducing them to competent and well adjusted blind persons,
we can teach them where to turn with questions or for advice. We
must begin to reach out to our eye doctors now, for our good, for
their good, and for the good of the next generation. 






              CRUTCHES, ROOMMATES, AND COMMON SENSE
                        by Manuel Abascal

     Manuel Abascal is a second-year student at the Yale Law
School. His roommate is Michael Baillif, President of the
National Association of Blind Students. It is sometimes
instructive to glimpse ourselves as others see us. It can also be
illuminating to them to find themselves in our shoes for a
change. This article first appeared in the Spring/Summer, 1990,
issue of the Student Slate, the newsletter of the National
Association of Blind Students. Here it is.

     Rooming with Michael Baillif has certainly been an
interesting experience. Having started the year as a Braille-
impaired twenty-four-year-old, I had to develop certain
characteristics in myself to perpetuate a harmonious rooming
experience with Michael. Foremost among these was patience, which
I developed quite effectively through the countless hours of
waiting for a free moment on the telephone. But Michael does
occasionally work diligently on his NFB projects, often saying
things like, "Hey Paul, I can't wait to go back to New Orleans
and visit the French Quarter again." These projects have confused
me somewhat ever since I met Michael five years ago. I understood
the NFB's desire for equality and detestation of paternalism and
patronizing behavior, but I was always somewhat skeptical. "Hey
Michael," I would often ask, "I understand that you're annoyed,
but why don't you give these airlines and other people a break.
Maybe they are just trying to help you." Then I broke my foot.
     It was not much, simply a fracture in the upper part of my
foot, but nonetheless I was assigned a used pair of crutches and
told to hop around only when necessary. I was somewhat scared to
do the things I normally do, particularly since I felt that I
would now have to rely on people more than previously--this
circumstance did not please me in the least . Little did I
realize what I was actually in for.
     First came the dining hall--my first trip there since the
fracture. Sympathetic stares and words of condolence abounded. I
smiled, said it would be only a few weeks before I could walk
again, and made my way to the kitchen. At that point a crutch-
impaired person, not minding where she was going, accidentally
bumped into me; well, more specifically, she bumped into my
broken foot. After an inner screech of pain, I assured her that I
was okay and grabbed a tray. She then asserted, "Here, let me
carry that tray for you. I will get you your food." I politely
said I could handle it myself and made my way to the food line.
     After making my choices, I stared down at my tray and began
to wonder how in the world I would carry it back to a table. I
quickly discovered that I was in for a challenge. Nonetheless, I
hopped away, tray in one hand, crutches in the other, and slowly
made progress. Then, my nemesis appeared again. "No, no, no," she
wailed as I hopped, "let me help you." I politely said thanks but
no thanks and tried to hop away. She ran to the door and blocked
my path. "No, no, no. We are not going to do it this way," she
preached as she began to take my food off of my tray in front of
a group of my classmates. "My roommate was a gymnast, and she
broke her foot once and I did this for her all of the time," she
muttered. Though I did not know this person, I began to
contemplate whether the laws of physics and biology would allow
me to relocate my crutches in an appropriate place on her person
in order to express my sentiments at her unwanted help. 
     In a fit of self-restraint I merely demanded, "Give me my
food back," and managed to take my plate of chicken and rice
back. Unfortunately, she made away with my peas. I hopped away
humiliated, gradually spilling more and more of my rice on the
carpet with every hop.
     Like the flu, I could not shake her. She got me a drink,
carried my peas, and followed me at a distance of several crutch
lengths. She continued to babble something about my tray. After
losing half my rice, and most of my pride, I finally gave her my
tray. When we got to the table, I was not too concerned about the
spilled rice, since I had lost most of my appetite.
     When I came back to the room and told Michael my story, I
expected an ounce of understanding. As I should have expected, I
received a big laugh and an unsympathetic "I told you so." Things
began to be clearer, but little did I know what I was in for.
     The following day stranger things began to happen. People I
did not know began openly calling me the "field goal kicker."
Kids stared at me and asked, "Mommy, why is his foot so big, and
what are those sticks?" At which point Mommy shushed the little
darlings. Classmates asked if I was still going to take my
finals. Fellow students openly admired me and whispered to each
other, "He's amazing." Friends began to ask me if I found that my
hands had become more coordinated.
     I was in utter disarray. What could be wrong with these
people? Others began to tell me about their admiration of Jim
Abbott, the one-armed baseball player for the California Angels.
Finally, my seat reservations on my flight home were mysteriously
changed. My travel agent assured me that it was merely a safety
precaution. At this point I finally understood.
     Through my experience I gained just a glimpse of the amazing
misconceptions and maddening attitudes which blind people
sometimes encounter. Because of a temporary characteristic, my
broken foot, I did find that at least one of my senses improved--
my common sense.


[PHOTO/CAPTION: Portrait of Deborah Kent Stein]

                             HANNAH
                        by Gloria Whelan
                 Reviewed by Deborah Kent Stein

