                       THE BRAILLE MONITOR



                    Kenneth Jernigan, Editor
                Barbara Pierce, Associate Editor


     Published in inkprint, Braille, on talking-book disc, 
                        and cassette by 


              THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 
                     MARC MAURER, PRESIDENT 
 


                         National Office
                       1800 Johnson Street
                   Baltimore, Maryland 21230 

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        subscription requests, orders for NFB literature,
       articles for the Monitor, and letters to the Editor
             should be sent to the National Office. 

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Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about twenty-five 
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made payable to National Federation of the Blind and sent to: 
 

                National Federation of the Blind
                       1800 Johnson Street
                   Baltimore, Maryland 21230 

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THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES



ISSN 0006-8829THE BRAILLE MONITOR
A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

                            CONTENTS

                                                       JULY, 1992

THE POT BOILS AND TELESENSORY STEWS
by Kenneth Jernigan

LITERATURE REVIEW
by Doris Willoughby

WHY CAN'T ALL OF US GET OUR HANDS DIRTY?

DISABILITY PERIODICALS TAKE ON THE NEW YORK TIMES

NEWSLINE CONTINUES TO MAKE HEADLINES

TOM LEY PLUS NFB SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE EQUALS CAPABLE AND
CONFIDENT HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER
by Tom Ley

BLIND INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES OF MARYLAND UNDER FIRE

UNIQUE FEATURE OF GUIDE DOGS: BACKTRACKING AND HOMING
by Paul Gabias

THE TURNING POINT

RECIPES

MONITOR MINIATURES

















     Copyright National Federation of the Blind, Inc., 1992[3 LEAD PHOTOS: GENERAL CAPTION: As this month's issue of the
BRAILLE MONITOR goes to press, we are all preparing to go to the
1992 convention of the National Federation of the Blind in
Charlotte. Next month's issue will be taken up with convention
coverage. Meanwhile, here are some scenes from last year's
convention at New Orleans--more or less to whet your appetite for
the convention coverage next month. CAPTION 1: At the 1991
convention of the National Federation of the Blind in New Orleans
Dennis Franklin of Kentucky stands in the registration area and
looks at the list of attendees from the various states. PHOTO 2:
Blind child puts his hand into the mouth of a stuffed lion.
CAPTION 2: Federationists (even those who are young) never
hesitate to put their hands into the lion's mouth. Maybe they can
pull his teeth. CAPTION 3: The registration area at the
convention of the NFB is always crowded.]



[PHOTO: Kenneth Jernigan seated at his desk, reading Braille.
CAPTION: Kenneth Jernigan.]

[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: James Bliss, President of
TeleSensory.]

[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Ted Young, President of the National
Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania.]


               THE POT BOILS AND TELESENSORY STEWS
                       by Kenneth Jernigan

     In the March, 1992, Braille Monitor an article appeared
entitled "Concerning Integrity, Monopoly, and TeleSensory." This
article (authored by Associate Editor Barbara Pierce and me)
detailed some of the problems and controversies surrounding
TeleSensory--and, as might have been expected, it created a good
deal of discussion. On the part of TeleSensory it apparently
generated a considerable amount of heat. As an example, I
recently received the following letter from a California lawyer:

                                            Palo Alto, California
                                                     May 27, 1992

Dear Dr. Jernigan:
     We are counsel to Telesensory Corporation. You and Barbara
Pierce have written an article entitled "Concerning Integrity,
Monopoly, and Telesensory" and published it in the Braille
Monitor, a publication of the National Federation of the Blind.
As the Executive Director of the National Federation of the
Blind, and Editor of the Braille Monitor, you are responsible for
the contents of the Braille Monitor.
     Your article contains numerous libelous and defamatory
statements about Telesensory. On behalf of Telesensory we demand
that you retract your article.
     Enclosed for your reference and information is a copy of
Telesensory's response to your article which corrects many of
your libelous and defamatory statements. We caution you that any
further statements you may make concerning Telesensory, its
customers, distributors, and employees must be accurate.

                                                Very truly yours,
                               WILSON, SONSINI, GOODRICH & ROSATI
                                         Professional Corporation
                                            Blair W. Stewart, Jr.

cc: Dr. James C. Bliss (without enclosures)
                      ____________________
     This is Mr. Stewart's letter, and since the Monitor always
endeavors to print nothing but the truth, his caution was not
only unnecessary but a threat without teeth and a missive to
incite more amusement than fear. However, since Dr. Bliss
apparently feels that his answer to our article is helpful to his
case, we will assist him in distributing it. It had already
received wide circulation on one of the major nationwide on-line
computer services (CompuServe), being put there by a TeleSensory
employee, and had been distributed to a number of people by Dr.
Bliss.
     Our March Monitor article was printed in its entirety
without interruption, and we will give Dr. Bliss's response the
same treatment. However, if anyone doubts that Dr. Bliss's
article contains inaccuracies or that it quotes out of context
what Mrs. Pierce and I said, I invite that person to compare what
we said side by side with what he says. The way I see his
response, he rather grudgingly confirms our major contentions.
Anyway, here is the Bliss article, dated May 1, 1992. It should
be noted that we reprint the statement exactly as it came to us--
spelling, punctuation, grammar, spelling of names, and the rest.

                     TeleSensory Response to
        "CONCERNING INTEGRITY, MONOPOLY, AND TELESENSORY"
             by Kenneth Jernigan and Barbara Pierce

Introduction
     This response is to an article which appeared in the March,
1992 issue of the Braille Monitor, which is published by the
National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Kenneth Jernigan is the
Executive Director of the National Federation of the Blind and
Editor of the Braille Monitor. Barbara Pierce frequently writes
articles for the Braille Monitor. The misstatements,
inaccuracies, and erroneous information in this article have
caused considerable harm to certain individuals mentioned in the
article, state agencies providing services for people who are
blind, people who are blind in general, and TeleSensory
Corporation. Because of this article, provision of needed
services to blind people in several states has been curtailed or
delayed. In addition, an erroneous and distorted perception of
the collection of agencies, organizations, and companies
providing services to people who are blind has been promulgated
which has inhibited functioning and progress in the field. 

Response to Specific Statements
     Our response to specific statements contained in the article
is as follows:
     1."...If you aren't selling products made by TeleSensory,
you can't do business with the [Pennsylvania] state
rehabilitation agency"
     The purchasing process in Pennsylvania is open and above
board. The state purchases on the basis of the best overall cost
and benefit.

     2."...Mary Ann Sember, is married to Tom Sember, a counselor
in the state agency's Pittsburgh office."
     Kenneth Jernigan, Barbara Pierce, and NFB are implying that
there is a conflict of interest with this relationship and that
this kind of relationship is TeleSensory policy. Neither is true.
The administration of the state agency has always known of the
Sembers' job relationship since 1978 (see attached letter) and
has followed strict procedures to avoid any conflict of interest.
Tom Sember does not have any involvement in the purchase of
products from TeleSensory. Mary Ann Sember is an independent
distributor, not a TeleSensory employee. In addition, it has
always been TeleSensory's policy that any potential conflict of
interest be fully disclosed.

     3."In New Jersey the TeleSensory sales representative has a
daughter who works for the state agency."
     Again NFB is implying that there is a conflict of interest
with this relationship and that this kind of relationship is
TeleSensory policy. Neither is true. The administration of the
New Jersey agency has always known of the relationship between Al
Blumenthal, our distributor, and his daughter, an agency teacher.
Strict procedures have been followed to avoid any conflict of
interest. Al Blumenthal's daughter has no involvement in the
purchase of TeleSensory equipment by the state agency. Al
Blumenthal is an independent distributor, not a TeleSensory
employee. In addition, it is TeleSensory's policy to not have any
employee or distributor with an undisclosed relationship with
TeleSensory's customers.

     4."...it would be a front page scandal with everybody crying
foul." 
     This is not true since the relationships are open, well
known and strict procedures are followed to avoid conflict of
interest issues.

     5."...only blind clients are being hurt -- along with small
business operations (mostly owned by blind people)."
     Since proper procedures are being followed, no one is being
unfairly hurt. Our competitors may be losing business to us
because our products and service are better and our prices are
lower. It is relevant to note that NFB has attempted to sell
products (including equipment for the blind) throughout their
history. They are a non-profit organization which receives
charitable contributions, does not pay taxes, and benefits from
special postal rates including "free matter for the blind".
Typically their products have not been price or function
competitive.

     6."Vendors report that in many parts of New York TeleSensory
has the state agency technology market pretty much locked up."
     The purchasing process in New York is open and above board.
The state purchases on the basis of the best overall cost and
benefit.

     7."...slow and unresponsive support service and prices
higher that those of the competition?"
     TeleSensory's service is fast and responsive. Customer
surveys and unsolicited customer responses are overwhelmingly
complimentary on our fast and responsive service. Our prices are
competitive and we win most of the bids which are awarded to the
low price bidder. 

     8." ... It was priced at almost $500, but it worked--and it
was all there was. ..."
     This issue is about events that happened fifteen years ago.
Actually TeleSensory's talking calculator was priced at $395, the
same price as the Hewlett Packard HP35 pocket calculator when it
was first introduced a few years earlier. The TeleSensory talking
calculator was revolutionary, being the first portable consumer
product with synthetic speech (several years ahead of Texas
Instruments' "Speak and Spell"). There was some competition
(e.g., a talking calculator by Master Specialties which Kenneth
Jernigan and NFB supported and which was larger, more expensive,
and didn't work as well). The Master Specialties calculator was
quickly taken off the market after the Speech Plus calculator was
introduced.
     Since the TeleSensory talking calculator was designed and
built for blind people, a small market to which we were
restricted to by our license agreement with the inventor of the
speech technology, it could not compete with talking calculators
built for the general public by major Japanese calculator
manufacturers. Once the Japanese calculator manufacturers
discovered that there was no market for talking calculators among
the general population, they ceased production. Recently small
companies have again begun production of talking calculators for
the blind, but at prices as high as $595, substantially higher
than TeleSensory's original price, in spite of the great
reduction in the prices of electronic components that has
occurred over the past fifteen years. We are proud of our
achievement with the talking calculator in rapidly applying state
of the art technology to the needs of blind people, at a
reasonable price at the time and without government support. 

     9."...a great deal of TSI's research and development costs
for a number of its products had been paid for by government and
other grants."
     Before TeleSensory was founded twenty two years ago, the
Optacon was developed under government funded research at
Stanford University and Stanford Research Institute. The Optacon
became TeleSensory's first product. Subsequently TeleSensory
received government and private research funding for developing a
talking Optacon, but this was never introduced as a product,
partly because of Jernigan's and NFB's actions against it. They
were at the time supporting the Kurzweil Reading Machine, a
competitive product.
     The statement that "a great deal of TSI's research and
development costs for a number of its products had been paid for
by government and other grants" is not true. For the past ten
years TeleSensory has not received any government funds for
research and development. The government did not pay for
TeleSensory's research and development for any of the over twenty
TeleSensory products currently in production. Over the entire
history of TeleSensory the amount of research and development
funding TeleSensory has received from government and other grants
is less than 1% of the amount that TeleSensory has spent on
research and development. 
     Moreover, many of our competitors, such as NFB and Kurzweil,
have received government and other grants. In addition, NFB
enjoys the benefits of non-profit status by being the beneficiary
of charitable contributions, not paying taxes, and being able to
mail their products as "free matter for the blind". 

     10."...but TSI was heartily disliked, not only by many other
vendors but (more important) by a steadily growing number of the
blind."
     This is not true. TeleSensory has always enjoyed an
excellent reputation, especially among blind people. Jernigan's
statement may reflect other motivations since he was having to
face competition from TeleSensory against his talking calculator
and talking reading machine ambitions. We handle over 5000
financial transactions a year. We have never been sued by or have
sued any customer. The number of these transactions that are
disputed are extremely small, well below industry average.

     11."Wherever he [Jim Bliss] has gone, he has created
hostility and made enemies."
     This is not true. Jim Bliss has negotiated many agreements
with companies and other organizations over our 22 year history.
We have had excellent working relations with numerous
organizations, some for ten or more years.

     12."Whether justified or not, stories persistently
circulated (and, for that matter still do) of sleazy conduct,
questionable practices, cutthroat tactics, and the determination
to squeeze every penny from a deal."
     This is not true. The large number of deals we have done
with so few disputes and conflict could not have been
accomplished if the Jernigan/NFB statement had any validity. We
have made generous donations to many blindness organizations, we
regularly contribute to scholarships for blind students, and we
have donated equipment to many blindness organizations and
educational institutions.

     13."...sources tell us that TeleSensory is in financial
trouble." ...Some even say that the company's very existence is
in danger."
     This is not true. Our financial condition is sound. 

     14."We are only in a position to say that TeleSensory
continues its stormy and controversial course"
     TeleSensory's course is neither stormy or controversial. In
over 22 years of doing business, this article is the first time
there has been any controversy. 

     15."For example, one Pittsburgh vendor currently sells the
Arkenstone reading system for $3,500. The OsCaR, TeleSensory's
almost identical system, sells for $3,895. A ten-percent
difference in price ..."
     Arkenstone's (a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation) list price
for their reading system is $3,845 while TeleSensory's list price
is $3,895. This is not a ten percent difference in price. What
either company actually bids on a competitive bid is likely to be
less than either list price. TeleSensory wins many bids because
it is the lowest bidder even though Arkenstone is "non-profit",
and has received major donations of reading system components for
free or greatly reduced prices. In the face of this unlevel
playing field, TeleSensory has remained competitive.

     16."Bob Jakub, the local Arkenstone dealer..."
     The only named complainant is a competitor of TeleSensory. 

     17."...many TSI product users become dissatisfied in the
months and years following initial purchase."
     We routinely conduct surveys of customers and these surveys
indicate a high degree of customer satisfaction. 

     18."...When the equipment develops problems or the client
needs additional help to get started, or the system does not
perform as promised, we are told that the TSI personnel are
suddenly hard or impossible to find and pin down. ..." 
     TeleSensory works with many customers who have had their
equipment for many years. We repair any product we have
manufactured for at least seven years after production has been
terminated and longer if we can get parts.

     19. Re: Ted Young letters and resolution.
     Attached is a response to these letters by James E. Bruce,
Chief Shop Stewart, Pennsylvania Social Services Union, who takes
strong exception to the Ted Young Resolution.

     20."...the Commission purchases an overwhelming proportion
of TeleSensory equipment."
     There is nothing wrong with this if our equipment is better
and/or lower priced and the bids are fairly won. 

     21."Blind consumers in New York say flatly that TeleSensory
has the market sewed up tight. This does not appear to be an
accurate perception, at least in some parts of the state."
     The Jernigan/NFB article does not mention that EVAS, a
company headed by Jerry Swerdlick who is blind, has the New York
State contract for integrating equipment into systems for blind
clients of the state agency. Often these systems are composed of
products that EVAS sells (not TeleSensory equipment) even though
the EVAS products are higher priced than TeleSensory equipment. 

     22."The feeling is widespread and deeply held that
TeleSensory officials do not respect blind people and that this
disrespect permeates all aspects of TeleSensory's dealings."...
"Another more easily demonstrated criticism is that outside of
its technical support and marketing departments TeleSensory hires
almost no blind employees." ..."Virtually every other company in
the field has a better hiring record."
     These statements are not true. All of our activities
demonstrate a high level of respect for blind people. For
example, for the past eight years we have worked closely with
Automated Functions, Inc. which has supplied us with technology
for our Vert line of products. The President of Automated
Functions, Inc. is totally blind. There are at least three other
companies with which we have conducted business over a long
period of time that are run by blind people.
     TeleSensory is a small company with about 200 employees,
many of whom are blind. Besides five sales representatives and
distributors who are blind, there are blind employees in sales
management, inside sales, engineering, technical support, quality
assurance, and administration. In addition, we license technology
from two blind inventors. 
     In addition we have employees who are hearing impaired,
dyslexic, post polio, and speech impaired. In 1991 we received
the California Governor's Award for Employment of the
Handicapped. We are proud of our hiring record. 

     23."Indeed, one of the two [blind] sales representative
cited works (by choice) only part-time and limits her activity to
selling Braille-connected technology."
     This is not true. This reference to a part time sales
representative can only be Gayle Yarnall who is full time and
sells all of our blindness products, which includes synthetic
speech and tactile products as well as braille products. She
holds a job that is equivalent to that held by 12 other sales
representatives and she has full responsibility for all of the
job functions. Tom Shiraki, the other blind sales representative
cited, sells our full line of low vision and blindness products. 

     24."...not above promising things that no current technology
can yet deliver."
     This is not true. We go to great lengths to train our sales
representatives in what the technology can and cannot do, and to
not promise what the technology can't deliver.