     From the Editors: As Monitor readers know, Deborah Kent
Stein is a recognized author. She is also an active member of the
National Federation of the Blind, making her home in Chicago.
Here is her book review:
                           * * * * * *
                             HANNAH
                        by Gloria Whelan
                  Illustrated by Leslie Bowman
                      Alfred A. Knopf, 1991
                   64 Pages; $10.95; Ages 7-10
                          * * * * * * 
     Like many children growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, I read
all of the books in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series.
The "Little House" books recreated the hardships, delights, and
adventures of life on the frontier in the late nineteenth
century, and they were just the sort of fare I devoured when I
was ten and eleven. Only one thing marred my enjoyment of
Wilder's books--the depiction of Mary.
     Mary was the blind sister of Laura, the protagonist of the
series. While Laura and the rest of the family were always busy,
fighting prairie fires and trying to save the wheat crop from
clouds of grasshoppers, Mary remained in the background. She was
usually quiet and passive, sitting in her rocking chair on the
fringe of the action. The message seemed to be that Mary's
passivity was the inevitable outcome of her blindness.
     Hannah, a novel for children by Gloria Whelan, takes a major
step toward setting the record straight. As the book opens, nine-
year-old Hannah Thomas does not know how to fix her own hair, cut
her own food, or find her way around her family's farm. But
Whelan makes it clear that the main problem is not really
Hannah's blindness, but the attitudes of the people around her.
     "We've never pretended to Hannah that she is like other
children," Hannah's mother explains to the new schoolteacher, who
will be boarding with the Thomas family. "We believe in facing up
to facts." In the Thomas family, struggling for survival on a
Michigan farm in 1887, "facing up to facts" means not teaching
Hannah to pour her own milk, because she would only make a mess.
It means not wasting time teaching her to keep herself neat,
since she can't see herself in the mirror anyway. And, of course,
it means keeping her at home when her brother and sister go to
school.
     But the family's assumptions are shaken with the arrival of
the schoolteacher, Miss Robbin. At the first family dinner Miss
Robbin startles everyone by showing Hannah how to pour the milk
by herself. After the meal, she takes Hannah on a tour of the
farm. "I knew we had horses and cows and pigs," Hannah explains,
"because Papa talked about them and I could hear them, but I
didn't know where they were or exactly what they were like." Miss
Robbin shows her the way to the barn, the stable, and the pigpen;
and for the first time in her life Hannah has the chance to touch
the animals and learn about them firsthand.
     Not only is Miss Robbin convinced that Hannah can be
independent at home, the teacher is also determined that she
should join the other pupils in the one-room schoolhouse. At
last, reluctantly, Hannah's parents agree to let her give school
a try.
     Hannah is overjoyed, but her first day at school proves a
bitter disappointment. She cannot follow the lessons, and a boy
taunts her, claiming that she looks "like a rag-bag with a
haystack for her hair." Hannah is ready to give up in despair,
longing "to be shut in the safe box of my house." But Miss Robbin
persuades her to give school a second chance. Fortified by a
pretty new dress, Hannah returns to school and starts the process
of making friends.
     Despite the deprivations she has known throughout her life,
Hannah is a bright, imaginative child with endless curiosity
about the world around her. With her teacher's encouragement, she
begins to blossom into her full potential. As Hannah's horizons
expand, her parents and neighbors must re-evaluate their notions
about who she is and what she can do. "We can't let Hannah stay
helpless," her father concludes. "She has to learn to take care
of herself....The time will come when she's going to be on her
own. She can't go getting lost every time she puts her foot out
the door."
     By the end of the book Hannah joins enthusiastically in the
work of the community's annual potato harvest. "My back ached,
and my shoes were filled with sand, and my knees hurt from
kneeling. I didn't care, though...It felt wonderful to be doing
what everyone else was."
     In the final scene the neighbors who once brushed aside
"Poor Hannah" raise money with which to buy her a slate and
stylus. With her teacher's help Hannah has demonstrated her
capacity to learn. The Thomas family must face the fact that
Hannah is a capable person, someone who can contribute to the
life of the community.
     Throughout the book Hannah herself takes regrettably little
initiative on her own behalf. Even at the potato harvest she sits
on the sidelines until her sister urges her to join in. The
book's message would have more force if Hannah could have shown a
bit more spunk now and then, daring to test her own limits.
However, perhaps her passivity is not so unrealistic. The book
covers only a few weeks in Hannah's story. By the end Hannah's
new image of herself is still fragile. Her journey has only
begun.
     Without promising easy solutions to Hannah's problems,
Gloria Whelan offers a warm, believable picture of a blind child
as she takes her first steps on the long road toward
independence. Hannah is a welcome addition to the slender body of
children's literature which seeks to break down ancient
stereotypes about people who are blind.



                LOOK OUT TOMORROW, HERE SHE COMES

     From the Associate Editor: Occasionally one reads a
newspaper article that restores one's hope for the future. The
Summer 1990 edition of The Blind Citizen, the publication of the
National Federation of the Blind of California, reprinted such a
piece. It was about a blind child, Lisamaria Martinez, and
probably the writer's  only purpose was to touch the hearts of
his readers with a story about the courage and indomitable spirit
of an eight-year-old blind child. 
     But strip away the sentiment and the family's longing for a
miracle, and you have a busy, happy, active youngster who likes
to help other people and isn't about to let a few obstacles get
in her way. The fact that Lisamaria and others like her can grow
up normally as contributing members of their families and
communities is a ray of sunshine that should cheer us all. Here
are the editor's notes and the article as they appeared in The
Blind Citizen:

     Editor's Note: The following article is reprinted from the
Los Angeles Times, June 16, 1990, and was written by Times Staff
Writer Bonna M. De La Cruz. The subject of the article, Lisamaria
Martinez, lives in Oceanside and is a First Prize Winner in the
National Federation of the Blind BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS
contest.

     Lisamaria Martinez is a lot like other third-graders. She
likes to talk, loves animals, wears braces, and laughs a lot.
     But in her spare time this 9-year-old from Oceanside has
done some things few third-graders would even think of doing. She
has started up drives collecting canned goods for the homeless
and poor during holidays and delivered Christmas treats to the
elderly in the hospital. She also spearheaded an anti-litter
campaign at her school, San Luis Rey Elementary.
     For this she was recently named California's winner of the
Jefferson Awards for students, which is handed out to youngsters
from kindergarten to sixth grade who do outstanding volunteer
work and public service. Lisamaria was cited for her help in
promoting food drives for the needy and for her environmental
concerns.
     Lisamaria said she enjoys going the extra mile for people
who need a helping hand because she knows what it's like.
Lisamaria has been blind since age five. "When I first got blind,
I thought my whole world was ending, but look at me now,"
Lisamaria said.
     She said it was hard at first, but she bounced back. In the
four years since she lost her eyesight she placed first in a
national Braille reading contest, where she read more than 2,000
Braille pages in three months.
     On Monday, she flies to the nation's capital on a three-day
trip with her mother to receive the Jefferson Award, along with
39 other students from across the nation, each representing a
state.
     "The way I got the award was for helping out the community,
like in Brownies," Lisamaria said. "I also like to keep my school
clean, so I pick up trash."
     Although the Jefferson Awards for students is in its first
year, other Jefferson Awards for public service have been given
out to adults, including former President Jimmy Carter and
celebrities like Bob Hope, since it was established 18 years ago
by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Sen. Robert Taft, Jr.
     "There are lots of things I don't expect my kid to do, and
she pops up and does them," Lisamaria's mother Maria, said.
"We're very proud of her. Even though her eyesight is gone, God
gave her another way where she can be outstanding and help other
people out."
     Although there is hope that one day Lisamaria will regain
her eyesight if experimental surgery techniques prove fruitful,
she approaches her Braille and mobility lessons with gusto. "My
mobility teacher teaches me, with my cane, to cross lighted
streets and things like that," Lisamaria said.
     Along with her regular class work, Lisamaria spends five
hours a week in a class for the visually impaired with three
other blind students, two hours a week in mobility lessons, and
two hours a week in classes for the gifted and talented.
     "She's an achiever," said Mary Tiesen, the school's teacher
for the visually impaired. "Her blindness hasn't slowed her down
at all. It's just changed how she does things."
     Lisamaria's third-grade teacher, Mary Helper, nominated her
for the award. "I knew that, if anybody deserved to win it, she
did," Helper said. "I think she's done a lot for a kid that's
just nine years old. Her blindness is secondary in winning that
award."
     Lisamaria was honored by Oceanside Pacific Kiwanis last year
as a student of the month and was given a Hope of America Award.
The Oceanside Unified School District's Board of Education also
recognized her achievements in February when she attended a
meeting to demonstrate a Braille writer she uses at school, which
types in Braille and simultaneously makes a computer printout for
her teacher. Not only has Lisamaria mastered her six-button
Braille writer, but she also learned to type on a regular
typewriter.
     Lisamaria wears swimming goggles to protect her eyes from
infection. "She has to wear them twenty-four hours a day because
she doesn't have any tears or moisture in her eyes. So, if she
took them off, her eyes would dry up," her mother said. 
     She can now see shadows and colors, although four years ago,
her mother said, she could not tell the difference between night
and day. "She would wake up at 3 in the morning thinking it was
time to get up," her mother said.
     At age five, Lisamaria contracted the rare Stevens-Johnson
syndrome, an illness generally triggered by an allergic reaction
that causes scar tissue to form over the eyes. As far as recovery
is concerned, doctors say no one can predict whether she will see
again, although Lisamaria has normal eyes under the scar tissue
caused by the disease.
     "She had some sort of allergic reaction to something she
ate, drank, or medication. That's what made her blind," her
mother said. "To this day, they don't know what the allergic
reaction was to."
     Lisamaria has planned a busy summer. She will spend a month
taking classes for the visually impaired and will spend another
month taking art classes.
     "We don't force her to go to summer school. She wanted to do
it," Lisamaria's father, Greg, said. But, before she takes on
summer school, Lisamaria said, she will spend some time
vacationing with her grandparents, who are visiting for the first
time in four years from Puerto Rico, and with her six-year-old
sister, Glorivette, and foster brother, Gregory, who is five
months old.
     Lisamaria has faced some setbacks. She said she can't check
out books at the local public library because they don't have a
collection of Braille books or cassettes for children. Also, the
Braille watch the Kiwanis Club gave her broke, and no one in town
can repair it. But she said she still looks forward to a brighter
future.
     "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't do anything
else except see," Lisamaria said. "That's what I always say."