Conclusion
     TeleSensory is dedicated to providing the highest quality
products and service at the lowest possible prices. Since our
founding with the Optacon, all TeleSensory earnings have gone
back into the company, and as a result, we have been able to
develop a comprehensive line of innovative products and to market
them at competitive prices, almost entirely without government
support. Below is a partial list of our products which have led
the field:

1971--Optacon print reading aid
1975--Speech Plus Calculator
1979--VersaBraille personal information system
1984--Vista Computer Screen Enlarger
1984--TeleBraille TDD for deaf blind
1985--Vert Speech PC Access System
1986--Vantage CCTV electronic magnifier
1986--VersaPoint embosser
1987--VersaBraille II+ personal information system
1988--Optacon II print reading aid
1989--Navigator Braille PC Access System
1990--OsCaR Scanner/OCR System
1990--Chroma color CCTV electronic magnifier
1990--Lynx VGA electronic magnifier display
1990--TeleBraille II TDD for deaf blind
1991--BrailleMate notetaker

     Our products and services have played a major role in
empowering blind and visually impaired people to be independent
and equal participants in society. We have also played a major
role in bringing about the societal change in which blind and
visually impaired people are integrated into mainstream education
and employment activities. We are creating the state of the art
technology that will help to implement the Americans with
Disabilities Act to the fullest. Our Mission Statement is "To
empower people with visual disabilities to function
independently". We continue to follow our Mission Statement while
conducting our affairs with the highest ethical standards.
                      ____________________
                  COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

                                                 October 16, 1978

SUBJECT: Legal Opinion on Attached Conflict of Interest Inquiry
TO: Mr. Gerald F. Radke
Deputy Secretary for Social Services
FROM: Helga L. Kumar
Through: James R. Adams
Legal Assistant General Counsel
Office of Legal Counsel

     This is with reference to your memo of October 6, 1978
regarding the above matter.
     I have reviewed the provisions of the State Adverse Interest
Act (71 P.S. Section 776.1 et seq.) as well as the Code of Ethics
for State employees contained in 4 Pa. Code Section 7.151 et seq.
     The State Adverse Interest Act provides that no State
employee shall have an adverse interest in any contract with the
State agency by which he is employed. An adverse interest is
defined as being a stockholder, partner, member, agent,
representative or employee of the party or agency contracting
with the State agency.
     The statute further provides that if such an adverse
interest exists, a person may not become an employee until such
time that he has wholly divested himself of such interest and
that a State employee shall not deal in any manner with a
contract in which he has an adverse interest.
     The fact that the prospective contractor is the sole source
of materials or services is irrelevant and does not affect the
situation.
     The only question that seems to arise in the instant case is
whether the interest that the employee's wife has in this matter
can be equated with the interest of her husband, who is our
employee.
     The Code of Ethics, under Section 7.152, prohibits indirect
financial interest as well as direct financial interest, and
includes the provisions of the State Adverse Interest Act but is
not limited to it. It is difficult, if not impossible, to argue
that Mr. Sember, our employee, does not have an indirect
financial interest or benefit deriving from his wife's employment
by the contractor.
     Section 7.153 of the Code of Ethics, under Subsection (d)
(1), provides a mechanism where either the Department or the
employee concerned may ask the Board of Ethics for an advisory
opinion on the matter, and as I cannot find a precedent where the
facts are sufficiently identical to the instant case, I would
recommend that the Department solicit an advisory opinion from
the Board of Ethics.
     I feel that this may be especially appropriate as more and
more wives may enter the labor market and sooner or later find
themselves in a situation similar to Mrs. Sember.
     Until the Board of Ethics provides its opinion, Mr. Sember
should be barred from any involvement in the selection or
purchase of these devices.
                      ____________________
               Response to TeleSensory's Response
                       by Kenneth Jernigan

     When dealing with a large mass of statements and accusations
like those in the TeleSensory response, it is sometimes difficult
(not to mention tedious to the reader) to pinpoint each
inaccuracy and follow it back to its nasty little origin. In
fact, this is often counted on by those who make voluminous
charges, hoping that the allegations will thereby stand as true
and appear to be confirmed. But there are ways to deal with such
things.
     If a few of the charges in a statement like the TeleSensory
article can be shown to be erroneous, quoted out of context, or
misleading, a pattern emerges. Moreover, Monitor readers have a
habit of sorting out fact from fiction and thinking for
themselves. So let us take samples of the TeleSensory article and
subject them to analysis.
     First, the TeleSensory article makes much of the fact that
we say that Dr. Bliss and TeleSensory are controversial when in
reality they are not. In item 14 of the TeleSensory response we
are quoted as saying that "We are only in a position to say that
TeleSensory continues its stormy and controversial course."
     TeleSensory says in response: "TeleSensory's course is
neither stormy or controversial. In over 22 years of doing
business, this article is the first time there has been any
controversy."
     This is our statement and the TeleSensory response. Which is
the truth? Our article (the first controversy TeleSensory says it
has had in twenty-two years) appeared in March of 1992. Yet, only
the previous month the following letter was sent over the
signature of James C. Bliss, President of TeleSensory, on a
nationwide basis to the members of AER (the Association for
Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired).
Here it is:

                                                      TeleSensory
                                        Mountain View, California
                                                   February, 1992

Dear AER Member:
     Since I know you're committed to braille literacy for your
visually impaired students, I'd like to tell you about
TeleSensory's portable braille notetaker called BrailleMate that
could greatly benefit your students.
     TeleSensory shares your commitment to braille literacy.
That's why we designed BrailleMate with braille (and speech)
output as well as braille input.
     If you are considering purchasing a notetaker, let me tell
you how you can combine notetaking and braille reinforcement for
less than the price for a notetaker without braille.
     First, TeleSensory's BrailleMate is less expensive for a
comparably equipped model.
     Second, and more important, is the superior quality of
education BrailleMate can help you provide to your students. Only
TeleSensory's BrailleMate has a braille display that lets your
students read each braille character as he types, proof reads or
edits. If instead of TeleSensory's BrailleMate you buy a Braille
'N Speak, you have seriously compromised your student's
opportunity to become fully literate with braille reading and
writing. Braille 'N Speak only has speech output. TeleSensory's
BrailleMate has speech and braille output, and is cheaper!
     By now you're probably wishing you could learn more about
TeleSensory's BrailleMate before purchasing a notetaker. Here are
some of the many special offers we have available to help you do
this:
     1. Send for your free video of a national TV segment on
BrailleMate.
     2. Send for your free copy of our new BrailleMate teacher
tutorial, developed by fellow teacher Marilyn Varchetto, who has
used both BrailleMate and Braille 'N Speak.
     3. Request a free hands-on demonstration. You may even be
able to borrow your representative's BrailleMate for a "test
drive".
     4. Ask to have us arrange a free in-service for your staff
or district.
     5. Now here's the best news yet! For a limited time
TeleSensory is offering AER Members a 10% discount off the
purchase price of one or more complete BrailleMates.
     Let me summarize BrailleMate's most outstanding benefits:
     - BrailleMate is small (1 lb.) and fits in a pocket!
     - BrailleMate has a silent, soft-touch braille keyboard.
     - For output, BrailleMate has superior synthetic speech, but
more importantly, it has an 8 dot braille cell. This means as
your student types or edits, he can read the braille with his
finger. This reinforces braille reading skills, improving his
braille literacy which is so important for today's student.
     - Instead of needing an external disk drive and diskettes
for storage, BrailleMate uses innovative "RAM cards" which are
tiny credit-card-sized memory cards which slide along the
underside of BrailleMate. Nothing could be more convenient or
fast! Your student can store tons of material while practicing
valuable organizational skills.
     - Every BrailleMate comes with built-in software which
includes a word processor, calculator, address/telephone book,
clock, appointment calendar (to keep track of music lessons,
dentist appointments, due dates) and more!
     - BrailleMate has serial and parallel ports so it can be
connected to a variety of peripherals including printers and
computers. Your student can download information from a computer
file or electronic encyclopedia and read it on his braille
display.
     - Pocket-sized BrailleMate runs on rechargeable batteries
that have a unique "quick recharge" feature.
     - BrailleMate costs less than comparably equipped
notetakers, and no other notetakers have braille output or
convenient credit-card-sized memory pads! And now through May 31,
1992, we are offering AER members a 10% discount off the purchase
of one or more complete BrailleMates. The following comparison
shows how we can save you $277.00:

TeleSensory's BrailleMate
BrailleMate speech and braille output: $1,695.00
Card Reader, cable, softpack: included
512 RAM card (add-on memory): $295.00
One year maintenance: included
2 serial, 1 parallel port: included
Less 10% AER member discount: $ -199.00
TeleSensory's BrailleMate TOTAL: $1,791.00

Braille 'N Speak
Braille 'N Speak 640K: $1,349.00
Disk Drive: $495.00
One year maintenance: $99.00
Serial to parallel converter: $125.00
TOTAL: $2,463.00

     Before making any purchase decision we'd like you to
compare. If you'd like a free video, a free teacher tutorial, a
hands-on demonstration, or a free in-service, just return the
enclosed reply card, call your representative, or call 1-800-227-
8418 toll free today.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                        James C. Bliss, President

P. S. Don't forget the special 10% discount is only good through
May 31, 1992.
                      ____________________
     This is what the Bliss letter said, and one is left to
marvel at the gentleness of the sales tactics. Dr. Bliss and
TeleSensory are we are told neither stormy nor controversial. Do
you suppose the manufacturer of the Braille 'n Speak holds that
opinion? Moreover, observe that a mistake was made in adding the
alleged price of the various components of the Braille 'n Speak.
No one can doubt, of course, that it was a mistake; and a month
later a new sales pitch was sent to the AER members, making some
mention of the fact.
     How was TeleSensory's letter to the AER members received,
with equanimity or controversy? The following letters may shed
light on the subject:

                                              Woodway, Washington
                                                   March 23, 1992

Dear Dr. Jernigan
     We have enclosed an open letter that we have written in
response to a "marketing" letter that we, as a member of AER,
received from TeleSensory Systems for their notetaking product.
We have also attached a copy of TSI's letter.
     We feel that the tactics used by TSI to promote their
product not only exaggerate their product's features and price
but also, and even worse, attempt to unethically undermine Blazie
Engineering's outstanding Braille 'n Speak portable computer. As
noted in our letter, Braille 'n Speak has played a central role
in our blind daughter's educational success.
     We thought you and your members should know how strongly we
object to TSI's marketing techniques. Such behavior can only
serve to undermine the technological advances that are being made
on behalf of visually impaired people.
     We feel that asking James Bliss and TSI to openly apologize
to Blazie Engineering and the visually impaired community is most
appropriate.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                          Beverly and Howard Ware

             Open Letter by Beverly and Howard Ware
      Is TeleSensory Systems, Inc. Having Serious Problems?

     It would seem so from a "marketing" letter we, as an AER
member, received from TeleSensory Systems. The letter, signed by
James Bliss, president of TSI, is to promote their new notetaking
product.
     The letter was specifically directed to AER members through
a membership list which they purchased from AER. AER's sales of
their membership lists is a valuable aid in providing
communication among the visually impaired community.
Unfortunately, the letter from TSI's president falls in the
category of "junk mail", not marketing or communications.
     James Bliss sought to compare TSI's notetaking device with
the industry-leading Braille 'n Speak, the innovative notetaker
conceived and marketed by Blazie Engineering. But rather than
just promoting the alleged virtues of his own product, he
seriously compromised TSI's credibility by openly and erroneously
attacking the usefulness of Braille 'n Speak.
     Why does TSI which has offered so many fine products have to
stoop to garbage marketing? It's mystifying why TSI can't promote
its products on their merits, without defaming its competitors,
letting the market place decide their worth. When a company has
to distort and unfairly attack its competitors, that company has
real problems.
     Mr. Bliss incorrectly asserts: "If instead of TeleSensory's
BrailleMate you buy a Braille 'n Speak, you have seriously
compromised your student's opportunity to become fully literate
with braille reading and writing."
     "Seriously compromised": that deprecatory expression is not
true.
     Braille 'n Speak is the basis for our daughter's successful
and complete mainstreaming. She completed middle school with an
honors grade point average. Now, as a ninth grader, she is
successfully integrated in tenth grade honors English. The
qualifying test for acceptance into the honors English program
was written and printed from her Braille 'n Speak. The Braille 'n
Speak portable computer allows her to not only take notes but
also write papers, then, connecting the Braille 'n Speak to a
printer, produce her assignments for the class, easily and
simply. In her German classes, a simple Braille 'n Speak macro
enables her German homework to be transmitted to the printer
using proper German symbols. These are examples of how Braille 'n
Speak allows a totally blind student to attain academic honors in
a rigorous college prep program.
     Braille 'n Speak fully supports and makes possible her
ability to be a successful student (current high school grade
point average: 3.48). Her ability to be successful would be
seriously compromised if she did not have Braille 'n Speak.
     Mr. Bliss states that his product has braille output which
he curiously presents as being more important than the speech
output. However, this "braille output" apparently consists of a
single (one!) braille cell. He states: "as your student types or
edits, he can read the braille with his finger." and "Your
student can download information from a computer file or
electronic encyclopedia and read it on his braille display." (You
can also download files using Braille 'n Speak).
     I've tried to imagine how this would work. I can only
picture a tedious, laborious process trying to read braille
electronically one cell at a time, moving the fingers back and
forth between the keypad and single braille cell. TSI's single
braille cell appears to be more of a marketing gimmick than an
advantage.
     The price comparison that Mr. Bliss presented is extremely
misleading. TSI's product has a higher base price than Braille 'n
Speak. Braille 'n Speak is fully functional and useful without a
disk drive. If you need additional storage, Braille 'n Speak
offers an industry standard 3.5" disk drive which uses readily
available, inexpensive, high capacity disks that cost about a
dollar. The use of this industry standard technology also allows
the direct transfer of data from an IBM compatible PC to the
Braille 'n Speak
     The storage on TSI's optional "Ram cards" is relatively
small. With a capacity of 512K, you could not store "tons of
material" as Mr. Bliss states. That assertion most charitably can
be called a gross exaggeration. If you needed more storage, you'd
have to buy more of the proprietary "Ram cards" from TSI. Any
"savings" from purchasing TSI's notetaking product could quickly
disappear. The TSI product's TOTAL cost could be more than
Braille 'n Speak with much less functionality.
     Is the TSI product worth considering? Perhaps, but do it on
its merits using a fair basis for comparison of functionality and
cost. If you're considering the purchase of a notetaker, consider
ALL available products on their merits. Talk to users of the
product, read the reviews, check on the availability of help and
training. As you consider price, compare "apples to apples."
Don't rely upon a marketing letter like TSI's which contains
blatantly false and biased information.
     Based upon our research and experience, we consider the
Braille 'n Speak to have been an excellent choice. It was first
on the market and the quality of service from Blazie Engineering
has been outstanding. If we were in the market for a braille
computer, we'd again choose Braille 'n Speak for our daughter.
She likes Braille 'n Speak; she likes the success Braille 'n
Speak helps her attain.
     Mr. Bliss intentionally distorted the facts about his
product and the Braille 'n Speak: inaccurately enhancing the
value and worth of his product and, even worse, far worse,
unreasonably and unjustly denigrating the remarkable Braille 'n
Speak. This TSI "marketing" tactic is not only problematic but
also detrimental to technological advances for visually impaired
people. Improvements in technology are made by fair and open
competition. TSI's obvious attempt to unfairly and unethically
undermine Blazie Engineering's excellent Braille 'n Speak
portable computer hurts the effort to advance opportunities for
visually impaired people.
     I can think of no rational explanation for the questionable
ethics and marketing practices of TSI, a company which promotes
itself to be a leader in providing access devices for the
visually impaired. Perhaps Mr. Bliss's letter gives some
interesting insights into the methods by which TSI is working to
attain leadership.
     The visually impaired community and Blazie Engineering
deserve an apology from James Bliss and TSI.
                      ____________________
     Surely these letters from the Wares make laughable the
question of whether Dr. Bliss and TeleSensory are controversial--
but there is more, much more. Consider, for instance, the
following letter over the signature of James C. Bliss on
TeleSensory letterhead, which circulated throughout the country
early this year. As you read, keep in mind that the American
Printing House for the Blind is one of the oldest and most
respected institutions in the country providing services to the
blind. It goes back to the last century and is the very hallmark
of respectability. When it decides to carry a product for the
education of the blind, it has the reputation of doing so on the
basis of merit and worth, not hype or political consideration.
Also ask yourself as you read the letter whether the officials at
the American Printing House for the Blind and the teachers and
school officials throughout the country who respect and trust the
Printing House will regard Dr. Bliss and TeleSensory as
controversial after reading the Bliss letter. Here it is:

                                                      TeleSensory
                                        Mountain View, California
                                                      March, 1992

                                               RE: Call to Action

Dear Friend of TeleSensory:
     Since APH is a non-profit organization entrusted with
administering the Federal Quota Program and numerous federal
contracts, we believe including Braille 'n Speak in their catalog
is unfair to competitive products. Because of their status, APH
has several advantages over any other organizations.
     - It has access to a vast customer base due to its
administrative role with the Federal Quota Program.
     - It doesn't have to pay taxes.
     - It gets special low postage rates for its mailings.
     - Its long history, federally funded research and worldwide
reputation give it a prestige which enhances any product that it
backs.
     These advantages make it unfair for APH to compete in the
market of commercially available products. If they do, the
playing field isn't level.
     We have been in contact with dozens of leaders in the field
of blindness who agree that APH's actions are anti-competitive
and outside of their mission. APH is violating its public trust
by using a public vehicle, the Federal Quota Tangible Apparatus
Catalog, to fulfill a commercial purpose. We think you will agree
that this one-sided endorsement sets a precedence which is of no
advantage to participants in the Federal Quota system, but gives
an enormously unfair advantage to APH and the maker of Braille 'n
Speak. Either no braille notetaker should be in the APH catalog,
or all qualified notetakers should be included.
     Please help APH get back on track by writing Tuck Tinsley,
President, APH, P. O. Box 6085, Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085
or call him at 502-895-2405.
     Thank you for helping to keep our institutions honest and
fair.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                        James C. Bliss, President
                      ____________________
     So Dr. Bliss and TeleSensory are not stormy or
controversial, nor do they use questionable practices. Such
assertions, as the saying goes, boggle the mind. TeleSensory is
not controversial. Yet, Dr. Bliss has "been in contact with
dozens of leaders in the field of blindness who agree that APH's
actions are anti-competitive and outside of their mission." One
wonders what Dr. Bliss said to those "dozens of leaders," and
whether they contacted him or he contacted them. Busy! Busy!
     But there is still more. Consider the following letter from
a respected college professor, an AER member, and see whether it
smacks of contentment or other feelings. Here it is:

                                                Buffalo, New York
                                                     June 3, 1992

Ms. Kathleen Megivern
Executive Director
Association for Education and Rehabilitation
 of the Blind and Visually Impaired
Alexandria, Virginia

Dear Ms. Megivern:
     As a blind educator and an experienced computer user and
consultant, I am writing to express my great disappointment at
misleading language contained in two letters recently sent to
your membership by Telesensory Systems, Inc. I feel these letters
contain biased, irresponsible, and erroneous statements whose
mass distribution represents an unethical use of the AER mailing
list.
     I note with interest two letters sent to all AER members by
TSI dated "February" and "March," 1992. Both advertise
BrailleMate, TSI's new entry into the electronic notebook market,
and both freely make comparisons between his product and Blazie
Engineering's Braille 'n Speak.
     Note the following statements from the February letter: "If
instead of Telesensory's BrailleMate you buy a Braille 'n Speak,
you have seriously compromised your student's opportunity to
become fully literate with Braille reading and writing"; and
"Telesensory's BrailleMate has speech and Braille output, and is
cheaper." As a consumer of computer-related equipment since 1983,
I have long felt that the most compelling kind of advertising is
that which promotes a product on its own terms without resorting
to comparisons with other manufacturers' offerings. Indeed, such
conduct borders on unprofessional action. These quotations show a
one-upmanship which can often be emotionally effective and which
can indicate to users the advertiser's courage in stacking his
equipment against competition; however, this tactic is a poor
substitute for providing basic facts about a product and allowing
the customer to be the judge of its suitability. Unashamedly to
promote a product at the expense of another is tantamount to
suggesting that these comparisons are beyond the ability of the
customer to perform. The thinking consumer may possibly come to
the same conclusions as the manufacturer, but he will be grateful
if those conclusions are arrived at independently. The unthinking
customer will be quickly convinced by such advertising and may
never get the chance to explore the market freely, thus stifling
any further knowledge of an arena which could make him a more
educated and informed user in the future. In short, the use of
another manufacturer's name or product to advance the cause of
another manufacturer's name or product is not in the best
interests of customers whom both companies claim to serve.
     Dissecting the statements quoted above, I find grave (and
possibly intentional) misinterpretations of fact. TSI speaks of
the BrailleMate as enhancing Braille literacy more effectively
than does the Braille 'n Speak. I feel this statement is
misapplied. I very much doubt that a primary intention of TSI or
Blazie Engineering is to enhance Braille literacy. Neither speech
output (Braille 'n Speak) nor speech output and a single cell
(BrailleMate) by themselves assure maximal Braille literacy. Such
skill can only be realized through active reading of Braille
materials using displays other than speech synthesis or a limited
one-cell field. The cold fact is that working with a computer is
different from the motor mechanisms involved in reading Braille
on paper or a full-page refreshable display. TSI is parading
under a false banner here, and, I fear, misleading well-
intentioned educators into the bargain.
     Further, TSI suggests that in order for the Braille 'n Speak
to be effective, an external disk drive and other peripherals
must be purchased. This is not so. I know of many users who use
the Braille 'n Speak as a stand-alone device without ever
resorting to its disk drive or other equipment. The price of the
stand-alone Braille 'n Speak is far cheaper than that of any
package the user needs to make BrailleMate perform in any kind of
functional way. The misrepresentation of the price of the Braille
'n Speak is further compounded in the February letter by an error
in addition. The first letter quotes a price $395 greater than
the actual cost of all the items included in the price list. The
March letter retracts the erroneous price, but with no hint of an
apology for an obviously irresponsible and easily preventable
mistake.
     As I said in the opening of this letter, I find TSI's
language misleading. In my view, the wording TSI uses in these
letters seeks to mislead and push educators into buying TSI's
products. I would be less concerned about the dissemination of
such information than I am had I more faith in the computer
knowledge of special educators of the visually impaired. Although
many teachers have made great strides in enhancing their
understanding of computer-related devices for the visually
impaired, my experience both as an educator and a consultant
suggests many are still poorly equipped to make informed
suggestions as to what equipment is best for their students. It
is these teachers--to say nothing of counsellors, parents,
administrators, and end users--who are most hurt by TSI's
unprofessional advertising tactics.
     I am sorry to see such a prestigious company as TSI
resorting to the kind of inappropriate language I have discussed
in my letter. I am equally sorry that TSI has co-opted the
mailing list of an unbiased professional organization to
advertise its new product. Please consider my suggestion that you
urge TSI never to use your list again in such a tactless manner.
Please also consider my suggestion that you print a full and
highly visible disclaimer in RE:VIEW that the views expressed in
TSI's letter do not necessarily reflect those of AER's
executives, members, or publisher.
     Thank you for your attention.