[PHOTO: Portrait of Christine Faltz. CAPTION: Christine Faltz was
a 1987 National Federation of the Blind scholarship winner.]

                INTER-COMMUNITY NETWORK COMMITTEE

     From the Editor: The Federation has a new committee, and the
person who will chair it is Christine Faltz. Christine has
energy, and she sparkles with initiative and enthusiasm. I think
the Inter-Community Network Committee (Christine's idea) will
make valuable contributions to our movement. Here is her open
letter to Federationists:

Dear Fellow Federationists:
     Several things have occurred within the past year which have
led me to reflect upon the availability of information about the
National Federation of the Blind to the public, blind and sighted
alike. I want to share with you my thoughts, as well as an idea
recently implemented by the Greater Long Island Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of New York State.
     Before I applied to college, I had no idea of the existence
of the organized blind movement. While searching for scholarship
applications, my guidance counselor found an application for NFB.
Soon after that I visited New York University and met members of
the NFB. They described the Federation's philosophy, and I found
myself frustrated, angry, and happy all at once. Before you get
the wrong idea, let me explain:
     I began my education at a parochial school in Brooklyn. The
principal was nervous about having a blind student, but after
speaking with my mother and interviewing me, she decided to give
it a try. She contacted Catholic Charities, which provided a nun,
Sister Elizabeth, to teach me to read and write Braille. The
first four years of school went smoothly. I had no problems
socially or academically. There was no question about handing in
assignments on time, attending gym, or participating in art
class. I was expected to do everything the other students were
expected to do. I never felt special or inferior. I was a
straight-A student and was accepted as an equal by both teachers
and students. In the fourth grade I was introduced to the
typewriter and the Optacon. Blindness was not a problem. Nobody
treated me differently--not yet, anyway.
     My family moved to Merrick, Long Island, in July, 1979. In
September I entered the fifth grade at a public elementary
school. I had visited the principal several months prior to my
first day of school, and I remembered feeling uncomfortable and
uncertain with his presence and his questions. I thought I was
simply nervous about attending a new school, so I told no one of
my fears.
     From the start, I was doomed to years of misconceptions and
cruelty. Children on the playground tripped me, teased me, and
threw lighted matches at me. The Girl Scout troop at my school
did not want me. The PTA held a meeting with the hopes of finding
a way to have me removed from school. Worst of all, the school
psychologist--who was also the director of the committee on the
handicapped (and unfortunately still is)--informed my mother that
he could not understand how I would be able to function in a "  
normal" environment. He claimed that any social problems I had
were probably my own fault and that my mother should consider
having me enrolled in a part-time program for the learning
disabled and emotionally disturbed.
     In the midst of this relentless ignorance, insensitivity and
complete unwillingness to look at the facts--that I was a normal,
if not above-average, student who happened to be blind--I found
myself alone. There was only so much I could articulate to my
parents or my best friend. They could sympathize, probably
empathize, but could not possibly understand without experiencing
it themselves. I did not know any mainstreamed blind people at
that time, and the ones I eventually met did not want to talk
about people's attitudes toward us. I felt trapped by what others
were calling a "handicap," "disability," or "physical challenge."
It didn't matter what it was called. It hadn't made any
difference before; why should it now? What was the big deal; I
couldn't see. So what? Weren't there other blind people who could
help me? Weren't there blind children who would accept me as the
person I was, rather than the person the "experts" said I was? Of
course there were. A large group of people who happened to be
blind--the NFB--was out there, somewhere. But I didn't know. So,
although I never quit, and although my social life improved as I
grew older, I suffered for over five years, not being able to
share my pain and feelings of rejection with anyone I felt could
truly understand.
     I took a "Contemporary Race Relations" course last semester.
The class consisted of the members of minority groups at
Princeton--women, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, homosexuals, and
Jews. I was the only blind person in the class. (I am the only
blind person at Princeton this year.) We studied "racisms in the
plural"--that is, discrimination of all forms. As my
presentation, I distributed NFB literature to the class and
discussed my experiences and the NFB. None of the members of the
class, most of whom were involved with numerous civil rights
causes, had any idea that an organized blind movement existed. We
are truly a minority. We need to inform the general public of our
struggle for civil rights.
     Last summer I attended a graduation party for a recent
graduate of a residential school for the blind. She and another
graduate of the school were at the party, along with their
parents. None of them knew about the NFB. In addition, they knew
virtually nothing of the available technology and wide range of
opportunities open to blind people. I left the party.
     The next day the Greater Long Island Chapter held its annual
picnic. We discussed the possibilities of an inter-community
network made up of NFB members who would visit places of business
and education and speak with children, teachers, parents, and
employers about blindness, the Americans with Disabilities Act,
available technology, etc. David Stayer, president of the
chapter, told me to write to President Maurer with our ideas.
     On Saturday, January 26, I traveled to the National Center
for the Blind to discuss this project with Mr. Maurer. The
project has evolved into a committee--a committee which has its
work cut out for it. The Inter-Community Network Committee of the
National Federation of the Blind has quite a few items on its
agenda:
     1. NFB members who join the committee will work together on
the local level to:
     a. Get local newspapers to print press releases and/or
articles about the Federation (at both a national and local
level);
     b. Coordinate and carry out presentations to children in all
grade levels; PTA meetings; faculty; employers; public officials;
etc.
     2. The presentations in which committee members participate
must be well-planned and geared toward specific audiences. For
example, I have visited elementary schools for ten years and have
spoken about blindness, demonstrated alternative techniques and
technology, and answered questions of all kinds. Committee
members should coordinate their presentations in accordance with
what particular audiences will be most interested in and what
will be mutually beneficial to both audiences and the blind
people of America. Employers will be more interested in how to
accommodate blind employees, while students may have many
questions about how we take care of ourselves on a day-to-day
basis.
     3. The best way to find receptive and interested parties is
through your local newspaper. In addition, PTA presidents, school
district superintendents, principals, and businesses should be
contacted. (Much of the information you will need toward this end
can be found in your local phone directory.)
     The Inter-Community Network Committee of the National
Federation of the Blind requires commitment, patience, and a lot
of personal effort. Every Federationist has something to
contribute. If any Federationist would like more information on
how to get started, please write me at: Christine Faltz, 33
Prospect Avenue, Princeton, New Jersey 08540; or call (609)
924-5310. After June my address and phone number will change. I
will send them to the Monitor as soon as I know what they will
be, but if you send inquiries to the following address, they will
be forwarded to me: 25 Nancy Boulevard, Merrick, New York 11566.
     I am looking forward to hearing from fellow Federationists
who are interested in the goals of the NFB's new Inter-Community
Network Committee. Let's teach the public about the NFB--most
importantly, let's find the blind students who do not know about
us. Judging by my own experiences and many of yours, they
probably need us a great deal. Regardless of everything else we
do, the fellowship of the National Federation of the Blind is
vital.
     I eagerly anticipate your responses, and I look forward to
discussing your plans for the Inter-Community Network Committee
this summer in New Orleans! See you all there!
                                          Yours in Federationism,
                                                  Christine Faltz