                                                 Sincerely yours,
                                              Craig Werner, Ph.D.
                                   Assistant Professor of English
                              State University College at Buffalo
                      ____________________

     Let us leave the question of whether TeleSensory is
controversial, something which Dr. Bliss would probably just as
soon forget, and turn to something else. The first paragraph of
our March TeleSensory Monitor article reads as follows:
     "In Pittsburgh," as more than one person told us, "it
doesn't matter how good your technology is or how low your
prices. It doesn't matter about the quality of your service or
the support you give your technology. If you aren't selling
products made by TeleSensory, you can't do business with the
state rehabilitation agency"--which is known as BVS, or the
Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services. This is what we were
told by a frustrated vendor of high-tech equipment for the blind
and what we heard echoed by many others. What this vendor of
technology did not say (but everybody knows) is that the
TeleSensory sales representative in Pittsburgh, Mary Ann Sember,
is married to Tom Sember, a counselor in the state agency's
Pittsburgh office.
     This is how we opened our article on TeleSensory, and Dr.
Bliss was understandably quite disturbed by it. In items 1 and 2
of his response he says: "The purchasing process in Pennsylvania
is open and above board. The state purchases on the basis of the
best overall cost and benefit. Kenneth Jernigan, Barbara Pierce,
and NFB are implying that there is a conflict of interest with
this relationship and that this kind of relationship is
TeleSensory policy. Neither is true. The administration of the
state agency has always known of the Sembers' job relationship
since 1978 (see attached letter) and has followed strict
procedures to avoid any conflict of interest. Tom Sember does not
have any involvement in the purchase of products from
TeleSensory. Mary Ann Sember is an independent distributor, not a
TeleSensory employee. In addition, it has always been
TeleSensory's policy that any potential conflict of interest be
fully disclosed."
     Several things are interesting about this TeleSensory
response. In the first place what possible difference does it
make whether "Mary Ann Sember is an independent distributor, not
a TeleSensory employee?" The fact still remains that she sells
TeleSensory equipment and that her husband is a counselor in the
Pittsburgh office of the state agency for the blind, which buys
that equipment. Quibbles and technicalities won't cut it. It may,
as Dr. Bliss insists, be true that "Tom Sember does not have any
involvement in the purchase of products from TeleSensory"--but
again, technicalities won't cut it. In the very Attorney
General's opinion which Dr. Bliss distributed there is language
which makes the point. One paragraph of the opinion says:
     "The Code of Ethics, under Section 7.152, prohibits indirect
financial interest as well as direct financial interest, and
includes the provisions of the State Adverse Interest Act but is
not limited to it. It is difficult, if not impossible, to argue
that Mr. Sember, our employee, does not have an indirect
financial interest or benefit deriving from his wife's employment
by the contractor."
     In another place the Attorney General says: "Until the Board
of Ethics provides its opinion, Mr. Sember should be barred from
any involvement in the selection or purchase of these devices."
This language seems fairly clear, and although one may be able to
skirt the issue with technical niceties, it stretches credibility
to believe that Mr. Sember has no friends in the Pittsburgh
office or elsewhere among his fellow counselors throughout the
state or that much is accomplished by the formality of his "lack
of involvement."
     Be that as it may, the office of the state auditor confirms
in a telephone conversation that an ongoing investigation of the
matter is currently taking place. Understandably the auditor
would not give an opinion or details until the investigation is
finished.
     Dr. Bliss and TeleSensory seem to want to personalize every
issue rather than deal with the subject. For instance, in point
19 of their article they refer to a resolution passed by the
National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania and letters by
Ted Young, president of the National Federation of the Blind of
Pennsylvania. They say that they are attaching "a response to
these letters by James E. Bruce, Chief Shop Stewart, Pennsylvania
Social Services Union, who takes strong exception to the Ted
Young resolution." Here is the Bruce letter:

                                                    March 6, 1992

Ted Young, Editor
The Blind Activist
Robinson Building, Suite 1700
42 South 15th Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19102

Dear Mr. Young:
     Members of the Pennsylvania Social Services Union (PSSU) who
work for the Blindness & Visual Services (BVS) read with interest
the Winter, 1992 issue of The Blind Activist. Most PSSU members
agree that the agency is in deplorable condition, has a terrible
record hiring and providing reasonable accommodation to blind
staff, and would welcome a commission.
     However, resolution 91-03 is inaccurate, insulting, and
libelous for the following reasons:
     1. The staff in all 6 BVS offices, not just Pittsburgh, have
for years failed to follow DPW bidding policy. The intent was to
expedite service to clients but it did violate policy. For the
last six months BVS management and the Electronic Aids Committee
(EAC) have been trying to correct this situation. Unfortunately,
the solution will further delay client service.
     2. The allegation regarding "changing authorizations" is a
complete fabrication and libelous. 
     3. There have been no client complaints regarding the
purchase of TSI equipment in the Pittsburgh BVS office. Your
accusations are a complete trip to fantasy land. 
     4. BVS has received complaints from many vendors of adaptive
equipment, including TSI, about unfair treatment. This proves
nothing except competition can be rough. The staff in the
Pittsburgh office of BVS believes very strongly in the client
being involved in selecting appropriate adaptive equipment. Many
vendors reject this concept wishing only to sell to BVS. They do
not want to involve the client and they do not want to service
their products. The clients deserve better.
     5. It is true that the wife of a Pittsburgh counselor is a
TSI representative. Implying that this is a conflict of interest
is sexist and offensive for an organization which is supposed to
defend equal rights. When the TSI representative began her
activity in 1978, her husband requested and received clearance
from the Department of Public Welfare Legal Department (although
not required to under equal rights laws.) Since 1978, the husband
of the TSI representative has transferred all cases requiring
adaptive equipment. He was not required to do this and it has
been costly to his personal career. We find it interesting that
the NFB is attacking without just cause one of the two blind
counselors left in BVS.
     6. As you well know, no BVS Counselor can act solely on
their own. Between the idea for purchasing a product and a vendor
being paid, 10 other people must review and approve the purchase.
     7. For many years the Pittsburgh office of BVS has had the
best record for hiring blind and visually impaired staff. Its
counselors have had the best record in placing blind clients in
competitive employment. Unwarranted attacks on the staff of the
Pittsburgh office can only hurt morale and negatively impact upon
client service.
     These unwarranted attacks on the Pittsburgh BVS office staff
would be more understandable coming from someone with no
knowledge of BVS. However, you, Mr. Young, were employed by BVS
for many years and should know better. As editor, you have an
obligation to investigate, verify, and document before printing.
Unfortunately, you prefer fiction and libel to accuracy. It would
only be speculation to discuss your motivation in this matter.
Instead I will concentrate on a partial review of your
performance while at BVS: 
     1. While a manager in the Philadelphia BVS office, you
approved your staff's complete disregard of state bidding policy
in purchasing computers and adaptive equipment. 
     2. While a manager for BVS, you served on the Electronic
Aids Committee and in fact you were Chair of that committee. At
no time did you raise objections about TSI but instead approved
the purchases presented to your committee. Despite your knowledge
and responsibility you failed to correct noncompliance with
bidding policy. The database that was established while you were
on that committee demonstrates that a practice of sole source no
bid purchases from one vendor was the norm in your office.
     3. While a manager for BVS you contracted with one vendor
exclusively, CIR/Handisoft, to evaluate client needs, at a
handsome fee, and then purchase the equipment from that same
vendor as a sole source no bid purchase. Any investigation of
collusion and conflict of interest should begin there. 
     4. While a BVS manager you advised the Welfare Department on
the purchase of adaptive equipment for its blind employees. Your
advice resulted in no bid purchases while the individual needs of
the blind employees were ignored, and the use of refreshable
braille was neglected.
     5. While a BVS manager you did nothing to secure adaptive
equipment for blind employees but instead retained for your own
personal use any adaptive equipment available. 
     6. While a BVS manager you compiled a very poor record for
hiring the blind. Your record was second to none when it came to
improperly firing or attempting to fire blind staff. Your
activities cost the agency thousands of dollars in grievance
settlement costs.
     As president of Pennsylvania's NFB chapter and editor of its
publication you had a legal and moral obligation to publish the
truth not fiction, advocacy not innuendo. You failed once again
to meet your responsibilities. The motivation for your vendetta
cannot be determined but the result is predictable. The
bureaucratic response will be to make Pennsylvania more reluctant
to provide adaptive equipment and take longer to do it. We
thought the goal of the NFB was to fight for improved services
for the blind. Obviously you have a different agenda.
 
                                                       Sincerely,
                                                   James E. Bruce
                                               Chief Shop Steward
                               Pennsylvania Social Services Union
                               333 Blvd. of the Allies, 5th Floor
                                            Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
                      ____________________
     That is the Bruce letter, and the best that can be said for
it is that it is a mixed bag. It says that the state agency is in
deplorable condition and that it has a terrible record hiring and
providing reasonable accommodation to blind staff. In
contradiction of what the Bliss article alleges about how the
state is completely above board and beyond reproach in getting
the best products at the lowest prices for its money, the Bruce
letter seems to say that it isn't that the Pittsburgh office is
good but just that it is no worse than all of the other offices
in the state. As will be seen, his exact words are: "1. The staff
in all 6 BVS offices, not just Pittsburgh, have for years failed
to follow DPW bidding policy. The intent was to expedite service
to clients but it did violate policy. For the last six months BVS
management and the Electronic Aids Committee (EAC) have been
trying to correct this situation. Unfortunately, the solution
will further delay client services."
     Point 5 in the Bruce letter says that Sember was not
required to transfer cases dealing with adaptive technology but
that he has done so even though it has been "costly to his
personal career." This seems at variance with the Attorney
General's opinion that we have already quoted.
     The latter part of the Bruce letter attempts to divert
attention from the conflict of interest issue by making a
personal attack on Ted Young, something not unusual in these
cases. Ted Young, who says he now contemplates bringing suit
against Bruce for what he calls the false statements by Bruce,
responded in a letter dated March 11, 1992. Here it is:

Date: March 11, 1992
From: Ted Young
To: Jim Bruce
Subject: Accusations

     Jim, You would be well advised to follow your own advice
about research before making libellous accusations. In fact, as
even you must know that what you say is untrue I can only assume
that it is said in an attempt to divert the issue from the
Pittsburgh District office. Although it hardly deserves an
answer, since you have chosen to take this attack on me public I
will respond once only. Any further libellous garbage will not
earn a response from me.
     1. The Philadelphia District office always followed bidding
procedure. I would welcome an audit. You might be interested to
know that often winners of the bids were PC Partners in
Baltimore, and a local computer store called "Some Hole in the
Wall." Please check your facts before blurting out lies.
     2. I was not chairman of the Electronic Aids Committee
although I did serve on it. During the time I was on the
committee it was chaired by Don Sundell, and later Bill Zappini.
It is not true that I did not raise objections to the price of
equipment, in general, and from TSI when I was on the committee.
The problem the committee had was that by the time the
recommendations came to it the client had already been convinced
concerning a certain brand name; however, even then the committee
did recommend less expensive similar products when merited. Check
the records.
     3. While CIR, which was under contract with BVS, was used by
us a number of times as a source of knowledge about products for
the blind, your statement is quite untrue; others we used
included ASB, and I have made general recommendations on stand
alone equipment which were then followed up by bids.
     4. Although I did recommend equipment to the Welfare
Department I obviously have no control over whether they put such
equipment out on bid. I assumed they would follow their own
requirements. I did object to the use of one vendor only with the
Department which happened to be TSI, and can produce witnesses in
this matter.
     5. Regarding your charge that I did not make adaptive
equipment available to blind staff, you know this is untrue as I
taught the other blind staff computer literacy including the
Philadelphia District staff, and there was a computer available
for that staff. I also ran a bulletin board and encouraged blind
staff to use it. I was constantly seeking more adaptive equipment
for blind staff. This charge is a personal attack which is a sick
response to a request by the NFBP for an investigation. Allow me
to point out here that we did not personally attack anyone in our
resolution, we asked for clarification on an issue of conflict of
interest and some complaints that we had received. It is
unfortunate that you could not maintain this level of nonpersonal
attack in your response to our concerns.
     6. You and I both know that I did hire blind staff and that
the Philadelphia District had the most, if not second most blind
employees. I can produce witnesses who will attest to the fact
that, when filling positions, I have requested "Special
Certifications" from the Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission of
lists containing "blind persons only." You also know, or should
know, that I constantly criticized the agency and the department
for not hiring or promoting blind persons. As I have said, I will
not make any further response to you in this matter. Although
some may choose to believe you, others will look at the record
and know your attack for what it is.
                      ____________________
     This exchange between Young and Bruce is a sideline,
possibly shedding light on the nature and quality of services to
the blind in Pennsylvania but doing little to extricate
TeleSensory from its difficulties. We print it only because
TeleSensory included the Bruce letter in its response to our
article, and we wanted to give them every chance to make their
case.
     Before bringing this tedious saga to an end, there is one
more point which must be dealt with. Dr. Bliss repeatedly tries
to explain away his problems by saying that he and the NFB are
competitors. This is comparable to a company's trying to justify
its behavior by saying that the consumers, the evaluators, and
the underwriting laboratory are its competitors. This is simply
nonsense.
     In his response to our article Dr. Bliss says concerning
TeleSensory's talking calculator of the 1970s: "There was some
competition (e.g., a talking calculator by Master Specialties
which Kenneth Jernigan and NFB supported and which was larger,
more expensive, and didn't work as well). The Master Specialties
calculator was quickly taken off the market after the Speech Plus
calculator (the TeleSensory model) was introduced."
     This is a complete distortion. At the time (the mid-1970s) I
was director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind, as well as
president of the National Federation of the Blind. Both the
Commission and the Federation did what they could to support
research and technology. We bought a small number of the Master
Specialties calculators (which, incidentally, were not comparable
to the TSI model but scientific calculators); and when the TSI
calculator was available, we bought it, too. The total number of
both models would probably have been under a dozen, and we never
sold or attempted to sell any of them. We were evaluating and
trying to promote technology.
     Incidentally, Dr. Bliss also says concerning calculators:
"Recently small companies have again begun production of talking
calculators for the blind but at prices as high as $595,
substantially higher than TeleSensory's original price, in spite
of the great reduction in the prices of the electronic components
that has occurred over the past fifteen years." One has to wonder
what sort of world Dr. Bliss lives in and what he is talking
about. Low-cost talking calculators for the blind are plentifully
available. The NFB, for instance, has four different types of
such calculators at the present time at prices between $20 and
$30--and there are many more on the market at equally reasonable
prices.
     Dr. Bliss takes particular exception to our statement that
he has received government funding for some of his research. In
one place in his article he says in response: "Moreover, many of
our competitors, such as NFB and Kurzweil, have received
government and other grants." In the context this is simply not
the truth. The NFB has never received any government grants for
research, it has, indeed, received a small grant from the U.S.
Department of Labor for its Job Opportunities for the Blind
program and has more recently received a grant from the Justice
Department to help expedite the Americans with Disabilities Act.
To say that this makes us a competitor with TSI or to imply that
we have received government money for research and technology
will not help either Dr. Bliss or TeleSensory.
     Point 10 of the TSI response to our article quotes us as
saying: "TSI was heartily disliked, not only by many other
vendors but (more important) by a steadily growing number of the
blind." The TSI answer is as follows:
     "This is not true. TeleSensory has always enjoyed an
excellent reputation, especially among blind people. Jernigan's
statement may reflect other motivations since he was having to
face competition from TeleSensory against his talking calculator
and talking reading machine ambitions. We handle over 5,000
financial transactions a year. We have never been sued by or have
sued any customer. The number of these transactions that are
disputed are extremely small, well below industry average."
     In number 9 of its response to our article TeleSensory says
that the Optacon was developed under government funded research
at Stanford University and Stanford Research Institute. The
response goes on to say: "The Optacon became TeleSensory's first
product. Subsequently TeleSensory received government and private
research funding for developing a talking Optacon, but this was
never introduced as a product, partly because of Jernigan's and
NFB's actions against it. They were at the time supporting the
Kurzweil Reading Machine, a competitive product."
     Let me set the record straight about the Optacon. In the
early seventies I kept hearing exaggerated claims about what it
would do. I had no vested interest in the matter except to try to
help blind people get technology that would translate print into
a usable form. A TSI representative came to the Iowa Commission
for the Blind and demonstrated the Optacon to me. Neither he nor
I could make it work with any satisfaction. Next, Dr. Bliss sent
one of his top people to give a demonstration at the Iowa
Commission for the Blind, and students and staff assembled to
hear the man read. He simply couldn't do it. We gave him a sheet
of clean typing, and he stumbled and fumbled, getting maybe three
or four words a minute. It was pathetic.
     TSI said they would appreciate it if we would carry positive
articles in the Monitor about the Optacon, and I made them an
offer. I told them to send their best teacher and their best
Optacon reader to give us a demonstration and if either of them
could read either forty or fifty words a minute with the Optacon,
I would gladly and publicly say so in the pages of the Braille
Monitor and elsewhere. They accepted the offer and sent what they
called their best teacher and their best example of a blind
Optacon reader. We went into a classroom to begin the test, gave
the blind person printed material to read, and waited. Of course,
we asked that the reading be done aloud, but the Optacon user
objected, saying that this was not fair. She said she would read
silently and give us the sense of what she had read. We said that
this was subject to faking and that anybody could get a general
sense of something by a word now and then.
     At this stage the person attempted to read aloud. Again, it
was pathetic and embarrassing. She could only haltingly read a
few words a minute and misread many of those. We finished the
test, and I concluded that for me the Optacon was useless. I also
felt that it had been oversold and misrepresented. Nevertheless,
we did not (as we probably should have) make a major issue of the
matter in the Monitor.
     Then, along came Kurzweil. Ray Kurzweil promised (and his
company has lived up to that promise) to develop a machine that
would scan a printed page and give the output in spoken words.
Unlike the Optacon, this was truly revolutionary and not subject
to gimmicks like getting the meaning from silent reading. It
would either work, or it wouldn't.
     The National Federation of the Blind helped fund research to
develop the Kurzweil, as we would have done for the Optacon if we
had thought that it had any promise and if we had had the money.
Does this make us a competitor of TSI? Nonsense! We have bought
Kurzweil Reading Machines, but we have never sold them--nor do we
intend to.
     Furthermore, we have also helped promote the Arkenstone
Reader, which is a newer and later arrival. We will help promote
any other technology which we think is helpful to the blind. In
the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind at
the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore we have as much
and varied technology as we can get, and we do our best to
evaluate and report on it fairly. Any products that we sell are
simply for the convenience of our members or because such
products are not readily available otherwise.
     In any case we do not sell any of the more expensive
technology at all, and we do not sell any brand of inexpensive
technology to the exclusion of other brands. We have a Research
and Development Committee, and as it thinks up and designs new
products, we are just as happy if somebody else will take them
over and manufacture them. What we want is good products for the
blind at a reasonable price.
     We have had Dr. Bliss as a speaker at our national
conventions to talk about his products; we permit him to exhibit
at our national conventions on equal terms with others; and we
have a number of his products on display at the International
Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. We bought some of
them, and we allowed him to place others there without any charge
or fee. Despite TeleSensory's behavior, it is our current
intention to continue to evaluate and make people aware of their
products, calling the shots exactly as we see them.
     As to Dr. Bliss's lawyer, we wish him well. If he believes
he has a case and if Dr. Bliss is willing to finance it, the
courts are undoubtedly available as a forum. That is why courts
were created. Let me be clear for the record. We said exactly
what we meant in our March article; we believe it is the truth;
and we do not retract one single word of it. Dr. Bliss, the ball
is in your court.



[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Doris Willoughby.]

                        LITERATURE REVIEW

             ITINERANT TEACHING: TRICKS OF THE TRADE
      FOR TEACHERS OF BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS
                       by Jean E. Olmstead
        Copyright 1991 American Foundation for the Blind
                 Reviewed by Doris M. Willoughby

     From the Associate Editor: Doris Willoughby is the author,
with Sharon Duffy, of A Handbook for Resource and Itinerant
Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Students. Mrs. Willoughby
is an itinerant teacher herself with vast experience working with
blind youngsters. She is also an active Federationist who
understands the importance of good Braille and travel skills for
visually impaired children. Shortly after her own definitive text
on teaching blind children appeared, the American Foundation for
the Blind published Itinerant Teaching. Mrs. Willoughby's brief
review of the book appeared in the Spring, 1992, issue of Future
Reflections, the quarterly magazine produced by the Parents of
Blind Children Division of the National Federation of the Blind.
Here it is:

     The well-chosen subtitle describes the scope of this helpful
book. There are a wealth of hints and practical suggestions for
efficiency and time saving for the itinerant teacher.
     Little is said directly about the contents or methods of
actual instruction; but that is not the purpose of this book. The
book's underlying principle is that increasing the teacher's
efficiency and organization helps create the conditions for
teaching with appropriate methods and content.
     The following are some of the topics covered:

     Books and materials
     Scheduling
     Recordkeeping
     Relationships and responsibilities
     Individual Education Plans
     Time-saving memos and forms
     Describing methods to classroom teachers and others

     The suggestions are practical. They are especially relevant
to itinerant work and are valuable to both new and experienced
teachers. A positive philosophy is demonstrated in regard to
various placement options and promoting genuine integration of
blind and visually impaired students. Resource lists at the end
of the book are helpful and include listings for the National
Federation of the Blind and for our Handbook for Itinerant and
Resource Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Students. I
would have preferred to see more hints and examples relating to
Braille and orientation and mobility; however, these topics are
mentioned enough to show that they are indeed part of the
program. 
     Frequent samples of specialized humor contribute a great
deal. For example, in one illustration a teacher and student,
working with a Braille-writer, are crowded in by old desks, trash
barrels, and piles of boxes. This shows--as the caption wryly
observes--"Less-than-ideal working conditions."
     Itinerant Teaching: Tricks of the Trade for Teachers of
Blind and Visually Impaired Students is available for $18.95 plus
shipping and handling of $3.50 from American Foundation for the
Blind, 15 West 16th Street, New York, New York 10011.


            WHY CAN'T ALL OF US GET OUR HANDS DIRTY?

     From the Associate Editor: Recently Dr. Elizabeth Browne,
whose articles have appeared often in the pages of the Braille
Monitor, sent us a copy of a Chicago Tribune "About the Town"
column by Patrick Reardon, which appeared on March 11, 1992,
together with a copy of a letter to the editor which she had
written in response. The subject under discussion was a new
architectural tour of an old city landmark. The foundation which
maintains the building has made an effort to design a special
tour for blind patrons, and the reporter agreed to be shown the
building with his eyes closed and write an article about the
experience. The result was precisely what one might have
expected, and Dr. Browne, a connoisseur of the arts herself,
mounted her trusty steed and prepared to do battle. 
     I have received several notices recently of special museum
shows and other artistic activities designed especially for the
blind visitor. I confess to a thorough enjoyment of museums,
cathedrals, stately homes, and other such tourist haunts. My
husband is a patient plaque reader and describer of detail and
over-all effect. I will even admit to having smiled winningly at
guards in the British Museum in gratitude for a surreptitious
tactile pass at the Elgin Marbles. 
     I recognize that many great works of art must not be
touched. I also know that there are today some remarkably
accurate replicas of masterpieces and models of distinguished
architecture. Why, therefore, can we not have more displays and
tours for the general public that provide opportunities for
everyone interested to touch relevant objects or illustrative
examples of what is being admired? Many blind people prefer not
to take tours specially arranged for them alone. I certainly
avoid them. But when my family has explored small artistic
collections off the beaten path, my husband and children have
been as eager as I to handle the sculpture, carvings, and bas-
reliefs that I have been invited to touch. 
     A person used to looking at art or architecture may
conclude, as Mr. Reardon did, that touching it has little
artistic merit or satisfaction, but such people should not be
allowed to determine its true value for the rest of humanity. On
the other hand, reserving to blind visitors alone the right to
experience the texture and form of tactile art deprives any other
true art lover from the full appreciation of the beautiful. Here
is Patrick Reardon's account of his tactile tour of the Glessner
House in Chicago: 

               Getting A New Feel for Architecture

     I feel stupid. I'm standing at the curb along 18th Street on
the Near South Side, and I've got my eyes closed.
     I've just unfolded myself from a small car, and I'm waiting
for Ellen, the public relations woman, to come around from the
driver's side to take my hand and lead me to the Glessner House.
     We head east toward Prairie Avenue along a sidewalk I can't
see because my eyes are shut. And I'm thinking to myself: I
really feel stupid. Whose bright idea was this, anyway?
     Well--mine.
     What happened was that Ellen, a former co-worker of mine,
called me up to say that the Chicago Architecture Foundation, her
new employer, was going to start giving tours of the Glessner
House to people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired.
Wouldn't I like to do a story?
     Chicago is filled with architectural gems, and I'm sure each
one has a tour of one sort or another. But how many have tours
for people who are blind? And, more to the point, how do you give
an architectural tour to someone who can't see? It seemed like a
contradiction in terms.
     So I said to Ellen: Sure, I'll do a story, but instead of
watching a blind person do it, I'll put a blindfold on and go
through myself.
     Me and my big mouth.
     Luckily, Ellen has had the good sense to tell me just to
keep my eyes closed. I'd been worrying for a week and a half
about how dorky I'd look in a blindfold. It's hard to feel
dignified when you look like a hostage.
     Nonetheless, feeling dorky is still pretty high on my
emotional inventory during the initial awkward moments at the
building. We go in the front door, talk to someone, and then go
out again, around the corner, and down 18th Street to the coach
house.
     At the coach house I meet Tina. She is a docent, which is a
fancy word for tour guide. She has a nice voice--I can't guess
her age--and she hands me a cardboard model of the floor plan of
the building.
     This is a great help. I can feel a long wall along 18th, a
shorter wall along Prairie, and an open area in the middle that
is created by the house itself, the coach house, and the wall of
the building immediately to the south.
     Another great help is her left elbow. She gives me that to
hold onto as we go outside for my first glimpse of the actual
house. This comes in the form of running my hands along the
large, rough-cut granite blocks of the wall along 18th Street.
     Tina says the granite is pink and the mortar holding the
blocks together was originally orange. It paints a garish picture
in my imagination, and Tina says the neighbors thought so, too,
at the time the home was built in 1886. The mortar now is darker
with dirt, she says.
     At the front of the building Tina has me feel the granite
grate over the basement windows. The Glessner family's previous
home on the Near West Side had been broken into several times, so
they wanted to make this one as secure as possible.
     That's also the reason for the ornamental iron grating over
the window of the large front door. In that ironwork is the
number 1800 in bronze, which is the building's address on
Prairie. Tina has to point them out to me. My fingers don't
notice them on the first go-round.
     As the tour goes on, I get better at seeing with my fingers.
I see the fluted wood of the columns at several places in the
house. I see the leafy carvings on the wood of the home's main
staircase, piano, and other furniture and the cool imported tiles
in the arch of a fireplace.
     And, in the library of the home, I see the face of Abraham
Lincoln.
     It is a metal mask made of his face shortly before he became
President. I put on a thin cotton glove so the oils in my hand
won't damage the metal, and I feel his clean-shaven face--and his
nose. It seems huge. I never noticed this before: Lincoln had a
big nose. Do tell.
     There is much, however, that I can't see, in any fashion.
     I can feel the grass underfoot in the courtyard but can only
imagine its color. The wood paneling throughout the house is
nothing more than a series of flat planes. And much of the effect
of the multitude of windows on the south side of the building is
lost on me although the sunlight coming through is bright enough
to penetrate my eyelids in a soft yellow glow.
     How tall is the house? I don't know.
     How wide? How big? I can't tell. It's frustrating.
     Still, as the tour draws to a close, I'm not as self-
conscious. I'm used to finding my way with the help of Tina's
elbow. And I even guess right when I reach out my hand to her to
say goodbye at the end.
     As I'm being driven away, I can now, after two hours, open
my eyes again. A grungy South Side street never looked so good.
                      ____________________
     There you have Patrick Reardon's column, and it did not
please Dr. Elizabeth Browne. Here is her response: 

                                                Chicago, Illinois
                                                      March, 1992

Letters to the Editor
The Chicago Tribune

Dear Editor:
     As a blind Chicagoan, I was appalled at the foolish column
"Getting a New Feel for Architecture" in the Chicagoland Section
on March 11. How does Mr. Reardon think he can approximate a
blind person's reactions to such an experience simply by closing
his eyes and feeling like a dork? He is obviously without any of
the skills and sensitivity he would need to evaluate the blind
experience, and without the wit to realize it. Yes, dork is the
right word.
     We are all by this time aware that the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), which became law on January 26, mandates
that places like the Glessner House make their tours and
presentations available to all handicapped people on terms that
accommodate their disabilities. To achieve this calls for
extremely delicate and sensitive, as well as creative, efforts on
the part of such private institutions and on the part of the
handicapped communities they are attempting to serve. These
efforts are simply hindered by the sort of foolishness Mr.
Reardon was guilty of writing and the Tribune was guilty of
printing.
     He should not have presumed by gimmicks and mockery to
ridicule and make light of serious efforts to allow handicapped
persons to become part of the real world. Blind people relate to
art and to architecture in genuinely direct and imaginative ways.
Why did not Mr. Reardon take the intelligent course of touring
the Glessner House with someone possessed of the skills which a
blind person must learn in order to cope with the world and use
that as the basis for assessing the Glessner House's success in
fulfilling its legal responsibilities, instead of implying, on
the basis of his own misguided efforts, that the very concept was
meaningless?
     For your information, there has already been an
architectural tour of the magnificent buildings along our river,
sponsored by Blind Services Association (BSA), with Docents from
the Archicenter relating and describing these edifices in well-
prepared and tasteful lectures, while the blind participants used
their rich, fertile imaginations to appreciate the works so
presented.
     I am a member of the Art Institute of Chicago, frequently
experiencing the marvelous exhibits displayed there, have taken
classes in art history and iconology, and experienced the wonders
of art and architecture in Florence and in Rome. There are blind
artists living in Chicago, blind professors, judges, laborers,
and housewives who are dealing on a dignified basis with
blindness. They do not appreciate a journalist who would present
himself, eyes shut, to grope about the walls and panels of an
architectural wonder, then treat the experience with derision. A
more intelligent discussion of the issue of access to the
cultural treasures of Chicago is surely in order, but get someone
more mature to handle it.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                                 Elizabeth Browne










                 ******************************
     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."
                 ******************************



        DISABILITY PERIODICALS TAKE ON THE NEW YORK TIMES

     From the Associate Editor: In the opinion of many, the New
York Times has more influence on public opinion than either its
circulation figures or probity would explain. This fact worked to
our advantage last June when a story about the importance of
Braille literacy appeared on the front page of the paper's Sunday
edition. However, it worked powerfully against blind people as
well as all other members of the disabled community on February 6
of this year when the Times published an editorial raising
questions about the appropriateness of Senator Alfonse D'Amato's
nomination of a blind attorney for appointment to the federal
judicial bench. 
     The editorial writer carefully dusted off his own
misconceptions and prejudices about blindness and packaged them
as common knowledge and obvious good sense. Here is the editorial
as it appeared in the New York Times on February 6, 1992:

                         A Blind Judge?

     Senator Alfonse D'Amato has recommended a blind lawyer for a
vacancy on the Federal District Court for the Southern District
of New York. Even in this age of increased opportunities for the
disabled, the Senator's candidate, Richard Casey, pushes the
outer boundaries of what the judicial system can accommodate.
     If Mr. Casey is otherwise qualified, his candidacy poses a
novel and powerful challenge to the Justice Department and
President Bush, who must decide whether to nominate him. Sincere
people will have strong reservations about fitting this
particular disability to this particular office, but a blind
nominee cannot be categorically ruled out.
     Mr. Casey, who is fifty-nine years old, is a former
Assistant United States Attorney in Manhattan and an experienced
litigator who lost his sight five years ago. He has undergone
extensive training and equipped himself with electronic gear that
scans printed material and reads it aloud to him. He thus can do
much of the work of a lawyer despite his severe disability. But
how well can he do the work of a trial judge?
     Presiding at a Federal civil or criminal trial calls for
supervising a courtroom of lawyers, witnesses, spectators, and
the contesting parties. Federal judges do most of the questioning
of prospective jurors and routinely weigh the credibility of
witnesses in non-jury cases. The ability to make eye contact has
universally been assumed indispensable for the task of trial
judging.
     Without eyesight, a judge can't personally observe every
lawyer's or spectator's illicit attempt at improperly influencing
a jury, such as hand signals or silent demonstrations. And he
cannot see for himself what impact a trial exhibit, say an
inflammatory poster, might have on a viewer.
     Two decades ago Justice John Marshall Harlan lost most of
his vision yet continued to serve on the Supreme Court with the
highest distinction for many years. But that Court doesn't hold
trials; the work there is vastly different. Appellate judges deal
with printed records and legal briefs and oral arguments, while
trial judges must interact constantly with live participants and
swiftly changing situations.
     To address these problems, Senator D'Amato had Mr. Casey
meet recently with Chief Judge Charles Brieant and two other
seasoned trial judges. They reported themselves persuaded that
Mr. Casey might well overcome his disability and meet the job's
demands. Examining their own experience, the judges found that
they had overrated both their ability to detect a deceitful
witness and the extent to which they relied on visual observation
for weighing credibility. As for unscrupulous lawyers' tricking
the judge, they speculated that only rarely would a lawyer risk
getting caught at such maneuvers.
     If Mr. Casey now persuades the Bush Administration to
nominate him, the disability question will need thorough airing
in Senate confirmation proceedings. To his burden of blindness
must be added the burden of proving he is so experienced and able
that he can beat a large handicap. If he can meet that test, he
will have earned the job.
                      ____________________
     That is what the New York Times had to say, and it would
have been difficult for the writer to do more damage without
appearing to even the most casual reader to have crossed the line
from disinterested common sense to outright attack. But many
knowledgeable people in the disability community read and
understood the editorial for what it was. The capabilities of
every successful disabled American were called into question by
this editorial. Whether Richard Casey is a good candidate for a
federal judgeship has to do with his grasp of the law, his
capacity to conduct his court fairly, and his ability to render
and write sound decisions; it has nothing to do with his visual
acuity. At least two thoughtful rebuttals to the Times piece
appeared in disability periodicals this spring. One was written
by Elizabeth and Patrick Callahan in the Spring, 1992, edition of
the RFB News, the publication of Recording for the Blind. Here it
is: 