          A STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT

     From the Editor: As a general rule, we do not change the
world by dramatic acts and large scale events. Rather it is done
by seemingly unimportant day-to-day activities. If we try, most
of us can get the governor of a state or the mayor of a city (or,
more likely, the offices of those officials) to issue a public
statement or proclamation. Is it worth our while to make the
effort? The answer is yes. By repeated and persistent successful
attempts to secure public statements and recognition from elected
and appointed officials, we ultimately create an irresistible
climate of public opinion. This is eminently worthwhile to do.
Here is a good example:

                      State of Connecticut
       By His Excellency WILLIAM A. O'NEILL, Governor: an
                       Official Statement

     For fifty years the National Federation of the Blind, "the
blind speaking for themselves," has been striving for equality,
security, and opportunity for all blind persons. Believing that
the real handicaps are misconceptions and misinformation about
blindness, NFB members offer hope and encouragement to
individuals adjusting to sight loss. Federationists are changing
what it means to be blind through the media, public speaking, and
the distribution of educational materials.
     To foster independence, the NFB of Connecticut helps blind
men and women obtain competitive employment through its Job
Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) program.
     The NFB of Connecticut advocates equal rights and
nondiscrimination against the blind under Connecticut law. In
addition, the NFB implemented the passage of the White Cane Civil
Rights Law of 1973 and the nondiscrimination on the grounds of
blindness insurance law in 1986. NFB members work with state
officials to encourage and assist blind students in learning
Braille and with federal officials to help blind persons who have
had organ transplants and need special medications.
     The NFB of Connecticut will hold its annual convention in
Waterbury on November 2-4. Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, will be the keynote speaker.
     Therefore, as a tribute to the dedicated members of the
Federation and in appreciation of their vital work, to
commemorate the Golden Anniversary of this excellent
organization, and to welcome national President Marc Maurer to
Connecticut for the annual NFB convention, I am proud to
designate November, 1990, as National Federation of the Blind
Month in the State of Connecticut.

William A. O'Neill, GOVERNOR


                    BLIND BOB THE BANK ROBBER

     From the Associate Editor: Often, in the face of skepticism,
we in the National Federation of the Blind maintain that we are a
cross section of the general population. Some of us are bright,
and others are not, but most fall somewhere between the extremes.
We have about as much virtue and as much vice as everybody else,
and some of us are inclined to abide by the law while others
remain unabashedly outside the legal system. On December 10,
1990, People Magazine published a story about a blind man who has
robbed seventeen banks and attempted to escape from prison eleven
times. One must regret the clear waste of any human being's
talents, but Blind Bob, as his prison friends call him, is a
powerful reminder that sight is not necessary for a life of
crime. Here is the way People Magazine reported the story:

                    Armed with a White Cane,
                      Sightless Robert Toye
                  Tapped His Way to the Teller
                and Robbed Seventeen Banks Blind
             by Mary H. J. Farrell and Maria Wilhelm

     The way Robert Vernon Toye sees it, he had no choice but to
live a life of crime. But then the forty-two-year-old bank
robber's hindsight has always been 20-20. It's his eyesight that
has failed him. "My eyes got so bad I had to turn to robbery,"
says Toye.
     Blind Bob, as Toye is affectionately known to his fellow
inmates, is a veteran of seventeen bank heists and eleven
attempted jailbreaks--an impressive rap sheet given that he has
spent almost half of his life behind bars. Nowadays Toye is a
resident of the hospital unit at Lompoc Federal Penitentiary, a
maximum-security prison north of Santa Barbara, California.
Suffering from the incurable degenerative eye disease retinitis
pigmentosa, Toye has become completely blind.
     Toye's sight may be absent, but as a criminal he has never
lacked vision. At age sixteen he started his first mail-order
scam: parties interested in an exciting career stuffing envelopes
at home would send him a $5 application fee, then wait--
eternally--for the work to come in. While serving time in the
Springfield, Missouri, federal prison on a mail fraud conviction
in 1973, Toye heard through the prison grapevine that federally
insured banks instruct tellers to turn over cash to robbers
without making a fuss. Armed with this tip and a note that said
he had a gun (he didn't), Toye made his first heist in March
1974, moments after being released from prison. "I told the cab
driver I had to go by the bank to pick up some money," recounts
Toye. And he did--$8,000 that the teller put in a brown paper bag
as the cab waited.
     His next job was in 1977. "No one knew what was happening,"
Toye recalls fondly. "The bank guard opened the door for me and
thanked me as I left." It took Blind Bob "seven or eight" more
jobs to refine his technique: He would focus his badly
deteriorating right eye on the back of someone's shoe, then trail
that person to the teller's window. "Banks are dark, and I can't
see," Toye explains, "Young people walk too fast, so I'd wait for
older people." When he got to the window, he'd present his
calling card--a one-eyed jack on which was written: "Be quick, be
quiet, or you're dead. Put all the cash in the bag. I have a
gun." The note was mostly bluster. If Toye carried a gun at all,
it was an unloaded pellet gun.
     Then Toye would unfold his white cane and beat a careful
retreat to the door. But in September 1977, as he was feeling his
way out of a Citibank branch in New York City, he stumbled into
armed guards delivering money and was arrested. Toye eventually
wound up in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. In
February, 1983, a bureaucratic snafu--the halfway house to which
he had been assigned refused to accept him because he was blind--
put Toye back on the street. Shortly after, Toye walked into the
nearest Citibank, which he says was renowned in the criminal
world for its shortage of guards. (Citibank counters that its
security system is "better than adequate.") Using a Coke bottle
under his heavy prison-issued coat to simulate a gun, Toye
ordered the teller to put the cash in a Saks Fifth Avenue bag and
walked off with his biggest take yet--$18,000.
     Toye flew to Las Vegas and began to lavish his money on show
girls. When not enjoying the nightlife, he would taxi to the
telephone company, where he laboriously made a list of all the
Citibank branches in New York by using a small telescope to read
the Manhattan phone book. For three months Toye commuted between
his home in Las Vegas and his bank jobs in New York. He'd fly
into New York, take a cab to the bank, cab it back to the
airport, and return to Vegas. In the midst of one job, a woman
tried to wedge her way between Toye and the teller's window,
causing the frustrated Toye to yell, "Dammit, lady, I'm robbing
this bank!"
     During this spree, Toye estimates he was able to sock away
$71,000 in loot in a Las Vegas bank under an assumed name. Then
on May 24, 1983, he varied his routine, taking a cab to a
discount store to replace a damaged valise. This delay gave the
task force that had been on the lookout for Toye enough time to
spot him as he walked along the street. He was arrested and
charged with nine counts of armed bank robbery. Sentenced to
seventeen years, he planned an escape--his eleventh attempt. He
made it over two hurricane fences, using his cane to flatten the
razor wire, but was captured after running into a pine tree.
     Toye always did have a blind spot for trouble. At age eight,
while growing up in San Pedro, he was a gang mascot. By eighteen
he had begun the first of his on-again, off-again prison terms.
His parents, Roy Toye, a factory worker who died last June, and
Laura, fifty-eight, a dishwasher, took solace in the fact that
their other three children stuck to the straight and narrow.
     Bob does have a good side. He claims he has given (under
aliases) a good chunk of what he has stolen to charity, including
$35,000 to retinitis pigmentosa research. The rest of the cash he
hopes to save for himself.
     And if he can't? Toye is not exactly a poster boy for prison
rehabilitation. "I'll always have a few frauds running," says
Toye, who expects to be a free man by 1993. "If I get in a money
bind and need a few thousand fast, I know where to find it."