           Justice is Blind--Because If She Could See,
                     She Might Discriminate
                                 

     Senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York, perhaps unwittingly and
unintentionally, put disability rights legislation to the test
when he submitted the name of Richard Casey, a blind attorney,
for a position on the Federal District Court for the Southern
District of New York. If his nomination is approved, Casey will
be the first blind person ever named a federal trial judge.
Coming in the wake of implementation of the most far-reaching
civil rights legislation ever enacted for people with
disabilities--the Americans With Disabilities Act--his candidacy
places the federal government in the important, and highly
visible, position of serving as an example to other employers by
eagerly and ungrudgingly making whatever "reasonable
accommodations" Mr. Casey needs to perform his job as a trial
judge. If we are to accept the arguments made by some, including
no less venerable an institution than The New York Times, nothing
short of restoring his eyesight should really quell our
nervousness. But after all, if people with disabilities didn't
make us nervous and uncomfortable to begin with, we probably
wouldn't be discriminating against them.
     In fact, virtually every piece of civil rights legislation
we have ever passed in this country has been designed to force
the majority into not standing in the way of those of us who make
them nervous. What makes disabilities rights law different is
that it speaks very specifically not to just not discriminating,
but to accommodating.
     Why do the naysayers to this appointment miss that point so
egregiously? The first of several specious arguments is that the
ability to make eye contact has almost universally been assumed
indispensable for the task of trial judging. Hogwash. While it is
true that a judge will question prospective jurors during the
procedure known as voir dire, eye contact is just one--perhaps
the least reliable--way of determining credibility. Are we to
infer that blind people are incapable of figuring out when they
are being deceived? Or that they are insensitive to the nuances
of human behavior? And if having our sight gives us such an edge
in the realm of human interaction, then what excuse do those of
us who are sighted have for the times we are conned? (Upon
reflection, most of us would have to admit that we have misplaced
trust more often when we ignored our sixth sense and went with
one of the other five.) Aren't the most effective liars the ones
who can look you dead in the eye and not flinch?
     It has been suggested that a blind trial judge will be
compromised by not being able to see what is going on in his
courtroom or what is being entered into evidence. Some argue that
Casey would be unable to pick up on nonverbal efforts to
influence a jury improperly and would be unable to measure the
impact of potentially inflammatory visual trial exhibits. We
question whether those folks have been to any trials lately.
Judges spend most of their time in the courtroom listening to
arguments and testimony, taking notes, consulting with their
clerks. They depend heavily on the built-in safeguards of the
adversarial system--namely, that if there is something illicit or
improper going on, they will learn about it from the side being
disadvantaged, the court clerk, the bailiff, or the jury
themselves. Further, most of what is entered into evidence is
exchanged by the parties and presented to the Court well in
advance of the actual trial. Certainly this is true in civil
cases, and while criminal cases may have more activity during the
trial, the judge will have access to all the evidence and will
rule on its admissibility before it is seen by a jury.
     This is the very point of the "reasonable accommodation"
clause in the law. Briefs, petitions, motions, and all other
forms of the printed legal word can easily be made accessible.
They can be Brailled (if the judge reads Braille) or recorded or
scanned into a computer or read aloud. Photographs and posters
can be described. And the judge can do what other judges do when
they are struggling with a difficult decision: ask another judge.
     In fact, ninety-five percent of what transpires in our
judicial system can be easily carried out by a blind judge with
virtually no accommodation. Adaptive technology and personal
assistance fall well within the intent of "reasonable
accommodation"--a concept at the very heart of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
     But perhaps the most subtly damaging bias in the debate is
that people with disabilities are victims, "confined" to their
wheelchairs, "stricken" with a disease, or carrying the "burden"
of blindness. These emotionally-loaded terms--which are almost
always a part of any story written or told about people with
disabilities--portray the person with the disability as an object
of pity. This prospective jurist is not living with the "burden
of blindness," but with the reality of it. Mr. Casey is blind. He
cannot see. That does not mean he cannot think or perceive or
understand or discern or engage in any other of the cognitive
processes we use to assimilate information.
     His blindness also does not mean a lot of other things: it
does not mean he has to prove himself any more or less than a
sighted candidate; it does not mean we can discriminate against
him on the basis of his disability; and it certainly does not
mean this successful trial attorney from a prestigious law firm
is suddenly going to decide that he is tired of success and that
he is now going to take on a job he can't do. In other words, it
does not mean we know better than he how, if at all, his ability
to perform on the bench has been affected by his blindness.
     Obviously, Mr. Casey will have to answer a lot of questions
if he makes it to Senate confirmation hearings. "Can you perform
the job in spite of your blindness?" is not one of them. We must
assume that if he has kept his nomination alive, he thinks he can
do the job. There should be no more discussion of his eyesight.
                      ____________________
     There you have the view expressed by two people writing
specifically for members of the blind community. But writing in
the publication of the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans of America,
James J. Weisman expressed equally perceptive views. Here is what
he had to say in the March, 1992, EPVA Action: 

            NY Times Editorial Leads Down Blind Alley

     In a recent editorial the New York Times questioned Senator
Alfonse D'Amato's (Republican-New York) nomination of Richard
Casey, a blind judge, to a federal court. 
     Senator Alfonse D'Amato is not a champion of the rights of
people with disabilities. He has not been a standard bearer in
the disability rights movement's efforts to gain access to the
American mainstream. Nevertheless, his nomination of a blind
lawyer for a Federal trial court judgeship is an indication that
the senator clearly does not believe that blindness would prevent
this man from performing the duties of a judge. Luckily for us,
the New York Times has brought the disability question to our
attention.
     What purpose is served by the Times' public musings about
the appropriateness of a blind judge on the bench of a trial
court? The Times, inexplicably relying on the newspaper's own
perception of the responsibilities of trial court judges and the
abilities of blind people, concludes, "If Mr. Casey now persuades
the Bush Administration to nominate him, the disability question
will need thorough airing in Senate confirmation proceedings. To
his burden of blindness must be added the burden of proving he is
so experienced and able that he can beat a large handicap." The
Times states, "the ability to make eye contact has almost
universally been assumed indispensable for the tasks of a trial
judge."
     In discussing the editorial with other lawyers, we
determined that there was not one instance in which the ability
to see would have been necessary to make a valid determination in
any matter the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA) has
brought before a court. It is true that there will be cases in
which the ability to see may be fundamental to deciding a case
fairly. In such a case, it is the responsibility of a judge who
cannot see to ensure that a sighted judge presides. The Times
makes no comment about Mr. Casey's legal ability or the reason
Senator D'Amato has nominated him. If he were not blind, the
Times would examine his background, his relationship to Senator
D'Amato, how he came to the Senator's attention, significant
cases in which he has been involved, and clients whom he has
represented.
     Has the Times made an effort to determine if there are other
blind judges at the trial court level? There are. Will the Times
ever realize that what "has almost universally been assumed" may
not be correct?
     Readers of EPVA's publications must know by now that the
Times has opposed accessible building laws, accessible
transportation, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (see EPVA
Action, July 1991).
     Times editorial writers should be more introspective in
dealing with the disability issue. They should ask themselves,
"Could I be an effective member of the Times editorial staff if I
lost my vision?" After all, Times editorial writers apparently
have opinions on everything. Could they appreciate the depravity
of hopelessness if they could not see the squalor or the vacant
expressions on the faces of those who line our streets? Could
they understand the viciousness of a crowd chanting racial
epithets if they could not see skin color or venomous facial
expressions?
     The fact that able-bodied people use all of their senses and
abilities to achieve a certain result does not mean that it is
necessary to use all of the senses. While this has been
demonstrated by people with disabilities for centuries, the
abilities of people with disabilities have been overlooked by the
Times almost as often as their needs and rights.
                      ____________________
     There you have two excellent responses to the misguided
editorial published by the New York Times. It is regrettable that
only a tiny portion of the population that saw the Times piece
also read either of these rebuttals. It is important, however,
that we whose lives are affected by the personal prejudices of
Times editorial writers recognize that the ranks of those who
understand and are willing to speak the truth are also growing.
Hats off to Mr. and Mrs. Callahan and Mr. Weisman and all those
who speak out against injustice and ignorance about the
capacities of people with disabilities.



              NEWSLINE CONTINUES TO MAKE HEADLINES

     From the Associate Editor: As Monitor readers know, in
February of this year NEWSLINE for the Blind, a telephone-access
newspaper-reading service, went online for blind Californians.
Run by the National Federation of the Blind of California, the
service joined four others across the country, but this is the
first one actually to be operated by the Federation--though
Federationists have been deeply involved with the service
conducted by the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. 
     On May 12, 1992, the NEWSLINE operation in Sacramento was
officially dedicated. The door to the office was wrapped in
sheets of newspaper and tied with a large bow. Balloons were
festooned everywhere, and local dignitaries and members of the
press joined the organized blind of California to celebrate the
occasion.
     The Sacramento Bee, one of the two papers being read on the
telephone service, covered the event on May 13. Here is the story
as Edgar Sanchez, a reporter for the Bee, told it: 

       Phone Call Allows Blind to Hear Day's News Stories
                                
     Jim Copple thought his world had ended when he became one of
an estimated 60,000 Californians who are blind.
     No longer able to read newspapers, the self-described "news
junkie" from south Sacramento fell behind on world events. He was
exasperated.
     But now, thanks to Newsline for the Blind, a service of the
National Federation of the Blind of California (NFBC), the forty-
two-year-old Copple is again able to read the news from around
the globe.
     "Now I can pick up the phone and read the paper just as well
as before," Copple said Tuesday at the dedication of the
computerized telephone news service at 4431 Freeport Blvd. "I
love the news. I have to know what's going on all the time."
     To satisfy this craving for information, a group of
volunteers read the Bee and the Los Angeles Times every day into
the Newsline computer. Blind people from across the state call in
and scan the recorded pages of the newspapers, from the front
pages to the editorials, twenty-four hours a day, for free.
     Callers from Sacramento use a local number. A toll-free line
is used from other parts of the state.
     At present nearly 900 visually impaired people dial Newsline
every day. One of them is Dana Elcar, a Los Angeles actor who
played Pete in the "MacGyver" television series. He attended the
ceremony to express his thanks.
     "I can now go to a phone and have that wonderful experience
of reading a newspaper by myself," said Elcar, a glaucoma victim
who recently lost his sight.
     "If I want to play something again, I can actually press a
button, and I can hear a repeat of an article. If I'm hearing one
that I don't particularly want to hear, I can turn it off and not
hear that one."
     Copple, whose vision was destroyed by retinitis pigmentosa,
a hereditary disease, said he at first relied on his wife Suzanne
to read him the newspaper.
     "I also listened to the news on television and radio...but
they don't give you the full details the way a newspaper does,"
he said.
     The three-month-old Newsline has a yearly budget of
$100,000--all of it drawn either from donations or membership
fees paid by roughly 6,000 NFBC members. To subscribe, blind
people should call (916) 424-2226 or (California toll-free) (800)
345-2226.
                      ____________________
     There you have an example of the news stories that appeared
in state newspapers and on the broadcast media. But the real
story is happening in the lives of individual blind readers.
Recorded messages appear on the NEWSLINE answering machine every
week thanking the volunteers for their efforts and telling the
staff how much the service means to individual people. One of
those to whom the service has made a profound difference is  Jim
McLain, a blind reporter for the Star Free-Press, a paper in
Ventura, California. On April 16 he described his personal
experience with NEWSLINE in an article in the Star Free-Press.
Here it is: 

               Real Reading Freedom for the Blind

     In California there are about 60,000 people who cannot do
what you are doing right now. I happen to be one of them.
     But while blindness could not take away my ability to earn a
living at a newspaper, it stole from me forever the pure pleasure
of reading. Tapes of books and magazines are terrific, and the
recordings that nearly two dozen members of the Star Free-Press
staff make for me of local stories and columns are crucial to my
work.
     But a big part of the enjoyment of reading is the ability to
read on a whim. To have a headline or title catch your eye and
then go to the smaller print immediately is a gift that is
naturally taken for granted by anyone who can see.
     But for nearly two months now, blind Californians have had
the ability to read two of the state's largest newspapers on a
whim. Thanks to an ingenious marriage of telephone and computer
technology and old fashioned volunteerism, they can read
virtually any article in the Los Angeles Times or the Sacramento
Bee any time they feel like it.
     A new service called Newsline for the Blind was launched in
mid-February by the National Federation of the Blind of
California. It allows blind Californians to dial an 800 number
that reaches a specially designed voicemail-type computer in
Sacramento. With a touch-tone telephone they can read almost
anything from in-depth news analysis and editorials to the
comics, movie listings, TV logs, and astrology columns.
     By using a menu that includes twenty-seven categories for
each of the two newspapers, a blind reader can skim through the
headlines as any sighted newspaper reader might, skipping some,
reading small parts of others, and reading still others in
detail. By using other buttons, you can fast-forward or review
stories.
     This is not a small undertaking. The Times and the Bee are
very large newspapers. Recruiting enough people to read them
aloud would seem to be an almost overwhelming task. The sixty
volunteers, who spend an average of one to three hours weekly,
are getting most of the material read, said Sharon Gold,
President of the National Federation of the Blind of California.
Soon the organization hopes to have 120 volunteers, enough to
read everything, including the Sunday supplements and many of the
advertisements.
     The operation is housed in a South Sacramento office that
includes seven sound booths and the computer. The volunteers
begin reading daily at 6:00 a.m. They include retired people,
high school students, and professionals, among them a surgeon who
reads for an hour on Thursdays before going to the hospital.
     So far nearly 700 blind Californians have enrolled as
subscribers, Gold said. About 100 are being added each week. To
protect the newspapers' copyrighted material and to make sure
that only people who really need this free service are using it,
each subscriber is given an identification number that must be
entered before a paper can be read.
     I've been using the service for three weeks. As an
inveterate newspaper junkie who's mostly gone without for nearly
eighteen years, it's hard to put the phone down. In fact, I've
become so engrossed that my wife all of a sudden decided we had
to have call-waiting.
     But to Gold and the 5,000 members of the National Federation
of the Blind of California, who began planning the service and
lining up the money to finance it two years ago, the newsline is
simply another step in their goal of equality and full
integration into society for blind people.
     "Our logo says on it, `security, equality, and opportunity,'
and that's exactly what we stand for," she said. "The ability to
read a daily newspaper is another freedom that we just didn't
have." 


[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Tom Ley.]

          TOM LEY PLUS NFB SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE EQUAL
         CAPABLE AND CONFIDENT HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER
                           by Tom Ley
     From the Associate Editor: The following article is
reprinted from the Spring/Summer, 1992, issue of The Blind
Educator, the publication of the National Association of Blind
Educators, a division of the National Federation of the Blind.
The piece was originally an address delivered at the annual
meeting of the NABE, which took place at the 1991 NFB convention.
Tom Ley was a 1987 National Federation of the Blind scholarship
winner, and he has been an active member of the organization and
a leader in the Louisiana affiliate and the student division.
Here is what he has to say about teaching high school math: 

     Last year, when I attended this NABE meeting, I was looking
for my first job as a teacher. I was very busy, and it paid off
because I did get a job teaching high school math.
     I grew up as a sighted kid and always wanted to be a
football player. At least, I wanted this career until I was ten
or so. Due to diabetes, I started to become blind during my last
year of high school. It took about ten months to go from having
twenty-twenty vision to being totally blind. During that year I
went through many of the experiences other people have who are
losing their sight. My grades started going down, and I made a
trip to the college I had chosen in order to learn my way around
the campus while I still had some sight. At that time I did not
know about the National Federation of the Blind. Therefore, I did
a lot of suffering: I was falling down stairs, and I could not
read room numbers. I did not know that blind persons have
alternative ways of solving such problems. 
     I had wanted to be an electrical engineer. When I went
blind, my father looked in a reference book, where he found a
list of jobs the book's author presumed a blind person could do.
Among the jobs was electrical engineering. I had been blind for
only a few months, and I did not know any blind people. I thought
I was very lucky that I could continue in my chosen career.
     After high school I got some training in the skills of
blindness. In Arkansas I was taught how to use a very short cane
and learned to read Braille, and then I came back to Louisiana
and enrolled in college.
     I really enjoyed my course work at Louisiana Tech, and I was
doing rather well. But I did not have enough of the skills of
blindness, so I was having to study twice as much as the other
students. For that reason I had no social life. I knew how to use
a cane, but I had no confidence. I simply went from my dorm to my
classes and hoped I would never wander down the wrong path.
     At that point I thought I was very fortunate to have a
sister attending the same institution. She would take me to the
cafeteria and make sure I got my food and found a table. Little
did I know at that time that blind persons were effeciently doing
all these tasks and many more.
     I was very lucky because my university is in the town of
Ruston. At about that time the Louisiana Center for the Blind was
opening. Joanne Wilson, Director of the Center, found me and took
me to a state convention of the National Federation of the Blind
of Louisiana. At that convention I saw a lot of normal blind
people. If you took away their blindness and the alternative
techniques they used, you would consider them just average folks.
These blind people were doing things that normal people do. When
I was with them, I knew that they had something I wanted. At that
point I decided that I needed the special training which I had
not been offered previously.
     At about that same time I began realizing that maybe
engineering was not what I really wanted to do. I was looking at
the engineering jobs my classmates were getting, and I noticed
that they lacked the human interaction I wanted. I like to be an
impact person. I like to get in there and cause combustion. I had
always enjoyed teaching, doing tutoring when I was in high
school. The idea struck me that I would like to be a teacher. But
I had never heard of a high school math teacher who was blind. I
thought it was out of the question. I wanted to be just like the
high school math teachers I had had, and I did not want to teach
at a school for the blind. There is nothing wrong with teaching
at a blind school, but I wanted to be right in the mainstream. At
first I did not think I could really do the job. I figured that I
could do some of the tasks, but not all, and I did not think
anyone would hire me. 
     I started at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in 1988. I
had attended my first National Convention in 1987, where I was a
scholarship winner. I attended my first National Association of
Blind Educators meeting that year. I went around and talked to
blind educators. They were employed, so they told me how they
accomplished their tasks. They gave me the confidence to believe
that, if they could teach, I could too. At the Louisiana Center I
acquired personal confidence, undoubtedly the most important
characteristic of all. Until that time I had never had it. I had
seen it in other blind people, and I knew that it might be mine,
maybe in the future. But because I acquired confidence at that
Center, I knew that I could teach. I learned that my blindness is
just another part of me as is my height or my being right-handed.
Blindness is no longer something which overwhelms me or
predominates in my life. It is not the defining factor in my
personality. 
     I enrolled in the department of education at Louisiana Tech.
There were no open complaints to my entering; however, the
professors let it be known in subtle ways that they had doubts
about my ability. I paid no attention to them. I worked my way
through the courses and did just fine. Of course, I knew that
because of federal law they could not deny my entrance. Because I
did not question my ability to become a math teacher, my
confidence was projected to all my professors.
     The blind person simply has to go into those departments of
education and tell the professors what the score really is. One
simply has to take charge. As time went on, my professors decided
that blindness was no big deal, for I was doing everything all
the other students were doing.
     When my master teacher for student teaching learned that a
blind student was assigned to him, he was convinced that it would
not work. But I showed him that he was wrong. I completed my
student teaching and was looking for a job. I was very happy when
I got my resumes just like all the other job seekers. But I can
tell you all that I would not have gotten anywhere without my
confidence, which came from the NFB and the members of the
National Association of Blind Educators. I also learned from
reading articles in The Blind Educator.
     Several times this year my principal has said that she has
never hired a teacher with so much confidence. Since I am the
first blind teacher in this area of my state, the news reporters
came out to see what was going on. I got great support from my
administrator. I cannot repeat too many times that it was my
confidence which got me the job. But confidence comes from good
training and positive attitudes about blindness. You have to have
good cane technique and Braille skills. Also you must communicate
with other confident blind teachers to get ideas and techniques.
If you do not believe in yourself as a blind person, you cannot
project a confidence you do not possess. It would be unfortunate
if you could. If, lacking the skills of blindness (including
self-confidence), you got a job, you would never survive in the
classroom.
     My first year of teaching was challenging, exciting,
interesting, and fun. There were a lot of sleepless nights and
hard work. Grades and papers must be turned in on time. If grades
are due today, no teacher can expect to get extra time. The
skills I use in the classroom are basic. My high-tech equipment
consists of a slate and stylus, a tape recorder, and masking
tape. I put the tape on the boards for writing in straight lines.
When it came to putting up a graph, I made a grid using my tape
and my cane to insure I made the lines straight. I have a
computer at home for keeping grades and making tests.
     I have the duties of a full-time teacher, including
chaperoning the prom. I work selling popcorn at the basketball
games and fix the broken popcorn machine too. I am comfortable
doing all this, and I know that this is all part of teaching. I
received all the skills that helped me get my job from the
National Federation of the Blind. I'm excited to be in this
organization. Recently I had a chance to talk to a physics
teacher, who has been teaching a long time, but who will be
starting his first year as a blind teacher next fall. We all help
each other. Together we can demonstrate that, given training and
opportunity, blind people can compete successfully in all areas
of education.