                             RECIPES


     From the Associate Editor: This space is usually reserved
for the culinary masterpieces, mealtime mainstays, and family
specialties of members and friends of the Federation. Reading the
recipes has come to be a vicarious way for all of us to break
bread together even when miles and months separate us. In the
interest of continuing the high quality of our gastronomic life
together, I remind all readers of this feature that recipes are
always welcome. I particularly appreciate receiving family
favorites for holidays or particular seasons of the year, but any
well-loved and well-tested recipe will be joyfully received and
carefully filed for later consideration. Recipes--we always need
ones that diabetics can enjoy--can be sent to the National Office
or to me at 237 Oak Street, Oberlin, Ohio  44074.
     As I say, most of the time this section is reserved for
recipe-swapping within the clan. But since we all know that "A
foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds," we are
departing from custom this month in honor of our upcoming
convention, which will take place in one of the culinary capitals
of the world, New Orleans. Superb restaurants dot the city, and
every one of them has a specialty that brings satisfied patrons
back time after time. Here are a few of the treats that await you
where the Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Bon appetit:


                     BRENNAN'S SHRIMP CREOLE

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup green pepper, coarsely chopped 
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped 
1 cup celery, coarsely chopped 
2 tablespoons garlic, minced 
2 cups whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons corn starch
3 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups water
     Method: Heat vegetable oil and saute next four ingredients
until tender. Add tomatoes and cook three to four more minutes.
Stir in paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, water, and bay leaf.
Simmer 15 minutes. Add shrimp and continue to cook an additional
15 minutes. Thicken with corn starch mixed with cold water. Serve
with hot fluffy rice.



              COMMANDER'S PALACE CRAB MEAT IMPERIAL

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onions, minced
2 tablespoons celery, minced
2 tablespoons green pepper, minced
1/4 cup green onions, tops only, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pimiento, minced, and well-drained
1/4 cup Creole mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 pounds cooked fresh lump crab meat (pick out any shells)
Topping: mayonnaise, paprika

     Method: In a large skillet melt butter; add onions, green
peppers, celery, green onions, and seasonings and saute for 15
minutes. Remove from heat and add mayonnaise, pimiento, mustard,
Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and parsley. Mix well and
let cool for about 20 minutes. Place crab meat in large mixing
bowl and pick out any shells, being careful not to break up
lumps. Ladle the sauce over the crab meat and mix gently to coat
the crab meat without breaking up lumps. Using your hands, fill
individual casserole dishes or ramekins or large flat sea shells,
with 3/4 cup crab meat mixture. Coat each casserole with one
tablespoon mayonnaise, sprinkle paprika over top. Heat in 350
degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it bubbles. Yields
eight servings.

          CHRISTIAN'S RESTAURANT WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
125 grams sugar (4.46 ounces, 4 ounces equals 1/2 cup)
1/2 quart whipping cream
170 grams (6 ounces) vanilla sweet chocolate combined with 3
tablespoons water

     Method: Combine the egg whites and sugar and make a genoise
meringue by beating them with an electric mixer over hot water on
the stove until mixture is warm and thick. Remove from stove and
continue beating until mixture is room temperature and even
thicker. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until just melted,
then stir until smooth. Fold the chocolate into the meringue,
then chill. Meanwhile chill the whipping cream and beat until
stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the previously prepared
mixture and chill. 

                 CORRINE DUNBAR'S RED BEAN SOUP

Ingredients:
1/2 pound red kidney beans
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 stick butter
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 pound ham, ground fine
water
salt and pepper to taste
Claret wine, sieved hard boiled egg, 8 lemon slices (garnish)

     Method: Saute onion in butter. Simmer beans for about three
hours in enough water to cover, with onion, garlic, celery,
thyme, and bay leaves. Keep an eye on the beans as they cook;
it's important that they not go dry, but equally important that
there not be too much water. Press mixture through coarse
strainer, using large spoon to force mixture through. Add ham,
and correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Place one
tablespoon claret wine in bottom of each bouillon cup. Pour soup.
Garnish with sieved egg and lemon slice. Serves eight.

                   LA PROVENCE POULET FROMAGE

Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 teaspoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grated Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon bleu cheese
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

     Method: Saute chicken in butter, but do not brown. Add
chopped shallots and dry vermouth. Reduce liquid slightly. Add
heavy cream, salt and pepper. Sauce should almost cover chicken;
add more cream if necessary. Bring to a boil. Place in a 375
degree oven, covered with oiled waxed paper. Cook approximately
15 minutes, until chicken is tender when pierced. Remove chicken
to platter and keep warm. Strain sauce and reduce it a little on
low to medium-low heat. Whisk together grated cheeses, mustard,
and softened butter. Add this mixture to reduced sauce over low
heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Correct seasonings, and
pour sauce over chicken.


                   * * MONITOR MINIATURES * *

**Elected:
     Janet Schwartz, Federationist from Arizona, writes as
follows: At the November 17, 1990, meeting the Tempe-Mesa,
Arizona, Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind elected
the following officers and board members: President, Debra
Newman; Vice President, Susan Schaffer; Secretary, Janet
Schwartz; and Treasurer, Norman Gardner. Mark Feliz and Ruth
Swenson were the two board members elected.