[PHOTO/CAPTION: Richard Brueckner, President of Blind Industries
and Services of Maryland, speaks at the 1991 convention of the
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Ocean city.
Seated on his left is Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, and standing on his right is Sharon
Maneki, President of the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland.]

      BLIND INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES OF MARYLAND UNDER FIRE

     From the Editors: Blind Industries and Services of Maryland
(BISM) is a semi-private agency, the board of which is appointed
by the governor. BISM has had a long and checkered history in
serving the state's blind citizens. It receives sizable amounts
of state money.
     In the mid-seventies BISM was probably at an all-time low in
esteem both by the blind of the state and the public. It was
paying workers in its sheltered shops less than the minimum wage,
and it was accused (there was apparently no effort to refute the
charge) of improperly contributing funds to the political
campaign of the governor.
     In this sorry state of affairs, John McCraw (who was at the
time president of the National Federation of the Blind of
Maryland and a respected leader both in his local community and
among the blind throughout the country) agreed to become a member
and also chairman of the BISM board of trustees. Big John, as the
blind affectionately called him, felt that rehabilitation of the
blind in the state was not performing well and that BISM (though
in a mire of problems) offered the only long-term hope for
providing adequate services to blind Marylanders. In his effort
to reform the agency McCraw began a search for a new BISM
president and chief executive officer, and eventually Ralph
Sanders (at the time an NFB officer) was selected.
     This was the mid-1970s, and for a while it seemed that
Sanders was going to make spectacular improvements in the agency.
Under McCraw's leadership Sanders announced that no worker at
BISM would be paid less than the minimum wage. Moreover, a
revamped rehabilitation training program was established, and new
staff were employed. It must be noted here that one of those new
staff members was Don Morris, who became Sanders's chief
assistant and who (according to many) was the driving force in
achieving many of the new reforms. The workshops began producing
diversified products, and all seemed to be well.
     As early as the late seventies, however, there were signs of
problems on the horizon. In 1978 John McCraw (who had been
indomitable as a source of strength and had planned the program,
hired Sanders, and guided his progress) suddenly died. At about
this time a number of competent and reliable staff members
(including Morris) began to be alienated from Sanders and
disillusioned with his behavior. The things they said were hard
to credit, but even more difficult to dismiss. In any case, the
program was definitely deteriorating. By the early eighties it
was clear that BISM was in trouble and that Sanders would
eventually have to go, having failed to fulfill the promise of
his early years of employment. In October of 1986 Sanders took
his departure, with an official resignation and the feeling on
the part of many that he was a bitter man. Subsequently, Sanders
took a vending stand in the Maryland program, and during the past
year or so he has spent considerable time attacking BISM and its
new leaders, who have made great progress in putting things to
right. It may be significant to note here that Don Morris (for
whom Sanders certainly has no affection) is now a member of the
BISM board.
     In the fall of 1986 Sanders was succeeded as BISM president
by a man named Fred Dewberry. The appointment was regarded as
political in nature, and it brought the result which might have
been expected. Dewberry was arrogant and hostile in his dealings
with the blind and soon found himself out of the position.
     In January of 1989 Richard Brueckner, the current president
and chief executive officer of BISM, was employed--and the
atmosphere of the agency has refreshingly and steadily improved
ever since. Brueckner inherited problems, and he has had to learn
the intricacies of the blindness system; but from the beginning
of his administration he has made a genuine effort to build good
programs and has been responsive to the needs and suggestions of
the blind.
     In 1991 BISM and the NFB of Maryland went together to the
legislature and asked that rehabilitation programs for the blind
be removed from the rehabilitation component of the state
Department of Education and placed under BISM. This seemed to
infuriate officials of the Division of Rehabilitation.
Considering the poor service which the Division of Rehabilitation
has consistently given to the blind, it is not surprising that
the blind wanted the services transferred to another agency and
that the rehabilitation officials were furious at the revelations
which came to light in the process. The effort to transfer
services (as is often the case in such first attempts) did not
succeed, but the Division of Rehabilitation was not about to
forget or wait for the next onslaught.
     In the Spring, 1992, issue of The Braille Spectator (the
publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland)
Editor Al Maneki wrote an article reporting on the Maryland
Department of Education's recent efforts to put an end to BISM
altogether or bring it under the control of the Division of
Rehabilitation. The story which was spread across the state's
newspapers was not pleasant or edifying, and the fireworks may
not yet be over. But it looks as though the courts are not
inclined to have BISM bullied by the Division of Rehabilitation
or smeared in the public press. Here is Al Maneki's article: 

     One often hears the statement that "where there's smoke,
there's fire." Believing this to be true, the local press has
recently made much ado about the Maryland State Department of
Education's (DOE) charges of country club memberships, high
salaries, and the improper use of credit cards by Blind
Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM) officials. As so often
happens, the press did not bother to finish the story; it simply
repeated the DOE charges which BISM ultimately answered in court
and before the Maryland General Assembly.
     On December 17, 1991, the Department of Education filed a
suit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to have BISM placed
in receivership because of mismanagement. Receivership is a
condition in which the court appoints a third party to take over
the management and operation of a poorly run business. In this
case, the third party would have apparently been under the
control of the Department itself.
     The DOE lawsuit, claiming that BISM was in danger of
financial collapse and including a long list of charges of
mismanagement, was presented to the circuit court of Judge Joseph
H. H. Kaplan. Judge Kaplan said that he would consider the
charges and any evidence that the DOE and BISM had to offer. BISM
had not previously seen the DOE's charges and therefore had only
a few days to respond. Answers which refuted each of the charges
were prepared and presented to Judge Kaplan in accordance with
his instructions. After reviewing the Department's charges and
BISM's responses, Kaplan said that the receivership was not
required and refused to grant the Department of Education's
request to have BISM signed over to it. 
     In its second volley against BISM, the DOE requested that
Judge Kaplan order an audit by the state. BISM responded that the
DOE had already sent an auditor in to look at its books. BISM
also pointed out that it has an audit performed annually by a
recognized firm of certified public accountants and that copies
of this audit are regularly made available to the Department.
Judge Kaplan indicated that he did not believe another audit was
necessary but that the DOE could have another audit if it paid
for it.
     The next move by the Department in this takeover attempt was
to seek a program audit of BISM's rehabilitation and service
programs. BISM told Judge Kaplan that the Department of
Education, specifically the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
(DVR), is entitled to such a review of BISM's programs and that
BISM had no objection to such a review at this time. Judge Kaplan
finally found something to which both parties could agree and
ordered the program review. Along with this review he instructed
both parties that they are not free to discuss details until he
has had an opportunity to study this report.
     At the state legislature's House and Senate hearings on the
Department of Education's budget for state-aided institutions,
Richard Brueckner, BISM's president, was questioned about the
charges raised by the DOE's lawsuit. He replied that the country
club membership was used in conjunction with golf tournaments
which have raised more than $35,000 for BISM's programs. This
effort far outweighs the $2,000 membership fee. The membership
has been used in conjunction with fund-raising activities or for
BISM's sales efforts only. He said that it was not a membership
for his family or for his personal use. When asked about baseball
tickets purchased with a BISM credit card, Brueckner said that
the tickets to Orioles games are given as awards to blind
employees or used by students in the rehabilitation division as
part of the rehabilitation program. When asked about the problems
with the blind/sighted ratio of employees (the federally required
ratio of 75 percent blind to 25 percent sighted), Brueckner
pointed out that the problem does exist at the Salisbury plant.
He also pointed out that the problem was discovered by BISM
itself and went back several years prior to his arrival at BISM.
He also noted that corrective actions are underway and that these
corrections are approved by National Industries for the Blind,
the corporation which hands out federal contracts to the various
workshops for the blind. Brueckner assured legislators that BISM
has no plans to close down any of its facilities, as has been
alleged. Employment of blind persons is not in jeopardy,
according to Brueckner. Job openings are available in Cumberland
and Salisbury, and further job expansion in Baltimore is being
developed, too. 
     Don Morris, a member of BISM's Board of Trustees, told the
Senate and House committees that he and other board members were
determined that BISM be operated like a well-managed company,
where blind people can earn decent wages, learn to be productive,
and take pride in the work they are doing. He said that much has
been invested in BISM and that the investment is now beginning to
pay off. Morris said that there are those who would prefer to
keep blind people in a second-class, dependent status, but BISM
is determined that blind people should have the training and
opportunity to contribute to society as first-class citizens.
While BISM is better than it was, it is not as good as it will
be, Morris declared. He said that "the Board is proud of BISM's
accomplishments, but we are not yet satisfied that we have done
all we can."
     One must wonder about the motives which could have
precipitated the Department of Education's (specifically the
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation's) ill-conceived lawsuit
against BISM. It is extremely unfortunate that the DVR chose to
request information by such means when written agreements between
the DVR and BISM already provide for all of this information to
be shared if the DVR requests it. It could not possibly have been
the DVR's concern for the well-being of Maryland's blind
citizens. One need only examine the DVR's dismal record to know
better. One is driven to speculate whether DVR's present actions
have something to do with its desire to seek revenge against BISM
for its decision to support the efforts of the organized blind in
the 1991 session of the Maryland General Assembly to transfer
state rehabilitation services for the blind to BISM. Or,
considering the current difficult economic conditions in
Maryland, do the DVR's motives have more to do with its desire to
deny BISM its state appropriation and keep those funds for
itself?
     We're sure this is not the end of the story. We'll keep you
advised as further details develop.


[PHOTO/CAPTION: Paul Gabias at the 1991 convention of the
National Federation of the Blind.]

     UNIQUE FEATURES OF GUIDE DOGS: BACKTRACKING AND HOMING
                         by Paul Gabias

     From the Associate Editor: Dr. Paul Gabias is a professor of
psychology at Okanagan College in Kelowna, British Columbia. He
is also married to Mary Ellen Reihing Gabias, a long-time
Federationist and for several years before her marriage a staff
member at the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore. Those
who meet Dr. Gabias soon notice how intelligent and well-behaved
his guide dogs are. I have known him long enough to have watched
him with two animals, both of which he has trained himself. He
clearly loves and respects animals, but his guide dogs are not
pets; each has been a working partner. What he has to say about
using and training dogs as guides is sensible and practical. The
following article is reprinted from the December, 1991, issue of
Harness Up, the publication of the National Association of Guide
Dog Users, the guide dog division of the National Federation of
the Blind. Here it is: 

     I want to begin by contrasting the guide dog and the cane as
two very different mobility methods, each with its own strengths
and weaknesses. It is not my intent here impartially to list
these. Instead, my purpose is to highlight several specific
skills of the dog and the ways they can be integrated into the
guide dog's working life. I will do so against the backdrop of
contrast with the cane. I call these skills backtracking and
homing. The terms mean just what they imply. Backtracking is
retracing steps; homing is finding one's way home. Obviously, in
a familiar area both activities are easy. However, most exciting
travel is done in unfamiliar areas, where by definition  the
layout changes constantly and homes don't last for more than a
few days. It is in these situations that the guide dog, with the
skills of homing and backtracking, is at its best. After
contrasting the cane and guide dog as useful but different
mobility methods, I will describe how to train a guide dog in
homing and backtracking. 
     First I want to make it clear that, even though the guide
dog is my preferred travel aid, I am an experienced cane user and
therefore believe that I can make a fair comparison between the
two travel methods. I will explain how to teach a guide dog four
specific commands: inside, outside, upstairs, and downstairs. The
mastery of these commands predisposes the dog to pay attention to
the layout of the environment. This attention to layout is what
makes the dog ready to learn the strategies of backtracking and
homing.
     I will also make a few comparisons between guide dog
training and computer programming. The harness handle can be
considered a transducer of visual information to proprioceptive
information. This transduction from one form of energy to another
is not unlike the transduction which goes on inside the nervous
system for vision and hearing.

            Experience with White Cane and Guide Dog

     At the age of fifteen, while I attended L'Institut Louis
Braille, a school for the blind near Montreal, I received cane
travel lessons from two blind instructors. I travelled with a
cane for three and a half years. Although the cane was too short,
it got me where I needed to go safely enough, but much more
slowly than necessary. It also brought me into contact with the
public. The instructors at the school for the blind did not teach
me how I was to deal with the continual pity and amazement of the
public generated by my walking around independently with a cane.
     At the age of eighteen I purchased a Labrador retriever
puppy I called Rapha. With the help and encouragement of the late
Dr. Robert Lambert, who trained his first two guide dogs, I
successfully trained Rapha. A few years later John Byfield, a
long-time director of training at Guide Dog Foundation and the
current director of training at Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation,
gave written attestation to my competence as a trainer. Rapha
retired at fourteen and a half and was euthanized a year later.
During Rapha's lifetime I also successfully trained two other
guide dogs. Both were trained and worked in New York City and the
surrounding areas. During most of the training of both these
dogs, which lasted about four months each, I successfully used a
white cane. Then, for approximately a year and a half during
Rapha's retirement and the training of my next guide dog--a
golden retriever named Viva--I also used a cane.
     The change from dog to cane was difficult for me. Thanks to
the NFB, I was now using a long cane, but it took a great deal of
work on my part to accept the cane emotionally. The techniques
and style were quite different. It seemed to me that the cane
made blindness so blatant. I became acutely aware that, through
the use of my dog's vision, I had protected myself from strong
unresolved negative feelings about blindness. Rapha's retirement
and my unwillingness to replace him until he was dead forced me
to deal with these feelings. Through the NFB and a very powerful
mentor, I was able to deal healthily with these issues. 
     After a year and a half of cane use, Viva, my second guide
dog, was pretty well trained. Unusual though it may seem, she
attended her first National Convention in Kansas City at seven
months of age. Those who remember her there will attest to her
superb behavior despite her youth. She was a dog in a million. I
deeply regretted her death at three and a half years. As we were
moving to a new home, she was suddenly stricken with a spinal
embolism which left her hindquarters completely paralyzed.  Four
days later I was again without a guide dog.
     Walking has always been therapeutic to me. The day after
Viva's death I took a four-mile walk with my white cane in an
unfamiliar area. I repeated this activity for several days.
     That academic year was new for me on many fronts. I had a
new job with new students, new surroundings, a new wife who was
pregnant, and a new golden retriever puppy named Schubert to
train. Thanks to the National Federation of the Blind and my
wife, I was now using my cane with confidence and pride. At the
end of that year I used my cane on two job interviews, which led
to two job offers. One of those interviews resulted in our move
to Kelowna, British Columbia, and my appointment as psychology
professor at Okanagan College.
     I am a strong advocate of white cane use. Every blind person
should know how to use one. But the white cane and guide dog are
very different mobility aids. I would like to focus on several of
the differences before talking about backtracking and homing.