**Comment from the Deaf-Blind:
     Kathleen Spear, who is coordinator of deaf-blind services at
the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, is a woman of initiative. She is also an active
Federationist, which means that she tries to do something about
situations that she believes require remedying. The following
letter is a good example. It should give all of us something to
think about. Here it is:

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
February 5, 1991

Sales Manager
TLR Sales and Marketing
Rossville, Kansas

Dear Sales Manager:
     In the January, 1991, issue of the Braille Monitor, a
publication of the National Federation of the Blind, there is an
announcement about a new game which your employer has for sale.
The game is called "Hi-Lo." It is with regard to this product
that I am writing.
     As described, Hi-Lo sounds like a game that many will enjoy.
My interest in it relates to an annual camping event which I
coordinate here in Central Pennsylvania. Games such as
backgammon, checkers, othelo, and scrabble are favorites with the
adult campers. It seemed to me that they would enjoy Hi-Lo, too.
However, although you offer instructions on cassette for persons
who are blind and large print for those who are partially
sighted, there is no mention of Braille instructions. This is
unfortunate, because our campers, like myself, are both deaf and
blind.
     It should be noted that many manufacturers fail to realize
that persons who are deaf-blind are consumers with purchasing
power. Since this is likely to be the cause underlying the
absence of Braille instructions, I thought it appropriate to
bring this matter to your attention.
     Personally, I would be very interested in purchasing Hi-Lo
if it came with Braille instructions. Furthermore, I believe that
there are more than a few blind persons who would prefer Braille
to taped instructions. In the belief that a company that produces
items for leisure enjoyment intends to make their product as
accessible to as many as possible, I'm hoping you will be
receptive to the request that Hi-Lo instructions be made
available in Braille.
     Your consideration of this matter will be very much
appreciated.

Sincerely yours,
K. C. Spear

**New Chapter:
     Sharon Maneki, President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland, writes as follows: The Baltimore County
Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland was
organized at a dinner meeting on Thursday, November 29, 1990, at
the Quality Inn, Towson, Maryland. The following officers were
elected: President, Donald Combs; Vice President, Bryan Bayliss;
Secretary, Louise Meyer; Treasurer, Ken Canterbury; and Board
Members, Mickey Bedford and Gene Washington. We look forward to
much good work from this new chapter of thirty-seven enthusiastic
members.

**Special Free Offer:
     The Voice of the Diabetic is a quarterly magazine published
by the Diabetics Division of the National Federation of the
Blind. It is extremely popular and continues to grow rapidly in
circulation. It provides information in a usable and
understandable form and allows blind diabetics the opportunity to
network with other blind diabetics who cope successfully with
blindness and diabetes.
     The magazine is upbeat and covers all aspects of diabetes.
In each issue methods are presented that inform readers who are
blind or losing their vision to diabetes how independently to
draw insulin and test blood glucose levels. Additionally, it
presents other resources available to the blind. Once the newly
blinded diabetic develops a good attitude, blindness is not so
overwhelming.
     In a recent issue of The New England Journal of Medicine a
letter from the Centers for Disease Control stated that there are
from 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness per year caused by
diabetes. Also, the U.S. Department of Health reports that there
are an estimated 12,000,000 cases of diabetes in America. There
are thousands of blind diabetics that can be served if we know
who they are.
     This is why our Diabetics Division board has decided to
offer the Voice of the Diabetic absolutely free for one year to
anyone interested. Applications for this special will be accepted
until July 15, 1991. Anyone may receive the Voice free as a
member of the NFB Diabetics division, and after the expiration
date the yearly cost will be $5. Also, anyone may receive the
Voice free for one year as a non-member (institutional rate) of
the NFB Diabetics Division, and after the expiration date the
yearly cost will be $15. Subscribers may receive the magazine in
print and/or on cassette (recorded at 15/16 ips).
     Contact: Ed Bryant, Editor, 811 Cherry Street, Suite 306,
Columbia, Missouri 65201; telephone (314) 875-8911. This offer is
good via print, Braille, or telephone. Please provide name,
address, and phone number; indicate if Voice is wanted in print,
on cassette, or in both formats; and indicate whether membership
or non-membership is desired. Our Diabetics Division has
established committees with information on all aspects of
diabetes. Members can communicate with others who have
experienced the same diabetic side effects.

**Good Things Ahead:
     Lynn Coats of Northridge, California, writes as follows:
This letter will inform you of the elections in the San Fernando
Valley Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of
California. We are excited about the upcoming year. Everyone in
the chapter is hard at work to insure security and equality for
blind persons living in the San Fernando Valley, as well as
throughout the nation. On Saturday, January 12, 1991, the annual
meeting of the San Fernando Valley Chapter was held. Here are the
results of the elections: Donovan Cooper, President; Nancy
Marcello, Vice President; and Albert Hughes, Member at Large.
Other officers elected as of October of 1990 to fill vacancies to
the position of Secretary and Treasurer are as follows: Lynn
Coats, Secretary; and Stephanie Rood, Treasurer.

**Books for Sale:
     Janell Peterson, a member of the NFB of Washington, has
asked us to print the following: Work Addiction, Legacies of
Adult Children by Robinson, 3 Braille volumes, $40; Fifty Simple
Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, by the Earth Works Group, 3
Braille volumes, $40. Contact: Janell Peterson, 303 Harvard
Avenue East, #302, Seattle, Washington 98102-5487 in Braille or
on cassette only, phone: (206) 328-4778. If no response, books
are sold.

**Elected:
     Tracy Carcione, a Federationist from New York City, writes
as follows: On January 20, 1991, the New York City Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind elected the following officers
to two-year terms: President, Carl Jacobson; First Vice
President, Ray Wayne; Second Vice President, Vivian Yacu;
Secretary, Tracy Carcione; Treasurer, Gerald Carcione; State
Delegate, Tracy Carcione; Alternate Delegate, Bob Kraft; and four
board members: Bob Kraft, Harold Wenning, Linda Johnsen, and Bert
Berg.

**Jewish Heritage for the Blind:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
"Item #1--Purim publications available on loan in Braille. Purim:
a) As practiced by Syrian Jews, b) As practiced by Moroccan Jews,
c) As practiced by Judeo-Spanish Jews, d) As practiced by Spanish
and Portuguese Jews from "A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and
Customs," e) The laws of the "Reading of the Megillah" from
Kitzur Schulchan Aruch, and f) "Blessings recited before the
Reading of the Megillah." Item #2--The directory of Kosher eating
establishments in large print or Braille (available at no cost).
Item #3--The Directory of Agencies providing Torah/Jewish
Cultural tape cassettes in large print or Braille (available at
no cost). Item #4--In Braille/large print (available at no cost):
a) Rav Aaron Kotler, Zt'l, b) The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shlita, and
c) Rav Fivel Mendlowitz, Zt'l."

[PHOTO: Portrait of Bonnie Peterson. CAPTION: Bonnie Peterson,
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin.]