         Contrasts Between the White Cane and Guide Dog

     All the functional differences between using a white cane
and a guide dog are derived from one basic difference: the white
cane is a tactile aid; the guide dog is a visual aid. In
comparing them, it will be useful to begin by examining the kind
of information available to the blind pedestrian without either
aid.
     Information about the texture of the ground is gathered by
the feet and by analyzing the sound that the feet make.
Information about the proximity of objects is collected by the
ears. Information about the texture and shape of objects and the
texture and layout of the ground is picked up by the skin and
changes in joint position which occur during exploration with
hands and feet. Odors often provide useful information through
the nose, and wind direction and sun position, which can both be
very useful, are gathered by the skin. 
     Therefore, without using either a dog or a cane the blind
pedestrian still has access to information about the environment-
-topography of the ground and the proximity, texture, and shape
of nearby objects. In addition, during street crossing,
information about the pattern of traffic is picked up by the
ears. This traffic pattern is useful in locating the opposite
corner.
     What additional information can be provided by the skillful
use of the long white cane? The cane is a tactile scanning
instrument. It warns the pedestrian of changes in terrain texture
and layout, e.g., steps, pathways, and doorways, before the
information would be picked up by the feet and the hands. It
makes contact with objects before the user's body does, allowing
the pedestrian to walk around them. It also augments the auditory
information provided by echoes. In short, the cane is mostly a
tactile aid, and the range of its information pick-up is very
short--that is, distances within a few feet of the user. 
     On the other hand, the guide dog is a visual aid. The dog,
through its visual system, has access to information at some
distance, e.g., the layout of an enclosed space or a large open
area like a mall or the lobby of a hotel. At a distance it can
perceive the location of significant points in the layout such as
staircases, entrances, exits, and elevators. The dog can perceive
paths through the gaps in a crowd. The trick is to make the dog's
visual information about distance useful to the blind person.
     The dog communicates with its owner through movements of its
body, transmitted through the harness handle or, in some
circumstances, through the leash. This communication is a
transduction of information from vision to touch, called 
proprioception, which is transfer of information from
electromagnetic energy to mechanical energy. Similar kinds of
transduction occur within the nervous system. In vision, for
example, the receptors of the retina transform electromagnetic
energy into nerve impulses. In hearing, vibrations in the air are
picked up as mechanical energy in the outer and middle ear, are
transformed into hydraulic energy in the cochlea, and are
transformed into nerve impulses in the basilar membrane of the
inner ear. 
     By analogy, the harness on the dog transforms its visual
information into proprioceptive information that can be used to
determine the owner's steps. For example, a pause in the dog's
forward movement indicates a change in layout. One ascertains the
type of change with the foot and the subsequent movement of the
harness handle. Lateral motions of the dog and the harness handle
mean that there is an obstacle to be avoided by moving to the
left or the right. The direction through a crowd is chosen by the
blind pedestrian, but the specific route is selected by the dog.
Through its choices as the pair proceed through a crowd, the
dog's visual information is transformed into proprioceptive
information by the harness handle. The same occurs at street
corners. If the two corners of the intersection are not directly
opposite each other, no problem. The dog selects the correct
trajectory, and the information about the necessary angle for
safe crossing is conveyed to the blind pedestrian as he or she
listens to the traffic and walks across the street.
     Another difference between the guide dog and the cane is
that the cane does not learn. It is incapable of pattern
recognition. It cannot recognize familiar routes. It cannot make
correct choices at appropriate points. It cannot recognize the
entrances of familiar buildings, nor can it recognize customary
pathways taken through these buildings. The cane is a passive aid
while the guide dog is an active, interactive aid.
     Because of this the dog must be trained or programmed to
send specific messages to deal with particular changes in layout.
Further, the blind person must learn to understand the messages
travelling through the harness handle. The blind person must also
learn how to integrate the messages from the harness handle into
the perceptual information available through other sources. If
the messages do not match the information available to the blind
person, e.g., the dog is distracted or requires more training,
the blind person must correct the dog or update its programming.
The guide dog's behavior must be consistent with the owner's
expectations. If the blind person keeps those expectations high
and is vigilant about keeping the animal programmed properly, the
dog will perform as it should.

                     Backtracking and Homing

     We now come to the issues of backtracking and homing. I have
deliberately introduced computer language because I believe that
with dogs, as with computers, we can achieve a high degree of
control over the outcomes resulting from particular inputs. With
computers, of course, the key to control is parsimonious,
logical, step-by-step programming. With dogs, the key to control
is step-by-step shaping of behavior and consistent reinforcement.
Of course, the dog is much more complex than any computer. Its
natural tendencies and emotional make-up must always be taken
into account in any training situation.
     As I have mentioned, dogs can learn to obey commands such as
"inside," "outside," "upstairs," "downstairs," "elevator," and
"follow." As far as I know, most of these commands are not
formally taught by the majority of guide dog schools. If you
choose to, you can surmount this problem with a little work.
After all, information about the layout of the building is
visually available to the dog, through both perception and
memory. Why should we not take full advantage of this
information? But the dog must be trained to transmit the
information to us, and here is how it can be done.
     Let us start with the command "inside." To begin, face the
doorway of a building. Give the dog the "forward" command,
followed by "inside." The dog will obey the "forward" and take
you to the door. Repeat this procedure several times. Then
continue with the procedure, but omit the "forward" command.
Simply give the "inside" command. If the dog does not move,
encourage it along by nonverbal means. Repeat the procedure until
the dog moves forward with only the "inside" command. Of course,
praise the dog at appropriate places, e.g., after the dog has
begun to move and at the doorway. Make a fuss at the door,
telling the dog how good it is. Once your dog understands that,
when you are facing the doorway, "inside" means to move toward
the doorway, you are ready to proceed to the next step. By the
way, always use the same trajectory to and from the door. In this
way you are inculcating the rudiments of backtracking in the dog.
     The next step is to issue the "inside" command when you are
not facing the doorway directly. Start with small angles of
deviation and increase them as the dog improves. The "inside"
command should cause the dog to compensate for the angle. You can
verbally correct the dog if it does not compensate for the angle.
When the dog does compensate and goes to the door, praise it
profusely. When training is complete, you should be able to face
completely away from the door, requiring the dog to make a 180-
degree turn and head for the door after receiving the "inside"
command. It is important that the dog be able to do this. It will
help you in unfamiliar areas in which you are not sure where the
door is.
     The next step involves increasing the distance between the
door and the dog. Always train in a familiar area. A parking lot
or a field is particularly appropriate. As you increase the
distance from the door, try different facing angles. Use these
strategies with different doorways. Incorporate them into the
dog's working life.
     Once the dog has learned to respond to the "inside" command
correctly, follow the same procedure for the "outside" command.
As the dog comes to understand these commands, widen the scope of
their use. A sensible and sensitive owner comes to know when the
dog is ready for strict enforcement of the commands. Test your
dog on these commands when you know which direction the door is.
Once the dog knows the commands, you can correct it with the
harness or the leash if it does not head in the appropriate
direction. Remember that sometimes there may be a door in the
opposite direction. I have been fooled sometimes and have had to
apologize to my dogs. Fortunately, most dogs are of a forgiving
nature.
     I believe that through success with these commands, over
time the dog learns to pay attention to the flow of the layout of
surfaces in its optic array as it moves through the environment.
It learns the backtracking strategy, which usually works well:
Whatever route you followed on the way into a building, do the
opposite on the way out. This works very nicely in stores. One
can go to a department store and follow various clerks to
different displays, and experienced dogs can learn to pay
attention to the layout of the store as they move through it.
Unless the store has doors which face in different directions,
the "outside" command will simply mean a reversal of the whole
layout, that is, motion in the opposite direction.
     This backtracking strategy can be useful in other settings
too. Suppose you are with friends at a restaurant and wish to
visit the washroom. If you don't know where it is, you can follow
another person with your dog. Often sighted people will ask if
they should wait until you are finished. If your dog knows the
backtracking strategy, it can guide you smoothly back to the
table. You can use a command like "find the seat" or "find the
table." The dog should retrace its steps to your seat. Praise the
dog for finding the table if it is successful. If it fails, you
can practice this skill by showing the dog the table you want,
starting with short distances. Do this a few times in different
restaurants. The dog will catch on fairly quickly, particularly
if the other people at the table are familiar or if there is
another dog at the table. The dog has learned to backtrack, to
retrace its steps from the table to the washroom.
     The training procedures for "inside" and "outside" also work
for "upstairs" and "downstairs." Dogs often confuse up and down
at first, but discrimination can be taught with persistent and
systematic training. Ideally, you should be able to walk out of
any subway train in any station and give the "upstairs" or
downstairs" command. If the station is unfamiliar, no problem.
The dog can be expected to perceive the layout of the station and
find the appropriate staircase on the platform. 
     Occasionally, experienced dogs will correct themselves;
first they go in one direction. Suddenly they stop and then turn
around and go in another direction. Sometimes the stairs may not
be immediately visible to the dog. Unless you want a particular
staircase among several available, it is important not to choose
a direction for the dog upon leaving the train. After all, you
want to encourage the dog to take the initiative. You will be
amazed at the accuracy dogs can achieve. Of course, do not expect
this to happen overnight. The step-by-step approach discussed
earlier must be followed first. The same procedure applies to
elevators.
     Sometimes when training "inside" and "outside" you will find
the dog mistakes large window panes for doors. Try to teach the
dog that the handle of the door is the distinguishing feature. A
mat in front of the door can also help discrimination. Tap the
handle with your hand or the mat with your foot, and praise the
dog for paying attention.
     Finally, let me say a few words about homing. In my
experience dogs who are well-travelled and expert with the
backtracking technique and successful with the "inside,"
"outside," "upstairs," and "downstairs" commands develop a homing
sense. This is what is happening when dogs anticipate customary
turns on a familiar route. This tends to happen close to home,
hence the term "homing." The common wisdom that, unless you are
following, you should make the dog go to the curb before turning
the corner is correct. Near home most dogs go to the curb
reluctantly. They are very glad to turn in the accustomed
direction. You can encourage the homing ability by doing the
following: once you have the dog go to the edge of the curb,
instead of giving the appropriate directional command (usually
"left" or "right") turn your body in the desired direction and
tell the dog "OK." The dog should take off in the appropriate
direction, happy to go in the direction it wants. The dog will
learn that at a corner the OK command means choose the
appropriate direction. Do this in familiar areas, and praise the
dog for the correct choice. I have found that there are great
dividends to this technique.
     For well-seasoned dogs home is not just where you
customarily live. For my dogs home also means the hotel room in
which they were last fed or the room in which our luggage was
left. The entrance to the hotel means the entrance to home.
Particular relief areas may also be involved. It is always
interesting to see this ability develop with each new dog. All
dogs have it. It is just a question of developing the skill. I
remember recently staying at the faculty club at the University
of British Columbia for a few days. I decided that I wanted to
pick up submarine sandwiches at a restaurant, which was not too
far from campus. It was fairly late at night, and I had some
difficulty getting directions across the campus and out to the
restaurant. On the way back we found our way to the university,
but the faculty club was at least a fifteen-minute walk through
the campus. We had been there only a day or two, and I was not
familiar with the layout and did not know the names of the
buildings. If we didn't succeed in getting back on our own, I
knew that I could eventually find somebody to take me back to the
faculty club. I could also call a cab from the nearest open
building or restaurant, but I wanted to try the route. On the way
back Schubert first turned toward several incorrect buildings.
Some were places in which I had received directions on the way to
the restaurant. I told him "no" and prevented him from going
toward them. We walked around, and I found the interaction
between my sense of direction and his choices quite interesting.
In these situations, unless I know he is absolutely wrong, I like
to let him make his own decisions. Sure enough, after about
fifteen minutes, things began to seem familiar. In about ten more
minutes we arrived at the faculty club. I was very proud of my
young Schubert and very proud of our accomplishment. On the way
back to the club somebody driving through the campus had offered
me a lift. I politely refused, although at the time I wondered
about the wisdom of my choice. The person told me I was amazing
and that he could never do what I do. I told him that he probably
could if he wanted to, thanked him for the offer, and kept going.
     Schubert used the information about distant layout available
to him to chart our course back to the faculty club. He was not
wandering aimlessly. He had a purpose in mind. Without him I
would not have persisted. With my cane I would have been alone,
and that would not have been as much fun. I would not have had
information about distant layout available to me, which  would
have made the task less rewarding. I would have gotten back to
the club, probably through the use of human visual information.
     To me there is something very special about canine vision.
It belongs to dogs. A well-trained guide dog is always waiting
for its owner, ready to serve, intelligent, yet extremely simple
at heart. Dogs are not amazed at what we do, nor do they feel
more fortunate than we because they have vision. They offer their
vision freely and leave it up to us to use it effectively. Dogs
have always been one of God's gifts to humanity. They have served
us in many capacities. I am proud to be a guide dog handler, and
I am proud to show the world what dogs can do for us. Of course,
most people misunderstand the interaction completely. They
believe that in some way guide dog users are in the custody of
their dogs. The dog leads, and we passively hang on. The degree
of misunderstanding about cane use is equally devastating.
     In the Federation one of our tasks is education. Hopefully,
by competent use of both travel aids we will be able to increase
the public's understanding of blindness. With proper training and
opportunity blindness need not be the crippling disability people
believe it to be. We have a right to first-class citizenship. We
have a right to competitive employment, to family, to children,
and to growing old with dignity. In the National Federation of
the Blind we are learning to take what is rightfully ours. We
will educate the public as we go, but we will never turn back.



[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: The Elliott Family: Dale, Ann, and
their son Caleb.]

                        THE TURNING POINT

     From the Associate Editor: The following article is
reprinted from the Spring, 1992, issue of Future Reflections, the
quarterly magazine of the Parents of Blind Children Division of
the National Federation of the Blind. Barbara Cheadle edits this
publication, and the editor's note at the beginning is hers. Let
us never underestimate the importance of the turning point that
the Elliotts describe in this news story. Here it is: 

     Editor's Note:  I met Ann and Dale Elliott at the 1991
convention of the National Federation of the Blind. It was clear
that they had come determined to learn all they could about
blindness. They sought out parents, teachers, and blind adults of
all ages. Everyone who met them must have been impressed, as was
I, with their down-to-earth attitude and desire to learn. They
also demonstrated courage. It isn't easy for parents to talk
about a child's blindness when emotions are still raw and close
to the surface. But with knowledge comes understanding, and with
understanding comes healing. I was once asked by a parent when
would her tears ever stop. I said something like this: "You are a
parent; the tears never stop. However, the nature of your tears
can change." That turning point comes much more surely if, like
the Elliotts, you seek knowledge and understanding from those who
know blindness best--the blind themselves. Here is Ann and Dale
Elliott's story as told in their local newspaper, the
Times/Record News of Wichita Falls, Texas, on Sunday, February 2,
1992:

                        "Big Brown Eyes":
               Child's Blindness Helps Parents See
              by Lois Luecke (Senior Staff Writer)

     Ann and Dale Elliott still become teary-eyed when they talk
about their adopted son, Caleb. Their tears are joyful, where
once they were the tears of parents facing an unknown. Not until
he was five months old did the Elliotts, older parents in their
forties, discover that Caleb was blind.
     "We were devastated," said Mrs. Elliott. "He has the
prettiest big brown eyes. To look at him, you would never know
that there's anything wrong. "A number of people, Mrs. Elliott
said, asked if they still wanted to keep Caleb. "Of course we
did," she said. "He was ours."
     The Elliotts' initial reaction, though, was one of disbelief
and denial. They said they experienced various stages of grief,
including anger and depression. Eye specialists told them that
Caleb was born with a fatty buildup and a "pseudo cherry spot" on
his retina. No name was given to it, and no one knows why, said
his mother.
     During that critical time, Mrs. Elliott says in retrospect,
"I think probably I held my baby closer. My husband and I both
cried, and we still do at times.... Then for the most part you
accept it and go on with your life. But I don't think you ever
get over the hurt. I don't think you feel so much for yourself,
but for your child. And he doesn't need it. He doesn't know. His
world is normal."
     The Elliotts have come a long way in the three ensuing 
years. They believe they reached a major turning point only last
July at the annual convention of the National Federation of the
Blind in New Orleans.
     Members of the NFB Parents Division, they heard talks by
many of the nation's blind leaders. They saw sightless teen-agers
making their way effortlessly through the convention halls,
having fun. Role models like these and the Federation itself,
they said, opened up new vistas for them and their son. "We have
no doubt that Caleb will be a totally self-sufficient adult. We
expect him to grow up and marry and have children. The only
problem he has is that he can't see. But there is nothing to keep
him from being a very successful adult. We intend to see he gets
the best education he can get," said his mother.
     Both parents are involved in all of Caleb's activities. They
are learning Braille and encouraging Caleb to learn Braille by
reading such books as a Sesame Street book on the A-B-C's. "His
vision teacher Brailled sticky paper with every letter on each
page. Another book is called a Twin Vision book. While you read
the nursery rhymes to him, he feels the Braille. He doesn't know
what it says, but this is getting his fingers accustomed to the
feel of Braille."
     His parents enrolled Caleb in preschool in September 1990 at
the Learning Center at First Presbyterian Church. There and at
home he receives visits from his vision teacher, who works at
Region IX Education Service Center. He will be eligible for
mainstreaming into the public schools when he reaches
kindergarten.
     The Elliotts are charter members of a new support group for
parents with visually impaired children. They keep up with new
developments, such as the Texas Legislature's passage of a model
Braille bill, specifying that the state will provide all the
textbooks or the capability of the textbooks to be printed in
Braille.
     The public school system in Texas starts working with
visually impaired and deaf children from birth, said Mrs.
Elliott. In Archer County, the Elliotts come under the umbrella
of the Big 4 Co-op for special education. "Caleb is a typical
3-year-old. He is typical in every way except that he can't see.
To him that's not a problem," said his mother, a licensed
vocational nurse, who works for a physician at the Wichita Falls
Clinic. Being blind from birth, Caleb can go anywhere in the
house," said his father, a system operator with TU Electric. "He
can tell you about anything in the house." Caleb still has light
perception, and that helps him with balance and mobility.
Sometimes he trails the wall with his hand when he goes down the
hall, said his mother. They have taught him to keep his hands out
so he won't bump into things. He uses a small cane when he goes
outside and when the family goes to the mall or to a restaurant.
In the near future his parents hope to buy a computer for him,
with both Braille and regular printers.
     Caleb and his parents enjoy unusual rapport. As they sat
together for photographs in Caleb's room, they chatted and
laughed, and Caleb kept up a running commentary about his "new
toy," a balloon toy that "replaced an `ailing' Kermit." The
youngster runs over to the toy box in his room and pulls out a
toy. As he does with most objects, he feels for the toy, puts it
to his nose to smell, then to his mouth, and then to his ear to
check the sound.
     Dale and Ann Elliott said they have learned a great deal
from Caleb and his acute senses of touch, sound, and smell. "When
we turn into our driveway, he says, "We're home. It's a `soft
ride,' because our driveway is smooth," in contrast to some of
the rural roads around their house, Mrs. Elliott explained. "He
can't see the mountains or the sky, everything that is
beautiful," said Dale Elliott. "...But we went to Ruidoso on
vacation last October. He just loved the mountains, the babbling
brooks, the smell of the pine cones, the smell of the pine trees,
and the feel of it all. He can probably tell you more about the
mountains now than most people who go there."
     Elliott's eyes brimmed with tears. "The first year he was
blind, I would pray every night that the Lord would restore his
vision. And now I pray every night, `Thank you, God, for giving
me such a fine boy.'"


                             RECIPES

     From the Associate Editor: The recipes come this month from
the Nutmeg State, Connecticut. Because Yankee peddlers from
Connecticut so often sold unwary housewives wooden nutmegs,
residents of the state have never been delighted about the
state's appellation. Eventually they became so dissatisfied that
they changed the name so that it is now the Constitution State.
Nevertheless, Connecticut Federationists like freshly grated
nutmeg about as well as the rest of us, so Mary Brunoli has
contributed a recipe for pumpkin pie that particularly brings out
the flavor of nutmeg.