**Running for Offices:
     Whether or not the NFB's annual Washington Seminar includes
activities worthy of national media attention, local and state
broadcast and print journalists can usually be persuaded to cover
the story of blind people traveling to the nation's capital to
discuss issues of importance to them with their elected
representatives. A good example of what can be made of such
opportunities is what happened at the 1991 Washington Seminar
after the Wisconsin delegation did what every state is urged to
do in preparation for the trip to Washington. Here is what
happened: 
     Before leaving for Washington, Bob Raisbeck alerted area
media to the group's goals and schedule of appointments. On
Monday, February 4, a news crew working for a Madison television
station attempted to cover the meeting between Wisconsin
Federationists and Senator Robert Kasten, who has never been
particularly interested in the problems of the blind or helpful
in solving them. Annoyed by the Senator's behavior and intrigued
by what they learned from the NFB members, the crew decided to
return on Tuesday to videotape the delegation's visit to the
office of Madison's newly-elected Congressmen, Scott Klug. Since
Mr. Klug's background is in the media, he and his staff were
particularly impressed to find that the NFB brought home-town
media attention to their first meeting. At its conclusion the NFB
of Wisconsin delegates shot out of the Congressional office,
explaining over their shoulders to the TV crew that their next
appointment was two buildings away and that they had twelve
minutes in which to traverse the distance. The crew decided to
tag along in order to film additional footage.
     The Wisconsin delegates (Bonnie Peterson, Bob Raisbeck, and
Dave Schuh) took off with the TV crew following. As is customary,
the cameraman got in front of the three, running backwards, to
shoot film as they walked, or rather ran, toward him. The NFB
members and the TV crew pelted through hallways, apparently
chasing one another, all the way to the next Congressional
office, where the whole cavalcade shot through the door at a dead
run, the cameraman panting from the exertion. The Congressman,
Gerald Kleczka, has been a long-time friend of the National
Federation of the Blind, and he was in his office with the door
open, signing a few papers, as the NFB members and TV crew drew
up just outside his personal office, exactly on time for their
appointment. Congressman Kleczka's introduction to the
Federationists was then videotaped, providing the Congressman
with an opportunity to appear on TV at home, meeting with
constituents. After the cameraman recovered from his dash through
the Congressional hallways and while he was packing up his gear,
he told Bonnie Peterson that he had gotten "some camera angles
that nobody's ever seen before." 
     When the three Wisconsin Federationists arrived (at a more
dignified pace) at their second Senator's office, they discovered
that Wisconsin Cable Network had chosen that time to film a day
in the life of Senator Herbert Kohl, so that interview was taped
in its entirety as well. When President Bonnie Peterson finished
outlining the final issue, Senator Kohl's aide commented even
before the Senator had a chance to speak that the idea was
"brilliant, absolutely brilliant." That's the kind of media
coverage that would benefit every state affiliate and make a
valuable and lasting impression in every Congressional office.

**Congressional Internships Available: 
     Congressman Gerry Sikorski has asked us to print the
following: 
     Applications are now being accepted for full-time
internships in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Gerry
Sikorski. Credit and non-credit internships are being offered now
for Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Sessions. Areas of
responsibility include social services, clerical, legislative
research, writing, grants and local-federal government
interaction, general research and issues, media and current
events, and constituent relations.
     These internships provide valuable hands-on experience,
broaden your knowledge and awareness of government processes, and
help you make more knowledgeable career choices. All interested
persons may apply. Internship appointments will be made without
regard to age, sex, race, religion, or disability.
     For applications and more information, please contact:
Intern Coordinator, Congressman Gerry Sikorski, 403 Cannon
H.O.B., Washington, D.C. 20515; (202) 225-2271 or Intern
Coordinator, Congressman Gerry Sikorski, 277 Coon Rapids Blvd.,
N.W., Coon Rapids, Minnesota  55422; (612) 780-5801.

**Making Use of the Literacy Bandwagon:
     Karen Mayry, the energetic president of the National
Federation of the Blind of South Dakota, sent us the following
notice. It is a very good idea. Here's what she says:
     Does your state have a Literacy Council? In South Dakota we
have enlisted its assistance and are submitting articles to the
newsletter. Through this means we are educating more people about
the importance of Braille. The entire publication, "Braille, What
is It? What Does It Mean to the Blind?" was printed in July,
1990. The January, 1991, newsletter was distributed as the South
Dakota Legislature opened. It contains an article written by me
regarding Braille Literacy. The National Federation of the Blind
of South Dakota will be introducing a Braille Bill during the
1991 session. Considering its growing understanding of the
advantages of Braille as an efficient method of reading, the
Literacy Council should be providing us with increased support.

**Sell:
     Keith Bucher, a member of the National Federation of the
Blind of West Virginia, has asked that we carry the following
announcement:
     For Sale--Toshiba T1200F with internal Accent 1200
synthesizer and external 5.25 360K disk drive. All items are in
very good condition and were purchased in September, 1989. Price:
$1,695, which includes UPS shipping to anywhere in the U.S. and
Canada. Contact: Keith Bucher, Post Office Box 130, Reader, West
Virginia 26167; phone: (304) 386-4332.

**Elected:
     Sharon Luka, one of the long-time leaders of the NFB of
Kansas, writes as follows: On Saturday, November 17, 1990, the
Douglas County Chapter held its annual election of officers. The
new slate of officers is as follows: President, Cindy Lou
Hallenbeck; Vice President, Jim Mitchell; Secretary-Treasurer,
Sharon Luka; Board Position 1, James Canaday; and Board Position
2, Edra Diaz.

**Buy:
     Pat Barrett, one of the leaders of the National Federation
of the Blind of Idaho, has asked us to print the following:
     Bowling rail needed! I am looking for a bowling rail,
costing less then $100. The Magic Valley Chapter of the NFB of
Idaho would like to adopt one. Please contact Mr. Pat Barrett,
LINC, Shoshone Street, E., Twin Falls, Idaho 83301, work phone
(208) 733-1712.

[PHOTO: Children playing with building block toys. CAPTION: The
child care room at the convention of the NFB is a busy and happy
place.]

**Convention Day-care:
     Carol Coulter, an active member of the National Federation
of the Blind of Missouri and a licensed day-care provider, is
organizing child-care at this year's national convention. She has
asked us to print the following announcement:
     Once again the Parental Concerns Committee is coordinating
day-care for parents at the national convention. This service
began some years ago; and, as the parent of two children I know
how helpful it is to parents and everyone else at convention. To
keep the service operating effectively, we need your help. First,
we need volunteers (particularly parents and mature, responsible
youth) to help in the day-care room from time to time. Please get
in touch with me as soon as possible if you can volunteer.
Second, we need donations to cover our expenses. This year we are
asking parents to make these donations: $50 for the week
(including the banquet) for the first child and $25 for each
additional child; or, $10 per child per day, and $10 per child
for the banquet night if you do not need the full week of day-
care. This new approach will help both the Parental Concerns
Committee and individual parents plan better for convention day-
care expenses. (Donations from other sources will still be needed
to help defray the costs for parents who cannot afford convention
day-care. If you are such a parent, please contact me before
convention if at all possible.) The third way you can help make
convention day-care a success is to tell me in advance how many
children you will be bringing to New Orleans. It is impossible to
have the right number of adults in child-care if we don't know
how many children to expect. We hope to have day-care available
during the following times: the Parents of Blind Children Seminar
(Sunday, June 30), all general sessions, the annual banquet, and
the Parental Concerns Committee meeting. If you have any
questions or need more information, please write or call  Carol
Coulter, Chair, Parental Concerns Committee, at 2504 Glenn Drive,
Columbia, Missouri 65202; (314) 474-3226. I hope to see all of
you and your children in New Orleans!

**Wants Letters:
     From the Editor: As Monitor readers are aware, I have known
Edgar Sammons for a long time. He and his wife Mattie Ruth live
in East Tennessee and are as genuine as the mountain air they
breath. Edgar recently wrote to me, saying that he would like to
exchange Braille letters with anybody who wanted to correspond.
His address is: Route 2, Box 1840, Mountain City, Tennessee
37683.

**Music Service:
     Denise and Dennis Franklin, Federationists from Kentucky,
have asked that we carry the following announcement:
     Have you ever wished that you could order your favorite kind
of music with one simple telephone call? Have you ever wished
that you could participate in a music service without having to
return unwanted "automatic selections" each month? Has there been
a time when you wanted to know which cassette tape or compact
disc included your favorite single? If your answer to any of
these questions is yes, do we ever have a deal for you!! By
sending a one-time membership fee of just $10, you can receive
all of these services. But there's more! You will also receive a
quarterly newsletter (specify print or Braille), containing a
list of new releases. Don't be left out. Send check or money
order, along with your complete address, to: Franklin Music
Service, 3145 Talisman Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40220;
telephone: (502) 459-8630.

**Dialysis:
     Ed Bryant, Editor of the Voice of the Diabetic, has asked
that we carry the following announcement:
     During this year's National Convention in New Orleans,
Louisiana, dialysis will be available. Individuals requiring
dialysis must have a transient-patient packet and a physician's
statement filled out prior to treatment. Patients should have
their dialysis units contact the desired location in New Orleans
for instruction on what must be done. There is a mandatory
prepayment of twenty percent (approximately $30) which must be
paid before each dialysis treatment. This is the amount not
covered by Medicare.
     Following are three dialysis locations which are close to
the Hyatt Regency: 1.) Greater New Orleans Artificial Kidney
Center, 2000 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112; phone:
(504) 581-6227. This location is open six days a week (Monday-
Saturday) and is about seven minutes from the Hyatt. 2.) Tulane
University Hospital, 1415 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana
70112; phone: (504) 588-5263. This location is open three days a
week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and is about eight blocks
from the Hyatt. 3.) Touro Infirmary, 1401 Foucher Street, New
Orleans, Louisiana 70115; phone: (504) 897-8530. This location is
open six days a week (Monday-Saturday) and is about one mile from
the Hyatt.
     Please schedule your dialysis treatments early, since space
may be limited.  If your dialysis unit cannot confirm a space for
you, contact Ed Bryant for assistance at: 811 Cherry Street,
Suite 306, Columbia, Missouri 65201; phone: (314) 875-8911.

**Pen Pals:
     Mrs. Linda Taylor, a member of the NFB of South Carolina,
writes as follows: I am thirty-eight years, married, and the
mother of two children aged twenty-one and eleven. I'd love to
hear from you; it's one way to make new friends. You may contact
me on cassette tape or in large print. My address is: 7 Gerald
Street, Sumter, South Carolina 29150.

**Pen Friends Wanted:
     We received the following letter from Helene Ryles in
Staffordshire, England:
     I am a young deaf-blind person. I would like a pen friend
from the National Federation of the Blind of the United States. I
can write in grade 1 or 2 Braille or Moon. I like reading (horror
and fantasy); music (heavy metal and folk); sports (walking,
swimming, trampolining, tandem bike-riding; horse-back riding;
skiing, skating, rock climbing, caving, sailing, and assault
courses); knitting chunky jumpers [sweaters] for men; cats; fair
rides; discos; the sea; and finding out about countries from
foreign pen friends. Write to Helene Ryles, 39 Newcastle Street,
Silverdale, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffs ST5 6PQ, England.

**Mail Rx:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     To the members of the National Federation of the Blind: The
costs of your health and life-preserving maintenance medicines
are escalating at the rate of 22% per year. Your heart, ulcer,
high blood pressure, allergy medicines and other maintenance
drugs are putting severe pressure on your pocketbook every month.
     The Federation has entered into an agreement with Mail Rx,
Timonium, Maryland, to make these long-term medicines available
to you at average wholesale prices instead of retail prices. 
Your prescriptions, in 90 day quantities instead of one-month
quantities are delivered to your home via UPS within several days
after the prescription is received. For those members who have no
insurance coverage for maintenance drugs...you can buy your
medication at Average Wholesale Prices versus retail prices--a
savings of approximately 30%. For those members who have 80/20
insurance coverage, you lay out no money...simply send us the
signed claim form and the prescription and that's it. For every
prescription Mail Rx fills for Federation members...the
Federation receives a donation of one dollar from Mail Rx.
     Please telephone Mail Rx on their (toll-free) number... 1
(800) 262-4579 to get started now.

**Dies:
     Joe Phillips, founder and first president of the Erie County
Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania,
reports with sadness that on February 11, 1991, Jeanne Schick
died. Jeanne, whose daughter Mary is multiply handicapped, had
been a loyal member of the chapter since its beginning in 1977.
She attended state and national conventions and understood
clearly and supported enthusiastically all that the Federation
stands for. Repeatedly the professionals told Jeanne what Mary
could not do and why they would not help her, and repeatedly
Mary, Jeanne, and the Federation proved them wrong. Jeanne Schick
will be deeply missed by her family, her friends, and her
colleagues in the organized blind movement.

**Sell:
     We have been asked to announce the following: I have a Beta
Scan blood glucose analyzer for sale, batteries and recharger
included. I am asking $350 or best offer. Contact me in any
format, except collect phone calls. Rita A. Iesue, 4341 Morse
St., Erie, Pennsylvania 16511; phone (814) 899-5241.

**Recovering:
     Sharon Gold, President of the National Federation of the 
Blind of California, reports that on Monday, January 28, two days
before he was scheduled to leave for the Washington Seminar,
Dennis Russak fell and broke his leg. He underwent extensive
surgery and will be using a wheelchair for a number of weeks.
Members of the California affiliate found Dennis an accessible
apartment and helped him move when he was released from the
hospital. He is now recovering from his injuries and doing some
volunteer work in the NFB of California office.

**Wedding Bells:
     Joanne Fernandes, President of the National Federation of
the Blind of Louisiana and member of the Board of Directors of
the National Federation of the Blind, was married on Thursday,
March 28, 1991, at the Presbyterian Church in Ruston, Louisiana,
to Harold Wilson of Shreveport, Louisiana. The couple will make
their home in Ruston, and Joanne will continue to direct the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. The Monitor offers
congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds.

**One-Hand Option:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
     One-Hand Keyboard Option for Braille 'n Speak--Blazie
Engineering announces the immediate availability of a one-handed
keyboard option for the Braille 'n Speak. This option allows the
Braille 'n Speak pocket computer to be operated by persons who
lack the full use of all fingers or hands. By pressing as few as
one key at a time, the Braille 'n Speak can be used to its full
extent. Users interested in this option should contact Blazie
Engineering for prices and availability. For more information
please contact: Blazie Engineering, 3660 Mill Green Road, Street,
Maryland 21154; phone: (301) 879-4944; FAX: (301) 452-5752.

**Piano Technicians:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement: 
An open invitation to all Federationists who are piano tuners or
interested in entering this lucrative field. A special interest 
meeting will be held at the NFB convention in New Orleans at the
Hyatt Regency hotel in the Maui Room on Tuesday evening, July 2,
1991.