[PHOTO: Mary Brunoli seated with microhone in hand. CAPTION: Mary
Brunoli.]

                           PUMPKIN PIE
                         by Mary Brunoli

     Mary Brunoli is the second vice president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. She also serves as
president of the NFB Music Division. She reports that President
Maurer is particularly fond of this pie.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 slightly rounded cup cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 unbeaten eggs
1 2/3 cups (1 large can) evaporated milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup boiling water
1 uncooked 9-inch pie shell

     Method: Combine brown sugar, pumpkin, salt, and eggs. Mix
well. Gradually add evaporated milk. Mix spices together, and add
boiling water. Stir this into pumpkin mixture and blend well.
Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake in 400-degree oven 35 to 40
minutes. If a glass pie plate is used, bake at 375 degrees for
approximately 55 minutes.

[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Bruce and Betty Woodward.]

                     BUTTERNUT SQUASH ROLLS
                        by Bruce Woodward

     Bruce Woodward is the treasurer of the National Federation
of the Blind of Connecticut. He and his wife Betty edit the
Connecticut Federationist, the publication of the NFB of
Connecticut. He is also a good cook, and Betty says that he is an
especially fine bread baker.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled, steamed, and mashed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup scalded milk
1 packet yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 - 3 cups flour

     Method: Now listen up everyone: the temperature of your
mixed up ingredients is very important--not too hot, not too
cold, just a nice, warm temperature. Mix squash, sugar, salt,
scalded milk, and butter, taking care that mixture is not too
hot. Add the warm water with the yeast dissolved in it and mix it
all up some more. Start adding flour a cup at a time and keep
stirring things around. When dough is pretty stiff, start
kneading it on a floured surface with all the tenderness and love
your mother taught you. When you're done kneading (about 15
minutes), put ball of dough in a warm bowl greased with Crisco
and let rise in a warm, cozy place. After it has risen, knead it
again and begin shaping your rolls. I sometimes roll out a small
amount into a short rope and tie it into a knot to make each 
roll. After rolls have been shaped and placed on a cookie sheet,
let them rise again. Bake in a 325 to 350 degree oven, about 15
minutes. Temperature and time are really a matter of your own
personal judgment and choice. This recipe makes about 24 rolls.

                 BAKED CARROT & APPLE CASSEROLE
                        by Betty Woodward

     Betty Woodward is the president of the Greater Hartford
chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut.

Ingredients:
6 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 cups cooked, sliced carrots 
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
salt to taste
3/4 cup orange juice

     Method: Place one half of the apples in a greased 2-quart
casserole dish. Place one half of the carrots over apples. Mix
brown sugar and flour and spread one half of the mixture over the
apples and carrots. Repeat this process, then pour orange juice
over all. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes.

                     HEAVENLY SUMMER DESSERT
                      by Susan Manchester 

     Susan Manchester is the President of the Greater Stamford
Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. 

Ingredients:
1 angel food cake mix
1 package of sugar-free Jello
1 envelope of Dream Whip
     (or substitute low-calorie whipped topping)

     Method: Prepare cake mix as directed and place the cake
still in its pan upside down on a bottle or funnel to cool. Mix
Jello as directed, using a tablespoon less water in order to make
the mixture slightly firmer. When Jello is set, prepare the
whipped topping. When the angel cake is cool, cut it in half
horizontally. While Jello is thick but not yet set, whip it with
mixer set on low speed or by hand, and combine with whipped
topping. Be careful not to allow the Jello to become watery. Fill
the cake with the fruit mixture and replace the top layer of
cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining
topping. Keep refrigerated before and after serving. This
delicious desert is as pretty as it is light, low in calories,
and refreshing.

                              CHILI
                        by Marie Beaulier

     Marie Beaulier is a member of the Greater Hartford Chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small can chili paste (optional)
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can crushed tomatoes

     Method: In 4-quart pan cook onions, peppers, and meat until
browned. Add 1/2 can tomato sauce and stir well. Add chili paste
and garlic, stir well. Add rest of tomato sauce, beans, and
crushed tomatoes, stirring gently to blend well. Bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Note: this is a great potluck or
party dish. Cook chili in oven-proof baking dish. Cool and chill
for several hours. Two hours before serving, add a stick of
crumbled pepperjack cheese (Monterey Jack or cheddar works well)
down center of chili. Heat oven to 325 degrees and place chili
covered in oven for 1 1/2 hours, then turn off oven. This is also
great divided and frozen for future use.

                  FRANKFURTERS AND STRING BEANS
                       by Mary E. Terrell

     Mary Terrell is an active member of the Greater Waterbury
chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut.
She says of this recipe, "Served with a salad, this casserole
provides a quick and tasty meal." 

Ingredients:
1 pound frankfurters
1 package frozen string beans
1 #2 can tiny new potatoes, drained
1 cup beef bouillon
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
(No salt and pepper with this one, please)

     Method: Arrange the potatoes on the bottom of a deep
buttered casserole dish. Add the partly thawed string beans.
Place frankfurters on top of vegetables. Mix the bouillon, chili
sauce, and dry mustard and pour over the casserole. Cover and
bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

                          ZUCCHINI BAKE
                         by Micki Lynch

     Micki Lynch is an active member of the New Haven Chapter of
the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. Her husband
Bob serves as the chapter president.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chopped meat
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated cheese
1 can tomato paste
1 15-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/3 cup flour

     Method: Brown chopped meat. Add onion and garlic. When
cooked through,  add tomato paste and sauce, salt and pepper, and
basil. Cook 15 minutes. Place sliced zucchini in bowl, add flour
and toss to coat. Put half of meat mixture in baking dish. Add
zucchini, pour over remaining sauce, cover with foil, and bake 25
minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and pour mixture of
beaten eggs and milk over the surface.  Sprinkle the top with
cheese. Return dish to oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes more.


                   * * MONITOR MINIATURES * *

**Young Business:
     Ted Young, President of the National Federation of the Blind
of Pennsylvania, has asked us to carry the following
announcement:
   I would like to take this opportunity to announce my new
business, Young Opportunities, Inc., 464 Sylvania Avenue,
Glenside, PA 19038, phone: (215) 572-5882. I sell a wide variety
of computer equipment, speech products including Vocal-eyes,
ASAP, the Sounding Board, LItetalk, Doubletalk and Dectalk, CDRom
drives and disks, and a wide variety of software. I also provide
training in WordPerfect, Dbase, Q&A and Lotus, and provide
consultation regarding employment of the blind and disabled and
the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact me for
further information or products.

**Volunteer Recognized:
     Under date of May 6, 1992, Senator Larry Pressler of South
Dakota wrote to Karen Mayry, President of the National Federation
of the Blind of South Dakota, as follows:

Dear Karen:
     On National Volunteers' Day on the floor of the U.S. Senate,
during National Volunteers' Week, I recognized you as one of the
many dedicated South Dakotans who received the Governor's
Volunteer of the Year Award.
     Enclosed is a copy of my remarks printed in the
Congressional Record. Your volunteer work truly is an inspiring
example of service being performed by volunteers in South Dakota
and the nation.
     Thank you for all the time, energy, and effort you have
devoted to making a difference in the lives of those around you.
You're great!

                                                       Sincerely,
                                                   Larry Pressler
                                            United States Senator

     Among other things, Senator Pressler said in the
Congressional Record and on the floor of the Senate:
     "Karen Mayry of Rapid City. Her motto is `Blind, yes;
handicapped, never!' Karen is actively involved as a volunteer
with the National Federation of the Blind. Her efforts have
helped thousands of blind diabetics."

**Strong and Growing Chapter:

                                          Bowling Green, Kentucky
                                                      May 4, 1992

Dear Dr. Jernigan:
     Below is an announcement from our South Central Kentucky
Chapter which we would appreciate your placing in the earliest
possible issue of the Braille Monitor under "Monitor Miniatures."
As you can undoubtedly tell from reading our announcement, we
sincerely appreciate the strong, continued efforts waged by you,
President Maurer, and the entire staff at our NFB headquarters.
We are proud of our organization and proud to be a part of its
collective force.

                                                  Most sincerely,
                                    Ronald E. Milliman, President
                        South Central Kentucky Chapter of the NFB
     
     Here is an announcement: The South Central Kentucky Chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind has just concluded its
first year following reactivation in March, 1991. Its newly
elected officers are Dr. Ronald Milliman, President; James
Lepping, Vice President; Nancy Scott, Treasurer; Jean Burk,
Secretary; and Nita Cline, Social Activities Chairperson. Our
chapter has just completed a very successful year. Such successes
included challenging the NCAA's position of not allowing portable
radios into certain NCAA tournament events; as a direct result of
our challenge, the NCAA rescinded their policy. Our chapter also
participated in the massive and collective effort to affect the
future (putting it tactfully) of the TV program Good and Evil. We
launched a successful fundraising drive to help support the
efforts of the chapter, including our continual public education
efforts, helping to send a representative to the NFB March on
Washington, and various other activities intended to bring us
together and make us a stronger, more united chapter. We also
hosted the state convention this last year, and what a
tremendously successful convention it was, even if we do say so
ourselves. I might add that Diane McGeorge was the National
Representative to our state convention, and it was, indeed, a
pleasure for all of us to come to know the wonderful and warm
person she is. Though this past year has been a very good one for
our chapter, we anticipate this next one to be even better.

**Another Magazine for Writers?:
     Nancy Scott, one of the leaders of the Writers Division of
the National Federation of the Blind, reports that the Division
is looking into the possibility of making a national writing
magazine available on tape from Recorded Periodicals in addition
to The Writer. So far the overwhelming favorite is Writer's
Digest. However, we need to identify approximately thirty people
who are interested in subscribing, and we do not yet have enough
responses. The subscription cost is not yet final, but it could
be about four dollars an issue for a read-and-keep cassette (very
likely four-track). The Writers Division would not benefit
financially from this project and would not handle the recording
process, except in an advisory capacity. If you wish to subscribe
to Writer's Digest on tape or if you have information about other
helpful magazines, contact Nancy Scott, 1141 Washington Street,
Easton, Pennsylvania 18042; or call (215) 253-9073. Cassette tape
with returnable mailer, Braille, and print correspondence are all
convenient.

**Pen Friends Wanted:
     The Braille Monitor recently received a request for pen
friends from Miss Venny H. of Indonesia. She is sixteen, and she
and several of her friends are interested in corresponding with
Americans who are blind though it is not clear whether any of
them is blind. Interested correspondents should write to Venny
telling her their names, addresses, ages, sex, and hobbies so
that she can pair them with Indonesians having similar interests.
Letters should be addressed to Shiny Stars, Venny H, Kepaduri
blok G no. 3, (H Mangga II), RT 008 RW 08, Jakarta 11510,
Indonesia.

**New Chapter Organized:
     Don Capps, President of the National Federation of the Blind
of South Carolina, informs us that on Saturday, May 16, 1992, the
Hampton County Chapter of the NFB of South Carolina was
organized. Thirty people were in attendance at the dinner meeting
at which the following officers were elected: June Hiers Sahler,
President; William Gardner, Vice President; Lillie Belle Graham,
Secretary; Johnny Mack Brown, Treasurer; and Carol Boone, Social
Director. This brings to thirty-five the number of chapters in
the South Carolina affiliate. Congratulations to the members of
the Hampton County Chapter, and congratulations to the National
Federation of the Blind of South Carolina.

**BusLine Update:
     Monitor readers will recall Peggy Chong's article in the
March, 1992, issue of the Braille Monitor, entitled "Does the Bus
Company Have a Blind Spot?" She reported on the struggle the
Metro Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of
Minnesota has had with the local bus company in an effort to
retain adequate bus schedule information by telephone. Recently
she sent us the following update: 
     On April 1 I received a call from Dee Molean of the
Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) to let our chapter know
that as of May 1 NextDay service would be available on BusLine,
MTC's computerized bus information line. This announcement means
that in less than one year our chapter was able to recover this
bus information service, not only for blind people, but for the
entire bus-riding public. Had it not been for the NFB, it is
clear this victory would not have come about.
     But more important, MTC and the NFB are now working
together. This week many of our members are contacting state
legislators to help MTC educate law-makers about the need for
more money to provide better main line bus service.
     When we as blind people work together, we can truly make a
difference.

[PHOTO: Portrait. CAPTION: Donovan Cooper.]

**An Idea Worth Duplicating:
     Donovan Cooper is one of the leaders of the National
Federation of the Blind of California. He understands the
importance of funding the organized blind movement and is
continually on the lookout for ways of educating the public and
inviting his neighbors to assist the NFB in our work. The
following brief article will be published in the June, 1992,
issue of the Lakeside Breeze, a newsletter published by the
residents of his apartment complex:

           Long Distance Telephone Discounts Available

     Donovan Cooper is a long-time resident of Lakeside
Apartments. He is also President of the San Fernando Valley
chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. Donovan tells us
that the National Federation of the Blind is offering long-
distance telephone service at a ten percent discount from
standard AT & T rates through the NFB Network. The NFB Network is
operated by Convergent Communications of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
     You may take the full ten percent discount; or, if you wish,
you can donate either half or all of the ten percent discount to
the NFB. If you decide to donate either five or ten percent,
Convergent Communications will automatically forward the donation
to the NFB and show the donated amounts on your long-distance
telephone bills. All donations to the NFB are tax-deductible.
     You may use the NFB Network for either your home or business
telephone service. Additional information and sign-up forms are
available at the Lakeside office. Donovan asks for your support
for the NFB and its activities on behalf of blind people; sign up
for the NFB Network, and, if possible, make a donation in this
manner.

     That is the article that Donovan Cooper wrote, and it may
well result in contributions to the National Federation of the
Blind. At the very least his neighbors know a little more about
the NFB and our work. All of us should take the opportunity to
sign up with the NFB Network ourselves and spread the word in
church newsletters and other publications with which we are
familiar. For more information about this painless method of
making contributions to the National Federation of the Blind,
consult the May, 1992, issue of the Braille Monitor.

**Volunteer Braille Transcriptionist Honored:
     We have been asked to print the following:
     Nancy Lewis, a volunteer Braillist with the Florida Regional
Library Serving the Blind and Physically Handicapped, has been
gratefully acknowledged by the Jacksonville Naval Aviation Depot
for her Braille computer contributions to assist a visually
impaired computer systems analyst who works there. Ms. Lewis
received a letter of appreciation and a beautiful certificate
which included a photograph of the facility.
     Nancy Lewis has been Brailling computer manuals necessary
for this employee since August, 1990. 
     Wayne Davis, President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Florida, reports that the Florida Regional Library for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped has a long and honorable
history of assistance to blind patrons and support for the
efforts of the organized blind movement.

**Free Matter Labels Available:
     We have been asked to print the following:
     Free matter for the blind, self-adhesive labels for sale, $1
per sheet of thirty labels. Please send check or money order to
John R. Lynch, Wildcat Enterprises, 5221 Hitchingpost, Corpus
Christi, Texas 78415.

**White Cane Day Idea:
     Last fall Karen Mayry, President of the National Federation
of the Blind of South Dakota, reported that in conjunction with
White Cane Safety Day the affiliate conducted an extremely
successful public education program in the Rapid City School
System. It's an idea that could be duplicated in any city across
the country. Karen sent the following memo to every fourth grade
teacher in the city. This is the way she explained the NFB of
South Dakota's offer:

September 26, 1991

To:       Rapid City Fourth Grade Teachers
From:     Karen S. Mayry, President
          National Federation of the Blind of South Dakota
Re:       Blindness and White Cane Week

     Do your students have questions about blind people and what
they can or cannot do? Do they think that we stay at home and
need to be "taken care of?" Do they believe that all blind kids
go to special schools and could not attend their school and
participate fully in the programs?"
     We would like to eliminate the myths that most individuals
have regarding the capabilities of blind people. As blind people
ourselves, we have the expertise to address the questions
proposed by your students. We would welcome the opportunity.
     White Cane Day is celebrated nationwide on October 15. It
calls attention to the independence of blind people through the
use of a long white cane. During the week of October 14 - 18, we
want to visit all fourth grades in the Rapid City School System.
May we visit your class?
     Please call to schedule a convenient time for our
presentation.

**Book Available:
     We have been asked to carry the following announcement: "My
book Songs of Emotion, is in both Braille and regular print.
Braille from Northern Nevada Braille Transscribers, Inc., 1015
Oxford Avenue, Sparks, Nevada 89431. Print from Mrs. Kaye
Mendoca, Box 1544, Tahoe City, California 95730." This
announcement comes from Gayle Sabonaitis, 11 Maxwell Street,
Worcester, Massachusetts 01607.

**Braille Book Store Opens:
     We recently received the following press release:

     The William A. Thomas Braille Book Store, believed to be the
first such retail store in the nation, has been opened by
Braille International, Inc., a non-profit organization in Stuart,
Florida.
     Braille readers now have immediate access to approximately
250 fiction, non-fiction, and children's titles on a variety of
topics, such as business, computers, cooking, sports, romance and
science fiction, plus research materials.
     The store serves a dual purpose. First, visually impaired
and blind individuals are able to shop independently. Second, it
helps educate the local community on blindness, since many area
school children visit Braille International on class field trips.
     The store is named for William A. Thomas, the founder and
board chairman of Braille International. Mr. Thomas has been
involved in the braille industry since the early 197Os, and has
chaired the board of directors of Braille International since it
was established as a non-profit organization in 1988.
     "We've wanted to do this for a long time," says Steven L.
Brubaker, president of Braille International. "Mr. Thomas has
long been an untiring supporter of braille literacy. We saw this
as a wonderful way to recognize all his efforts to see that those
who are denied sight are not denied knowledge."
     The store plans to add approximately 100 new titles to its
shelves each year. The books, which are sold at cost, are priced
from 72 cents to more than $300.
     The book store is open to the public from 7:30 to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday, or by appointment on Saturdays. "If people
are in the area and want to visit," explains Brubaker, "we will
do what we can to accommodate their schedules."
     Free catalogues of the titles offered at the book store are
available in print or braille, and books may be ordered by mail.
For more inforation or to receive a free catalogue, please
contact the publications director toll-free at 1-800-336-3142, or
write her at 3142 S.E. Jay St., Stuart, Florida 34997.

**Elected:
     We have been asked to print the following:
     The Kanawha Valley Chapter of the National Federation of the
Blind of West Virginia held its annual chapter elections April 9,
1992. The following officers were elected: Dennis Ranker,
President; Ruth Kirby, Vice-President; Barbara Smith, Secretary;
Mike Smith, Treasurer; and Ed Greenleaf, board member.